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[Does software piracy hurt the open source community?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/30/does-software-piracy-hurt-the-open-source-community/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/30/does-software-piracy-hurt-the-open-source-community/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/30/does-software-piracy-hurt-the-open-source-community/#comments microsoft office pirate search Louis Suarez-Potts, the community manager for the open-source Open Office project, says software piracy also hurts the open-source community, and though it can be argued that open-source is bad for innovation, most of us love the open source community. So does the occasional pirated piece of software really hurt our beloved open source projects?

Suarez-Potts thinks it's bad for everyone including the open source community since pirated software theoretically takes "customers" away from open source projects. For example, a college student may never end up downloading Open Office since he copied Microsoft Office from a friend, but that's not to say it hurts the money-makers like Microsoft at all. A little bit of piracy helps to establish big company's products as "the standard", hurting open source projects even more and making it harder for them to get their foot into a user's door.

Now we'd like to pose a question: Like the college student used in the example above, does pirating software generally prevent you from trying Open Source software or would you have put the cash down anyway even if you couldn't get it for free?

View Poll

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Does software piracy hurt the open source community? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> commercialcommunityhackhackerhackersopenopen sourceOpenSourcepiracypiratesoftware Danny Mendez Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Calgoo goes free: sync Google Calendar, iCal, and others for free]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/28/calgoo-goes-free-sync-google-calendar-ical-and-others-for-fre/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/28/calgoo-goes-free-sync-google-calendar-ical-and-others-for-fre/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/28/calgoo-goes-free-sync-google-calendar-ical-and-others-for-fre/#comments calgoo ical google calendar sync
Since the dawn of time Google Calendar, we've been waiting for a free, easy way to fully synchronize our Google Calendar to desktop calendar clients like iCal. We'd love to be able to access the same calendar data across multiple computers, but it's always been a messy affair, not free, an incomplete solution, or PC only.

Well, Calgoo has been one of those paid options up until now, but the minds behind the program just announced that it is free from here on out. That's right, Calgoo is now the free option in Google Calendar and desktop caledar synchronization. Calgoo officially supports 30 Boxes, Apple iCal, Microsoft Outlook, and -- of course -- Google Calendar.

Calgoo's "Chief Owl" will not employ ads in the app in order to pay for the costs of developing the program, but the team will begin to run ads on Calgoo Hub and possibly other future products. As for the software itself, it's pretty easy to use, and it provides for two-way synchonization, which means that any changes on one calendar will apply to the other.

[via WebWorkerDaily]

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Calgoo goes free: sync Google Calendar, iCal, and others for free originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 30 boxes30Boxescalendarcalgoofreewaregoogleoutlooksyncsynchsynchronization Danny Mendez Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Adobe wastes time/money/effort, gives its Media Player old, new content]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/22/adobe-wastes-time-money-effort-gives-its-media-player-old-new/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/22/adobe-wastes-time-money-effort-gives-its-media-player-old-new/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/22/adobe-wastes-time-money-effort-gives-its-media-player-old-new/#comments adobe media player flashpoint
Adobe just added new video content to its AIR-based Media Player, but it all pretty much sucks in one form or another. The Adobe Media Player is a slick media browser that can play and subscribe to videos from the web, and it also provides somewhat high-resolution content from Adobe's media partners such as MTVN and Comedy Central.

Despite the fact that the player is very visually appealing and easy to navigate, it's just not that useful. It's possible to use any regular, free browser such as Firefox to watch online video content, allowing web-travelers to avoid the installation of an extra app. As a result, the main reason for installing the app (unless you really, really like the subscription feature) is to watch the 25,000+ videos provided by Adobe.

And that's exactly what's wrong here. Adobe's video library is still weak, and most good of the good TV shows aren't full episodes but rather short clips. Furthermore, the full videos Adobe is adding aren't current TV hits like Lost or Battlestar Galactica. Instead, Adobe partnered with CBS and Sony to add tons of clips and a few movies/episodes from old stuff like Men in Black, Jerry Maguire, The Love Boat, Beverly Hilly 90210, Family Ties, and even The Price is Right. They might as well call the app something to the tune of Adobe Senior TV On Demand.

Sure, Adobe has the money to keep it up and running, but why bother if the company isn't bringing its best to the table? Why not partner with Hulu and create an official, fully functional Hulu AIR app instead?

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Adobe wastes time/money/effort, gives its Media Player old, new content originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adobeAIRflashfreewaremediamedia playerMediaPlayerplayersubscribesubscription Danny Mendez Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[How to do a global search in Craigslist]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/22/how-to-do-a-global-search-in-craigslist/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/22/how-to-do-a-global-search-in-craigslist/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/22/how-to-do-a-global-search-in-craigslist/#comments google craigslist global search
Many people may not have noticed this, but it's impossible to do a global search at Craigslist.org. It sort of makes sense, doesn't it? For most of the public, we'd imagine a global search would turn up useless results, but that only makes Craigslist useful for most of us. What about thoe crazy-curious folks that just need to know all about what's being offered, asked for, etc. around the world?

Marty Orgel submitted to Wired a short-tutorial on how-to do a global search of Craigslist through Google, and it's pretty easy. Just do an advanced search, and in the "Find web pages that have... all of these words" box, type in your search terms. Make sure "directory" is entered into the "But don't show pages that have... any of these unwanted words" box, and type "craigslist.org" into the domain box at the bottom.

The method worked for our global search of "time machine", which turned up 12,700 results from several regions including: New York, Austin, Northern Virginia, and San Diego. Most of them really had to do with a time traveling machine, so, yes, there are several crazy people in the world. Don't worry, though, we're pretty sure many of the listings originated from well-humored teenagers... well, we hope that's the case.

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How to do a global search in Craigslist originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Danny Mendez Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[VLC media player 0.9.0 pre-release adds Last.fm support and more]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/17/vlc-media-player-0-9-0-pre-release-adds-last-fm-support-and-more/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/17/vlc-media-player-0-9-0-pre-release-adds-last-fm-support-and-more/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/17/vlc-media-player-0-9-0-pre-release-adds-last-fm-support-and-more/#comments VLC last.fm
The newest version of the VLC media player isn't ready for the streets yet, but if you're they type who doesn't mind risking your precious computer for the sake of satisfying a primal curiosity for experimental software, the pre-release of VLC 0.9.0 is now available for both Windows and Mac. Unfortunately, anybody with a Windows 98/ME or OS X 10.3.9 machine is out luck since such technology is no longer socially acceptable as those operating systems are no longer supported.

It now supports Last.fm (AKA Audioscrobbler) straight out of the box disk image, so it'll update your Last.fm account as you play music through VLC. To enable Last.fm support in the 0.9.0 release, enter your username in the preferences pane under Audioscrobber, but don't forget to visit Control interfaces to check the box labeled "Submission of played songs to Last.fm."

Other changes also include better tag support, more subtitle support, improved mouse gestures, album art support, Shoutcast TV listings, and a lot more that we don't want to bore you with, but you're more than welcome to check out the whole list on the VLC forums.

[via CyberNet]

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VLC media player 0.9.0 pre-release adds Last.fm support and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> last.fmmediamusicopensourceplayervlc Danny Mendez Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Homer Simpson impersonator attacks fans' computers]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/14/homer-simpson-impersonator-attacks-fans-computers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/14/homer-simpson-impersonator-attacks-fans-computers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/14/homer-simpson-impersonator-attacks-fans-computers/#comments chunkylover53 AIM
Earlier this week, a Homer Simpson impersonator began instant messaging fans with a link to an "internet-only exclusive Simpsons episode." This -- like many things spawned in the dark corners of 'net -- turned out to be a PC virus. But how did this impostor gain Homer's identity?

It turns out Mr. Simpson has a legitimate, real-world e-mail address: chunkylover53@aol.com, which appeared in the episode, "The Dad Who Knew Too Little." Before airing the episode back in 2002 for the first time, Simpsons writer-producer Matt Selman registered the address with AOL. As soon as the episode finished airing, Selman's inbox filled-up instantly. Selman began replying to emails under the guise of Homer, and fans got to enjoy a short conversation with the cartoon star

Six years later, the email account is no longer active, but fans begin receiving AIM messages from Chunkylover53. Fans forgot that an AIM screen-name can be tied to an email other than its AOL email counterpart, and Selman never registered it or abandoned it at a later time -- leaving it open for hijack.

[via TECH.BLORGE.com]

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Homer Simpson impersonator attacks fans' computers originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AIMaolemailhomerimpersonatorimposterimpostorinstantinstant messageInstantMessagemessagemessagingsimpson Danny Mendez Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Meebone beta brings Meebo to your desktop]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/11/meebone-beta-brings-meebo-to-your-desktop/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/11/meebone-beta-brings-meebo-to-your-desktop/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/11/meebone-beta-brings-meebo-to-your-desktop/#comments meebone
It may seem illogical to tie Meebo to a desktop app, but that's exactly what's going on here. Meebone uses Adobe AIR to bring Meebo's services to your desktop through a dedicated app, but it's still in beta. So if you're down to try it, keep in mind that you'll probably encounter some problems... just like we did.

When attempting to login to AIM, Meebone was confused by a space in one of our user names. Other IM clients and services -- even Meebo itself -- aren't usually bothered by spaces. But that was our only major issue with the AIR-based app. And we're hoping it will be fixed before Meebone graduates from beta.

We tested the app with Google Talk and AIM accounts. Each logged-in successfully, brought up buddy lists, etc, etc. In other words, it introduced a basic Meebo set-up to our desktop, and we liked it. Just barely, but we did like it even though it sort of defeats the purpose of Meebo itself.

[via Adobe Air Marketplace]

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Meebone beta brings Meebo to your desktop originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adobeAIRdesktopfreewareIMinstant messageInstantMessageMeeboMeebone Danny Mendez Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Gmail adding log-in monitoring features]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/08/gmail-adding-log-in-monitoring-features/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/08/gmail-adding-log-in-monitoring-features/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/07/08/gmail-adding-log-in-monitoring-features/#comments gmail log-in monitoring features
Have you ever asked yourself, "Is someone else using my email account?" Well, if you're the cautious type, Google just added a few log-in monitoring features to its email service, so such paranoid questions won't feel so pressing anymore.

Wondering if you're Gmail account is open in multiple locations? Just look at the very, very bottom of the main Gmail page. It'll say something to the sound of: "This account is open in one other location." Click on the "details" link next to it to get taken to, well, a details page.

It'll give you the deets on the most recent sessions including the access type and IP address. It's not the end-all for email hijacking, but at the very least it'll help you point-out intruders. And if you don't see the feature yet, sit tight, Google is slowly rolling out the feature to all accounts.

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Gmail adding log-in monitoring features originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> accountemailgmailhijackintruderloginmonitormonitoring Danny Mendez Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[RedLasso: we're invited to the beta, you're invited to our first-look]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/24/redlasso-were-invited-to-the-beta-youre-invited-to-our-first/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/24/redlasso-were-invited-to-the-beta-youre-invited-to-our-first/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/24/redlasso-were-invited-to-the-beta-youre-invited-to-our-first/#comments

It's about time we got our RedLasso beta invite! First, we'd like to publicly thank RedLasso for throwing a beta invite our way. Second, we're about to make several more points about the controversial service (which is pretty cool so far), so we're going to stop numbering our points.

RedLasso is a database full of the latest TV and radio programming, allowing bloggers and other online media authors to search for, edit, and embed short clips on their sites. The company asks users to not abuse the system (embedding whole episodes or watching extended amounts of programming for the sake of entertainment), but it also monitors accounts and imposes appropriate restrictions to prevent any copyright trouble.

Continue reading RedLasso: we're invited to the beta, you're invited to our first-look

RedLasso: we're invited to the beta, you're invited to our first-look originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Danny Mendez Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Pidgin joins Adium, Digsby in supporting Facebook Chat]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/19/pidgin-joins-adium-digsby-in-supporting-facebook-chat/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/19/pidgin-joins-adium-digsby-in-supporting-facebook-chat/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/19/pidgin-joins-adium-digsby-in-supporting-facebook-chat/#comments Pidgin doesn't officially support Facebook Chat (yet?), but it can be customized with useful add-ons like the new Facebook Chat plug-in. Once installed, the plug-in allows Pidgin to log-in to a Facebook account, pull the buddy-list, and send/receive messages.

Adium, arguably Pidgin's counterpart on Mac, also received support for Facebook Chat in the recent 1.3 beta release, though, the feature is absent from the most recent official update. If you're a risk-taker who enjoys putting his/her computer in jeopardy for the sake of testing new software, give it a shot.

We've also covered a couple of other methods of taking Facebook Chat outside the site:
  1. There's a Firefox plug-in that adds the social-network's IM service to a sidebar.
  2. The social software/service one-stop-shop known as Digsby also added support for Facebook Chat earlier this year.
[via Lifehacker]

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Pidgin joins Adium, Digsby in supporting Facebook Chat originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adiumchatfacebookfreewareIMinstant messageInstantMessagepidgin Danny Mendez Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Grab and Drag: scroll in Firefox like an iPhone wielder]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/16/grab-and-drag-scroll-in-firefox-like-an-iphone-wielder/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/16/grab-and-drag-scroll-in-firefox-like-an-iphone-wielder/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/16/grab-and-drag-scroll-in-firefox-like-an-iphone-wielder/#comments
grab and drag in firefox
Grab and Drag is a Firefox extension that can turn your mouse icon into a little hand, enabling you to scroll up, down, and side-to-side much like you would with the little hand in Adobe Reader.

In the end, it makes Firefox scroll like the iPhone browser, even allowing for one-time flicks that can send the page conveniently scrolling with momentum in any direction. Best of all, Grab and Drag is free, so if you're curious, give it a go.

Overall, we're pretty pleased with it, but it's not perfect. Grab and Drag really messes with Blogsmith, our blogging platform, so getting the first half of this post together was really funky until we shut it off. We're sure the program would mess with other advanced web sites too, but it can be conveniently turned off via the hand icon in the toolbar if necessary.

[via gHacks]

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Grab and Drag: scroll in Firefox like an iPhone wielder originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> browsertipsdragextensionfirefoxgrabopensource Danny Mendez Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Firefox add-on stops accidental MySpace encounters: it's actually useful!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/09/firefox-add-on-stops-accidental-myspace-encounters-its-actuall/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/09/firefox-add-on-stops-accidental-myspace-encounters-its-actuall/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/09/firefox-add-on-stops-accidental-myspace-encounters-its-actuall/#comments amionmyspace.com?
Have you ever accidentally visited MySpace? Yeah, we probably have too, though, it was never a noticeable problem. In fact, we can't even remember it happening, but it seems like it has to have happened... right?

Well, this Firefox add-on promises to detect MySpace in Firefox, and provide a pop-up menu to stop unsuspecting web-browsers from hitting up the social network. The plug-in is obviously a joke, but we found a great use for it anyway -- avoiding phishing.

It's called AmIOnMySpace.com? and it can be used to detect the real MySpace site. If for any reason the message doesn't pop-up upon first visiting the social network, you're not on the real site. The biggest problem with using this as a way of avoiding phishing sites is that it doesn't alert users when leaving MySpace, so it's still possible to get attacked from within.

[via Digg]

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Firefox add-on stops accidental MySpace encounters: it's actually useful! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> add-onaddonbrowsertipsfakefirefoxfreewaremyspacephishphishingplug-inpluginpluginssite Danny Mendez Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[RIM releases mobile Flickr app for Blackberry handsets]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/09/rim-releases-mobile-flickr-app-for-blackberry-handsets/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/09/rim-releases-mobile-flickr-app-for-blackberry-handsets/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/09/rim-releases-mobile-flickr-app-for-blackberry-handsets/#comments flickr blackberryDoes your Blackberry do enough for you? RIM thinks it could do just a little more, so it released an official mobile Flickr uploader for Blackberry handsets. The program allows Flickr-Blackberry hybrid addicts to snap pics, tag/geo-tag pics, place pics in albums, and adjust pic sizes. When you're all set and ready, posting the photo is a matter of a few button presses.

We recommend Flickr users with Blackberry handsets at least try it since it's free, and we can imagine the service being useful in a wide variety of situations including blogging, of course. It's probably more useful as a toy than a tool -- an easy way to share vacation photos on-the-go, great concert moments, fun party events, etc.

This is quite different from RIM's usual behavior, which is centered around productivity and business rather than recreation. The program's existence is likely a response to the recent surge of unique services accompanying successful, fun-based handsets (Sidekick, Helio Ocean, LG Voyager, iPhone, etc). Though it's not the most amazing thing to come from RIM, at least it's better than a useless MySpace app or another YouTube uploader... been there, done that, not impressed.

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RIM releases mobile Flickr app for Blackberry handsets originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blackberryflickrfreewaremobileon-the-gophotopicuploaduploader Danny Mendez Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Polar Rose plug-in: facial recognition in your browser?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/05/polar-rose-plug-in-facial-recognition-in-your-browser/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/05/polar-rose-plug-in-facial-recognition-in-your-browser/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/05/polar-rose-plug-in-facial-recognition-in-your-browser/#comments queen barbara on polar rose
Though it is currently accessible only to a closed set of beta testers, it seems the 22 minds behind Polar Rose are trying to create a sort of "Google" for people pictures -- a system that is always indexing visual information. But that's only the beginning of the service.

Beta testers have recently been given access to an Internet Explorer and Firefox plug-in that will scan faces on a loaded web-page, placing an orange or red rose icon in the lower right-hand corner of every face on the page. The color of the icon depends on whether or not the system can stick a name to the face, and this is determined by whether or not the face has been registered with the system. Any unnamed faces can be registered with the system from there, though, don't expect miracles. The plug-in struggles with low-quality or poorly lit photos.

This is "cool," of course, and we tend to like advanced stuff like this even if it's not personally useful to us. But what happens if a web-user doesn't want his/her face indexed? As is often with new technology/services (stop-light cameras, Google, Facebook, RFID cards, etc.) this may one day begin to spark the paranoia of privacy rights activists -- assuming it gets big enough to get noticed by less nerdy common folk.

[via BLORGE]

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Polar Rose plug-in: facial recognition in your browser? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facefacialimagepeoplepersonphotopicpicturepolar rosePolarRoserecognitionsearch Danny Mendez Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Vista: open command prompt window from right-click menu]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/04/vista-open-command-prompt-window-from-right-click-menu/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/04/vista-open-command-prompt-window-from-right-click-menu/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/06/04/vista-open-command-prompt-window-from-right-click-menu/#comments command pompt window right-click + shift

If you ever need to open a command prompt window from a Vista right-click menu (example: you sit down to use your computer and a message suddenly pops up -- "open a command prompt window from a right-click menu your computer will blow up"), how would you go about doing it?

The process is simple: hold down the shift key, then right click on a folder icon, in a folder, or the desktop. An "Open Command Window Here" option will appear in the menu as a result of the shift key's ability to, well, shift stuff. Finally, when the command window opens, take a look at the current path: it's whatever you clicked on.

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Vista: open command prompt window from right-click menu originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> commandhow toHowTohowtospromptright-clickshifttipvistawindow Danny Mendez Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Reflow visualizations are crazy]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/27/reflow-visualizations-are-crazy/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/27/reflow-visualizations-are-crazy/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/27/reflow-visualizations-are-crazy/#comments

What's this "reflow" stuff mentioned in the title? We're glad you asked because you should probably fully understand know what we're referring to before you watch the vid. Reflow deals with the process by which a browser lays stuff out on a web page -- well, that's a simple way of putting it.

Anyway, the video above is the reflow process of Wikipedia slowed and "visualized". We're unsure how the author of the video captured or simulated the action, but what we do know is it's an interesting way to spend a few seconds. Check out a Google Japan reflow after the jump.

[via DougT]

Continue reading Reflow visualizations are crazy

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Reflow visualizations are crazy originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 27 May 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> browserreflowsimulationvisualvisualizationvisuals Danny Mendez Tue, 27 May 2008 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[A Yahoo! board member resigns: the work of a shareholder rebel group?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/22/a-yahoo-board-member-resigns-the-work-of-a-shareholder-rebel-g/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/22/a-yahoo-board-member-resigns-the-work-of-a-shareholder-rebel-g/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/22/a-yahoo-board-member-resigns-the-work-of-a-shareholder-rebel-g/#comments carl icahn sadSee that man on the right? That's Carl Icahn, a big Yahoo! shareholder, and something is obviously bugging him. No, he's not the board member who resigned. That's Edward Kozel, who was originally supposed to leave in February, but decided stick around for the attempted acquisition by Microsoft.

Though we're unsure how Kozel feels about his departure and Yahoo!'s future, his resignation might have something to do with lcahn's fight to re-enter into serious negotiations with Microsoft about a merger. Icahn and "a number" of shareholders are really, really, really unsatisfied with the way things went the last time Microsoft and Yahoo! tried to merge.

Icahn and his shareholder rebel group plan to knock out each of the remaining nine board members in order to replace them with himself and other shareholders of his choosing. The big-time investor is no stranger to large and aggressive business tactics. With a net worth of $14 billion, he's the 46th richest man in the world, says Wikipedia, and he may now be the driving force behind Yahoo's long-term future.

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A Yahoo! board member resigns: the work of a shareholder rebel group? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 22 May 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Danny Mendez Thu, 22 May 2008 22:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Redlasso offers bloggers TV/radio searchable database, but it's in trouble!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/21/redlasso-offers-bloggers-tv-radio-searchable-database-but-its/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/21/redlasso-offers-bloggers-tv-radio-searchable-database-but-its/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/21/redlasso-offers-bloggers-tv-radio-searchable-database-but-its/#comments redlasso
Redlasso is a database stuffed with the latest TV and radio programming, allowing registered users to search for and "lasso" out clips in order to imbed them on other sites. "Virtually all media" (TV, Radio, streaming internet programming, podcasts) is indexed in almost real-time, says the Redlasso site.

Although the company swears it is negotiating deals with several content partners, it received a cease-and-desist letter from three major TV networks on Monday. They accuse Redlasso of creating a "business based on the unauthorized syndication of" others' content. Though it doesn't seem to be enough, Redlasso monitors all member accounts (to make sure no one's watching extended amounts of programming) to ease the minds of content owners.

The service is intended solely for bloggers and other web publishers. As a result, expect some type of application process when requesting an account. As for us, we're waiting on our acceptance emails. The service is free, but it is currently in closed beta, meaning its unavailable to the general public.

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Redlasso offers bloggers TV/radio searchable database, but it's in trouble! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 21 May 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cipsclipradioredlassotelevisiontv Danny Mendez Wed, 21 May 2008 08:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[YouTube flagging videos of content owners]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/15/youtube-flagging-videos-of-content-owners/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/15/youtube-flagging-videos-of-content-owners/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/15/youtube-flagging-videos-of-content-owners/#comments modest mouse youtube copyright flag

YouTube has been linking copyrighted videos uploaded by third parties to their respective content owners. This occurred with a Modest Mouse video, which YouTube linked to the official Modest Mouse page. The link says "Contains Content From: Sony BMG," and it may be YouTube's way of preventing content owners from removing videos uploaded by fans.

Up until now, YouTube has said it shouldn't be held responsible for the copyright violations performed by its members, but it has also been very cooperative in removing copyrighted material when asked. Last year Google announced a video identification system, permitting content owners to identify (and choose how to share or remove) their content, so it seems this is what's at play here.

We're sure YouTube doesn't like to remove member videos. It's bad for business: a site with unhappy members typically means a site that eventually has no members. But if YouTube's just linking videos instead of removing them, it must be a positive step for consumers in the ongoing Copyright war.

[via Valleywag]

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YouTube flagging videos of content owners originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 15 May 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> copyrightlegalyoutube Danny Mendez Thu, 15 May 2008 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[RIM and Microsoft announce Windows Live services for Blackberry handsets]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/13/rim-and-microsoft-announce-windows-live-services-for-blackberry/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/13/rim-and-microsoft-announce-windows-live-services-for-blackberry/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/13/rim-and-microsoft-announce-windows-live-services-for-blackberry/#comments windows live search develop for crackberry
RIM and Microsoft have announced a deal that will officially bring Windows Live Services -- specifically Hotmail and Messenger -- to Blackberry handsets. Has hell frozen over? We wouldn't know. What we do know is the two companies have been rivals in the mobile industry up until now, but they both gain significantly from agreement.

Microsoft is no stranger to the idea of playing in a competitor's sandbox (remember Office for Mac?). By making Windows Live Messenger and Hotmail more accessible on the Crackberry, the company further pushes its communications services towards mass standardization especially in the business world. RIM also benefits from the agreement in the same way Apple benefits from Office for Mac: an OS is only as good as the software on it.

Messenger on Blackberry should retain most of its functions. It looks like users will be able to do the usual: IM, set status, pull up buddy lists, save conversations, use emoticons, and even send and receive files. While it looks like users can join group chats, creating group chats seems to be absent from the feature list.

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RIM and Microsoft announce Windows Live services for Blackberry handsets originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 13 May 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blackberryhotmaillivemessengermicrosoftRIM Danny Mendez Tue, 13 May 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Yahoo acquires Inquisitor: Oh no?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/09/yahoo-acquires-inquisitor-oh-no/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/09/yahoo-acquires-inquisitor-oh-no/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/09/yahoo-acquires-inquisitor-oh-no/#comments inquisitor preferences
The bright developer behind Inquisitor has announced today that Yahoo! has acquired the rights to his program, which searches for and suggests results as you type. It's very similar to Spotlight except that it searches the Internet instead of your Mac's HDDs.

We worry that Yahoo! might ruin Inquisitor by preventing it from working with other search engines, but the developer insists he will remain the lead mind behind the program. He will not be working with Yahoo! as their official employee, so at least he's keeping his creative freedom. Though we don't know if the company will allow him to apply that freedom to the program since it's technically Yahoo's now.

Our suggestion, if you use Inquisitor, is to turn off the search for updates feature, which may lead you to accidentally update the program to a crippled version. If you're happy with the way Inquisitor works, there's no point in risking an update. Otherwise, don't agree to an update without researching the changes first. We wouldn't want you to restrict Safari's search bar to Yahoo. No one deserves that.

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Yahoo acquires Inquisitor: Oh no? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 09 May 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> enginegoogleinquisitorsearchyahoo Danny Mendez Fri, 09 May 2008 21:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Web-based Vi text editor hits the web: text-edit from anywhere!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/08/web-based-vi-text-editor-hits-the-web-text-edit-from-anywhere/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/08/web-based-vi-text-editor-hits-the-web-text-edit-from-anywhere/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/08/web-based-vi-text-editor-hits-the-web-text-edit-from-anywhere/#comments jsvi web-based Vi clone
That popular Unix and Linux text editor known as Vi is now the proud brother of an online clone that should run in most javascript enabled browsers. It's called jsvi, and now you can write your own programs and HTML code from anywhere!

Such remote locations include but are not limited to:
  • your local library
  • the internet cafe down the street from work
  • your aunt's house
  • those weird McDonald's locations with internet computers inside
  • the boss' laptop
  • Russia
On a more serious note, the Vi simulator works with nearly all the traditional keys and substitution commands, and you can copy/paste from the clipboard. It also includes a built-in spell checker for those long-night moments when you've stared a word for too long and can no longer remember how to spell it. Does that happen to other people, or is it just us?

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Web-based Vi text editor hits the web: text-edit from anywhere! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 08 May 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> editorjsvitextutilitiesutilityviweb-basedweb-based toolsWeb-basedTools Danny Mendez Thu, 08 May 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Microsoft's I'm Initiative hits Hotmail]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/06/microsofts-im-initiative-hits-hotmail/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/06/microsofts-im-initiative-hits-hotmail/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/06/microsofts-im-initiative-hits-hotmail/#comments microsoft i'm initiative
Microsoft is expanding that successful I'm Initiative we heard about last year to include Hotmail. The company started the I'm Initiative in 2007's March and has so far raised nearly $1.5 million to give to charities.

The "service" makes using Microsoft's services -- specifically Hotmail and Messenger -- beneficial to several causes. Microsoft shares a portion of its advertising revenue collected through its email and instant messaging apps, and although this is "nice" on Microsoft's part, there's a clear business-minded motivation behind it.

Despite that, at least there's some good coming out of the ridiculous amount of instant messaging and emailing we all do. Though we can't praise Microsoft too much: $1.5 million out of the billions Microsoft makes everyday is hardly significant. Then again, if more companies donated a tiny portion of the tremendous amount of money they make everyday, the world could benefit significantly.

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Microsoft's I'm Initiative hits Hotmail originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 06 May 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> causecharitydonatedonationim initiativeImInitiativemicrosoft Danny Mendez Tue, 06 May 2008 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[YouTube and New Orleans team up for presidential forum]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/30/youtube-and-new-orleans-team-up-for-presidential-forum/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/30/youtube-and-new-orleans-team-up-for-presidential-forum/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/30/youtube-and-new-orleans-team-up-for-presidential-forum/#comments youtube new orleans presidential forum
YouTube, the mayor of New Orleans, and the governor of Louisiana have publicly invited the presidential candidates to participate in a presidential forum this September. Since this is not an official debate, it is unknown if any of the candidates will actually show up. Either way, the event should prove successful -- here's why.

It's been quite some time since New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina, but the city is not done suffering. There's about 86,000 evacuees stuck in Houston, Atlanta and 40 other cities, and there the government currently has no plan on how it will bring these people home (not to mention the city's other 921,332,437,208 problems). So even if the candidates don't show up to the debate, the publicity stunt should help to remind government officials that it's not over yet. In other words, it's a giant call for help.

Despite that many may dismiss YouTube as a time-waster, this isn't the site's first dive into the presidential race. Last year, YouTube allowed its users to record and send in questions, which would be answered by the candidates on TV. And though we know the Google owned site gets a lot of great publicity out stuff like this, we can't help but tip our hat for the good work.

[via Silicon Alley Insider]

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YouTube and New Orleans team up for presidential forum originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 2008debateelectionforumgooglenew orleansNewOrleanspresidentpresidentialyoutube Danny Mendez Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Pirate Bay gets a new name: Liberty Bay?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/26/pirate-bay-gets-a-new-name-liberty-bay/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/26/pirate-bay-gets-a-new-name-liberty-bay/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/26/pirate-bay-gets-a-new-name-liberty-bay/#comments liberty bay
Perhaps it's a blatant F.U. to content creators everywhere or maybe it's just an F.U. to Rockstar, but the Pirate Bay has gone out of its way to temporarily rename itself "Liberty Bay" in honor of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV.

The purpose for the publicity stunt is unclear, but -- considering the company's line of work -- it's likely to get the word out on the highly-rumored rumored Grand Theft Auto IV torrents that all the young kids blab about nowadays. Though we don't think the site's blog will address the gutsy move unless Rockstar starts throwing a fit, we'll let you know if things gets messy.

[via Kotaku]

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Pirate Bay gets a new name: Liberty Bay? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> legalp2ppirate bayPirateBaypublicity stuntPublicityStunt Danny Mendez Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Troubleshooting RSS addiction: a blogger finds freedom in a world without feeds]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/23/troubleshooting-rss-addiction-a-blogger-finds-freedom-in-a-worl/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/23/troubleshooting-rss-addiction-a-blogger-finds-freedom-in-a-worl/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/23/troubleshooting-rss-addiction-a-blogger-finds-freedom-in-a-worl/#comments laptop beach
It's part of our culture to want to get more done in less time, so it's unsurprising RSS readers are so popular nowadays. But what happens when efficiency and productivity start to replace general happiness? Well, that's what happened to a long time web publisher/surfer known as Halsted (AKA Cygnoir), who recently became fed up with her RSS addiction.

"I dread opening my RSS reader these days," she posted the day before giving up on RSS. "Right now there are 876 unread items glaring at me, from a total of 269 feeds." As of this writing, the brave soul has managed to get through about a week without relying on a reader -- you laugh, but some of us are truly addicted!

RSS and other technologies are often praised for their ability to save time, effort, etc, but it seems many forget their limits when they get into the habit of turning free time into work time -- all the time. This gets us wondering: How many feeds is one too many, and -- for all the RSS addicts out there -- how often do you check your feeds?

How many feeds is one too many?
11
51
101
501
1001
too many feeds is like too much free food
[via Valleywag]

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Troubleshooting RSS addiction: a blogger finds freedom in a world without feeds originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blogbloggingfeedreaderrss Danny Mendez Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Add file type support to Vista's Explorer preview pane with PreviewConfig]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/21/add-file-type-support-to-vistas-explorer-preview-pane-with-prev/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/21/add-file-type-support-to-vistas-explorer-preview-pane-with-prev/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/21/add-file-type-support-to-vistas-explorer-preview-pane-with-prev/#comments PreviewConfig results
PreviewConfig is a utility that gives Vista users the power to add file type support to the Explorer preview pane, which can be activated via "Organize." Though the preview pane can be an interesting and useful feature of the OS, it really lacks in file support. It's possible to add support for more without a 3rd party program, but that requires some risky and time-consuming registry tweaking.

But fear not lazy and/or less-advanced Vista users! PreviewConfig makes it easy to add support for more file types. Simply open the application, choose the file type on the left and select how to preview it on the right. In the photo above, you can see the results of adding support for a multimedia file -- in this case an MP3 -- which is previewed through Windows Media Player.

Though it was easy to add support for MP3 files, adding more would require the user to go through the process again. This isn't a big deal if you're looking to add a few more, but adding support for 20, 30, or more file types could prove to be extra boring. Then again, it beats doing the registry hack over and over again.

[via the How-To-Geek]

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Add file type support to Vista's Explorer preview pane with PreviewConfig originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> explorerfreewarepreviewpreview panepreviewconfigPreviewPanevista Danny Mendez Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Parenting 2.0: Mom pranks son's MySpace as punishment]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/parenting-2-0-mom-pranks-sons-myspace-as-punishment/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/parenting-2-0-mom-pranks-sons-myspace-as-punishment/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/parenting-2-0-mom-pranks-sons-myspace-as-punishment/#comments cookies
A sassy 13 year-old Virginian laid the smack-down on a vacuum instead of doing his chores and then was caught looking at porn by his tech savvy mother, who stumbled upon some very suspicious looking cookies (not pictured above) stored on the computer's browser. Unhappy with his recent behavior, how does a mother punish a boy in this day and age?

Grounding him to his room would only be a blessing: video games, TV, the Internet, movies, phone, etc. Getting him to do chores has already proved fruitless. Perhaps in another time-period, she would've beat him into a coma with a yard stick, but today's politically correct nation requires Parenting 2.0 -- officially trademarked, copyrighted, and owned by T-Mobile.

Continue reading Parenting 2.0: Mom pranks son's MySpace as punishment

Parenting 2.0: Mom pranks son's MySpace as punishment originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> internetmothermyspaceparenting Danny Mendez Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[New project aims to combine Flickr, Google Earth, and "spatial location"]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/new-project-aims-to-combine-flickr-google-earth-and-spatial-l/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/new-project-aims-to-combine-flickr-google-earth-and-spatial-l/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/new-project-aims-to-combine-flickr-google-earth-and-spatial-l/#comments
An innovative an dinteresting venture by the University of Southern California called Viewfinder seeks to spatially locate 2D pictures within a 3D environment like Google Earth. The end result places the pictures within Google Earth so that they seamlessly integrate within their environment. Can't picture it? Just check out the video after the jump, and check out the site for more information on how it works.

The goal is to eventually create a service that basically mixes something like Flickr with Google Earth, enabling users to view and post photos within their virtual environment. Flickr currently allows for geotagging, but viewing the pictures within their environment adds tons of more fun to the idea.

Perhaps Flickr should consider expanding its photo services instead of adding video, which it is trying to do right now, since Flickr users seem to hate the presence of moving pics on the Yahoo owned site. It seems a partnership with Viewfinder and Google Earth would be a better move, and -- since Yahoo's busy intermingling with all sorts of companies right now -- why not?

[via boing boing]

Continue reading New project aims to combine Flickr, Google Earth, and "spatial location"

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New project aims to combine Flickr, Google Earth, and "spatial location" originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> flickrgeotaggeotagginggoogle earthGoogleEarthpicpicspicturepicturesviewfinder Danny Mendez Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Yahoo and Google go on a date: we'll see where it goes from there]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/09/yahoo-and-google-go-on-a-date-well-see-where-it-goes-from-ther/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/09/yahoo-and-google-go-on-a-date-well-see-where-it-goes-from-ther/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/09/yahoo-and-google-go-on-a-date-well-see-where-it-goes-from-ther/#comments searching adsense on yahoo
It seems Yahoo! recently lost faith in its ability to advertise, and it almost seems desperate to try something very different. In fact, the company seems so desperate in a Web-world increasingly dominated by Google, that it's going to give AdSense a shot. Yes, Yahoo! will host Google ads on its own site.

Though the mini-partnership is cute and we're sure they'd make a fun but powerful couple, don't make any assumptions about their intentions yet. As much as Google would like to get in that pair of pants, Yahoo will only support AdSense in up to 3% of all search results for now. If AdSense does what it promises to do -- make more money than Yahoo's advertising services -- the two companies should enter into a more committed relationship.

It feels like Yahoo's just giving up, but you can't blame 'em. Google's an innovative monster, and how do you compete with that? I guess if you can't beat 'em, catch a ride on their coattails.

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Yahoo and Google go on a date: we'll see where it goes from there originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adsadsensegooglemicrosoftpanamapartnershipyahoo Danny Mendez Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Browse the news geographically, explore the stars with Google Earth]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/08/browse-the-news-geographically-explore-the-stars-with-google-ea/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/08/browse-the-news-geographically-explore-the-stars-with-google-ea/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/08/browse-the-news-geographically-explore-the-stars-with-google-ea/#comments Google Earth news
Just when you thought -- "I wonder what Google could possibly develop next?" -- the company busts out a new layer for Google Earth which gives users the ability to browse the day's New York Times headlines by region.

In all honesty, the feature is a great idea, and we're sure the company has some work to do (hopefully adding support for other news outlets), but it comes off as "half-assed" for now with New York (what a surprise!) getting the most NY Times markers. California, Mexico, Michigan, and a few other places get a marker too, and as you can see in the picture, the NY Times provides Google with the most important of news stories. Oh well, it'll probably get a lot better.

Other Google Earth improvements in version 4.2 include a simpler GUI, high-res photos of terrain, the ability to explore stars and constellations, and more.

[via Techmeme]

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Browse the news geographically, explore the stars with Google Earth originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> earthfreewaregooglelocationmapmapsnews Danny Mendez Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google Maps diminishing value of homes, causing "mental suffering"?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/05/google-maps-diminishing-value-of-homes-causing-mental-sufferin/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/05/google-maps-diminishing-value-of-homes-causing-mental-sufferin/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/05/google-maps-diminishing-value-of-homes-causing-mental-sufferin/#comments google maps street view of oakridge lane
A couple is accusing Google of diminishing the value of their property and causing them "mental" suffering" for including their recluse home in the Google Maps Street View project. The road leading up to their house is apparently labeled "private", something the Street View operator must've missed. We checked the Street View footage up to the house and didn't notice any clear "private" signs, but don't take our scientific analysis as fact.

They didn't like that Google invaded their "privacy". Some of the court papers are available online, and if you check them out, you'll notice mainly boring gibberish but also the address of the home. Suing Google has already done more damage to their "privacy" than the pictures on their own.

Aaron and Christine Boring want at least $25,000 and the 360 degree pictures destroyed, but something tells us the case doesn't stand a chance against Google's well paid, state-of-the-art, corporate lawyers, which come from the best lawyer factories in the nation.

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Google Maps diminishing value of homes, causing "mental suffering"? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> googlelawlawsuitlegalmapmapsnewspetty lawsuitsPettyLawsuitsstreet viewStreetViewsuesuing Danny Mendez Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Want to Rickroll the New York Mets and fans for the rest of the year?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/want-to-rickroll-the-new-york-mets-and-fans-for-the-rest-of-the/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/want-to-rickroll-the-new-york-mets-and-fans-for-the-rest-of-the/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/want-to-rickroll-the-new-york-mets-and-fans-for-the-rest-of-the/#comments rickrolling the new york mets
In what could only be described as genius and wonderful, a web user submitted the recent NY Mets song contest to Digg, asking Digg users to enter Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." The winning song will be played as a sing-a-long during the 8th inning of at the Shea stadium for the rest of the year.

During this year's April Fool's Day, YouTube "Rickrolled" -- as its called -- every user that clicked on a "Featured" video on its front page. Rickrolling refers to getting unsuspecting victims to watch or listen to "Never Gonna Give You Up." There were several efforts that linked to YouTube vidoes of the music video on April 1st, but getting a giant crowd to sing it on a regular basis for the rest of the year is... well, ridiculous. Here's to supporting ridiculousness.

Note: The dancing in the video is also ridiculous, and if you happen to need an extra identity (hey, some of us don't like being counted only once), the fake name generator is always good to go.

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Want to Rickroll the New York Mets and fans for the rest of the year? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> metsnew yorkNewYorkrick astleyRickAstleyrickrollrickrolling Danny Mendez Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Is Microsoft supporting Vista SP1 Upgrade Edition pirates?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/03/is-microsoft-supporting-vista-sp1-upgrade-edition-pirates/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/03/is-microsoft-supporting-vista-sp1-upgrade-edition-pirates/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/03/is-microsoft-supporting-vista-sp1-upgrade-edition-pirates/#comments windows vista install license terms box
Experts such as Brian Livingston, editorial director of the Windows Secrets newsletter, say Microsoft is intentionally allowing a loop-hole to exist, which enables more advanced users of Microsoft's operating systems to upgrade to Vista SP1 without having the necessary previous versions of Windows.

The loop-hole exists in the Vista SP1 Upgrade Edition, which requires a previous install of Windows 2000, XP, or Vista but the upgrade edition will install even if they're absent. The Vista SP1 Upgrade Edition retails for about $110 less than the full version of Vista SP1, which means users can save money on upgrading to Vista by purchasing the cheaper upgrade box.

Livingston believes Microsoft supports the hole since the upgrade edition installs over itself in Vista SP1. Although it may seem absurd at first, Microsoft may benefit from such software pirates -- if they can be called that anymore.

The theory behind this is already at play and has been at play for many years. As more and more users install some version of Windows, others will see it as "the standard", and then they will buy it -- or they'll pirate it and indirectly influence others to buy it.

Continue reading Is Microsoft supporting Vista SP1 Upgrade Edition pirates?

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Is Microsoft supporting Vista SP1 Upgrade Edition pirates? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cheatcommercialhackinstallosupdatessavesp1upgradevista Danny Mendez Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Set-up Firefox to search through text like Safari (dimmed background, animated)]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/03/set-up-firefox-to-search-through-text-like-safari-dimmed-backgr/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/03/set-up-firefox-to-search-through-text-like-safari-dimmed-backgr/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/03/set-up-firefox-to-search-through-text-like-safari-dimmed-backgr/#comments firefox safari style text search
Safari always had an interesting and convenient way of searching for text: it dims the background and highlights text-matches throughout the page. It's too bad Firefox can't couldn't do that. It's now possible to easily add that functionality to everybody's favorite open-source browser thanks to a recent mozillaZine post.

The install process is pretty simple if you use the better set of instructions and files, and it shouldn't take more than a few minutes of copying, pasting, and mouse clicking to complete. The animation process in between "Next" clicks is also fun, and if you're still on the fence about it, you could check out a video or two on the custom feature.

[via CyberNotes]

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Set-up Firefox to search through text like Safari (dimmed background, animated) originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> add onadd-onadditionAddOnbrowsertipsextensionfirefoxfreewareinlinesafarisearchtexttext searchTextSearch Danny Mendez Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Omnisio: online video editing with YouTube and others]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/01/omnisio-online-video-editing-with-youtube-and-others/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/01/omnisio-online-video-editing-with-youtube-and-others/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/01/omnisio-online-video-editing-with-youtube-and-others/#comments omnisio add video
Omnisio is a free web-based video editor that lets you snip and paste videos from YouTube, Google Video, and blip.tv, with support for more sites coming soon. The site is similar to online photo-editing sites like FotoFlexer, but applies the same idea to video. You don't need any desktop software other than a sturdy online browser with Flash support.

The three sites still provide for a very large library to choose from, and you could always add your own videos to a YouTube account should you need some extra content. We can see Omnisio being very useful for all types presentations -- professional or student related -- in which the subject is heavily documented on those video sites (what subject isn't heavily documented on YouTube?).

We can also see the online video-editing service spawning a whole new breed of online-content-remixers, which traditionally take funny and interesting videos, pictures, etc. to turn them into into (what's supposed to be) funnier but fairly stupid creations that usually make fun of the subject and gain mass notoriety. Thank you, Omnisio, for helping us clutter the Internet with even more Star Wars Kid edits.

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Omnisio: online video editing with YouTube and others originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blipblip.tvgoogle videoGoogleVideoomnisioonline video editingOnlineVideoEditingvideovideo editingVideoEditingweb servicesWebServicesyoutube Danny Mendez Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Want to help Azureus (Vuze) fight BitTorrent throttling ISPs?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/27/want-to-help-azureus-vuze-fight-bittorrent-throttling-isps/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/27/want-to-help-azureus-vuze-fight-bittorrent-throttling-isps/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/27/want-to-help-azureus-vuze-fight-bittorrent-throttling-isps/#comments no speed limitIf you like yourself some BitTorrent downloading action, we recommend you help Azureus fight BitTorrent throttling ISPs like Comcast, Adelphia, SusCom, and others by installing the Network Status Monitor plug-in for Azureus / Vuze. The plug-in monitors your network traffic for anything that might prohibit your computer from utilizing its broadband connection to the fullest.

Lately, some ISPs have been using BitTorrent throttling techniques to prevent BitTorrent programs from working properly. It is understandable that ISPs need to manage their networks in order to ensure that every customer gets a fair share of the bandwidth pie, but as individuals, traffic throttling techniques take away from the service we were promised when signing up.

If you choose to share the data collected via the Network Status Monitor, the Azureus team may analyze and compare it with the data collected from other users in order to develop ways of circumventing BitTorrent throttling. The plug-in only works on Windows machines for now, but Mac support is coming.

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Want to help Azureus (Vuze) fight BitTorrent throttling ISPs? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> azureusbittorrentcourtinternetlawlegalnet neutralityNetNeutralityp2ppluginvuzeweb Danny Mendez Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Facebook now suggests "people you may know"]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/27/facebook-now-suggests-people-you-may-know/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/27/facebook-now-suggests-people-you-may-know/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/27/facebook-now-suggests-people-you-may-know/#comments Facebook people you may know
Facebook just launched a new feature called People You May Know, which suggests -- get ready for the surprise -- people that you may now. Wow.

It finds these people based on "your existing connections", but we don't know how it decides the order of the list. Our guess: the more people you both know, the higher on the list the person gets placed.

We didn't recognize any of our first four suggestions (pictured above), but the profile we used to test the feature is not heavily used. In contrast, Harrison Hoffman at CNet seems to know or have met most of his suggestions. It would make sense that Facebook profiles used more heavily will produce better results.

[via CNet]

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Facebook now suggests "people you may know" originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfeaturefriendfriendsnew featureNewFeature Danny Mendez Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Mail Trends: what's your email look like on a graph?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/26/mail-trends-whats-your-email-look-like-on-a-graph/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/26/mail-trends-whats-your-email-look-like-on-a-graph/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/26/mail-trends-whats-your-email-look-like-on-a-graph/#comments Mail Trends
Ever wonder what your email behavior looks like on a graph? Because if you have, we've good news for some of you -- well, those of you that use Gmail. Google coder Mihai Parparita just released a Python program called Mail Trends, which can show you various graphs of data extracted from your email account. You can examine your email behavior from various angles:
  • Distribution of messages by year, month, day, day of week and time of day
  • Distribution of messages by size and your top 40 largest messages
  • The top senders, recipients and mailing lists you're on.
  • Distributions of senders, recipients and mailing lists over time
  • The distribution of thread lengths and the lists and people that result in the longest threads
If you don't use Gmail, fear not. The plan is to eventually release a version that works with other email services, though it is unknown when that version will see the light of day.

[via Googlified]

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Mail Trends: what's your email look like on a graph? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> analyzedataemailfreewaregmailgraphtrendtrends Danny Mendez Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google loses appeal for Gmail trademark in Europe]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/20/google-loses-appeal-for-gmail-trademark-in-europe/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/20/google-loses-appeal-for-gmail-trademark-in-europe/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/20/google-loses-appeal-for-gmail-trademark-in-europe/#comments giersch mail wtf google search
Due to another company trademarking "G-Mail" in Germany, similar to Google's "Gmail" in the US, the search engine giant lost an appeal to use "Gmail" in the European Union. G-Mail stands for "Giersch Mail" in Germany, where Daniel Giersch runs an electronic postal delivery service -- if that's not email, we couldn't say what it is.

As a result, Gmail is now known as Google Mail in Europe. Google's email service is also known as Google Mail in the UK, where another company trademarked "Gmail" shortly after Google launched the service.

And the moral of the story is: The next time you launch any product or service, make sure to trademark the name before. As for Google, the company "got caught slippin" -- as we say in the hip hop world -- so too bad, so sad.

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Google loses appeal for Gmail trademark in Europe originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> appealcourtelectronic postal deliveryElectronicPostalDeliveryemailg-mailgmailgooglelawlawsuitlegalmailtrademark Danny Mendez Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST Download Squad