Download Squad

OpenOffice 2.0 showing up on mirrors

Marc Orchant — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 08:48:27 EST

Digg.com has links to a number of mirror sites with the final, official release of OpenOffice 2.0. The main project site still lists 2.0 as a Release Candidate but mirror sites are apparently being populated in preparation for an official announcement. Read the comments on the Digg post to see the mirrors that are currently offering the download.

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Office, Productivity, OpenOffice.org, Open Source

OpenOffice 2.0 showing up on mirrors originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 20 Oct 2005 08:48:27 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MobiTV for the Treo

Marc Orchant — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 14:00:00 EST

MobiTV provides something like basic cable for your mobile device. It was released for the Treo 650 (sorry 600 users, not yet) on Friday. Subscriptions run $9.99 per month. How does it work? Short answer - pretty darn well.

No, the picture quality is not as good as watching an AVI on the Treo. Yes, it's very sensitive to your connection strength. And oh yes, it does suck a huge amount of bandwidth. In fact, the first time you launch the MobiTV application, it warns you that you want to be on your carrier's unlimited data plan. But the audio is very good and the picture quality - with a 3 or 4 bar connection - is also quite good. MobiTV can either be loaded from your PC or directly to your phone from the web.

The monthly service, which currently displays 40 channels on my Treo, includes a good selection of news (MSNBC, NBC Mobile, ABC, C-SPAN), sports (MLB Highlights, NFL Highlights, Fox Sports, ESPN 3), and a smattering of comedy, music, weather, and educational material (Discovery and TLC).

NOTE: Apparently, AT&T users with an older SIM card now on the Cingular network have reported that they can not get anything other the MobiTV promo channel. A fix is in the works. Check the supported carriers and phones information carefully before you subscribe. There is no trial period available.

Filed under: Business, Fun, Video, Palm, Commercial

MobiTV for the Treo originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 13 Sep 2005 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Talk - Is IM next?

Marc Orchant — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 17:48:17 EST

Rumors are flying fast and furious that Google is jumping into the instant messaging and VOIP game. Beginning with a carefully couched piece in Sunday's New York Times by John Markoff, the fever pitch of speculation that Google plans to follow the release of Google Desktop 2 with an instant messaging/VOIP client has been building literally by the hour. Today the LA Times, eWEEK, C|Net, PC Magazine, and others are all reporting that the new service will be launched as early as tomorrow.

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Utilities, Web services, Google, Freeware

Google Talk - Is IM next? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Aug 2005 17:48:17 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Folder Size solves a big Windows annoyance

Marc Orchant — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 13:18:08 EST

Y'know... with all of the similarities between Windows XP and Mac OS, it amazes me that Microsoft has never figured out that it might be helpful to be able to see the size of a folder in Windows Explorer. Sure, you can right click on the folder and get its properties but that's more clicks than I care to make and comparing the size of two folders is... well, it's annoying.

Enter Folder Size, a nice bit of open source goodness that simply adds a "Folder Size" column to your Windows Explorer windows. One less annoyance.

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Productivity, Open Source

Folder Size solves a big Windows annoyance originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Aug 2005 13:18:08 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tail XP - great free utility for administrators

Marc Orchant — Sat, 13 Aug 2005 12:25:41 EST

If you don't know what it means to tail a log file, please skip right over this post. It will be entirely unintersting. If, OTOH, you need to monitor the goings-on on one or more servers and are tired of wrestling with miles-long log files, you're going to love this tool. From the site:

Tail XP: Ever wanted to follow a log file or capture debug messages without having a debugger at hand? Then this product is for you! Featuring multiple types of monitors: file monitor, event log, syslog, OutputDebugString and coloring of lines based on regular expression rules. Best of all: it docks to the top or bottom of your desktop like ICQ and other windows resize accordingly. Check out the screenshots.

Freeware: This product is a total freebie. The cost is zip, nada, zilch. Zero in whatever language you care to use. Certified by softpedia.com

Filed under: Developer, Utilities, Windows, Productivity, Microsoft, Freeware

Tail XP - great free utility for administrators originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 13 Aug 2005 12:25:41 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DeskMount - see your external media on the desktop

Marc Orchant — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 09:15:42 EST

Here's a great piece of shareware. DeskMount adds a shortcut to your Windows desktop whenever you mount a removable drive and removes the shortcut when you unount it. The Lite version (free) supports CD-type media. The commercial version (approximately $6.00 USD or 5 Euros) adds support for virtually any removable device. Slick.

From the features list on the site:

Automatic addition/removal of drive/media shortcuts on your desktop! (Registered version can be set to any target destination).
Does NOT mess with your OWN shortcuts Supports any drive type (Lite version is limited to CD-Rom like devices) Remembers customized media names.
This way you can have media shortcuts appear that have their title as the shortcut name.
(In progress - Registered version only) Customizable refresh rate (Lite version is limited to a 4 second interval).
Tray icon Autorun(.inf) support for ANY drive type, including USB sticks.
You may disable the built-in autorun of windows completely if you like.

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Shareware, Freeware

DeskMount - see your external media on the desktop originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Jul 2005 09:15:42 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WinZip purchased by Vector Capital

Marc Orchant — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 12:05:35 EST

C|Net is reporting that WinZip Computing has been purchased by Vector Capital, a turnaround specialist that previously bought Corel Corp., took the company private, and restored it to profitability.

WinZip has never charged for upgrades or new versions, a common practice in the software world. And it has not added extra features for customers that paid the $29 licensing fee. Vector plans to "change that by reminding users a little more firmly that the software costs money, as well as likely coming out with features that only paying customers can download," the report says. Vector has also signed a marketing and distribution agreement with Google. Of course, there are plenty of free compression tools out there, so we can't help but wonder how successful Vector will be at squeezing some fossil fuel out of this dinosaur.

Read the entire article here.

Filed under: Business, Utilities, News, Windows

WinZip purchased by Vector Capital originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 18 Jul 2005 12:05:35 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pamela: personal assistant for Skype

Marc Orchant — Mon, 18 Jul 2005 04:44:15 EST

This looks like a great addition for Skype users. Pamela is a "personal assistant" for Skype that offers a bevy of features to handle Skype calls and IM's. Three versions are available. The Basic version is free. The Standard edition is 6 Euros (approximately $7.25 USD). The Professional Edition which records Skype calls, creates XML, and FTP files for podcasts (I'll be testing this for sure) is 17,50 Euros (approx. $21 USD).

Continue reading Pamela: personal assistant for Skype

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Utilities, Windows, Podcasting

Pamela: personal assistant for Skype originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 18 Jul 2005 04:44:15 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SplashID update for PDAs and Smartphones

Marc Orchant — Fri, 15 Jul 2005 08:03:00 EST

SplashData has been developing handheld software for a long time. SplashID is my password manager of choice, offering great usability on the small screen combined with an excellent desktop application. SplashID is available for either Windows or Mac OS X. Handheld platform support is outstanding and includes Palm OS, Pocket PC, Smartphone, Symbian, and Nokia Series 60.

Fixes and inprovements in the just-released version 3.3.2 include:

Desktop: Desktop database can now be saved to a custom location.
Desktop: Custom icon databases are now assigned a created/modified date, no longer causing problems with desktop backup applications. (Windows)
Desktop/Handheld: Records modified on the handheld now sync correctly to the desktop even if it's running. (In the past the desktop would require an exit/relaunch to display the newly synced records.)
Desktop/Handheld: Updated the standard icon set.
Desktop: Exported data (vID or CSV) no longer gains an extra linefeed character. (Windows)

This is a free upgrade for registered users of version 3. A 30-day trial is available. New licenses are $29.95 or you can get SplashID as part of the SplashWallet Suite (Palm OS only) which also includes SplashPhoto, SplashMoney, and SplashShopper. SplashPhoto is available seperately for all other platforms.

Filed under: Security, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Palm

SplashID update for PDAs and Smartphones originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 Jul 2005 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pluck for Firefox now in public beta

Marc Orchant — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 08:12:57 EST

Pluck, a bookmarks, RSS feed and search manager, is now available in public beta for Firefox. Pluck has been available for some time for Internet Explorer and it's great to see support for Firefox as well. Here are some of the key features in the new Firefox release:

Continue reading Pluck for Firefox now in public beta

Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Blogging

Pluck for Firefox now in public beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Jul 2005 08:12:57 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FinePrint: the one print driver to rule them all

Marc Orchant — Tue, 12 Jul 2005 08:39:45 EST

FinePrint solves a vexing problem faced by any Windows user who prints to more than one device: the print drivers are all different. Their options vary, their user interfaces are all over the map, and yes, you occasionally find you've printed to the wrong device. FinePrint not only addresses all of these issues - it adds a number of really handy new features to the chore of printing as well.

My favorite feature is the ability to print to the Clipboard (yup - you heard right). I can then paste a "printed page" into any any other application. Sweet.

A trial version of FinePrint is available. A single license costs $49.95. Fine Print comes from the fine folks who make pdfFactory, an excellent alternative to buying Adobe Acrobat if you need to create PDF files. A bundle of the two utilities is also available.

Hat tip to ComputerZen.

Filed under: Utilities, Windows

FinePrint: the one print driver to rule them all originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 12 Jul 2005 08:39:45 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SpiveyWorks Notes for the Tablet PC

Marc Orchant — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 09:20:29 EST

SpiveyWorks has released a new beta of their Tablet PC note-taking application. From the press release:

"SpiveyWorks Corporation released a new beta version of its note-taking software for the Tablet PC. The software allows users to handwrite notes, emails, and web pages. It also allows users to search for keywords in their handwritten notes so they can find any note in seconds. Handwritten notes can also be read back to the user in a computer-generated voice. The reading can also be saved to a CD so users can listen to their notes in their car. The beta version of the software can be downloaded for free at www.SpiveyWorks.com."

I like the oversized icons. Tapping around the application is quite easy and I don't squint to find the right button as I sometimes do in other apps on my M200's hi-res screen.

Filed under: Text, Utilities, Windows

SpiveyWorks Notes for the Tablet PC originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 08 Jul 2005 09:20:29 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL releases standalone e-mail client (beta)

Marc Orchant — Sun, 03 Jul 2005 21:39:39 EST

AOL has a new beta standalone e-mail client available. Not exactly earth-shattering news since they already offer a decent standalone application called Communicator (which, unlike this program, offers POP3 support and AIM integration) and they just upgraded their web e-mail access. But hey, it's good to know you have options.

AOL promises an "improved attachment experience" and the ability to sort and group messages. A forthcoming release will support sreen readers to assist the visually impaired. Windows XP only at the moment.

Filed under: Internet, Windows

AOL releases standalone e-mail client (beta) originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 03 Jul 2005 21:39:39 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NewsGator 2.5 Outlook Edition released

Marc Orchant — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 08:08:57 EST

Reading RSS feeds in Outlook has its advantages. Each post, like an e-mail message, can be easily forwarded or printed, saved to another application like OneNote or EverNote, and indexed and searched by any desktop search utility. While there are a number of options for doing this, NewsGator has always been my favorite tool for aggregating RSS into Outlook.

NewsGator 2.5 Outlook Edition was released today. This is not the version that adds synchronization with FeedDemon, the outstanding standalone RSS reader created by Nick Bradbury that NewsGator recently acquired - that's coming later this summer. Version 2.5 is a performance release, offering the following enhancements:

Continue reading NewsGator 2.5 Outlook Edition released

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Podcasting, Blogging

NewsGator 2.5 Outlook Edition released originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 29 Jun 2005 08:08:57 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Print (beta) goes live

Marc Orchant — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 18:51:35 EST

Google has opened up Google Print to the public. Pretty impressive at first glance. In typical Google fashion, the main page looks pretty much like the standard Google home page, which is to say very white and very sparse. Enter a keyword or two and you get a glimpse into thousands of books that contain your search terms. Copyrighted material is clearly marked. Buying the book (at Amazon natch - Googlezon lives!) is a one-click proposition. A Google account is required (but free).

Hat tip to Doc.

Filed under: Internet, Text, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Palm

Google Print (beta) goes live originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 28 Jun 2005 18:51:35 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sky Force for Palm OS

Marc Orchant — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 09:00:18 EST

Sky Force, a hugely popular shooter for the Windows Mobile platform (based on a classic arcade game), is now available for the Palm OS as well. My son and I both love playing this game. It has amazingly detailed graphics, a better-than-average soundtrack and provides difficult enough gameplay that you don't get bored with it once you defeat the bosses at the end of each stage (some of them are quite nasty!). Well worth the nominal investment ($10.48 at PDATopSoft.com).

Hat tip to Sammy at PalmAddicts

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows Mobile, Palm

Sky Force for Palm OS originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 28 Jun 2005 09:00:18 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stick adds "screentabs" to Windows

Marc Orchant — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 17:58:05 EST

In the seemingly never-ending quest to add stuff to my Tablet PC desktop, I've been playing with a cool little application called Stick from iWonder Designs. This free utility lets you add a number of small tabs to the edge of your screen that pop open to reveal some really useful tools like:

Explorer Tabs that show the contents of folders. These mini-explorer windows provide true explorer context menu access for folders and files as well as full drag/drop support.
Note Tabs that are linked to a text file on your disk and provide a mini-word processor with a single click.
Calendar Tab (surprise) displays a simple calendar.
Internet Tabs provide a lightweight browser that's perfect for sites you reference many times a day.
Quick Launcher tab lets you launch any application on your PC by pressing the Windows key and spacebar and then typing a few letters of the application name. As you type, the list of programs narrows.
RSS Tabs (in the latest beta version) show the latest posts from your favorite blogs (like DownloadSquad) any time you like.

Stick is for Windows XP and 2000 only.

Filed under: Internet, Text, Utilities, Windows, Blogging

Stick adds "screentabs" to Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 27 Jun 2005 17:58:05 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blog Navigator - RSS reader and browser

Marc Orchant — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 16:17:26 EST

Some might say we didn't really need another RSS reader but this one has some nice stuff built in. The folks at Stardock, makers of the WindowBlinds skinning utility for Windows, offer for your consideration Blog Navigator, a combined browser (IE-based) and RSS aggregator/reader with a tabbed UI. Blognavigator has a number of very nice features include options for offline reading, grouping related blogs, sharing blogs posts with others, and search folders integrated with popular blog search engines. Both free and Pro versions are available. The Pro version ($19.95) provides tools for writing and posting entries to your own blog on services like Moveable Type, Blogger, Metaweblog, and Stardock's own JoeUser.

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Blogging

Blog Navigator - RSS reader and browser originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 27 Jun 2005 16:17:26 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NewsGator Online now works with FeedStation

Marc Orchant — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 15:48:25 EST

Greg Reinacker of NewsGator and Nick Bradbury, creator of FeedDemon (recently acquired by NewsGator) have announced the first integration between the two programs. A new version of FeedStation, a podcast manager bundled with FeedDemon now supports NewsGator Online. The podcast manager will be integarted with the Outlook edition of NewsGator in a forthcoming (but not the next) release.

Filed under: Audio, Internet, News, Windows, Podcasting

NewsGator Online now works with FeedStation originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 24 Jun 2005 15:48:25 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UnDupe fixes dreaded PDA duplicates

Marc Orchant — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 09:20:31 EST

C'mon... admit it. At one point or another in your life with a Palm handheld you've suffered the dreaded duplicates problem. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about, right? You sync your handheld and for some unknown reason - the phase of the moon, the state of the tide, or the fact that Tom Cruise has announced.... er, forget that last one - your contact list, calendar or task list suddenly has two of everything. It's like one big cosmic "buy one get one free" sale only it's stuff you only want one of.

UnDupe to the rescue. It does one thing. It does it well. It searches out and destroys duplicate entries in the Palm's built-in databases. An amazing timesaver for those full lunar eclipse moments. New in version 2.1 is support for the "new" databases on the very latest Palm OS Garnet devices (treo 650, newer Tungsten units, and the LifeDrive). Under ten bucks at PalmGear.

Filed under: Utilities, Palm

UnDupe fixes dreaded PDA duplicates originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Jun 2005 09:20:31 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Palm photo blogging as simple as 1-2-3

Marc Orchant — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 23:34:20 EST

SplashData has been offering a solid suite of tools for both Palm OS and Pocket PC handhelds for years. Recently, they introduced SplashBlog - a new photo blogging tool for net-capable Palm OS devices that makes posting photos online a 1-2-3 proposition.

Snap a picture with your device's camera (or select an image from a memory card).
Add a title and caption.
Publish.

On a supported device with built-in camera, you can take the photo and post it from the SplashBlog app itself. The camera dialog is available on most Palm OS handhelds with built-in cameras including the treo 600, treo 650, Zire 72, and Sony Clie NX70, NX73, NX80, NZ90, UX-40, UX-50, TJ-27, TJ-37, TH-55. SplashBlog includes software for your Palm device and a hosted photo blog at the community site. You can even create a group blog and invite some of your buddies to post their photos and then synchronize the blog with everyone's handheld - a great way to share photos.

Filed under: Fun, Internet, Photo, Blogging, Palm

Palm photo blogging as simple as 1-2-3 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 21 Jun 2005 23:34:20 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EverNote 1.0 Official is now available

Marc Orchant — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 22:45:50 EST

Microsoft's OneNote may have a serious competitior on its hand. EverNote is a feature-rich note taking application and information manager that has just been officially released after a lengthy public beta test. EverNote 1.0 is a free application that features a unique "TimeBand" display, support for ink (both Tablet PC and graphics tablets are supported), and a wealth of other goodies. EverNote Plus 1.0 is the commercial version of the application and adds ink and shape recognition (shape smoothing for drawn objects) and support for searchable ink notes. The Plus version costs $34.95 and can be evaluated for 30 days.

Both versions offer a Web Clipper extension for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Thunderbird for one-click content capture. Outlook users can drag and drop e-mails into EverNote. What sets this app apart from other info managers is the many ways you can tag and retrieve the information you create or capture. The TimeBand is a great innovation. Everything in EverNote is date and time stamped and you can scroll through your collection to any point in time with ease. Additional tags include multiple categories and keywords that support the wickedly fast search engine built into the application.

Filed under: Internet, Text, Utilities, Windows

EverNote 1.0 Official is now available originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 21 Jun 2005 22:45:50 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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