Download Squad

How to make a clean Vista install from an upgrade DVD

Jordan Running — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST

Ooh. Here's a bit of an "oops" for Microsoft: It turns out it's possible, with no hacking or advanced skills required, to make a full-blown clean install of Windows Vista from a Vista upgrade DVD. Seeing as the upgrade disc costs about two thirds what the full version does, that seems like a pretty big oversight. DailyTech has the scoop. The process is very easy, but takes a bit of legwork. Here's the basics:

Boot from your Vista upgrade DVD.
Don't enter your product key when prompted; click "Next" instead, which will install a 30-day trial version of Vista.
Once your new trial boots up, launch setup from the DVD again, from within Vista.
Enter your product key when prompted, and then choose Custom (advanced) to do a clean install (yes, you're installing Vista a second time).
Congratulations, you've got Vista!

According to Paul Thurrott, all of this info is actually contained within internal Microsoft docs, so it's kind of amazing to me that Microsoft shipped Vista update discs with this capability. Regardless, doing this is almost certainly in violation of your license agreement, so don't try it at home (but if you do, let us know if it works).

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

How to make a clean Vista install from an upgrade DVD originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 01 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paths 2 - Today's Time Waster

Jordan Running — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:00:00 EST

I'm just a sucker for these drawing games. Paths 2, a sequel (as you might have guessed) to Paths, is a fun Flash action-puzzler in which you must guide a ball through a maze by drawing its path with a pencil. Once you've drawn a path, you press the space bar to set the ball in motion. Of course, it's not that simple: There are obstacles which you must move out of the way with your mouse, which as the levels progress quickly becomes a juggling routine. Paths 2 also adds another challenge on to the original paradigm: keys. Rather than just getting your ball to the goal, in most levels you have to pick up a key first to unlock it. Paths 2 can be a little frustrating at times, but overall it's a fun and addictive time-waster.

[Via Jay is Games]

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Time-Wasters

Paths 2 - Today's Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to get rid of Snap's obnoxious link previews

Jordan Running — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST

If you've seen them, you've probably been annoyed by them. I'm talking about Snap's "Preview Anywhere," a little gizmo people can stick on their web site or blog that, when the visitor rolls the mouse over any link, will pop up a big bubble with a thumbnail image in it, giving them a preview of the destination site. Sounds kinda cool, right? Yeah, in theory. In practice, however, Snap Preview Anywhere is bloody obnoxious. It disrupts the browsing experience without actually adding any value--in the words of Performancing's Nick Wilson, "It's bling, a silly little shiney thing designed specifically to increase awareness of Snap.com." Just say no to bubbles.

So how does an interruption-averse web surfer get rid of it? Conveniently, Snap's SPA FAQ has the answer. Just click on the link provided in the FAQ and your browser will be imbued with a cookie that will banish those bubbles from your view. As long as the cookie lasts, at least. An additional step you can take on behalf of your fellow web surfers is to email the folks who put these things on their sites and register your displeasure.

[Via kottke.org]

Filed under: Web services

How to get rid of Snap's obnoxious link previews originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Gates on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - VIDEO

Jordan Running — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 11:30:00 EST

As promised, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night, pimping his little heart out for Windows Vista. I didn't get to watch it then, but thankfully Comedy Central has put the whole interview online. It's not a laugh riot, and I'm sad to report that John Hodgman (the PC from Apple's "I'm a Mac" ads and a regular Daily Show contributor) didn't make an appearance, but there's plenty of cute banter between Gates and Stewart. Here's Part 1:

Gates seems a little ill at ease, but I guess I would too if I were a guy not known for his sense of humor trying to sell a product on a show run by a guy known for skewering public figures. But everything goes down without any trouble until the very end, when Gates, apparently unaware that the usual talk show protocol is to sit and chat (or pretend to chat) with the host while the credits run, BOLTS OFF STAGE! But, when you're worth $50 billion, I guess you can get away with that.

Check out the second part of the interview, and Gates' sudden departure, after the jump.

Continue reading Bill Gates on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - VIDEO

Filed under: Fun, Microsoft

Bill Gates on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart - VIDEO originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 30 Jan 2007 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I'm a Mac, guv: Apple's UK Mac ads - VIDEO

Jordan Running — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:00:00 EST

You might recall awhile back we posted some ads from Japan featuring Apple's "I'm a Mac" guy and his PC foil just like the U.S. ads but, er, Japanese. Today we have some more foreign "I'm a Mac" ads, but this time you won't need subtitles. Apple has brought its popular ad campaign across the Atlantic this time, to the U.K. Here's the first, called "Office at Home" and you can find the other five after the jump. (Or, if you're a purist, you can watch them in glorious hi-res QuickTime at the Apple web site.)

I'm more fond of the UK Mac than the smarmy US version, but as I said before there's no replacing John Hodgman as the PC. And I have a soft spot for that Eurobeat-grooving Japanese PC. The actors, in case you're curious, are Britons David Mitchell and Robert Webb as the PC and Mac respectively, stars of Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show.

Continue reading I'm a Mac, guv: Apple's UK Mac ads - VIDEO

Filed under: Fun, Macintosh, Apple

I'm a Mac, guv: Apple's UK Mac ads - VIDEO originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vista Countdown: 1 Day!

Jordan Running — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST

OMG, the hour is nearly upon us! At midnight Windows Vista will go on sale all around the world. Can you hear the excitement? Hmm, maybe if you took out your white earbuds. How about now?

In case you found the other day's 10 reasons to upgrade (and 10 not to) less than convincing, PC World took a stab at it too, upping the ante by 50% with its 15 Reasons to Switch. Here's the first five:

It's the Interface, Stupid (Aero is pretty)
Flip Over Windows Flip 3D (Alt-Tab is pretty)
Live Thumbnails (taskbar hover previews)
Boost Performance With ReadyBoost (not just an energy drink anymore)
Cool Performance Tools (Reliability and Performance Monitor)

If you're the kind of person who likes to go shopping at midnight, USA Today has the scoop on Microsoft's launch events. CompUSA stores will be open from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.; 14 Best Buy locations will be open until 12:30 a.m., and the Detroit, Cleveland and San Diego stores will have NFL players on hand signing autographs (synergy!!); Steve Ballmer will be making a morning appearance at the midtown Manhattan Best Buy; and 10 Circuit City stores will be open until 1 a.m., with NFL players in Miami and Nashville. Oh, and CompUSA is offering to install Vista on your machine for $50, and will take it off for free if you experience a bit of the old buyer's remorse. [Via Consumerist]

Thrilling! Just. Thrilling. I, personally, will be asleep, because none of those stores are within 150 miles of me. No, really.
So, on the eve of The Big Release, it's time to take stock one last time. Cast your votes in our very last pre-launch poll:

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

Vista Countdown: 1 Day! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't make me wait: Web 2.0 sin #8

Jordan Running — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 15:05:00 EST

Here's a complain that would go along nicely with our Seven rules for Web 2.0 start-ups: Keeping me waiting for an account activation email, or anything else for that matter. Say you have a potential customer who wants to run a cool Ajaxy poll on his blog. He googles and finds that there are at least a dozen companies offering a free Ajaxy poll service. Your site looks good to him, so he jumps through your registration hoops (clearly you didnt' follow rule #2), slicks on the Submit button, and then... he has to wait.

I'm no Guy Kawasaki, but here's a free bit of business advice: If you're trying to compete in a field with a half-dozen nearly identical products, don't make a potential customer wait. If it takes five minutes for that account activation email to show up, he'll have already wandered along and found a different service that does what he needs without the wait. Thirty seconds is too long. The vagaries of the world's email relays aside, if your service's SMTP server isn't lightning fast, get another one, or you've just a pile of impatient customers--and on the internet, they're all impatient.

Filed under: Web services

Don't make me wait: Web 2.0 sin #8 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 29 Jan 2007 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to pwn PDF password protection

Jordan Running — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:00:00 EST

Ever had a PDF document that you needed to read, but was protected by a pesky password? Digital Inspiration has you covered. Now none of us endorse breaking passwords in ways that violate copyrights and so on, DI posits a plausible scenario: "Say one of your former colleague created some critical sales reports in PDF format but he is not working with the company anymore. In his absence, you have no option but to crack the PDF password in order to open, read or print these PDF files." Ah, yes, the good old departed, paranoid colleague. The guide covers how to copy or print PDFs that restrict such activities and how to use password recovery tools to ferret out that password--just hope your colleague used a simple password or it's bound to take awhile.

Filed under: Security, Office

How to pwn PDF password protection originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vista Countdown: 3 Days - The Ten Reasons

Jordan Running — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST

Still pondering whether or not to get Windows Vista on Tuesday? I'll give you 10 reasons why you shouldn't from APC Magazine. Expensive! Lousy drivers! UAC! DRM! Case closed! Er, not quite. Here's 10 reasons why you should... also from APC Magazine. Multimedia! Better drivers! Search! Undelete! DirectX 10! Case closed! Uhhh... I'm not making this any easier for you, am I?

While you ponder that imponderable, I'm going to move on. It seems that government officials in South Korea--one of the most wired nations on Earth--are recommending that the citizenry not upgrade to Vista. Why? Because, apparently, South Korea is mad for ActiveX, the proprietary browser plug-in technology that powers much of the country's web services, from online banking to stock trading, shopping, and gaming, and apparently many of those services cease to work in Windows Vista (presumably because of UAC). More than a reason not to upgrade to Vista, this seems like a fantastic demonstration of how stupid it is to build web services on proprietary technologies. The irony, of course, is that ActiveX is Microsoft's own proprietary invention.

In gaming news, FPS luminary John Carmack--you know, the Doom and Quake guy--says he's not exactly chomping at the bit after Vista or DirectX 10 just yet. "Personally, I wouldn't jump at something like DX10 right now," he says. "I would let things settle out a little bit and wait until there's a really strong need for it." For now he's quite satisfied with Windows XP and accuses Microsoft of "artificially" forcing gamers to upgrade with DX10. "Nothing is going to help a new game by going to a new operating system. There were some clear wins going from Windows 95 to Windows XP for games, but there really aren't any for Vista. They're artificially doing that by tying DX10 so close it, which is really nothing about the OS ... They're really grasping at straws for reasons to upgrade the operating system. I suspect I could run XP for a great many more years without having a problem with it." He calls DirectX 9 "quite good" and also praises the Xbox 360's graphics API.

Phew. To catch up on the previous four days of our Vista Countdown, hit the archive.

Filed under: Games, OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

Vista Countdown: 3 Days - The Ten Reasons originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 27 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vista Countdown: 4 Days - Your Moment of Zen

Jordan Running — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:00:00 EST

Today seemed like it was gonna be a low-buzz day for Vista's impending retail release, until I came across this tidbit: Microsoft chairman Bill Gates is scheduled to appear on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart on Monday, just an hour before Vista's midnight launch. As Candace Lombardi over at CNet points out, John Hodgman, who plays the PC on Apple's "I'm a Mac" ads, is a regular Daily Show contributor. I really hope Stewart & Co. can get the two together for some hijinks. We'll be sure to post some video as soon as we can get our little paws on it.

In other news, remember that huffing and puffing over Vista's copious DRM cruft and the response on Microsoft's Vista blog? Well, of course there's now a response-to-the-response. Peter Gutmann, who wrote the original "Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection" to which the Vista blog post was in reply, has added an addendum to the original article in, er, reply. Gutmann calls Microsoft's response "PR spin" and makes a pretty strong case, but I'll leave it to you to judge for yourselves.

Lastly, a Vista tips from the fine folks over at Lifehacker: How to disable annoying "Need your permission to continue" prompts. To quote our own David Chartier: "What happens when you try to save your users from your own security and usability mistakes over the last 15 years or so? Apparently, they revolt and hurl your solutions right back in your face."

In case you're not all caught up, you can check out the previous three days of our Vista Countdown over here.

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

Vista Countdown: 4 Days - Your Moment of Zen originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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isotope2: Spirograph on crack - Today's Time Waster

Jordan Running — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 17:30:00 EST

Sometimes the best time-wasters aren't games at all. Case in point: isotope2. It's an engrossing Flash toy by Martin Jonasson that draws fun mathemagical patterns. You start out with a blank canvas and a mechanical arm. You can add segments to the arm (by clicking on the plus and minus buttons) and then adjust the speed and direction at which each joint rotates (by clicking on the joint and dragging up or down). With the right combinations, you can generate some very cool and very pretty patterns. You can zoom in and out and control the speed (higher speeds make for more angular lines), and you can also copy the "formula" for your pattern to share with your friends. Simple, but totally addictive.

Filed under: Fun, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Time-Wasters

isotope2: Spirograph on crack - Today's Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Jan 2007 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vista Countdown: 5 Days

Jordan Running — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:25:00 EST

Five days until Windows Vista is unleashed on the general populace. Back when we did our Vista upgrade poll, about 15% of you said you wouldn't be upgrading to Vista until after they release the first service pack. Well, good news for you: Microsoft is already laying the groundwork for Vista SP1's release. CNet says Microsoft has outlined an update with minor enhancements along the same lines as Windows XP's SP1, rather than a large overhaul like XP's SP2. "We expect Windows Vista SP1 to be a standard service pack that will include security updates and hot fixes, as well as limited other changes focused on improving overall quality," a Microsoft rep told them. Sorry, folks, that means no WinFS for you. Again. Redmond says expects Vista SP2 to be ready "in a timeframe similar to that of service packs for previous versions of Windows." Windows XP's first service pack came out 11 months after the OS' initial release.

Vista's release is no cake walk for Microsoft, owing in part to the fact that the internet is a very different animal than it was the last time Microsoft released a new OS. We now have the marvel that is BitTorrent, and as you might imagine it's as much a thorn in Microsoft's side as it is the movie industry's. Computerworld has an interesting article on the piracy challenges Microsoft is facing even before Microsoft hits retail shelves. "The pirates that cracked early copies of Vista all sidestepped Microsoft's latest antipiracy technology, the Software Protection Platform," the article goes. "SPP is supposed to shut down any copy of Vista not registered to Microsoft over the Internet with a legitimate, paid-up license key within the first 30 days." Microsoft is trying to scare consumers off pirated copies of Vista with boogey-man stories of viruses and malware, which I'd say probably isn't too effective on the sorts of people who are in the habbit of trolling BitTorrent for pirated operating systems.

And speaking of malware, Webroot Software, makers of Spy Sweeper, have issued a press release warning of "potentially ineffective blocking capabilities in Windows Defender, slow definition updates, and weak anti-virus capabilities in the default anti-spyware and anti-virus components of Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system and Live OneCare suite." Are there really scary vulnerabilities in Vista and gaping holes in its anti-malware software? Well, probably, but what Webroot is doing here ain't public service. Webroot's CTO Gerhard Eschelbeck says the company wants to help cunsumers "make informed decisions about their computing security needs," which, if he has his way, means loads of them buying Spy Sweeper for their new Vista setups.

Filed under: Internet, OS Updates, Security, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

Vista Countdown: 5 Days originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft extends support period for Windows XP

Jordan Running — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:45:00 EST

PC Pro is reporting that Microsoft will be extending support for Windows XP beyond 2010. It had originally intended to discontinue support for the operating system at the end of January 2009, two years after the launch of Windows Vista, but has pushed back the date in response to customer appeals. Now it says that "mainstream" support for XP will cease in April 2009 but "extended" support will continue for an additional five years, but only for Windows XP Home and Media Center editions. Extended support includes fixes for security holes but excludes warranty claims and "non-security hot-fixes or design changes." You can read more about Microsoft's lifecycle policy in the official FAQ.

Filed under: OS Updates, Security, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

Microsoft extends support period for Windows XP originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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URL Fixer: Don't let typos slow down your browsing

Jordan Running — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:45:00 EST

I think it was around 1997 when I first thought, "gee, it would be great if when I made an obvious typo in a URL, the browser would cleverly fix it for me." I'm glad to see that progress marches apace: URL Fixer is an add-on for Firefox by Netscape developer Chris Finke that, a decade later, solves this problem, or at least takes a good stab at it. When you make an obvious typo--like using a comma in place of a dot, or typing ".cmo" instead of ".com"--when entering a URL in the address bar, URL Fixer will automatically correct it (or, optionally, prompt you first). OpenDNS has similar functionality, but in case you don't want to futz with your DNS settings, URL fixer is a solid alternative.

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Productivity, Mozilla, Freeware, Browser Tips

URL Fixer: Don't let typos slow down your browsing originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vista Countdown: 6 Days - Tips and 20 Qs

Jordan Running — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:00:00 EST

I wasn't planning on doing a countdown to Windows Vista until yesterday, and though there are piles of articles out there I could link to about Vista's failings, it seems unfair to focus on that for the week leading up to its release. Maybe I'll alternate days. Today I bring some tips and info for those who are all jazzed for Redmond's new baby.

First a tip from the How-To Geek on the Built-in Quick Launch Hotkeys in Windows Vista. Here's how it works: When you have some programs in your Quick Launch menu, each one will automatically be assigned a number--1, 2, 3, etc. from the leftmost icon to the right--and pressing the Windows key and that number will launch that program. Head over to the How-To geek for a more thorough explanation. Handy!

Another handy feature is Vista's built-in Snipping Tool, about which Lifehacker gives us the low-down. It's a huge improvement on Windows 95 and XP's nearly nonexistent screenshot functionality, though not, as Lifehacker's Gina Trapani points out, as robust as some third-party tools like the venerable SnagIt or my lightweight and free favorite FastStone Capture. Still, for basic screen-capping needs, the Snipping Tool is an invaluable and obvious bundled app.

Finally, you may have heard some of the huffing and puffing over Vista's thoroughly integrated DRM technologies. I won't get deep into it now, but if you want an overview Wikipedia is, as ever, a great resource. If you're concerned about Vista's DRM, you may want to check out Windows Vista Content Protection - Twenty Questions (and Answers) at the official Windows Vista Blog. In it, Dave Marsh, Vista's Lead Program Manager in charge of video technologies, says "It's important to emphasize that while Windows Vista has the necessary infrastructure to support commercial content scenarios, this infrastructure is designed to minimize impact on other types of content and other activities on the same PC." It's a pretty one-sided article, as you might imagine, but I suggest you read it and judge for yourself.

Filed under: OS Updates, Utilities, Windows, Productivity, Microsoft, Commercial

Vista Countdown: 6 Days - Tips and 20 Qs originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Download Squad Search: Now with 200% more Useful(TM)

Jordan Running — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST

If you've ever tried searching for a particular post on Download Squad you might have found it a tad frustrating. Our built-in search engine was never very, er... good. But I'm thrilled to report that those days are over. Our talented developers have swapped out the old 'n' crufty search engine for some brand new hotness. The main enhancements are:

It now does an AND search rather than an OR search, meaning a search for "windows vista" will only turn up posts that have both "windows" and "vista" in them, not everything with "windows" OR "vista."
Search results now show the number of comments on each post, as well as the post's date.
The default ranking is by relevance, but at the top there's a "Sort by Date" option.

I doubt your mind is blown by all this, but a little extra ease of use here and there is always a good thing. Happy searching!

Filed under: News

Download Squad Search: Now with 200% more Useful(TM) originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google dumbs down Images results

Jordan Running — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:00:00 EST

My friend Ty pointed out to me today that Google has changed the interface of Google Images, and not necessarily for the better. While the old results display for Google Images searches showed a thumbnail of each image along with the host's domain name, the image's dimensions, and a short description (taken from the image's context on the site). Now Google Images only shows the short description unless you move your mouse over one of the thumbnails. For me, this makes the service significantly less intuitive. If I'm looking for, say, a logo that's a certain size, I want to be able to see each image's dimensions at a glance, but with the new interface I have to roll my mouse over each and every one until I find one that's the right size. Similarly, being able to see the hosts of all of the images was handy, especially if you noticed that many of them are served by the same host. But now it's like a puzzle, moving your mouse around until you find what you're looking for.

I'm not sure if this new interface is showing up for all users, as Google is in the habit of testing new interfaces on a small cross section of users, but either way I hope this is an interface change they reconsider. What do you think of the update?

Filed under: Web services, Google

Google dumbs down Images results originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A peek at the new Netscape 9.0 - EXCLUSIVE

Jordan Running — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 13:00:00 EST

Okay, let's work through some naming confusion for a second: These days Netscape is a pretty multi-faceted brand, but for the purposes of this post we're talking about just two of those facets: Netscape.com, the web site recently reborn as a social news site, and Netscape Browser, the web browser that you download, install on your computer, and use to browse web sites... like Netscape.com. Got it? Okay, hold on tight.

Over at the official Netscape(.com) blog, developer Chris Finke has posted a teeny tiny teaser screenshot (above) of the upcoming Netscape (Browser) 9.0. Who cares about a new version of Netscape Browser anymore? Well, I do, but I may be a teensy bit (read: a lot) biased since I'm on Netscape.com's payroll as a Navigator. But, just as the Netscape.com team has pumped some pretty novel features into the social news site, they seem to be taking a similar approach to Netscape 9.0. Here's what Finke says about the new version: "Unlike Netscape 8, Netscape 9 will contain more standardized support for newsfeeds (a.k.a. Live Bookmarks); it will also have tight integration with the Netscape.com service, as evidenced by the icons for the two available Netscape.com extensions (Friends' Activity Sidebar and the Sitemail Notifier). Several Netscape.com-based extensions will be built into the browser; only these two have been previously announced."

If you already use Firefox and have installed the existing Netscape.com extensions, the above might not put you at the edge of your seat in anticipation, but Finke has promised new screenshots and progress reports every Tuesday until the browser's release.

Filed under: Internet

A peek at the new Netscape 9.0 - EXCLUSIVE originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pirate Bay, mininova, and Torrentspy among top Alexa sites

Jordan Running — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST

TorrentFreak is reporting that three top BitTorrent tracker sites--The Pirate Bay, mininova, and Torrentspy--have accomplished the inevitable and entered the Alexa 200, the top 200 most-trafficked sites on the web acccording to Alexa. Torrentspy has the highest rank at 153, followed by mininova at 165, and The Pirate Bay barely squeezing in at 198. While nobody argues that Alexa's rankings are the picture of accuracy, it does give a pretty good indication of web trends, and this seems like a pretty big trend. TorrentFreak speculates that it was IsoHunt's recent (temporary) shutdown that bumped these sites into the top 200 (with its spillover traffic going to them), and the Alexa chart would seem to confirm that. Now that IsoHunt is back up, I wonder if it will gain back that traffic, knocking the other sites down a notch.

Filed under: Internet

Pirate Bay, mininova, and Torrentspy among top Alexa sites originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vista Countdown: 7 Days - What's wrong with it?

Jordan Running — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:05:00 EST

Windows Vista lands in one week, everybody. Personally, I can't wait--not because I'm going to go straight to the store and buy a copy, but because I can stop writing stories about everybody and their mom's predictions about the impact Vista will have, and start writing stories about the impact it actually has. Eventually.

Actually, those articles are already starting to trickle in, like this one: The 5 Sins of Vista, from IntelliAdmin.com. In it, Steve Wiseman outlines five things in Vista that are, well, kinda broken. Here's the executive summary:

The new file browsing interface is broken - Ew!
The new start menu sucks (Kind of) - Kinda ew.
Windows Networking is a mess - Clear as mud.
Windows Search Is Broken - Double ew!
Windows copying has not improved - Sigh.

I think we're sure to see some really great stuff in Windows, but when stuff as fundamental is search and file copying still haven't gotten any attention from Microsoft, I start to wonder just what they are working on over in Redmond.

In related news, Microsoft has disclosed that one out of every five Windows installations in use today is "non-genuine," i.e. possibly pirated, says BetaNews. [Via Digg]

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

Vista Countdown: 7 Days - What's wrong with it? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Piano Hero: Learn to play piano, have fun?

Jordan Running — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:55:00 EST

I took piano lessons for a couple years when I was a kid. I never became a virtuoso, but maybe if I had had Piano Hero I could have. It's an open source edutainer in the mold of Guitar Hero and the like, except with a piano instead of a guitar. It's a bit rough around the edges and definitely doesn't have the eye candy appeal of its console brethren, but if you want to improve your real piano skills (rather than your fake guitar skills), it might be right up your alley. Piano Hero works with any MIDI music file you throw at it, but currently it doesn't sync up to a MIDI keyboard--that feature will come with the 0.5.0 release promised later this month. Until then you'll just have to play along and pretend.

The Piano Hero web site seems to be sputtering a bit just now, but you can download the program for Windows from SourceForge.

Filed under: Audio, Fun, Windows, Open Source

Piano Hero: Learn to play piano, have fun? originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free, non-destructive partitioning with GParted

Jordan Running — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 12:45:00 EST

One of the best and handiest tools in the power user's toolbox is GParted. I've written about it before, and the short version is this: GParted is an open source Linux app for modifying your hard drive's partitions without losing any data. It has support for a huge number of file systems, including those belonging to Windows, and though it's not as easy to use as some commercial solutions, it has the distinct advantage of being totally free. If you want a hand getting up and running with GParted, Ihighly recommend Modify Your Partitions With GParted Without Losing Data, a new article over at HowtoForge. It runs you through the whole process of using the fantastic GParted LiveCD to shuffle around your partitions to your heart's content.

A bit of a warning, though: Repartitioning is an inherently risky activity, and messing with existing partitions without first making a backup could, as the kids say, end in tears. Always backup.

Filed under: Utilities, Linux, Open Source

Free, non-destructive partitioning with GParted originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Jan 2007 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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$10 free from Google Checkout - which stores are participating?

Jordan Running — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:30:00 EST

Awhile back we reported that Google is really trying to push its Google Checkout payment processing service by offering a $10 coupon to everyone who signs up. They're still offering the coupon, and they've even dropped the if-you-spend-$30-or-more requirement, and today I decided to bite the bullet and grab my sweet, sweet coupon. But I was a little annoyed that Google doesn't tell you up front, before you sign up, exactly which stores are participating in the promotion. The promotion page just lists fifteen of them, and says "And many more!"

Where am I going with all this? Well, since I did bite the bullet, I thought I'd satisfy everyone's curiosity and list all of the web stores that are participating in Google Checkout's $10 coupon promotion (Google Checkout has many more stores under its umbrella, but not all of them are participating in the promo).

In case you're wondering, I found the whole Google Checkout process really streamlined and painless--much easier than PayPal, far easier than most stores' built-in checkout system. Now that I've finally signed up, I'll be using it whenever it's available.

Anyway, see the full list--234 stores by my count--after the jump!

Continue reading $10 free from Google Checkout - which stores are participating?

Filed under: Business, Web services, Google

$10 free from Google Checkout - which stores are participating? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mozilla SeaMonkey 1.1 is now available!

Jordan Running — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:00:00 EST

It's a big day for one of Mozilla's greatest projects. "Firefox?" you ask? No, the other one. "Thunderbird?" No, no, the other one. That's right, a new version of Mozilla's internet suite SeaMonkey is available today. In case you're not familiar with it, SeaMonkey is the open source spiritual successor to Netscape Communicator. If that doesn't mean anything to you, I suddenly feel very old, but what it is is a unified collection of internet tools: web browser (based on Firefox), email, newsgroups, IRC chat, and HTML editor, all in one. So now that you're up to speed, what's new in the latest release? Well, it's not a huge update, but it's got spell check for web forms, secure site indication, tab thumbnails, drag-and-drop for URLs, tagging for email, junk mail filtering improvements and better phishing detection, and more. You can see a complete list of new features here, and the rest of the release notes over here. You can download it for Windows, OS X, or Linux on the releases page.

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Open Source

Mozilla SeaMonkey 1.1 is now available! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome Ian Smith to Download Squad

Jordan Running — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:30:00 EST

Sue Polinsky isn't the only great new blogger we brought on this month. The other newest member of our team is Ian Smith, who brings with him his love of productivity and knowledge of "life hacks." You might already be familiar with Ian as the "Joe" behind Joe's Goals, a cool Web 2.0 goal-tracking app that I'm a huge fan of. Welcome to the team, Ian!

Welcome Ian Smith to Download Squad originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gmail-ify your Thunderbird

Jordan Running — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST

Use Thunderbird for your desktop email needs? Wish it were more like Gmail? I bid you take a look at GMailUI. It's an extension for Thunderbird that aims to import some of the best features from Gmail. No, I'm not talking about conversation view (it will be a glorious day when every mail client offers that as an option), unfortunately. First of all, it steals Gmail's archive paradigm, allowing you to press 'y' (just like in Gmail) to "yank" a message from your Inbox and put it in a specified archive folder. GMailUI steals a few more Gmail keyboard shortcuts, too, like 'j' and 'k' to skip between messages. On top of that GMailUI revamps Thunderbird's search system to be much more Google-like. It lets you type in expressions just like in Gmail--for example, 'from:dave' for all messages from Dave, or attachment:yes for messages with attachments, or any combination thereof. It also adds a feature Gmail doesn't have, but you'll recognize from Google: a calculator. Just type in a mathematical expression like 2+2 (or, you know, something slightly more complex) and the answer will appear. Not mind-blowing, but handy. GMailUI is donationware.

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, E-mail, Productivity, Mozilla, Freeware

Gmail-ify your Thunderbird originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flash Player 9 for Linux final released

Jordan Running — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:00:00 EST

At long last, Adobe has released the final version of Flash Player 9 for Linux. The first beta version was released back in October, and today is the first time in a long time the Linux player has been caught up to the Windows version. The version released is x86 only, and there's no word on whether a 64-bit version is on its way. Rumor over at Slashdot is that Adobe's Penguin.SWF blog is rejecting negative comments, which sits poorly with me. If Adobe is really embracing Flash on Linux--as would seem to be indicated by the very existence of its Flash-on-Linux blog--they should be addressing the community's concerns directly, not burying them.

Nevertheless, I'm sure some Linux users are thrilled to have an up-to-date Flash player in their browser, if nothing else for watching YouTube. Linux users, please share your experiences with the new plugin in the comments. You can download the Flash Player 9 for Linux on Adobe's download page.

Filed under: Design, Developer, Internet, Linux, Adobe, Freeware

Flash Player 9 for Linux final released originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VirtualBox: InnoTek's virtualization goes open source

Jordan Running — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:45:00 EST

Virtualization was big in '06, and it's shaping up to be huge in '07. The first company to make big news in the new year is one we're not so familiar with: Germany's InnoTek. What's the fuss? InnoTek has unexpectedly open sourced its VirtualBox virtualization software. VirtualBox looks like a pretty mature virtualization tool that runs on Windows and Linux and supports Windows (including Vista), Linux, OS/2 Warp, OpenBSD, and FreeBSD as guest operating systems. Like many companies have done, InnoTek has split its product into two editions: An open source version and a "full" version with additional features aimed at enterprise customers. The latter is still free for personal use, but its source is closed. From the screenshots, it looks like VirtualBox has a pretty featureful GUI, which is something I miss with VMware Player.

Filed under: Windows, Linux, Open Source

VirtualBox: InnoTek's virtualization goes open source originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WordPress Ultimate Gamer's Pack

Jordan Running — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 13:45:00 EST

So you've got a blog and you want gamers to be able to read it easily on their Wii, PSP, or DS? Well, if your blog is built on WordPress, you're in luck! WordPress Ultimate Gamer's Pack is a set of WordPress plugins from David Harper that make your WP blog play nice with game consoles. There's one for the Nintendo Wii, one for the Nintendo DS, and one for the Sony PSP. They aim to eliminate or reduce zooming, scrolling, and changing modes, and they kick in automatically when a gamer logs on--no configuration necessary. The plugins are free, natch, and Harper is even promising an iPhone-optimized plugin within the week!

Filed under: Internet, Blogging, Freeware

WordPress Ultimate Gamer's Pack originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Jan 2007 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tab Effect for Firefox

Jordan Running — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:50:00 EST

I like Tab Effect, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's useful. It's an extension for Firefox that adds a sort of rotating cube effect when you switch tabs. It's powered by DirectX 8, so it'll only work on Windows, and how well it performs may depend upon the quality of your graphics card. My graphics card, for example, is a piece of crap, which may be why Tab Effect performs a tad sluggishly. There's a slight delay after clicking on a tab and when the effect kicks in, and the rotation is a slower than I'd like.

Like I said, I'm not sure how useful Tab Effect is, but it's definitely a cool concept. We've seen this sort of effect with desktop-switching before, so tab-switching is a natural progression, but as it stands it's pretty limited. But it's only 1.0, so maybe after a few revisions it'll be mind-blowingly speedy, intuitive, and useful.

Filed under: Fun, Windows, Mozilla, Freeware, Browser Tips

Tab Effect for Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Jan 2007 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandora adds audio ads

Jordan Running — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:25:00 EST

The Digital Music Weblog is reporting that our favorite streaming audio music-recommendation service, Pandora, has begun inserting audio ads into the music stream for some listeners. One TDMW reader heard an ad for the McDonald's Dollar Menu, and wasn't pleased. Grant Robertson had a chance to ask Pandora's CTO Tom Conrad a few questions about the new ads. Conrad said that currently the ads are in trials and are only heard by 10% of Pandora listeners, each of whom hear a maximum of one ad per day, and the trial is targeted by listener age. The ads they're trialling run just nine seconds and follow the "NPR-style" "This station brought to you by..." format, and they're not considering any other formats right now. Head over to TDMW to read the.

Filed under: Audio, Web services

Pandora adds audio ads originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yahoo! really buys MyBlogLog

Jordan Running — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 13:25:00 EST

A couple months back we reported that Yahoo! had purchased social networking site for bloggers MyBlogLog. What we didn't report was that shortly thereafter Yahoo! PR denied Techcrunch's report, saying the to companies were in discussions, and nothing more. Oi. Well now, almost two months later, it's really, truly happened: The talks are concluded, the deal is final, and MyBlogLog is now really and truly property of Yahoo!--Om Malik got it from the horse's mouth. The acquisition price was reportedly $10 million (the same figure rumored back in November), and the MyBlogLog team will be joining Yahoo! in Berkeley and San Francisco. Much like with the Flickr acquisition, new MyBlogLog users will be able to log on with their Yahoo! ID, and the companies are promising some level integration between MyBlogLog, Flickr, and Yahoo! answers. GigaOM has more details and background, as does Mashable.

Filed under: Blogging, Web services, Yahoo!, Social Software

Yahoo! really buys MyBlogLog originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Jan 2007 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Macworld 2007 Stevenote Live Blog at TUAW

Jordan Running — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:25:00 EST

If you a) are an Apple fan (or are just Mac-curious) and b) enjoy refreshing your browser, you should do what I'm doing and head over to our sister blog TUAW, where they're liveblogging Steve Jobs' keynote right now. Speculation as to whether any Earth-shattering plans will be revealed today is rampant as ever--iPhone? iTV? iBex? Tune in to find out. If your reloading finger gets tired and you're a Firefox user, I recommend the ReloadEvery add-on. And when the Stevenote is through, check out TUAW's hot new photo galleries.

Update: Also check out Engadget's Stevenote coverage.

Filed under: Macintosh, Apple

Macworld 2007 Stevenote Live Blog at TUAW originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flash Element TD - Today's Time Waster

Jordan Running — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 17:00:00 EST

I've seen games like Flash Element TD before and haven't been overwhelmed, but after playing this one for about 45 minutes, and then realizing I had been playing it for 45 minutes, I realized it's a keeper. It's of the "tower defense" genre, wherein you have to protect against wave after wave of baddies by building towers. Each tower has strengths and weaknesses against different enemies, which get progressively tougher. For each enemy you kill you get gold, which you can use to buy more towers, and for every seventh wave you get wood, which you can spend to unlock new types of towers. At the beginning of the game you have 20 lives, and you lose one life for every enemy you let pass. While nothing about Flash Element TD stands out too far at first blush, but after playing a few levels I was completely addicted. Check it out.

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Time-Wasters

Flash Element TD - Today's Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 08 Jan 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Password management that doesn't suck - Ask DLS

Jordan Running — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 12:30:00 EST

So it took me about a decade, but I've finally reached the breaking point: I have too many usernames and passwords to remember. This came to a head today as I tried to log into a handful web sites to change some billing information and had to make multiple tries to get into half of them, even having to click on the dreaded "Forgot your password?" link once. Enough! There are dozens and dozens of programs out there designed just to solve this problem, but the trouble is figuring out which ones are crap and which ones are good. And that's where you come in, dear readers:

What's the best password-management app for your money? Here are my criteria: Super easy to use, unobtrusive (keyboard access a big plus), works on Windows, works with Firefox, secure (duh), and fairly configurable. Also, as you know, I'm incredibly cheap, so free or very inexpensive are high on my list.

Can you help me out? Leave your recommendations in the comments below.

Filed under: Security

Password management that doesn't suck - Ask DLS originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 04 Jan 2007 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next up after Vista? Fiji and Vienna

Jordan Running — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 12:55:00 EST

Though Redmond has been uncorking bottles of champaign lately for the release of Windows Vista, they certainly haven't stopped looking forward. The next two versions of Windows are already on the drawing board, and have been for some time. Their codenames are Fiji and Vienna (Vista's was Longhorn, if you recall), and they're the successors to the Windows throne according to a blog called Unnecessary. Fiji is planned as a "Second Edition" of Vista, which is intended to finally bring some of those promised Longhorn features that never materialized to Vista. Among them: More new UI features, a more powerful Sidebar, tighter Windows Live integration, more advanced speech recognition, WinFS (finally!) on top of NTFS, maybe a music-authoring program called Monaco, and more.

Vienna (formerly known as Blackcomb) is slated to be the next huge leap forward for Windows, "similar to the transition from OS 8-9 to OS X." Vienna will break application compatibility with previous versions of Windows to make room for a "newer, more flexible, richer and secure platform." Among the new features will be a completely overhauled interface ("No more explorer shells, and taskbars. No start menu. Probably no toolbars, or menus."), speech recognition as a "major input device," a new version of NTFS wrapped in WinFS ("No more drives, or files/folders location to worry about. File Management will be done through applications, which will automatically index and sort the files they support."), and more.

Ooh, that all sounds great. But take it with a grain of salt. Preferably the biggest one you can find. I would love to see all of these new features in the next versions of Windows, but Longhorn/Vista has taught me not to hold my breath. Don't get me wrong, I am optimistic about the future of Windows, and I love reading lists like this.. but let's not count our chickens before they're hatched.

[Via Engadget]

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Next up after Vista? Fiji and Vienna originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 01 Jan 2007 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free Flash charts with amCharts and PHP/SWF Charts

Jordan Running — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 16:15:00 EST

Oh, how I love free things. Especially free pretty things. And I'm the kind of person who things Flash charts and graphs are pretty, so I present amCharts and PHP/SWF Charts. amCharts is a relative newcomer that creates attractive Flash pie and donut charts based on data you put in a text file in either XML or CSV formats (which makes exporting from Excel easy). It's very configurable, allowing you to specify colors, border, tilt (for a 3D effect), labels, fonts, backgrounds, and so on. amCharts' creators promise bar, column, and line charts this spring.

PHP/SWF Charts is sort of amCharts' big brother. It's been around awhile longer and features more than a dozen different chart types and nearly unlimited configurability. As the name implies, PHP/SWF Charts uses PHP to load data from dynamic sources, but it's not required--there's XML/SWF Charts that will load data from a regular XML file. With its advanced features comes more complexity, of course, and the learning curve is probably greater, but if you need, say, a stacked 3D column chart, it's the way to go.

As I mentioned, both charting tools are free, but not totally free. The free version of amCharts will put a small link to amCharts.com in the corner of your charts, and PHP/SWF Charts will direct users to its web site if they click on it. For a single-site license amCharts will cost you 45 Euros (about US$60) and PHP/SWF charts will cost you US$45. "Enterprise" licenses for unlimited sites cost 245 Euros (~US$322) or $550 respectively.

Filed under: Business, Finance, Shareware

Free Flash charts with amCharts and PHP/SWF Charts originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Dec 2006 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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vLite - nLite for Windows Vista

Jordan Running — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:20:00 EST

Not familiar with nLite? Well, let me enlighten you. nLite is a great free utility for Windows that lets you configure a Windows installation to your liking before you install it. Its main use is to remove features you don't need to save disk space and improve performance, but it can also be used to add features and even entire third-party programs and create an unattended install CD. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend you check it out the next time you need to install Windows.

Of course, with the imminent release of Windows Vista, intrepid programmers have created vLite, a version of nLite for Windows Vista. It works just like the original nLite, though it's been prettied up a bit for the Vista scene. vLite is in beta, naturally, so you probably won't find it as rock-solid as its progenitor, but it's bound to be just as useful.

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

vLite - nLite for Windows Vista originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Dec 2006 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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42 Games - Today's Time Waster

Jordan Running — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:20:00 EST

Like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Enjoy microgames like WarioWare? Then do read on. 42 Games is a fun collection of Flash microgames produced as part of the London Science Museum's Hitchhiker's exhibition. The games are a whimsical mix of trivia questions (which will be a breeze for Hitchhiker's fans) and arcade challenges that range from helping Marvin dodge falling pieces of cheese to bulldozing Arthur's house, all of which last only five seconds. The goal of the game (I think) is to beat 42 consecutive microgames, though I'm not sure since I've only been able to get 39 so far. For its simplicity and whimsy, 42 Games is a great lunchtime time waster that's fun to play again and again.

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Time-Wasters

42 Games - Today's Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Dec 2006 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next Year in Review: 2007 Predictions

Jordan Running — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 17:25:00 EST

I'm not much for my prognostication myself--which is to say that I'm terribly bad at it--but it seems like everyone else in the tech industry can't get enough of it. The LA Times has predictions from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, paidContent's Rafat Ali, Wired editor Chris Anderson, and other industry notables. Ali predicts that talents bred on the internet will start breaking out, getting their break on YouTube and making it in the mainstream. Anderson says, "2007 is the year that somebody figures out how to make video advertising work in a YouTube world. And if I'm right, the TV industry is going to get very rocky, very fast." And Ballmer? He says "2007 will be the year that unified communications technology helped us regain control of our information and our lives." Uh, Steve.. we might've stayed in control all along if it weren't for Microsoft's marriage to the movie and music industries.
Web 2.0 blog Mashable has its own list of 2007 predictions, which includes the explosion of online contests, widgets hitting it big (but RSS staying on the back burner), and the triumph of YouTube over MySpace, among others. And the Washington Post's Brian Krebs makes predictions regarding cybersecurity in 2007 which paints an unpretty picture of scammers and malware. Finally, Searchblog writer and FM Publishing chair John Battelle hasn't made his predictions for 2007 yet, but he has done a retrospective of his 2006 list. The verdict? Not too shabby.

Filed under: Fun

Next Year in Review: 2007 Predictions originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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