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[Auslogics Disk Defrag buffs up, adds disk optimization in v3]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/auslogics-disk-defrag-buffs-up-adds-disk-optimization-in-v3/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/auslogics-disk-defrag-buffs-up-adds-disk-optimization-in-v3/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/auslogics-disk-defrag-buffs-up-adds-disk-optimization-in-v3/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


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.

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When Microsoft introduced us to Silverlight 4 the other day, they also demoed a slick Facebook application. It's called Fishbowl, and it's now available for download. Not only does Fishbowl provide a nice, clean display of your stream (read: free of sidebar annoyances), but it's packed with excellent features, responsive, and extremely intuitive to use.

It's also ready to add some sizzle to your Windows 7 taskbar with jumplist and Aero Peek goodness. Read on after the break!

Continue reading Fishbowl is a kick-ass Facebook client for Windows 7

Fishbowl is a kick-ass Facebook client for Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfishbowlsilverlightwindows 7Windows7Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:00 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[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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>billy maysBillyMayscaps lockCapsLockWed, 18 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Office 2010 beta for Windows and Windows Mobile now live]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/office-2010-beta-for-windows-and-windows-mobile-now-live/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/office-2010-beta-for-windows-and-windows-mobile-now-live/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/office-2010-beta-for-windows-and-windows-mobile-now-live/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Microsoft has finally made downloads of Office 2010 beta available, for both Windows on your desktop and Windows Mobile 6.5. Project 2010, Visio 2010, and SharePoint Server 2010 are also available on the Office 2010 download page, and you can get the mobile version of Office via the Windows Mobile Marketplace. Microsoft says the portal for all things 2010 is http://www.microsoft.com/2010/, but the first live download links I've found are right here.

Because we apparently need social networking in every app these days, one of the things Microsoft is pushing about Office 2010 is the new Social Connector, which "brings communications history, business collaboration and social network feeds directly into Outlook, with support for Windows Live and SharePoint Server." LinkedIn has been announced as the first social network that will plug in to this new feature.

More on Office 2010 soon, as Microsoft is getting ready to demo it at their Professional Developers' Conference as I write this. Happy downloading!

Office 2010 beta for Windows and Windows Mobile now live originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adobe has done a lot to improve Reader in recent versions. I'm more than happy to run an open source alternative, however. Sumatra PDF is ridiculously small (a 1.2Mb download), lightweight, and handles the PDFs I throw at it without skipping a beat.

Today, Sumatra has finally hit version 1.0. Sumatra's a pretty bare-bones application, so don't expect any mind-blowing changes. What the new update boils down to is better compatibility, bug fixes, and performance tweaks.

Installed, Sumatra barely makes a dent in your drive space (not that you're counting at a few cents per gig), and it's very light on memory usage as well. The 277-page ebook I've got open is using just under 20Mb.

There's also a portable version available - an excellent way to make sure you've got a slim, speedy PDF reader with you wherever you take your flash drive. Both the installer and zip file are available for download from the author's site.

Open source Adobe Reader alternative Sumatra PDF hits version 1.0 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acrobatadobe readerAdobeReaderpdfsumatraTue, 17 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Seesmic launches native Windows Twitter client]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/seesmic-launches-native-windows-twitter-client/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/seesmic-launches-native-windows-twitter-client/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/seesmic-launches-native-windows-twitter-client/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Seesmic sure picked a weird time to announce a new Windows-native Twitter client. It's one of the most popular clients running on Adobe's cross-platform AIR platform, which just hit version 2.0. AIR was everyone's biggest complaint about Seesmic, so it makes sense that they'd want to ditch AIR on at least one OS. Creating a native app also allows for drag-and-drop Twitter list management and plug-ins for various third-party Twitter services.

Plugins so far include the user recommendation service MrTweet and the index of popular links, Tweetmeme. Other Twitter-like services will also be able to integrate with Seesmic through the new service. This doesn't necessarily mean the end of development for the AIR version of Seesmic, unless they come out with a native Mac client too. The Mac Twitter space already has a lot of great apps, though, so I'm not sure that'll happen.

To get beta access to the new Windows client, you'll have to sign up for Team Seesmic.

Seesmic launches native Windows Twitter client originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clientseesmictwitterwindowsTue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Adobe Air 2 goes beta, adds tons of new features, sucks a whole lot less]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/adobe-air-2-goes-beta-adds-new-features-sucks-a-whole-lot-less/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/adobe-air-2-goes-beta-adds-new-features-sucks-a-whole-lot-less/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/adobe-air-2-goes-beta-adds-new-features-sucks-a-whole-lot-less/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

We've had a love-hate relationship with Adobe Air since it arrived on our desktops. Ram-hungry apps had us seeing red. Still, a few killer apps helped drive adoption - apps like TweetDeck, Times Reader 2.0, and DeskTube. As Air continued to develop, it got leaner and meaner and now version 2 has arrived in beta. Adobe Air 2 is now here, and it's ready to get down to business.

Air 2 features a number of tweaks, updates, and feature additions. For starters, the Air 2 ships with Flash 10.1 beta - which adds GPU acceleration support and so far seems to kick my CPU's ass less often. Air 2 also boasts tighter integration with operating systems and can now access certain mass storage devices like USB flash drives, digital cameras, and flash memory cards. Air 2 can also tap into your computer's microphone.

Webkit has been updated, as has the SquirrelFish Extreme Javascript engine. Those two changes combine for a reported 50% gain on SunSpider benchmarks. There's also added multi-touch and gesture support and better printing and networking (including the ability to listen for incoming socket connections). Got a gigantic display? Air 2 supports a maximum window size of 4095x4095 - a 42% increase, though likely not one you'll benefit from at home.

Processor usage and memory consumption have been addressed, with many Air apps reporting about half the CPU utilization of Air 1. TweetDeck on my system is using about 20Mb less RAM. More efficient use of my hardware? Now that you can enjoy at home.

For more details about Adobe Air 2 check out the embedded clip of Kevin Lynch's presentation from MAX or head over to Adobe Labs, where you can also download the new version. Downloads are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

So far, the Air 2 beta feels like a major step in the right direction for Adobe. As more developers begin taking advantage of the possibilities now available and optimizing their apps for the new version, you may just see some pretty cool things happening on Air 2.

[via Adobe.com]

Adobe Air 2 goes beta, adds tons of new features, sucks a whole lot less originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobe airAdobeAirTue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:00 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[Yahoo! Messenger 10 now out of beta with video chat and more]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/15/yahoo-messenger-10-now-out-of-beta-with-video-chat-and-more/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/15/yahoo-messenger-10-now-out-of-beta-with-video-chat-and-more/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/15/yahoo-messenger-10-now-out-of-beta-with-video-chat-and-more/#commentsFiled under: ,


It seems like just yesterday that Yahoo! Messenger 10 entered beta, showing off new video chat and social networking features. Now it's all grown up, out of beta, and replacing Y! Messenger 9 as the default version on Yahoo's download page. Folks upgrading to version 10 get the benefit of several nice new features, including video calling and integration of streams from social sites.

Yahoo! has made some big improvements to its webcam feature, adding better video quality, synched audio and a full-screen mode. You can also move your video call windows around and place them side-by-side. It also supports video effects. To make video calls, both sides need to be on Yahoo! Messenger 10.

The other big addition is a social streaming view called Y! Updates, which lets you see your contacts' updates from several social sites, including Twitter, Last.fm, and Yahoo!'s own Buzz. Of course, it also shows your friends' Messenger status messages. However, CNET suggests you do a custom install of Yahoo! Messenger 10 rather than the default installation, so you have more control over toolbars and other additional junk that comes with Messenger.

Yahoo! Messenger 10 now out of beta with video chat and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chatmessengeryahooSun, 15 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wally is a kick-ass, connected wallpaper changer for Windows, Mac, and Linux]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/wally-is-a-kick-ass-connected-wallpaper-changer-for-windows-ma/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/wally-is-a-kick-ass-connected-wallpaper-changer-for-windows-ma/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/wally-is-a-kick-ass-connected-wallpaper-changer-for-windows-ma/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


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[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.

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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[Amazon Kindle for PC: Now delivering books to your desktop]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/amazon-kindle-for-pc-now-delivering-books-to-your-desktop/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/amazon-kindle-for-pc-now-delivering-books-to-your-desktop/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/amazon-kindle-for-pc-now-delivering-books-to-your-desktop/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Kindle for PC
As expected, Amazon has launched a version of its Kindle eBook reader for Windows. The software is available for Windows XP, Vista, and 7, with a Mac version "coming soon."

As an eBook reader, Kindle for the PC is pretty no-frills. It lets you adjust fonts, read books, and create bookmarks. And that's about it. But the software can also synchronize with other devices. So if you have Amazon's physical Kindle eBook reader or the iPhone version and you've created annotations on it, you'll be able to access them on the PC client. No, I have no idea why you can't create annotations on the PC version.

In order to download books, you'll need to connect to the Amazon Kindle store via a web browser. When you select a title, it will be downloaded to your PC and available for viewing in the Kindle software.

The Windows 7 version of the software also includes multitouch capabilities that allow you to zoom in and out by pinching your fingers if your PC has a touchscreen. A future version is expected to add support for page turning with a swipe of your finger.

The biggest problem with Kindle for PC? It's geographically restricted and won't work in most countries outside of the US. I haven't seen any official statement on this, but a colleague in Canada tells me that the software won't work in his country.

[via Engadget]

Amazon Kindle for PC: Now delivering books to your desktop originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonamazon-kindleebook-readerebookskindlekindle-for-pcTue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Panda CEO and CTO talk Cloud Antivirus 1.0 as download link goes live]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/free-panda-cloud-antivirus-windows-now-available-for-download/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/free-panda-cloud-antivirus-windows-now-available-for-download/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/free-panda-cloud-antivirus-windows-now-available-for-download/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Panda Cloud Antivirus is one of the more talked about releases of 2009. Its new spin on the traditional antivirus model -- like many new programs which embrace cloud computing -- has been met with both praise and criticism. Panda themselves are bullish on Cloud AV, and I was fortunate enough to speak about it with CEO Juan Santana and Senior Research Advisor Pedro Bustamante.

To Santana and Bustamante, Panda's beta testing period was huge success. One way they measured is by taking a look at what Collective Intelligence -- the remote muscle powering Cloud AV -- has processed so far. "Right now, there is about 25 terabytes of data in the Collective Intelligence database," said Santana.

"About 60% of that," he continued, "is malware. We're receiving about 120,000 new files a day, of which 60-70,000 are malicious." In total, Collective Intelligence has processed more than 80 million files so far and generates about 150 gigabytes of log files per day.

On top of that, Cloud AV scored an impressive 99.4% detection rate in a recent round of testing. That figure put it ahead of free favorites like Avira, Avast, AVG, and even Microsoft's new Security Essentials.

Continue reading Panda CEO and CTO talk Cloud Antivirus 1.0 as download link goes live

Panda CEO and CTO talk Cloud Antivirus 1.0 as download link goes live originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leading up to its release, there was a lot of concern regarding Windows 7's default User Account Control (UAC) settings. Namely: it doesn't actually provide any damn security. Alas.

Basically, Microsoft went ahead and reacted to the public outcry regarding the Vista security confirmations. I think we can all agree that they were really annoying (and most power-users turn UAC off because of how irritating they are). As a result, there are significantly fewer UAC warnings in a default Windows 7 installation -- hooray! The problem is that the new default setting in Windows 7 leads you to falsely believe that you have a secure installation right out of the box. Sadly, this is not the case.

It's no surprise then that 8 out of 10 malware applications defeated the default Windows 7 UAC setting in tests.

So practice safe surfing (duh!) or go and hoik your UAC settings up to the most secure -- and annoying -- setting. Ars Technica has a great guide on patching up your UAC for new Windows 7 users -- or even an experienced user like myself that falsely believed the default setting to be secure.

[via ZDNet]

Windows 7 security defeated by 8 out of 10 malware applications originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>malwaresecurityuacwindows 7Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 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[Max out your World of Warcraft character with a free, open-source application called Rawr]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/max-out-your-world-of-warcraft-character-with-a-free-open-sourc/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/max-out-your-world-of-warcraft-character-with-a-free-open-sourc/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/max-out-your-world-of-warcraft-character-with-a-free-open-sourc/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This is one of the most popular and effective tools to improving your WoW gameplay. No, it's not the Peggle add-on (though that is very cool) -- I'm actually talking about an external application! Something you can use in the office, away from your gaming PC!

This tool is very popular amongst the serious World of Warcraft players but chances are, if you're a little more casual, you've probably never used it, let alone heard of it.

I'm about to tell you how all of those weak, made-of-paper mages do so much more damage than you and your rusty, rogue swords. You've probably wondered how -- try as you might -- one particular player always does more damage or heals more. "They must be cheating, damnit!" Well... almost! They're actually using an application called Rawr.

Rawr lets you experiment with different weapons and armor, upgrades, sidegrades -- you name it, Rawr lets you do it. We WoW players call it 'theorycrafting': it's like... Warcraft only... in theory. You don't have to actually be playing WoW to theorycraft. In fact, many people theorycraft in a loud and excited manner, often in public, on the back of napkins (it can be very embarrassing). The term itself predates World of Warcraft incidentally, originally coming from the Starcraft days of yore.

If I haven't sold it to you yet and you need further proof as to why Rawr is awesome, just watch the video after the break.

Continue reading Max out your World of Warcraft character with a free, open-source application called Rawr

Max out your World of Warcraft character with a free, open-source application called Rawr originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The EC might be content with Microsoft's browser ballot screen, but that's not stopping Google from getting OEMs to turn away from Internet Explorer on their own.

Google already has deals with several OEMs to include their software, of course. They've been shipping Google Desktop on OEM pcs for quite some time now, and their plans to drop Google Chrome on new users have come to fruition as well.

As you can see, I unboxed a new Sony Vaio laptop running Windows 7 yesterday. Nestled amongst the other desktop icons was the tri-color Chrome orb.
Not only was Chrome pre-pinned to the Windows 7 taskbar, but a quick look at the internet options on the laptop revealed sad news for Internet Explorer: it had been bumped from default web browsing duties.

If we weren't already in the middle of an all-out browser war, the introduction of Google Chrome as the preinstalled default on Windows PCs could well set things off.

Game on, Microsoft: Google Chrome shipping as default browser on some PCs originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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