downloads posts

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Windows x64

Windows 7 RTM downloads now available via TechNet and MSDN

by Lee Mathews Aug 6th 2009

Maybe you won't have the chance to get pumped and show off your gold RTM DVD like Steve Ballmer, but if you've got a TechNet/MSDN subscription your downloads are finally ready.

This means that those of you with access who have (wisely) avoided downloading anything from other sources can now get in on the action. As you can see in the screenshot of my Google Reader feed, the Windows Automated Installation Kits are also available.

If you've got a subscription, head on over and get your download on - and enjoy your shiny new Windows 7 RTM!

Tags: downloads, iso, msdn, technet, windows-7-rtm

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Microsoft

Microsoft and ReverbNation giving away 1,000 MP3s - and they don't all suck

by Lee Mathews Jul 27th 2009

I'll admit I felt a little dirty after visiting MySpace for the first time in years, but I had a good reason. There's an announcement up at www.myspace.com/Windows with some good news for free music fans.

In partnership with ReverbNation, they're giving away more than 1,000 free MP3 / M4A audio tracks. The goodies are all available at www.reverbnation.com/windows, and unlike a lot of massive audio giveaways there are plenty of good tracks to be had.

I was excited to find tracks from Skindred, Bif Naked, Fishbone, and Reverend Horton Heat (among others). While my taste in music might not jive with yours, don't fret - there's plenty to choose from. You can view the whole catalog or browse by genre - Alternative, Electronic/Dance, Hip Hop, Jazz, Latin, Pop, and Rock.

I'm never one to argue with good, free music, even if it means having to visit MySpace once in a while. Want to stay in the loop? Add Windows as a friend on MySpace - or just check back every so often if you'd rather not blow the dust off your profile.

Tags: audio, downloads, free, m4a, mp3, music, myspace, reverbnation

Filed under: Internet, Video, Google, web 2.0

YouTube introduces paid and free downloads

by Christina Warren Feb 12th 2009

After years of trying to convince us that, no -- we really shouldn't want a way to watch YouTube content offline, the company has officially confirmed that they are rolling the ability to download YouTube videos. The program is still evolving, but right now, both free and paid downloads are available from a small list of providers.

I'm can't help but be struck by a sense of déjà vu . If you recall, the now defunct Google Video initially offered paid downloads -- it was an epic failure. I don't want to be too quick to judge, but unless YouTube implements some changes, like FAST, it is going to end the same way.

Here are the problems as I see it:

The partner channels testing paid downloads are, for lack of a better word, unimpressive. I'm sorry, but I really don't want to pay $0.99 for a math lesson, a so-called hacking lesson or to see a new media douchebag. I'm perfectly content to watch that content online if the alternative is paying.
If the free content from Stanford University is anything to go by, the downloaded quality isn't that great. If I'm going to pay for a download (or even take the time to download a 245 meg file of a free program), at least make it worth my while.
Again, the content selection thus far sucks. What's the use of promoting all this commercial content if there's no way any of it is going to be downloadable, since it appears everything has to be licensed either by the Creative Commons or public domain?
They hide the stuff you do purchase under http://www.youtube.com/my_purchases. Take a cue from Apple, make it easy to access your purchased content. Maybe put a link in the main YouTube menu.
It's unclear how many times you can download content and whatnot.

Those issues aside, I suppose it's cool that YouTube is finally allowing people to download content. Now, let's cue the flood of YouTube stars desperate to make a buck off of their unique sense of self.

Tags: downloads, google, google-video, paid downloads, PaidDownloads, youtube

Filed under: Windows, Google, Freeware, Beta, Browsers

New Google Chrome beta adds security, performance fixes

by Brad Linder Oct 30th 2008

There's a new version of Google Chrome available for download. Well, sort of. It'll be a few days before Google pushes version 0.3.154.9 out to users, but you can download it today from FileHippo.

The update brings a few security enhancements, including a fix for an exploit that could be used to redirect your browser. There's also a new warning message that pops up asking if you're sure you want to download any file that could be executed (like .exe, .dll, or .bat files).

There are a handful of other bux fixes and new features, but nothing too impressive. I'm still waiting for full screen zoom capabilities. Text-only zooming is so 2007.

Tags: chrome, downloads, google-chrome

Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Macintosh, Linux, P2P

Jay's Favorite Mac Apps: Transmission

by Jay Hathaway Oct 14th 2008

Now that torrent technology has become one of the most popular ways to distribute large files, it's important to find the right Bittorrent client. If you're on a Mac, that's Transmission. I used to be a fan of Azureus (now called Vuze), but I switched to Transmission because it's less cluttered and takes up a lot less screen real-estate.

Transmission's not bare-bones in terms of features -- you can fine-tune your upload and download speeds, change ports, and check your ratio -- but its design is minimal and not too distracting. I don't want a busy-looking torrent app, I want one that I can set up quickly and leave alone until my downloads finish. Transmission provides that, while still letting advanced users get under the hood where they need to. It's also free and open source! That's why it's one of my favorite Mac apps.

Tags: bittorrent, bittorrentclient, downloads, favorite-apps, mac, os x, OsX, p2p, transmission

Filed under: Audio, Fun, Internet, Lists

35 Places To Download Free, Legal MP3s

by Lee Mathews Aug 31st 2008

I love the RIAA. They make sure the hard working bands that record the music we love can still squeak out a living in the face of an ever-growing number of freeloading downloaders. Without them, how many talentless, lip-synching, manufactured performers would be able to afford homes in Orange County and multiple Bentleys?

In the interest of helping our readers stay out of jail and avoid massive fines, here are a bunch of places you can get tunes without fear of finding a summons in your mailbox. There's plenty of good, free, and legal music on the net for you to download.

iLike is a social music site which allows you to discover new music with a little help from your friends. Free downloads and the buddy system, what could be better?
Altsounds has a lot of streaming content, but there are quite a few quality mp3 downloads mixed in, including bands like Anberlin, Panic at the Disco, 10 Years, and Underoath.
bt.etree.org tracks live recording torrents of "bootleg friendly" bands. You'll be able to find all kinds of FLAC downloads from performers like Ben Harper, Jerry Garcia, Blues Traveler, Trey Anastasio (I smell a trend here, or at least some patchouli), Radiohead, Primus, and even Tenacious D.

Tags: audio, downloads, drm free, DrmFree, mp3, music

Filed under: Utilities, Macintosh, Productivity, Browsers

Get more control over Mac downloads with Leech

by Jay Hathaway Jul 13th 2008

When it comes to download management, it seems like Windows has always been ahead of OS X. That might still be true, but it's definitely up for debate, thanks to a very smart app called Leech. It's got the basic features that all good download managers provide: you can use it from within the browser, and it allows you to pause downloads, or resume them after a crash. Good start, but Leech really shines when it comes to defining rules for different file types and hosts.

Let's say you want all .mp3 files to download to your iTunes library, all .jpg files in Pictures, and all DMGs on the desktop. Yeah, Leech will do that, no problem. It also handles post-processing, so you can expand those DMGs automatically, or play those Mp3s as they finish downloading. You can drag or copy-paste a URL into Leech to start downloading immediately, or shift-drag to choose a different location. And if you don't want Leech in your browser, you can use it on its own, too.

Tags: browser, download manager, DownloadManager, downloads, Leech, Mac, OS X, OsX

Filed under: Internet, Utilities

OpenDownload: Add a run option to the Firefox Download dialog

by Brad Linder Apr 2nd 2008

When you go to download a file from the web using Internet Explorer, you can choose to save the file or run it from its current location (which basically means download the file to a temporary directory to run it without cluttering up your default download directory). But when you go to download the same file using Firefox, you can only save. There's no option to run the file.

OpenDownload is a Firefox add-on that adds a run option. When you select "Run," the file will be downloaded to a temp directory and then launched. 24 hours after the file is downloaded, it will be automatically deleted it.

Aside from keeping your download directory clean, the main benefit of the Run box is that you can now download and run files with a single click instead of two clicks, thus saving you a valuable fraction of a second.

[via CyberNet]

Tags: add-on, downloads, extension, firefox, opendownload

Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Mozilla, Freeware

DownThemAll: new version works in Firefox 3

by Todd Ritter Mar 4th 2008

Helpful Firefox download-manager addon DownThemAll (DTA) recently released a long awaited version 1.0 which now works in Firefox 3. In addition to being faster and more stable, DTA also now supports Link Fingerprints and metalink.

Link Fingerprints are basically a way to embed download information in the download's URL. For example, a download's checksum could be embedded directly into the URL so that the download client could automatically verify the downloaded file (which is especially useful when using something like DTA which opens multiple connections to speed up the transfer).

Metalink is a way to embed additional locations into a download link. The locations could point to mirrors (in case the original download link is unavailable), or they could point to OS and language-specific packages.

DTA attempts to increase the speed of downloads by opening multiple separate downloads to the same source. When the individual downloads are complete, DTA combines the pieces into the expected file.

[Via Mashable]

Tags: download manager, DownloadManager, downloads, firefox

Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, Freeware, Open Source

Firefox hits 500 million downloads

by Todd Ritter Feb 22nd 2008

Firefox, the second most popular web browser behind IE 6/7, reached a milestone of 500 million downloads. Firefox has been around for about 4 years, and it has gradually gained market share for a myriad reasons: open source, extension support, skin support, lack of Active X support, etc.

We thought about baking Firefox another cake but it felt a little decadent given that Firefox is asking users to head over to FreeRice and play their games to help donate rice to those in need. Something about eating butter-creme frosting and thinking of starving children just didn't work so well. Instead, by playing FreeRice and choosing the correct meaning of the displayed word, you'll send 20 grains of rice -- per word -- to an area of the world in need.

Congrats Firefox, here's to reaching the next milestone!

Tags: downloads, firefox

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Web services, web 2.0

Myspace to start ad-supported music delivery service

by Danny Mendez Feb 19th 2008

Myspace is currently in talks with the four major record-labels to offer its users an ad-supported music delivery service. We say "music delivery service" because it's currently unknown whether the record labels will concede to free downloads or force the News Corp owned company into creating a streaming service similar to Last.fm.

Either way, the service will be ad-supported and DRM-free.

Whether or not the new Myspace service happens, the news is great for consumers. Even if the record labels haven't figured it out yet, other companies are trying to come up with ways to get music to the people for free (or at least cheap and easy - like Amazon's MP3 Download Store).

[via CNET]

Tags: downloads, music, myspace, online music, OnlineMusic, record labels, RecordLabels, streaming, web 2.0, Web2.0

Filed under: Audio, Business, Internet, Web services

More free music, this time its Oasis, Jamiroquai, The Charlatans and Madness

by Chris Gilmer Oct 10th 2007

Radiohead shocked the world when they announced they were allowing fans to set the price for their latest album as a digital download. Then Nine Inch Nails let us all know they have dropped their record label and would also be distributing their new album with no help at all from industry bigwigs. Now a few more music giants that have stepped up to the plate.

Sticking it to the record label industry that has taken a huge chunk of the pie for so long, UK based Oasis and Jamiroquai are the latest bands to announce they are thinking about offering their music free online. Both bands do not have record label backing and are seriously considering following Radioheads lead. Other bands that are contemplating a change in how they do business with fans are The Charlatans and Madness, who are offering albums for free and singles as downloads for 99 pence. How will the major labels react to this? We can only wait and see, but we can be sure they are tucked away in their battle bunkers this week strategizing.

Radiohead has so far refused to reveal how many have pre-ordered their album online. Nonetheless, they have launched their website to top spot on the UK music websites list and are starting to lead a new music revolution.

Tags: audio, downloads, music, record-labels

Filed under: Design, Internet, Productivity, Mozilla

Take a peek at Firefox 3's new download manager

by David Chartier Aug 12th 2007

Mozilla Links has posted details and a few screenshots of how Firefox 3's new download manager will look and function. In general, users will gain more control over their downloads, actions such as opening a file have been changed from text links to icons to comply with the rest of Firefox's design paradigm of buttons for actions, words for website links. Users will also be able to click an (i) icon on completed downloads to view details such as the website the download came from, the location of the downloaded file on local computer and when the download finished. Chronic downloaders will also appreciate a new search box, and an option to show the download manager in the status bar or sidebar is also being considered.

Overall these look like some strong features for a much-needed upgrade to the download manager, but we would still like to see a little more innovation here. For example: the download manager in Camino, a Mac OS X browser that uses the same Gecko rendering engine as Firefox, can not only clear the download manager's list of files, but also move those files to the trash. And what about actual download file management features, such as moving files to specified folders or importing into apps based on file type (ZIP, audio, video, etc.)?

If you're itching to try out these new features, Mozilla Links says this new download manager should be available in tonight's nightly build.

Tags: download managers, DownloadManagers, downloads, Firefox, Firefox 3, Firefox3, Mozilla

Filed under: Business, Fun, Internet, Video

Movielink gets snapped up by Blockbuster

by Chris Gilmer Aug 9th 2007

In an effort to stay ahead of the movies online business and directly compete with the likes of Apple, Amazon, Walk-Mart and Netflix, Blockbuster has announced that they have purchased Movielink.

Movielink was the first online service to offer legal downloads of both movies and TV shows since it was launched in 2001. Along with the deal, Blockbuster will also be acquiring the rights to show films from Movielinks owners which included Warner Bros, MGM, and Paramount.

Blockbuster is also an investor in CinemaNow who allows streaming of over 400 film, TV and concert videos. This new Movielink deal is going to complement the video chains in store rental, as well as create a way to send movies straight to TV's and computers.

No dollar figures of the deal have been announced as of yet.

Tags: blockbuster, downloads, movielink, movies, netflix, online

Filed under: Internet, News

Scientists set new internet speed record

by Brad Linder Apr 26th 2007

A team of researchers led by the University of Tokyo have managed to send files over Internet2 at super-fast speeds.

During the annual Internet2 Spring meeting this week managed to send to send data along a 30,000 kilometer path at a rate of 9.08Gbps, which equals 272,400 Terabit-meters per second.

Just in case you were wondering why you've never seen your video downloads enter the TB-m/S range, Internet2 is a non-profit consortium made up of a few hundred universities, corporations, and government agencies. The goal is to design a faster version of the internet capable of handing extremely high bandwidth.

One can only hope that this technology will eventually be used for good and not evil -- and that we'll be able to download HD movies in a matter of seconds, rather than minutes or hours.

Tags: downloads, internet2

The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

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