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[Bounce is a dead-simple way to share notes on websites]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/23/share-notes-on-websites-with-bounce/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/23/share-notes-on-websites-with-bounce/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/23/share-notes-on-websites-with-bounce/#comments
The folks at ZURB have just released Bounce, a nice little tool which lets you take notes on websites and then share the URL with friends or colleagues. Bounce is basically a dressed down version of Notable, ZURB's full featured website feedback tool for teams.

The user interface for Bounce is dead simple. Just input the the URL you want to take notes on and in a few seconds Bounce will deliver a screenshot of the URL. Here you can take as many notes as you wish, input your name (which Bounce uses to label the screenshot with your notes) and press save. A public URL is then served which you can email or post to Twitter and Facebook. As you scroll over the boxes you drew on the screenshot, your notes will appear.

Bounce is free to use, no registration required -- and with no software to download or steep learning curve, it makes for a great little tool for development teams to get contextual feedback on their web projects.

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Bounce is a dead-simple way to share notes on websites originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bouncefeedbacknewsNoteTakingscreenshotsweb designweb developmentWebDesignWebDevelopmentZURB Dolores Parker Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Notable is a polished website feedback tool for teams]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/06/notable-is-a-polished-website-feedback-tool-for-teams/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/06/notable-is-a-polished-website-feedback-tool-for-teams/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/06/notable-is-a-polished-website-feedback-tool-for-teams/#comments
If you're part of the development team for a website project, it's important to keep tabs with all parties involved. It's necessary to get everyone's input, track progress to date, and synthesize the feedback so that the project can progress to completion. Some projects are straightforward and easy, while others can be insane at times. Either way, Notable is a great app to help streamline the process and keep the job on target.

Notable is a slick, online website collaboration tool that allows teams to get contextual feedback quickly from all of the team members. The app allows you to capture visual, code, and copy portions of a website and then annotate with your feedback, which you can then share with members of your team.

The app lets you capture Web pages three different ways: via a Firefox plug-in, by uploading images from a computer, or capture by URL from Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer. There's also an iPhone app that allows you to take screenshots and upload to your Notable account for note sharing.

Continue reading Notable is a polished website feedback tool for teams

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Notable is a polished website feedback tool for teams originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 06 May 2010 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> collaborationnewsnotablenotableappweb designweb developmentWebDesignWebDevelopmentwebsite designWebsiteDesign Dolores Parker Thu, 06 May 2010 16:45:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google now integrating its own Google Health service into your search results]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/01/google-now-integrating-its-own-google-health-service-into-your-s/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/01/google-now-integrating-its-own-google-health-service-into-your-s/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/01/google-now-integrating-its-own-google-health-service-into-your-s/#comments
Thanks to a tip from Stuart we learned Google Health is now being integrated into health search results. For instance, if you Google search "hay fever," the top search result is Google Health. The health content is provided by A.D.A.M., an online provider of health content that is physician reviewed for consumers.

Taking the number one spot for themselves, Google is making their move to be the source where consumers get their online health information and potentially dominate health search. I guess if you're Google, organic search results are whatever you want them to be.

It appears Google's strategy in tying health search results with its Google Health product, is to be the top dog of consumers electronic medical records systems. There are other contenders, such as Microsoft's HealthVault for instance, so this is certainly going to shape up to be an interesting power struggle to say the very least.

About Google Health
Google Health is an online medical record system where you store your health information using your Google account. You can build your health profile and import your medical records from hospitals and pharmacies. You can also share your health records with others in your online care network. Google's privacy policy states they won't sell your health information or make it accessible through searches on Google.com (that's nice to know) and only the user controls access to their health information.

Thanks Stuart!

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Google now integrating its own Google Health service into your search results originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 01 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Googlegoogle healthGoogleHealthhealthhealth recordsHealthRecordshealthvaultmedical recordsMedicalRecordsMicrosoftnewsOnline healthOnlineHealth Dolores Parker Sat, 01 May 2010 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[LinkedIn recommendations based on fact or fiction?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/30/linkedin-recommendations-based-on-fact-or-fiction/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/30/linkedin-recommendations-based-on-fact-or-fiction/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/30/linkedin-recommendations-based-on-fact-or-fiction/#comments
Our esteemed editor emeritus, Grant Robertson, tipped us to a not so well-known security breach at LinkedIn that allows you to re-engineer your work history to reflect, well whatever you want it to. The way it works is: after you get a recommendation, you can go into your profile and edit the title of the position you held -- say.. lowly intern -- and change it to CEO, just for kicks. Then you edit the name of the company to one that you make up, and voila! Now you have a recommendation for a job that didn't exist at a company you made up and your referral (the person who recommended you) is none the wiser.

Yah, sure that's what people do on their resumes all day long. But the issue here is, the person who referred you is an unwitting accomplice to your puffery. Unless they take the time to review your profile every so often, they will never know you changed their recommendation to a bogus job with an inflated title.

Solely for the purpose of illustrating this issue (ahem), I changed my title from blogger at Download Squad to Editor in Chief at World Comics, a company I just made up. Unfortunately, Grant who referred me when my information was blogger at Download Squad, might never find out. Of course, if he did, he could withdraw the recommendation outright. It would be more secure though if LinkedIn directly alerted people of edits made to the position and company of the person they recommended. And I don't think the weekly LinkedIn Network Updates email counts because does anyone really read them?

One way to assure your recommendation on LinkedIn doesn't get misrepresented is to write the person's title and company within your recommendation. That way you will have assurance your recommendation will be aligned to the position and company you are writing on behalf of and won't get "misused" down the road.
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LinkedIn recommendations based on fact or fiction? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> linkedinnewssecurity Dolores Parker Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Stardust@Home is a Time Waster with real astronomical significance]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/22/stardust-home-is-time-waster-with-real-astronomical-signficance/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/22/stardust-home-is-time-waster-with-real-astronomical-signficance/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/22/stardust-home-is-time-waster-with-real-astronomical-signficance/#comments Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to search for interstellar dust particles. They're the tiny particles that measure only a few microns (one millionth of a meter) in diameter and hail from distant stars that are now floating in space. They are the only matter from other stars that reaches our solar system. Impressive huh?

If you are successful in locating one of the particles (in all there are 40-100), as its discoverer, you will get to name the particle and be named as co-author on any scientific paper mentioning the discovery of the particle. Henceforth, you will be a Master of the Universe to friend and foe alike.

This is the grandaddy of all time wasters, because even though you "waste time," you are being productive while doing so. If you're successful at your mission, you really become a recognized Master of the Universe, which is not just a meaningless virtual title.

Continue reading Stardust@Home is a Time Waster with real astronomical significance

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Stardust@Home is a Time Waster with real astronomical significance originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> interstellar dust particlesinterstellar-correspondentsInterstellarDustParticlesMaster of the UniverseMasterOfTheUniversenewsPlanetaryPlanetary societyPlanetarySocietytime-wastertimewasters Dolores Parker Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:20:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Payvment adds special fan pricing to Facebook storefronts]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/19/-payvment-adds-special-fan-pricing-incentive-facebook-storefront/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/19/-payvment-adds-special-fan-pricing-incentive-facebook-storefront/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/19/-payvment-adds-special-fan-pricing-incentive-facebook-storefront/#comments Payvment, the e-commerce app that allows you to add a PayPal shopping cart to your website and launch a Facebook storefront, announced a new feature for its Facebook app. Retailers can now offer special discount pricing and incentives to fans of their Facebook Pages. Payvment calls this feature, Facebook Fan Incentive Pricing.

Now, retailers can induce people to become fans of their Facebook page by luring them in with special "fan only" pricing. The concept is hardly new. Nearly all stores extort offer member rewards or member discount pricing; this is just a natural extension of that trend. It also allows Facebook retailers a new way to collect fans.

To activate Payvment's Facebook Fan Incentive Pricing, current retailers can enable the feature within their storefront settings. Current fans will see the special fan price, and visitors to the storefront, who are not yet fans, are prompted to become a fan in order to receive the special fan price.

Conventional wisdom has it that Facebook has the potential to be a shopping mecca. After all, with 400 million people on Facebook, you could say that it's a decent size marketing opportunity. Right now, however, shopping on Facebook is more of a novelty. There's no storefront directory, and the product search on Payvment is just not that good. Perhaps social commerce is a foregone conclusion. If that's the case, then right now we're in the amoeba crawling onto land stage of the evolutionary process. It can only get better, right? The main question is when?

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Payvment adds special fan pricing to Facebook storefronts originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ecommerceFacebooknewspayvmentsocial networkingSocialNetworking Dolores Parker Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[137 years of Popular Science Magazine now online]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/05/137-years-of-popular-science-magazine-now-online/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/05/137-years-of-popular-science-magazine-now-online/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/05/137-years-of-popular-science-magazine-now-online/#comments A special shout out to our tipster @RussHogg who told us the entire 137 year archive of Popular Science Magazine is now available for online free browsing. You can view the entire collection's issues as they appeared at time of publication. It's definitely fun to go back in time and view cutting edge science throughout the years.

Right now, you can search by inputting key words in the search box, however they plan to roll out a browse-by-issue cover interface in the future with more advanced features for searching. Popular Science partnered with Google to make the archive possible.

Thanks @RussHogg!
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137 years of Popular Science Magazine now online originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> eBookeReaderGooglenewspopular sciencepopular science magazinePopularSciencePopularScienceMagazine Dolores Parker Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:01:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[FillAnyPdf makes it easy to share forms and collect data online]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/23/fillanypdf-makes-it-easy-to-share-forms-and-collect-data-online/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/23/fillanypdf-makes-it-easy-to-share-forms-and-collect-data-online/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/23/fillanypdf-makes-it-easy-to-share-forms-and-collect-data-online/#comments FillAnyPDF
 FillAnyPDF is a free online, SSL encrypted PDF form editor that allows you to upload your PDF form so that others can fill it out and even sign it online. While it's marketed as a replacement option to the fax, the appeal and practical uses are probably broader than that. Small business, non profits and volunteer groups who have limited resources and lack techie know-how now have an easy way to collect information online for projects as they come up.

FillAnyPDF offers the ability to send forms via an email link, HTML link, or to embed the entire form in HTML on your website. As the forms are filled out, the data collected can then be emailed to you or you can access the data when you log in. Users don't have to register to fill out the form which is another nice feature. The interface is simple and while it is ad supported, the ads are non obstructive. You can easily search your forms using tags.

Still in beta, FillAnyPDF is developing upcoming features such as hosting FillAnyPDF software on enterprise users' servers, group sharing and collaboration, etc. Trusting an unproven start up with financial information or personal information like social security numbers isn't something I would be comfortable with, but for basic information collection, I think FillAnyPDF is a strong option to consider.

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FillAnyPdf makes it easy to share forms and collect data online originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> fillanypdfformsnewsonline formsOnlineFormspdfpdf fillerPdfFiller Dolores Parker Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:10:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Happy 20th birthday, Photoshop!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/19/happy-20th-birthday-photoshop/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/19/happy-20th-birthday-photoshop/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/19/happy-20th-birthday-photoshop/#comments It's hard to picture life before Photoshop, but yes, some 20 years ago, Photoshop did not exist and photo manipulation was a matter of darkroom editing techniques and using complex sequences such as burn, dodge, fade, mask, which when used in Photoshop is a snap. Tomorrow is the 20th Anniversary of Photoshop, but the celebration is taking place around the world today.

Now that Photoshop is used as a verb in the English language, and probably countless other languages for that matter, it's easy to take for granted how much it has transformed the publishing industry and how it's editing tools allow us to view an alternative reality. It's probably reasonable to suggest that most published images are digitally manipulated in some way - models to look thinner, colors to be more intense, composition to appear more visually appealing, etc. The question becomes what is real, and what is fake?

Photoshop has had an interesting journey from its early days as a simple display program to a sophisticated digital image editing application with over 10 million users worldwide. Using its suite of tools, you can retouch images, add textures, crop images, build layers, add text and basically do everything to create stunning results. Adobe offers several levels of Photoshop, from the free, online image editing app, Photoshop.com, to the advanced CS4 Extended, recommended for film, video and multimedia professionals.

If you want to join Photoshop's birthday celebration, there's a number of links for you to visit, below. If you want to comment on Twitter about the anniversary, add the tag #PS20. Additionally, Adobe TV has an excellent video, Startup Memories, to commemorate the impact Photoshop has had over the years and gets the original developers together to discuss the creation of the software.

Photoshop Facebook
Photoshop Twitter
National Association of Photoshop Professionals

Happy birthday Photoshop! Here's to at least another 20 more years!




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Happy 20th birthday, Photoshop! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adobedigital imagingDigitalImagingnewsphoto editingPhotoEditingphotoshopphotoshop.comphotoshopped Dolores Parker Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:33:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[The key to going viral]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/12/the-key-to-going-viral/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/12/the-key-to-going-viral/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/12/the-key-to-going-viral/#comments What's the magic sauce that makes something go viral on the internet? Why do some things end up being more viral than others? Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania tackled this question by data-diving into The New York Times list of most emailed articles over a period of six months, August 2008 to February 2009. The tipping point they found was awe - "the emotion of self-transcendence, a feeling of admiration and elevation in the face of something greater than the self."

Controlling for factors such as article placement within the paper and emotionality (positive and negative) among many others, the researchers found awe inspiring articles are most emailed, as are practically useful, emotion laden and positive articles. Surprisingly, longer articles, articles written by famous authors and those written by women are also more likely to go viral. This data contrasts with conventional thinking that brevity is king in holding readers' attention. Also, there seems to be a never-ending supply of negative headlines whenever you read the news, yet the research shows most stories shared are the positive ones.

The study surmises we share content for a variety of reasons, sometimes self-enhancement (see how smart I am, I sent you this way before you even knew about it) or to generate reciprocity, but also to deepen connections with others.

I decided to test the findings employing my own unscientific data comparison by looking at YouTube's top five viral videos of 2009. The Susan Boyle one I can see, but the others, not so much (David After Dentist, JK Wedding Entrance, New Moon Movie Trailer and Evian Roller Babies). The study did show surprising content is more viral, so perhaps the roller skating babies, and the unique wedding entrance explains those videos popularity. In any event, according to the research, awe is key to going viral.
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The key to going viral originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> aweawesomenewsSocialNetworkingsusan boyleSusanBoyleuniversity of pennsylvaniaUniversityOfPennsylvaniaviralviral videoViralVideoyoutube Dolores Parker Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:01:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[1DayLater - simple as it gets time, mileage and expense tracker]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/10/1daylater-simple-as-it-gets-time-mileage-and-expense-tracker/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/10/1daylater-simple-as-it-gets-time-mileage-and-expense-tracker/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/10/1daylater-simple-as-it-gets-time-mileage-and-expense-tracker/#comments If you're in the market for a simple, easy project/time tracker tool to help you manage expense reports and invoicing, 1DayLater is a simple online tool that does the basics. Currently in beta, this U.K. based company is setting its sights on capturing market share in an arguably crowded segment (Freshbooks, Simply Invoices, Cashboard, and many, many more) by keeping functionality very, very simple.

1DayLater lets you track your mileage, time, and expenses of your various projects or clients. With continued use, your data inputs can be assimilated into graphs so you can visualize where all your time, money and efforts are really going.

The app is free for now and there are plans to roll out a premium version with more features later this month, however, a free, basic plan will always be available.

Future functionality will include invoicing, mileage expense reports, mobile and desktop apps. You can also export your data into Office Open XML files. These spreadsheets can be opened in Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org, iWork, etc.

So far, the app is what it is - a clean, dead simple user interface to track expenses, mileage and time. How it will fare in the market against established, robust competition, time will only tell.
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1DayLater - simple as it gets time, mileage and expense tracker originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 1daylaterexpensesfreshbooksinthenewsinvoicingnewsonline invoicingOnlineInvoicingtime trackingTimeTracking Dolores Parker Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Send a real gift to your valentine on Facebook]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/09/send-a-real-gift-to-your-valentine-on-facebook/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/09/send-a-real-gift-to-your-valentine-on-facebook/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/09/send-a-real-gift-to-your-valentine-on-facebook/#comments If sending virtual gifts like hearts, flowers and smiles on Facebook isn't your bag, you can send the real deal via RealGifts, a Facebook app that allows you to purchase real items and send them to your Facebook friends. Real gifts appear in Facebook's Gift shop and can be purchased through the Facebook credit system (10 credits = $1).

Some of the real gifts you can buy are chocolates, flowers, teddy bears, etc. The transaction is dead simple: type in your friend's name, choose the gift and then pay using your credit card. The entire process is contained within Facebook, making it a super convenient, no-shopping-cart-hassle experience. Your gift will be posted on your friend's wall and the gift is delivered by either Fedex, UPS or the USPS. If the gift is electronically redeemable, the recipient will receive a special link to redeem the gift.

No worries if you don't have a delivery address as the gift recipient can be prompted to enter it -- benign stalkers, rejoice! Delivery is limited to the U.S. and gift selection is limited, but will probably grow by leaps and bounds as more and Facebook users test the waters of buying real gifts within the Facebook network.
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Send a real gift to your valentine on Facebook originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfacebook giftsfacebookappsFacebookGiftsnewsRealGiftsvalentines dayValentinesDay Dolores Parker Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:31:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[E-book buyer's privacy guide - reading isn't solo anymore]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/28/e-book-buyers-privacy-guide-reading-isnt-solo-anymore/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/28/e-book-buyers-privacy-guide-reading-isnt-solo-anymore/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/28/e-book-buyers-privacy-guide-reading-isnt-solo-anymore/#comments The digital footprints we leave as we move along in our daily lives are pretty astonishing. As our lives are transformed by the convenience technology provides, the price we pay is the privacy we give up. Today is Data Privacy Day, and we thought it was a good time to highlight one of the areas where companies are watching your behavior closely.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation published an excellent guide, "The E-Book Buyer's Guide to Privacy " which dishes the goods on E book readers' privacy policies by brand. It might give you pause to think of the powerful information Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Google, and Sony could employ with the information they monitor on what books individuals read or search for.
For instance, two of the E-book readers (Google Books and Amazon Kindle) can monitor what you're reading. Google's Book Search Project takes tracking reading habits to a new level, logging what you searched for, the page you read, how long you viewed the page, and where you searched next.

All of the E-book readers, Google Books, Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, and Sony Reader can keep track of book searches and book purchases. Most troubling is the fact that the information collected on your book selections, searches, and purchases could be shared outside the company without your consent (applies to the Kindle, Nook and Reader).

The good news is you do have options. You can laugh in the face of the commercial behemoths and get a free, open source FBReader (for Windows/Linux) which collects no data on your book selections or searches. Another option: you can go to a bookstore and purchase an old fashioned paper book, with cash preferably.

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E-book buyer's privacy guide - reading isn't solo anymore originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> amazonAmazon KindleAmazonKindlebarnes and nobleBarnesAndNobleeBookEbookReaderElectronic Frontier FoundationElectronicFrontierFoundationfbreadergoogle booksGoogleBookskindlelinuxnooksony readerSonyReaderwindows Dolores Parker Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:06:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Payvment lets you launch a storefront on Facebook]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/26/payvment-lets-you-launch-a-storefront-on-facebook/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/26/payvment-lets-you-launch-a-storefront-on-facebook/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/26/payvment-lets-you-launch-a-storefront-on-facebook/#comments
Finally, beyond the sale of virtual gifts like hugs and angel wings, Facebook has an app that allows you to open an ecommerce storefront via Payvment. Introduced in November 2009, Payvment uses a PayPal shopping cart for its app to work with Facebook Pages.

In addition to its Facebook app, Payvment has a shopping cart web service which allows you to add a shopping cart to any website by adding just a single line of code. Their Open Cart Network allows shopping cart systems to communicate with each other so if a customer leaves a web store without purchasing an item, their items will reappear across every shopping cart in the network. Now customers will be able to complete their purchase even if they are no longer on your storefront.

Their Facebook app is free and dead simple to use. It allows you to sell an unlimited number of items to your Facebook fans, who can now search and purchase your products across any storefront on Facebook. In theory the idea of promoting your product to 350 million people is commerce nirvana. In practice however, at the moment there are some hurdles that have to be overcome. First, search on Facebook is not exactly optimized for commerce. (Try searching for products to buy). Second, most people don't use Facebook to shop.

Whatever the challenges to ecommerce retailers on Facebook face now, the idea is this will certainly change in the not too distant future. Payvment indicates a first step in that direction. So if you want to be part of the first wave and start your Facebook storefront, here's how after the jump.

Continue reading Payvment lets you launch a storefront on Facebook

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Payvment lets you launch a storefront on Facebook originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ecommercefacebookFacebook ecommercefacebook pagesfacebook storefrontFacebookAppsFacebookEcommerceFacebookPagesFacebookStorefrontfeaturesonline shoppingonline shopping cartOnlineShoppingOnlineShoppingCartpaypalpayvmentpayvment tutorialPayvmentTutorialsell on FacebookSellOnFacebookshopping Dolores Parker Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Should Americans go on a data diet?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/09/should-americans-go-on-a-data-diet/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/09/should-americans-go-on-a-data-diet/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/09/should-americans-go-on-a-data-diet/#comments This graphic by Rob Vargas represents the 34 gigs of information the average American consumes in one day -- or 3.6 zettabytes for all Americans collectively per day. For reference, 1 zettabyte is equal to 1 billion terabytes. A study, "How Much Information?" done by the University of California, San Diego reports that the average American consumes 100,500 words on any given day and processes 34 GB of information, the majority of which is dominated by computer games, TV and radio.

Another way of looking at it: If 3.6 zettabytes of text could be printed in texts and stacked as tightly as possible across the US, including Alaska, the pile would be 7 feet high.

Note this study shows the amount of information the average American consumes.

Imagine how many gigs geeks process in an average day.

Let's see the data on that!
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Should Americans go on a data diet? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 3.6 zettabytes3.6Zettabytes34 gb34GbHow much informationHowMuchInformationnewsRob VargasRobVargasUCLA Dolores Parker Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Firefox add-on lets you edit and save your website form input]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/09/firefox-add-on-lets-you-edit-text-in-web-pages/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/09/firefox-add-on-lets-you-edit-text-in-web-pages/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/09/firefox-add-on-lets-you-edit-text-in-web-pages/#comments Dissociated Press turned me onto It's all text!, a nice Firefox add-on that allows you to edit text on web pages using your text editor of choice. This comes in handy when you want to leave comments or post something in forums and then, say, your browser crashes or you mistakenly press the backspace key outside the text area. We've all been there - all your snark work is erased!
The extension provides an edit box for any text area on web pages. After installing, at the bottom right corner of any text box, a tiny edit button will appear. When you click it, the web page will open in your text editor (first time users will be prompted to set preferences including your editor choice). When you save or close the document, It's all text! automagically refreshes the web page and your text will appear within the text area in seconds or after you see a yellow flash.

In the event your browser crashes (or your cat jumps on your keyboard) your work is saved in your external editor. Then you can just restart Firefox and paste the text back in.

[via Dissociated Press]

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Firefox add-on lets you edit and save your website form input originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> firefoxfirefox-add-onits all textItsAllTextnewstext editorTextEditor Dolores Parker Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:03:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Who needs shipping? 14 online sites where you can get great gifts]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/22/who-needs-shipping-14-online-sites-where-you-can-get-great-gif/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/22/who-needs-shipping-14-online-sites-where-you-can-get-great-gif/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/22/who-needs-shipping-14-online-sites-where-you-can-get-great-gif/#comments
Don't want to spend more on shipping your gifts to arrive before Christmas than they're actually worth? Don't worry, there are lots of online sites where you can give some super gifts via download online certificates. Here are 14 places to check out to give some great gifts:

E-Gift Cards:
Amazon.com offers the ability to send gift cards via email in any denomination from $1-5,000. Your gift card can arrive in your friend's inbox as soon as you hit checkout. You can also print your gift card and give them something that is more tangible.

Barnes and Noble is another option if you'd like to send an online gift certificate to someone. B&N provides online access to ebooks which can be read on iPhones and Blackberries, Mac or PCs. All your gift recipient will have to do to get started reading, is select their book at B&N.com and download the free eReader software. Note, gift certificates can only be used at B&N.com, not in stores.

Macys.com offers the ability to send e-gift cards until 1pm on December 24. Your recipient will receive a personalized email within 24 hours, redeemable at Macys.com, macysweddingchannel.com or in stores.

Continue reading Who needs shipping? 14 online sites where you can get great gifts

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Who needs shipping? 14 online sites where you can get great gifts originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> amazonbarnes and nobleBarnesAndNoblecarbonitee gift cardsEGiftCardsemusicereaderfeaturesgog.comhggholidayholiday gift guideHolidayGiftGuideitunesitunes storeItunesStorelands endLandsEndmacysmedia templeMediaTemplenordstromonline shoppingOnlineShoppingsteamwalmart Dolores Parker Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:02:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[The last full day for free super saver shipping!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/17/the-last-full-day-for-free-super-saver-shipping/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/17/the-last-full-day-for-free-super-saver-shipping/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/17/the-last-full-day-for-free-super-saver-shipping/#comments Free shipping If you can muster the time to get your online shopping done today, you'll be among the last to take advantage of free super saver shipping from Amazon this holiday season; the same goes for many other large web merchant sites.

A whole host of retailers have proclaimed today "Free Shipping Day," offering free shipping on certain items and delivery by 12/24 at certain stores (not all, check before you click!) FreeShippingDay helps you track down those various store shipping offers, saving you a few extra holiday dollars. So what are the cut off dates for shipping at the most popular retailers?

Amazon -- Today is the last full day for free super saver shipping. Super saver by 12/24 only applies if all your items are in stock and all "sold by Amazon." Christmas order cutoff dates are as follows: 12/20 for standard shipping; 12/21 - last full day for 2 day shipping and 12/23 is last day for 1 day shipping.

Best Buy -- 12/21 - last day for free shipping on certain items to arrive by December 24. To see items that offer free shipping quickly, click on a category you're interested in, for example TVs, and then scroll down on the left side to Current Offers, and then click on Free Shipping to see the items eligible for free shipping.

Newegg -- Offers 3 day UPS and Fedex service if order placed by 12/20 so your gift will arrive by 12/24. Here's a link to their holiday cutoff schedule. If you're more interested in free shipping, here's a link to their current free shipping items.

Target -- Free shipping on qualifying orders of $50 or more through 12/21. Does not include 1 or 2 day shipping. 12/20 is the last day for standard shipping and 12/21 is the last day for 1 day upgraded shipping.

Overstock -- Today is the last day for free standard shipping with the promise of your gift arriving by 12/24. 2 day shipping cutoff is 12/21 and the deadline for next day shipping is 12/23.

If you have any other last-minute tips, or corrections, please leave it in the comments!

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The last full day for free super saver shipping! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> amazonbest buyBestBuyfree shippingFreeShippinghggholiday shoppingHolidayShoppingnewsoverstockTarget Dolores Parker Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:02:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Wantzit - an online wish list you might actually use]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/14/wantzit-an-online-wish-list-you-might-actually-use/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/14/wantzit-an-online-wish-list-you-might-actually-use/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/14/wantzit-an-online-wish-list-you-might-actually-use/#comments
As you're thinking about all the holiday goodies you're yearning to get your hands on, Wantzit is a super easy online wish list that lets you share your heart's desires with del.icio.us, Facebook, Twitter, email, blogs, etc.

The service is universal as it allows you to share anything that's on the web to your list - including things that aren't even for sale and you get your own URL - YOURNAME.wantzit.

To play with Twitter just type @DOWANT and then write or link to whatever it is you want. And that's a nice segue for how it all began. Originally, Wantzit started out as a del.icio.us hack, where the owners republished everything people tagged "Dowant" in Del.icio.us. See how nicely things progress?

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Wantzit - an online wish list you might actually use originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> online wish listOnlineWishListwantzitwishlist Dolores Parker Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Framed! - nice iphone app boredom buster]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/11/framed-nice-iphone-app-boredom-buster/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/11/framed-nice-iphone-app-boredom-buster/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/11/framed-nice-iphone-app-boredom-buster/#comments Framed! is a fun photo app for iPhone/iPod touch that allows you to drop your photos in 34 different scenes such as taxi billboard, album cover, wanted poster, cereal box, TV, etc. After you select the scene and input the text, you can share your creation via email or Facebook.

At .99, this 4 star rated app is a pretty good investment as it will probably keep kids and tweens occupied for hopefully longer than the usual 5 minutes. I timed my own kids using it and at a full 45 minutes of entertainment, I consider that just about priceless.

Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later. There's also a free "lite" version does the same thing with less - only 14 frames.

It seems Santa left us with 3 copies to give away to DLS readers, as well as 1 copy of Xmas Frames, the eggnog version for the holidays.

The rules:
  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  • To enter, leave a comment below. The comment must be left by Friday, December 11, 2009 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • Four winners will be selected in a random drawing.
Prize: One free license of Framed! or Xmas Frames (retail value US$.99).

Click here for the complete official rules.

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Framed! - nice iphone app boredom buster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> commercialgiveawayhggiphoneiphone appIphoneAppipod touchIpodTouchkids Dolores Parker Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:45:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[5 ways to save money with an iPhone]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/21/5-ways-to-save-money-with-an-iphone/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/21/5-ways-to-save-money-with-an-iphone/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/21/5-ways-to-save-money-with-an-iphone/#comments On 12/28 I am eligible to switch phones and am rationalizing an iPhone purchase, which is all the more difficult as I just read David Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. The book advocates saving money and paring down expenses, so the $30 monthly data plan would definitely be in the con column. However, after reading 33 things you don't need if you buy an iPhone, I'm thinking I'll definitely come out ahead in the long run. Below are some of my favorite excuses reasons to purchase.

GPS- rather than purchasing a stand alone unit, like Tom Tom, there's several apps in the App Store that will help with turn by turn navigation.

Camera - since my husband borrowed and never returned my Canon PowerShot, I definitely "need" a good camera. And while the iPhone's camera is not like my SD850IS, it's a decent enough point and shoot. Plus, I'll be "saving" money and don't even get me started on the convenience of not having to carry multiple devices.

Continue reading 5 ways to save money with an iPhone

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5 ways to save money with an iPhone originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> app storeAppStoreiphoneiphone appIphoneAppnewssave moneySaveMoney Dolores Parker Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Gift Guide: get 50 photo holiday cards for free]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/10/holiday-gift-guide-get-50-photo-holiday-cards-for-free/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/10/holiday-gift-guide-get-50-photo-holiday-cards-for-free/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/10/holiday-gift-guide-get-50-photo-holiday-cards-for-free/#comments Since we're all looking for ways to save money for the holidays, you might want to take advantage of this limited time offer from SeeHere.com where you can buy 50 (4x8) or 50 (5x7) photo holiday cards for absolutely nothing. This offer includes free standard shipping and represents a savings of $40.
SeeHere is Fuji's photosharing site where you can create cards, photo books and gifts. They have a decent holiday selection and new account users can also get 100 free (4x6) prints for registering. (Shipping not included - promo code "prints").

To get the 50 holiday cards for free, be sure to use the promo code "freebies4mom-1109." Don't procrastinate! This offer is only good until 11/30.

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Gift Guide: get 50 photo holiday cards for free originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freeFujiFilm SeeHereFujifilmSeeherehggholiday cardsHolidayCardsphoto cardsPhotoCards Dolores Parker Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Now finally available - ubiquitous media sharing with Orb for Mac]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/05/now-finally-available-media-sharing-with-orb-for-mac/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/05/now-finally-available-media-sharing-with-orb-for-mac/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/05/now-finally-available-media-sharing-with-orb-for-mac/#comments
It was pretty exciting news at Download Squad to hear Orb, the "sort of software version of Slingbox," was available for Mac. Orb allows you to broadcast your media to any device that has a web browser. After downloading Orb to your "always on" Mac with a high speed internet connection, you can access all your photos, songs, TV shows, and videos from any device with a browser and media player.

After downloading the app, Orb indexes your media and then prompts you to either log in to mycast.orb.com, or create a log in if you don't have an account. After you log in you can see your dashboard and all your media goodies.



Though my songs appeared immediately, my photos did not. There are various feed settings you can play with and channels to explore. Also, with a simple drag drop interface you can share your media with your friends via email, SMS, widget on your blog, or a public URL.



Checking it out from my home computer is one thing, but would it work on other devices? Success! I was able to access my media from my Dell PC.

A note for iPhone owners: The esteemed and indefatigable Jay Hathaway noted that he received errors when he tried to download the free version of OrbLive for the iPhone, which he tried from both his iPhone and his iTunes account on his Mac. There are 3 flavors of Orb available for the iPhone: OrbLive free, OrbMedia ($4.99) and OrbLive ($9.99)

Note to Orb: Please update your landing page to include PC and Mac, ok?

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Now finally available - ubiquitous media sharing with Orb for Mac originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> iphoneMacmedia sharingmedia streamerMediaSharingMediaStreamermobilenewsOrb Dolores Parker Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Track Black Friday prices with Invisible Hand add on for Firefox]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/03/track-black-friday-prices-with-invisible-hand-add-on-for-firefox/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/03/track-black-friday-prices-with-invisible-hand-add-on-for-firefox/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/03/track-black-friday-prices-with-invisible-hand-add-on-for-firefox/#comments We've covered Invisible Hand, the discreet shopping comparison add on for Firefox, which displays prices on items you are searching on the web. Just in time for Black Friday, the hand has trotted out a new add on which along with other improvements, incorporates Google search results.

Now, you can get your price results in real time so you know you're getting the best deal. My test drive of the hand went smooth, the results loaded up within a second or two and updates were very discreet. This is a real time saver for getting price results.

The add on will be officially released to the Mozilla site within a few weeks, but the first 200 Download Squad readers can download the beta version. Just click on the link below and key in invisibleDLS for the access code.

http://preview.getinvisiblehand.com/




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Track Black Friday prices with Invisible Hand add on for Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Black Friday dealsBlack Friday SalesBlackFridayDealsBlackFridaySalesfirefox-add-onHGGInvisible hand add on for firefoxInvisibleHandAddOnForFirefoxnewsonline price comparisonOnlinePriceComparisonshopping comparison toolsShoppingComparisonTools Dolores Parker Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Share unlimited media files for free with Libox]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/29/share-unlimited-media-files-for-free-with-libox/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/29/share-unlimited-media-files-for-free-with-libox/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/29/share-unlimited-media-files-for-free-with-libox/#comments
Libox got my attention with free and unlimited - as in unlimited - media sharing. It's a new beta desktop application that allows you to share all your photos, videos and music with your friends and contacts. Unlike other social media sharing sites, whose free accounts are 1 GB or 100 photos/files, Libox is unlimited.

A colleague and I gave the app a trial run today and we liked it. After downloading and installing (7.9 MB Mac and Windows) the beta, Libox prompts you to import your files from your computer. The UI is clean, minimalist and intuitive. After importing your media files from your computer, you can share them by email with your friends and groups. Your friends will also have to install the app to open the files you send.

Libox allows you to sync your media files with all the computers in your house. There is also a web app where you can access your media in your browser, however, it is in alpha and can only be used on your local computer and if it is not behind a firewall.

To accomplish all this, Libox uses a combination of P2P networking, cloud and grid computing. It does not store your media or metadata on their servers and when you share media with your friends, Libox creates a "private secure network" on those specific files with those specific friends. The files are received in their original format, no compression, resizing or degradation.

Many questions abound, like how will this service make money? Once out of beta, will it be a paid service? What about the private secure networks? How private and how secure? The web access in alpha - how will that work? What are the compatible file formats? Any plans to add other file types like EPS or Docs? Does Libox work with Linux? Tell us more about the company and mission. Is their plan complete world domination? Is Libox too good to be true?

Stay tuned. Hopefully, we'll get these answers and more if you leave your questions in the comments.

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Share unlimited media files for free with Libox originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> free media sharingliboxnewsonline media sharingOnlineMediaSharingsocial media sharingSocialMediaSharingunlimitedunlimited free online file sharingunlimited online file sharingUnlimitedFreeOnlineFileSharingUnlimitedOnlineFileSharing Dolores Parker Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[PDFAmigo - quick, fillable pdf creator in your browser]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/27/pdfamigo-quick-fillable-pdf-creator-in-your-browser/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/27/pdfamigo-quick-fillable-pdf-creator-in-your-browser/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/27/pdfamigo-quick-fillable-pdf-creator-in-your-browser/#comments If you're in need of a quick pdf form creator and don't want to dig in your wallet too deep, PDFAmigo might be a good option for you. Running from your browser, PDFAmigo allows you to create enhanced fillable pdf forms utilizing color, different fonts, text fields, radio buttons, etc.

You don't have to sign in to get started, however you will need to if you want to save your work or upload images. If you don't mind the huge watermark across your file, the pdf you create is free. Naturally, that might be a problem, so you can buy the file for $1.00 using Paypal and the watermark will be erased. This fee does not include future changes to the form, so each change you make to the form would be an additional $1. Also, the first page is $1, and additional pages are 50 cents. (If you like to tweak your output this might get a bit expensive). Just sayin.

Another option that is completely free is PDFescape. It also runs in your browser and you can create fillable pdf forms, albeit with less font options and features. Any other faves? Let us know!

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PDFAmigo - quick, fillable pdf creator in your browser originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> browser based pdf designerBrowserBasedPdfDesignerfree online pdf form builderFreeOnlinePdfFormBuildernewsonline pdf creator freeOnlinePdfCreatorFreePDFAmigoPDFescape Dolores Parker Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Amawaitin - Amazon bargain shopper's tool]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/23/amawaitin-amazon-bargain-shoppers-tool/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/23/amawaitin-amazon-bargain-shoppers-tool/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/23/amawaitin-amazon-bargain-shoppers-tool/#comments AmawaitinYou know how you feel when you miss a sale on an item you were definitely going to buy, but now the price has gone up and you feel like you've been robbed? Yeh, I hate it when that happens.

Amawaitin is a shopping tool for Amazon that emails or tweets you when your preselected items hit your target price. This is convenient as it helps you from having to constantly check if the price has gone down on your favorite items.

The site is super easy to register for and navigate. You can search for an item and Amawaitin will provide a list for you to select. You put in your target price and then you - yeah you guessed right - you wait. I'm still waiting for the price alert on the 47 in HDTV for $599.

The key to Amawaitin is having the presence of mind to input your items and target price in advance. The other critical factor is to have patience and hope your target price will hit, and the last consideration is to brace yourself for Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time song, whose lyrics will invade your head just because the name of the site is asking for it. I will be waiting, time after time..

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Amawaitin - Amazon bargain shopper's tool originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> amawaitinamazonamazon bargain shoppers tipamazon dealsamazon price alertAmazonBargainShoppersTipAmazonDealsAmazonPriceAlertnews Dolores Parker Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Shopping for Windows 7? Score it free or heavily discounted]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/22/shopping-for-windows-7-score-it-free-or-heavily-discounted/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/22/shopping-for-windows-7-score-it-free-or-heavily-discounted/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/22/shopping-for-windows-7-score-it-free-or-heavily-discounted/#comments So you got your party hat on and want to buy Windows 7 but don't feel like shelling out $119.99 - $319.99 for the various editions upgrade or full version? Well, we made life a little easier for you and your wallet. Below is a shopping site roundup of Win 7 deals and discounts. Check it out and see what deals you are eligible for.

Student - Microsoft is selling the student edition for $29.99 but you have to be enrolled in a college or university as they require a vailid college or university email. If you don't have one of those, you can scan in your student ID, proof of course payment (yes, I'm serious) or class list. Sheesh.

Home Premium Upgrade - $119.99. You need to be running a genuine copy of Windows XP or Vista to be eligible for this edition. (Sorry to say Microsoft had this on sale for $49.99 up until July 11th when it was sold as a pre order for Win7). Another option would be to buy the Family 3 pack for $149.99, however, Costco is currently selling this version for $134.99.

Continue reading Shopping for Windows 7? Score it free or heavily discounted

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Shopping for Windows 7? Score it free or heavily discounted originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> commercialdealshggosupdatesspecial offersSpecialOffersstudentwindowswindows 7windows 7 dayswindows 7 family 3 packwindows home premium upgradeWindows7Windows7DaysWindows7Family3PackWindowsHomePremiumUpgrade Dolores Parker Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[David Lynch's Interview Project blog launches Oct. 20]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/16/david-lynchs-interview-project-blog-launches-oct-20/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/16/david-lynchs-interview-project-blog-launches-oct-20/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/16/david-lynchs-interview-project-blog-launches-oct-20/#comments
Interview Project by David Lynch is an online series of interviews with Americans from different walks of life, in various towns and cities all over America. Beginning October 20, the project will launch a community blog, incorporating Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, so fans will be able to upload their own original content.

Austin Lynch (David's son) and a friend set out on a roadtrip across America and back to get the people's story from everyday Americans. They covered 20,000 miles in 70 days and got stories that are notable for the fact they are real, organic and unrehearsed. Production wise, they have the unmistakable Lynch feel, you keep looking for something that may be hidden. I watched 4 of the interviews and enjoyed spotting the Lynch symbols - close ups of flowers, bird chirps, etc. It will be fun to get to see how the conversations flow once the blog opens up a richer dialogue.

The blog launch will coincide with the premiere of the Clinton interview, a Fayetteville, WV man who finds salvation through a Stevie Nicks concert. For laughs, check out Lynch below NSFW (language) talking about watching movies on iPhones.

To him, it just ain't the real thing.

Continue reading David Lynch's Interview Project blog launches Oct. 20

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David Lynch's Interview Project blog launches Oct. 20 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> David LynchDavidLynchInterview ProjectInterview Project BlogInterviewProjectInterviewProjectBlognews Dolores Parker Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Invisible Hand - Firefox add on to help you find sweet deals]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/invisible-hand-firefox-add-on-to-help-you-find-sweet-deals/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/invisible-hand-firefox-add-on-to-help-you-find-sweet-deals/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/invisible-hand-firefox-add-on-to-help-you-find-sweet-deals/#comments
Trolling around on the web for the best deal is tedious and time consuming. Invisible Hand, an add on for Firefox notifies you of better prices on items you are searching on the web with a discreet interface. It's so discreet you have to search for it but if you see a green arrow in your status bar, you know it's there.

When you start shopping on Amazon or Best Buy, Invisible Hand will pop up a message indicating if the item you are searching is cheaper at another retailer. (The camera I was looking at was cheaper by 1 cent somewhere else according to Invisible Hand). Since they're in beta, you might not get a notification for every item you search as the Hand is still growing their product and retailer coverage.

Continue reading Invisible Hand - Firefox add on to help you find sweet deals

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Invisible Hand - Firefox add on to help you find sweet deals originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> firefox add-onfirefox add-on invisible handFirefoxAdd-onFirefoxAdd-onInvisibleHandonline price comparisononline shoppingonline shopping add-onOnlinePriceComparisonOnlineShoppingOnlineShoppingAdd-on Dolores Parker Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Fast fix - block your *unwanted* contacts from Google Chat]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/20/fast-fix-block-your-unwanted-contacts-from-google-chat/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/20/fast-fix-block-your-unwanted-contacts-from-google-chat/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/20/fast-fix-block-your-unwanted-contacts-from-google-chat/#comments
If you're like me, there may be several contacts that appear in your Google chat that you probably would never dream of emailing again, let alone having a late night chat with. Well the good news is you don't have to live with their names staring at you taking up desirable real estate screen space on your Gmail page. Here's how you can get rid of them in the good, non literal way.

Click on Contacts on the left side of your Google page.

Then, select the person you'd like to block. When you click on their name a window will open and you will see a "Show in Chat List" drop down menu. You can select from Auto, Always, Never, and Block.

Continue reading Fast fix - block your *unwanted* contacts from Google Chat

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Fast fix - block your *unwanted* contacts from Google Chat originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Block contacts from Google ChatBlockContactsFromGoogleChatGoogle chatGoogle chat listgoogle talkGoogleChatGoogleChatListGoogleTalk Dolores Parker Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Carbonmade - free online portfolio for designers]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/03/carbonmade-free-online-portfolio-for-designers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/03/carbonmade-free-online-portfolio-for-designers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/03/carbonmade-free-online-portfolio-for-designers/#comments
Carbonmade is a online site where designers can show their work in a ready made online portfolio. The site is easy to get around and perfect for designers who don't care to manage their own domain and website. A free account will provide you with 5 projects to show and a total of 35 images. Their pro plan is $12 per month, gets you 50 projects, 500 hi-res image uploads and 12 videos.

The site is stupid easy to manage and you can tag your projects so they show up in different design categories like graphic design, 3D modeling, copywriting, etc. If you're trying to get freelance work, you can click a setting to show that. There's also the capability to add your Google Analytics account number to your portfolio to monitor web traffic to your site.

The more projects you have, the higher your portfolio appears in the various design category pages. Carbonmade is not ad supported so the non cluttered space is nice. Of course, you may also want to consider other design communities like DeviantArt, Creattica and Behance, or better yet, try them all for the exposure.

What other creative sites for the design professional are some of your favorites?

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Carbonmade - free online portfolio for designers originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> behancecarbonmadecreative professionalCreativeProfessionalcreatticadeviantartonline portfolioOnlinePortfolio Dolores Parker Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Online tools to fight the freshman 20 - Back to School]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/21/online-tools-to-fight-the-freshman-20-back-to-school/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/21/online-tools-to-fight-the-freshman-20-back-to-school/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/21/online-tools-to-fight-the-freshman-20-back-to-school/#comments

Off to college and dreading the inevitable 20 pounds or so of fat that comes with drinking binges, lack of exercise, all you can eat dorm food and late night snacks? Hate the thought of not being able to wear your favorite jeans come winter break? Relax, here's a round up of good online weight management tools which might be able to help you stay on track.

1. The Daily Plate - A calorie tracking tool from LIVESTRONG.com, this site helps you track your calories and burn rate via your personal online food diary. Once you register, you can input the foods you eat and the database will automagically provide the calories. Nice interface and there's even an iPhone and iPod touch (Blackberry too) app for $2.99 if you want to track on your mobile.



Continue reading Online tools to fight the freshman 20 - Back to School

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Online tools to fight the freshman 20 - Back to School originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> b2sback to schoolBackToSchoolcalorie countCalorie counterCalorieCountCalorieCounterCaloriesFatSecret.comfitdayfreshman 15freshman 20Freshman15Freshman20listslivestrongonline diet toolsOnlineDietToolssocial networking diet toolssocial networking weight lossSocialNetworkingDietToolsSocialNetworkingWeightLossthe daily plateTheDailyPlatetraineo Dolores Parker Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google Reader - Send To buttons for Instapaper and Evernote]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/14/google-reader-send-to-buttons-for-instapaper-and-evernote/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/14/google-reader-send-to-buttons-for-instapaper-and-evernote/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/14/google-reader-send-to-buttons-for-instapaper-and-evernote/#comments
One of our favorite people evar, Jordan Running, former lead blogger at Download Squad sent us this great tip as a follow up to yesterday's Google Reader post about sharing stories to social networks and creating custom links.

Jordan created a Send To link for Instapaper, a web app that allows you to save web pages for reading later. While he was at it, he made one for Evernote too. Here's the skinny.

Instapaper Send To link for Google Reader
1. Copy the following URL to your text editor
https://www.instapaper.com/api/add?url=${url}&title=${title}&username=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD
2. Replace USERNAME (in caps) with your Instapaper username and replace your Instapaper password with PASSWORD. If you don't have a password, just delete everything after your USERNAME.

3. Go to the Settings tab in Google Reader and click on Send To. Then scroll down to Create custom link.

Continue reading Google Reader - Send To buttons for Instapaper and Evernote

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Google Reader - Send To buttons for Instapaper and Evernote originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> EvernoteGoogle ReaderGoogleReaderhowtosInstapapernewssocial networkingSocialNetworking Dolores Parker Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:45:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google Reader - new tools to share and save as PDF ]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/13/google-reader-new-tools-to-share-and-save-as-pdf/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/13/google-reader-new-tools-to-share-and-save-as-pdf/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/13/google-reader-new-tools-to-share-and-save-as-pdf/#comments

Google Reader has released some useful features to help you share stories to your favorite social networks. Also, thanks to the folks at Digital Inspiration, there's a nifty tool where you can save a story in Google Reader as a PDF to your desktop.

It's all under the settings tab - click on the Send to

Continue reading Google Reader - new tools to share and save as PDF

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Google Reader - new tools to share and save as PDF originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Googlegoogle readerGoogleReader Dolores Parker Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Thymer - easy web based project management]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/06/03/thymer-easy-web-based-project-management/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/06/03/thymer-easy-web-based-project-management/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/06/03/thymer-easy-web-based-project-management/#comments
Thymer is an absurdly simple web based project management tool. Thymer's approach is unique in that you can literally start using the system immediately without having to learn a complex project management software package. It sticks to the basics - a time tracking tool, to do lists, project lists, report functions, and the ability to share with colleagues on your team.

The interface has a one page design that allows you to see everything at a glance. It uses natural language processing so you can type what you think without having to remember specific commands. For example, if you're having lunch on Wednesday at the Yacht Club, you would type "@Wednesday lunch Yacht Club." The event will show up on your timeline.

I like how you can share tasks and projects with your colleagues as well as the ability to provide comments on different items. You can also drag and drop items exactly where you want. Thymer has 4 built in codes you can choose for your tasks - Discuss, Importance, Billable and Waiting for. It also allows you to add as many tags as you want to an item.

By design, Thymer eliminates fancy features the majority of people don't use or need. However, there are some items I would like to see such as SMS notification and coordination with calendar programs like Google or Office. The app is designed by Stunf, a Netherlands firm, and they are adding new features everyday. The latest are the ability to add tasks via email and Twitter.

Now in private beta, Thymer is free but when it is fully released there will be a subscription fee. Thymer has released 200 beta keys to Download Squad readers. Just enter the code DOWNLOADSQUAD. Be sure to let us know what you think.

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Thymer - easy web based project management originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> online-project-managementproject-managementproject-time-trackerThymerto-do-lists Dolores Parker Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Plinky - inspired content in the eye of the beholder]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/03/04/plinky-inspired-content-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/03/04/plinky-inspired-content-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/03/04/plinky-inspired-content-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/#comments Plinky
Sometimes you're on a roll and the words flow forth effortlessly on the page, while at other times you're struck with the agony of having zero to say. Writer's block occurs sometimes and Plinky is here to help revive the brain dead or as they claim to help you create "inspired content."

Plinky prompts you daily with a question or challenge which hopefully will inspire you to think of something interesting to say. You can add photos, maps or other media to enhance your post depending on the prompt. If you use services like WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, etc., you can link them to your Plinky account and share your answers through them, too.

Plinky is a social network and as a member you are united with others who also respond to questions like yesterday's gem, "Are you a handywoman or handyman? Describe the most impressive thing you've built/repaired/duct-taped. You can follow people and likewise they can follow you.

At first I was put off by the questions, such as Share your scar(s), as well as the gem noted above, but actually the answers from some of the members were interesting to read if you like diary type entries. I don't know if Plinky will cure writers block or inspire you to create compelling content, but it could be a low barrier way to get beginners started.

Plinky, which we heard about from blogger Louis Gray, was founded by Jason Shellen, a former Google exec who was part of the original team launching Blogger and a founding product manager of Google Reader.

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Plinky - inspired content in the eye of the beholder originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bloggers toolsBloggersToolsJason ShellenJasonShellenmicro bloggingMicroBloggingnewsplinky Dolores Parker Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[3 photo sharing sites for your new shutterbug - Holiday Gift Guide]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/11/29/3-photo-sharing-sites-for-your-new-shutterbug-holiday-gift-gui/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/11/29/3-photo-sharing-sites-for-your-new-shutterbug-holiday-gift-gui/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/11/29/3-photo-sharing-sites-for-your-new-shutterbug-holiday-gift-gui/#comments

If you know someone on your gift list is getting a camera or is a new shutterbug, you might want to consider getting them a "pro" photo sharing account where they can upload all their new photos. This is a nice gift for several reasons: 1. A pro account is a must have since most free accounts have a storage limit that the average photographer will easily exceed. 2. Pro accounts are ad free. 3. Pro accounts have more features and allow the upload of larger file sizes. 4. As the giver of the account, it stands to reason you might be given access to your shutterbug's photostream, although, it's equally possible you might not.

Here are my top picks for investing in a pro account. (Many thanks to our readers for enthusiastically recommending Smugmug).

Continue reading 3 photo sharing sites for your new shutterbug - Holiday Gift Guide

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3 photo sharing sites for your new shutterbug - Holiday Gift Guide originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> flickrhggphoto sharingphotobucketPhotoSharingpro account features flickrpro account features photobucketpro account features smugbugProAccountFeaturesFlickrProAccountFeaturesPhotobucketProAccountFeaturesSmugbugsmugbugsmugmug Dolores Parker Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Vote the site - vote for your favorite political website]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/10/30/vote-the-site-vote-for-your-favorite-political-website/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/10/30/vote-the-site-vote-for-your-favorite-political-website/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/10/30/vote-the-site-vote-for-your-favorite-political-website/#comments

If you're not sick of the campaign open season yet, and need some way to show some love for your candidate's website, VotetheSite might be for you. Okay, officially you're supposed to vote on which political candidate's website you think is the best. But c'mon, I doubt most people will go to the trouble of analyzing the candidates' sites for usability and features. You're going to vote for your candidate, right?

The site lets' you vote for the presidential site you like the best as well as US Congressional sites by state. If you register, you can add all the commentary you want. The site was developed by New Media Campaigns, a North Carolina website development firm. From what I can tell, they do work for both Republicans and Democrats so it appears you're entering neutral election territory.

Here at Download Squad, we're definitely non partisan. Let us know which "site" you think is better, strictly from a geek perspective - McCain's or Obama's.


View Poll

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Vote the site - vote for your favorite political website originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> mccainnew media campaignsNewMediaCampaignsnewsobamapolitical websitesPoliticalWebsitesvote for your favorite political websiteVoteForYourFavoritePoliticalWebsite Dolores Parker Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Color me crazy - 10 best online color tools]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/10/09/color-me-crazy-10-best-online-color-tools/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/10/09/color-me-crazy-10-best-online-color-tools/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/10/09/color-me-crazy-10-best-online-color-tools/#comments
If you're tackling some graphic design project or maybe even your wall decor, getting color hints from ready made color templates from professional designers can be useful. Below are 10 of the better sites to help you out on your design challenge.


ColorCombos - nice color palettes to choose from. If there's a particular website whose colors you want to snag, check out their "Grab Website Colors" engine. You just input the URL of the site you're reviewing and ColorCombos extracts the palette for you.



COLOURlovers - this is pretty close to color mecca. This post should actually be filed as a Timewaster because you can spend hours checking out the various palettes and patterns and rolling your own. The site is full of features such as create your own palette from a URL you're inspired by, join groups devoted to colors (srsly), shore up on the latest color trends, contribute your own content and vote on others.


ColorExplorer - another site that's feature rich and full of color goodies. Color import from images, palette export to most programs, convert any number of colors into a matching palette, 1 click palette filters and adjustments, plus no requirement for site registration.


Kuler - not surprisingly, Adobe has a fetching web app to help you generate color schemes and if you have Adobe's Creative Suite 4, Kuler is built in. Kuler has great tools such as color extractor from an image, theme creation from 1 to several colors, as well as a community you can join and give and receive comments on yours and other's creations.


ColorJack - very nice color site featuring several apps such as Color Sphere which allows you to choose the right color scheme supporting 18 formulas and 9 color blindness simulations. There's also Color Galaxy, an online color visualizer with colors from 27 libraries including everyone's favorite forever and ever, Crayola.

Keep reading for more...

Continue reading Color me crazy - 10 best online color tools

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Color me crazy - 10 best online color tools originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> colorcolor comboscolor explorercolor huntercolor jackcolor palettecolor palette generatorcolor scheme generatorcolor-theoryColorCombosColorExplorerColorHunterColorPaletteGeneratorColorSchemeGeneratorcolour loversdesigntipskulerlearningnewsonline color toolspalettesessions color calculatorstripe generatorweb Dolores Parker Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST Download Squad