To celebrate the imminent marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Royal Collection will release an Android an iOS app that chronicles the last seven royal marriages, including Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert in 1840.
Ironically, the app won't actually feature anything to do with William and Kate's marriage -- rather, it will focus on the "tradition, splendor and romance" that are intrinsic to British royal marriages. "[The app] will share the stories of past royal weddings and offer a wealth of historical context for the ceremony on April 29."
Unfortunately, the app, which has been lumbered with the fantastically creative name of 'Royal App,' won't be available until April 18 -- just 11 days before Kate's big day. It won't be free, either: it'll cost the rather princely sum of £1.79, or three of your Tea Party-loving dollars. The money will go to the Royal Collection, though, which is a good cause!British royal family announces iOS and Android wedding app originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Fitbit Ultra review
Even though Mobile Nations Fitness Month is coming to a close, you should still continue to improve your fitness. One such device that may help you in this endeavor is the Fitbit Ultra, a tiny little gadget that clips to your clothing and keeps track of how many steps you've taken, flights you've climbed, and calories burned.
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
Lumia 900 gets splayed into itty-bitty Finnish pieces by the FCC (update: photos)
Sure, the FCC didn't get to tear apart the delectable white Lumia 900 we're oh-so-smitten with, but given the cadaver activities undertaken upon a smartphone that hasn't yet gone on sale, beggars can't be choosers. Inside the filing you'll find a full manual and a bevy of internal shots revealing what makes Nokia's flagship Windows Phone tick. Also of note, is a snap revealing the exact locations of its various antennae, which we've conveniently culled for you after the break. Honestly, there isn't much else to it, so have a peep at our gallery or hop on over to the source link to get all personal with Espoo's baby.Gallery: Lumia 900 FCC teardownContinue reading Lumia 900 gets splayed into itty-bitty Finnish pieces by the FCC (update: photos)Lumia 900 gets splayed into itty-bitty Finnish pieces by the FCC (update: photos) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | FCC | Email this | Comments
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) hands-on (video)
It's easy to get confused by the variety of 7-inchers coming out of Samsung's gate; you might even speculate that the category is getting a bit crowded. But with the arrival of the Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0), it appears the popular Android manufacturer has an ace in its sleeve. The slate leaps past its cousins with the latest build of Ice Cream Sandwich out of the gate, although it still reps the same 1024 x 600 PLS TFT display, 3MP rear camera, 4,000mAh battery and dual-core setup. We had a chance to get a real feel for the tablet, so join us after the break as we parse through our initial impressions.Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) hands-onContinue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) hands-on (video)Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (7.0) hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
A New Heat-Drill Could Help Discover Life on Hoth [Monster Machines]
The frozen crust of Enceladus, Saturn's sixth largest moon, may hide subsurface water and perhaps even life. But scientists will first have to bore through the tundra to see what lies beneath and they may rely on the IceMole to do the digging. More »
CrunchGear Week In Review: Indoor Games Edition
Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear: Strange Video: Happinet Lets You Play Table Tennis Against Invisible Opponents Sweet DIY Book Light The Infinite Loop Tablet Holder: Actually A Cool Idea Day 1: My Week In The Nissan Leaf Weekend Giveaway: A Kobo eReader Touch (And Some Gift Cards)
New Mozilla Browser Add-On Visualizes Who Is Tracking You Online [Privacy]
In the hour that Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs lets his 9-year-old daughter surf the web every day, her wanderings have been tracked by dozens of sites. More »
Evi Can Stay in App Store if Developer Changes the UI, Source Says
According to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, the Evi digital assistant app will not be booted from the iTunes App Store as long as the app's developer makes changes relating to the software's user interface.
Make Kitty Forage for Her Own Food with the Aikiou Cat Stimulo Feeding Station
The Aikiou Cat Stimulo Feeding Station engages your cat’s mind as she eats her dinner.� Instead of just gobbling down her food quickly so she can get back to her 23-hour nap, she has to use her paw to dig her food out of the tubes.� This “foraging” slows down eating, which can mean fewer [...]
This Is the iPad 3 Hiding In Plain Sight [IPad 3]
Apple just flashed their new iPad 3 on their Wednesday 7 event invite. You can clearly see the new Retina display in all its glory. Compare the left (invitation) to the right (the iPad 2). More »
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Where?s My Water Review
Where’s My Water is one of the top-selling apps for the iPad and iPhone. It is a physics-based puzzle game and it has received phrase for its intuitive controls, vibrant graphics, and sensational soundtrack. In this game, you help Cranky and Swampy by guiding the water to their showers. You need to be smart and watch out for traps, triggers, toxic ooze, and algae. This game has won numerous awards such as ?Game of the Year? and ?Editor?s Choice? awards. [...]
This Is the iPad 3 Hiding In Plain Sight [IPad 3]
Apple just flashed their new iPad 3 on their Wednesday 7 event invite. You can clearly see the new Retina display in all its glory. Compare the left (invitation) to the right (the iPad 2). More »
ELVIIS Volvo C30 EV charges from any standard outlet, bills the driver (hands-on)
The electric vehicle is still a fresh enough concept that the issue of redirecting the bill when filling up at a public outlet or a friend's house is of little concern. But once EVs gain more traction and the cost of electricity during that monthly dinner party starts to run upwards of 50 bucks, you'll definitely take notice. ELVIIS, a research collaboration between Ericsson and the Viktoria Institute in Sweden, may be the solution. Instead of pulling power from the grid blindly and billing the outlet's owner, the system provides driver and vehicle information to a server before charging begins, then redirects the cost for power consumed to whatever account you've registered with the vehicle, alleviating any concern about unexpected electricity bills. ELVIIS can theoretically serve other purposes, allowing you to select the least-expensive energy source, for example, or set the car to wait to charge until late-night, when rates are lower.We jumped into the passenger seat of one of five existing ELVIIS cars -- built around an all-electric Volvo C30 -- and poked around the charging interface. The project isn't fully operational just yet, and was running in demo mode so there's no way to verify that it works as described, but it definitely appears to be solid, with Ericsson providing financial and development support. Eventually, it will use the car's GPS to identify nearby power outlets -- for now, you need to enter a specific outlet ID. There's also an Android app that allows you to monitor and reschedule charging, so if you programmed your car to be completely charged by 7AM but realized that you need to leave at 6, you can make sure you're covered without getting out of bed. But you don't need to go anywhere to see it in action -- just click on past the break.Gallery: ELVIIS Volvo C30 EV hands-onContinue reading ELVIIS Volvo C30 EV charges from any standard outlet, bills the driver (hands-on)ELVIIS Volvo C30 EV charges from any standard outlet, bills the driver (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Google Cloud Print comes to HP ePrint printers
HP has become the first major OEM to deliver support for Google Cloud Print in retail-boxed printers. In an official release, HP announced that its ePrint-enabled printers are now fully Cloud Print compatible. Just sign in to your Google account, pick your HP ePrint device, and you're ready to fire off a print job from anywhere you've got Internet access. Well, as long as your app supports Cloud Print as well -- like Gmail and Google Docs, for example.
We're curious, though -- how many of you are still printing? Like our pals at Engadget, our printers have been mostly gathering dust for the last few years.
Google Cloud Print comes to HP ePrint printers originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
We're curious, though -- how many of you are still printing? Like our pals at Engadget, our printers have been mostly gathering dust for the last few years.
Google Cloud Print comes to HP ePrint printers originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment?
The mobile app marketplace is exploding; there are now hundreds of thousands of apps on the iOS, Android and BlackBerry app markets. Heck, even Windows Phone 7 just crossed the 10,000 mark!
But alas, not all apps are created equal; some are way, way better than others. Which leads me to today's Ask DLS question: What is your favorite mobile app at the moment?
We don't necessarily mean the latest craze; we'd like to hear about apps that have stood the test of time on your device, apps that are among the first you install on a new smartphones, apps that have earned their place on your home screen and in your heart.
So, what are some of these apps? Bonus points for links to screenshots in the comments!Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
But alas, not all apps are created equal; some are way, way better than others. Which leads me to today's Ask DLS question: What is your favorite mobile app at the moment?
We don't necessarily mean the latest craze; we'd like to hear about apps that have stood the test of time on your device, apps that are among the first you install on a new smartphones, apps that have earned their place on your home screen and in your heart.
So, what are some of these apps? Bonus points for links to screenshots in the comments!Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
New software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyes
Having the right programs and hardware to keep the information on your display safe from prying eyes is never a bad idea, and new software from Oculis Labs offers a very interesting take on how to do just that. It's called PrivateEye, and it utilizes facial recognition to automatically pixelate the contents of your display when you look away.
If you step away from your system and someone else decides to sit down and poke around, PrivateEye will present a confusing jumble of garbled text. It'll even notify you if someone tries to peek over your shoulder -- and display a picture of your peeping Tom, throw up an alert, or sound an alarm.
Check out the video embed after the break, and share your thoughts in the comments!Continue reading New software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyesNew software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyes originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
If you step away from your system and someone else decides to sit down and poke around, PrivateEye will present a confusing jumble of garbled text. It'll even notify you if someone tries to peek over your shoulder -- and display a picture of your peeping Tom, throw up an alert, or sound an alarm.
Check out the video embed after the break, and share your thoughts in the comments!Continue reading New software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyesNew software uses facial recognition to defend against prying eyes originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game
Yes, that's right, I said adorable. Because Cueboy Quest really is!
You play an 8-bit cowboy whose goal on each level is to get to the door (and thus to the next level), but the door is often locked. To get it to open, you must shoot at one or more targets, and those targets aren't always in your line of sight. For example, on one level the the target is a balloon which is stuck all the way at the other end of the screen. You must first nudge it free, and then watch it float up and try to shoot it before it floats clear off the screen. Your bullets are chunky pixels that have some weight - the have arcing trajectories, so you don't always hit exactly where you aim.
There's another level where you must jump on the balloon as it floats up, use it as a platform to get to the other end of the screen, and then turn to shoot it very quickly before it flies away. Each level is very short, and most of them are quite easy. And not only are the graphics 8-bit blocky, but they're large too. Simply beautiful!Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
You play an 8-bit cowboy whose goal on each level is to get to the door (and thus to the next level), but the door is often locked. To get it to open, you must shoot at one or more targets, and those targets aren't always in your line of sight. For example, on one level the the target is a balloon which is stuck all the way at the other end of the screen. You must first nudge it free, and then watch it float up and try to shoot it before it floats clear off the screen. Your bullets are chunky pixels that have some weight - the have arcing trajectories, so you don't always hit exactly where you aim.
There's another level where you must jump on the balloon as it floats up, use it as a platform to get to the other end of the screen, and then turn to shoot it very quickly before it flies away. Each level is very short, and most of them are quite easy. And not only are the graphics 8-bit blocky, but they're large too. Simply beautiful!Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Nokia Reading and Tranport for Windows Phone, hands-on (video)
Just yesterday, Nokia took to the stage at Mobile World Congress to unveil its latest Windows Phone, the Lumia 610. Curiously, the company also surprised us with two new Windows Phone applications, affectionately known as Nokia Reading and Nokia Transport. We've since taken to the show floor and happened to grab demonstrations of both apps, each shown off by the creators themselves. Join us after the break as we explore Nokia's latest offerings.Continue reading Nokia Reading and Tranport for Windows Phone, hands-on (video)Nokia Reading and Tranport for Windows Phone, hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Acer CloudMobile hands-on at MWC 2012 (video)
Tucked away in the dark corners of the Google booth at Mobile World Congress, amidst several miniature hubs inhabited by all types of various companies, is a stand dedicated to all things Acer. Included as part of the selection was the CloudMobile, the proud owner of a coveted iF Product Design award. So were we that impressed by its trophy-winning feature? Yes and no. It's not tough on the eyes by any stretch of the imagination, especially given its fancy textured back and curvacious construct, but we have a difficult time declaring this to feature the best design of the show, nor is it necessarily much of a ground-breaker. The build quality itself doesn't quite hold a candle to what you'll experience on something like the ceramic-like aluminum treatment used on the HTC One S, but yet doesn't feel like it will smash into a million pieces if we give it the 'ol heave-ho.But perhaps the CloudMobile earned the honors by producing a respectable internal design: it offers a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon chipset and 4.3-inch 720p HD display, for instance, and that panel is absolutely stunning with great viewing angles. We weren't allowed to view any part of the OS beyond the lock and a couple home screens, no doubt due to the model's pre-production firmware, so we'll need to leave our impressions of the UI for another time. From what we can tell, it will definitely be offering a customized skin, though it's unclear to what extent that will shine through in the final production version, still due to come out sometime in Q3. For now, enjoy the images and video underneath.Gallery: Acer CloudMobile hands-onContinue reading Acer CloudMobile hands-on at MWC 2012 (video)Acer CloudMobile hands-on at MWC 2012 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads
A few moments ago, version 2 of the Banshee music player for Linux was released, bringing with it a whole slew of new features, and the addition of an official -- but alpha-quality -- Windows build. The Mac OS X build of version 2 is due later today.
The most notable new feature is support for the Amazon MP3 store -- you can buy and download music from within Banshee -- but unfortunately it's only available in the Linux build at the moment (OS X and Windows support are planned, however). There have also been some significant improvements to artist, album, and queue interactions -- and yes, you can finally right click a track, album or artist and select 'play after' to insert it into the queue.
Beyond actual playback, the user interface has been tidied up -- it now looks a whole lot smarter -- and the Ubuntu One Music Store and SoundMenu extensions have been made official. For a complete list of changes, additions and bug fixes, check the change log.
When Windows support initially appeared in February, we found it rough around the edges and fraught with stability issues. With version 2, Banshee for Windows is still a bit unstable, but it's shaping up to be a good alternative to Winamp, iTunes, or whatever other music library manager you use. It's almost as attractive as its GNOMEish brother, too!
Download Banshee 2 for Linux and Windows (Mac OS X coming soon)Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The most notable new feature is support for the Amazon MP3 store -- you can buy and download music from within Banshee -- but unfortunately it's only available in the Linux build at the moment (OS X and Windows support are planned, however). There have also been some significant improvements to artist, album, and queue interactions -- and yes, you can finally right click a track, album or artist and select 'play after' to insert it into the queue.
Beyond actual playback, the user interface has been tidied up -- it now looks a whole lot smarter -- and the Ubuntu One Music Store and SoundMenu extensions have been made official. For a complete list of changes, additions and bug fixes, check the change log.
When Windows support initially appeared in February, we found it rough around the edges and fraught with stability issues. With version 2, Banshee for Windows is still a bit unstable, but it's shaping up to be a good alternative to Winamp, iTunes, or whatever other music library manager you use. It's almost as attractive as its GNOMEish brother, too!
Download Banshee 2 for Linux and Windows (Mac OS X coming soon)Banshee music player now works in Windows, supports Amazon MP3 downloads originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Dude, You?re Getting An Enterprise Solution Based On Best-Of-Breed Dell Technology!
Barring a change of heart or a wild, consumer-driven financial upturn, it looks as if Dell is out of the consumer PC business and is turning its Sauron-like eye towards the enterprise - the one place where people upgrade their PCs at least once a year. According to PCPro, Dell will is "dramatically changing" their entire business with a focus away from "shiny boxes" and more focus on barebones server and fleet hardware.
To be fair, the statement could portend far less than we should expect. Dell has been among the walking dead in PC hardware for most of this decade, producing little of interest (the Adamo was their big consumer play and presumably Alienware will remain a consumer-facing company) but there's still money to be made in selling commodity hardware for a few percentage points over cost. I doubt the outcry will be as vociferous as it was when HP threatened to pull its consumer business, mostly because Dell has no products of any interest to the enthusiast. The anger at HP was more about their destruction of Palm rather than the possibility that we wouldn't be able to by a handsome, staid PC in a black/grey case.
To be fair, the statement could portend far less than we should expect. Dell has been among the walking dead in PC hardware for most of this decade, producing little of interest (the Adamo was their big consumer play and presumably Alienware will remain a consumer-facing company) but there's still money to be made in selling commodity hardware for a few percentage points over cost. I doubt the outcry will be as vociferous as it was when HP threatened to pull its consumer business, mostly because Dell has no products of any interest to the enthusiast. The anger at HP was more about their destruction of Palm rather than the possibility that we wouldn't be able to by a handsome, staid PC in a black/grey case.
Monday, February 27, 2012
No One Knows Where "Dude" Came From [Language]
For as ubiquitous a word as "dude" is, etymologists don't actually know how or where it started. But that hasn't stopped them from suggesting a wide array of possibilities. More »
Mountain Lion Review: What Happened to Apple's Innovation? [Apple]
Mac OSX Lion seemed unpolished, and, worse, not innovative. When Mountain Lion dropped a couple weeks ago, we were pumped: It was a relatively rapid update, and we hoped it would address our concerns. Hrmph. More »
Apple TV 3 rumored to be readying for March launch
There’s a rumor going around that Apple could be preparing a second product launch to accompany the iPad 3 this March, and the current front-runner is Apple TV 3.
Lil Wayne Wearing $1 Million Beats by Dre Headphones Is a Diamond Studded Mess [Image Cache]
I'm a big fan of Lil Wayne. I was with him before he became good (pre-Carter days) and totally support his placement atop the hip hop perch but Mr. Weezy F., I can't support you on this. What the hell are you doing wearing a $1 million diamond studded Beats by Dre headphones at a basketball game? More »
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
Kansas City May Become Epicenter of Google's Big TV Disruption
Speculation that Google is going to disrupt yet another industry -- this time cable television -- is circulating, prompted by an application the search engine giant filed with the Missouri Public Service Commission, seeking a franchise to provide video service in Kansas City, Mo. A similar application was filed in Kansas City, Kan.
Domino's delivers an Android app, and free with contract smartphone offer
Getting a hot pizza delivered just got a little easier, thanks to Domino's Pizza and their Android application. Getting a cool Android phone free with a new contract did as well, again thanks to Domino's Pizza. Confused? Don't be, it's simple, really. Domino's knows you love pizza (we all love pizza) and they've made it super-simple to get one. Grab the new Domino's app from the Market, click through to make your order, and wait for the delivery. You can even watch the progress of your order right from the app, just like you can from the website when you order online. It's like the best invention of the 20th century (pizza) meets the best invention of the 21st century (Android), and it's a perfect match. So perfect in fact, that Domino's wants to help make it happen by offering free Android phones when you sign a new agreement with a US carrier. Offerings like the Motorola Droid 3 from Verizon, or the HTC Wildfire S from T-Mobile are yours for the taking from Domino's online, and fulfilled by Simplexity, and authorized agent for the carriers. So what are you waiting for? The app is free in the Market for phones running Android 2.1 or higher, and the phones are free from Domino's when you sign up for a new agreement. We've got more screenshots, the press release, and the download link after the break. More: Domino's read more
OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows
I have a thing for full-screen text editing. I use WriteMonkey for my creative writing needs, and VIM in a full-screen PuTTY session for my Web development work. That being the case, I'm all over the monospace, dark-background, focused editing scene.
OmmWriter attempts to take that aesthetic and make it somehow more spiritual, with three picturesque backgrounds and ambient background audio tracks (there are seven of each in the paid version).
I'm of two minds about this app. On the one hand, yes, it's beautiful. But if you want music as a background to your writing, why not pick your own soundtrack with Winamp or Foobar2000 running in the background?
OmmWriter also offers three keyboard-clicking sounds, which are kind of nice. None of these features are groundbreaking, really. OmmWriter could be seen as a way to gently ease into the world of distraction-free writing -- in case something like WriteMonkey's dark background is just too oppressive for you.
After the fold you can see a video showcasing several of OmmWriter's features and creative soundscapes.Continue reading OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to WindowsOmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
OmmWriter attempts to take that aesthetic and make it somehow more spiritual, with three picturesque backgrounds and ambient background audio tracks (there are seven of each in the paid version).
I'm of two minds about this app. On the one hand, yes, it's beautiful. But if you want music as a background to your writing, why not pick your own soundtrack with Winamp or Foobar2000 running in the background?
OmmWriter also offers three keyboard-clicking sounds, which are kind of nice. None of these features are groundbreaking, really. OmmWriter could be seen as a way to gently ease into the world of distraction-free writing -- in case something like WriteMonkey's dark background is just too oppressive for you.
After the fold you can see a video showcasing several of OmmWriter's features and creative soundscapes.Continue reading OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to WindowsOmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Yahoo! Messenger now censors the links you share
We've all thought it, but never dared think it could be true: what if Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL actively monitor our instant messenger chats? What if mentions of 'bomb' and 'underage' are tracked and sent to law enforcement agencies? What if chat providers don't agree with the things we say, or the links we share, and filter or censor the content of our transmitted messages?
Well, it looks like our fears may actually have some basis in reality: Yahoo Messenger strips FilesTube links from instant messages. It doesn't tell either party that a URL has been removed from chat -- it just deletes it. Poof. FilesTube, in case you were wondering, is one of the largest file hosting meta search engines on the Web -- it indexes RapidShare, Megaupload, Mediafire, and many other 'cyberlocker' services.
It's fairly obvious why FilesTube links are being removed -- the Censor General at Yahoo is probably one of those perplexed primates who think all uses of BitTorrent are illegal -- but this situation poses a far more important question: is Yahoo censoring messages on the client side, or the server side. Does the messenger client itself maintain a list of 'blacklisted' words -- and if so, why are we not told that FilesTube links are banned? What other words and terms does Yahoo protect us from?Continue reading Yahoo! Messenger now censors the links you shareYahoo! Messenger now censors the links you share originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Well, it looks like our fears may actually have some basis in reality: Yahoo Messenger strips FilesTube links from instant messages. It doesn't tell either party that a URL has been removed from chat -- it just deletes it. Poof. FilesTube, in case you were wondering, is one of the largest file hosting meta search engines on the Web -- it indexes RapidShare, Megaupload, Mediafire, and many other 'cyberlocker' services.
It's fairly obvious why FilesTube links are being removed -- the Censor General at Yahoo is probably one of those perplexed primates who think all uses of BitTorrent are illegal -- but this situation poses a far more important question: is Yahoo censoring messages on the client side, or the server side. Does the messenger client itself maintain a list of 'blacklisted' words -- and if so, why are we not told that FilesTube links are banned? What other words and terms does Yahoo protect us from?Continue reading Yahoo! Messenger now censors the links you shareYahoo! Messenger now censors the links you share originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Touch Sensitive Coin Block Lamp Will Eventually Pay For Itself, Right? [Video]
Given they provided Mario with an unending supply of currency during his quests, I'm going to assume this interactive replica of the game's coin blocks do the same in real life, and aren't just limited to authentic sound effects. More »
iBook's DRM Defenses Are Now Only for Show [Security]
Apple's iBooks have always been protected from running on unauthorized devices thanks to the company's FairPlay DRM. That is, until Requiem version 3.3 decided to throw a cow over iBook's walls. More »
Sunday, February 26, 2012
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
Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3
If you've had your head under a rock for the last few days, here's this week's Firefox news in brief: Firefox 4 was finally released.
Yes, 13 months after the initial release of Firefox 3.7 alpha 1 and four more alpha builds, a renumbering to 4.0 and 12 beta releases, and finally a release candidate (or two), Firefox 4 has been released into the wild.
Just like every other Firefox release, initial reception for the new browser has been nothing short of insane. 7.1 million downloads were registered in the first 24 hours and the download rate continued to accelerate, clocking in more than 15 million downloads after two days. At the time of writing, three days in, Firefox 4 has been downloaded over 25 million times. In case you're wondering, the United States accounts for 7 million of those downloads, just beating out Germany's Firefox-downloads-per-capita.
But now that you've installed Firefox 4 (you have, right?), what do you do now? Well, obviously, in true Download Squad fashion, it's time to tweak Firefox 4 using add-ons and about:config hacks!
First up is an add-on called Stratiform that lets you change every aspect of the Firefox 4 browser chrome -- including the color of that orange button!Continue reading Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Yes, 13 months after the initial release of Firefox 3.7 alpha 1 and four more alpha builds, a renumbering to 4.0 and 12 beta releases, and finally a release candidate (or two), Firefox 4 has been released into the wild.
Just like every other Firefox release, initial reception for the new browser has been nothing short of insane. 7.1 million downloads were registered in the first 24 hours and the download rate continued to accelerate, clocking in more than 15 million downloads after two days. At the time of writing, three days in, Firefox 4 has been downloaded over 25 million times. In case you're wondering, the United States accounts for 7 million of those downloads, just beating out Germany's Firefox-downloads-per-capita.
But now that you've installed Firefox 4 (you have, right?), what do you do now? Well, obviously, in true Download Squad fashion, it's time to tweak Firefox 4 using add-ons and about:config hacks!
First up is an add-on called Stratiform that lets you change every aspect of the Firefox 4 browser chrome -- including the color of that orange button!Continue reading Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review
This morning, an updated version of the stock Android Music app was leaked along with a new version of Android Market. The new Music app, which is labeled 'version 3', is similar to the leaked build from December, but it has received a ton of polish -- and indeed, it looks almost ready for prime time.
If you don't have Android 2.3 -- or don't want to root your phone to install the leaked Music app -- take a look through our gallery, and then read on for our initial hands-on impressions.Gallery: Leaked Honeycombish Android Music appContinue reading Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on reviewLeaked Android Music app images and hands-on review originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
If you don't have Android 2.3 -- or don't want to root your phone to install the leaked Music app -- take a look through our gallery, and then read on for our initial hands-on impressions.Gallery: Leaked Honeycombish Android Music appContinue reading Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on reviewLeaked Android Music app images and hands-on review originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Evernote Web gets a new interface, Facebook sharing, and more
Evernote, the popular multi-platform 'digital memory' app, has done some serious re-tooling of its Web interface. In addition to a more polished UI that more closely mirrors the look of Evernote on the desktop, the update brings features like notebook stacks and snippet view to the Web.
Auto-saving is now enabled as well, and you can select multiple items by holding down the Cmd or Ctrl key on your Mac or Windows keyboard. If you've got items stored in your notebooks that you want to share with friends or co-workers, Evernote has improved that process, too. You can quickly post an item to Facebook, share it via email, or generate a Web sharing link to paste into an IM conversation or status update.
Head over to the Evernote Web login page to try out the new interface.Evernote Web gets a new interface, Facebook sharing, and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Auto-saving is now enabled as well, and you can select multiple items by holding down the Cmd or Ctrl key on your Mac or Windows keyboard. If you've got items stored in your notebooks that you want to share with friends or co-workers, Evernote has improved that process, too. You can quickly post an item to Facebook, share it via email, or generate a Web sharing link to paste into an IM conversation or status update.
Head over to the Evernote Web login page to try out the new interface.Evernote Web gets a new interface, Facebook sharing, and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Today would have been Steve Jobs? 57th birthday
Apple co-founder, guiding mind behind the iPhone, iPad, iTunes, Apple Retail, Pixar, and literally a lifetime of other culture- and industry-changing innovations, Steve Jobs was born 57 years ago today.
ACTA Action, Part 2
The U.S. Congress buried the Stop Online Piracy Act and its cousin, the Protect IP Act, following a wave of public protest earlier this year. With those pieces of legislation effectively taken off the table, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA, has gained attention. A slew of countries, including the U.S., have signed the agreement, but skepticism rages on.
Pub owner Karen Murphy wins appeal in TV-decoder battle against Sky
It's been a few months since we last heard about the legal kerfuffle between Sky and pub owner Karen Murphy. In case you've been out of the loop, it all started when the UK broadcasting giant went after Murphy for using what was deemed to be an illegal method for screening FA Premier League matches at her, or any, bar. The Greece Nova decoder, which is considered a legal bit in the privacy of your own home, was helping Murphy bypass Sky's £480 ($740) required monthly fees for bar owners and saving her over £350 ($555) in the process. Now, over $260,000 in legal fees later, Mrs. Murphy's conviction has been overturned by the relentless High Court. The ruling allows her to keep using the troubled Greek gadget to screen any EPL game without facing any troubles -- except the occasional drunken fracas. So, now you know where to go the next time you're in Portsmouth and want to catch a good ol' footy match.Pub owner Karen Murphy wins appeal in TV-decoder battle against Sky originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | The Telegraph | Email this | Comments
Daily Crunch: Desert Surveillance Edition
At Last You Can Fabricate Your Minecraft Creations The Gem Hsin Topaz Speakers Do Multifunction Right Scientists Create Microscopic, Lens-less Camera This Case Lets You Attach An SLR Lens To Your iPhone The Gem Hsin Topaz Speakers Do Multifunction Right
Where?s My Water Review
Where’s My Water is one of the top-selling apps for the iPad and iPhone. It is a physics-based puzzle game and it has received phrase for its intuitive controls, vibrant graphics, and sensational soundtrack. In this game, you help Cranky and Swampy by guiding the water to their showers. You need to be smart and watch out for traps, triggers, toxic ooze, and algae. This game has won numerous awards such as ?Game of the Year? and ?Editor?s Choice? awards. [...]
Daily Crunch: VR Drone Edition
Giant VR Helmet Is Very 90s, Yet Way Cooler Europe Launching Gigapixel Probe To Map Milky Way Effectology: Paranormal Spooooky Sounds Do A Barrel Roll: AR.Drone Challenges You To Become A Great Drone Pilot Kid-Tested, Grant Imahara Approved: Hexbrite Open Source Flashlight
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8
If you used Windows XP for a long time (who didn't?), one of the biggest changes when moving to Windows 7 or Vista was the massively-altered Explorer. While the new Explorer introduces some useful new features, it also removed just as many -- which is where Classic Shell comes in!
We've covered Classic Shell before, but here's the crib note: Classic Shell restores almost every Windows XP-era Explorer feature. The best change, in our opinion, is the reemergence of the 'up' arrow, meaning you now navigate without using the Windows Vista/7 'breadcrumbs' address bar. The status bar yet again shows the total size of your selection, and -- praise be! -- the diabolical Windows 7 Copy File 'copy and replace?' dialog has been replaced with a Windows XP lookalike (image after the break).
New to the most recent version of Classic Shell is the ability to make IE9 look like IE8. With Classic Shell the title bar yet again has a caption, so you can see the full title of Web pages. The current security zone and loading progress indicator have been put back into the status bar, too. If you enable 'Show tabs on a separate row,' it's almost like using IE8.
Finally, Classic Shell replaces the omnipotent Windows 7 Start Menu with the age-old 'classic' Windows 2000/XP-style Start Menu. Classic Shell makes the Start Menu skinable, too, if you're into the kind of thing.
As awesome as it sounds, we've only touched on a small section of Classic Shell's feature set. Check the Classic Shell site for a complete list. There's a few more images of Classic Shell in action after the break.
Download Classic Shell for WindowsContinue reading Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
We've covered Classic Shell before, but here's the crib note: Classic Shell restores almost every Windows XP-era Explorer feature. The best change, in our opinion, is the reemergence of the 'up' arrow, meaning you now navigate without using the Windows Vista/7 'breadcrumbs' address bar. The status bar yet again shows the total size of your selection, and -- praise be! -- the diabolical Windows 7 Copy File 'copy and replace?' dialog has been replaced with a Windows XP lookalike (image after the break).
New to the most recent version of Classic Shell is the ability to make IE9 look like IE8. With Classic Shell the title bar yet again has a caption, so you can see the full title of Web pages. The current security zone and loading progress indicator have been put back into the status bar, too. If you enable 'Show tabs on a separate row,' it's almost like using IE8.
Finally, Classic Shell replaces the omnipotent Windows 7 Start Menu with the age-old 'classic' Windows 2000/XP-style Start Menu. Classic Shell makes the Start Menu skinable, too, if you're into the kind of thing.
As awesome as it sounds, we've only touched on a small section of Classic Shell's feature set. Check the Classic Shell site for a complete list. There's a few more images of Classic Shell in action after the break.
Download Classic Shell for WindowsContinue reading Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8Classic Shell now makes Internet Explorer 9 look like IE8 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Is your Android app on BlackBerry App World without you knowing?
In our review of PlayBook 2.0, we were eager to check out how well Android apps worked on the platform, and one of the first we reached for was the Dolphin HD browser. Curiously enough, it turns out Dolphin's makers MoboTap had no idea their app was available via BlackBerry's App World. The discovery came after we were notified by developer Steve Troughton-Smith that Dolphin HD had been submitted to App World by white label store Handster (owned by Opera). We reached out to MoboTap who confirmed they didn't authorize any submission by Handster, with a spokesperson telling us "We do not condone Handster submitting our Dolphin Browser app to BlackBerry's App World for us and are currently working to take it down and assure Handster will not submit our app for us again. We will assess developing for BlackBerry when the time is right." Dolphin HD may be a free app, but the question remains: why is Handster submitting it without permission? Has your app been submitted to App World without your knowing?Update: We have contacted Handster's press department for comment, but no response at this time.Continue reading Is your Android app on BlackBerry App World without you knowing?Is your Android app on BlackBerry App World without you knowing? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Feb 2012 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | BlackBerry App World | Email this | Comments
How to take amazing macro photos with your iPhone
There's nothing like getting up close and personal, and that holds true for photography, even iPhoneography. Life is full of small, interesting things -- a flower, an insect, your newborn's tiny toes -- and these things make for great photography. This week's iPhone photography project is, you guessed it -- macro! Macro simply means close-up photography -- not zoomed, but the lens being physically close to the subject. The keys to good macro photography, even on an iPhone, are becoming familiar with the focus distance of your lens and nailing that focus, light, composition, and making your subject stand out.
This Week's Top Web Comedy Video: Kenny Powers for K-Swiss [Video]
Whoever decided to make Kenny Powers the spokesman for K-Swiss doesn't just deserve a raise. They deserve a medal. Because watching the East Bound & Down character shill sneakers isn't just the next best thing to the show itself; it's even better. Here are some bionic missiles, Bruce Lee, and cheetahs for proof. More »
Create beautiful timeline covers with Cover Photo Maker for Facebook Pro+ for iPhone and iPad
It's not long before Facebook will require everyone to switch to the new timeline profiles and Cover Photo Maker for Facebook is here to help you design the perfect header for your timeline.
Welcome Back, Nokia
If my Mom asked me what smartphone to buy right this second, I'd tell her to wait -- wait until the Nokia Lumia 900 is released. It's that good. Windows Phone 7 is that good. It's faster and more idiot-proof than Android and presents core functions like phone calling and messaging better than iOS. Windows Phone is, in my humble opinion, a fantastic product.
Nokia has had a rough decade. Trouble started in the States where the company continued to pump budget phones into a market that went upscale. They were an early entrant in the smartphone race, but didn't curate a developer-friendly ecosystem as quickly as others. They were down, out, and looking dead in the water. Then Microsoft floated by and threw out a life preserver worth $250 million. Now, after just one quarter, Nokia is the top dog of the third most popular smartphone platform. That's a great spot to be in.
Nokia has had a rough decade. Trouble started in the States where the company continued to pump budget phones into a market that went upscale. They were an early entrant in the smartphone race, but didn't curate a developer-friendly ecosystem as quickly as others. They were down, out, and looking dead in the water. Then Microsoft floated by and threw out a life preserver worth $250 million. Now, after just one quarter, Nokia is the top dog of the third most popular smartphone platform. That's a great spot to be in.
Pinterest: The Last Article You'll Ever Need or Want to Read [Video]
Goddammit if we haven't heard too much about Pinterest—the word itself is irksome. But for many, that annoyance is doubled by the fact that we don't even really know what it is. So, let's figure that out. More »
Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday
Happy first birthday, Windows Phone 7! One year on, and the fledgling mobile operating system has 36,000 active developers in its AppHub community, 1.5 million downloads of its Developer Tools, and 11,500 apps in its Marketplace.
Microsoft is quick to take a couple shots at competitors' app stores, beating its chest about not re-counting tanslations of an app or "lite" apps, "increasing tonnage" by supporting apps from other mobile platforms, and not listing wallpapers as a category.
That's all fine and dandy, but we spend a lot of time sifting through WP7 app feeds -- and we're still not seeing a lot of awesome apps on the platform. We think a few marquee apps would've made a pretty nice first birthday present -- along with a much smoother update process for WP7 users.Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Microsoft is quick to take a couple shots at competitors' app stores, beating its chest about not re-counting tanslations of an app or "lite" apps, "increasing tonnage" by supporting apps from other mobile platforms, and not listing wallpapers as a category.
That's all fine and dandy, but we spend a lot of time sifting through WP7 app feeds -- and we're still not seeing a lot of awesome apps on the platform. We think a few marquee apps would've made a pretty nice first birthday present -- along with a much smoother update process for WP7 users.Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
PSX games now available in the Android Market, if you own an Xperia Play
If you're lucky enough to own an Xperia Play -- Sony Ericsson's new Gingerbread-powered smartphone-cum-gamepad -- you can now buy PlayStation (PSX) titles from the Android Market.
There are five titles currently available, all priced at £3.99: Syphon Filter, MediEvil, Cool Boarders 2, Destruction Derby, and Jumping Flash. They don't have an American price yet, but that will surely change once the Xperia Play launches in the States.
Two important questions remain unanswered: How big are these games? The Market descriptions say the games are only 5MB, but that sounds incredibly unlikely -- and more importantly, will it be possible to 'spoof' the Xperia Play and download PSX games onto other Gingerbread-powered phones, like the Nexus S?
In other news, the PlayStation emulator PSX4droid was recently removed from the Android Market. This obviously has nothing to do with today's release of first-party PlayStation games.PSX games now available in the Android Market, if you own an Xperia Play originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
There are five titles currently available, all priced at £3.99: Syphon Filter, MediEvil, Cool Boarders 2, Destruction Derby, and Jumping Flash. They don't have an American price yet, but that will surely change once the Xperia Play launches in the States.
Two important questions remain unanswered: How big are these games? The Market descriptions say the games are only 5MB, but that sounds incredibly unlikely -- and more importantly, will it be possible to 'spoof' the Xperia Play and download PSX games onto other Gingerbread-powered phones, like the Nexus S?
In other news, the PlayStation emulator PSX4droid was recently removed from the Android Market. This obviously has nothing to do with today's release of first-party PlayStation games.PSX games now available in the Android Market, if you own an Xperia Play originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Apple chomps Chomp to improve App Store search
If we were Tim Cook, we wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of wasting some of that $100 billion on something extravagant, like a crystal iPhone dock or private theme park. Instead the boys in Cupertino remain dogged in quietly acquiring start-ups and hoping no-one notices. Chomp is the latest technology company whose staff will find themselves with a pass for the Infinite Loop car park. It's an app discovery business with technology reportedly far in advance of the App Store's current keyword-based search and given that there are 500,000 apps, it's unsurprising that people aren't finding what they need. You may recall that Chomp powered Verizon's Android searches too, a situation we don't expect to last very long as soon as it's time to renegotiate that contract. The companies will be mixing their sauces together in the hope of making some good goulash, although as usual, we don't expect to get a taste for a while.Apple chomps Chomp to improve App Store search originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 06:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink TechCrunch | All Things D | Email this | Comments
Is Microsoft Killing Zune and Windows Live Apps In Windows 8? [Windows 8]
The Verge reports that Microsoft Zune and Windows Live apps will not be included in the upcoming preview of Windows 8—at least not the way we're used to seeing them. Though the brands and apps will be gone, their functionality will be included in other parts of the OS. More »
Friday, February 24, 2012
Add a Windows 8 user tile to your Windows 7 taskbar
Now that Windows 8 images have begun leaking out, it's only a matter of time until developers start releasing mods for Windows 7 which mimic upcoming features. Over at Into Windows, they've spotted one such mod already.
In the earliest Windows 8 images, we saw Windows Live integration on the taskbar. In the far right corner, there's a user tile displayed. If you'd like to do the same on Windows 7, download Taskbar User Tile from DeviantArt user AngelWZR.
Once installed, your current picture will appear on the taskbar. Click it, and a menu appears which allows you to log off, switch users, and access the control panel. Right now, the mod only works if your taskbar is displayed on the bottom of your Windows desktop.Add a Windows 8 user tile to your Windows 7 taskbar originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
In the earliest Windows 8 images, we saw Windows Live integration on the taskbar. In the far right corner, there's a user tile displayed. If you'd like to do the same on Windows 7, download Taskbar User Tile from DeviantArt user AngelWZR.
Once installed, your current picture will appear on the taskbar. Click it, and a menu appears which allows you to log off, switch users, and access the control panel. Right now, the mod only works if your taskbar is displayed on the bottom of your Windows desktop.Add a Windows 8 user tile to your Windows 7 taskbar originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
iPad vs. Laptop ? Which Is The Best Buy?
Apple has been revolutionizing the world of personal computers and gadgets of today. When you are deciding to buy your personal computing machine, it is understandable that you will face a dilemma when choosing iPad vs Laptop. While iPad and iPad 2 owners are continuing to grow as years go by, the owners of laptops are likewise enjoying growth, as shown by various sales surveys. This inspired us to compare these two gadgets in this iPad vs Laptop article. iPad [...]
Foursquare update brings bunch o' bugfixes
Android's Foursquare check-in app got an update this evening, bringing a few bugfixes. They are: Bug fixes for the 2-08 release. In-line commenting on Check-in Details. Updated language translations. Android Beam now redirects to the Android Market if receiving user doesn't have Foursquare. Snag it now in the Android Market or at the link in this post. read more
Proton and Yes team up to offer Malaysia's first 4G-connected car, promise more to come
The first one may only amount to a MiFi housed in the dash (although that does come standard), but automaker Proton and Malaysian carrier Yes seem to have some fairly grand designs on 4G-connected cars. In addition to providing a WiFi hotpot for passengers, they eventually hope to use the 4G connectivity for a range of automotive-related applications, including vehicle diagnostics, security, and other location-based services. Notably for potential buyers, Yes's 4G coverage of Malyasia is fairly widespread, encompassing over 65 percent of the country's populated areas and the full 960 kilometer stretch of the country's North-South Expressway, as well as a "large portion" of its East-Coast Expressway. While details on those promised services or any future cars remain a bit light, that first one (the P3-21A sedan) will apparently soon be available.Continue reading Proton and Yes team up to offer Malaysia's first 4G-connected car, promise more to comeProton and Yes team up to offer Malaysia's first 4G-connected car, promise more to come originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Forbes | Proton, Yes | Email this | Comments
The Biggest YouTube Porn Fakeouts of All Time [Video]
There's a boring, obscure video on YouTube titled "Pregnancy Booster Clomid (Pregnancy Health Guru)." It has over 174 million views—beating famous songs by Katy Perry, Bieber, and Chris Brown. How? Like dozens of others, it's pretend porn. 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
Apple agrees to disclose app privacy permissions before download or purchase
California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced today that Apple has agreed to better protect iOS users' privacy by disclosing the permissions an App Store app will require before a user downloads or purchases an app.
Study: There Is No Difference in Usage Between Unlimited Data Plans and Tiered Data Plans [Data]
Hey Carriers. We need to talk. You know how you said you were going to start throttling high data usage users in hopes to preserve bandwidth? That's bullshit, apparently. It's only because you want to get us onto tiered data plans so you can charge us overages. With hate, everyone. More »
Google+ Circles heading to Google Voice, creepers heading straight to voicemail
If you've spent some quality time with Google+, we're sure you've encountered Circles. You know, the feature that enables you to control who sees your G+ posts and who doesn't. Now, the folks in Mountain View have added the social network management tool to Google Voice. You can organize your contacts into groups who can actually ring your Galaxy Nexus and those who are sent straight to voicemail. Custom greetings can also be added to each Circle, should you feel the need to offer some Punch Brothers instead of the boring ol' standard ringback. Looking to take 'er for a spin? Hit the Groups & Circles tab in your Voice settings in order to customize your sets of contacts, but take note that your existing Google+ Circles are getting cozy there already.Google+ Circles heading to Google Voice, creepers heading straight to voicemail originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Google Voice Blog | Email this | Comments
Please Stop Making More Pinterests [Pinterest]
Pinterest! It is the hottest social media whatever the hell it is out there. Is there a Pinterest button on this site yet? (No? Jeremy, please get on that!) Because Pinterest should be everywhere, and everything should be Pinterest. More »
Thursday, February 23, 2012
LandAirSea SilverCloud Real-Time GPS Tracking System Review
I’ve been playing with several different kinds of GPS tracking devices for a while, including the nu.m8 GPS Child Locator Watch. The nu.m8 GPS tracking system used a GPS receiver to determine location, and would “report” it’s location when “pinged” via SMS or computer to give the latest position.� So for the most part, it [...]
Google Search Results Now Show Concert Listings [Google]
In a handy little addition for music fans, Google search results will now show upcoming concerts when you search for an artist. More »
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
Google reportedly (and unsurprisingly) picks Dennis Woodside to replace Sanjay Jha as Motorola Mobility CEO
Google has selected Dennis Woodside to be the new CEO of Motorola Mobility, replacing Sanjay Jha, according to three people speaking to Bloomberg. Woodside is a Google executive who led the company's ad business in North America before overseeing the Google/Motorola Mobility merger. The deal was recently approved by both the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice, so it makes sense that these decisions are being made now. From the beginning of the acquisition, Google has insisted that Motorola Mobility will remain an independent entity. Google and Motorola Mobility have yet to issue an official announcement. Source: Bloomberg
NEC jumps the gun, debuts its MWC smartphone lineup ahead of Barcelona
2012 may prove to be a very good year for NEC, which has launched two smartphones and a tablet in the past month alone. Having not missed a beat, the Japanese firm has gone ahead and revealed its lineup for Mobile World Congress a full week ahead of the show in Barcelona. Rather than actual shipping models, you can think of each of these as prototypes for the carriers, where the only fixed specification is the screen size. Most interesting among the bunch is without a doubt the "Best Cloud UX Device," which offers two 4.3-inch displays that open and close like a book -- a hell of a lot better than Kyocera's attempt, if you ask us. Also among the mix will be a 5-inch "Large Screen in One Hand" model, along with another 4.3-inch "Stylish" unit. Unlike previous products, the latest trio fully embrace the design philosophy of Ice Cream Sandwich and eschew the dedicated navigation buttons from bygone days.NEC jumps the gun, debuts its MWC smartphone lineup ahead of Barcelona originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink The Verge | Impress Watch (translated), Gadget Haishin (translated) | Email this | Comments
A USB Hub That Doesn't Care Which Way You Stick It In [USB]
It doesn't do USB 3.0, but I can forgive Buffalo for overlooking that functionality since its new four-port hub doesn't get all uptight when you try to insert a USB cable upside-down. It happily goes both ways. More »
OtterBox Camo Defender Series Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 only $38.95 [Daily deal]
For today only, the iMore iPhone case store has the OtterBox Camo Defender Series Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 on sale for only $38.95! Get it before it's gone! Shop OtterBox Camo Defender Series Case for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 now!
Words With Friends Review
Words With Friends is one of the most played games on the iPad and iPhone. It has been downloaded thousands of times in the Apple App Store and played by millions of people around the world. It has been described by players as ?scrabble on steroids?. The Apple App Store offers two versions of this game: An ad-supported Free version and an Ad-Free version. This fun and addictive game has been praised by critics and gamers alike, and has a [...]
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
Sony Hunts for Hardcore Gamers With New Vita Handheld
Sony officially launched its PlayStation Vita handheld gaming console in the United States on Wednesday, a week after it was made available online in a premium bundle. The WiFi-only version of the console is available at $250; the 3G/WiFi version goes for $300. Several games have been made available, and Sony on Wednesday added apps for Netflix, Flickr and LiveTweet to the mix. The apps are available at no charge.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday
Happy first birthday, Windows Phone 7! One year on, and the fledgling mobile operating system has 36,000 active developers in its AppHub community, 1.5 million downloads of its Developer Tools, and 11,500 apps in its Marketplace.
Microsoft is quick to take a couple shots at competitors' app stores, beating its chest about not re-counting tanslations of an app or "lite" apps, "increasing tonnage" by supporting apps from other mobile platforms, and not listing wallpapers as a category.
That's all fine and dandy, but we spend a lot of time sifting through WP7 app feeds -- and we're still not seeing a lot of awesome apps on the platform. We think a few marquee apps would've made a pretty nice first birthday present -- along with a much smoother update process for WP7 users.Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Microsoft is quick to take a couple shots at competitors' app stores, beating its chest about not re-counting tanslations of an app or "lite" apps, "increasing tonnage" by supporting apps from other mobile platforms, and not listing wallpapers as a category.
That's all fine and dandy, but we spend a lot of time sifting through WP7 app feeds -- and we're still not seeing a lot of awesome apps on the platform. We think a few marquee apps would've made a pretty nice first birthday present -- along with a much smoother update process for WP7 users.Microsoft trumpets Windows Phone 7 numbers on first birthday originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
GroupShot Magically Melds Photos to Get the Perfect Pic
As the name suggests, GroupShot is all about creating photos of groups of people. In my experience, any time you're trying to take a photo of two or more people, someone is either looking in the wrong direction, smiling with a smile that implies there's something odd happening in their bowels, or their eyes are closed.
How to Quickly Open Saved Email Drafts in iOS [Tips]
Here's a tip for you iPhone users: if you want to quickly open your last email draft in iOS, just hold down the compose email button for a few seconds. Your last email draft will open up right away. Nice. More »
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
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
Daily Crunch: VR Drone Edition
Giant VR Helmet Is Very 90s, Yet Way Cooler Europe Launching Gigapixel Probe To Map Milky Way Effectology: Paranormal Spooooky Sounds Do A Barrel Roll: AR.Drone Challenges You To Become A Great Drone Pilot Kid-Tested, Grant Imahara Approved: Hexbrite Open Source Flashlight
How Patent Battles Threaten the Simple Act of Unlocking a Phone
Unlocking a smartphone is perhaps its most basic function. It's a no-frills feature, but an important one. And yet over the past six months, the simple act of unlocking a phone has grown absurdly controversial.
Synaptics announces ClearPad 2200 touchscreen controller for smartphones
That's smartphones, guys. Not superphones, and certainly not phablets (sorry, we hate that word too). After showing off its slate-friendly ClearPad 7300 multitouch display at CES, Synaptics is back with a smaller 2200 series controller designed for phones. Specifically, modest little handsets with screens measuring four inches or less. And, it'll be among the company's first capacitive panels to make use of the outfit's SignalClarity technology, which promises to boost the signal-to-noise ratio for improved accuracy and finger separation. No word on which manufacturers will be taking a chance on the new tech -- not that we expect to see that spec emblazoned across their marketing materials anyway. Still, perhaps Synaptics will be so kind as to let us test that precision claim when we swing by Barcelona next week.Continue reading Synaptics announces ClearPad 2200 touchscreen controller for smartphonesSynaptics announces ClearPad 2200 touchscreen controller for smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Alert: Social Media Is Eating Into Carrier Revenues, And It?s Only Getting Worse
Twitter, Facebook and other social networks have long counted on the rise in smartphone usage to help fuel their growth: that trend, however, seems to also be taking a toll on mobile carriers -- specifically in the form of revenues.
The analyst firm of Ovum, part of the Informa Group, has estimated that operators lost $13.9 billion in SMS revenue in 2011, as a result of their customers using services like Twitter and Facebook to message each other instead of the carriers' own text messaging services -- a big rise on the $8.7 billion Ovum estimates was lost in 2010. A separate report from mobile analytics firm Bytemobile has also charted huge growth in the use of social media on mobile -- with operators getting virtually no benefit as a result.
The analyst firm of Ovum, part of the Informa Group, has estimated that operators lost $13.9 billion in SMS revenue in 2011, as a result of their customers using services like Twitter and Facebook to message each other instead of the carriers' own text messaging services -- a big rise on the $8.7 billion Ovum estimates was lost in 2010. A separate report from mobile analytics firm Bytemobile has also charted huge growth in the use of social media on mobile -- with operators getting virtually no benefit as a result.
CELLMACS iPad 2 Leather Case with Removable Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard Review
It seems many people see their tablets as a laptop replacement.� Tablets work fine for most things that people do with a computer, but their on-screen keyboards leave a lot to be desired when you need to enter a lot of information.� Accessories manufacturer’s recognize this, and� they have produced a lot of keyboard cases [...]
Personal Activity Monitor tracks time you spend using desktop apps
Up until a couple of years ago, I used to turn to RescueTime to figure out how I spend my time online. Then it got too complex, and I stopped using it. Personal Activity Monitor is like a vastly dumbed-down version of RescueTime, and I mean that as a compliment. It's free and bare-bones -- all it does is track what applications you're using and for how long.
A big drawback at this point is that it doesn't integrate with Web browsers to help you analyze how you spend your time on the Web. Still, if your work doesn't require constant Web app use, knowing how long you've used a browser overall might be enough to help you manage your time.
This is far from the only application in this space -- alternatives such as Slife and Chrometa are full-featured and impressive -- but PAM is good option for those who want a nice, simple tracker.Personal Activity Monitor tracks time you spend using desktop apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
A big drawback at this point is that it doesn't integrate with Web browsers to help you analyze how you spend your time on the Web. Still, if your work doesn't require constant Web app use, knowing how long you've used a browser overall might be enough to help you manage your time.
This is far from the only application in this space -- alternatives such as Slife and Chrometa are full-featured and impressive -- but PAM is good option for those who want a nice, simple tracker.Personal Activity Monitor tracks time you spend using desktop apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows
I have a thing for full-screen text editing. I use WriteMonkey for my creative writing needs, and VIM in a full-screen PuTTY session for my Web development work. That being the case, I'm all over the monospace, dark-background, focused editing scene.
OmmWriter attempts to take that aesthetic and make it somehow more spiritual, with three picturesque backgrounds and ambient background audio tracks (there are seven of each in the paid version).
I'm of two minds about this app. On the one hand, yes, it's beautiful. But if you want music as a background to your writing, why not pick your own soundtrack with Winamp or Foobar2000 running in the background?
OmmWriter also offers three keyboard-clicking sounds, which are kind of nice. None of these features are groundbreaking, really. OmmWriter could be seen as a way to gently ease into the world of distraction-free writing -- in case something like WriteMonkey's dark background is just too oppressive for you.
After the fold you can see a video showcasing several of OmmWriter's features and creative soundscapes.Continue reading OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to WindowsOmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
OmmWriter attempts to take that aesthetic and make it somehow more spiritual, with three picturesque backgrounds and ambient background audio tracks (there are seven of each in the paid version).
I'm of two minds about this app. On the one hand, yes, it's beautiful. But if you want music as a background to your writing, why not pick your own soundtrack with Winamp or Foobar2000 running in the background?
OmmWriter also offers three keyboard-clicking sounds, which are kind of nice. None of these features are groundbreaking, really. OmmWriter could be seen as a way to gently ease into the world of distraction-free writing -- in case something like WriteMonkey's dark background is just too oppressive for you.
After the fold you can see a video showcasing several of OmmWriter's features and creative soundscapes.Continue reading OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to WindowsOmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 Test Notes: Worth the Wait? [Playbook Os 2.0]
This isn't the review of the BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 software. That comes tomorrow. Rather, these are just some early impressions and comparisons to the 1.0 software running through my head as I get acclimated with the thing. These opinions that may or may not change with time and familiarity. More »
iPocketWatch Turns Your iPod Nano Into a Pocket Timepiece
The Apple iPod nano is a popular gadget not only because it makes a very portable music player, but because it can also replace your wrist watch by using any one of the many straps designed for it. Now those of you that want to go old school can turn your nano into a very [...]
This Painless Little Device Disappeared My Acne [Lightning Review]
After including no!no! Skin in my Gizmodo gift guide for obsessive groomers last year, the fine folks at no! no! sent me a test unit of their zit zapper. Even though the device is "FDA cleared," I was skeptical it would work on my face (yes I stil break out at my age, why god why?). I somehow figured I had extra gross stubborn acne that would refuse to yield to its scientific wiles. More »
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
Raspberry Pi wears a new Fedora (video)
If you've been keeping an eye on this tasty little computer, you'll know it's a pretty exciting concept already. To further sweeten the deal, it just got its own version of Fedora. A special "remix" edition has been ported over to the micro-machine by a team at Seneca College. Although there's already a Debian release for the diminutive device, the project's official blog states that Fedora Remix is the distribution it'll be recommending to users. The OS image fits on a 2GB memory card, and comes complete with a GUI, programming and system administration tools, web browser and other essential apps to get you going. If you want to see the Pi in action, there's a video after the break demonstrating the OS, along with a look at that user interface. As for that February 20th release date, sadly that seems less reliable.Continue reading Raspberry Pi wears a new Fedora (video)Raspberry Pi wears a new Fedora (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Electronista | Raspberry Pi | Email this | Comments
Microsoft Smacks Down Google Apps in Attack Video [Video]
Microsoft is continuing its video campaign specifically targeting Google. This time, the target is Google's continued attempts to move in on Microsoft's productivity software. Microsoft is eager to point out Google's set of consumer-level and constantly changing features, lack of flexibility, and privacy issues. They even made a jingle! More »
Kisai Finally Makes An Easy-to-Read Watch—Once You Figure It Out [Watches]
I'll admit it, it's been nearly a month since I covered the Kisai Optical Illusion watch and I still can't read the damn thing (it's a schooner, I'm told). But Kisai's latest user-submitted design is actually quite easy to interpret—hint: it isn't Morse code. More »
Visualize How Dumb Your Password Reuse Is [Passwords]
Depending on what tactics you use, your passwords might be great or they might be awful. One thing is certain, though: if you reuse the same password across multiple websites, that is definitely a bad idea. Mozilla are keen to show you just how bad. More »
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
Why Facebook Is Missing From Apple?s New Desktop OS
Facebook is the dominant player in social media, but its direct integration is nowhere to be found in Apple's desktop and mobile operating systems. It's a glaring omission considering Facebook updates are a simple drop-down menu choice in Android and Windows Phone.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Lenovo IdeaPad U300e Ultrabook available now, pricier than we thought
Back when we first quietly met the IdeaPad U300e at CES, we were told it'd be carrying a $799 price tag; but contrary to that statement, Lenovo's put the 13.3-inch Ultrabook up for grabs starting at $959 on its site. That near-grand amount will get you Intel's Core i5-2476m CPU and HD3000 graphics, 4GB of RAM, a hybrid drive (32GB SSD mixed with 500GB HDD), as well as a Premium copy of Windows 7. More importantly, the machine wouldn't gracefully fall under the "Ultra" category if it wasn't flaunting a relatively slim form factor, in which it tightly squeezes through the standards at 0.7-inches in thickness. It's also about half a pound heavier than its pricier, better specced sibling. Need some additional visuals to decide if it's worth adding to your cart? Be sure to check out our photo gallery here.Lenovo IdeaPad U300e Ultrabook available now, pricier than we thought originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Laptop Reviews | Lenovo | Email this | Comments
OS X Mountain Lion: 5 Most Exciting New Features
Today, Apple unveiled a developer preview of its newest Mac OS, Mountain Lion. The OS introduces more than 100 new features to OS X, and we've teased out five of the most important, most innovative aspects of Cupertino's latest release.
India?s Times Internet Embraces Real-Time Finance With ET Speed
A few years ago, we saw a wave of startups (such as Cake Financial and Covestor) that tried to reinvent the way people made financial decisions, usually by adding social features or more data and analytics. Now elements of that approach are coming to India with the launch of ET Speed.
The site was created by Times Internet Limited, the online arm of India's Times Group. As the name suggests, the big emphasis is real-time information ? users should be able to track Indian stocks in real-time. They can also follow other users (including some yet-to-be-named financial experts, according to TIL), sharing and receiving financial advice. CEO Rishi Khiani that the site was created "keeping in mind the requirements of the Indian consumers ? a mix of real time news/analysis, expert advice and community advice." He characterizes the whole combination as a "Twitter-like strategy."
The site was created by Times Internet Limited, the online arm of India's Times Group. As the name suggests, the big emphasis is real-time information ? users should be able to track Indian stocks in real-time. They can also follow other users (including some yet-to-be-named financial experts, according to TIL), sharing and receiving financial advice. CEO Rishi Khiani that the site was created "keeping in mind the requirements of the Indian consumers ? a mix of real time news/analysis, expert advice and community advice." He characterizes the whole combination as a "Twitter-like strategy."
First Firefox 6 build next week, Firefox 7 by May, and aurora channel introduced
Mozilla's Engineering Project Manager, Christian Legnitto, has detailed the release schedule for Firefox 5, 6 and 7. If all goes to plan, Firefox 6.0a1 will be released next week, April 12, and Firefox 7.0a1 in the middle of May. The final build of Firefox 5 should be released on June 21, exactly three months after the release of Firefox 4.
Along with the faster 6-week release cadence, Firefox's new Chrome-like release channels have also been given names and anticipated update frequencies. The most notable change is the introduction of a new alpha channel -- which is analogous to Chrome Canary -- that will be called 'aurora' and will update nightly. Aurora will be where fixes and features are tested, and either approved for Beta, or backed out to Central. Aurora will have a new icon, too.
The Nightly (mozilla-central) channel will remain unchanged in name and frequency, but it will gain a new 'nightly icon.' The Beta (mozilla-beta) channel will remain as-is, with new builds rolling out weekly. The Release (mozilla-release) channel will also remain as-is, with security and stability updates coming every 6 to 12 weeks.
It should be noted that the names (including 'aurora') are not necessarily final, but it's unlikely that they'll change. We're also awaiting the arrival of the new 'channel switching' technology, which should arrive in the next few days -- in time for the release of Firefox 6 aurora!First Firefox 6 build next week, Firefox 7 by May, and aurora channel introduced originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Along with the faster 6-week release cadence, Firefox's new Chrome-like release channels have also been given names and anticipated update frequencies. The most notable change is the introduction of a new alpha channel -- which is analogous to Chrome Canary -- that will be called 'aurora' and will update nightly. Aurora will be where fixes and features are tested, and either approved for Beta, or backed out to Central. Aurora will have a new icon, too.
The Nightly (mozilla-central) channel will remain unchanged in name and frequency, but it will gain a new 'nightly icon.' The Beta (mozilla-beta) channel will remain as-is, with new builds rolling out weekly. The Release (mozilla-release) channel will also remain as-is, with security and stability updates coming every 6 to 12 weeks.
It should be noted that the names (including 'aurora') are not necessarily final, but it's unlikely that they'll change. We're also awaiting the arrival of the new 'channel switching' technology, which should arrive in the next few days -- in time for the release of Firefox 6 aurora!First Firefox 6 build next week, Firefox 7 by May, and aurora channel introduced originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
In-app payment support arrives on Android
Right on cue, Google has launched in-app payment support for Android applications. Developer testing began last week, and now many popular apps -- like the ones pictured above -- can begin charging users for add-on functionality, content, or whatever the heck else they feel is worthy of additional bits of your pocket change. If you were wondering, Google will take the same 30% cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases.
At last we can buy individual issues in Comics with minimal fuss!In-app payment support arrives on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
At last we can buy individual issues in Comics with minimal fuss!In-app payment support arrives on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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