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[Hate the new Windows 'start menu'? Get the classic XP menu back with this little app!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/get-classic-start-menu-on-windows-7-or-windows-vista/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/get-classic-start-menu-on-windows-7-or-windows-vista/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/get-classic-start-menu-on-windows-7-or-windows-vista/#commentsFiled under: ,

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

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

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


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

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

[via Into Windows]

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

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>start menuStartMenuwindows 7windows vistaWindows7WindowsVistaSat, 21 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Foobar2000 v1.0 Beta -- holy crap, it's finally here!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/foobar2000-v1-0-beta-holy-crap-its-finally-here/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/foobar2000-v1-0-beta-holy-crap-its-finally-here/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/foobar2000-v1-0-beta-holy-crap-its-finally-here/#commentsFiled under: ,

Believe it or not, almost 7 years after its initial release, the Foobar2000 v1.0 Beta is finally out, and with it comes a large list of changes. Most of them are much-needed interface fixes, but there is the welcome addition of built-in support for the streaming of Windows Media formats (ASX/MMS/RTSP). Other than that, it's much of the same.

Foobar2000, if you were wondering, is a very light-weight music player. It's incredibly flexible thanks to its modular design and fully-featured developer kit. There are mods and plug-ins for Foobar that make it one of the most useful music players: if you're the kind of music buff that likes downloading 'quadrophonic gold remastered' albums in AC3 format from Torrent sites, then Foobar is the music player for you. If you have a large MP3 (or FLAC, AAC, MP4...) music collection and simply want to listen to it, Foobar is also the one for you.

There's all the usual functionality there too, like ripping CDs or fixing ID3 tags. My personal favourite is the keyboard shortcuts that you can set to work globally -- so even if you're playing a game like World of Warcraft, you can skip and pause your music using a finger-breaking keyboard shortcut. Handy. There's also a neat Windows 7 shell integration plugin, if you're fortunate enough to be using Foobar2000 AND Windows 7!

If you're one of those old boring types that's still using the antiquated WinAmp, or you're using the slow-and-disgustingly-bloated iTunes, give Foobar2000 a go -- you'll be surprised at just how good it is.

Official download (torrent) / MajorGeeks direct download (seems link was broken -- fixed now)

Foobar2000 v1.0 Beta -- holy crap, it's finally here! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Defragmentation (like backing up) is one of those chores I don't think about doing all that often. And I really should, since my desktop at work is a cluttered mess of downloads, screenshots, temp files, and other digital flotsam.

When Auslogics mentioned they've got a new version of their Disk Defrag tool available for download, I figured why not take it for a spin? My drive could use the TLC, after all. The app is available with an installer or as a portable app and is free for home use.

One small feature worth a mention is that Disk Defrag supports Windows 7's superbar progress indicator. You can choose to defragment your entire drive or target specific files or folders. It's also got a number of other smart features, like free space consolidation and intelligent system file placement. Disk Defrag can also be set to run automatically when your system is idle.

The installable version can also clean up your temp files prior to defragging, minimize to the system tray, run scheduled jobs, and integrate into your right-click context menu.

Tidying up my drive's 130Gb+ of disorganization took about 25 minutes. Disk Defrag also includes a new optimization feature which Auslogics recommends running once a week. It takes quite a bit longer, but if it helps keep your drive healthy and running at peak performance it's time well spent.

Auslogics Disk Defrag buffs up, adds disk optimization in v3 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auslogicsdefragdefragmenterportablewindows 7Windows7Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gladinet updates to 1.4, now with added cloud backup kung-fu]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/gladinet-back-up-music-video-photos-cloud/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/gladinet-back-up-music-video-photos-cloud/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/gladinet-back-up-music-video-photos-cloud/#commentsFiled under: ,

Gladinet is an excellent way to plug your Windows desktop in to a number of cloud storage providers - like Amazon, SkyDrive, Google Docs - as well as your own FTP and WebDAV servers. They also recently added a nifty cloud-to-cloud backup feature.

In the update to version 1.4, Gladinet has built in the ability to selectively back up specific file types to your remote storage. Want to make sure you have a current set of your local files at the ready on Google Docs? Maybe zip all your photos up to LiveDrive? It's a breeze in the new version.

From your system tray, just right-click the Gladinet icon and choose backup my files online, and in addition to folder and Google Docs backups you can now select Documents/Photos/Videos/Music as options.

Pick one, and Gladinet quickly scours your hard drive for the appropriate files. You can exclude anything you want - for example, stray .GIF images that might be selected by default.

The new task options make backing up your most essential personal files a breeze.

If you're a believer in the cloud, Gladinet is a must-have free download and the pro version is well worth a look at $39.99 (home) or $59.99 (commercial).

Gladinet updates to 1.4, now with added cloud backup kung-fu originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazon ec2AmazonEc2backupcloudgladinetgoogle docsGoogleDocsstorageThu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Earth for iPhone gets an update to 2.0]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/google-earth-for-iphone-gets-an-update-to-2-0/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/google-earth-for-iphone-gets-an-update-to-2-0/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/google-earth-for-iphone-gets-an-update-to-2-0/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When Google brought its amazing global map application, Google Earth, to the iPhone, it was a match made in heaven. (Okay, it was match made on Earth, but bear with with me, here.) The pinching and rotating gestures on the iPhone made exploring the globe on a handheld device fun and easy. Well, now Google Earth is back with version 2.0, which introduces some of the useful features you've come to expect from Earth's sister project, Google Maps. You can grab it from the app store now.

Although it's nothing earth-shattering (ha!), Google Earth can now access your saved maps - and other people's public maps - by logging into your Google account and using the My Maps interface. Bringing Maps and Earth even closer together, Google has also made it easier to search businesses, photos and places in Earth, just like you can in Maps. Also, in a move that seems fitting for an app that maps the entire world, Earth 2.0 supports 31 languages, up from the original 18.

Google Earth for iPhone gets an update to 2.0 originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>google earthgoogle mapsGoogleEarthGoogleMapsiphoneWed, 18 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Weird Wednesday: Billy Mays app awesomes up your CAPS LOCK KEY!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/weird-wednesday-billy-mays-app-awesomes-up-your-caps-lock-key/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/weird-wednesday-billy-mays-app-awesomes-up-your-caps-lock-key/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/weird-wednesday-billy-mays-app-awesomes-up-your-caps-lock-key/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

John Haller is pretty well-known in software circles - he's the guy behind PoartableApps.com. What you may not have known is that he's a big Billy Mays fan. And like a lot of Billy Mays fans, John was a little misty when Billy shuffled off this mortal coil earlier this year.

What better way for a coder to commemorate a fallen icon than with an awesome app? Enter BILLY MAYS CAPS LOCK!

While it won't make your whites whiter or fix the broken handle of your coffee mug, it is one of the greatest remedies I've ever found for computer-induced boredom. Need a quick, random jolt to break you out of your ennui? Hit your caps lock key, and virtual Billy Mays will chime in with one of his trademark catch phrases.

It's probably worth noting that the app does override your caps lock's real functionality, but only overexcited douchebags on Twitter use it anyway, right? Haller does build in shift + caps lock as a workaround in case you do need to enable cruise control for awesome.

HERE'S HOW TO ORDER:

Sorry, I got caught up in the moment there. It's a free download and is available as an installer or in PortableApps format - so you can take Billy with you and fire him up wherever you've got Windows and a CAPS LOCK key.

Weird Wednesday: Billy Mays app awesomes up your CAPS LOCK KEY! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Translate just got a lot better, with a nice, clean new look and several new features. The first thing you'll notice is that you no longer have to click to translate. Translate now works instantly, as you type. If you're trying to translate something into a language with a non-Roman alphabet (like Chinese, for example) Google will also show the phonetic pronunciation underneath the translated characters.

If you're translating into English, you've got an even better option: you can hear an audio pronunciation of the English translation. This feature is awesome, and I'm looking forward to a time when Google inevitably implements it for other languages, too. There's a new feature for English-speakers, too, though: if you type in the phonetic, romanized version of a word from a non-Roman language (Google cheekily gives Fake Steve Jobs' trademark sign-off, "namaste," as an example), Translate will attempt to show the proper characters in the original language.

Google Translate gets phonetic translation and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>googlelanguagetranslatetranslationMon, 16 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Folder synchronization tool SyncToy hits version 2.1]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/folder-synchronization-tool-synctoy-hits-version-2-1/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/folder-synchronization-tool-synctoy-hits-version-2-1/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/folder-synchronization-tool-synctoy-hits-version-2-1/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[via Lifehacker]

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

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoft-synctoy-2.1synchronizationsynctoysynctoy-2.1Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Bookmark sync arrives on Chromium for Mac - here's how to make it work]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/bookmark-sync-lands-on-chromium-for-mac-heres-how-to-make-it/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/bookmark-sync-lands-on-chromium-for-mac-heres-how-to-make-it/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/bookmark-sync-lands-on-chromium-for-mac-heres-how-to-make-it/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We've told you before about Google Chrome's slick new bookmark syncing feature, available in the Windows beta version of Chrome 4. It automatically keeps your bookmarks synced across multiple Chrome installations, using your Google Account. Well, this feature has landed in recent builds of Chromium for Mac (that's the open-source project Chrome is based on). To enable it, you'll first need to grab the latest version of Chromium.

Bookmark sync isn't on by default. To use it, you'll have to pop open your Terminal and do a little command-line magic. You'll want to right-click Chromium, show package contents, and then find Chromium inside the MacOS folder. Drag that to the Terminal, and then add the argument --enable-sync. Chromium should open, and you should see bookmarking syncing in your preferences.

Sign in with your Google account, and your bookmarks will be synced automatically to any other Chromium/Chrome browsers that you sign into. If you want to see where they're stored on the web, check a slightly strange location: a Chrome folder in your Google Docs account.

I know it seems like a lot of trouble to go through for bookmark syncing, but such is the peril of being on the bleeding edge of browser development. Bookmark syncing will very likely pop up officially in the Chrome Mac beta scheduled for early December.

Bookmark sync arrives on Chromium for Mac - here's how to make it work originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There are plenty of wallpaper-changing applications out there, and plenty of them can tap into photo sharing sites like Flickr and Photobucket for access to a plethora of images. Still, not many of them are quite as well-connected as Wally.

Even fewer are cross-platform. Wally, though, is happy to share its background-rotating skills with Windows, Mac, and Linux users alike. It's built using Nokia's Qt4 framework and supports an insane number of image sources: local and remote folders (via FTP), and popular photo sites like Flickr, Yahoo!, Panoramio, Pikeo, Ipernity, Photobucket, Buzznet, Picasa, Smugmug, and Bing. You can use any combination of sources you choose by adding and removing them on the settings screen.

Customization options are plentiful, from specifying the delay between image changes to tweaking the size of your local image history store. Images from the 'net are pulled in based on the search terms you specify - and yes, you can shut off Bing's adult filter if you want to.

Wally is free and open source, and pre-compiled downloads are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The project is also mirrorerd over at Sourceforge.

Wally is a kick-ass, connected wallpaper changer for Windows, Mac, and Linux originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backgroundsflickrwallpaper changerWallpaperChangerwallyFri, 13 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyze Words - analyze Twitter users based on their toots]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/analyze-words-analyze-twitter-users-based-on-their-toots/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/analyze-words-analyze-twitter-users-based-on-their-toots/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/analyze-words-analyze-twitter-users-based-on-their-toots/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Analyze WordsWho doesn't love a superficial pop-psychology tool? Analyze Words purports to reveal the personality of Twitter users by analyzing their recent toots tweets. The resulting analysis is broken down into three main categories: Emotional Style, Social Style, and Thinking Style.

Each main category consists of three or four ratings; for example, Emotional Style consists of Upbeat, Worried, Angry, and Depressed. Social Style's ratings are Plugged in, Personable, Arrogant/Distant, and Spacey/Valley girl, and Thinking Style's ratings are Analytic, Sensory, and In-the-moment.

Unfortunately, Analyze Words doesn't do any intelligent filtering - for example, retweets are analyzed along with regular tweets, so if you happen to retweet a lot of other people's content, the analysis won't really reflect your own words. But maybe I'm just being touchy because Analyze Words told me I'm a worried, arrogant / distant sensory thinker. Or something like that.

Analyze Words - analyze Twitter users based on their toots originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>personalitypersonality-typesocial stylessocial-stylesSocialStylesthinking stylesthinking-stylesThinkingStylestootstweetsTwitterword-analysisFri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dropbox Votebox lets you decide what they work on next]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/dropbox-votebox-lets-you-decide-what-they-work-on-next/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/dropbox-votebox-lets-you-decide-what-they-work-on-next/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/dropbox-votebox-lets-you-decide-what-they-work-on-next/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Dropbox is one of my current top 5 favorite apps. It's an extremely useful utility with a few, very powerful, easy to use features, and now they are looking to expand. With Votebox (must be signed in to see the page), they are letting the user base vote on which features they work on next. Thousands of votes have already been cast. Here are the top 5 at the time of this writing.

1. Selective sync. Ability to choose which files or folders get sync'd to which computers.

2. Watch any folder. Sync folders outside the My/Dropbox folder (thus essentially replicating the functionality of SugarSync). This would be sweet, though I wonder how it would affect the current simplicity and performance of the app.

3. Share folders without forcing other members to lose space. I'd be interested to see how they handle this one. It could open up loopholes for vastly expanded storage space for groups of people.

4. Email files to Dropbox. Use an email address to upload files to your dropbox space.

5. Mac resource fork support. Perhaps the most cryptic of the requests. The resource fork is essentially metadata attached to the file that helps the Mac OS understand the file better. It defines things like custom icons, window sizes, menu definitions and the like. It is also how Mac OS can do extension-less file names. These things are generally stripped by backup programs (like Dropbox). This would be an extremely useful feature for Mac users.

Dropbox Votebox lets you decide what they work on next originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>developmentDropBoxfeature requestsFeatureRequestsFri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EventSync - sync Facebook events to your Mac's iCal]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/eventsync-sync-facebook-events-to-your-macs-ical/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/eventsync-sync-facebook-events-to-your-macs-ical/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/eventsync-sync-facebook-events-to-your-macs-ical/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

EventSync

It frustrates me that so many different services have a calendar function, and yet it's still a pain in the ass to make sure that my personal calendar is up to date. More often than not I find myself manually creating events using copy-and-paste, instead of the event being automatically created for me by whatever service I'm using.

If you happen to be a Facebook Events user, a utility called EventSync can help you keep your iCal calendar application on your Mac up to date with your Facebook events. It's smart enough to allow you to choose to sync all events, or only those that you have accepted (amongst other options). Development is active on the utility too, and Hawk Wings reports that version 2.0 will include the ability to display the flyers and images associated with the Facebook events.

EventSync is donationware for the Mac platform.

EventSync - sync Facebook events to your Mac's iCal originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most keyboards built in the last twenty years or so sport three LEDs - number lock, caps lock, and scroll lock. I'm pretty sure that over those same twenty years I've used each one for a combined total of five minutes.

It sure would be nice if I could somehow force the LEDs to perform another duty. Say, for example, blinking in time with my network activity? That would be pretty slick.

And that's exactly what Network Lights does. Download the 44Kb .zip file, extract it, and run the executable and your LEDs will go to work, flashing in time with the flow of network packets to and from your PC.

I'd recommend against running Network Lights on a laptop which doesn't have a full numeric pad on the keyboard. As the app flicks the LED on and off, your dual-mode keys (usually on the right side around J-K-L) will periodically become unresponsive.

While this is an older app and hasn't been updated in quite some time, Network Lights runs just fine under Windows 7.

[via Raymond.cc]

Turn your keyboard LEDs into network activity indicators with a free app originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>keyboardlednetwork statusNetworkStatusnumlocktrafficThu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![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