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[Five great Android apps for IT admins]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/31/five-great-android-apps-for-it-admins/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/31/five-great-android-apps-for-it-admins/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/31/five-great-android-apps-for-it-admins/#comments With all the hoopla that surrounds the iPhone OS it's hard for some to imagine that some geeks...don't have (or want) an iPhone. Android, Google's mobile platform has been getting a lot of credit and recognition, especially as their app store continues.

Once you get past the cheesy games and fart machines, Android offers some great tools to people when they aren't tied down to a desk. For server and IT administrators, Android may have all the tools you need to become even more mobile. Here's a rundown of some of the best IT applications for Android:

ServerUp ($2.99)
As an IT administrator, the only way to keep your clients happy is to keep them up and running. ServerUp is a simple (yet remarkably feature-packed) server monitoring tool. You can configure the application to run tests on your server as often or as little as necesary and a simple UI makes it easy to know when something is wrong. In addition, ServerUp gives you the ability to disable hosts and turn off your network remotely if you need to do some work.

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Five great Android apps for IT admins originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AdministratorAndroidFTPITMobileRemoteDesktopServer John Burke Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:01:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[YouTube launches Safety Mode to filter out "objectionable" content]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/10/youtube-launches-safety-mode-to-filter-out-objectionable-conte/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/10/youtube-launches-safety-mode-to-filter-out-objectionable-conte/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/10/youtube-launches-safety-mode-to-filter-out-objectionable-conte/#comments

YouTube has a video on just about anything you'd want to watch -- and some things you don't. While the company claims that this diversity makes them who they are today, other users are looking for a safer and more "clean" experience. To this end, YouTube has announced a new opt-in feature known as Safety Mode.

Safety Mode allows users to filter out "objectionable content" that they don't want to view. In addition, it helps to protect family computers from exposing children to content that isn't suitable for them. With very few "checks" when uploading videos, a lot has slipped through such as raunchy music videos, bits of nakedness and blood and guts kind of stuff.

YouTube knows there's no way to filter out 100% of all seedy content, but claims this is just another step in their plan to improve the popular video community.
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YouTube launches Safety Mode to filter out "objectionable" content originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> filtermature-contentparental controlsParentalControlssafetyscreeningYouTube John Burke Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:42:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[How to use Mac fonts on Linux]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/04/how-to-use-mac-fonts-on-linux/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/04/how-to-use-mac-fonts-on-linux/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/04/how-to-use-mac-fonts-on-linux/#comments If you're looking for an easy way to port some of your favorite Apple fonts over to Ubuntu, here it is! I've just started to get exposed to alternative OSes like Ubuntu and was really excited to find a way to easily get some of my favorite fonts over to it quickly and easily. TechSource has provided a really great tutorial on how to access those fonts without a lot of fuss.

To get started, open up the Linux terminal and download the required font files with this command:

$ wget http://ubuntu-debs.googlecode.com/files/macfonts.tar.gz

Next, you'll need to extract the files:

$ tar zxvf macfonts.tar.gz

Move the fonts to the /fonts directory:

$ sudo mv macfonts /usr/share/fonts

Then just reload the font cache to start using them:

$ sudo fc-cache -f -v

That's it. To use or test the fonts, head over to System > Preferences > Appearance > Fonts.
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How to use Mac fonts on Linux originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> FontsLinuxMacTerminalUbuntu John Burke Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Scammers exploit the iPad hype]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/04/scammers-exploit-the-ipad-hype/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/04/scammers-exploit-the-ipad-hype/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/04/scammers-exploit-the-ipad-hype/#comments Since it's introduction last week, people have been clamoring for more information on the iPad. Apple has released a video and has posted some basic specs and pricing, but more information has been hard to come by. Scammers have started to pick up on this and have been looking for ways to exploit users searching for iPad websites.

BBCNews reports that handful of security firms have been spotting attempts to "trick" search engines into providing people with rogue links. People that click these links will be redirected to pages that scan their computer looking for holes and vulnerabilities.

So how is this happening? People have started crafting fake websites that will show up high in search results for "Apple" or "iPad", etc. Users will be redirected to sites peddling fake security software, asking them to sign up for credit cards and claiming that more information and rumors on the iPad are just a few clicks away.

The same common sense rules apply for preventing this from happening. Be careful when opening links and as always, make sure you're computer has the latest security patches and updates.

Scamming and exploitation of users is nothing new, especially around high profile "trending" events. A similar scam recently occured involving the earthquake in Haiti.
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Scammers exploit the iPad hype originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> emailGooglehaitiipadmalwarephishingscamscammerssearchsecurity John Burke Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[YouTube's movie rental test posts dismal profits]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/03/youtubes-movie-rental-test-brings-in-small-profits/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/03/youtubes-movie-rental-test-brings-in-small-profits/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/03/youtubes-movie-rental-test-brings-in-small-profits/#comments YouTube movie rentals

 YouTube began testing the waters with a movie rental service late last month. Starting small, they offered a collection of five films from the Sundance Film Festival. The movies were offered for ten days to see how users would respond to a paid movie rental service.

Charging only $3.99, the films picked up 2,684 views and pulled in only $10,709 total. While the "big guys" in the movie rental business such as NetFlix, Apple and Amazon are certainly not intimidated by such a paltry sum, YouTube says it's happy with the outcome of the test. According to Google, the results "exceeded our expectations given all the barriers" and it looks like we can expect a larger movie rental presence from YouTube in the future.

While nothing is finalized, YouTube says it will be pulling in new video partners and start offering rentals on various sections of their website on a short-term basis. It'll be interesting to see how they fares up against larger companies if their rental service grows.

[via NYTimes.com]

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YouTube's movie rental test posts dismal profits originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> amazonGoogleitunesmovienetflixrentalSundanceFilmFestivalYouTube John Burke Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:04:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google improves Gmail's web search capabilities]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/03/google-makes-searching-within-gmail-even-better/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/03/google-makes-searching-within-gmail-even-better/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/03/google-makes-searching-within-gmail-even-better/#comments Gmail Google Search
You'd think Google would have had this search thing down by now, but the search functionality within Gmail lacked some much needed (and requested) features. A recent addition to Gmail Labs hopes to fix this and make searching within mail much, much better.

In April, Google announced that you could search the web from Gmail without leaving the page. You could even add the search results you find to a message. The feature was a great addition to the Lab and made life much easier than switching browser windows to find results. The changes made recently add some awesome features such as dictionary definitions, spelling correction, news, weather and even local results.

Google search within Gmail is now also accessible via a icon from the compose window. I never thought I'd need a feature like this, but it's come in handy quite a few times. Even for quick functions like definitions, it's certainly an improvement. If you haven't already, head on over to Gmail to get searching.

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Google improves Gmail's web search capabilities originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> functionalitygmailgmail-labsGooglenewsearch John Burke Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:33:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[IE8 'officially' becomes most-used browser in the world]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/03/ie8-officially-becomes-most-used-browser-in-the-world/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/03/ie8-officially-becomes-most-used-browser-in-the-world/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/03/ie8-officially-becomes-most-used-browser-in-the-world/#comments
While there's no shortage of alternatives in web browsing, it looks like Internet Explorer 8 still has some pull out there. Net MarketShare, a company that monitors usage and market share of major web browsers, has released their January report.

According to the report, IE (all versions) holds a solid 62.12% of all browser usage. In addition to a 27% share on Windows, it has also taken a pretty big bite out of other operating systems as well. All these numbers translate to one thing: people are still using IE8...a lot of people. Sure, part of this has to do with the fact that it's the default browser for Windows and used by many large companies but it's still a pretty big deal.

The folks at the Windows software team are humbled, having only released version 8 of IE less than a year ago. They also reported that the popular browser was responsible for blocking over 80 million malware attacks. It will be interesting to see how long the streak will last given the rising popularity of browsers such as Firefox.

ed note: StatCounter currently pegs IE8's individual share at 22.1%, just ahead of Firefox 3.5 at 21.7%
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IE8 'officially' becomes most-used browser in the world originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> browsersIE8Internet ExplorerInternetExplorermalwareMarket shareMarketShareMicrosoft John Burke Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:26:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Hulu could soon start charging for 'premium' content]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/25/hulu-could-soon-start-charging-for-premium-content/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/25/hulu-could-soon-start-charging-for-premium-content/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/25/hulu-could-soon-start-charging-for-premium-content/#comments

Hulu, the online video service that allows users to watch television shows for free, is thinking about charging. Yeah, it sounds kind of strange to me too. In an effort to increase revenue, it looks like Hulu may put a premium price tag on some popular shows and exclusive web content.

It doesn't look like it's going to be all bad though. Hulu is going about this the right way and has taken the time to research what people are willing to pay for and what they expect to get for free. One plan is to allow free access to the five most recent episodes of certain shows but charge for older content. This is no real surprise as talks about a subscription service have been around since June.

Some of the shows that are in the hot seat to become "premium" include "30 Rock", "House" and "Modern Family". As of now, Hulu isn't commenting on their plans, or when this service may begin.

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Hulu could soon start charging for 'premium' content originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Hulupremiumsubscriptionvideoweb John Burke Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Rockface Rescue: search-and-rescue helicopter-flyin' Time Waster]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/20/rockface-rescue-time-waster/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/20/rockface-rescue-time-waster/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/20/rockface-rescue-time-waster/#comments I'm always looking for a good distraction when I'm sitting in classes I don't care about... which tends to be almost all of them. Rockface Rescue is a great, addictive game that I found on the BBC's website. From what I understand, the show followed a fictional rescue helicopter service that is plagued with disaster and love triangles. The show was cancelled in 2008. Luckily, the game is nothing like the show.

In the game, you're a helicopter pilot tasked with finding and rescuing hikers (and the occasional baby cow) stranded in the mountainous landscape of Glenntannoch. Each level gets a little longer and the terrain gets a little more challenging. To add to the realism, each hiker has a life meter that can be either green, yellow or red. As you can imagine, a good strategy might be to get all the red guys first since they're probably pretty critical.

Be careful not to knock your rescuer around too much or run out of fuel or you're going down too. The controls are really simple - left, right, up and down are all you really need to know. The training and five individual missions are addictive and I'm yet to get through the entire game. Check it out!

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Rockface Rescue: search-and-rescue helicopter-flyin' Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> BBChelicopterrescuerockfacetime wasterTimeWastertimewasters John Burke Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:06:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Curb app for Mac dumps the trash from USB drives]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/16/curb-app-for-mac-dumps-the-trash-from-usb-drives/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/16/curb-app-for-mac-dumps-the-trash-from-usb-drives/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/16/curb-app-for-mac-dumps-the-trash-from-usb-drives/#comments When you delete files on your computer, they're really not gone for good. Only once it's been emptied from your recycle bin is the file truly deleted. People tend to make mistakes and by saving fragments of the file it can be retrieved in a desperate "whoops moment".

This has always been a pretty straightforward process on your computer, but USB drives and removable media makes it a little trickier. When you delete a file from a flash drive, those fragments are actually stored on the device itself until deleted manually or when you delete your entire system trash. This isn't always the best method - especially if you want to let someone borrow your drive or want to free up some extra space.

That's where Curb comes in. It's a free application available for Mac from MRR Software that makes file removal a snap. Just drag your drive's icon onto Curb and it will find and delete those fragments and files you no longer wish to have. Curb comes with a variety of settings and secure methods to delete your files easily and safely. In my testing, Curb was great. A simple idea executed well, Curb got rid of a lot of the random unreadable files and text documents that were left after deleting some folders.

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Curb app for Mac dumps the trash from USB drives originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> curbflash driveFlashDrivemrr softwareMrrSoftwarerecycle binRecycleBinsecuretrashusb driveUsbDrive John Burke Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Apple release free MobileMe Gallery iPhone app]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/16/apple-release-free-mobileme-gallery-iphone-app/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/16/apple-release-free-mobileme-gallery-iphone-app/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/16/apple-release-free-mobileme-gallery-iphone-app/#comments Even though Apple's MobileMe Gallery is already iPhone-friendly, today they've taken it a step further with the release of a free iPhone application: MobileMe Gallery [iTunes Link]. The goal is to make it even easier to access and use their photo sharing service.

With the application, you can view your own gallery (including password protected areas) but also view movies and photos that have been published by your friends. The app also remembers the photos you've looked at and will let you continue to do so even if you're offline.

In my brief testing, the application was great! It was really quick to load photos and video on both Wi-Fi and 3G, and the ability to email links and view photos offline is really convenient.

Just a side note, even if you just want to view friend's photos you'll still need an active MobileMe subscription.

Here are a few shots of the application in action:

Gallery: MobileMe Gallery for iPhone

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Apple release free MobileMe Gallery iPhone app originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ApplegalleryiPhoneMobileMeofflinepassword protectedPasswordProtectedphotos John Burke Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Internet Explorer to blame for attack on Google]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/internet-explorer-to-blame-for-attack-on-google/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/internet-explorer-to-blame-for-attack-on-google/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/internet-explorer-to-blame-for-attack-on-google/#comments There is a lot of news coming out about the attack on Google and everyone involved is trying to figure out exactly what happened. While nothing is official, a lot of the evidence has started pointing to the Chinese government as being behind it. Even so, our friends over at Microsoft might have some insight as to how the attack was accomplished.

Microsoft says it best in their security blog:
"We have determined that Internet Explorer was one of the vectors used in targeted and sophisticated attacks against Google and possibly other corporate networks."
Earlier today, VeriSign provided some information about the way Google was hacked, but here we have the software giant taking some responsibility for what happened. While the vulnerability still exists, Microsoft doesn't seem all that worried that the hole could cause problems for the average user. IE8 and their newest OS releases all have security features in place by default that can prevent attack, leaving only the more outdated versions of the browser at risk. Even so, they've released a security advisory to clarify what the vulnerability will and won't do.

Developments on this cyberattack will probably continue coming out but this news will definitely help narrow down the problems and may even help reveal who was truly behind it all.

The real question: why is Google using Internet Explorer anyway?
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Internet Explorer to blame for attack on Google originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> chinagooglegoogle vs chinaGoogleVsChinahackinternet explorerInternetExplorermicrosoftsecurityzero-day John Burke Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Malware sneaking into Android market]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/malware-sneaking-into-android-market/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/malware-sneaking-into-android-market/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/malware-sneaking-into-android-market/#comments It was bound to happen. In fact, security labs called it. Due to Google's open source platform, malware is starting to sneak its way into applications with the potential to gain access to your personal information - without you knowing it.

According to a report filed by Google to the FCC [PDF], they removed about 1% of applications posted in the marketplace because they were suspected to be dangerous or were found to contain malicious code. While 1% may seem like a rather small number given the vast quantity of apps in their store, it's a big deal. Two of the apps removed were capable, and in a few cases, successful at gaining access to personal banking information and routing numbers.

The problem here is not so much that these apps were created. After all, they were removed and no one can blame a huge company like Google for a few blemishes on their otherwise great app store. The real problem is that it could happen on a much larger scale. The very nature of the Android OS and the store is very open and much larger problems could be brewing.

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Malware sneaking into Android market originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> android marketandroid osAndroidMarketAndroidOsanodoidgooglehacksecurityvulnerability John Burke Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:40:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Mozilla Weave Browser sync hits the release candidate phase]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/mozilla-weave-browser-sync-hits-the-release-candidate-phase/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/mozilla-weave-browser-sync-hits-the-release-candidate-phase/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/mozilla-weave-browser-sync-hits-the-release-candidate-phase/#comments
If you need something to help keep your bookmarks and settings on Firefox synced across multiple computers, then Mozilla Weave is for you. We talked about Weave earlier in the year when it hit beta, but the bookmarking sync service is almost done, entering the "Release Candidate" phase earlier today.

Weave Sync 1.0RC takes into account a lot of the issues that were encountered throughout the beta testing. The "experience" has been customized to work well on laptop, desktop and mobile devices, and the developers say there is still some work to be done and a "few rough edges" that will be fixed.

If you've been with Weave through the beta or if you're just finding out about it, the RC adds some nice features and fixes including a much faster startup time, immediately available tabs when starting Weave on another computer, some theming options and no more annoying "master password prompt" that bugged a lot of us (including myself) during testing.

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Mozilla Weave Browser sync hits the release candidate phase originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> betabookmarksMozillarelease candidateReleaseCandidatesyncWeave John Burke Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Strata40: easy-to-install tool lets you see the future of Firefox]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/easy-to-install-tool-lets-you-see-the-future-of-firefox-strata4/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/easy-to-install-tool-lets-you-see-the-future-of-firefox-strata4/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/easy-to-install-tool-lets-you-see-the-future-of-firefox-strata4/#comments
A new plugin and companion theme is promising to make your Firefox a little futuristic. Thanks to a Firefox lover from Australia, you can make your browser look like the proposed designs for version 3.7 and 4.0. While both are nowhere near ready for release, there have been some interesting mock-ups and proposals for what it will look like.

To take a look today, install his Strata40 theme and StrataBuddy addon. The theme provides the visual enhancements and teams up with the addon to provide the tweaks to the interface. The creator also suggests a few other cool addons to make the experience even more realistic.

I downloaded the theme and addon and have to say, whether this is what the future of Firefox will look like or not, it's still an awesome visual style and my new default theme. It clears up a lot of screen real estate and have enough options to keep even picky users happy. Check out the Strata40 developer page for more information.

[via CNET]
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Strata40: easy-to-install tool lets you see the future of Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> addonFirefoxFirefox 4.0Firefox4.0MozillaStrata40StrataBuddytheme John Burke Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:26:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Scammers trying to steal donations heading to Haiti]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/hackers-trying-to-steal-donations-heading-to-haiti/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/hackers-trying-to-steal-donations-heading-to-haiti/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/hackers-trying-to-steal-donations-heading-to-haiti/#comments
People around the world are rallying together to help those affected by the crisis in Haiti. Despite the kindness and goodwill, there are always a few that will take advantage of such a situation. Gaming the search trends and people desperate to help, some internet scammers have set up fake charity websites with donations going right into their bank accounts instead of to those that need it.

In addition to fake websites, there is no shortage of email scams going around. Phishing scams are not new, but unsavory types are getting smarter and providing actual mailing information with very small changes that would fool the average person.

The Better Business Bureau has set up a website on checking the credibility of sites you are donating to. The most important tips are to be cautious, find ways to donate from reputable sites like the Red Cross and avoid email/texting-based donations unless you've heard they are safe from sources you trust.
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ed: as several of you pointed out, there's a big difference between hackers and scammers. We've made the appropriate edits - thanks for being vigilant!

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Scammers trying to steal donations heading to Haiti originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> donationsHaitiRed CrossRedCrossrelief effortReliefEffort John Burke Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:21:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Firefox 3.7 dropped from Mozilla's development plan]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/firefox-3-7-dropped-from-mozillas-development-plan/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/firefox-3-7-dropped-from-mozillas-development-plan/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/firefox-3-7-dropped-from-mozillas-development-plan/#comments Mozilla has changed their entire strategy on how they will be developing their Firefox browser. There are plans to drop Firefox 3.7 from the schedule and the hope is to release "incremental updates throughout the year", the company says. This move marks a major change in the way that Mozilla operates.

Instead of adding features to the popular web browser at a few select times over the year, Mozilla wants to slip in new features and functionality every few weeks. What this means to us? Well, it means Firefox 3.7 is no more. Originally, the plan was to release version 3.6 and 3.7 a few months apart with features that would pave the way for version 4.0 next year. Apparently, a lot of work has been done on 3.6 causing it to be delayed slightly but packed with usefulness.

The new project, code names "Lorentz" is said to include Mozilla's new Electrolysis process - a method of making each tab its own process, much like the way Chrome operates. The developers also want to try and remove the connection between browsers and plug-ins allowing them to work separately in case of crashes.

It'll be interesting to see what comes out of Mozilla's labs and how Firefox continues to evolve, especially with this new development cycle.

[via ComputerWorld]
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Firefox 3.7 dropped from Mozilla's development plan originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 3.63.7electrolysisfirefoxMozilla John Burke Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:31:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[VeriSign says Chinese government was behind cyberattack on Google]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/14/verisign-says-chinese-government-was-behind-cyberattack-on-googl/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/14/verisign-says-chinese-government-was-behind-cyberattack-on-googl/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/14/verisign-says-chinese-government-was-behind-cyberattack-on-googl/#comments More proof is starting to come out implicating the Chinese government for the recent attack on Google. In addition to Google formally implicating the Chinese for the cyberattack that attempted to gain personal information on Chinese human rights activists, researchers have been able to identify the servers they used and where they originated from.

The report provided by VeriSign's iDefense security lab, explains that they were able to track back the source of the servers used in the attack. "The source IPs and drop server of the attack correspond to a single foreign entity consolidating either of agents of the Chinese state or proxies thereof," the report says. Additionally, it was determined that "command and control" servers were used to run the malware used in the attack.

[via ArsTechnica]
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VeriSign says Chinese government was behind cyberattack on Google originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ChinesecyberattackGooglegoogle vs chinaGoogleVsChinaGreatFirewallOfChinamalware John Burke Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:49:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Pandora wants to go beyond the web to any Internet-connected device]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/14/pandora-wants-to-go-beyond-the-web/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/14/pandora-wants-to-go-beyond-the-web/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/14/pandora-wants-to-go-beyond-the-web/#comments
Pandora, the popular music streaming service, is finally making a profit. The ten-year-old company is no stranger to problems and hurdles to overcome in the music industry, but is finally making a turn for the better. So what does Pandora want to do with this renewed success? They want to become a household name and be found on any device they can put themselves on.

To keep their success alive, the company realized that they need to think past just the web. In a move being called "device agnostic", they plan on embedding their software on a wide range of consumer devices that have access to the Internet. Pandora received a big boost of users with the introduction of their application for iPhone and iPod touch and are starting to see equally rising numbers from app available for Android. The company is also partnering with big-name television companies to embed the Pandora app into LCD televisions. And it doesn't stop there. There's also rumors going around that Tom Conrad, Pandora's chief technology officer is trying to get Pandora Radio into your car too!

As of right now, their ambitions are limited to within the United States but that still gives them a lot of room to play around with.

[via GigaOM]

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Pandora wants to go beyond the web to any Internet-connected device originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> CESDevicesPandora John Burke Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Mozilla celebrates five years of Firefox in pictures!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/14/mozilla-celebrates-five-years-of-firefox-in-pictures/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/14/mozilla-celebrates-five-years-of-firefox-in-pictures/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/14/mozilla-celebrates-five-years-of-firefox-in-pictures/#comments Firefox recently celebrated its fifth birthday and decided to get a little creative in the process. A little while back, they challenged users to get artsy and create a design that reflected this milestone. There were almost no requirements for the design and people were asked to think outside the box and create a design that would rally the Mozilla community around their celebration.

The best of the best were picked out and featured on the Firefox blog. I thought it was a nice idea to get the community involved even though I'm not totally sure what they were celebrating with the pictures. Just cements the notion that Firefox is awesome and they have really, er, passionate users!

Check out the complete gallery and even some honorable mentions over at the Mozilla blog.
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Mozilla celebrates five years of Firefox in pictures! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ChallengeCreativeFirefoxMozilla John Burke Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google brings Friend Connect to Joomla and Drupal]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/12/google-brings-friend-connect-to-joomla-and-drupal/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/12/google-brings-friend-connect-to-joomla-and-drupal/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/12/google-brings-friend-connect-to-joomla-and-drupal/#comments Today, Google announced the addition of their Friend Connect service to both the Joomla and Drupal platforms. Friend Connect is a pretty cool concept. It allows people to become "members" of a website by using credentials from sites like Google, Twitter, Yahoo, etc. Once logged in, you can "like" content, add other friends and participate in polls, discussions and other stuff like that.

The service hasn't really exploded yet, even though it's been around for quite some time. It goes up against Facebook Connect which offers much of the same features and has been implemented a little more often. Either way, Friend Connect is nice because it allows you to add all this social-ness without the need for any crazy coding or added software. Additionally, users tend to like it because it doesn't require yet another registration.

Both Drupal and Joomla are really popular content management systems, powering sites like whitehouse.gov. Google obviously saw this growing popularity and decided to jump on board and introduce their Friend Connect service to them.


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Google brings Friend Connect to Joomla and Drupal originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> DrupalFriend ConnectFriendConnectGoogleJoomaOpenID John Burke Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:06:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Reply to Facebook comments by email]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/12/reply-to-facebook-comments-by-email/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/12/reply-to-facebook-comments-by-email/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/12/reply-to-facebook-comments-by-email/#comments

Today, Facebook announced a new feature sure to make us all a little lazier when it comes to social networking. Just like with status updates, you can now reply to Facebook comments by simply responding to the email.

It's simple. Someone leaves you a wall post or comment and you have it set up to get email notifications, all you have to do is hit 'Reply' and the contents of your email will be posted as a comment back. This cool new feature makes life so much easier, as you no longer have to go through the grueling process of opening a browser, typing www.facebook.com and finding the comment to reply to. Sheesh!

For some, this isn't just convenient - it's also necessary. Many companies and schools block or monitor website usage and for some, email may be the only way to interact with Facebook.

We're still waiting for the ability to respond to messages via email, but I'm sure that's on the way too.

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Reply to Facebook comments by email originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Facebook John Burke Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:36:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Vimeo gets even more mobile friendly]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/12/vimeo-gets-even-more-mobile-friendly/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/12/vimeo-gets-even-more-mobile-friendly/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/12/vimeo-gets-even-more-mobile-friendly/#comments Smartphones are taking over! We certainly all knew that by now. Vimeo has decided to hop on board and start making their service a little mobile-friendly. A while back, Vimeo announced that their site was compatible with both the iPhone and even Android phones.

Yesterday, they took it a step further and announced that users can now quickly and easily create a "mobile version" of their video that can work on most smartphones. You can "mobilize" your video in two ways: directly from your smartphone or if you are a Plus user, you can do it without a phone via your account.

Making a mobile version simply makes a copy of your video and applies the right codec to be displayed on mobile platforms. Vimeo is expecting a big rush of users making mobile versions so they said they'll be rolling the feature out slowly and are expecting some slowdowns while people check out the new feature.

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Vimeo gets even more mobile friendly originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidcodeciphonemobilesmartphoneVimeo John Burke Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:49:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DivX launches Internet TV platform]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/06/divx-launches-internet-tv-platform/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/06/divx-launches-internet-tv-platform/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/06/divx-launches-internet-tv-platform/#comments DivX, the popular multimedia codec, is branching out at CES this year! They've just announced the launch of DivX TV. But what is it?

DivX TV is a way to bring content from the Internet directly to your television without the need for a PC. DivX TV just needs a name-brand TV or Blu-ray player and gives you immediate access to web videos, television shows, movies and even social networking services. Initially, it'll be offered on LG Blu-ray players and televisions as part of their Netcast Entertainment Access service. You'll also be able to stream your own content on a home network and play it from anywhere.

The DivX TV content lineup currently includes more than 70 channels from a variety of genres, including free Internet content as well as premium, full-length films and television shows. Content providers include Associated Press, Revision 3, TED, CNET, DailyMotion, Rhapsody, Picasa, Twitter and many more, with a number of additional content partners expected to sign on.

Overall, this seems like a pretty novel idea. There's a lot of talk about media centers that require additional hardware or direct connections to a computer. Working with LG, it looks like DivX will be able to cut out the middle man and provide Internet content directly to the device. I'm curious to see if DivX branches out even further and starts partnering with other companies and if the idea catches on. We'll have to wait and see.

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DivX launches Internet TV platform originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> CESces 2010Ces2010divxinternetstreamingtelevision John Burke Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:49:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Linux-based media center Enna ready for its close up]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/05/linux-based-media-center-enna-ready-for-its-close-up/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/05/linux-based-media-center-enna-ready-for-its-close-up/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/05/linux-based-media-center-enna-ready-for-its-close-up/#comments
It's here! Enna, a media center application made for Linux is finally ready for public release. Yay? If you're not sure what this is, you're not alone. First, GeeXbox is a Linux app that turns your computer into a media center that can work on a lot of software configurations. Enna is a nice graphical interface for GeeXbox that adds some cool new features and makes it a lot more usable.

The software has been in testing for a while but the first "stable" release is coming out now. It's available as both a standalone application but it will be part of the upcoming GeeXbox 2.0 release. It takes the program from a pretty basic CD player to a full media center than can even rival Windows 7. It includes the ability to play music, watch movies, read internet-based books, get weather information and browse files on your computer.

After playing with Enna for a little while, I must say it looks awesome. It has a lot of the features that people who are accustomed to Windows Media Center or even Front Row have come to expect. Like the developers promised, the version out now is "very stable" and didn't have any real problems.

Here are a few shots of the application:
Try it out for yourself and let us know in the comments if you like it!

[via InstantFundas]

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Linux-based media center Enna ready for its close up originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> betaEnnageexboxhome theater pcHomeTheaterPchtpclinuxmedia centerMediaCentermultimediavideowindows John Burke Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Skype going HD]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/05/skype-going-hd/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/05/skype-going-hd/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/05/skype-going-hd/#comments Skype has always been a pretty popular video conferencing program and is looking to keep the streak alive with high-definition video. The service recently announced that they will begin supporting 720p high-definition video conference calls, provided users have an HD webcam and enough bandwidth to handle it.

The new HD features come as part of the Skype for Windows 4.2 Beta. According to PC World, the feature has actually been part of Skype since December but no official mention of it was made until the Consumer Electronics Show this week. Conveniently enough, a few new HD webcams will be released at CES shipping as soon as March.

Skype isn't stopping their HD service there. There are also plans to embed Skype software on Panasonic and LG televisions to allow video conferencing on new TVs sometime later this year.

SkypeJournal reports that the HD features are only for the Windows version and Skype is keeping the technology pretty closed off. The specifications needed for new webcams to work with the application haven't been released so "hundreds of webcam makes won't be able to meet public demand from Skype users."

We'll have to see how this evolves and if ISPs can handle the increased loads from higher quality video but if you're a fan of Skype, it seems like a pretty cool move.

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Skype going HD originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 720pconferencehdhdtvLGpanasonicskypeteleconferencevideowebcam John Burke Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:10:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Adblockers to save online ads? Google thinks so]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/01/adblockers-to-save-online-ads-google-thinks-so/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/01/adblockers-to-save-online-ads-google-thinks-so/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/01/adblockers-to-save-online-ads-google-thinks-so/#comments

Google -- the granddaddy of internet advertisers -- says it's not worried about extensions for its Chrome browser that block or eliminate ads on websites. Well... that's interesting. Apparently Google feels that advertisers will make an effort to ensure their ads are less annoying and people will soon see their benefits. Or at least that is the hope over at Google headquarters:
"There will always be some group of people who want to block ads for personal reasons. But if we do a good job on the advertising side, people won't want to block ads. People will find them actually useful."
So will "less annoying" ads be enough to stop people from using ad-blocking browser extensions? I'm not sure. I am inclined, however, to agree with The Register's Cade Metz. Metz believes the effort required to download an ad-blocking extension and properly use it might be too many clicks for the average user.

Continue reading Adblockers to save online ads? Google thinks so

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Adblockers to save online ads? Google thinks so originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ad blockersAdBlockersadsadvertisingChromechrome cornerChromeCornerextensionsGoogle John Burke Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:08:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[2009 data breach hall of shame]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/30/2009-data-breach-hall-of-shame/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/30/2009-data-breach-hall-of-shame/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/30/2009-data-breach-hall-of-shame/#comments We'll throw this in the "Whoops" category.

ComputerWorld took some time to outline some of the best (or worst?) data security breaches of 2009. While the actual events might not have been too funny to the people involved, the blunders the technology world has dealt with are pretty comical now that they're safely resolved.

Some of the highlights include the TSA getting a little too "open", releasing a 93-page manual outlining their airport security screening procedure. Everything from how to use the equipment, handling dignitaries and automatic screening of individuals from certain countries was available for everyone who caught it to download.

Another personal favorite of mine is the leak of a document containing detailed military information on hundreds of civilian nuclear sites and juicy bits about the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

Check out the ComputerWorld article for a complete list of techno-blunders and let's hope for a much more secure 2010!


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2009 data breach hall of shame originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> datagovernmentsecuritytsawhoops John Burke Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:02:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Android malware in 2010?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/29/android-malware-in-2010/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/29/android-malware-in-2010/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/29/android-malware-in-2010/#comments With 2009 coming to a close, everyone is beginning to look towards the future and what will happen to all the great technology around. Ever since it was introduced, the iPhone has been critiqued for being such a "closed platform", making developers vet their applications through the App Store.

When Android was introduced, its open source approach allowed developers to get their applications out there more easily. But is this totally safe? Sure, the app store approval process has left a lot to be desired, but could hackers be setting their sights on Android?

According to the 2010 Cyberthreat Forecast by Kaspersky Lab, "The increasing popularity of mobile phones running the Android OS combined with a lack of effective checks to ensure third-party software applications are secure, will lead to a number of high-profile malware outbreaks."

While users with unlocked and modified iPhones have been subjected to a few attacks already, because of the way the Android OS works, in theory every owner is at risk. We'll have to see what preventative measures Google takes and how clever hackers become!


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Android malware in 2010? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Androidandroid marketAndroidMarketapp storeAppStorehackiPhonemalwareopen sourceOpenSourcevirus John Burke Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[The iDoctor will be right with you]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/30/the-idoctor-will-be-right-with-you/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/30/the-idoctor-will-be-right-with-you/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/30/the-idoctor-will-be-right-with-you/#comments Cough please. No really, cough into your Apple iPhone and you may soon be able to get an instant diagnosis as to what's going on, and if you need to seek a more "traditional" kind of medical attention.

A new iPhone application, being developed by a collection of American and Australian scientists of STAR Analytical Services, will allow users to simply cough on their phone (kind of gross, but bear with us) and determine if they have the flu, pneumonia or a range of other respiratory conditions.

The Telegraph is reporting that the software will "compare the patient's cough to a pre-recorded database of coughs, containing the sounds of all respiratory diseases from people of both sexes and various ages, weights and other variables." The database currently has a few dozen recordings but will literally need thousands before it can be released.

The software is currently being run on a computer but once complete, will be easily converted into a smartphone application. There's no word when this will be released or how much it will cost.

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The iDoctor will be right with you originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> coughdiagnosisdoctorshealthiphonewellness John Burke Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Just what you've always wanted, a fart store]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/29/just-what-youve-always-wanted-a-fart-store/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/29/just-what-youve-always-wanted-a-fart-store/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/29/just-what-youve-always-wanted-a-fart-store/#comments Oh iFart, what would we do without you? iFart Mobile [iTunes Link], a popular... er... noise making application for the iPhone is taking it one step further adding an in-app store to the mix.

In addition to the fart styles already bundled with the app, you can now purchase added sounds. The "Food Fart Pack" adds 10 effects ranging from "Chocolate Syrup" to "Cut The Cheese". One can only imagine what they sound like. For all your iFarters out there, don't forget that iFart also makes it easy for you to record your own sounds, adding hours of endless (and hopefully smell-free) entertainment.

iFart Mobile is available on the App Store for $0.99 with in-app packs selling for an addition 99 cents.

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Just what you've always wanted, a fart store originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> fartifartin-app-purchasesiPhone John Burke Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Chrome OS competitor Jolicloud announces pre-beta release]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/29/chrome-os-competitor-jolicloud-announces-pre-beta-release/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/29/chrome-os-competitor-jolicloud-announces-pre-beta-release/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/29/chrome-os-competitor-jolicloud-announces-pre-beta-release/#comments
Watch out Chrome OS, Jolicloud means business. The cloud-based netbook operating system is feeling the heat and stepping it up, announcing their pre-beta release late last week.

So, why is Jolicloud worth a look? Compatibility with "almost every netbook" is a good first step. In addition, the developers are touting a really fresh and updated UI and an entirely cloud-based structure. The pre-beta release adds some cool functionality including a much easier installation process.

Originally only available for install via a USB stick or .ISO image, Jolicloud's developers are planning to release "Jolicloud Express", a way to partition your drive and install the OS right on top of your Windows installation. This makes removing it nice and easy and simplifies some issues people have been having with the installation.

The developers are really excited about the release and will be pushing out more invitations soon. When asked why they're building it, they had one thing to say:

The convergence of the cloud, mobile connectivity and affordable netbooks is powering a computer revolution that everyone can be part of. Together let's build Jolicloud and make it one of the driving forces in this revolution.

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Chrome OS competitor Jolicloud announces pre-beta release originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> chrome osChromeOsinstallationinvitationsjolicloudlinuxnetbookospre-betawindows John Burke Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Hundreds of Facebook groups hacked and hijacked - to prove a point?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/10/hundreds-of-facebook-groups-hacked-and-hijacked-to-prove-a-poi/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/10/hundreds-of-facebook-groups-hacked-and-hijacked-to-prove-a-poi/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/10/hundreds-of-facebook-groups-hacked-and-hijacked-to-prove-a-poi/#comments

Facebook is under attack! Okay, maybe that's a little too dramatic.

Recently, however, hundreds of Facebook groups were exploited by a group of attackers known as "Control Your Info". The hackers promise they aren't doing this for any malicious purpose though. The purpose of the mass hacking is to point out a major problem with the way Facebook handles groups management.

So what's the problem? The guys that did this said the problem has to do with group admins. When someone decides they don't want to be an admin any longer, virtually anyone can take over the group and make changes to members, group information, and pictures.

Unlike completely malicious hackers, the group says it wants to raise awareness and make sure people think about security. The groups that were hacked had their names changed to "Control Your Info" and profile images modified. A message appeared on many of the groups that said "Hello, we hereby announce that we have officially hijacked your Facebook group. If we wanted, we could make you appear in a bad way which could damage your image severely."

The group promised not to "mess anything up" and will return the groups to their original state by the end of the week.

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Hundreds of Facebook groups hacked and hijacked - to prove a point? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> administrationFacebookgroupshackerssecuritywhite hatWhiteHat John Burke Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Create Windows 7 themes with Style 7]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/26/create-windows-7-themes-with-style-7/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/26/create-windows-7-themes-with-style-7/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/26/create-windows-7-themes-with-style-7/#comments
There has been plenty of talk about ways to modify and hack your copy of Windows 7, but what if you're looking for more ways to make it drool-worthy? Style7 is a little app that helps make it a little easier to make custom themes for Windows. The way it works is pretty simple (or is it?) and is done with a "simple" configuration file.

When you create a theme, it starts off using the default Aero and you work your way through it from there. You'll need to download Style 7, as well as a UxTheme patch to allow this mod to work. Personally, if I'm going to go through all this trouble, I'm just going to Google "Cool Windows 7 themes" or something. For those of you a little more daring, ehh, give it a try!

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Create Windows 7 themes with Style 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> modspatchstylesWindows 7Windows7 John Burke Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Tweetie 2.0 coming soon for iPhone and Mac]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/28/tweetie-2-0/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/28/tweetie-2-0/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/28/tweetie-2-0/#comments The popular Twitter client Tweetie -- available for both Mac and iPhone -- is getting a major overhaul.

Tweetie 2.0 for iPhone is built on the same framework -- dubbed "Bigbird" the Mac version enjoyed, stripped to essentials and updated. The new version also promises a complete offline mode with caching of tweets and the ability to remember exactly where you left off. It also fully supports landscape mode, gestures and even has a complete draft mode that can send updates to Birdhouse. Whew!

Some other cool features include:
  • Saved searches
  • Better threaded conversations
  • Link to iPhone address book
  • Multiple attachment support
  • Hashtag picker
  • Short URL previews
Former Download Squad'er Christina Warren managed to sneak in a preview for Mashable, which looks rather promising. Tweetie 2.0 for iPhone is coming soon and will cost $2.99. The Mac version update will be free.

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Tweetie 2.0 coming soon for iPhone and Mac originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> atebitsBigbirdhashtagiPhonelandscapeMactweetieTwitter John Burke Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Tweetmixx helps you see what's hot on Twitter]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/tweetmixx-helps-you-see-whats-hot-on-twitter/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/tweetmixx-helps-you-see-whats-hot-on-twitter/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/tweetmixx-helps-you-see-whats-hot-on-twitter/#comments As Twitter becomes more popular, it's become increasingly difficult to stay on top of links, content and stuff you're friends and followers are sharing. Made from the same guys behing Mixx, a Digg-style website that features user submitted content that you can vote on, Tweetmixx is designed to make it much easier to share and view links and content found in tweets.

After logging in with your Twitter username and password, you'll immediately be presented with a cool list of links found in your friends' tweets. See comments on them, view hot trends and even post and share directly from Tweetmixx. You can even specify interests that will help filter stuff you're interested in seeing.

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Tweetmixx helps you see what's hot on Twitter originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> diggfilterlinksmixxsharingtrendstweetmixxTwitter John Burke Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Login to Facebook with your vanity URL]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/login-to-facebook-with-your-vanity-url/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/login-to-facebook-with-your-vanity-url/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/login-to-facebook-with-your-vanity-url/#comments
Here's a bit of ground breaking news for you. Facebook, known for their popular social networking website and recently flurry of product and service enhancements, has made possibly the biggest change yet. With over 50 million vanity names reserved since the social networking website started allowing users to pick their own unique URL, they have now announced that the names can be used to sign in as well.

Now, instead of having to remember an entire email address, XoXoSuperGirl111 or Bob or whatever name you chose can be used to login with. For me, that whole @me.com was a killer to remember.

You'll still be able to login using your email, mobile phone number or through a Facebook Connect website as always, this just adds another (more convenient?) way to sign in. I guess it's good that Facebook is keeping themselves balanced. After all, it'd be awful if all they did was release new features and functionality. That would almost be too much.

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Login to Facebook with your vanity URL originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ConnectFacebookLoginURLVanity URLVanityUrl John Burke Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Try out new Facebook features before your friends with Prototypes]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/facebook-prototypes-addons-features/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/facebook-prototypes-addons-features/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/facebook-prototypes-addons-features/#comments

On the heels of last week's release of @mentions and the new Facebook Lite, today Facebook announced "Prototypes".

Prototypes give users a chance to test out cool new applications and functionality "going on inside the walls of Facebook" and to provide feedback to the who built the prototypes, directly.

To begin testing and providing feedback, simply find any application available in the Application Directory that is marked as "Prototype". Some cool examples that have come out of Facebook prototype apps include Desktop Notifications for Mac, recent comments filters and enhanced event emails.

Think of Prototypes much like the recently released Mozilla Test Pilot; Giving users the chance to opt-in to new features not quite ready for primetime.

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Try out new Facebook features before your friends with Prototypes originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> applicationsdevelopersdirectoryengineersFacebookprototype John Burke Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:20:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Facebook introduces @mentions]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/10/facebook-introduces-mentions/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/10/facebook-introduces-mentions/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/10/facebook-introduces-mentions/#comments

Facebook has been pretty busy today releasing new features on the popular social networking website. In addition to launching Facebook Lite, a stripped down version of the social networking site, the company also announced a new way to connect your content to friends.

Status updates have always been one of the most popular and most used features of Facebook and today's introduction of "friend tagging" in updates is sure to make the it even more popular. Much like Twitter's @reply feature, tagging in Facebook status updates work by adding an @ symbol in front of the name of your friend or family member. Facebook recognizes this and will show you a list of your friends, making finding the right person quick and easy.

A plus to Facebook's version of this feature, is while the @ symbol makes including friends easy, it won't actually be displayed. You'll also soon be able to tag friends in applications as well. Friends you tag in your status updates will get a notification and a wall post linking them to your update. They can also remove the tag if they don't want to be linked.

Like most new Facebook features, most users won't see this right away as they take time rolling out the feature to their millions of users.

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Facebook introduces @mentions originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> FacebookLitementionsTagging John Burke Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Facebook comes to Android]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/10/facebook-comes-to-android/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/10/facebook-comes-to-android/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/10/facebook-comes-to-android/#comments Oh look, more evidence that Facebook is slowly trying to take over the world. The popular social networking website is adding yet another option for its mobile users. Adding to the popular mobile platform that already has applications for iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, Sony Ericsson, Windows Mobile, Widsets, INQ and LG, today they announced the release of Facebook for Android.

According to the Facebook app's page, the Android version gives users much of the same functionality found in their other mobile versions. This includes status updates from your home screen, news feed, friends, walls and user info, photo sharing and easy phone number lookup.

From a quick first look, the application seems a bit basic, especially in comparison to the fully-featured 3rd installment of the iPhone version. Also, while the app is listed as having been developed by Facebook, it was actually engineered by Google with "some help" from Facebook.

After seeing how much is possible with Facebook's mobile platform, it's no secret that many users are dissapointed with the apps basic features and very "mobile-looking" interface.

The app is free is available through the Android Market.

[via CNET]

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Facebook comes to Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Androidandroid marketAndroidMarketFacebookGoogleiPhoneMobile John Burke Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:10:00 EST Download Squad