Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.downloadsquad.com/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[16 (or so) apps I'm thankful for]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/11/27/16-or-so-apps-im-thankful-for/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/11/27/16-or-so-apps-im-thankful-for/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/11/27/16-or-so-apps-im-thankful-for/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It's Thanksgiving day for those of you in the United States, time to reflect upon the things for which you're truly thankful. While I'm sure there are many more noble things to list, this is Downloadsquad, after all, and what would be more fitting than a list of programs I appreciate?

16. Cabos. I rarely use a Gnutella client any more. When there is the odd song stuck in my head that necessitates a one-off download, Cabos is what I use. It's got a clean, simple interface, and it works - and that's really all I'm after.

15. Flash Player. Damn you, Adobe. Now that v10 has taken care of some of the CPU and memory issues, it's hard to begrudge Flash. There are just way, way too many addictive little games and excellent web applications that have been built using it.

14. FastCopy. My boss also runs a DJ business, and transferring his multi-hundred gig library from drive to drive was starting to drive me insane. After stupidly giving Windows a crack at the job once, I quickly hunted down a better tool for the job. FastCopy with the buffer cranked up made (relatively) short work of the task.

13. Find and Run Robot. It's not quite a flashy as the more popular Launchy, but it's much lighter on resources and gets the job done just as well. There are also tons of great extensions for it. For those who swear by the power of the keyboard, FARR is a must have.

Continue reading 16 (or so) apps I'm thankful for

16 (or so) apps I'm thankful for originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appsfavoritelistsThu, 27 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[To-Do Desklist is a simple, free GTD app with nice visuals]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/11/18/to-do-desklist-is-a-simple-free-gtd-app-with-nice-visuals/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/11/18/to-do-desklist-is-a-simple-free-gtd-app-with-nice-visuals/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/11/18/to-do-desklist-is-a-simple-free-gtd-app-with-nice-visuals/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Jay recently reviewed MiniTask, an ultra- simple to-do list application built on the Adobe Air platform. If you're like me and would prefer to avoid installing yet another oversized Adobe product on your Windows PC, take a look at To-Do Desklist.

Like MiniTask, you can add an alarm to an item and hotkeys are supported for adding new tasks and showing your to-do items. Desklist also allows you to assign priority and add extended notes to tasks.

Alerts can be displayed in any corner of your screen, and they're fully skinnable. The program comes with light, dark, and sky themes built in, but you're free to set your own background color or image and change the display font. You can also tweak opacity settings for the alerts.

The full task window allows you to filter items by priority. When your list gets lengthy, it's a helpful way to make sure you're focusing on critical tasks.

I'd like to have option to hide alerts (like MiniTask) or collapse task items, but for simple lists, Desklist is still a good option. It's freeware for Windows only.

To-Do Desklist is a simple, free GTD app with nice visuals originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gtdliststaskstodoTue, 18 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Simple text spreadsheets with Listē]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/06/simple-text-spreadsheets-with-list/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/06/simple-text-spreadsheets-with-list/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/06/simple-text-spreadsheets-with-list/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Need to put together a quick list or data table, but can't be bothered with the bloat of a full spreadsheet application?

List&sup2; is a minimalist (32kb) application that can do just that. Its uncomplicated interface allows you to quickly assign names to columns and start entering your data.

What can List&sup2; do with such a small footprint? Import and export tabbed data files, import CSV, export to HTML, and perform simple search and replace operations. Columns and rows can be moved around and inserted with ease, and List&sup2; even supports column sorting.

Though the .zip download contains a .reg file, I was able to extract only the executable itself and run it on my MSI Wind with no trouble at all. With it on my flash drive I've got a tiny, incredibly simple way to maintain lists on the go - regardless of who's computer I'm using.

I've been using Excel for jobs like this for ages, which just doesn't make any sense. List&sup2; is much lighter, and does everything I need it to do. It's freeware, Windows only.

Simple text spreadsheets with Listē originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>csvdatalistsspreadsheetMon, 06 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blist adds new document sharing features]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/28/blist-adds-new-document-sharing-features/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/28/blist-adds-new-document-sharing-features/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/28/blist-adds-new-document-sharing-features/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Web-based list-creation service Blist has made a couple of changes recently, and the biggest one is "less a feature and more a philosophy." Because Blist is easier to demonstrate than it is to explain, you can now try Blist without an account. You can play with all the features, browser other people's Blists and even make your own -- you just can't save it.

At the same time, they've introduced social features, similar to the ones you're familiar with from places like Digg and Google Reader. You can add contacts and share Blists with others via your contact list. Previously, you could only share via email (that feature is still available.) We love to see intelligent uses of social features like Blist's. It looks like they've added something that people will actually use, without going overboard with elaborate profiles.

[via Mashable]

Blist adds new document sharing features originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blistlistlistssharingSat, 28 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Huge survey of available GTD applications]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/11/05/huge-survey-of-available-gtd-applications/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/11/05/huge-survey-of-available-gtd-applications/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/11/05/huge-survey-of-available-gtd-applications/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Getting Things DoneIf there's one thing that users of David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) system suffer from, it's typically the temptation to mess with their system. Nothing feels better than having all of your stuff under control, except maybe having all of your stuff under control in a sexy new system.

So if you've been rocking the same GTD application for too long and feel it's time to mix things up a little, check out this amazing survey of the GTD application landscape at About This Particular Mac.

While it originates at a Mac-centric site, the list should be of interest to any GTD practitioner since many (if not most) of the listed applications are web apps, with the occasional cross-platform app thrown in.

For good measure, here are our favorite GTD apps based on platfrom:

Windows: ClearContext (an Outlook add-in)
Mac: iGTD
Web: Backpack or Remember The Milk

Huge survey of available GTD applications originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>David-AllenGetting-Things-DoneGTDliststaskstodoswebappsMon, 05 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft Live Labs Listas: for making and sharing lists]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/10/19/microsoft-live-labs-listas-for-making-and-sharing-lists/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/10/19/microsoft-live-labs-listas-for-making-and-sharing-lists/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/10/19/microsoft-live-labs-listas-for-making-and-sharing-lists/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

ListasMicrosoft Live Labs has launched a public beta (or "tech preview") of a new web-based application for creating, managing, and sharing lists. Listas offers a WYSIWYG editor for creating lists, tools for tagging lists so you can find them again later, and the ability to make the lists private or public.

Lista is a bit wiki-like in that you can grant other users permission to edit your lists. Say you want to create a grocery list with your spouse while you're both at work. Just start writing up your list and let your sweety know when you're out of ideas. They can then login and start crossing out all the chocolate-flavored cereal on your list and replace it with raisin bran.

You can also discover public lists that have been created by other users. Lists can include anything from bookmarks to notes on Steve Jobs Steve Ballmer's latest speech. You can check out a video with Live Labs' Raj Jain at Microsoft's On 10.

Microsoft Live Labs Listas: for making and sharing lists originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Oct 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>listaslistslive-labsmicrosoftmicrosoft-live-labsFri, 19 Oct 2007 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The top 30 WordPress Plugins list made by you]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/03/28/the-top-30-wordpress-plugins-list-made-by-you/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/03/28/the-top-30-wordpress-plugins-list-made-by-you/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/03/28/the-top-30-wordpress-plugins-list-made-by-you/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Lists of top [anything] are a big hit across the interwebs. They pack a lot of information into a neat list that's easy to comb for exactly what you need. As WordPress keeps gaining momentum and popularity, more and more bloggers are posting lists of their favorite plugins that help them stay on top of their game. Instead of posting a top X list, however, DLS reader Staska decided to aggregate. By using the power of community and this list of top WordPress plugin posts from bloggers around the world, Staska created a Top 30 WordPress Plugins list by tallying each plugin's mention from all those bloggers.

That's a lot of lists, and a lot of aggregating.

The result is a great success, with a strong list that should have something for everyone, and commentary from Staska on the wide array of WordPress plugins that keep the blogosphere runing.

Post by David Chartier

The top 30 WordPress Plugins list made by you originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>listlistspluginstop 30Top30wordpressWed, 28 Mar 2007 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ThinkingRock - cross-platform GTD application]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/03/18/thinkingrock-cross-platform-gtd-application/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/03/18/thinkingrock-cross-platform-gtd-application/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/03/18/thinkingrock-cross-platform-gtd-application/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Thinking Rock
While many other task management applications have found ways to incorporate the ideas put forth by the Getting Things Done methodology that David Allen developed, it seems that very few have been built from the ground up as GTD applications. There are certainly a few web applications that can make that claim, but in terms of "offline" applications, the pickings are pretty slim.

One such application, however, is ThinkingRock. Written in Java, ThinkingRock boasts versions for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

In ThinkingRock, you work in specific modes that relate to the various levels of the GTD workflow. For example, rather than entering a task and setting the project it relates to and the context at that moment, you can simply use a collection view to do a brain dump of all of the tasks and ideas that are bouncing around in your mind.

Continue reading ThinkingRock - cross-platform GTD application

ThinkingRock - cross-platform GTD application originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 18 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>David AllenDavidAllenGetting Things DoneGettingThingsDonelistsTask ManagementTaskManagementTasksThinkingRocktodo listtodo listsTodoListTodoListsSun, 18 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mailing list etiquette: Best practices for creating, maintaining and participating]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/01/24/mailing-list-etiquette-best-practices-for-creating-maintainin/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/01/24/mailing-list-etiquette-best-practices-for-creating-maintainin/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/01/24/mailing-list-etiquette-best-practices-for-creating-maintainin/#commentsFiled under: ,

Mailing list etiquette - best practices for creating, maintaining and participatingMailing lists are an essential community and support tool, and I myself participate in a good handful ranging from beta tests to individual app support and even simple enthusiast chatting on one topic or another. In my experience, I've found that a number of things do and don't work from both a management and participant side, and I thought it would be helpful to start a discussion about these best practices to see if I'm on the mark, or if you readers have other ideas that should make the cut.

Following are two sets of mailing list etiquette that I've put together. One for those creating and managing lists, and another for those participating on them. If we can all agree on at least a few, may they be written in digital stone for future generations to benefit from.

Continue reading Mailing list etiquette: Best practices for creating, maintaining and participating

Mailing list etiquette: Best practices for creating, maintaining and participating originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>behavioretiquettelistsmailing listsMailingListsmanagementnetiquetteparticipationWed, 24 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Manage your life with Synapse]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2006/08/31/manage-your-life-with-synapse/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2006/08/31/manage-your-life-with-synapse/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2006/08/31/manage-your-life-with-synapse/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

synapse life life managerSynapse is an online life manager. As of yet, there is no information as to whether this is a free web based application or not. Synapse is working up to their October 2006 release date, and it looks like it has some nice potential. The Synapse website lists off the main features that it will help users to manage their lives with. These include:
  • People - personal contact manager
  • Calendar - calendar and appointment tracker
  • Broadcast - send out email blasts to contact lists
  • Lists - daily to-do's
  • Ledger - financial tracker
  • Feeds - RSS feed reader
  • Favorites - bookmark list that is accessible from anywhere
  • Tags - easily find your favorite items and feeds
I personally can't wait to check out the release of Synapse. All of your most important daily items bundled together in one powerful tool.

Manage your life with Synapse originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Aug 2006 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>broadcastcalendarfavoritesfeedsledgerlife managerLifeManagerlistspeoplerss readerRssReadersynapse lifeSynapseLifetagsThu, 31 Aug 2006 10:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Listible: Social lists for every occasion]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2006/03/03/listible-social-lists-for-every-occasion/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2006/03/03/listible-social-lists-for-every-occasion/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2006/03/03/listible-social-lists-for-every-occasion/#commentsFiled under:

ListibleThough Victor mentioned Listible in passing a few weeks back, I've been meaning for awhile to shine the spotlight on it a bit more. What is Listible? Well, it's kind of like Digg (if I had a nickel for every time I wrote that...) but for lists of stuff instead of tech news. Looking for a free game to play? Listible lists 26 of them. Looking for Lost fan sites? Listible has 22 links. Web 2.0 links? 20 of them. You get the idea. And of course you can vote any link up or down, add your own links to any list, or create your own lists, though that'll require a user account.

Listible: Social lists for every occasion originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 03 Mar 2006 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>digglinkslistiblelistssocialFri, 03 Mar 2006 15:15:00 EST