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[Mozilla on Firefox Mobile: All your app store are belong to us!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/18/wip-mozilla-on-firefox-mobile-all-your-app-stores-are-belong-t/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/18/wip-mozilla-on-firefox-mobile-all-your-app-stores-are-belong-t/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/18/wip-mozilla-on-firefox-mobile-all-your-app-stores-are-belong-t/#comments
Oh my... not content with finally being at the stage where they're ready to release a working version of their 'Fennec' mobile web browser (albeit only for the Maemo based Nokia N900 initially), Mozilla seem to be on something of a mad world-domination-power-trip at the same time.

Why? Well, Mozilla have declared that Firefox Mobile will render all existing device application stores redundant as developers shift to developing applications which simply run in your mobile web browser.

Although this is probably the millionth time I've read that web applications will make client applications completely redundant, I'll explore their asseration for the benefit of you, dear DLS reader.

Vice President of Mobile at Mozilla, Jay Sullivan, spoke to PC Pro about application development and raised some valid points. He talked about the relative simplicity of developing in JavaScript and HTML and the benefits of not having to learn the development platform required for a specific mobile or desktop OS. It is valid to say that, featuring the fastest Javascript engine of any mobile browser, some great experiences will be possible with Firefox Mobile.

But I see a problem -- two, in fact.

Continue reading Mozilla on Firefox Mobile: All your app store are belong to us!

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Mozilla on Firefox Mobile: All your app store are belong to us! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidandroid marketAndroidMarketapp storeAppceleratorAppStorefennecfirefoxfirefox mobileFirefoxMobileiphoneJavaScriptmobileminuteTitanium MobileTitaniumMobilewindows mobilewindows mobile marketplaceWindowsMobile Paul O'Brien Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:26:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[HTC offers additional Hero / Droid Eris widgets via Android Market]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/17/htc-offers-additional-hero-droid-eris-widgets-via-android-mark/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/17/htc-offers-additional-hero-droid-eris-widgets-via-android-mark/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/17/htc-offers-additional-hero-droid-eris-widgets-via-android-mark/#comments
In a move that marks a change of direction for the device manufacturer, HTC have just released four additional Hero / Droid Eris widgets for download in the Android Market.

The initial release offers 'Battery', 'Dice', 'Tip Calculator' and 'Today in History' widgets for download free of charge, though it should be noted that the widgets are Sense UI widgets rather than standard Android widgets, which means they will only work on the aforementioned HTC devices. This also means that other HTC manufactured devices such as the G1 or MyTouch 3G are also excluded.

It will be interesting to see whether HTC offers additional software in the Market going forward and whether the releases will remain limited to HTC devices - users of other Android devices would love to have the ability to use the excellent Sense UI or perhaps the HTC designed software keyboards - even at a cost.

Would this be a good opportunity for HTC to earn additional revenue or would it be a danger to the unique selling points of their devices? What happens over the coming weeks and months will likely reveal HTC's thoughts on the matter. What are yours?

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HTC offers additional Hero / Droid Eris widgets via Android Market originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidandroid marketAndroidMarketcommercialdroid erisDroidErisherohtcmobileminute Paul O'Brien Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:52:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Evernote for Android is finally here]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/16/evernote-for-android-is-finally-here/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/16/evernote-for-android-is-finally-here/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/16/evernote-for-android-is-finally-here/#comments
If you're currently a user of Evernote, the awesome note storing solution AND you're packing an Android device, then today is the day to finally rejoice as the Evernote client for Android is available now, free, on the Android Market!

Comprehensively featured (yet with 'big plans for 2010'), the new client allows you to collect text based notes, camera images or audio clips for synchronisation to the Evernote cloud. Free users can also upload PDF, text, audio or image file attachments while premium users can upload absolutely anything provided it is under 25MB in size. The user can specify note attributes can at creation time as well as selecting the notebook to upload to.

Unlike some lesser clients, Evernote for Android provides native viewing of content within the application - it doesn't bounce you off to the Evernote webpage to view your notes. The application's interface is straightforward but fully featured and it looks and feels like a proper Android application, while still remaining familiar in look and feel to anyone who has used Evernote on another platform.

Of course, the beauty of Evernote is the fact that whether you create a note on your device, the web or your PC / Mac it is accessible everywhere and this applies to the Android version too. Upon synchronising your newly created content to the Evernote cloud, you can then take advantage of the services offered online such as OCR (which I find great for meeting notes). An excellent search function allows you to find content both on your device and in the cloud.

Using the location functionality of your device (either network based or GPS), notes can be geotagged. After allocating a note to a particular location, you can view the 'Notes Near Location' menu to view nearby content, a neat feature for segregating work and personal notes for example.

Evernote is available free from the Android Market now. The Evernote service is free for a basic subscription with 40MB storage or $5 per month / $45 per year for a premium account offering an enhanced feature set and 500MB storage.

Interestingly, while the Evernote client for Android gets a full release, the Windows Mobile client remains in Beta and it's features pale in comparison.

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Evernote for Android is finally here originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AndroidAndroid MarketAndroidMarketCloudEvernotemobile minuteMobileMinuteNotesSync Paul O'Brien Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:02:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google announces Android Developer Challenge 2 (ADC2) winners]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/01/google-announces-android-developer-challenge-2-adc2-winners/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/01/google-announces-android-developer-challenge-2-adc2-winners/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/01/google-announces-android-developer-challenge-2-adc2-winners/#comments
Since the start of August, Google has been running the 'Android Developer Challenge 2', inviting developers of Android software to submit their previously unreleased applications for judging. The judging process itself has been carried out both by a panel of Google selected judges and by Android users via a special ADC2 judging application, made available from the Android Market.

This morning Google have announced the winners of the challenge - each of whom will receive between $25,000 and $250,000 in prize money. The winners are split into 1st, 2nd and 3rd in 10 categories, out of which 3 'overall winners' are chosen.

I'm delighted to see two of my personal favourite applications included in the top 3 overall winners, 'WaveSecure' and 'What the Doodle?!'.

WaveSecure is an application that allows you to remotely secure your phone in the event of loss or theft. It allows you to track your phone's location and who is using it, lock down your phone remotely and wipe out your data remotely as well as providing backup and restore functionality.

What the Doodle?! is best described as online phone 'Pictionary'. After launching the application and choosing a difficulty level, the player enters a room with 4 other players who take turn to draw pictures of words for the other participants to guess. It works fantastically well and is seriously addictive!

The third top placed application is 'SweetDreams', an application for managing your device's settings at night. After setting an overnight period, you can configure your phone to be silent, with WiFi, Bluetooth and similar services disabled, saving battery power as well as preventing your beauty sleep being interrupted!

The full list of winners is online now at the Android Developer Challenge 2 website. Did you vote? Which were your favourites?

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Google announces Android Developer Challenge 2 (ADC2) winners originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adc2androidandroid marketAndroidMarket Paul O'Brien Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[TripIt released for Android, updated for iPhone, coming soon for Blackberry]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/24/tripit-released-for-android-updated-for-iphone-coming-soon-for/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/24/tripit-released-for-android-updated-for-iphone-coming-soon-for/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/24/tripit-released-for-android-updated-for-iphone-coming-soon-for/#comments
Travel management site TripIt have launched their mobile companion application for Android, available for download free of charge from the Android Market.

The new application, which is usable with both Standard and Pro TripIt accounts, allows you to access your travel itinerary direct from your Android phone, get maps and directions, make calls to airlines, hotels etc. as well as enabling flight alerts and alternate flight details for Pro users.

As well as launching on Android, TripIt have released an update to their iPhone application, available for download now from the App Store. The iPhone version adds support for Pro account features, as well as a number of useful travel tools including terminal maps, seating advice and live flight status.

If you have a Blackberry and you're feeling left out, fear not! The TripIt Blackberry application is currently in Beta, with release expected before the end of the year. Now how about good old Windows Mobile and that young upstart WebOS...?

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TripIt released for Android, updated for iPhone, coming soon for Blackberry originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidiphonetraveltripit Paul O'Brien Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[New in Google Labs for GMail - Green Robot!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/24/new-in-google-labs-for-gmail-green-robot/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/24/new-in-google-labs-for-gmail-green-robot/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/24/new-in-google-labs-for-gmail-green-robot/#comments
There are some great little tweaks available in Google Labs for GMail, one of which is pictured above - 'Green Robot!'!

Like many of the labs additions (accessed by clicking the little green conical flask at the top of the GMail page), the beauty of Green Robot is in it's simplicity. It changes the appearance of your Google Talk contact list to illustrate which of your contacts are using Google Talk from their Android mobile device - handy!

If you haven't checked out the contents of the laboratory yet it's well worth a visit - I have a total of 12 labs features enabled on my account at this time which really smooth my GMail experience.

My labs features at the time of writing are Offline Mail, Message Translation, Sender Time Zone, Mark as Read Button, Inbox Preview - to let you view your inbox contents as the main site loads, Multiple Inboxes - to allow me to view a specific subset of my messages in a seperate 'pane', Undo Send, Green Robot (of course), Search Autocomplete, Inserting Images, Google Docs Gadget and the ability to Add Any Gadget by URL.

Which labs features are you using?

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New in Google Labs for GMail - Green Robot! originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> gmailgoogle mailGoogleMaillabs Paul O'Brien Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Seesmic Mobile arrives for Android and Blackberry]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/seesmic-mobile-arrives-for-android-and-blackberry/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/seesmic-mobile-arrives-for-android-and-blackberry/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/seesmic-mobile-arrives-for-android-and-blackberry/#comments
Seesmic have released their 'Seesmic Mobile' Twitter client for Android and Blackberry on their respective application stores. Available for download free of charge, the clients are slick, feature packed and refreshingly free of advertisements.

The Android client (pictured above) has a great design that utilises a standard tab-based user interface with a red accent, providing virtually every feature (bar multiple account support) that a Twitterer could desire. Included are the ability to scroll without limits back through your timeline, photo and video upload (either from your device camera or from the gallery) via a variety of online services, the ability to add your location to your tweet, URL shortening, saving tweets-in-progress as drafts, switchable full name / username display and very granular notifications.

The Blackberry application also features a native-feeling UI and adds lists and saved search support, albeit at the expense of video and location features.

If you give Seesmic Mobile a try, let us know how you get on and - of course - don't forget to follow @downloadsquad!

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Seesmic Mobile arrives for Android and Blackberry originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidblackberryfreewaremicrobloggingmobilerimseesmicseesmic mobileSeesmicMobilesocialtwitter Paul O'Brien Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[SEVEN on Android - Ah, push it - push it real good...]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/seven-on-android-ah-push-it-push-it-real-good/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/seven-on-android-ah-push-it-push-it-real-good/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/seven-on-android-ah-push-it-push-it-real-good/#comments
The SEVEN Beta setup is an interesting one.

As a company, Seven (enough capitalising already!) sell their excellent push e-mail products only via mobile operator channels, however their Beta program is an excellent way for users on unsupported carriers (that's likely you and I) to enjoy their software.

Available in a variety of editions on a variety of platforms, Seven's software allows you to receive push mail on your device from a variety of services - Exchange, Yahoo, GMail, AOL Mail, HoTMaiL and standard POP and IMAP services are all supported. A Beta release it might be (with the usual associated disclaimers), but the application is a supremely useful piece of software that i've been using for many years to push synchronise GMail with my Windows Mobile devices.

I happened to visit the Seven Beta site earlier today to download the latest Windows Mobile client and I was intrigued to notice that an Android download option had appeared. Obviously I had to download the application and take a look!

As expected, it's a Seven client for the Android OS that includes all of the goodness that i'm used to - push mail across a host of platforms, 'quiet times' when push can be automatically disabled, multiple accounts, server contact search, customisable notifications and more! Although the currently version of the software is missing a few features i'd like to see (primarily HTML mail), for Android users it can often be a trying task getting mail set up and working as desired if you are using something other than GMail, and Seven is making that story easier. I've been pushing an additional e-mail account and a HoTMaiL account all day without any issues!

If you'd like to try out Seven on Android (or indeed any of their other support platforms, which include WinMo Standard / Professional, Symbian S60, Palm OS and even J2ME!) then head on over to the Seven Community Forum to sign up for an account.

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SEVEN on Android - Ah, push it - push it real good... originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ExchangeGMailHoTMaiLMobile MinuteMobileMinutePush MailPushMailSevenYahoo Paul O'Brien Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Socialite (Née Eventbox) for OS X heads towards 1.0]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/socialite-nee-eventbox-for-osx-heads-towards-1-0/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/socialite-nee-eventbox-for-osx-heads-towards-1-0/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/socialite-nee-eventbox-for-osx-heads-towards-1-0/#comments
Socialite (Née Eventbox) for OSX is now available in Beta 3 form prior to an expected full release later this month.

Originally developed by TheCosmicMachine before being acquired by respected Mac house Realmac Software (creators of RapidWeaver and LittleSnapper), Socialite provides single client access to your favourite social networks. Currently supporting Digg, Facebook, Flickr, Google Reader, RSS feeds and Twitter (with the historical support for OneRiot, Identi.ca and Reddit now removed), Socialite takes your presence off the web and into a smooth UI in the finest native style.

The latest Beta adds support for Twitter lists as well as implementing a host of under-the-hood improvements. As a long time Eventbox owner the promise of a one stop social networks centre continues to appeal and Socialite looks like a worthy upgrade!

The Socialite Beta 3 release is currently available free from the Realmac forums and will cost $20 when it is released. Existing Eventbox owners will receive a free serial number for the new product.

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Socialite (Née Eventbox) for OS X heads towards 1.0 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> betacommercialdiggeventboxfacebookflickrmacintoshrealmacsocialitetwitter Paul O'Brien Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Opera 10.10 with Unite and Turbo now available]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/opera-10-10-with-unite-and-turbo-now-available/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/opera-10-10-with-unite-and-turbo-now-available/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/23/opera-10-10-with-unite-and-turbo-now-available/#comments
Opera have released version 10 of their browser, now with Opera Unite and Opera Turbo included.

Opera Unite gives your web browser the ability to deliver content as well as consume it. The standard download includes a number of Unite applications, with more available for download from the application directory. The bundled applications include a file sharing server that allows you to make files available to the world (as well as allowing the world to upload content to your machine), a virtual fridge door for you to share notes with friends and family (pictured), a media player that allows you to play content from your Unite equipped machine remotely, an instant messaging server, a photo sharing application and a web server for serving your own web content.

The inclusion of Opera Turbo in the new browser marks the migration to the desktop of a technology that has long been a key feature of Opera's Mini product. Opera Turbo speeds up your browsing session by compressing content at Opera proxy servers before delivering it to your machine - particularly useful for those on low bandwidth connections.

Opera 10.10 is available free from www.opera.com for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

We're intrigued to hear what you, our lovely readers, think about Opera's advancements. They have an excellent, solid browser base and some truly unique additional features... are you tempted to make the switch?

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Opera 10.10 with Unite and Turbo now available originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 10freewarelinuxmacOperaTurboUniteupdatewindows Paul O'Brien Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Opera 10 Beta for Windows Mobile released]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/18/opera-10-beta-for-windows-mobile-released/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/18/opera-10-beta-for-windows-mobile-released/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/18/opera-10-beta-for-windows-mobile-released/#comments
Over the past few years, Opera Mobile has become the browser of choice for the majority of Windows Mobile users. Shipped as the default browser on many devices and available as download for others, Opera Mobile addresses the many failings of the preinstalled IE browser with better performance, variable zoom and text reflowing as well as a polished and intuitive UI.

Pushing the mobile browser closer to a desktop grade experience is the promise of Opera's latest release, Opera 10 Beta for Windows Mobile.

The Opera Mobile 10 Beta overhauls the look and feel of it's predecessors and is similar in design to the Opera 10 desktop browser as well as the Java based Opera Mini 5 beta. The UI overhaul brings Opera's offering across all of it's platforms in line, as well as providing a great range of features from the desktop platform including Speed Dial, tabbed browsing, a password manager and Opera's server side compression technology, 'Opera Turbo'.

I've had a try of the new browser and it does indeed feel more consistent in style with Opera's Java based offering, no bad thing as Opera Mini has always made excellent use of the available screen real estate. Performance seems great and the UI seems intuitive. Some features found in previous releases don't seem to have made it into version 10 yet - we spotted a lack of device rotate support and no support for multitouch zoom on the HTC HD2, but Opera does look set to maintain it's class leading position on the Windows Mobile platform.

The Opera Mobile 10 Beta is available for free download now from the Opera website.

Continue reading Opera 10 Beta for Windows Mobile released

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Opera 10 Beta for Windows Mobile released originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> BrowsermobileminuteOperaOpera MobileOperaMobileWindows MobileWindowsMobile Paul O'Brien Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Windows Live Sync finally gets an update for Snow Leopard]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/03/windows-live-sync-finally-gets-an-update-for-snow-leopard/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/03/windows-live-sync-finally-gets-an-update-for-snow-leopard/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/03/windows-live-sync-finally-gets-an-update-for-snow-leopard/#comments
It's been a long, long wait for Snow Leopard users (myself included) who are dancing with the devil and using Microsoft's Windows Live Sync (formerly Foldershare), but Microsoft have finally announced an update for the application that resolves a long running compatibility problem with Apple's finest.

Wearing version number 14.0.8096.0903, the new release fixes a problem with internal security certificates that completely prevented Snow Leopard users from logging into their Windows Live Sync account.

Announced on the Windows Live Sync blog, the update only includes the aforementioned fix and does not include any new features - existing users who have not migrated to Snow Leopard do not need to upgrade.

I'm pleased to report that i've installed the update and it works great!

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Windows Live Sync finally gets an update for Snow Leopard originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> foldersharesnow leopardSnowLeopardsyncwindows livewindows live syncWindowsLiveWindowsLiveSync Paul O'Brien Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Tell DLS: What are your top 10 must-have apps? - Linux!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/16/tell-dls-what-are-your-top-10-must-have-apps-linux/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/16/tell-dls-what-are-your-top-10-must-have-apps-linux/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/16/tell-dls-what-are-your-top-10-must-have-apps-linux/#comments
It's time for the third installment of our 'Tell DLS' feature and today i'm sharing my top 10 must-have apps for Linux with you, our lovely readers.

I confess to not really being a Linux expert, generally using OS X for the majority of my working day and using Windows and Linux only when the need arises. With that said, I think I have some great applications in my list!

Of course, being a 'Tell DLS' feature, we want this to be all about sharing your experience too - so please post your chosen top 10 in the comments.

Read on after the jump for my top 10 (how many can you identify from the icons above?).

Continue reading Tell DLS: What are your top 10 must-have apps? - Linux!

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Tell DLS: What are your top 10 must-have apps? - Linux! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> linuxopensourceTell DLStell-dlsTellDls Paul O'Brien Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Astraware Solitaire and Sudoku titles now available for Android]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/astraware-solitaire-and-sudoku-titles-now-available-for-android/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/astraware-solitaire-and-sudoku-titles-now-available-for-android/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/astraware-solitaire-and-sudoku-titles-now-available-for-android/#comments

Astraware - long time software developers for Windows Mobile, Palm and more recently iPhone, Symbian and Blackberry - have now entered the rapidly growing Android software market with the release of two of their top titles - Astraware Solitaire and Astraware Sudoku.

Astraware Solitaire features 12 different single player card games in the one download, with the ability to customise each game to play 'your way'. A wide choice of card backs is included, together with an optional 'clear' card face. The application also features unlockable rewards.

Astraware Sudoku includes some great features including smart hints, pencil marks, hold-and-highlight to help beginners, a downloadable 'Puzzle of the Day' from the dedicated companion website (which also includes tips on solving techniques) and a puzzle solver to help you complete those troublesome puzzles in the newspaper!

Available for immediate download from the Android Market, both games are priced at $4.99 each and feature design and controls optimised for Android while still retaining an 'Astraware feel' that will be familiar to anyone who has used Astraware products before.

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Astraware Solitaire and Sudoku titles now available for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AndroidAstrawarecommercialSolitaireSudoku Paul O'Brien Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Mobile Minute: BlackBerry Desktop for Mac released]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/mobile-minute-blackberry-desktop-for-mac-released/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/mobile-minute-blackberry-desktop-for-mac-released/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/mobile-minute-blackberry-desktop-for-mac-released/#comments

After a long, long wait, RIM have finally released their Blackberry Desktop sync product for Mac OS X.

The application allows you to sync your iTunes playlists, calendars, contacts, notes and tasks with your BlackBerry, manage applications, apply software updates and backup and restore your device (with support for scheduled updates and encryption).

Blackberry Desktop for Mac can manage multiple BlackBerry devices and is a free download.

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Mobile Minute: BlackBerry Desktop for Mac released originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blackberryblackberry desktopBlackberryDesktopmac Paul O'Brien Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[djay for Mac hits version 3, look great, sounds even greater]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/djay-for-mac-hits-version-3-look-great-sounds-even-greater/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/djay-for-mac-hits-version-3-look-great-sounds-even-greater/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/djay-for-mac-hits-version-3-look-great-sounds-even-greater/#comments
Mac OSX application djay, pitched as 'the world's sexiest DJ software' (I'm inclined to agree), has been updated to version 3.

Featuring a user interface that is likely to make Windows users cry in the corner and a featureset to match, djay reads your iTunes library and turns your Mac into a full on DJ system that is well suited to both beginners and professionals.

djay's range of functions really are too extensive to list here but in essence, djay allows you to drag and drop from your iTunes library and mix them either manually or using an 'automix' function. djay has full beat and tempo detection for seamless mixing, auto volume control and a range of effects you can apply to your tracks. Everything you would do on a set of turntables is here - you can even plug in a set of headphones to pre-cue the next song, and connect a microphone to do a bit of MC'ing!

djay stands out as a great example of an application really tuned for OS X - as well as that gorgeous user interface, multitouch gestures are supported if you are using a Macbook / Pro. MIDI devices can also be connected and mapped to application functions as desired.

Your hot mixes can be recorded from within the application itself for use later.

Check out a video of djay in action after the jump!

Continue reading djay for Mac hits version 3, look great, sounds even greater

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djay for Mac hits version 3, look great, sounds even greater originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> DJdjayitunesmixer Paul O'Brien Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[TrialPay launches 'TheBigBundle' charity bundle]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/trialpay-launches-thebigbundle-charity-bundle/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/trialpay-launches-thebigbundle-charity-bundle/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/trialpay-launches-thebigbundle-charity-bundle/#comments

Trialpay, specialists in providing commercial software for free in return for completing partner offers, have launched 'TheBigBundle', a $29.99 / $49.99 bundle of software / discounts in which 100% of the profits are donated to the American Cancer Society.

The bundle - which is priced at $29.99 with an optional additional $20 donation - includes a somewhat strange mix of benefits worth a total of over $700, ranging from a $10 Papa Johns gift card for the first 2,500 buyers to a free copy of Cyberlink MediaShow 5, valued at $49.95.

Buyers can receive a 50% discount on the bundle by becoming a fan of the bundle on Facebook and changing their profile picture which, while a good way to save money, seems somewhat against the spirit of the charitable donation. Buyers can also receive the bundle completely free by applying for (and being approved for) a Discover card.

TheBigBundle runs for 14 days from midnight last night or until the 100,000th bundle is sold - whichever comes first.

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TrialPay launches 'TheBigBundle' charity bundle originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bigbundlebundlecharitabletrialpay Paul O'Brien Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala Beta now available]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/ubuntu-9-10-karmic-koala-beta-now-available/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/ubuntu-9-10-karmic-koala-beta-now-available/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/02/ubuntu-9-10-karmic-koala-beta-now-available/#comments
The Beta release of Canonical's new baby, Ubuntu 9.10 'Karmic Koala', is now available for download.

As well as the usual host of version updates to each of the components (including Firefox finally getting an official update to 3.5), changes in 9.10 include a visual refresh, a boot sequence improved in both appearance and performance, inclusion of the new 'Ubuntu Software Center' (which replaces 'Add/Remove' in the applications menu), Gnome 2.28 (which sees the Pidgin IM client replaced with Empathy), rapid application development with Quickly, Ubuntu One file sharing, Linux kernel 2.6.31, Intel's new UXA video driver architecture for improved performance on Intel hardware, ext4 as the default filesystem (replacing ext3), GRUB2 as the default bootloader, improved iSCSI support, updated and improved AppArmor and Uncomplicated Firewall - you can read the full list on the Beta page.

Ubuntu 9.10 is available for download in both ISO format (directly and via Bittorrent) and for the first time in Cloud image format for use with Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC) and Amazon's EC2.

Only one Beta version of Karmic Koala will be available - the release candidate arrives October 22nd (the release date for Windows 7!) before the final release lands on October 29th.

Gallery: Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala


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Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala Beta now available originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> canonicalkarmic koalaKarmicKoalaopensourceosupdatesubuntu Paul O'Brien Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:10:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Offline sync now enabled for Spotify Premium subscribers]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/01/offline-sync-now-enabled-for-spotify-premium-subscribers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/01/offline-sync-now-enabled-for-spotify-premium-subscribers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/01/offline-sync-now-enabled-for-spotify-premium-subscribers/#comments
When online streaming service Spotify released their mobile clients for iPhone and Android, many users commented on how the offline synchronisation features provided for mobile users would also be useful in the Windows and Mac offerings, particularly for laptop users. Well, what do you know, Spotify have just added the exact same feature to their desktop clients!

Manifesting itself as a nice simple toggle switch (pictured above) and only available to users with a paid premium subscription (currently £9.99 / $15), the new functionality works beautifully and is a great way for Spotify to add value.

Spotify streams it's tunes in the open source OGG format, however it is not clear whether DRM is applied to the downloaded files or whether they are simply 'disguised' by way of obscure filenames.

Spotify is yet to make clear it's intentions with regards to launching in the US.

[via The Guardian]

Offline sync now enabled for Spotify Premium subscribers originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> music streamingMusicStreamingspotify Paul O'Brien Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[NetNewsWire reaches version 3.2, finalises Google Reader support + ads]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/24/netnewswire-reaches-version-3-2-finalises-google-reader-support/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/24/netnewswire-reaches-version-3-2-finalises-google-reader-support/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/24/netnewswire-reaches-version-3-2-finalises-google-reader-support/#comments
NetNewsWire, the Mac OS X RSS client from Newsgator, has reached version 3.2, bringing out of Beta the application's Google Reader support.

Formerly used to connect to Newsgator's own servers, NetNewsWire entered a period of rapid change on 30th July, when it was announced on Newsgator's blog that the consumer back end service was to be discontinued on August 31st 2009.

Although NetNewsWire has always been a great application, I think many users, like me, were torn between the excellent online service that Google Reader offered and the leading desktop client experience provided by NetNewsWire. Thankfully the shift by Newsgator to the Google Reader back-end made this problem go away. Hurrah!

As well as Google Reader compatibility, Instapaper posting, the ability to subscribe to authenticated feeds, improved Snow Leopard compatibility and a host of tweaks and fixes, the new release makes another significant change - the move to an ad supported model. Previously NetNewsWire was completely free, however there is now a small advertisement in the bottom left corner that can be removed by registering for the very reasonable price of $9.95.

Newsgator's Windows client FeedDemon has also undergone the same changes (and shares the same pricing model), as we covered earlier today.

NetNewsWire reaches version 3.2, finalises Google Reader support + ads originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> google readerGoogleReadernetnewswirenewsgatorrss Paul O'Brien Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Forza Motorsport 3 Demo now available for download on Xbox Live]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/24/forza-motorsport-3-demo-now-available-for-download-on-xbox-live/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/24/forza-motorsport-3-demo-now-available-for-download-on-xbox-live/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/24/forza-motorsport-3-demo-now-available-for-download-on-xbox-live/#comments
The playable demo of Forza Motorsport 3 for Xbox 360 is now available for download on Xbox Live for Gold level members.

The eagerly awaited third installment in the massively succesful racing franchise is due for release on October 23rd, but Forza fans can get behind the wheel of 5 cars and 1 track today and experience the full cockpit view, damage and rollover features as well as the game's new 'rewind' function.

The cars featured in the demo are the 2007 Porsche #80 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR, 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro, 2009 Ferrari California, 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR and 2009 Mini John Cooper Works, all of which can be given a thrashing around the game's Spanish mountain circuit named 'Camino Viejo'.

The demo also allows players to post their laptimes to online leaderboards.

So that's the rest of my day written off then (once the 1.25GB download completes)!

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Forza Motorsport 3 Demo now available for download on Xbox Live originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> commercialforzaxboxxbox 360Xbox360 Paul O'Brien Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Tell DLS: Twitter - what would you change?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/tell-dls-twitter-what-would-you-change/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/tell-dls-twitter-what-would-you-change/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/tell-dls-twitter-what-would-you-change/#comments
We recently posted a piece about whether a URL should really count towards your 140 character limit. We also posted yesterday about Twitter's new re-tweet model and this set me thinking about what I like and don't like about Twitter and what i'd change.

Although Twitter's roots are in SMS - hence the 140 character limit - i'd love to see a standard for tweeting longer content. I would love to be able to tweet, say, 420 characters (i.e. 3 x 140) and have the Twitter systems able to deal with that. For people on SMS it could read (1/3), (2/3) etc, but the Twitter site itself and client applications could display the full message 'reconstructed'.

Ånother feature I would like to see on Twitter, which would probably need to be implemented by client developers, would be a spoiler tag. I read my Twitter feed very frequently, but one example of where this is inconvenient is when i've timeshifted some sport (e.g. F1!) and my tweets read like a running commentary! If my clients could support a spoiler tag, where I had to 'click to reveal' the content (and of course my friends were disciplined enough to use it) then that would solve the problem! I imagine a tweet would look something like "#f1 #spoiler Hamilton and Button just got taken out at the first corner!' - and all content after the #spoiler tag is hidden until I click.

As it is I just try and avoid Twitter until i've watched the event.

They are a couple of things I'd love to see to improve my Twitter experience, but i'm really interested to hear what Twitter fans here on DownloadSquad would change about the service.

Feel free to share in the comments, and don't forget you can follow us on Twitter via @DownloadSquad.

Tell DLS: Twitter - what would you change? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Twitter Paul O'Brien Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[WebIS prepares Pocket Informant 9 for Windows Mobile release]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/webis-prepares-pocket-informant-9-for-windows-mobile-release/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/webis-prepares-pocket-informant-9-for-windows-mobile-release/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/webis-prepares-pocket-informant-9-for-windows-mobile-release/#comments

Long time Windows Mobile developer WebIS have announced on their blog the forthcoming release of Pocket Informant 9, their brilliant PIM replacement product, cementing their commitment to the platform despite recent BlackBerry and iPhone releases.

The update, which can be downloaded in CAB form from the WebIS site as part of a 'soft launch', is 100% complete, awaiting supporting documentation and translations before making it's full debut.

Originally released in 2001, Pocket Informant consistently scoops up Windows Mobile software awards and is one of the best selling applications on the platform.

Version 9 adds features specifically tailored for Windows Mobile 6.5, as well as being backward compatible with previous Windows Mobile releases. New gesture support built into WM 6.5 enables swiping left and right in Day, Agenda, Month View, Week, Task View, and Date Picker to navigate between time periods and swiping left and right in editors to navigate between the tabs.

As well as the new gesture functionality, the new update adds new events and journal views, GTD support in tasks (Inbox, Context Groups, Project Groups, Next Actions), starred tasks, 'bounce scrolling', contact links directly in task / appointment subjects, a one month date picker based on the full month view, a month view free time finder, touch friendly editors, much improved touch support, full PNG support for icons and a free add-on pack of over 1200 icons.

Pocket Informant 9 is expected to receive a full release around 28th September, $10 cheaper than version 8 at $19.95, but if you'd like to try it out in the meantime, head on over to the Pocket Informant download server to grab a CAB format release.

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WebIS prepares Pocket Informant 9 for Windows Mobile release originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> commercialPocket InformantPocketInformantWindows MobileWindows Mobile 6.5WindowsMobile Paul O'Brien Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[HTC Hero users hit by Twitpocalyse bug]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/htc-hero-users-hit-by-twitpocalyse-bug/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/htc-hero-users-hit-by-twitpocalyse-bug/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/htc-hero-users-hit-by-twitpocalyse-bug/#comments
It's great having lots of manufacturer provided applications in the ROM of your mobile device, but what happens if one of them breaks? It's not as easy as just contacting the developer for an updated version is it!

This is exactly the problem being faced by users of 'HTC Peep', the Twitter client on the HTC Hero.

Last night, the unique id number assigned to each Tweet exceeded 4,294,967,295, in an event we covered as 'Twitpocalyse II'. This is the highest number that can be stored in an unsigned 32 bit integer. If the developer of a Twitter client uses this method to store the Tweet ID, then unexpected things will happen. Hence, since this occured, Peep users have been unable to use the application, instead being greeted by the error message above (after which the application either closes or refuses to load new tweets).

We have contacted HTC to ask how long Hero users should expect to wait for a fix, but if you are affected, it might be time to try out Twidroid, Twitterride or perhaps Swift!

UPDATE: HTC have responded to this issue. They have said "Thanks for helping to make us aware of the details of this problem. We have are investigating the issue and are working with Twitter on a solution. We apologize to our users for any inconvenience this has caused."

We'll bring you more information as it comes in.

HTC Hero users hit by Twitpocalyse bug originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> herohtchtc heroHtcHeropeeptwitter Paul O'Brien Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:31:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google Picasa 3.5 released]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/google-picasa-3-5-released/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/google-picasa-3-5-released/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/23/google-picasa-3-5-released/#comments
Google have released version 3.5 of their free image management application, Picasa.

Available for PC and Mac in English only, Picasa 3.5 adds functionality that bring the desktop client features in line with those already offered on Picasa Web Albums. The Linux version of Picasa, which currently stands at version 3.0, has not been updated.

Picasa now offers face recognition with the 'name tags' feature. Similar to iPhoto '09 on the Mac, Picasa analyses your photos, grouping what it deems as similar faces together. You can then apply names to each identified face, allowing you to search photos based on the people that are in them. If you are signed into a Google account, names are handily auto-completed using your contacts database.

A growing trend amongst photographers, driven in part by the increase in GPS enabled mobile devices such as the iPhone, is Geotagging photos. Again, as in iPhoto '09, Picasa allows you to view your photos on a map. This is facilitated either by reading the EXIF location data embedded within the photo or by dragging your photos to the appropriate location on an embedded Google map. This functionality was previously (and optionally still can be) provided externally by the Google Earth application.

Other changes to the application include improved upload, import and sharing functionality, deeper integration with Picasa Web Albums, enhanced picture tagging, the ability to modify date and time on pictures, improved responsiveness in the 'Sharpen' tool and more reliable CD burning in the Windows version.

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Google Picasa 3.5 released originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewaregoogleimage catalogueImageCataloguepicasa Paul O'Brien Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Moblin netbooks are coming - can Linux based netbooks find a market?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/moblin-netbooks-are-coming-can-linux-based-netbooks-find-a-mar/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/moblin-netbooks-are-coming-can-linux-based-netbooks-find-a-mar/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/moblin-netbooks-are-coming-can-linux-based-netbooks-find-a-mar/#comments
When netbooks first started hitting the market, they were low on raw power, storage and profit margins, meaning that they were ideal candidates for running the Linux OS.

Asus, who arguably kicked off the whole netbook market with their Eee PC machines, originally shipped their devices with a variant of Xandros Linux and robust SSD drives. As the market matured, Asus moved to match their competitors by concurrently offering a more traditional Windows XP / hard drive option, and only recently ceased to offer the Linux configuration.

Despite the fact that Windows XP devices dominate the market, it seems Intel's 'Moblin' initiative could bring the Linux movement back to the massive Netbook marketplace.

Speaking at the first Linuxcon Conference in Portland, Oregon this week, Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, said "You're going to see this week interesting new netbooks coming out that are killer. They have the cool factor and they're priced right". Jim believes that the Netbook segment is moving towards providing a free device on a wireless service contract, with a model similar to that used in the mobile phone industry today. His (questionable) assertion is that this drives down costs and encourages a low cost model that only Linux can work with, as it removes the Operating System licensing cost - something Microsoft simply aren't able to do.

Continue reading Moblin netbooks are coming - can Linux based netbooks find a market?

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Moblin netbooks are coming - can Linux based netbooks find a market? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> acerdelllinuxmoblinnetbooksopensource Paul O'Brien Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Peripheral maker Razer ships trojan with software updates]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/peripheral-maker-razer-ships-trojan-with-software-updates/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/peripheral-maker-razer-ships-trojan-with-software-updates/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/peripheral-maker-razer-ships-trojan-with-software-updates/#comments
If you are looking for a good reason to have antivirus software on your machine even though you 'don't do anything dodgy on the internet', then here it is!

Infected files drivers hosted at peripheral manufacturer Razer USA's website have been found by researchers at antivirus company Trend Micro after investigating reports received from concerned customers. Trend Micro confirmed that at least 8 drivers were infected, all of which were immediately removed by Razer upon discovery of the problem.

Although the Trojan in question, WORM.ASPXOR.AB, is classified at the highest possible severity level by threat analysis site ThreatExpert, it appears detection is quite difficult - Trend Micro state that in their testing 'only 7 out of 41 vendors offered generic detection'.

Razer certainly aren't the first company to ship infected software to their customers - Apple previously shipped a virus to customers on their iPod Video units, Seagate sold virus infected hard drives to customers and Creative also bundled that little extra something with a model of their MP3 players.

Razer currently have the above statement on their support site, which has been taken offline temporarily.

It is not known at this site whether the support site itself was hacked or lax internal policies allowed drivers to be packaged up with the trojan.

[Via: Trend Micro blog]

Peripheral maker Razer ships trojan with software updates originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> razertrojanvirusworm Paul O'Brien Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Paint.NET 3.5 Beta 1 released - now with added shiny]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/paint-net-3-5-beta-1-released-now-with-added-shiny/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/paint-net-3-5-beta-1-released-now-with-added-shiny/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/paint-net-3-5-beta-1-released-now-with-added-shiny/#comments
The widely acclaimed image editor Paint.NET has been updated to version 3.5 Beta 1.

The Windows application, developed using version 3.5 of the .net framework, was originally developed by a Microsoft-mentored student as a replacement for the basic Microsoft Paint application that ships with Windows. Since it's inception it has grown hugely in features to the extent that many now consider it a viable free alternative to applications such as Photoshop and The GIMP.

Paint.NET includes powerful features including layers, unlimited undo, numerous filters, magic wand, cloning and also offers a plugin architecture for third party extensibility.

The new 3.5 Beta 1 release - the first to require version 3.5 of the .net framework - adds a refreshed UI designed to look great on Windows Vista and Windows 7 Aero / Glass together with new filters, initial Windows 7 taskbar integration (recent items are listed in the jumplist), reduced memory usage and a host of fixes and updates.

If you are already a Paint.NET user you can download the updated release from within the application itself using the update feature, or the release can be downloaded directly from GetPaint.

Many people of course will be sceptical as to whether Paint.NET can genuinely offer a Photoshop alternative for $0 - are you already a satisfied user? Share your thoughts on the application in the comments!

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Paint.NET 3.5 Beta 1 released - now with added shiny originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewaregimpimage editingimage editorImageEditingImageEditorpaintpaint .netPaint.netphotoshop Paul O'Brien Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[In pictures: the updated Android Market ]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/in-pictures-the-updated-android-market/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/in-pictures-the-updated-android-market/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/22/in-pictures-the-updated-android-market/#comments
As you may know, Google has updated the Android Market in the new 1.6 release (aka Donut), providing a brighter UI and more logical browsing of the catalogue (particularly necessary now that the market has grown to over 10,000 applications).

As you can see in the gallery below, users can choose among from 'Apps', 'Games' and 'Downloads' categories and within a category, applications can be sorted by paid, free and 'just in' (new). Finally, screenshots are now included in the market, a much requested feature!

Devices with 1.6 on board are expected to ship in October but thanks to the beauty of open source, if you own a T-Mobile G1 / HTC Dream or HTC Magic / Sapphire and are feeling particularly brave, you can have a play already courtesy of the unofficial 'Cyanogen ROM'.

Gallery: Android Market in Android 1.6 (aka Donut)

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In pictures: the updated Android Market originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidandroid marketAndroidMarketcyanogengoogle Paul O'Brien Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Tell DLS: What are your top 10 must-have apps? - OS X!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/21/tell-dls-what-are-your-top-10-must-have-apps-os-x/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/21/tell-dls-what-are-your-top-10-must-have-apps-os-x/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/21/tell-dls-what-are-your-top-10-must-have-apps-os-x/#comments I'm willing to bet that while reading Download Squad, you've discovered some great applications that you now use on a regular basis.

Although we all use our machines in a slightly different way, I always find it fascinating to hear about which applications other people use and often when chatting to friends or colleagues I'll learn about an application that i've never used before - there's nothing like a personal recommendation.

That's where our new feature - 'Tell DLS: What are you top 10 must-have apps?' - comes in!

Each week, a Download Squad team member is going to share their top 10 applications are on their chosen platform and explain why! We'll be covering Mac OS X, Windows, Linux and the mobile operating systems, so hopefully you'll discover some gems that you hadn't used before too.

Of course, being a 'Tell DLS' feature, we want this to be all about sharing your experience too - so please post your chosen top 10 in the comments.

Read on after the jump for my top 10 (how many can you identify from the icons above?).

Continue reading Tell DLS: What are your top 10 must-have apps? - OS X!

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Tell DLS: What are your top 10 must-have apps? - OS X! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> applicationscommercialfreewaremacopensourceosxsharewaretell dlsTellDls Paul O'Brien Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Palringo for Windows / Windows Mobile updated]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/18/palringo-for-windows-windows-mobile-updated/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/18/palringo-for-windows-windows-mobile-updated/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/18/palringo-for-windows-windows-mobile-updated/#comments
Palringo, the multi platform rich messaging client for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux (via WINE), Windows Mobile, Android, iPhone, Symbian, Blackberry and Java (phew!), that we first covered back in 2007, has just received an update to it's Windows and Windows Mobile iterations.

Palringo is an IM client with a twist - as well as supporting a multitude of instant messaging services (Windows Live, AIM, Yahoo IM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, iChat / MobileMe, QQ, Gadu-Gadu and Facebook chat), Palringo provides some features not seen in competing products such as chat groups, location sharing, picture sharing and push-to-talk speech.

Changes in the new release include support for contact avatars (although these can be disabled if required), flick / kinetic scrolling, the ability to toggle the status bar (useful for devices with small screens!), variable font size, the ability to set online-status for all services at once, an improved installation process and many other improvements and fixes.

The Symbian client was also updated last week, adding a host of new languages, reduced data usage which also results in a speed increase and a number of bug fixes including improved compatibility with the Samsung i8910.

Palringo is free to download (a premium version is available on iPhone) from the Palringo website or from your mobile device's application store.

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Palringo for Windows / Windows Mobile updated originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> aimfacebookiminstant messagingInstantMessagingpalringowindows liveWindowsLiveyim Paul O'Brien Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[uStream.tv Android Broadcaster now available]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/18/ustream-tv-android-broadcaster-now-available/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/18/ustream-tv-android-broadcaster-now-available/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/18/ustream-tv-android-broadcaster-now-available/#comments

uStream.tv have just released 'uStream.tv Android Broadcaster' on the Android Market.

The new application - a free download - allows you to stream video directly to the uStream site via 3G or WiFi, or alternatively record higher quality video offline for uploading later.

Additional features include support for GPS location, embedded chat with users watching the stream on the uStream site and Twitter integration.

uStream's offering will compete against existing applications in the Android Market from both Qik and Bambuser. Qik has had 50,000 - 250,000 downloads while Bambuser is running at 1,000 - 5,000 downloads.

A word of warning if you are a Samsung i7500 user however - the application seems to 'force close' for me on login - hence the rather uninformative image above. I'll wait for the next release then I think!

[via TechCrunch]

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uStream.tv Android Broadcaster now available originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> streamingustreamustream.tvvideo Paul O'Brien Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Mobile Minute: anonymous browsing with TOR comes to Android]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/17/mobile-minute-anonymous-browsing-with-tor-comes-to-android/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/17/mobile-minute-anonymous-browsing-with-tor-comes-to-android/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/17/mobile-minute-anonymous-browsing-with-tor-comes-to-android/#comments
When it comes to anonymous browsing on a desktop PC, getting set up is pretty straightforward. The widely used Tor Network provides a software bundle to install on your machine which allows you to connect via a virtual proxy to their network, which reroutes your traffic between constantly varying nodes. This makes it impossible for you to be traced as you go about your business on the web and it also makes it exceptionally difficult for anyone snooping on network traffic to determine which sites you are visiting.

Mobile anonymity is historically a lot harder to achieve, however if you're an Android user, there's now a nice simple solution.

Continue reading Mobile Minute: anonymous browsing with TOR comes to Android

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Mobile Minute: anonymous browsing with TOR comes to Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidanonymousanonymous-browsingmobileminuteproxytor Paul O'Brien Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[ShopSavvy coming to Windows Mobile]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/17/shopsavvy-coming-to-windows-mobile/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/17/shopsavvy-coming-to-windows-mobile/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/17/shopsavvy-coming-to-windows-mobile/#comments
ShopSavvy, the application which allows users to scan a barcode and find the best local and online prices, is coming to Windows Mobile.

Already available on Android and coming soon on iPhone, the free ShopSavvy application has proved incredibly popular - at the time of writing it is rated the 8th most popular download in the Android Market.

Images from the developers website show the application running on a Touch Diamond2 equipped with Windows Mobile 6.5 - the application will be one of those available immediately (again for free) from the 'Windows Marketplace for Mobile' when it launches in October.

Although initial availability will only be for Windows Mobile 6.5 devices, owners of 6.0 / 6.1 phones will be able to download the application at a later date.

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ShopSavvy coming to Windows Mobile originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> barcode scanningbarcodesprice comparisonPriceComparisonshopsavvywindows mobileWindowsMobile Paul O'Brien Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA['The Lost Symbol' by Dan Brown for Kindle outselling hardback edition]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/17/the-lost-symbol-by-dan-brown-for-kindle-outselling-hardback-ed/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/17/the-lost-symbol-by-dan-brown-for-kindle-outselling-hardback-ed/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/17/the-lost-symbol-by-dan-brown-for-kindle-outselling-hardback-ed/#comments
Oh those times they are a changin'! According to the statistics at the time of writing in the Amazon US best-selling books list, 'The Lost Symbol' by Dan Brown for Kindle is outselling the equivalent hardback!

Kindle Nation notes that the situation may well change as time goes on and particularly as the holiday season approaches (when the book will certainly sell extremely well as a gift), however I think that what we are seeing is almost a 'coming of age' of the eBook - consumers realising that they can get their books more conveniently, cheaper and of course instantly - a huge plus when you're rushing to get the newest best-seller from a huge author like Dan Brown.

Bear in mind that as you can see in the above screenshot, not only is the Kindle version of the book outselling the hardback edition, but it is outselling every other book in any form in Amazon's store. Impressive!

Unfortunately we don't have any numbers that detail what percentage of the copies sold are delivered to iPhones and iPods rather than the Kindle devices themselves, but I suspect that if we did, a large percentage would be going to the non-Amazon devices.

Who knows how huge the book sales would be if more platforms have a Kindle reader...?

'The Lost Symbol' by Dan Brown for Kindle outselling hardback edition originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> amazondan brownDanBrownkindlethe lost symbolTheLostSymbol Paul O'Brien Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Spotify Mobile S60 client previewed on video ]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/spotify-mobile-s60-client-previewed-on-video/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/spotify-mobile-s60-client-previewed-on-video/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/spotify-mobile-s60-client-previewed-on-video/#comments

Hot on the heels of the release of their Android and iPhone clients, online music streaming service Spotify have posted a preview video of their forthcoming S60 client on their blog.

Aimed at Premium subscribers in the handful of European countries that Spotify currently supports, the application appears to support all of the features available in the existing mobile offerings and is a nod to Spotify's mission to support the largest possible mobile userbase - we'd like to see a Windows Mobile client next please!

Spotify is yet to make clear it's intentions with regards to launching in the US, however such a move seems highly likely provided the appropriate deal can be cut with the labels.

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Spotify Mobile S60 client previewed on video originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> nokias60spotifysymbian Paul O'Brien Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Zune 4.0 now available - existing Zune owners, get your update!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/zune-4-0-now-available-existing-zune-owners-get-your-update/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/zune-4-0-now-available-existing-zune-owners-get-your-update/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/zune-4-0-now-available-existing-zune-owners-get-your-update/#comments
Despite the Zune not being available in Europe, I confess to having owned a Zune 30, Zune 80 and a Zune 8GB... all devices i've been very happy with. One thing I particularly like about the Zune experience is how Microsoft continue to update the software and extend the featureset (where possible) for all the devices, ensuring that even those with the oldest Zunes enjoy the latest developments... for free. I'm pretty sure I can think of another music player company that could take a leaf out of Microsoft's book.

In keeping with that tradition, Microsoft have just released version 4.0 of the Zune software (in line with the Zune HD launch) and it's available to download now, free, for all Zune owners.

The new software release adds 'quickplay' - instant access shortcuts to your recently downloaded or played music, videos and more, 'smart dj' - an automatically generated playlist of relevant music from both your own collection and the whole Zune marketplace, 'mini mode' - a small size, unintrusive view of the player and 'mixview' - a way to discover a 'mosaic of connections to other artists, albums, and fans'.

An interesting feature of the new update is that Mac or PC users can leverage their $14.99 per month Zune pass in a new way, by streaming any of the Zune Marketplace's huge catalogue direct to their machine. Who needs Spotify you might argue?

Sadly there is still no way to actually SYNC your Zune with a Mac... version 5.0 perhaps Microsoft?

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Zune 4.0 now available - existing Zune owners, get your update! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Microsoft ZuneMicrosoftZuneZuneZune HDZuneHd Paul O'Brien Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google releases Android 1.6 'Donut' developer toolkit]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/google-releases-android-1-6-donut-developer-toolkit/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/google-releases-android-1-6-donut-developer-toolkit/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/google-releases-android-1-6-donut-developer-toolkit/#comments
Google have released version 1.6 (codenamed 'Donut') of their Android Plaform.

The new release of the Operating System includes a number of new features including CDMA support, support for higher resolution screens, device wide search functionality, updated camera, camcorder and gallery applications, VPN support, a battery usage monitor allowing you to analyse power use by application, text-to-speech functionality, new developer APIs, an accessibility framework and an updated 2.6.29 kernel module. Phew!

The Android Market gets a makeover for 1.6 too. Users can now quickly access 'Apps', 'Games' and 'Downloads' categories and sort by paid, free and popular within those categories. Screenshots finally come to the Market too, providing a much improved end user experience.

Windows, Mac or Linux developers can download the new SDK today (for free, of course) and fire up Donut in the emulator. In addition to the new OS features, the new SDK includes updated developer tools, fixing a few little bugs... including the ability for the ADB tools to work with the Samsung i7500 device, which I can now confirm works properly! Hurrah!

Devices featuring the 1.6 release are expected to come to market very rapidly - as early as October. It is not known at this stage which existing devices will be upgradeable to Donut.

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Google releases Android 1.6 'Donut' developer toolkit originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> 1.6androidandroid 1.6Android1.6donutopensourceosupdates Paul O'Brien Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Opera Mini 5 enters Beta]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/opera-mini-5-enters-beta/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/opera-mini-5-enters-beta/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/opera-mini-5-enters-beta/#comments

Following on from their teaser at the weekend, Opera have now released a Beta of version 5 of their Opera Mini Java based web browser.

Touted as the 'best and easiest way to get connected on your mobile phone', the new release adds tabbed browsing, speed dial, an enhanced user interface for both touch and keypad based devices and an integrated password manager, as well as a considerable speed boost.

Opera Mini 5 can be downloaded for free by pointing your phone at http://m.opera.com/next.

[Via MoDaCo]

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Opera Mini 5 enters Beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> operaopera miniOperaMini Paul O'Brien Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Remember The Milk released for Android (if you're a Pro subscriber)]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/remember-the-milk-released-for-android-if-youre-a-pro-subscrib/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/remember-the-milk-released-for-android-if-youre-a-pro-subscrib/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/16/remember-the-milk-released-for-android-if-youre-a-pro-subscrib/#comments

Remember The Milk have released their new client for Android devices in the Android Market.

Available as a free download, the client does require the user to have a 'Pro' account, which is priced at $25 per year. This puts the official client at odds with the popular (and excellent) third party solution Astrid, which can be used with free accounts.

The official application does bring a host of features that make the $25 outlay tempting - as well as looking great it is feature packed, and one-ups the iPhone client with full background sync functionality.

RTM for Android includes a number of other features that make the most of your mobile device. Our favourites include location awareness - tasks can be assigned to a place and the application will generate a notification when you near that location, full landscape support, a homescreen widget and swipe gesture support. Most importantly, there seems to be nothing you can do on the website that you can't do on your device!

Head on over to the Android page at the Remember The Milk website for more details or fire up the Android Market to download.

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Remember The Milk released for Android (if you're a Pro subscriber) originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidrememberthemilkrtmtasks Paul O'Brien Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST Download Squad