Download Squad http://downloadsquad.switched.com Download Squad. http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/downloadsquad.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif Download Squad http://downloadsquad.switched.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) support@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Yahoo integrates blogs, Flickr with news search]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/10/11/yahoo-integrates-blogs-flickr-with-news-search/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/10/11/yahoo-integrates-blogs-flickr-with-news-search/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/10/11/yahoo-integrates-blogs-flickr-with-news-search/#comments Yahoo news blog searchThis is pretty friggin' sweet -- Yahoo is integrating blog search with their news search, as well as adding photos and results into the mix. This brings together user-created and mainstream media in a way that's unprecedented, totally beating Google to the punch on this one as well as leveraging the goodness of both Flickr and My Web 2.0. The index only includes a subset of the larger blogosphere (those that are included in the My Yahoo feed directory), but will grow to ideally include everything from the blo.gs ping stream. The interface doesn't quite put blogs on equal footing visually -- they're off in a sidebar while the regular news search results are in the main pane -- but I actually sort of like the way this is done. It's not going to alienate mainstream users who want to stick with their traditional MSM sources, but will provide a still visible alternative. Social software nerds (raising hand), bloggers, and others already kicking back with their second (or fifth...) cocktail in the cluetrain dining car can just click on through to the interface that shows blog search results in the main pane and Flickr results in the sidebar at right (here's an example search on Web 2.0). I dig it. For once, I only have one small request -- I want a way to make the blog news search interface my default for news search, so I don't have to click through each time (with option to click through the the mainstream search results).

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Yahoo integrates blogs, Flickr with news search originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 11 Oct 2005 03:18:33 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Tue, 11 Oct 2005 03:18:33 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Flickr Backup downloads your Flickr photos to your desktop]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/28/flickr-backup-downloads-your-flickr-photos-to-your-desktop/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/28/flickr-backup-downloads-your-flickr-photos-to-your-desktop/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/28/flickr-backup-downloads-your-flickr-photos-to-your-desktop/#comments Huzzah -- a utility for backing up your photos in one fell swoop to a computer of your choice. Flickr Backup looks like a really handy way to corral all of those photos you've sent from various machines and cellphones into one safe backup location. It's a Java utility, cross-platform, and open source -- three things we tend to like as a general rule.

[Via del.icio.us]

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Flickr Backup downloads your Flickr photos to your desktop originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 28 Sep 2005 18:50:43 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewareopensource Barb Dybwad Wed, 28 Sep 2005 18:50:43 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Slawesome adds voice to email]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/27/slawesome-adds-voice-to-email/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/27/slawesome-adds-voice-to-email/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/27/slawesome-adds-voice-to-email/#comments Beware, it's "so alpha it makes us cry" -- but considering alpha is the new beta, probably ends up doing alright. It's a simple web-based way to add a voice message to an email. The interface is dead simple, and all you need is a microphone of any flavor. I tried it. It worked. Party on.

[Via Tech Crunch]

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Slawesome adds voice to email originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 27 Sep 2005 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarenews Barb Dybwad Tue, 27 Sep 2005 08:58:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[NetVibes personal portal page]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/26/netvibes-personal-portal-page/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/26/netvibes-personal-portal-page/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/26/netvibes-personal-portal-page/#comments This has been getting a lot of buzz lately -- NetVibes is another personal portal in the vein of Google personalized home and Microsoft's Start page. You can syndicate RSS feeds in drag and droppable DIVs, embed a search widget, and get a preview pane for your Gmail account. One notably handy addition is the ability to add notes to a page, which adds some of the flavor of Protopage to the mix. I won't be too surprised if we keep seeing more of these gloriously AJAX-ified personal portal page offerings.

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NetVibes personal portal page originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:30:48 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freeware Barb Dybwad Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:30:48 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Gobby, a cross-platform collaborative editing environment]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/26/gobby-a-cross-platform-collaborative-editing-environment/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/26/gobby-a-cross-platform-collaborative-editing-environment/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/26/gobby-a-cross-platform-collaborative-editing-environment/#comments is reminiscent of SubEthaEdit but will work in a mixed environment of Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and other UNIX flavors (SubEthaEdit is Mac only). It's a collaborative editing environment in which multiple authors on the same network can collaborate on text documents. Gobby also sports an IRC-like chat environment for communicating in realtime outside of the coding or authoring session. Each author can use a unique color to identify their contributions to the text. The app is only at version 0.2.2, so don't be too surprised if it's a little rough around the edges -- but the cross-platform aspect of this is definitely a step in the right direction.

[Via del.icio.us]

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Gobby, a cross-platform collaborative editing environment originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 26 Sep 2005 18:20:19 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewareopensource Barb Dybwad Mon, 26 Sep 2005 18:20:19 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Planzo online social calendaring]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/20/planzo-online-social-calendaring/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/20/planzo-online-social-calendaring/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/20/planzo-online-social-calendaring/#comments Here's another entrant into the growingly crowded space of social calendaring: Planzo bills itself as an "online planning community," allowing you to quickly and easily share your calendar entries via simple cut and paste. It speaks the Web 2.0 lingo: AJAX, RSS, XML, etc., and promises a dead easy interface with one click event creation and drag and drop event changes. The service offers a number of ways to export and/or share your calendar: to yourself as a daily email digest, reminders via SMS, event sharing with contacts on Planzo (including access controls for private events), and and via RSS. You can also customize the look and feel of your calendar. Oh, and, there's a bit of example that lives here...

[Via Robin Good]

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Planzo online social calendaring originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 20 Sep 2005 09:04:01 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freeware Barb Dybwad Tue, 20 Sep 2005 09:04:01 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[ObjectGraph AJAX-powered dictionary]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/17/objectgraph-ajax-powered-dictionary/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/17/objectgraph-ajax-powered-dictionary/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/17/objectgraph-ajax-powered-dictionary/#comments
Take a dictionary, add AJAX-y goodness, season to taste and you've got ObjectGraph, a dictionary that displays results automagically with each keystroke. The interface works like Google Suggest, where a dropdown DIV element displays results as you type. You have your choice of four different word sets: Classical is the websters 1913 dictionary (which is rather amusingly out of date), the freely available FOLDOC online dictionary (which should probably really be the default selection), the periodic elements, and a Thesaurus mode.

[Via Digg]

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ObjectGraph AJAX-powered dictionary originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 17 Sep 2005 09:00:12 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AJAXdictionaryfreewaretext Barb Dybwad Sat, 17 Sep 2005 09:00:12 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Lego's response to hacking its product: hack away!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/16/legos-response-to-hacking-its-product-hack-away/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/16/legos-response-to-hacking-its-product-hack-away/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/16/legos-response-to-hacking-its-product-hack-away/#comments In a rare, extremely cluetrain response from a corporation whose product has been hacked, Lego is actually welcoming the modification to its 3D design program that will enable users to avoid purchasing too many extra blocks when making custom kits. The backstory is that last month Lego launched a new program that lets users make custom Lego designs using the provided free 3D design software, then actually order the kits that would create their custom models. The trouble is, users would sometimes end up over-ordering too many extra bricks because of the way brick packages or 'palettes' contained multiple bags of bricks. The software would generate an order based on which palettes to order, causing a glut of extra bricks -- so users created a database of the type and number of bricks in the bags, and modified the software to display the number of bags to order instead of palettes, bringing the cost of many custom pieces down. Instead of flipping out about users hacking their software, especially when the net result is a loss of revenue for the company, Lego is embracing the modifications. Lego senior producer Ronny Scherer said, "It was a puzzle to us. They took us completely by surprise. We think it's great." Wow, a company embracing its users' efforts to make its tools more useful -- how unfortunately novel.

[Via Slashdot]

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Lego's response to hacking its product: hack away! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 16 Sep 2005 20:48:06 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cluetrainfreewarehackinglegonews Barb Dybwad Fri, 16 Sep 2005 20:48:06 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Populicio.us closes its doors]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/15/populicio-us-closes-its-doors/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/15/populicio-us-closes-its-doors/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/15/populicio-us-closes-its-doors/#comments Well, it was short but sweet while it lasted. The service that tracked the fastest growing popular links on is now defunct. Developer xabi indicated in the farewell message that del.icio.us made some changes to the way links are displayed on the homepage, such that populicio.us could no longer generate real statistics. Good thing we've got to turn to!

[Via Waxy]

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Populicio.us closes its doors originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:43:37 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:43:37 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Memeorandum aggregates the hottest tech and politics stories in the blogosphere]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/15/memeorandum-aggregates-the-hottest-tech-and-politics-stories-in/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/15/memeorandum-aggregates-the-hottest-tech-and-politics-stories-in/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/15/memeorandum-aggregates-the-hottest-tech-and-politics-stories-in/#comments This is some pretty promising stuff -- the new incarnation of is an automated tech and politics blog news aggregator that hopes to keep an up-to-the-minute snapshot of what's hot in the blogosphere. The new code has only been public for a few days, so the sample size is still low -- but from what I've checked out so far, I'm genuinely impressed. The biggest caveat is that it's only tracking technology and politics -- but within those domains it stands to be an incredibly useful tool. Essentially, stories that get linked most frequently rise to the top, then sink down again as they're replaced by newer, hotter stories. The algorithm favors posts with some meat on their bones, and disfavors blog posts that are quick one-liners linking to something else. I'm definitely going to be utilizing this as a quick way to see at a glance what's going on.

[Via Read/Write Web]

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Memeorandum aggregates the hottest tech and politics stories in the blogosphere originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:06:47 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarenews Barb Dybwad Thu, 15 Sep 2005 21:06:47 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Free Ruby on Rails hosting]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/12/free-ruby-on-rails-hosting/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/12/free-ruby-on-rails-hosting/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/12/free-ruby-on-rails-hosting/#comments Ruby on Rails logoRails Playground is offering free hosting for your Ruby on Rails projects or sandbox. If you've used web applications like , or , you've seen the results of the magic that is Ruby on Rails. This looks like a fantastic way to dip your feet into this rapid web application development framework. They're offering free 20MB disk space and 500MB/mo. bandwidth with no ads -- is there a catch? I hope not.

[Via del.icio.us/popular]

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Free Ruby on Rails hosting originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 12 Sep 2005 16:32:23 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarenews Barb Dybwad Mon, 12 Sep 2005 16:32:23 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Flickr RSS widget]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/12/flickr-rss-widget/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/12/flickr-rss-widget/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/09/12/flickr-rss-widget/#comments Here's yet another fun way to add some goodness to your blog or website -- the Flickr RSS widget is an unobtrusive little javascript button that, when clicked, expands to display an assortment of thumbnails of the latest photos in any Flickr RSS feed. Click on the center again to close the thumbnail display of your latest shots, your favorite group or tag, etc. This is a neat way to add a bit of color to a page without taking up much screen real estate.

[Via del.icio.us]

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Flickr RSS widget originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 12 Sep 2005 15:32:01 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freeware Barb Dybwad Mon, 12 Sep 2005 15:32:01 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google Talk first hack: broadcast MP3s and podcasts over Google Talk]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/24/google-talk-first-hack-broadcast-mp3s-and-podcasts-over-google/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/24/google-talk-first-hack-broadcast-mp3s-and-podcasts-over-google/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/24/google-talk-first-hack-broadcast-mp3s-and-podcasts-over-google/#comments Ahhh yes, the digital ink on the Google Talk release is still wet, and already the app has got its first mod. This how-to walks you through diverting your system audio to a Google Talk voice session, instead of being limited to using the microphone. Of course, you can only broadcast to one person at a time but hey, to the friend who'd rather hear the new Green Day than your yammering voice, this could be priceless.

[Via del.icio.us popular]

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Google Talk first hack: broadcast MP3s and podcasts over Google Talk originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Aug 2005 16:44:56 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> opensource Barb Dybwad Wed, 24 Aug 2005 16:44:56 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[smugMaps mashes up Smugmug and Google maps]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/23/smugmaps-mashes-up-smugmug-and-google-maps/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/23/smugmaps-mashes-up-smugmug-and-google-maps/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/23/smugmaps-mashes-up-smugmug-and-google-maps/#comments Here's the next contestant in the great mashup game -- photo-sharing site has added a feature that allows users to pin their photos to an integrated scrollable and zoomable Google map by entering an address or simply clicking a spot on a map. Uber-geophoto geeks already using GPS integrated cameras will get instantly mapped photo galleries because Smugmug automagically parses that location data. Integrating this kind of geotagging with the service itself is pretty hot.

[Via picturephoning]

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smugMaps mashes up Smugmug and Google maps originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Aug 2005 16:05:51 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Tue, 23 Aug 2005 16:05:51 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Wordpress to launch hosted service]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/23/wordpress-to-launch-hosted-service/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/23/wordpress-to-launch-hosted-service/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/23/wordpress-to-launch-hosted-service/#comments developer Matt Mullenweg has announced plans to start a hosted Wordpress service via Wordpress.com. This will effectively position them against , although Brad Hill notes they'll also need to distinguish themselves from the growing number of web hosts offering Wordpress as a one-click install (Dreamhost, Bluehost, etc.).

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Wordpress to launch hosted service originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Aug 2005 14:04:40 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Tue, 23 Aug 2005 14:04:40 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google about to launch Google Talk IM and voice service?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/23/google-about-to-launch-im-and-voice-service/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/23/google-about-to-launch-im-and-voice-service/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/23/google-about-to-launch-im-and-voice-service/#comments There's been buzz about releasing an IM product of some sort (other than the "Hello" client which doesn't really count... do you know anyone who uses it as their main chat protocol?), and now it looks like they've been spotted running a Jabber server. The Jabber Extensible Communications Platform (Jabber XCP) is open source technology, and presumably anyone with a Jabber enabled chat client (Trillian, GAIM, e.g.) could access the server -- not just users of the mythical Google IM client. Also, Jabber appears to have buzz as the platform of choice for transmitting voice over IM, which leads to the theory that Google plans a voice enabled IM product of some sort to compete with similar functionality in clients from Yahoo and MSN. Whatcha think? Is Google getting set to release a Skype-killer?

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Google about to launch Google Talk IM and voice service? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:00:04 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> newsopensource Barb Dybwad Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:00:04 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Steganography with Flickr: embedding files in your photos]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/22/steganography-with-flickr-embedding-files-in-your-photos/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/22/steganography-with-flickr-embedding-files-in-your-photos/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/22/steganography-with-flickr-embedding-files-in-your-photos/#comments Keith McDuffee over at the Digital Photography blog is getting a lot of buzz on his article showing how to use your account to store non-image files by embedding them via the process of steganography. The article is both a proof of concept and a how-to, and adds the possibility of sharing files with other Flickr users beyond other "free hosting space" solutions such as Xdrive or Gmail drive. The question is -- is it kosher, or will the Flickr deities frown?

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Steganography with Flickr: embedding files in your photos originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:16:25 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Barb Dybwad Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:16:25 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Imeem launches desktop component for distributed social networking]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/22/imeem-launches-desktop-component-for-distributed-social-networki/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/22/imeem-launches-desktop-component-for-distributed-social-networki/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/22/imeem-launches-desktop-component-for-distributed-social-networki/#comments Imeem is a social networking enterprise with a slightly different tack from the rest of the YASNs -- instead of uploading your content to a central site, you're sharing your files from your desktop, peer-to-peer style. You can share photos and other files with five different levels of access control: private, friends only, friends of friends, all of Imeem, and world (web-published). As with other social networking sites, you can join groups and have threaded forum-like discussions, with the notable addition of real-time chat to the mix. Right now, is available as a desktop client download for Windows XP, but a Mac client is on its way shortly.

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Imeem launches desktop component for distributed social networking originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Aug 2005 15:24:28 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarenews Barb Dybwad Mon, 22 Aug 2005 15:24:28 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Melodeo launches podcast streaming to your cellphone]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/22/melodeo-launches-podcast-streaming-to-your-cellphone/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/22/melodeo-launches-podcast-streaming-to-your-cellphone/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/22/melodeo-launches-podcast-streaming-to-your-cellphone/#comments If you're like me and can't always be trusted to sync your iPod or other portable player with your desktop before heading out and about, you may be interested to hear of 's recent announcement of a solution that will stream podcasts to your cellphone. Their software, officially available come September, promises to simplify the process of finding and listening to podcasts on your phone. The service itself is free, but the gotcha is that unless you have an all-you-can-eat data plan with your wireless carrier, you'll be paying for whatever data charges you incur from downloading podcasts over the air. Maybe now's the time to check into that all-you-can-eat data plan, eh?

[Via Russell Beattie]

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Melodeo launches podcast streaming to your cellphone originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Aug 2005 10:17:15 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarenews Barb Dybwad Mon, 22 Aug 2005 10:17:15 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Friday Flickr Fun: add a Flickr tag cloud to your site]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/19/friday-flickr-fun-add-a-flickr-tag-cloud-to-your-site/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/19/friday-flickr-fun-add-a-flickr-tag-cloud-to-your-site/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/19/friday-flickr-fun-add-a-flickr-tag-cloud-to-your-site/#comments
It has been said that the "tag cloud is the mullet of the internet," and who doesn't want to be the height of current fashion? Dan Steingart has written a PHP script that will pull your tags from and arrange them in a tag cloud for inclusion on your site. There are a number of parameters you can tweak including min and max font sizes, sort order, color, and username by applying arguments to the URL. If you set this up, post up a link in the comments and, um, show us your mullet.

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Friday Flickr Fun: add a Flickr tag cloud to your site originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:00:45 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> CSSflickrfreewarePHPscriptingtag+cloudTagCloud Barb Dybwad Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:00:45 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Protopage: an AJAX-based stickies application]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/18/protopage-an-ajax-based-stickies-application/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/18/protopage-an-ajax-based-stickies-application/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/18/protopage-an-ajax-based-stickies-application/#comments
We love AJAX here at Download Squad, and this bit of AJAX goodness caught my eye: Protopage is a user-editable page where you can create drag and drop sticky notes with text or links. You can choose between a public and private page -- though only you can edit your page even when it's public. Save your page by giving it a name, then use it as your home page for a web-based dashboard of sorts.

[Via Waxy]

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Protopage: an AJAX-based stickies application originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 18 Aug 2005 18:39:06 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AJAXfreewarestickiesuser-editableweb Barb Dybwad Thu, 18 Aug 2005 18:39:06 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Amazon unveils A9 maps]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/17/amazon-unveils-a9-maps/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/17/amazon-unveils-a9-maps/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/17/amazon-unveils-a9-maps/#comments
This shouldn't be too surprising considering A9's highly publicized effort to drive around capturing images of every local business storefront in the U.S. -- they've just launched their A9 maps service. Right now they lack the depth of coverage of Google maps, so if your area doesn't have any Block Images (i.e. actual photos) it just reverts to a standard graphical map interface. But if you check out one of the cities for which the Block Images exist -- it's pretty darn cool. You can literally scroll up and down actual photos of the streets at eye level in many major urban areas.

[Via John Battelle]

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Amazon unveils A9 maps originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Aug 2005 07:23:32 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> A9amazonfreewaregoogle+mapsGoogleMapsmapsnews Barb Dybwad Wed, 17 Aug 2005 07:23:32 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google to offer tracks from the iTunes Music Store?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/13/google-to-offer-tracks-from-the-itunes-music-store/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/13/google-to-offer-tracks-from-the-itunes-music-store/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/13/google-to-offer-tracks-from-the-itunes-music-store/#comments File this under "rumour mill," but there's some buzz on an impending major partnership between Apple and Google that would see the search giant incorporating the iTunes Music Store into its platform. Nobody has any details on what this would look like, and neither company is responding to inquiries about the rumour, but this would be a huge move for the iTMS if it ends up happening.

[Via Slashdot]

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Google to offer tracks from the iTunes Music Store? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 13 Aug 2005 20:19:34 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Sat, 13 Aug 2005 20:19:34 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google suspends copyright book scanning plans amid AAP backlash]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/13/google-suspends-copyright-book-scanning-plans-amid-aap-backlash/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/13/google-suspends-copyright-book-scanning-plans-amid-aap-backlash/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/13/google-suspends-copyright-book-scanning-plans-amid-aap-backlash/#comments The ambitious Google Print program has been under fire of late from the Association of American Publishers, who object to Google's plans to scan copyright works from several of the country's largest university libraries. Google says the online search results from the copyrighted books would only be accompanied by short excerpts of the works, but the AAP says that Google's pursuit of the scans without seeking permission under fair use constitues large-scale infringement of copyright law. In response, Google announced it is suspending its scans of copyrighted works until November of this year, and is telling publishers they need to opt out by informing the company which books they wish not be scanned. The AAP's president, Patricia Schroeder, expressed exasperation that Google's announcement shifts the burden of preventing copyright infringement to the copyright owner, and does nothing to relieve the publishing industry's concerns.

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Google suspends copyright book scanning plans amid AAP backlash originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 13 Aug 2005 16:45:52 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Sat, 13 Aug 2005 16:45:52 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Orb offers open Add-Ons API]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/08/orb-offers-open-add-ons-api/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/08/orb-offers-open-add-ons-api/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/08/orb-offers-open-add-ons-api/#comments The folks over at Orb wrote to let us know that they're offering an open Add-ons API which will allow developers to extend Orb's media streaming capabilities to a wide range of applications. Via the API, you can code your own Add-on to stream content from a variety of programs to any Web-connected device with a Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, or 3gp player that supports streaming .sdp files (Quicktime, e.g.).

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Orb offers open Add-Ons API originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 08 Aug 2005 19:44:13 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarenews Barb Dybwad Mon, 08 Aug 2005 19:44:13 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Will Apple be pressured into raising iTunes Music Store prices?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/08/will-apple-be-pressured-into-raising-itunes-music-store-prices/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/08/will-apple-be-pressured-into-raising-itunes-music-store-prices/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/08/will-apple-be-pressured-into-raising-itunes-music-store-prices/#comments AppleInsider is reporting that record labels are currently talking up "Apple's 2006 problem," which refers to their licensing renegotiations with the labels, on the docket for next year. We're betting you couldn't have guessed this, but the labels have been pushing Apple to raise their current fixed price for a la carte track downloads. Some say the two-tier pricing scheme employed at the iTMS Japan foreshadows inevitable price increases in the US, Canada and Europe. So, what's your verdict -- are you willing to pay more per song at the iTMS?

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Will Apple be pressured into raising iTunes Music Store prices? originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:49:01 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Mon, 08 Aug 2005 17:49:01 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[How-to: easily geotag your Flickr photos]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/06/how-to-easily-geotag-your-flickr-photos/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/06/how-to-easily-geotag-your-flickr-photos/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/06/how-to-easily-geotag-your-flickr-photos/#comments
Warning: I'm labelling this Not Safe For Work because it could quickly bring all semblance of productivity to a grinding halt (hmm, I'm sensing a theme in my posts lately -- I'm hereby starting a GND (Getting Nothing Done) movement to balance out the GTD movement). Now that Greasemonkey is solidly back in effect, you can all too easily start geotagging your life by combining your photos with Google Maps via the magic that is Geobloggers.com. Here's an overview of how it works, and here are the play by play instructions on how to set it up and start geotagging. After you tag some photos you can see what other photos have been taken nearby and which users are geotagging near you, and even fly to photos via Google Earth. Just don't forget to occasionally walk away from the computer and get some food and (direct) human contact, k?

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How-to: easily geotag your Flickr photos originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 06 Aug 2005 19:35:32 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Barb Dybwad Sat, 06 Aug 2005 19:35:32 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Treo 670 will run Windows Mobile]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/05/treo-670-will-run-windows-mobile/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/05/treo-670-will-run-windows-mobile/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/05/treo-670-will-run-windows-mobile/#comments
Oh ho, so it looks like the long-rumoured Windows Mobile-powered Treo isn't just a rumour -- Engadget has scored some video footage of the Treo 670 running Windows Mobile 5.0. Now, keep in mind it's theoretically possible to spoof this by just playing some video of Win Mobile on the Treo, but still -- it looks pretty dang convincing. Now I can finally safely avoid the siren call of the 650 and just hold out.

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Treo 670 will run Windows Mobile originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 05 Aug 2005 18:25:08 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hardwarenews Barb Dybwad Fri, 05 Aug 2005 18:25:08 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Guess-the-google is way too addictive]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/05/guess-the-google-is-way-too-addictive/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/05/guess-the-google-is-way-too-addictive/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/05/guess-the-google-is-way-too-addictive/#comments Okay, so this week has been totally devastating to my productivity -- first, Flickr got even more interesting, del.icio.us got a new look, and now Google got game. Grant Robinson has come up with Guess-the-Google, a direct reversal of Montage-a-Google which generated montages from keywords you input. In this version, you look at the montage and have to guess which keyword was used to generate the images. Just be forewarned -- as Grant notes, "it's surprisingly addictive."

[Thanks, Edilberto]

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Guess-the-google is way too addictive originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 05 Aug 2005 01:18:09 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Barb Dybwad Fri, 05 Aug 2005 01:18:09 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Vox Delicii: a del.icio.us popular visualizer]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/04/vox-delicii-a-del-icio-us-popular-visualizer/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/04/vox-delicii-a-del-icio-us-popular-visualizer/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/04/vox-delicii-a-del-icio-us-popular-visualizer/#comments Vox Delicii
Michal Migurski's Vox Delicii is a fascinating remix of del.icio.us/popular. It's a Flash-based near-realtime visualization of the most popular links posted to del.icio.us, sorted by date and popularity. The size of each color chip correlates with the relative coverage of that item on a given day, based on samples taken hourly. Green indicates the link has grown in mindshare while red indicates the reverse, and chips are arranged in order of first appearance on del.icio.us -- farther to the left is older, to the right is newer.

Continue reading Vox Delicii: a del.icio.us popular visualizer

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Vox Delicii: a del.icio.us popular visualizer originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 04 Aug 2005 18:07:42 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Barb Dybwad Thu, 04 Aug 2005 18:07:42 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Flickr releases interestingness and clustering]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/02/flickr-releases-interestingness-and-clustering/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/02/flickr-releases-interestingness-and-clustering/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/08/02/flickr-releases-interestingness-and-clustering/#comments Oh dear. As if I need any new goodness to distract me from catching up after returning from . Flickr has gone and released , which uses an algorithm full of "a whole bunch of secret sauce" to analyze user behavior around photos and present the most interesting in a given time period. For example, check out the most interesting photos from the past 24 hours.

Continue reading Flickr releases interestingness and clustering

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Flickr releases interestingness and clustering originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 02 Aug 2005 07:34:59 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> clusteringflickrinterestingnessnewsphotostags Barb Dybwad Tue, 02 Aug 2005 07:34:59 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[How-to: sync fresh video content to your PSP]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/27/how-to-sync-fresh-video-content-to-your-psp/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/27/how-to-sync-fresh-video-content-to-your-psp/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/27/how-to-sync-fresh-video-content-to-your-psp/#comments If you're into videoblogging, or any sort of broadcatching video via RSS and/or BitTorrent whatsoever, you'll be wanting to check out FireANT. If you've got a PSP and a PC and you want an easy way to fill your money-fleecing Memory Stick Duos with some fresh content, check out this new video tutorial on how to sync video content to your PSP. If you're a Mac user, this how-to is for you.

[Thanks, Josh]

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How-to: sync fresh video content to your PSP originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 27 Jul 2005 21:23:40 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarehardware Barb Dybwad Wed, 27 Jul 2005 21:23:40 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Logogle makes your own Google-style logo]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/25/logogle-makes-your-own-google-style-logo/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/25/logogle-makes-your-own-google-style-logo/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/25/logogle-makes-your-own-google-style-logo/#comments
This is funny -- Logogle takes a text input string and turns it into Google logo style, giving you your own customized front end to Google.

[Via The Raw Feed]

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Logogle makes your own Google-style logo originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Jul 2005 14:00:49 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Barb Dybwad Mon, 25 Jul 2005 14:00:49 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Microsoft unveils Virtual Earth (beta... of course.)]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/25/microsoft-unveils-virtual-earth-beta-of-course/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/25/microsoft-unveils-virtual-earth-beta-of-course/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/25/microsoft-unveils-virtual-earth-beta-of-course/#comments Microsoft Virtual Earth
Well, it's happened -- Microsoft has thrown down their counterpoint to Google maps and Yahoo maps. I just checked out Virtual Earth and it's got some pretty nice bells and whistles:

Continue reading Microsoft unveils Virtual Earth (beta... of course.)

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Microsoft unveils Virtual Earth (beta... of course.) originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Jul 2005 08:00:24 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Mon, 25 Jul 2005 08:00:24 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Friday Flickr Fun: Flickr spell]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/22/friday-flickr-fun-flickr-spell/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/22/friday-flickr-fun-flickr-spell/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/22/friday-flickr-fun-flickr-spell/#comments
Here's a fun little Flickr API app built by user kastner -- Spell with Flickr takes an input string and converts it into a ransom note-esque series of images, each a photo of an individual letter found on . You can click on an individual letter in the results to swap it out for a new image.

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Friday Flickr Fun: Flickr spell originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 22 Jul 2005 20:26:14 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> APIflickropensourcewebservices Barb Dybwad Fri, 22 Jul 2005 20:26:14 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Oishii, a del.icio.us mini-zeitgeist]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/22/oishii-a-del-icio-us-mini-zeitgeist/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/22/oishii-a-del-icio-us-mini-zeitgeist/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/22/oishii-a-del-icio-us-mini-zeitgeist/#comments
If you're a like-minded infovore who finds yourself refreshing the home and popular pages every thirty seconds or so, you should check out Oishii -- it polls the del.icio.us front page every five minutes and returns a linked list of those entries that have been bookmarked by 30 people or more. Think of it as a sort of del.icio.us mini-zeitgeist -- a snapshot of what's hot and relevant to the hivemind at a given moment in time.

[Via Smartmobs]

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Oishii, a del.icio.us mini-zeitgeist originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 22 Jul 2005 18:11:41 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Barb Dybwad Fri, 22 Jul 2005 18:11:41 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Infinite Flickr video]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/21/infinite-flickr-video/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/21/infinite-flickr-video/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/21/infinite-flickr-video/#comments
Check out this trippy recursive video that knits together images from 's Infinite Flickr group. The group pool contains shots of people looking at photos on Flickr of other people looking at photos on Flickr, looking at... well, you get the idea. Just peep the video for a nice brain tickle.

[Via Digg]

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Infinite Flickr video originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 21 Jul 2005 06:43:26 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Barb Dybwad Thu, 21 Jul 2005 06:43:26 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Digg spy auto-refreshing AJAX interface]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/20/digg-spy-auto-refreshing-ajax-interface/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/20/digg-spy-auto-refreshing-ajax-interface/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/20/digg-spy-auto-refreshing-ajax-interface/#comments
If you haven't yet dug Digg, here's a fun excuse to go check it out. Digg spy is a new interface that automagically refreshes every few seconds with the stories that have most recently been digg'ed, thanks to the magic that is AJAX.

[Via Gen Kanai]

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Digg spy auto-refreshing AJAX interface originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 20 Jul 2005 10:00:46 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Wed, 20 Jul 2005 10:00:46 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google Moon]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/20/google-moon/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/20/google-moon/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/20/google-moon/#comments
Today marks the anniversary of the first manned Moon landing on July 20, 1969. Google has added some NASA imagery to Google maps as a tribute, so you can surf on over to our nearest neighbor and check it out. Mostly, we can't wait to see what the map hackers will make of this.

[Via Waxy]

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Google Moon originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 20 Jul 2005 08:00:05 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> news Barb Dybwad Wed, 20 Jul 2005 08:00:05 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Freecorder promises one-click easy Skype recording]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/19/freecorder-promises-one-click-easy-skype-recording/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/19/freecorder-promises-one-click-easy-skype-recording/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2005/07/19/freecorder-promises-one-click-easy-skype-recording/#comments So, many of us are continually seeking the holy grail of VoIP recording software. Freecorder thinks it's the one, promising dead easy to use recording of Skype calls with one click. Trouble is, they've already lost me in their versioning structure and business model. Despite the word "free" appearing in the name, you'll have to pony up the $19.95 "upgrade" price if you want to be able to record more than 2 minutes of a Skype call, which is all that the "free" version allows. Now, forgive me for going off on a bit of a rant, but I take issue with this kind of nickel and dime software crippling in free/trial versions. Similarly, when I went looking for alternatives to iPhoto for image management I checked out Shoebox, which looks really promising, but the trial version only lets you store a very small number of photos in an album, which made it impossible to determine if the program would work for organizing a large number of images. Software makers, I ask you this -- how am I supposed to determine if it's worth parting with my hard earned dollars for your software if I don't even have a chance to actually use it to find out if it does what I need? Freecorder may in fact be great, but I'm personally not parting with those 2 minutes of my life to find out, particularly having recently fallen in love with Gizmo.

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Freecorder promises one-click easy Skype recording originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 19 Jul 2005 23:01:14 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Barb Dybwad Tue, 19 Jul 2005 23:01:14 EST Download Squad