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 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[BaseKit is a web app that generates websites from Photoshop PSD files]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/09/basekit-a-web-app-that-generates-websites-from-photoshop-psd-fi/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/09/basekit-a-web-app-that-generates-websites-from-photoshop-psd-fi/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/09/basekit-a-web-app-that-generates-websites-from-photoshop-psd-fi/#commentsFiled under: ,

The folks at BaseKit think that the process of website creation is due for an overhaul -- and boy do I agree! The time for writing code in an editor, creating artwork in another app and uploading it all bit-by-bit is OVER. The folks at BaseKit pose a good question: why don't we make websites online, in the browser?

There are some nascent attempts, like the cheap-and-cheerful approach of Google Sites, but nothing that comes close to the simple, graceful beauty of BaseKit. For a start, you can import Photoshop PSD files! I can't begin to describe the pains I've been through, as a web designer, trying to implement PSDs in valid HTML and CSS -- but now BaseKit can do it for me, and the code it generates works in all modern browsers. It takes a little getting used to -- you need to name one of your layers 'Header', for example -- but overall, the process is very quick and very smooth. Check out the video on their homepage, if you want to see the PSD import in action.

Even if you don't want to import PSDs, there's lots of other shiny bits to lure you in. The interface is beautiful, like a marriage of everything good about Web 2.0. There is dragging and dropping, resizing, AJAX and widgets up the yin yang -- forms, date pickers, star ratings, imported Flickr and Twitter feeds -- it's all there. If you want to see what's possible, check out their showcase. You'll also notice there's no Flash (but they're working on including it... damn).

If I haven't won you over yet, I've saved the best, beardy-pleasing morsel for last: it generates W3C-compliant code!

Right now you have to sign up for a beta key -- and there are certainly some beta bugs that need ironing out -- but I will try to get some keys to hand out in the next few days over on our Facebook page!
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BaseKit is a web app that generates websites from Photoshop PSD files originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>basekitcssdesignhtmlphotoshoppsdw3cweb designWebDesignwebsitewysiwygTue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Twitter Tuesday - this week's Twitter news, apps and more]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/09/twitter-tuesday-this-weeks-twitter-news-apps-and-more/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/09/twitter-tuesday-this-weeks-twitter-news-apps-and-more/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/09/twitter-tuesday-this-weeks-twitter-news-apps-and-more/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Heya, Download Squad readers! I'm back again with the most thrilling Twitter developments of the past week. No protesters at Twitter HQ this week, but the Big T did roll out some neat new features. I'll tell you about all that and more -- with no horrible bird puns, guaranteed! -- in this week's Twitter Tuesday.

Let's go!


What's a hovercard? Are we in the future? Do you need a helmet? Relax, guys: hovercards are Twitter's new way of showing you information about a user without making you load up that user's profile page. Now all you have to do is hover over the person's name, and their basic profile information will show up in a tooltip. Maybe it's not as cool as a hoverCAR, but it's definitely cooler than having to open up a bunch of new tabs.

Continue reading Twitter Tuesday - this week's Twitter news, apps and more

Twitter Tuesday - this week's Twitter news, apps and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresrounduptwittertwitter tuesdayTwitterTuesdayTue, 09 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Stream? Google will launch "huge" new social features tomorrow]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/08/google-stream-google-will-launch-huge-new-social-features-tom/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/08/google-stream-google-will-launch-huge-new-social-features-tom/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/08/google-stream-google-will-launch-huge-new-social-features-tom/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Google is working on something mysterious that has to do with Gmail and social networking, but the details are still under wraps. The new product will be unveiled tomorrow, and it could be anything from integrating Gmail status updates with Twitter and Facebook to launching a full-scale Twitter-like service of its own.

Here's what we're hearing so far:

TechCrunch says the new product will "intregrate with at least two existing Google products. The general consensus in the tech blogosphere is that one of the two is Gmail. The Wall Street Journal says the new product will make it "easier and faster for user of Gmail to view media and status updates." (Media, eh? Is the other Google product YouTube?)

Meanwhile, over at Mashable, they're calling the pending announcement "HUGE" and saying Gmail will offer a Twitter-like timeline of your friends status updates, as well as integration (Twitpic and Yfrog-style, maybe?) of Picasa photos and YouTube videos. We won't find out until 10 AM Tuesday what this new Google hotness is called, but we can start speculating! What do you think, DLS readers?

p.s.: I haven't actually heard anyone call this thing "Google Stream," but don't you think it would make a catchy name?

Google Stream? Google will launch "huge" new social features tomorrow originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gmailgooglelifestreamSocialNetworkingstatus updateStatusUpdatetimelinetwitterMon, 08 Feb 2010 16:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Cc:Betty email threading tool axes cutesy name, becomes Threadbox]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/05/email-threading-and-organization-tool-axes-cutesy-name-becomes/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/05/email-threading-and-organization-tool-axes-cutesy-name-becomes/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/05/email-threading-and-organization-tool-axes-cutesy-name-becomes/#commentsFiled under: , ,

http://threadbox.com/
With the tagline 'work outside the inbox', and customary all-lower-case branding, Cc:Betty has just been relaunched and rebranded as Threadbox. Citing 'branding issues' and the need to 'reel in the cute', Threadbox is still the same software -- it just has a different name.

If you haven't heard of Cc:Betty, it's a very neat email organizer. As you probably guessed from the (old) name, you add Betty in the CC field when you write an email -- she, in a display of classic sexist misogyny, then keeps all your email threads shipshape and tidy. Where Cc:Betty really comes into its (her) own is group discussions: mailing lists, event organization, projects -- things like that.

The irony is, while you have to request an invite for Threadbox access, you can sign up to Cc:Betty right now. I presume accounts at Cc:Betty will be merged with Threadbox in due course.

There's an awful commercial for Threadbox after the break, but the demo video on the Cc:Betty website is better.

[via VentureBeat]

Continue reading Cc:Betty email threading tool axes cutesy name, becomes Threadbox

Cc:Betty email threading tool axes cutesy name, becomes Threadbox originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cc:bettyccbettycommunicationdiscussionemailmailing listMailingListthreadboxFri, 05 Feb 2010 15:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Facebook simplifies home page layout, inevitable complaining begins]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/05/facebook-simplifies-home-page-layout-inevitable-complaining-beg/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/05/facebook-simplifies-home-page-layout-inevitable-complaining-beg/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/05/facebook-simplifies-home-page-layout-inevitable-complaining-beg/#commentsFiled under: ,

Facebook has made some minor alterations the layout of its home page, aimed at simplifying your social networking experience. As with the last 5 design changes Facebook has made, this one has riled up users and inspired "bring back the old Facebook" groups. What's to get excited about, though? The changes seem mostly positive to me.

"News Feed" and "Live Feed" have been changed to the more descriptive "Top News" and "Most Recent," notifications have been clustered in a compact space in the top left corner (next to the Facebook logo), and the horizontal navigation at the top of the screen is now in a sidebar on the left of the screen.

Facebook has posted an easy-to-grasp tour of the new layout, in case you're having trouble finding certain features that have been relocated. The only one I find needlessly confusing is the logout button, which is now hiding under the "account" menu in the top right corner. What's the matter, Facebook? Don't want your users to log out?
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Facebook simplifies home page layout, inevitable complaining begins originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookhomepagelayoutredesignsimplifiedFri, 05 Feb 2010 12:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Street View to let you walk into shops soon?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/05/google-street-view-to-let-you-walk-into-shops-soon/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/05/google-street-view-to-let-you-walk-into-shops-soon/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/05/google-street-view-to-let-you-walk-into-shops-soon/#commentsFiled under: ,


Apparently a small-time business in NYC called "Oh Nuts" claims Google paid them a visit and asked to take photos inside the store every six feet (that's every two meters for the rest of us), a-la Street View. They took photos of the aisles and of actual products.

Google say they're just experimenting and are not making any statements (how surprising), but still, it's an interesting prospect. If implemented on a broad scale, will it mean shopkeepers would have to keep their shelves super-neat until the Street View team comes along?

What if they decide to stop carrying a product? And if they've changed things around and decide they want the photos taken again?

I think the only way this can work is as a paid advertising service, with Google hiring out their photographers -- but then it would probably only be available in major cities. Still, I kind of like the idea because it sounds like something which could give the small guys a better chance and some exposure in their perpetual fight against big-time retailers.

[Via: Search Engine Land]

Google Street View to let you walk into shops soon? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>googlestreet viewstreet view mapsstreet view privacystreetviewStreetViewMapsStreetViewPrivacyFri, 05 Feb 2010 11:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Twitter Tuesday - this week's Twitter news, apps and more]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/02/twitter-tuesday-this-weeks-twitter-news-apps-and-more/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/02/twitter-tuesday-this-weeks-twitter-news-apps-and-more/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/02/twitter-tuesday-this-weeks-twitter-news-apps-and-more/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Welcome to Twitter Tuesday! Every week, I'll bring you the latest in new Twitter clients and services, sprinkled with a healthy dose of news and rumors. Twitter Tuesday - please, don't call it Twuesday - follows in the footsteps of Download Squad's other illustrious weekly roundups, Chrome Corner and Firefox Friday Five.

Let's jump right in and talk about what's happening on Twitter this week:

There's a new Android Twitter client in town: Handmark's Tweetcaster. It boasts push notifications, support for multiple accounts, lists, and retweets. There's even built-in URL shortening. The customizable UI candy looks pretty decent, too. Could this be the best Twitter client for Android? Check out the free, ad-supported version or the $4.99 pro version and decide for yourself.

One caveat, though: Tweetcaster's free version makes you send out an annoying tweet about the app when you first launch it. I think that's poor form on Handmark's part, and I'd recommend testing the app on a dummy account to avoid spamming your followers.

Speaking of followers: Download Squad's own Jason Clarke explained why your twitter followers aren't as valuable as you might think. How much would you pay for each of them? Jason Calacanis tried to buy a million at 25 cents a pop, and you can buy followers on eBay for a penny a piece. Do you think that would be worth the cost?

Continue reading Twitter Tuesday - this week's Twitter news, apps and more

Twitter Tuesday - this week's Twitter news, apps and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cadmustweetcastertwittertwitter tuesdayTwitterTuesdayTue, 02 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Google turns on IPv6 at YouTube and heralds a new age at last]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/02/google-turns-on-ipv6-at-youtube-and-heralds-a-new-age-at-last/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/02/google-turns-on-ipv6-at-youtube-and-heralds-a-new-age-at-last/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/02/google-turns-on-ipv6-at-youtube-and-heralds-a-new-age-at-last/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Penguin on ice, stolen from NOAA: http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/corp2465.htmThe chicken and the egg -- you can't have one without the other -- but which one comes first? The same dilemma plagues every industry, but none as much as the tech sector.

Build it and they will come -- but what if they don't come?! You've just wasted millions of dollars -- or billions, in the case of IPv6 infrastructure. But such is life! Someone has to break the ice. Someone has to be the penguin that jumps in first to be eaten by the killer whales -- and in this case, it looks like it's Google with its YouTube service.

YouTube is the third most popular website on the Internet -- and no doubt the largest bandwidth hog in the world -- so it's refreshing and more than a little shocking to see IPv6 enabled with nary a whisper from Google.

The only report we have so far is from a director at Hurricane Electric, an ISP that runs one of the largest IPv6 backbones in the world. Speaking to PC World he said that 30 times more IPv6 traffic is originating from YouTube than before.

But why the big furore? Why is this even news? Well, IPv4 is due to run out of available addresses between now and 2012. With China and India joining the world wide web and connectivity continuing to rise in the EU and US, there simply aren't enough IP addresses to go around. IPv6 will solve that -- and provide enough addresses for any galactic-wide networks we ultimately create -- but it involves a significant investment to get it off the ground.

Go Google!
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Google turns on IPv6 at YouTube and heralds a new age at last originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>googleinternetipv4ipv6networktechnologyyoutubeTue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Foursquare meets reality TV, partners up with Bravo for new badges]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/01/foursquare-meets-reality-tv-partners-up-with-bravo-for-new-badg/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/01/foursquare-meets-reality-tv-partners-up-with-bravo-for-new-badg/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/02/01/foursquare-meets-reality-tv-partners-up-with-bravo-for-new-badg/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Foursquare's exhausting week continues. After drawing some big-name competition from Facebook and getting an unofficial WIndows Mobile client, now the trendy location-based game is partnering up with the Bravo TV network. Viewers of Bravo TV shows (including "The Real Housewives," "The Millionaire Matchmaker," "Top Chef," "Kell on Earth," and "Shear Genius") can now hunt for custom Bravo Foursquare badges at locations from the shows.

Foursquare has always been about interaction between technology and physical locations, so it's not a stretch to use it to bring some sorely-needed activity to the whole reality-show phenomenon. Bravo needs Foursquare to get viewers engaged in its shows, but Foursquare needs Bravo to expand its audience beyond the early-adopted nerd crowd. "I don't think checkins are a nerd-only experience," Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley told the New York Times.

Am I the only one who's sweating the increased competition for mayorships? I do hope Foursquare goes mainstream in a big way, but I'm barely hanging on to my title of Mayor of the 7-11!

[via The New York Times]
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Foursquare meets reality TV, partners up with Bravo for new badges originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>badgesbravocheckinfoursquarelocation-basedreality tvRealityTvSocialNetworkingtvMon, 01 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[WinMoSquare: a FourSquare client for Windows Mobile, now in beta]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/31/winmosquare-a-foursquare-client-for-windows-mobile-now-in-beta/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/31/winmosquare-a-foursquare-client-for-windows-mobile-now-in-beta/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/31/winmosquare-a-foursquare-client-for-windows-mobile-now-in-beta/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Foursquare phenomenon just keeps growing! Amidst rumors that Facebook might enter the location-based check-in arena, Foursquare continues to pick up users and expand to new platforms. Thanks to the service's APIs, an intrepid developer has put together a client for Windows Mobile: WinMoSquare. It joins the roster of other mobile clients for Foursquare, which was already available in some form for iPhone, Android, Palm, Maemo and Blackberry.

To run WinMoSquare, you'll need a touchscreen Windows Mobile phone running version 6.1 or 6.5 of the OS. WinMoSquare allows you to check in, add locations, and see where your friends are. Because not every feature is exposed via Foursquare's APIs, the client does have some weaknesses: you can't see the leaderboard or find and add new friends with it, for example. This will change if and when the features become available to developers. WinMoSquare may also pop up in the Windows Mobile Marketplace soon.




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WinMoSquare: a FourSquare client for Windows Mobile, now in beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Reader is a hugely popular - and very effective - way to subscribe to feeds from your favorite websites. What if you want updates from a website that doesn't have a feed, though? Reader can now solve that problem and allow you to subscribe to the site's changes anyway, with custom feeds. Reader will add a snippet to your new custom feed whenever the site updates, keeping you on top of any new developments.

To take advantage of this new feature, just go to "add a subscription" in Google Reader, and put in the URL of the site you want to subscribe to. You'll see a notification that the site has no feed, and the option to subscribe anyway. It works well on the homepages of large companies, like Microsoft and Apple, that update with product launches, but don't use RSS to share that information.

If you're looking for a way to subscribe to changes in a web site using a feed reader that's not Google Reader, you might want to check out page2rss, a web site that monitors any page for changes and creates and RSS feed that you can subscribe to in any reader.

If you've got any other great ideas for feedless sites worth subscribing to, let us know in the comments.

Subscribe to any page with Google Reader. No feed? No problem. originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>custom feedsCustomFeedsfeed readerFeedReaderfeedsgoogle readerGoogleReaderreaderrsssubscriptionTue, 26 Jan 2010 09:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Cross-platform Silverlight out-of-browser Facebook client finally launches]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/26/cross-platform-silverlight-out-of-browser-facebook-client-finall/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/26/cross-platform-silverlight-out-of-browser-facebook-client-finall/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/26/cross-platform-silverlight-out-of-browser-facebook-client-finall/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Back in April 2009, Microsoft demonstrated a pure-Silverlight Facebook application called Silverface. Everyone thought it had vanished into thin air, especially with Fishbowl's release. It seems, however, they've been working on a Silverlight client the entire time: ladies and gentlemen, the beta Silverlight 4 Client for Facebook!

And boy was it worth the wait.

I won't bore you with a laborious review with lots of screenshots -- Think Different has pictures, if you want -- I'll just tell you that this thing works, and it works really well. It's black and swish and shiny and silver. The entire gamut of Facebook functionality has been brought over to the Silverlight client. Status updates, photo browsing, mail -- even a neat photo uploader tool.

Plus it has notifications, ala TweetDeck or Growl. You can just forget most of the apps I listed in last week's Five Facebook Desktop Apps feature -- this bad boy does it all.

Except chat. It doesn't frackin' do chat. Anyway, give it a go -- you'll need to install the new version developer version of Silverlight, but it's worth it, I promise. Microsoft Silverlight > Adobe Air?!
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Cross-platform Silverlight out-of-browser Facebook client finally launches originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twitter local trendsTwitter has just started rolling out location-based trending topics, but for now only to about 1% of their users. The new feature will be called Local Trends, and will use your location information to present trending topics that are happening near you.

Twitter is remaining fairly tight-lipped on the new functionality for now, preferring to wait until it rolls out to a wider audience before discussing it, but Lisa Barone has included some screenshots in her post at Outspoken Media that allow us to get the gist of what it's all about.

As a Canadian living near Vancouver, I'm a little dismayed to note that though major cities are supported by the new feature, they are mostly US cities with London and Sao Paulo adding some international flavor. It's pretty safe to assume that this will expand over time. Let's just hope it doesn't take Local Trends as long to roll out as Lists took.

[via Mashable]

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Twitter launching location-based Trending Topics originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>local trendsLocalTrendslocationlocation basedLocationBasedmajor citiesMajorCitiesnew featureNewFeaturesocial networkingSocialNetworkingtwitterSat, 23 Jan 2010 12:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Twitter introduces new category-based suggested user lists]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/23/twitter-introduces-new-category-based-suggested-user-lists/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/23/twitter-introduces-new-category-based-suggested-user-lists/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/23/twitter-introduces-new-category-based-suggested-user-lists/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For a long time, Twitter has welcomed new users with the Suggested User List, an assorted pool of celebrities, tech pundits, web luminaries and more. The SUL wasn't a bad idea, but it was trying to do a job that requires a much more precise tool. Because not all Twitter users have the same interest, Twitter has split its suggested users into several categories, changed the mix of people and organizations on the list, and removed the batch-following function of the SUL.

This has a couple of effects: one is that being on the SUL might not automatically get you a million followers anymore. Second, because new users now have to decide whether to follow each individual account on the list, the average Twitter n00b should start off with a more personalized following list. Although you could quibble with Twitter's selection of users, the decision to move to categories instead of one big list is undoubtedly a smart one.
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Twitter introduces new category-based suggested user lists originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>social networkingSocialNetworkingsuggested usersSuggestedUserstwitterSat, 23 Jan 2010 11:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Box.net adds a versatile web-based file viewer]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/21/box-net-adds-a-versatile-web-based-file-viewer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/21/box-net-adds-a-versatile-web-based-file-viewer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/21/box-net-adds-a-versatile-web-based-file-viewer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Box.net, a very useful online storage provider, just got a heck of a lot more useful. Box is introducing a Flash-based viewer that will allow you to preview media files hosted on the service. It's not just mp3s and photos, although those are included, too. You'll be able to view Photoshop PSD files, code snippets, Flash videos, Microsoft Office files and more.

Box scored this new viewer from Increo, a company they recently acquired. Increo was marketing it as an embed-anywhere solution called Embedit.in. Embedit.in got high marks from Download Squad for its impressive ease of use, so it should make a great addition to the larger Box.net storage option. Now Box can provide a place to store your files AND a way to embed them, which is an attractive proposition indeed.

[via CNET]

Box.net adds a versatile web-based file viewer originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boxbox.netcloudmediapreviewstorageviewerThu, 21 Jan 2010 18:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Music site TheSixtyOne overhauls design, now even cooler!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/21/music-site-thesixtyone-overhauls-design-now-even-cooler/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/21/music-site-thesixtyone-overhauls-design-now-even-cooler/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/21/music-site-thesixtyone-overhauls-design-now-even-cooler/#commentsFiled under: ,



We've covered TheSixtyOne before, and the site has long been one of my favorite ways to discover new music online. It's chock-full of musical goodness -- including lots of Creative-Commons licensed music that can be freely downloaded. It turns music discovery into a social game and lets you "heart" songs (you only get so many hearts to give out each day, depending on your level). If others then "heart" those same songs, it means you've helped them discover good music, and you get more "reputation" points (which in turn allow you to level up and "heart" even more songs, and so on).

The songs most liked float to the top, so it's a neat little ecosystem letting unknown artists become well-known on their own merit. This is where I first discovered the fantastic Ingrid Michaelson, for example.

This morning they published something in their posterous about a "re-design," touting it as a "jump to HyperSpace." Yeah, right, I thought to myself.

Continue reading Music site TheSixtyOne overhauls design, now even cooler!

Music site TheSixtyOne overhauls design, now even cooler! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiodiscoveryIndiemusicstreamingthesixtyoneThu, 21 Jan 2010 13:01:00 EST<![CDATA[FoursquareX brings checkins (and a map) to your Mac desktop]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/17/foursquarex-brings-checkins-and-a-map-to-your-mac-desktop/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/17/foursquarex-brings-checkins-and-a-map-to-your-mac-desktop/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/17/foursquarex-brings-checkins-and-a-map-to-your-mac-desktop/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The flow of Foursquare news just keeps on coming! Since we are called Download Squad, I'm happy to report that this latest item from the location-based gaming world is something you can actually download: a Mac desktop client for Foursquare. It shows your friends' checkins - Growl-alert compatible, no less - and allows you to check in yourself, but it's also got things the mobile version of Foursquare doesn't. One of them is a Google map that visualizes where your buddies are in the world.

Sure, having updates to Foursquare on your phone is cool if you're in the middle of a night out and looking for your next stop, but desktop updates are ideal if you haven't left the house yet. FoursquareX is a menubar app that hangs out in the background (and pushes Growl alerts, if you want them), but pops open to provide checkin options and a map. Before I had an iPhone, I wished for a better way to check in to laptop-friendly cafés without using Foursquare's clunky website. This is it!

FoursquareX isn't produced by Foursquare itself. It's actually the work of intrepid developer Eric Butler, who deserves plenty of credit for such a slick app. (Hey Foursquare, have you offered to buy this thing yet?) Fair warning to folks who are still on OS X 10.5 or below: FoursquareX is Snow Leopard only.

FoursquareX brings checkins (and a map) to your Mac desktop originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>checkindesktoperic butlerEricButlerfoursquarefoursquarexlocation-basedmacmapsocialnetworkingSun, 17 Jan 2010 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Yelp iPhone app gets Foursquare-style check-ins]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/16/yelp-iphone-app-gets-foursquare-style-check-ins/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/16/yelp-iphone-app-gets-foursquare-style-check-ins/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/16/yelp-iphone-app-gets-foursquare-style-check-ins/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Foursquare and Gowalla have been locked in a battle over the emerging market for location-based social networking, but wait ... here comes a new challenger! Actually, it's an old, familiar challenger: Yelp. Yelp has gained a massive base of users and venues as one of the biggest user-submitter review sites on the web. It only makes sense to build check-ins and a leaderboard on top of that, so that's what Yelp has done. iPhone users can now check in to venues, and the feature should roll out soon for other devices.

Certainly, Yelp won't be as robust a game as Foursquare or Gowalla ... at first. People are going to have to rethink their Yelp friends lists in light of the additional privacy most people demand when they check in to locations in real time.

Someone who writes good reviews might not be someone I want to know my whereabouts all the time. Yelp also needs time to build badges - so far, there's only one, for being a regular at a venue. It's nice to be able to see that a reviewer actually frequents the establishments he's writing about, but Yelp will have to step up its themed badges to compete with Foursquare.

On the other hand, if huge numbers of existing Yelp users decide to embrace check-ins, it could be game over for Foursquare and Gowalla.

[via Techcrunch]

Yelp iPhone app gets Foursquare-style check-ins originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>check incheckinfoursquaregamegowallaiphonelocation-basedreviewsyelpSat, 16 Jan 2010 14:24:00 EST<![CDATA[Foursquare goes to college, starting with Harvard]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/13/foursquare-goes-to-college-starting-with-harvard/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/13/foursquare-goes-to-college-starting-with-harvard/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/13/foursquare-goes-to-college-starting-with-harvard/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Foursquare's been making a lot of news lately, breaking out of city-specific gameplay and expanding its location-based game to the entire globe. But what do you do after you take over the world? Well, if you're Foursquare, you start launching mini-games with a hyper-local focus. The first one just kicked off on Harvard University's campus. Foursquare's making a push for Harvard students to join the service, and even giving them their own badge.

Although it's not likely to rival Facebook for sheer numbers of college-age users, launching on campuses seems like a good fit for Foursquare. A college campus is a concentrated area where each location gets pretty high traffic, so competition for mayorships will be a lot of fun.

Plus, Foursquare's often-overlooked function as a place to check out tips and recommendations could make learning the ropes on a university campus a lot easier.

[via Mashable]

Foursquare goes to college, starting with Harvard originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>badgecollegegamesharvardlocation-basedSocialNetworkinguniversityWed, 13 Jan 2010 10:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Foursquare for the Palm Pre gets a new look and a speed boost [Gallery]]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/08/foursquare-for-the-palm-pre-gets-a-new-look-and-speed-boost/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/08/foursquare-for-the-palm-pre-gets-a-new-look-and-speed-boost/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/01/08/foursquare-for-the-palm-pre-gets-a-new-look-and-speed-boost/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It's been just one week since the Foursquare webOS app entered beta, and amidst a flurry of news around the location-based game that broke free of its city-limits this week the webOS application has already seen a sizeable update.

The original beta of the application, whilst stylish, was (understandably) slow and incomplete - however today's new build is both feature complete and blazing fast. Not only that, but the new update sees the app sport a slightly new look.

When it comes to location-based games, Foursquare currently has the lead in terms of devices supported - with a universally-accessible mobile site, Blackberry app, Android client and the original iPhone app available. However we're going to be keeping our eyes on the other location-based services: Gowalla recently announced their plans to bring out Blackberry and webOS applications 'this year'.

If you want to play with the latest version of the Foursquare app, it'll be available in the App Catalogue shortly - or you can download it from the Foursquare for webOS Github page. The app remains open source, with the code available via Github.

Take the jump to check out the gallery!

Continue reading Foursquare for the Palm Pre gets a new look and a speed boost [Gallery]

Foursquare for the Palm Pre gets a new look and a speed boost [Gallery] originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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