Safari on the iPhone is as good as it gets for mobile browsing. But it's missing the deeper features, like true tabbed browsing, a full screen mode and a slew of other settings. Dolphin Browser adds all that. More »
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Microsoft Slate Could Foretell the Shape of Tablets to Come
Attendees at Microsoft's TechEd New Zealand show were reportedly treated to a preview of what may have been a new quad-core Windows slate device running on the not-yet debuted Windows 8. The slate could be a giveaway at Microsoft's Build conference in September, according to a Smarter Geek blog post by attendee and IT consultant Alan Burchill.
Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration?
Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott have posted a second look at some of the early changes which have surface in Windows 8 milestone 3. First there was the restyled Welcome Screen, and now it appears that Microsoft is toying with bringing the Ribbon UI to Explorer.
The Ribbon, like in Microsoft Word and Excel, is context-aware, adding tabs for specific tasks which apply to the folder you're viewing -- such as library or picture management. You can also make out two new buttons in the status bar, which allow you to change the current folder's view style.
It's clear from all the placeholder images and repeated elements that this is very much a work in progress, but featuring the Ribbon more prominently in Windows 8 would certainly be a logical progression for Microsoft. It's slowly become more ubiquitous, moving beyond Office and into Wordpad, Paint, and several of the Windows Live Essentials applications.
There's more to the screenshots than the Ribbon UI, however. Our friend Long Zheng has noted two interesting elements in the images: Web sharing and sync (image after the break). That would likely mean users will be able to quickly upload files to SkyDrive and synchronize using Live Mesh right from Explorer in Windows 8. That's not a total surprise considering many of the earliest leaked images of Windows 8 showed Windows Live integration on the desktop.Continue reading Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration?Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Ribbon, like in Microsoft Word and Excel, is context-aware, adding tabs for specific tasks which apply to the folder you're viewing -- such as library or picture management. You can also make out two new buttons in the status bar, which allow you to change the current folder's view style.
It's clear from all the placeholder images and repeated elements that this is very much a work in progress, but featuring the Ribbon more prominently in Windows 8 would certainly be a logical progression for Microsoft. It's slowly become more ubiquitous, moving beyond Office and into Wordpad, Paint, and several of the Windows Live Essentials applications.
There's more to the screenshots than the Ribbon UI, however. Our friend Long Zheng has noted two interesting elements in the images: Web sharing and sync (image after the break). That would likely mean users will be able to quickly upload files to SkyDrive and synchronize using Live Mesh right from Explorer in Windows 8. That's not a total surprise considering many of the earliest leaked images of Windows 8 showed Windows Live integration on the desktop.Continue reading Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration?Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Samsung unveils Series 7 laptops, we go hands-on
One of Samsung's Series 7 laptops was outed not long ago, but that PC was made for fragging, while the rest in this line of laptops is meant for more pedestrian purposes. The new members of the family come sheathed in the same silver aluminum skin, but sport a smaller 300 nit, 1600 x 900 matte display in both 15.6-inch and 14-inch versions. Those displays are surrounded by a minimalist bezel, which allowed Samsung to stuff a 14-inch panel into a 13-inch chassis. Around the sides, there are two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI out, VGA out (which requires an included dongle a la the Series 9) and Gigabit Ethernet.
On the inside, users can get up to a Core i7 2675QM CPU clocked at 2.20GHz, up to 8GB of RAM, Radeon HD 6750M graphics, and a 750GB HDD spinning at 7200RPM. On all but the base model, there's an additional 8GB of flash memory mounted on the motherboard that helps shave boot times down to mere seconds using Sammy's FastStart technology. A lithium polymer battery powers everything, and Samsung claims the 80Wh cell will maintain 80 percent of its original capacity for up to 1,500 charges. Prices start at $1000, and run all the way up to $1300 for all the fixins'. Sound good? Read on past the break to get our impressions of the Korean company's newest computer on the block.
Gallery: Samsung Series 7 LaptopsContinue reading Samsung unveils Series 7 laptops, we go hands-onSamsung unveils Series 7 laptops, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
On the inside, users can get up to a Core i7 2675QM CPU clocked at 2.20GHz, up to 8GB of RAM, Radeon HD 6750M graphics, and a 750GB HDD spinning at 7200RPM. On all but the base model, there's an additional 8GB of flash memory mounted on the motherboard that helps shave boot times down to mere seconds using Sammy's FastStart technology. A lithium polymer battery powers everything, and Samsung claims the 80Wh cell will maintain 80 percent of its original capacity for up to 1,500 charges. Prices start at $1000, and run all the way up to $1300 for all the fixins'. Sound good? Read on past the break to get our impressions of the Korean company's newest computer on the block.
Gallery: Samsung Series 7 LaptopsContinue reading Samsung unveils Series 7 laptops, we go hands-onSamsung unveils Series 7 laptops, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
You can now rent Adobe Photoshop for $35 per month, CS 5.5 available soon
Rejoice! No longer will you have to fork over $700 for a Photoshop CS5 license! Adobe has unveiled a new subscription scheme where you can rent the entire Creative Suite, or individual packages, by the month, or for an entire year.
Adobe Photoshop can be yours for $35 per month if you agree to rent it for 12 months, or $49 per month if you require its services for a shorter period. Dreamweaver can be had for even cheaper, at just $19 per month. The entire Master Collection is still rather expensive, though, at $125 per month.
Today, Adobe also ushered in the release of Creative Suite 5.5, and simultaneously upped its release cycle from 18 months to 24 months. This means, if you rent Photoshop for two years, it's actually the same cost as buying it outright. There's no rent-to-own option, though -- so you wouldn't have access to the cheaper upgrade price once Creative Suite 6 rolls around next year. Still, if you need access to Photoshop, After Effects or Premiere for a one-time project, the new rental scheme could be exactly what you're looking for.
In other news, Adobe has announced that it will be launching three rather exciting iPad apps that work in conjunction with Photoshop: Eazel, Nav, and Color Lava. Eazel lets you five-finger paint on your iPad, and export the result into Photoshop; Nav acts as some kind of workspace, brush and menu extension, and the hopefully named Color Lava is a paint mixing palette. The apps are expected to appear in the App Store in the next 30 days.You can now rent Adobe Photoshop for $35 per month, CS 5.5 available soon originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Adobe Photoshop can be yours for $35 per month if you agree to rent it for 12 months, or $49 per month if you require its services for a shorter period. Dreamweaver can be had for even cheaper, at just $19 per month. The entire Master Collection is still rather expensive, though, at $125 per month.
Today, Adobe also ushered in the release of Creative Suite 5.5, and simultaneously upped its release cycle from 18 months to 24 months. This means, if you rent Photoshop for two years, it's actually the same cost as buying it outright. There's no rent-to-own option, though -- so you wouldn't have access to the cheaper upgrade price once Creative Suite 6 rolls around next year. Still, if you need access to Photoshop, After Effects or Premiere for a one-time project, the new rental scheme could be exactly what you're looking for.
In other news, Adobe has announced that it will be launching three rather exciting iPad apps that work in conjunction with Photoshop: Eazel, Nav, and Color Lava. Eazel lets you five-finger paint on your iPad, and export the result into Photoshop; Nav acts as some kind of workspace, brush and menu extension, and the hopefully named Color Lava is a paint mixing palette. The apps are expected to appear in the App Store in the next 30 days.You can now rent Adobe Photoshop for $35 per month, CS 5.5 available soon originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Daily Desired: Let the Force Protect Your iPad in this Case [Desired]
The iPad's a joy for reading, but you're screwed for writing anything longer than: "rad man, I'll see u ther. Excuse my brevity and any typos but touchscreens suck for typing, ok?" That's why I want a ClamCase. Star Wars-style. More »
Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs
Mozilla, continuing its year-long crusade to speed up Firefox startup and shutdown times, has published a name and shame list of the Firefox's slowest add-ons.
The list is just one part of Mozilla's new efforts to highlight slow add-ons, and to help developers make their add-ons more efficient. Over the next two weeks, 'slow performance warnings' will be introduced in the add-on gallery so that users can see, before installation, which add-ons will slow down their browser. If that isn't enough to spur developers into cleaning up their add-ons, Mozilla has also begun reaching out to developers of slow add-ons with tips on how to improve add-on performance. Finally, add-on developers will soon have the ability to perform 'on-demand performance testing,' so that they can test their add-on before it's deployed publicly.
Mozilla reports that the average Firefox add-on slows down Firefox's start-up time by 10% -- which means, if you install 10 add-ons, you will double your start-up time. On fast desktop PCs that kind of slowdown might be negligible, but on older computers, laptops and smartphones, it could be the difference between a 5 and 10 second startup. Mozilla has obviously realized that while massive performance gains might've been made with Firefox 4, the addition of third-party add-ons can destroy any user-perceived improvements.
In other news, Mozilla says that a future build of Firefox will block the installation of add-ons (such as toolbars) by third-party software. Add-ons and toolbars that are bundled in this way will require explicit approval when you next open up Firefox. Hooray!Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 05:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The list is just one part of Mozilla's new efforts to highlight slow add-ons, and to help developers make their add-ons more efficient. Over the next two weeks, 'slow performance warnings' will be introduced in the add-on gallery so that users can see, before installation, which add-ons will slow down their browser. If that isn't enough to spur developers into cleaning up their add-ons, Mozilla has also begun reaching out to developers of slow add-ons with tips on how to improve add-on performance. Finally, add-on developers will soon have the ability to perform 'on-demand performance testing,' so that they can test their add-on before it's deployed publicly.
Mozilla reports that the average Firefox add-on slows down Firefox's start-up time by 10% -- which means, if you install 10 add-ons, you will double your start-up time. On fast desktop PCs that kind of slowdown might be negligible, but on older computers, laptops and smartphones, it could be the difference between a 5 and 10 second startup. Mozilla has obviously realized that while massive performance gains might've been made with Firefox 4, the addition of third-party add-ons can destroy any user-perceived improvements.
In other news, Mozilla says that a future build of Firefox will block the installation of add-ons (such as toolbars) by third-party software. Add-ons and toolbars that are bundled in this way will require explicit approval when you next open up Firefox. Hooray!Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 05:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Could Schizophrenia Be Treated With Nicotine? [Health]
Smoking is bad for you blah blah we know. But you couldn't really tell that to the 80% of American schizophrenic patients who smoke. The jury is still out on why that number's so high, but could some form of treatment come out of this? More »
Microsoft files antitrust complaint against Google in Europe, showdown imminent
Microsoft, citing Google's tyrannical 95% share of the European search market, has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission. It's not like Microsoft is breaking any ground here -- the European Commission has been investigating Google's alleged violation of European competition law since November 2010 -- but there's no doubt that the addition of Microsoft's gravitas will affect the proceedings.
Microsoft's complaint reads like a sincere and plaintive cry for help against the Google Overlord. Microsoft lists no less than six damning reasons why Google's behavior is anti-competitive -- from Windows Phone 7's incompatibility with YouTube, to its nefarious handling of Google Books -- and finishes with a wide-eyed plea to the European Commission to please find Google guilty.
For those of you that have been following Microsoft's own antitrust troubles over the last decade, don't worry: MS is quick to point out the irony in the situation. "There of course will be some who will point out the irony in today's filing. Having spent more than a decade wearing the shoe on the other foot with the European Commission, the filing of a formal antitrust complaint is not something we take lightly. This is the first time Microsoft Corporation has ever taken this step. More so than most, we recognize the importance of ensuring that competition laws remain balanced and that technology innovation moves forward."
It sounds like Microsoft, having well and truly gone through the wringer, wants Google to be held similarly accountable. That's fair enough, right?Microsoft files antitrust complaint against Google in Europe, showdown imminent originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Microsoft's complaint reads like a sincere and plaintive cry for help against the Google Overlord. Microsoft lists no less than six damning reasons why Google's behavior is anti-competitive -- from Windows Phone 7's incompatibility with YouTube, to its nefarious handling of Google Books -- and finishes with a wide-eyed plea to the European Commission to please find Google guilty.
For those of you that have been following Microsoft's own antitrust troubles over the last decade, don't worry: MS is quick to point out the irony in the situation. "There of course will be some who will point out the irony in today's filing. Having spent more than a decade wearing the shoe on the other foot with the European Commission, the filing of a formal antitrust complaint is not something we take lightly. This is the first time Microsoft Corporation has ever taken this step. More so than most, we recognize the importance of ensuring that competition laws remain balanced and that technology innovation moves forward."
It sounds like Microsoft, having well and truly gone through the wringer, wants Google to be held similarly accountable. That's fair enough, right?Microsoft files antitrust complaint against Google in Europe, showdown imminent originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Will Toshiba's next tablet be named the Excite? Trademark filings suggest so
Yesterday, we caught wind of a rumor that Toshiba would be unveiling a new, ultra-thin tablet at this year's IFA. Today, word on the street is that the company's forthcoming slate may be called the "Excite." According to US Trademark filings obtained by Android Police, Toshiba has apparently registered the purported product name under the category "Tablet Computers." The manufacturer has also snatched up a whole host of domain names, including "excitetablet.com," "toshibaexcite.com," and "thetoshibaexcite.com" -- all of which currently redirect to a Toshiba site. As you may recall, remarkably similar evidence surfaced right before the Thrive launched, so recent history certainly lends a bit of credence to today's report. As always, we'll be sure to keep you abreast of the latest developments.Will Toshiba's next tablet be named the Excite? Trademark filings suggest so originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 07:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Android Police | Email this | Comments
Tailgating Might Actually Make Sense with DISH's Tailgater Antenna [Video]
I never got tailgating sports events if you don't actually have tickets to the game. Why not just stay home and grill with friends or go to a bar? Still, it's a pretty big deal 'round some parts, and with DISH's super-portable satellite, it might not suck as much. More »
UK Supermarket Sainsbury?s Offers iPad-Ready Shopping Carts
UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is trialling a new shopping cart with a built-in iPad dock and speakers. I’ll let you consider that for a moment. Imagine hordes of marauding shoppers barging through the aisles, staring at their tablets’ screens and pumping out a mixed cacophony of tinny tunes. If you are imagining hell right now, [...]
Ten One Design Announces new Pogo Sketch Pro Stylus
Do you enjoy making art with your iPad or Android tablet? If so, you probably prefer using a stylus instead of your finger when drawing. There are quite a few capacitive styli on the market, and now there’s another. Ten One Design, the company that has brought us the Pogo Stylus has just announced the [...]
Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience"
As several of you noted in the comments to our post asking for cross-platform iOS/Android games, Words With Friends for Android does not provide the smoothest gaming experience... and that's being rather charitable.
You might be happy to hear that a couple of days ago Zynga released an update which promises to solve many of the Android-specific issues, such as notifications not popping up.
Sadly, installing the update is not a smooth experience; you have to manually uninstall the previous version, and then go to the Android Market and install it. What's nice is that it doesn't lose your saved games - this screenshot shows a game I've started before the update and continued after updating.
How's the new update working out for you? Let us know in the comments!Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience" originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
You might be happy to hear that a couple of days ago Zynga released an update which promises to solve many of the Android-specific issues, such as notifications not popping up.
Sadly, installing the update is not a smooth experience; you have to manually uninstall the previous version, and then go to the Android Market and install it. What's nice is that it doesn't lose your saved games - this screenshot shows a game I've started before the update and continued after updating.
How's the new update working out for you? Let us know in the comments!Words With Friends for Android updated, promises "smoother game experience" originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Monday, August 29, 2011
Install the Windows Phone 7 NoDo update regardless of your carrier
Some of you who own Windows Phone 7 devices are still waiting for your pre-NoDo preparation update -- never mind NoDo itself. A few workarounds have been posted, but unfortunately they didn't work unless your carrier had completed testing and was ready to schedule the update.
Now, however, the Chevron WP7 team's Chris Walshie has delivered a handy little utility that will allow you to update any Windows Phone 7 device -- regardless of your carrier.
Download and install the Windows Phone Support Tool (x86 or x64) and the ChevronWP7 Updater (x86 or x64)
Launch ChevronWP7 Updater and select your language. If your language isn't listed, stop and do not update.
If were running WP7 build 7004 (you can verify in Zune) then run the updater twice.
Once the process completes, you should be able to copy and paste to your heart's content. Let's just hope all this update foolishness gets sorted out before we're supposed to receive Mango.Install the Windows Phone 7 NoDo update regardless of your carrier originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Now, however, the Chevron WP7 team's Chris Walshie has delivered a handy little utility that will allow you to update any Windows Phone 7 device -- regardless of your carrier.
Download and install the Windows Phone Support Tool (x86 or x64) and the ChevronWP7 Updater (x86 or x64)
Launch ChevronWP7 Updater and select your language. If your language isn't listed, stop and do not update.
If were running WP7 build 7004 (you can verify in Zune) then run the updater twice.
Once the process completes, you should be able to copy and paste to your heart's content. Let's just hope all this update foolishness gets sorted out before we're supposed to receive Mango.Install the Windows Phone 7 NoDo update regardless of your carrier originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Balance is a challenging mouse-based physics game
Years of computer use have taught us that the mouse cursor is "above" the windows. It doesn't push anything around; at least not without you clicking anything.
Balance takes that ingrained bit of knowledge and cancels it out. Suddenly your cursor (a blue dot) is solid - and if it touches the blue block, it pushes it around.
Your job is to use your cursor to nudge the blue block over to the orange block. You will have to push it, lift it and even flip it on its side, and then balance it. It's a very tricky game - one I wouldn't recommend tackling with a laptop trackpad.
Still, if you have a mouse and a hankering for a little physics gameplay, this is a cute little game. I like how the blue block never stops smiling, it makes me feel better about the world.Balance is a challenging mouse-based physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Balance takes that ingrained bit of knowledge and cancels it out. Suddenly your cursor (a blue dot) is solid - and if it touches the blue block, it pushes it around.
Your job is to use your cursor to nudge the blue block over to the orange block. You will have to push it, lift it and even flip it on its side, and then balance it. It's a very tricky game - one I wouldn't recommend tackling with a laptop trackpad.
Still, if you have a mouse and a hankering for a little physics gameplay, this is a cute little game. I like how the blue block never stops smiling, it makes me feel better about the world.Balance is a challenging mouse-based physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.2 gets smarter, faster
Auslogics Disk Defrag has been part of my system maintenance toolkit for quite some time. With the release of version 3.2, it's now even better at tidying up and optimizing your system's hard disk drives. In addition to a cleaner, easier-to-use interface, Disk Defrag 3.2 offers improved single file and folder defragging, better processing of multiple disks, a simplified scheduling screen, and more informative tool tips. Auslogics has also fine-tuned the program's defragmentation and file consolidation algorithms.
For laptop users, there's a new option to lock the program if your system is running on battery power -- so scheduled operations don't kick in and drain your power source at an inopportune moment. If you happen to have an SSD installed in your PC, you can head to the Disk Defrag options and exclude it from scanning (many think that defragmenting an SSD is a very bad idea).
Auslogics Disk Defrag is a free download and works with most versions of Windows.Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.2 gets smarter, faster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
For laptop users, there's a new option to lock the program if your system is running on battery power -- so scheduled operations don't kick in and drain your power source at an inopportune moment. If you happen to have an SSD installed in your PC, you can head to the Disk Defrag options and exclude it from scanning (many think that defragmenting an SSD is a very bad idea).
Auslogics Disk Defrag is a free download and works with most versions of Windows.Auslogics Disk Defrag 3.2 gets smarter, faster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Fake 'Droid Bionic' Twitter is fake
There's more controversy surrounding the Motorola Droid Bionic, as PC Mag's Sascha Segan has confirmed that the "official" @DroidBionic Twitter account isn't so official after all. According to Sascha, both Verizon and Motorola have come forward and stated that the account is not an official feed from either company. So who is it? We have no idea. Just a heads-up to take those "official" September 8 launch details with the proverbial grain of salt.Source: @phonescooper, PC Mag
IBM to Build Super-Storage Phenom
IBM is working on a 120-petabyte storage array that will consist of 200,000 disk drives, according to the MIT Technology Review. The array is expected to store about 1 trillion files. It's being developed for a client that needs a new supercomputer for detailed simulations of real-world phenomena.
Speedtest.net overhauled with new look, new features
Speedtest.net is pretty much the go-to site for quickly figuring out how fast (or slow) your connection really is and comparing the numbers your ISP boasts with what it actually delivers. And now it's got a new coat of paint and a couple of neat features. In brief:
New UI: The map widget is much improved; it actually looks like a map now, and it's easy to see where you are.
Smart server selection: If there are several test servers nearby, Speedtest will now ping each to see which has the least latency and use that for the test. You can still specify servers manually, too.
User accounts: You can sign up for a free account and aggregate results from several computers/connections.
Speed Wave: This new feature lets you add your test results to the results of many other users, and get a nice composite view.
All in all, you get some nice, new functionality and a snazzier interface to boot. Nice!Speedtest.net overhauled with new look, new features originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
New UI: The map widget is much improved; it actually looks like a map now, and it's easy to see where you are.
Smart server selection: If there are several test servers nearby, Speedtest will now ping each to see which has the least latency and use that for the test. You can still specify servers manually, too.
User accounts: You can sign up for a free account and aggregate results from several computers/connections.
Speed Wave: This new feature lets you add your test results to the results of many other users, and get a nice composite view.
All in all, you get some nice, new functionality and a snazzier interface to boot. Nice!Speedtest.net overhauled with new look, new features originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Toyota pulls Cydia theme and ads to appease Apple
In news that will no doubt shake the very bedrock of your belief system, Apple has asked Toyota to remove its Scion theme and its advertising from ModMyi, a Cydia repository. The Scion theme has been available for weeks, but after it received a ton of press in the last couple of days, Apple finally lashed out.
It's not like we should be surprised, considering Apple has claimed in the past that jailbreaking is illegal -- but at the same time, did the Cupertino cronies hear about the ruling that made circumventing DRM, and thus jailbreaking, legal? Anyway, whether Toyota was supporting illegal, legal, or deliciously gray and ambiguous, activity, it doesn't matter: Apple asked Toyota to remove the theme, and Toyota graciously bent over and capitulated.
This story raises a much more interesting topic, though: this is the first time a multinational company has publicly acknowledged and embraced the jailbreak community. Considering jailbreaking is technically legal, and Cydia's creator, Jay Freeman, estimates that up to 9% of OS devices are jailbroken, it simply makes good, commercial sense to target jailbreakers with ads. Toyota was simply trying to make some money, for shame!
As long as Apple continues to throw around its increasingly-expansive mass, the legality of jailbreaking will continue to be inconsequential. It will be interesting to see if another big company dares embrace the jailbreak community after this, too.Toyota pulls Cydia theme and ads to appease Apple originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 05:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
It's not like we should be surprised, considering Apple has claimed in the past that jailbreaking is illegal -- but at the same time, did the Cupertino cronies hear about the ruling that made circumventing DRM, and thus jailbreaking, legal? Anyway, whether Toyota was supporting illegal, legal, or deliciously gray and ambiguous, activity, it doesn't matter: Apple asked Toyota to remove the theme, and Toyota graciously bent over and capitulated.
This story raises a much more interesting topic, though: this is the first time a multinational company has publicly acknowledged and embraced the jailbreak community. Considering jailbreaking is technically legal, and Cydia's creator, Jay Freeman, estimates that up to 9% of OS devices are jailbroken, it simply makes good, commercial sense to target jailbreakers with ads. Toyota was simply trying to make some money, for shame!
As long as Apple continues to throw around its increasingly-expansive mass, the legality of jailbreaking will continue to be inconsequential. It will be interesting to see if another big company dares embrace the jailbreak community after this, too.Toyota pulls Cydia theme and ads to appease Apple originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 05:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Digital Projection debuts new native ultrawidescreen projector
1080p projectors and displays are sweet, but since movie lovers are watching content in ratios closer to 2.35:1 than the 16:9 layout of tradition HD projectors and PJs and wasting precious pixels Digital Projection International's latest beamer is set up to be all about ultrawidescreen. The dVision Scope 1080p is 2560 x 1080 out of the box, no anamorphic lens necessary. its custom firmware automatically detects and resizes when the letterbox black bars to fill the 1080p field by increasing the number of horizontal pixels. Check the specs and explanation in the press release after the break, we'll find out more about this and probably many other projectors at CEDIA 2011 in September.Continue reading Digital Projection debuts new native ultrawidescreen projectorDigital Projection debuts new native ultrawidescreen projector originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Why I Won't Post that Photo of Steve Jobs [Steve Jobs]
There is a photo floating around the Internet of Steve Jobs looking very ill. It's shocking. You won't find it here. I'm not posting it. Instead, I'm posting a picture of myself that was also snapped unexpectedly. See above. More »
Saturday, August 27, 2011
(Founder Stories) Buddy Media?s Mike Lazerow: ?We Are Doubling Every Six Months?
Mike Lazerow�is a�serial�entrepreneur who is the CEO of Buddy Media and previously founded GOLF.com, which was bought by Time Warner and University Wire and is now a property of CBS.
With a couple of successful startups under his belt, we decided to bring Lazerow into the studio for an episode of Founder Stories with host�Chris Dixon. Right off the bat the two�discussed Lazerow's latest�venture, Buddy Media, which just raised $54 million. Buddy Media helps brands cohesively manage their social media presence and marketing campaigns on sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
With a couple of successful startups under his belt, we decided to bring Lazerow into the studio for an episode of Founder Stories with host�Chris Dixon. Right off the bat the two�discussed Lazerow's latest�venture, Buddy Media, which just raised $54 million. Buddy Media helps brands cohesively manage their social media presence and marketing campaigns on sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The Tech That Took Out Gadhafi [Libya]
With rebel forces in Tripoli and Moammar Gadhafi on the run, the end could be near for the Libyan civil war. Sporadic fighting continues in the capital city of the oil-rich North African nation, NATO warplanes are still patrolling overhead, and there's always the danger of Gadhafi true-believers launching a fresh insurgency. More »
HTC Vigor pictures leaked, looks like the Droid Incredible's big brother
Pictures of what appears to be the HTC Vigor have been leaked out, giving another good look at the phone. While the specs are all still a rumor, we can see a dual LED flash and a front facing camera on the big screen, as well as a rubberized version of the Droid Incredible's stepped back plate. Of course the phone will run HTC Sense, and we assume it will be version 3. The two biggest questions -- will it have an LTE radio, and when will we see it, are still officially unanswered. With the rumored specs of a 1.5GHz dual-core Cortex A8 and a full gig of RAM, knowing that this one should be headed to Verizon soon will help relieve a little of the sting of not getting the Galaxy S II. We can't wait to see it. Hit the jump for another pic.Source: Droid Life
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Cloud Girlfriend will use a swarm of females to satisfy men
Cloud Girlfriend, despite what it sounds like, doesn't really have anything to do with cloud computing. Rather, it uses a cloud of women to pose as your girlfriend on Facebook, or your favorite social network of choice. The service is scheduled to launch 'soon,' and there's no indication of how much it will cost.
With the tagline 'The easiest way to get a girlfriend is to already have one,' Cloud Girlfriend promises to be a very interesting startup indeed. The brains of the operation, David Fuhriman, speaking to CNET, says it's all about fulfilling Maslow's hierarchy of needs. "CloudGirlfriend.com can fulfill Maslow's higher needs, even though the users know that the interaction is virtual. They will interact with a real person and see real profile images of the girl with whom they interact. This interaction can build confidence and esteem as well as provide real training experiences in navigating a friendship and a relationship."
Our concern, of course, is that it's very nearly April 1. We're also worried by the fact that Fuhriman has a name that sounds ominously like a social subculture that we've grown strangely attracted to here in the Download Squad bunker.
Finally, just stop and think about it for a second. Because your cloud girlfriend will be entirely virtual, she could be based anywhere. She could be underage -- or overage -- or she might be someone who you know in real life. She could even be a relative of yours, and you'd never know.
Let's not forget this is the Internet we're talking about, folks. Worst case scenario, she could turn out to be a hairy, male truck driver from Texas. Such as... your dad, perhaps?Cloud Girlfriend will use a swarm of females to satisfy men originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
With the tagline 'The easiest way to get a girlfriend is to already have one,' Cloud Girlfriend promises to be a very interesting startup indeed. The brains of the operation, David Fuhriman, speaking to CNET, says it's all about fulfilling Maslow's hierarchy of needs. "CloudGirlfriend.com can fulfill Maslow's higher needs, even though the users know that the interaction is virtual. They will interact with a real person and see real profile images of the girl with whom they interact. This interaction can build confidence and esteem as well as provide real training experiences in navigating a friendship and a relationship."
Our concern, of course, is that it's very nearly April 1. We're also worried by the fact that Fuhriman has a name that sounds ominously like a social subculture that we've grown strangely attracted to here in the Download Squad bunker.
Finally, just stop and think about it for a second. Because your cloud girlfriend will be entirely virtual, she could be based anywhere. She could be underage -- or overage -- or she might be someone who you know in real life. She could even be a relative of yours, and you'd never know.
Let's not forget this is the Internet we're talking about, folks. Worst case scenario, she could turn out to be a hairy, male truck driver from Texas. Such as... your dad, perhaps?Cloud Girlfriend will use a swarm of females to satisfy men originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
HTML5 MP3 player lets you listen to your music library inside your browser
While this slick little HTML5 audio player might not pack all of the features of your favorite desktop media application, it's still a very cool demonstration of what a Web app can do with access to local resources -- like MP3 and OGG files.
Just fire up http://antimatter15.github.com/player/player.html in your HTML5-compatible browser and browse to the topmost folder in your music library. The app will quickly build an index of all your tunes and let you start listening right inside your Web browser. Click on the filter library text, and you can enter a search string -- results load as you type.
There's a volume control, shuffle mode, play/pause control, and you can click and drag to skip forward or rewind during playback. As OMG! Ubuntu points out, you can even save the app to your hard drive and run it offline, which is pretty darn cool.
Not all browsers are equal when it comes to HTML5 implementation, of course. We found that Chrome worked the best, and Firefox was OK. It's also worth noting that this music player comes from the same developer that created one of our favorite restartless Firefox 4 add-ons, drag2up.HTML5 MP3 player lets you listen to your music library inside your browser originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Just fire up http://antimatter15.github.com/player/player.html in your HTML5-compatible browser and browse to the topmost folder in your music library. The app will quickly build an index of all your tunes and let you start listening right inside your Web browser. Click on the filter library text, and you can enter a search string -- results load as you type.
There's a volume control, shuffle mode, play/pause control, and you can click and drag to skip forward or rewind during playback. As OMG! Ubuntu points out, you can even save the app to your hard drive and run it offline, which is pretty darn cool.
Not all browsers are equal when it comes to HTML5 implementation, of course. We found that Chrome worked the best, and Firefox was OK. It's also worth noting that this music player comes from the same developer that created one of our favorite restartless Firefox 4 add-ons, drag2up.HTML5 MP3 player lets you listen to your music library inside your browser originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Trio of US Samsung Galaxy S II models get together for a group photo?
Gaze closely at the above picture. Is this classy-looking bunch of phones the actual trio of Galaxy S II devices we expect to see unveiled at Samsung's press event this coming Monday? If so, our mouths are commencing salivation as we speak. From the looks of it, the Samsung Hercules, Epic Touch 4G and Attain are shown off hanging out together in full disclosure. Granted, we've seen the T-Mobile and Sprint versions before, so this image simply verifies what we've already seen. The big reveal, however, is the look of AT&T's variant -- a device that's managed to do the best job at playing hide-and-seek -- which appears to be eerily similar to a leaked render we encountered in June. We're only a matter of days away from knowing for sure, but this will definitely get your weekend started off on the right foot.Trio of US Samsung Galaxy S II models get together for a group photo? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TmoNews | PocketNow | Email this | Comments
BodyGuardz Shelter iPhone 4 Case Review
There are a bazillion iPhone cases on the market and we’re here to tell you about one of them… It’s the Shelter Case from BodyGuardz, the same people that offer protective screen and body skins for Apple’s popular smartphone. Their Dry Apply Screen Protector is actually one of my favorites… but what about a full [...]
Razer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatness
Something big's been brewing over in Carlsbad, and the time has finally come for it to be revealed to the world: the Razer Blade. The onyx aluminum beaut before you is the culmination of over three years of work by a stealth team of engineers -- many of them absorbed from the former OQO team. Despite being only 0.88 inches thick (thinner than another 17-incher we know...), the svelte number still packs a punch with a 2.8GHz Core i7-2640M CPU and GeForce GT 555M graphics replete with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory. All that graphical horsepower will splay your exploits on a 17.3-inch LED 1920 x 1080 full HD panel with an HD webcam nestled above. Rounding out the package is 8GB of RAM, three USB ports (one of the 3.0 persuasion), HDMI-out and a 60Wh integrated battery. And it could all be yours for $2,799 when it debuts in Q4 of this year.
That's dandy, but we're more stoked on the 480 x 800 LCD trackpad just to the right of the backlit keyboard. It works either as a multitouch-enabled input device or as an additional display for in-game info when the urge to slay demons with an external mouse strikes. North of that hotness lie ten fully customizable buttons, both in appearance (courtesy of a separate LCD) and in function. The keys and trackpad were last seen on a keyboard in a galaxy far, far away, and are running a custom Switchblade UI -- inspired by the company's oh so sexy Switchblade concept that we saw at CES. And just like the concept, Razer's used a custom lighting panel to ensure you can see those keys clearly from an angle -- people don't look straight down at their keyboards, after all. Follow on past the break for more impressions, video and PR.
Gallery: Razer Blade Gallery: Razer Blade previewContinue reading Razer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatnessRazer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatness originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Razer | Email this | Comments
That's dandy, but we're more stoked on the 480 x 800 LCD trackpad just to the right of the backlit keyboard. It works either as a multitouch-enabled input device or as an additional display for in-game info when the urge to slay demons with an external mouse strikes. North of that hotness lie ten fully customizable buttons, both in appearance (courtesy of a separate LCD) and in function. The keys and trackpad were last seen on a keyboard in a galaxy far, far away, and are running a custom Switchblade UI -- inspired by the company's oh so sexy Switchblade concept that we saw at CES. And just like the concept, Razer's used a custom lighting panel to ensure you can see those keys clearly from an angle -- people don't look straight down at their keyboards, after all. Follow on past the break for more impressions, video and PR.
Gallery: Razer Blade Gallery: Razer Blade previewContinue reading Razer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatnessRazer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatness originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Razer | Email this | Comments
Microsoft gesture patents reveal possible dual-screen tablet focus
Earlier this year, we heard a slew of whispers promising a late winter launch for Microsoft's Windows 8 tablets -- there was even mention of a tab-specific OS. While it's become clear that Redmond intends for its new operating system to run on multiple devices, insight into its tablet plans are still somewhat shrouded in mystery. From the looks of these gesture patents, however, it's clear MS has been eyeing a dual-screen tablet future (hello Courier). The recently published patents, not yet granted to the company, touch upon methods for off-screen input (read: bezel-based), but mainly focus on these multi-screen input options: dual tap, pinch and expand, hold and page-flip, hold and tap, and finally, bookmark hold. As you can glimpse from the image above, the patents handle simultaneous touch screen input, allowing a user the ability to swap images between screens, or even freeze a page on one side while continuing to browse on the other. By the looks of things, Sony might have some fierce competition in the multi-screen tablet market. Head to the source below to get a fuller look at these touch-based solutions.Microsoft gesture patents reveal possible dual-screen tablet focus originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TechCrunch | Microsoft News | Email this | Comments
Friday, August 26, 2011
Gadget Lab Podcast: Steve Jobs, Jambox and Weird Ways to Touch Your iPad
This week on the Gadget Lab podcast, the crew talks about big Apple news, little Jawbone news and a few weird ways to touch your iPad.
Game Review: Avadon the Black Fortress for iPad
Avadon: The Black Fortress is one of the most eagerly-anticipated RPG games for iPad. Made by Spiderweb Software, creators of the celebrated Geneforge and Avernum series for PC and Mac, Avadon is also available on desktop as well as being the first iPad release for this software company. You start the game as a newly-trained Hand of Avadon, reporting to the “chief” of Avadon, Redbeard. You learn that Avadon is a ruling government which has brought peace to five outlying [...]
Listen to Gizmodo?s Soundtrack: The Weeknd [Video]
If you live somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard, fill your fridge with food, grab a dozen bottles of wine, and download The Weeknd's Thursday. Then spend the storm eating, drinking, fucking and snoozing in between while listening to awesome tracks like this. More »
Commenting on Engadget: a refresher
Hey there, it's time for yet another refresher on the wonderful world of Engadget comments. After the break you'll find our "human's guide" to commenting, a sort of care and feeding guide for your Disqus account. If you've been here for awhile (hello, you) it should be mighty familiar but, since the flow of the commenters has hugely increased lately, we're going to be more strict for awhile, deleting any comments we deem to be trollin' or hatin' and banning repeat offenders. We don't like banning people, and we realize that haters do have to hate, but we love encouraging active and open debate down there. This is the best way for us to do that.
Read on for some guidelines to keep in mind.Continue reading Commenting on Engadget: a refresherCommenting on Engadget: a refresher originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Read on for some guidelines to keep in mind.Continue reading Commenting on Engadget: a refresherCommenting on Engadget: a refresher originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 4:30ET!
Howdy all, it's time to round up all of the crazy mobile topics from the week that was and listen to Myriam and Brad chat the afternoon away on the Engadget Mobile Podcast. For our 101st episode, we're starting a tad early at 4:30ET (1:30PT, 8:30GMT), so we hope you can join us. Although it's not like anything happened this week... right?Continue reading The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 4:30ET!The Engadget Mobile Podcast, live at 4:30ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
I Wish I Had the Balls to Risk My Life Like This Man [Video]
Swiss climber Ueli Steck is one of my personal superheroes. Watch this video of him beating a climb speed record on the Eiger—a 13,025-foot mountain in the Bernese Alps—to understand why. More »
Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration?
Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott have posted a second look at some of the early changes which have surface in Windows 8 milestone 3. First there was the restyled Welcome Screen, and now it appears that Microsoft is toying with bringing the Ribbon UI to Explorer.
The Ribbon, like in Microsoft Word and Excel, is context-aware, adding tabs for specific tasks which apply to the folder you're viewing -- such as library or picture management. You can also make out two new buttons in the status bar, which allow you to change the current folder's view style.
It's clear from all the placeholder images and repeated elements that this is very much a work in progress, but featuring the Ribbon more prominently in Windows 8 would certainly be a logical progression for Microsoft. It's slowly become more ubiquitous, moving beyond Office and into Wordpad, Paint, and several of the Windows Live Essentials applications.
There's more to the screenshots than the Ribbon UI, however. Our friend Long Zheng has noted two interesting elements in the images: Web sharing and sync (image after the break). That would likely mean users will be able to quickly upload files to SkyDrive and synchronize using Live Mesh right from Explorer in Windows 8. That's not a total surprise considering many of the earliest leaked images of Windows 8 showed Windows Live integration on the desktop.Continue reading Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration?Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The Ribbon, like in Microsoft Word and Excel, is context-aware, adding tabs for specific tasks which apply to the folder you're viewing -- such as library or picture management. You can also make out two new buttons in the status bar, which allow you to change the current folder's view style.
It's clear from all the placeholder images and repeated elements that this is very much a work in progress, but featuring the Ribbon more prominently in Windows 8 would certainly be a logical progression for Microsoft. It's slowly become more ubiquitous, moving beyond Office and into Wordpad, Paint, and several of the Windows Live Essentials applications.
There's more to the screenshots than the Ribbon UI, however. Our friend Long Zheng has noted two interesting elements in the images: Web sharing and sync (image after the break). That would likely mean users will be able to quickly upload files to SkyDrive and synchronize using Live Mesh right from Explorer in Windows 8. That's not a total surprise considering many of the earliest leaked images of Windows 8 showed Windows Live integration on the desktop.Continue reading Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration?Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Hello Expense is a simple, reliable expense tracker for Android
A good mobile application is a fine balance between simplicity and functionality. You're using it on the go, so you don't have a lot of time to sit there and fumble with the phone to figure it all out. But you also need it to be powerful enough to let you do whatever it is you're trying to get done.
Hello Expense is one mobile app that gets it right. It's an expense tracker that lets you use your Android-powered phone to quickly log the money you spend and then analyze it and see where it all went.
I recently had the chance to use it in a real-life situation - a road trip that took a few days and involved quite a few expenses. Logging each expense took seconds, and at the end of each day I could get a great overview of how much money I spent on each category so far.
Categories and tags are user-configurable; the app also sports its own number pad to make number entry easy, regardless of what keyboard you're using.Hello Expense is a simple, reliable expense tracker for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Hello Expense is one mobile app that gets it right. It's an expense tracker that lets you use your Android-powered phone to quickly log the money you spend and then analyze it and see where it all went.
I recently had the chance to use it in a real-life situation - a road trip that took a few days and involved quite a few expenses. Logging each expense took seconds, and at the end of each day I could get a great overview of how much money I spent on each category so far.
Categories and tags are user-configurable; the app also sports its own number pad to make number entry easy, regardless of what keyboard you're using.Hello Expense is a simple, reliable expense tracker for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
BodyGuardz Shelter iPhone 4 Case Review
There are a bazillion iPhone cases on the market and we’re here to tell you about one of them… It’s the Shelter Case from BodyGuardz, the same people that offer protective screen and body skins for Apple’s popular smartphone. Their Dry Apply Screen Protector is actually one of my favorites… but what about a full [...]
Where Do WebOS Devs Go From Here?
Reeling from the gap created in their lives by HP's announcement Thursday that it's ceasing work on webOS devices, webOS app developers have reportedly been swift to stagger into Microsoft's arms. At least 500 webOS app devs responded to a call put out by Brandon Watson, Microsoft's senior director of Windows Phone 7 development, within 22 hours, Watson tweeted Saturday.That's good news for Microsoft.
X10 AirPad is a warm slab of Gingerbread for under $200
Couldn't get your hands on a discount TouchPad? It's not quite as cheap, but X10 does boldly claim that its new AirPad is "the best tablet on the market for under $200." It's important to have realistic goals, after all. The seven-inch slate packs in 4GB of storage (plus a microSD slot), WiFi, and Android 2.3.X10 AirPad is a warm slab of Gingerbread for under $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Android Central | X10 | Email this | Comments
Thursday, August 25, 2011
iPad Hacks ? Getting the Most out of Your iPad
If you are an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad user, you surely have heard of the term jailbreaking. No, it does not involve breaking someone out of jail. Jailbreak, or iPad Hacks, is the process of utilizing apps, music and other elements without purchasing from Apple. It is also a gateway to third party apps and tweaks. The question is, do you need it? You have been eyeing one application in the App store for quite some time and still [...]
Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements
The crew in Oslo keeps plugging away at Opera 11.10, and the latest snapshot build includes a number of improvements to Opera's built-in email client -- as well as HTML5-related additions.
On the IMAP front, Opera now supports special folders like sent items, spam, and trash. It also better handles duplicate items in Gmail -- such as those which appear in all mail and under your custom labels.
Opera 11.10 now partially supports the HTML5 File API as well, which means your favorite Web apps (like Gmail) may soon begin adding Opera to the list of supported browsers.
You can download the latest Opera 11.10 snapshot for Windows, Mac, or Linux from the official release post.
Update: The Opera 11.10 RC is now available, as pointed out by SlashZaku in the comments. Thanks!Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
On the IMAP front, Opera now supports special folders like sent items, spam, and trash. It also better handles duplicate items in Gmail -- such as those which appear in all mail and under your custom labels.
Opera 11.10 now partially supports the HTML5 File API as well, which means your favorite Web apps (like Gmail) may soon begin adding Opera to the list of supported browsers.
You can download the latest Opera 11.10 snapshot for Windows, Mac, or Linux from the official release post.
Update: The Opera 11.10 RC is now available, as pointed out by SlashZaku in the comments. Thanks!Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser
Back when I was a kid, I used to love crafting ornate puzzle boxes out of Lego. There would be just one way to open the box, by carefully shifting and rotating a bunch of pieces. Well, either that, or breaking the box in frustration.
Interlocked takes that spirit and turns it into a beautiful Flash game. It's a good thing the soundtrack is soothing, because the game itself can get pretty frustrating.
At the start of each level, you're presented with a box built out of blocks in different colors. You can click and drag the mouse to rotate the box any which way. Once you decide you want to shift a part of the box, hit SPACE to switch into "move" mode. You can then click any part of the box and drag it. Of course, you can only move a part as long as nothing is in its way. So it becomes a matter of understanding how the box is built, and what parts you need to move around so you could eventually take the box apart.
It's a tricky, difficult game, but it's a great brain teaser -- and definitely a keeper.Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Interlocked takes that spirit and turns it into a beautiful Flash game. It's a good thing the soundtrack is soothing, because the game itself can get pretty frustrating.
At the start of each level, you're presented with a box built out of blocks in different colors. You can click and drag the mouse to rotate the box any which way. Once you decide you want to shift a part of the box, hit SPACE to switch into "move" mode. You can then click any part of the box and drag it. Of course, you can only move a part as long as nothing is in its way. So it becomes a matter of understanding how the box is built, and what parts you need to move around so you could eventually take the box apart.
It's a tricky, difficult game, but it's a great brain teaser -- and definitely a keeper.Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Mango teaches Windows Phone to share, probably still needs carrier permission
Microsoft's budding mobile OS is finally learning to share, just like the big kids. Windows Phone's graduation to Mango comes not only with Twitter integration, SkyDrive music streaming, and multitasking, but with internet connection sharing as well. The new feature showed its toggle switch at WPCentral this week, riding in on a Microsoft flashed Focus running Mango build 7720.68. According to the tell-all image, Windows Phones running Mango will be able to share their cellular internet connection with up to 5 devices -- reportedly draining its battery with unprecedented efficiency. ChevronWP7 collaborator Rafael Rivera confirmed over Twitter that the feature is baked into Mango, guessing that it would require a "carrier 'update' to enable." Yeah, we wouldn't be surprised.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Mango teaches Windows Phone to share, probably still needs carrier permission originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Rafael Rivera (Twitter), WPcentral | Email this | Comments
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Mango teaches Windows Phone to share, probably still needs carrier permission originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Rafael Rivera (Twitter), WPcentral | Email this | Comments
Line Grapefruit is a tricky Flash "path" game
Okay, see that snaking line coming in from the right on the screenshot? That's you. And see those large round circles? Those are supposedly grapefruits, only they won't sit still - they keep moving up and down and cutting across your path. And if you touch one, you die!
That's what you have to deal with in Line Grapefruit. But that's not all - you're also on a time limit. In fact, you have a very limited amount of time to make it through the "path" (for lack of a better word). You need to snake your way through the winding trail without touching anything. The good news is that a grapefruit only kills you if it touches the end of the line - once you've made it past the grapefruit, nothing happens if it crosses the path you've made.
This is not an easy game, but it's quite unique - I can't recall seeing another game quite like it.Line Grapefruit is a tricky Flash "path" game originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
That's what you have to deal with in Line Grapefruit. But that's not all - you're also on a time limit. In fact, you have a very limited amount of time to make it through the "path" (for lack of a better word). You need to snake your way through the winding trail without touching anything. The good news is that a grapefruit only kills you if it touches the end of the line - once you've made it past the grapefruit, nothing happens if it crosses the path you've made.
This is not an easy game, but it's quite unique - I can't recall seeing another game quite like it.Line Grapefruit is a tricky Flash "path" game originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Install the Windows Phone 7 NoDo update regardless of your carrier
Some of you who own Windows Phone 7 devices are still waiting for your pre-NoDo preparation update -- never mind NoDo itself. A few workarounds have been posted, but unfortunately they didn't work unless your carrier had completed testing and was ready to schedule the update.
Now, however, the Chevron WP7 team's Chris Walshie has delivered a handy little utility that will allow you to update any Windows Phone 7 device -- regardless of your carrier.
Download and install the Windows Phone Support Tool (x86 or x64) and the ChevronWP7 Updater (x86 or x64)
Launch ChevronWP7 Updater and select your language. If your language isn't listed, stop and do not update.
If were running WP7 build 7004 (you can verify in Zune) then run the updater twice.
Once the process completes, you should be able to copy and paste to your heart's content. Let's just hope all this update foolishness gets sorted out before we're supposed to receive Mango.Install the Windows Phone 7 NoDo update regardless of your carrier originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Now, however, the Chevron WP7 team's Chris Walshie has delivered a handy little utility that will allow you to update any Windows Phone 7 device -- regardless of your carrier.
Download and install the Windows Phone Support Tool (x86 or x64) and the ChevronWP7 Updater (x86 or x64)
Launch ChevronWP7 Updater and select your language. If your language isn't listed, stop and do not update.
If were running WP7 build 7004 (you can verify in Zune) then run the updater twice.
Once the process completes, you should be able to copy and paste to your heart's content. Let's just hope all this update foolishness gets sorted out before we're supposed to receive Mango.Install the Windows Phone 7 NoDo update regardless of your carrier originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Pocket Grill for Convenient Campfire Cooking
While much of the world inhabited by Gadget Lab readers has mercifully returned to temperatures conducive to work and play, here in Barcelona, Spain, the weather is a hellish combination of hot and humid, the kind of weather that requires you take a pair of spare T-shirts should you need to go outside.
Which is a [...]
Which is a [...]
Google Talk Guru answers questions via your IM app
Bots -- like the kind which automate IRC rooms and Google Wave -- are a good thing to know about. There are plenty of useful bots worth knowing about, too, including the Google Talk Guru.
Just add guru@googlelabs.com to your GTalk buddies, and you can start firing off questions. Lifehacker suggests that the same types of queries supported by Google SMS will work, though we didn't have any luck getting a response out of the Guru with phrases like "score detroit red wings" or "sushi R3N 1Y1."
Still, Guru does answer a good variety of questions and it works right within your favorite IM app. It's well worth adding to your friend list, especially for getting answers on the go on your mobile device of choice.Google Talk Guru answers questions via your IM app originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Just add guru@googlelabs.com to your GTalk buddies, and you can start firing off questions. Lifehacker suggests that the same types of queries supported by Google SMS will work, though we didn't have any luck getting a response out of the Guru with phrases like "score detroit red wings" or "sushi R3N 1Y1."
Still, Guru does answer a good variety of questions and it works right within your favorite IM app. It's well worth adding to your friend list, especially for getting answers on the go on your mobile device of choice.Google Talk Guru answers questions via your IM app originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Photo 365 for iPhone: Take a Picture Every Day of the Year [IPhone Apps]
A lot of people try to take one picture every day of the year but fail after the first week. It's hard to remember, life gets in the way, whatever. Photo 365 gives you daily reminders and keeps 'em lookin' nice in a tidy calendar More »
End of Act Two
In resigning as CEO of Apple today, Steve Jobs takes on the role as Chairman of the Board. In that regard, tomorrow will likely be no different than yesterday. Not for Apple, not for us. Except it will be totally different. We’ll still be able to...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Nikon P7100 Faster And Friendlier Than Its Predecessor
Nikon’s new Coolpix P7100 is an update to, you guessed it, the P7100. It’s not a big update, feature-wise, but the bits that Nikon has added are essential. If the P7000 was Nikon’s beta attempt to copy the Canon G-series cameras, the P7100 is the proper v1.0
The P7000 was known as slow and buggy. Poor [...]
The P7000 was known as slow and buggy. Poor [...]
Adblock Plus developer pokes holes in Mozilla's new add-on performance tests
Wladimir Palant, developer of the most popular add-on in the world, Adblock Plus, is also an active contributor to the Planet Mozilla blog community. Over the last few days, in response to Mozilla's new name and shame list of slow add-ons, Palant has been investigating whether Mozilla's testing methods are actually accurate.
Rather surprisingly, it turns out that Mozilla's numbers could be significantly wrong -- and if they're not wrong, the factors that Mozilla uses to tabulate an add-ons final score should definitely be made more transparent.
In the first set of tests, Palant shows that FlashGot's position in the top 10 is probably due to a fault in Mozilla's testing setup, and that add-ons can perform very differently depending on which operating system they're being tested on. In the second analysis, Palant uncovers an irregularity that doesn't seem to have an obvious cause -- but it could be due to an I/O bottleneck on Mozilla's test machines. Basically, even though performance testing of Read It Later is disabled because of a bug, it still (somehow!) manages to record a 14% slow-down on Windows 7.
Palant concludes both analyses by scolding Mozilla for going public with the performance data before its testing methods had been confirmed accurate. It definitely looks like Mozilla has been more than a little reckless, considering the importance of Firefox's add-on ecosystem.Adblock Plus developer pokes holes in Mozilla's new add-on performance tests originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Rather surprisingly, it turns out that Mozilla's numbers could be significantly wrong -- and if they're not wrong, the factors that Mozilla uses to tabulate an add-ons final score should definitely be made more transparent.
In the first set of tests, Palant shows that FlashGot's position in the top 10 is probably due to a fault in Mozilla's testing setup, and that add-ons can perform very differently depending on which operating system they're being tested on. In the second analysis, Palant uncovers an irregularity that doesn't seem to have an obvious cause -- but it could be due to an I/O bottleneck on Mozilla's test machines. Basically, even though performance testing of Read It Later is disabled because of a bug, it still (somehow!) manages to record a 14% slow-down on Windows 7.
Palant concludes both analyses by scolding Mozilla for going public with the performance data before its testing methods had been confirmed accurate. It definitely looks like Mozilla has been more than a little reckless, considering the importance of Firefox's add-on ecosystem.Adblock Plus developer pokes holes in Mozilla's new add-on performance tests originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Photoshop Tutorial Rap 2: Still Surprisingly Handy! [Video]
The Photoshop Rap Tutorial is back in all its remarkably educational glory. In fact, if anything it's less funny than the first but more instructive, and I'm pretty sure I'm happier that way: More »
ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear
Have you ever wondered what the Web was like before the Mosaic Web browser? If you were born in the last 20-odd years, or you only discovered your inner geek recently, did you miss out on monochrome monitors and the dial-up BBS era? Well, here's your chance to get a sneak peek at history: grab the ChromeLite extension and marvel as the entire Web is transformed into ASCII characters.
Now, ChromeLite isn't really all that functional. For the most part, it simply strips images and converts text into a monospaced terminal font. There are a few Easter eggs inserted -- such as a fun message at the bottom of YouTube (image after the break) -- and some fun ASCII art, but that's about it. Rather oddly, most JavaScript continues to work -- so you can still enjoy Google Instant Search!
ChromeLite was actually made by Google as an April Fools' joke -- and indeed, an annoying 'you can uninstall this!' message appears at the top of every page -- but we're kind of hoping that Google, or another developer, takes ChromeLite and turns it into a real ASCII browsing extension with configurable settings. If anything, it will provide an easy way to save bandwidth and CPU time.Continue reading ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryearChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Now, ChromeLite isn't really all that functional. For the most part, it simply strips images and converts text into a monospaced terminal font. There are a few Easter eggs inserted -- such as a fun message at the bottom of YouTube (image after the break) -- and some fun ASCII art, but that's about it. Rather oddly, most JavaScript continues to work -- so you can still enjoy Google Instant Search!
ChromeLite was actually made by Google as an April Fools' joke -- and indeed, an annoying 'you can uninstall this!' message appears at the top of every page -- but we're kind of hoping that Google, or another developer, takes ChromeLite and turns it into a real ASCII browsing extension with configurable settings. If anything, it will provide an easy way to save bandwidth and CPU time.Continue reading ChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryearChromeLite: experience the ASCII Web of yesteryear originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Keep Your Important Files Safe with Carbonite Online Backup
This post brought to you by Carbonite. All opinions are 100% mine. Some of my most important possessions are on my computer.� In addition to important tax documents and correspondence, I store all my music files, ebooks, and photos on my laptop.� I would be devastated if I lost all those files. �We all know [...]
Droid Bionic's 'Rule All Machines' commericial returns, looks even better
We gave you your first look at the official Verizon commercial for the Motorola Droid Bionic earlier this week, and now it's back in even better quality, thanks to our pals at Droid-Life. It's exactly the same violent commercial we gave you, only even creepier with the singing and what not. Take a look after the break, at least until it gets TOS'd, too.Source: Droid-Life
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Acer loses $234 million in worse-than-expected Q2
It may be the second largest computer manufacturer in the world, but things are not looking good for Acer. The Taiwanese company lost 6.79 billion New Taiwan Dollars (TWD), about $234.1 million, in Q2, far more than the already sizable anticipated shortfall of 3.3 billion TWD (around $114.7 million). That's a dramatic drop off from the 1.19 billion TWD profit the company posted in Q1. Things are expected to improve in Q3, but Acer still expects to operating in the red until at least Q4. Some of the problems can be blamed on recent restructuring that has the vendor increasingly focused on mobile devices and less on netbooks, which were successful for the company but have quickly declined in popularity. The extremely brief PR can be found after the break.Continue reading Acer loses $234 million in worse-than-expected Q2Acer loses $234 million in worse-than-expected Q2 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Reuters | Email this | Comments
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
These Beautiful Photographs Were Taken With the Handmade Legotron Mk1 [Lego]
Cary Norton made a camera out of Lego back in 2009, but we never saw the results. He now has published a few photos and I'm as surprised as he is. They are spectacular: More »
The Super Tourniquet That Stops Penis Gunshot Wounds from Bleeding Out [Gadgets]
Getting shot in the groin has to suck beyond all imagining. So too must getting shot anywhere else, let alone places where you can't cinch a tourniquet. The CRoC, or Combat Ready Clamp, gives your bleeding hard-to-reach spots the pressure they need. More »
The Woot On Cougars, Sext and Other English Words In the Last 100 Years [Video]
Last week, the new edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary included words like sexting, retweet and mankini for the first time. This article explains the many weird changes that the dictionary went through since its first edition in 1911. More »
Samsung May Buy HP's PC Business Says Digitimes [Rumor]
Samsung has reportedly talked to manufacturers like Quanta Computers and Pegatron about outsourcing notebook orders. The Korean company is supposedly eyeing HP's PC business and needs outside manufacturing help. It's an interesting proposition; maybe it'll move beyond a rumor. [Digitimes] More »
Engadget Says Sony's S1 Will Be Known As the Tablet S for Its September Release [Sony]
Engadget has some new details for the Playstation-Certified Sony S1 slate. Set maaaybe for release in the first two weeks of September, the gorgeous if drably-named Tablet S will now ship with Honeycomb 3.1, and will be ready for an Ice Cream Sandwich update. [Engadget] More »
Swarms of Drones Will Kill Us All! (One Day) [Airplanes]
Boeing has successfully tested the first swarm of unmanned aerial drones in history over eastern Oregon. Boeing's Advanced Autonomous Networks program director Gabriel Santander said "This is a milestone in UAV flight." Oh yes it is. More »
Daily Crunch: Graffito Edition
For iPhone 4: Super-Cute Hello Kitty Cases From Japan Warn Friends And Foes With These Nine Aperture Science Test Chamber Labels ?Light Scythe? Is A Monster LED Strip For Long Exposure Art Mouse Up And Roll Out With This Transformers-Themed Razer Gear Tag Heuer?s Android Powered Link Smart Phone
When You Put a Megaphone in the Middle of New York City, People Will Say Nice Things [Video]
Yes, the megaphone was attached to a podium that said "Say Something Nice", but you half expect some New York jackass to hijack the megaphone and curse everybody out (maybe it was edited out!). But seriously, watching this will brighten up your Monday. More »
Did You Know You Could Rip Apart Your Computer and Melt the Circuit Boards for Gold? [Gold]
Gold is like so in right now. And not even just for jewelry! I mean, it's over $1900—that's big money making opportunity. So it's not that bat-shit crazy to melt your electronic circuit boards and tear apart your phone to create a gold nugget, right? More »
Monday, August 22, 2011
Lego Camper May Turn Children Into Hippies
It’s not until you actually try to build a VW Camper out of Lego that you realize it’s not as square and boxy as it seems. Still, you don’t have to worry about that, as the hard design work has been done for you. Instead, you can just drop $120 and then take care of [...]
Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray shows up on Vodafone UK, inches towards launch
If you've been counting down the days leading up to the Xperia Ray's release, get set to add a few more X's to that calendar. A recent product page over on Vodafone UK teases an imminent launch for the svelte, Sony Ericsson handset, and slims down that multi-hued selection to one gold-backed option. The 3.3-incher had previously been up for pre-order on Play.com with a purported mid-August release, only to see that date slip back into the folds of September. Whenever the phone does finally make it to market, expect to see this quadband HSPA-capable device sporting an 854 x 480 Reality display, 1GHz processor, 8.1 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 2.3. Import-minded types can look forward to running an unlocked version on AT&T, or just wait around for a potential stateside release. Eager for more info? Then head to the source below where you can sign-up for the deets.Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray shows up on Vodafone UK, inches towards launch originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Vodafone UK | Email this | Comments
Epson iPrint App for iOS Review
I know that iOS 4.x now includes the ability to print, but that function only works with certain Airprint-enabled printers from HP.� If you don?t have one of these HP printers, as I don’t, you?re out of luck printing from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.� When I got the press release from Epson recently [...]
Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer
When someone tells me about a "platformer", my first thought is that it's probably a simple game that mainly revolves around running and jumping around, with a minimal plot. [Play a Zelda game! -Ed]
Elephant Quest is one platformer that managed to prove me completely wrong. Yes, you do run and jump around, and you also shoot at stuff. But the game has much, much more going for it.
Basically, as you run, jump and shoot, you gain experience points and level up. Hitting Space brings you into an interface where you can convert your experience points into Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Dexterity points. Once you've "specialized" your points, you then get to pick what exact skills you'd like to enhance in each field. For example, you could use your dexterity to enhance your weapons or increase your swiftness.
The game is played in a huge maze; you go through rooms using doors, and there's a large map. As the name implies, there are quests you can take, too. For example, one quest had me searching all over the place for ten balloons.
The bottom line is that this is a surprisingly deep game that just might ensnare you for a good bit longer than you intended to play. Beware!Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Elephant Quest is one platformer that managed to prove me completely wrong. Yes, you do run and jump around, and you also shoot at stuff. But the game has much, much more going for it.
Basically, as you run, jump and shoot, you gain experience points and level up. Hitting Space brings you into an interface where you can convert your experience points into Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Dexterity points. Once you've "specialized" your points, you then get to pick what exact skills you'd like to enhance in each field. For example, you could use your dexterity to enhance your weapons or increase your swiftness.
The game is played in a huge maze; you go through rooms using doors, and there's a large map. As the name implies, there are quests you can take, too. For example, one quest had me searching all over the place for ten balloons.
The bottom line is that this is a surprisingly deep game that just might ensnare you for a good bit longer than you intended to play. Beware!Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
F-15 Escapes as Wildfire Dangerously Approaches US Air Force Base [Image Cache]
At first I thought this F-15SG was escaping from an attack against a US Air Force base in some war zone. Fortunately, the only attack was a 3,000-acre fire that affected the Mountain Home AFB, in Idaho. More »
Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro
It's not really a secret the Microsoft had planned on bringing bits of Windows Phone 7's Metro UI to Windows 8, but we haven't seen a lot of really telling evidence. However, with the Windows 8 milestone 3 build now available to Microsoft Connect partners, it was really just a matter of time before we started to get a peek.
Thanks to Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott, we've now had a glimpse at what the Windows 8 welcome screen will look like. As you can see, the typography is very Metro indeed. Within Windows also mentions that the background image is customizable, and we're wondering if it might not pull from your current Windows 8 theme. This particular shot shows the CTRL + ALT + DELETE login option, but we imagine you'll still be able to log in by clicking your account picture tile as well.
Rivera and Thurrott also mention that the tablet version of the welcome screen will allow you to log in by swiping a pattern on the screen -- as you can on current Android devices.Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Thanks to Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott, we've now had a glimpse at what the Windows 8 welcome screen will look like. As you can see, the typography is very Metro indeed. Within Windows also mentions that the background image is customizable, and we're wondering if it might not pull from your current Windows 8 theme. This particular shot shows the CTRL + ALT + DELETE login option, but we imagine you'll still be able to log in by clicking your account picture tile as well.
Rivera and Thurrott also mention that the tablet version of the welcome screen will allow you to log in by swiping a pattern on the screen -- as you can on current Android devices.Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
iPad Giveaways ? real or fake?
Gone are the days when you used to find a letter in your mailbox that says you won something or that you were one in a million chosen for the grand prize of a raffle you didn?t even recall joining in. In this age, the internet is the easiest way to send out scams. Facebook [...]
?The 106 Best iPhone Apps? According to MakeUseOf.com
Apple‘s got a few apps in that iTunes App Store of theirs, don’t they?� Where do you even start?� The folks at MakeUseOf.com have assembled their list of “The 106 Best iPhone Apps“.� Whether you’re new to iOS or a seasoned veteran, it’s worth checking out—you might find an app that you’ll use every day.
Massive Rotorcraft Named After Japanese Turtle Sets Record in Maryland [Helicopters]
When we think about 11.4 seconds, it doesn't really amount to much, but in the world of female human-powered helicopter flight, it's a new record. More »
Energizer Travel Charger Nears Power-Density Singularity
Energizer’s iSurge travel charger offer the highest density of power outputs I have ever seen. One small block of black plastic has three regular AC outlets, two USB ports (with 2.1-amp outputs so you can charge an iPad in less than a day) and a 30-pin dock up top for your iPhone or iPod.
Round the [...]
Round the [...]
Add playback hotkeys to Amazon Cloud Player with a Chrome extension
Sure, Amazon's Cloud Player works -- as long as you're in the U.S. or willing to do some tinkering -- but it's fairly simplistic at the moment. There are plenty of features missing which we'd like to see added -- but since Cloud Player is a Web app we don't have to wait for Amazon!
Google Chrome users, for example, can add playback hotkeys with an extension called keyMazony. Once installed, you'll have keyboard control of your Amazon Cloud Player queue. keyMazony commands will work as long as you're in the same Chrome window as Cloud Player, even if its tab doesn't have focus. The key combinations are customizable as well -- just make sure you don't set up a combo that conflicts with another extension or Chrome's built-in keyboard shortcuts.Add playback hotkeys to Amazon Cloud Player with a Chrome extension originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google Chrome users, for example, can add playback hotkeys with an extension called keyMazony. Once installed, you'll have keyboard control of your Amazon Cloud Player queue. keyMazony commands will work as long as you're in the same Chrome window as Cloud Player, even if its tab doesn't have focus. The key combinations are customizable as well -- just make sure you don't set up a combo that conflicts with another extension or Chrome's built-in keyboard shortcuts.Add playback hotkeys to Amazon Cloud Player with a Chrome extension originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Ecstasy Could Be Used To Cure Cancer [In Brief]
"Researchers from Birmingham University claimed the designer drug, also known as MDMA, could be used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma after making it 100 times more effective at suppressing growth. Ecstasy was already known to be effective against more than half of white blood cell cancers, but previously the large dose required to treat a tumour would also have killed the patient. More »
A sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music app
Update: Tech From 10 seems to be offline -- but we have lots of images and a hands-on review if you want to see what the new Music app is like.
In what is probably a bit of a big-G whoopsie, the folks at Tech From 10 woke up to find a new, test version of Android Market installed on their Galaxy S.
Visually, the new version is almost identical. The carousel of featured apps has been updated slightly, and apps now have a 'Content rating,' but that's it (image after the break). The interesting bit, however, is the inclusion of alpha and beta apps -- most notably, there's a new version of the Music app, which looks like a scaled-down version of the Android 3.0 Honeycomb Music app (see right).
Also available from the test Android Market is 'Google Gallery 3D New 10.2', 'Google - Camera v12' and 'Google Desk Clock 10' -- but, curiously, all of the apps refused to launch on Tech From 10's Galaxy S (Vibrant) smartphone. Are they Honeycomb apps? Or, more likely, are they destined for the next Android smartphone OS, Ice Cream?
If you want to try out the new Honeycombish Music app, Tech From 10 has made the APK available for download. You can also download the three Google apps, if you want to have a poke around.Continue reading A sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music appA sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music app originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
In what is probably a bit of a big-G whoopsie, the folks at Tech From 10 woke up to find a new, test version of Android Market installed on their Galaxy S.
Visually, the new version is almost identical. The carousel of featured apps has been updated slightly, and apps now have a 'Content rating,' but that's it (image after the break). The interesting bit, however, is the inclusion of alpha and beta apps -- most notably, there's a new version of the Music app, which looks like a scaled-down version of the Android 3.0 Honeycomb Music app (see right).
Also available from the test Android Market is 'Google Gallery 3D New 10.2', 'Google - Camera v12' and 'Google Desk Clock 10' -- but, curiously, all of the apps refused to launch on Tech From 10's Galaxy S (Vibrant) smartphone. Are they Honeycomb apps? Or, more likely, are they destined for the next Android smartphone OS, Ice Cream?
If you want to try out the new Honeycombish Music app, Tech From 10 has made the APK available for download. You can also download the three Google apps, if you want to have a poke around.Continue reading A sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music appA sneak peek at the next version of Android Market and Music app originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'
Google, according to reports from "a dozen executives working at key companies in the Android ecosystem" is finally locking down the open source and easily-fragmented Android operating system.
As it currently stands, Google hands over the 'final' code for each version of Android, and OEMs and developers then spend some time customizing the OS to fit their hardware, and to create a unique and marketable flavor. That's all set to change, however.
Over the last few months, according to several people familiar with the matter, Android licensees such as HTC, Motorola and Facebook, have been asked to sign 'non-fragmentation clauses.' This new contract caveat will give Google the right to review and pass judgment on all changes to the Android OS. Two executives at Facebook say that they're unhappy that Google gets to review its changes to Android -- which is understandable, given Facebook and Google are direct competitors -- and there have also been allegations that Google is preventing some Verizon devices from shipping because they include Microsoft's Bing instead of Google search.Continue reading Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source' originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
As it currently stands, Google hands over the 'final' code for each version of Android, and OEMs and developers then spend some time customizing the OS to fit their hardware, and to create a unique and marketable flavor. That's all set to change, however.
Over the last few months, according to several people familiar with the matter, Android licensees such as HTC, Motorola and Facebook, have been asked to sign 'non-fragmentation clauses.' This new contract caveat will give Google the right to review and pass judgment on all changes to the Android OS. Two executives at Facebook say that they're unhappy that Google gets to review its changes to Android -- which is understandable, given Facebook and Google are direct competitors -- and there have also been allegations that Google is preventing some Verizon devices from shipping because they include Microsoft's Bing instead of Google search.Continue reading Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source' originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Saturday, August 20, 2011
iClooly Phonestand Review
I?ve had a cellphone for years, but I never used it much until we recently dropped our landline. �I?ve started to worry about cellphone radiation now that I?m using it more ? like those 3-hour phone calls to my friend, Leah.� In addition to the radiation from holding the iPhone to my head for so [...]
Droid Bionic gets 4.3-inch display, yours for $299 on September 8?
The Droid Bionic may be the most hyped phone in the history of gadgetdom. The latest round of spy shots come from a Best Buy flyer, a tips and tricks manual and a pic purported to come from Verizon's Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) system -- all of which lead us to believe launch is right around the corner. Most of the info here is not terribly surprising (an 8 megapixel camera, 1GHz dual-core processor, etc...), but there is one detail that threw us for a loop -- the screen is only 4.3-inches. Rumor had it that the Bionic had been bumped to a 4.5-incher, and photos of it next to a Charge seemed to bear that out. Well, that was primarily an illusion created by the large bezel and a pair of very petite hands. This also means the Droid HD is packing a 4.3-inch screen, which may disappoint those hoping for a truly expansive 720p display. On the plus side, we can tell you the Bionic will support WebTop, wireless printing, and ZumoCast for streaming media from your home PC. And per Droid Life, it'll be priced at $299 when it goes on sale September 8th. Now, we just have to wait for Verizon and Motorola to make it all official. Head on past the break for two images, and check the source links for even more.Continue reading Droid Bionic gets 4.3-inch display, yours for $299 on September 8?Droid Bionic gets 4.3-inch display, yours for $299 on September 8? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | TechnoBuffalo (1), (2), PhoneArena, Droid Life | Email this | Comments
Fake Steve Jobs Biography Already Available In China
If you can't wait for the official Steve Jobs biography, why not pick up a fake one for $8? "Translated" by someone apparently named "John Cage" (presumably there are 4.33 pages blank near the middle), the book has sold 4,000 copies at $10 a pop.
Friday, August 19, 2011
March 31 is World Backup Day 2011
Those benevolent armchair philanthropist Redditors are at it again! Four days ago a 'self' post extolling the potential virtues of a Backup Day exploded with 2500 upvotes and 1000 comments -- and now World Backup Day 2011 is actually happening.
On March 31, as part of the global data-saving initiative, you are encouraged to back up all of your cherished photos and videos, and important documents. If you've ever had a hard disk fail, and not had a backup to fall back on, you'll know that it's a bit like losing a sizable fragment of your soul. If you've never backed up your important files -- or if you only back up sporadically -- do it on World Backup Day!
It's not hard to back up your data, either. A 2TB drive costs only a fistful of dollars, and it takes just a few minutes to set SyncToy for Windows, or Time Machine for Mac, to mirror your data every night. If you prefer a cloud-based solution, there's always SugarSync and Dropbox. Finally, don't forget that Bundlelytic has a charity giveaway for three excellent data-backup-and-recovery tools -- $160 of software for only $25, and 100% of the proceeds to go the Japanese Red Cross.
For even more backup options, for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, check our list of 13 great backup programs.March 31 is World Backup Day 2011 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
On March 31, as part of the global data-saving initiative, you are encouraged to back up all of your cherished photos and videos, and important documents. If you've ever had a hard disk fail, and not had a backup to fall back on, you'll know that it's a bit like losing a sizable fragment of your soul. If you've never backed up your important files -- or if you only back up sporadically -- do it on World Backup Day!
It's not hard to back up your data, either. A 2TB drive costs only a fistful of dollars, and it takes just a few minutes to set SyncToy for Windows, or Time Machine for Mac, to mirror your data every night. If you prefer a cloud-based solution, there's always SugarSync and Dropbox. Finally, don't forget that Bundlelytic has a charity giveaway for three excellent data-backup-and-recovery tools -- $160 of software for only $25, and 100% of the proceeds to go the Japanese Red Cross.
For even more backup options, for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, check our list of 13 great backup programs.March 31 is World Backup Day 2011 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
How To Keep Your Cellphone from Getting Buried Under all the Crap on Your Desk [How To]
No, someone else isn't playing Ratatat at work (anywhere), that's your phone ringing. But where is it? Under the napkins? Beneath that stack of TPS reports? Who knows. A problem with our ever-shrinking cellphones is that they're getting harder to find. More »
Google holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for Android
Google, in an interesting but not entirely unexpected twist, will not be open-sourcing Android 3.0 Honeycomb for the foreseeable future.
Historically, Android is usually open-sourced via the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) a few days or weeks after the code is finalized. While this departure from the norm won't affect OEMs like HTC and Motorola that have access to internal builds of Android, small-time developers will likely have to wait months before rolling their own distributions.
As to why Google is holding back Honeycomb, its reasons are actually rather rational. Honeycomb, while originally intended to run on all mobile form factors, is only ready for deployment on tablets. "To make our schedule to ship the tablet, we made some design tradeoffs," says Andy Rubin, the head of Google's Android group. "We didn't want to think about what it would take for the same software to run on phones. It would have required a lot of additional resources and extended our schedule beyond what we thought was reasonable. So we took a shortcut."
In other words, Google wants to prevent OEMs and homebrew developers like Cyanogen from rolling their own smartphone versions of Honeycomb -- it doesn't want to see the same bitter-tasting tabletified bastardization that occurred with Android 2.1 and 2.2 last year.Continue reading Google holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for AndroidGoogle holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Historically, Android is usually open-sourced via the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) a few days or weeks after the code is finalized. While this departure from the norm won't affect OEMs like HTC and Motorola that have access to internal builds of Android, small-time developers will likely have to wait months before rolling their own distributions.
As to why Google is holding back Honeycomb, its reasons are actually rather rational. Honeycomb, while originally intended to run on all mobile form factors, is only ready for deployment on tablets. "To make our schedule to ship the tablet, we made some design tradeoffs," says Andy Rubin, the head of Google's Android group. "We didn't want to think about what it would take for the same software to run on phones. It would have required a lot of additional resources and extended our schedule beyond what we thought was reasonable. So we took a shortcut."
In other words, Google wants to prevent OEMs and homebrew developers like Cyanogen from rolling their own smartphone versions of Honeycomb -- it doesn't want to see the same bitter-tasting tabletified bastardization that occurred with Android 2.1 and 2.2 last year.Continue reading Google holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for AndroidGoogle holds back on open-sourcing Honeycomb, heralds massive shift for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Round up of the best sites for iPad
Do you own an iPad? Do you need any help on customizing or troubleshooting your device? Is the Apple iPad page not enough? Well, no more worries because here are some of the top iPad links or sites that will give you everything you need to take good care of your device. Top iPad website [...]
Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game
Shot Shot Pirate is very satisfying, because each level is short and to the point. You know what you have to do and you just do it.
As you may have gathered from the name, you're cast in the role of a pirate. Your goal is to shoot at a diamond and make it fall off a tower of bricks. The height of the tower changes as you progress through the levels. It's not enough to just make the diamond fall off the tower of bricks - it has to fall below a certain line (drawn on the screen) for the level to be completed.
There are also different kinds of bricks, with some heavier than others, and different kinds of ammo. You only get a certain amount of ammo for each level, and when it's gone, you lose. But don't worry! If you don't make it on the first try, it's very easy to restart the level and just give it another shot (or three).
All in all it's a cute game. I've seen similar games with better graphics and music, but the game delivers on its main promise - a few minutes of pure time wasting!Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
As you may have gathered from the name, you're cast in the role of a pirate. Your goal is to shoot at a diamond and make it fall off a tower of bricks. The height of the tower changes as you progress through the levels. It's not enough to just make the diamond fall off the tower of bricks - it has to fall below a certain line (drawn on the screen) for the level to be completed.
There are also different kinds of bricks, with some heavier than others, and different kinds of ammo. You only get a certain amount of ammo for each level, and when it's gone, you lose. But don't worry! If you don't make it on the first try, it's very easy to restart the level and just give it another shot (or three).
All in all it's a cute game. I've seen similar games with better graphics and music, but the game delivers on its main promise - a few minutes of pure time wasting!Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ten Ways HP Can Get Rid of Unsold TouchPad Tablets [Humor]
HP killed its webOS hardware division and its TouchPad tablet is dead in the water. It's possible HP may refund retailers like Best Buy for unsold inventory and amass a stockpile of tablets in the process. More »
HTC Puccini screens leak (again), to be known as Jetstream on AT&T?
HTC's Puccini tablet is shaping up to be the company's worst kept secret. This latest batch of leaked screen shots over on PocketNow show off the tab's skinned homescreen where a clearly visible AT&T widget indicates a missing SIM card, and the Settings menu which points us to the product's possible release name -- Jetstream. The 10-inch slate, said to pack a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and Scribe functionality, appears to have a "true" 4G LTE AT&T destiny ahead of it, with a potential launch coming before the close of this year. Make sure to hit the source below for an additional look at this Android slate.HTC Puccini screens leak (again), to be known as Jetstream on AT&T? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink SlashGear | PocketNow | Email this | Comments
And then there were three [the competition] -- HP to shut down webOS device operations
In a shocking development, HP has announced that they plan to discountinue operations for webOS devices, to include the TouchPad and webOS phones. This leaves Apple, RIM, and Microsoft as the smartphone alternatives to Android, and that makes us sad. Nobody has the full details just yet, but whispers of licensing out the software or open-sourcing the entire project are already making the rounds, and we certainly hope that webOS isn't just left to die a horrible death on HP printers. What does this mean for Android is what we have to ask ourselves, and the jury is still out. With news of Google buying Motorola, and if HP does license out webOS to OEMs, things could get really interesting. We'll just have to what and see what develops.Source: Pre Central
Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements
The crew in Oslo keeps plugging away at Opera 11.10, and the latest snapshot build includes a number of improvements to Opera's built-in email client -- as well as HTML5-related additions.
On the IMAP front, Opera now supports special folders like sent items, spam, and trash. It also better handles duplicate items in Gmail -- such as those which appear in all mail and under your custom labels.
Opera 11.10 now partially supports the HTML5 File API as well, which means your favorite Web apps (like Gmail) may soon begin adding Opera to the list of supported browsers.
You can download the latest Opera 11.10 snapshot for Windows, Mac, or Linux from the official release post.
Update: The Opera 11.10 RC is now available, as pointed out by SlashZaku in the comments. Thanks!Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
On the IMAP front, Opera now supports special folders like sent items, spam, and trash. It also better handles duplicate items in Gmail -- such as those which appear in all mail and under your custom labels.
Opera 11.10 now partially supports the HTML5 File API as well, which means your favorite Web apps (like Gmail) may soon begin adding Opera to the list of supported browsers.
You can download the latest Opera 11.10 snapshot for Windows, Mac, or Linux from the official release post.
Update: The Opera 11.10 RC is now available, as pointed out by SlashZaku in the comments. Thanks!Opera 11.10 gets HTML5 File API support, IMAP improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
LEGO Darth Vader Mini Alarm Is the Dark Side Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]
Alarm clocks are the best worst enemy in the whole world. Hm, or is it the worst best enemy? Let me think that out here. Okay, alarms are absolutely necessary to anyone who works butt early so that means they're the best but they're also rude blaring animals with no regard about the awesome dream you're having with that super hot girl so that means they're the worst. So I think worst best enemy is a better description for alarms.
Best worst enemy? Has to be Darth Vader then right? He's iconic, the first character you name in the Bad Guy Hall of Fame. So what happens when you get a Darth Vader (best worst) Alarm Clock (worst best)? Add the fact that it's actually a LEGO (best) Mini (worst) Alarm Clock (worst best) that's on sale (best) for $25 and you have a lot of bests and worsts in one sentence. Canceling all those bests and worsts with each other though (go ahead and do it) and you're left with one best deal of the day. -CC
Top Deals
? LEGO Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator for $49 with free shipping (normally $69.95 {Savings of $21 / 30% off}) More »
Best worst enemy? Has to be Darth Vader then right? He's iconic, the first character you name in the Bad Guy Hall of Fame. So what happens when you get a Darth Vader (best worst) Alarm Clock (worst best)? Add the fact that it's actually a LEGO (best) Mini (worst) Alarm Clock (worst best) that's on sale (best) for $25 and you have a lot of bests and worsts in one sentence. Canceling all those bests and worsts with each other though (go ahead and do it) and you're left with one best deal of the day. -CC
Top Deals
? LEGO Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator for $49 with free shipping (normally $69.95 {Savings of $21 / 30% off}) More »
Ask DLS: What's your primary Web browser?
Competition is a good thing, and the browser arena has been a fierce arena for years now. There are at least four "major" browsers each vying for your attention, along with lots of smaller spin-offs (SRWare Iron or Flock, anyone?).
While the browser usage charts we share from time to time show overall browser usage amongst the Web at large, Download Squad readers are not exactly the average bunch in terms of browser use. So today we have one simple question for you:
What's your primary Web browser?
View PollAsk DLS: What's your primary Web browser? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
While the browser usage charts we share from time to time show overall browser usage amongst the Web at large, Download Squad readers are not exactly the average bunch in terms of browser use. So today we have one simple question for you:
What's your primary Web browser?
View PollAsk DLS: What's your primary Web browser? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Photojojo Tilt-Shift Camera Lightning Review: Who Needs Instagram? [Cameras]
Tilt-shift photography has been a buzzy little internet thing for quite a while—but it always requires a mobile app filter, some Photoshop muckery, or an extremely expensive lens. Not anymore! This tiny cam instantly creates the real thing. More »
Yahoo gets Android handset in Japan, renews hope for long-awaited AltaVista phone
Mobile operating systems, it seems, make strange bedfellows, so perhaps it's not a major surprise that Yahoo, a top traffic presence in Japan, is getting its own Android handset in that country. The search engine is lending its name to a version of Sharp's AQUOS 009SH. The Gingerbread handset is preloaded with Yahoo Home, Auctions, and various other Y-branded goodies. The phone's SoftBank contract also comes with a free two-year premium membership to Yahoo Japan and some bonus points for Yahoo Shopping purchases. The Yahoo Phone will be hitting Japan next month.Yahoo gets Android handset in Japan, renews hope for long-awaited AltaVista phone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TechCrunch | SoftBank (Translation) | Email this | Comments
Burrito Bison is a simple game for gummy bear lovers
Burrito Bison is a pretty simple game, but if you're into gummy bears you might find it addictive.
As you may have guessed from the name, you're a bison (not a burrito, though). In the course of your day-to-day grocery shopping, you're abducted into a bag of gummy bears, and must now fend for yourself.
At the beginning of each round you launch yourself onto the marching gummy (gummi?) bears, while you're being watched by a huge crowd of even more gummy bears. Your goal is to keep bouncing on the bears and earn more and more money while you do it. Every time you hit a gummy bear, you lose some momentum. If you hit the floor, you basically lose all of it.
But don't give up just yet! You have an emergency thrust which you can use to gain some momentum and keep bouncing on those bears. This extra thrust gets refilled as you hit more bears.
There are also special gummy bears that give you extra thrust or extra money. The money comes in handy at the end of each round, when you can shop for cool stuff to make your bison even more effective against those gummy bears.
It's a fun and colorful game that kept my interest for quite some time, and almost sent me running to the closest store to get some gummy bears!Burrito Bison is a simple game for gummy bear lovers originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
As you may have guessed from the name, you're a bison (not a burrito, though). In the course of your day-to-day grocery shopping, you're abducted into a bag of gummy bears, and must now fend for yourself.
At the beginning of each round you launch yourself onto the marching gummy (gummi?) bears, while you're being watched by a huge crowd of even more gummy bears. Your goal is to keep bouncing on the bears and earn more and more money while you do it. Every time you hit a gummy bear, you lose some momentum. If you hit the floor, you basically lose all of it.
But don't give up just yet! You have an emergency thrust which you can use to gain some momentum and keep bouncing on those bears. This extra thrust gets refilled as you hit more bears.
There are also special gummy bears that give you extra thrust or extra money. The money comes in handy at the end of each round, when you can shop for cool stuff to make your bison even more effective against those gummy bears.
It's a fun and colorful game that kept my interest for quite some time, and almost sent me running to the closest store to get some gummy bears!Burrito Bison is a simple game for gummy bear lovers originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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