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[Offshoring.com: choose profit over your country]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/offshoring-com-choose-profit-over-your-country/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/offshoring-com-choose-profit-over-your-country/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/offshoring-com-choose-profit-over-your-country/#comments window peakAlways dreamed of running a sweatshop, but were worried about the legal ramifications? Sick of paying American workers boatloads of money just because the government says it's fair? Really, it's a free country, so you should be able to pay people whatever you feel like, no? Who cares if they need a certain wage to live, no one forced them to take the job. You're the victim here. But like Superman flying over the horizon in his confusingly bright colored outfit, a hero is coming to save you.

Behold, Offshoring.com, where you can hire cheap, skilled labour for as little as $4 an hour. How is this possible? Because the workers are in the Philippines. You can hire everything from programmers to graphic designers for a fraction of what they cost in the US. According to their website they are an American company with a headquarters in Atlanta who send people to the Philippines to run offices staffed with skilled Filipino workers. These workers will work whenever you work, Monday-Friday, and speak English. No word in the FAQ as to whether the workers are chained to their computers or not.

And, as an added bonus, you can fire any worker you want for whatever reason AND you don't even have to do it yourself. You just tell the office and they fire the worker for you. Which, one would assume, involves a large trap door and some sort of flesh eating monster. God bless capitalism.

[via wired]

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Offshoring.com: choose profit over your country originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> offshoringphilippines Peter White Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Something Rotten With Apple]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/01/something-rotten-with-apple/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/01/something-rotten-with-apple/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/01/something-rotten-with-apple/#comments Poison AppleSome people claim to be addicted to their Apple products. Turns out it might be true. Everyone always assumed that Apple gear (iPods, Macs, iPhones, etc) have sold well because they are well built and user friendly, but a recent police investigation has determined that they are actually infused with small amounts of LSD, that the user absorbs slowly through their skin, creating a sense of wonder and euphoria.

One of the first to get suspicious that something might be rotten with Apple was legendary music producer Quincy Jones. Jones, one of the world's foremost music experts, found that a song was always better when heard through his iPod than when he listened through his top of the line, outrageously expensive stereo system. "I thought maybe it was the experience of wearing headphones, isolating me from the world that made the music more incredible" says Jones. "Turns out it was because I was high as a kite." At his urging, a research team from Columbia University began testing Apple products and found the drugs were present in almost every item Apple sells -- the only notable exception, the Apple TV, which still sells poorly no matter how high the consumer base.

Scientists say that the amount of LSD absorbed through the skin is not enough to harm a human being, though it has been shown to be fatal in laboratory mice. The dose is just strong enough to make the user relaxed and happy, explaining why people become so attached to their Macs and iPods. Researchers also say this might explain the pretentiousness and strange superiority complex that almost all Mac users seem to have, though they say further study is needed to be sure.

-- Editors note. This story was edited on a Mac. Dude. Pretty colors.

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Something Rotten With Apple originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> afd08 Peter White Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[AutoVer's Got Your Back(up)]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/25/autovers-got-your-back-up/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/25/autovers-got-your-back-up/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/03/25/autovers-got-your-back-up/#comments Data BackupFireworks, parades, unicorns made of ice cream, pleasant leprechauns doing amusing jigs; these things are fun. Backing up files is not. If you disagree with this you may be a loser. Check that, you are a loser. Or a network admin. Wait, that should read AND a network admin. Boring network geeks aside, backing up files is important. Much like prostate exams. Important, but painful. If you're not backing up files at home, here's a free tool that you can use to get on board the fun bus.

AutoVer is about as straight forward as it gets. Easy to install and use, and does everything you'll need it to do. Plus some advanced features sure to keep the die-hards interested, such as version controlling. It's obviously not really something you'd want to use in a large scale work environment, but if you're to forgetful/lazy/narcoleptic to manually back up files on your home computer, it's worth a look at. Once you have it set up, it runs pretty well on it's own, and handles errors smoothly. It doesn't explode if your back up drive fails, or any of that fun stuff, and works with flash drives and the like. And the price is perfect. Mmmmfree.

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AutoVer's Got Your Back(up) originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> BackupFilefreewareVersion controlVersionControl Peter White Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[European Union gives $22 Million to BitTorent development]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/02/21/european-union-gives-22-million-to-bittorent-development/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/02/21/european-union-gives-22-million-to-bittorent-development/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/02/21/european-union-gives-22-million-to-bittorent-development/#comments nobody watches tv on Tv anymoreThe European Union has faith in BitTorrent. So much so that it's donating $22 Million to help us be able to steal share files. The BBC is one of the biggest investors, figuring that since people download TV shows now anyway, they should probably try to get in on it. Which makes sense. Nobody watches TV on TV's anymore; it's like listening to music on CDs. And when you see someone walking around with a Discman, you judge them. Don't pretend that you don't.

One of the main goals of this project, which they're calling P2P-Next, is to create an open source, BitTorrent-compatible client that can be used for live streaming. Which could be great for getting decent quality streaming TV. None of this watching poor quality out of sync episodes with strange asian subtitles. The team developing the core technology is the folks behind the BitTorrent client Tribler. With a cool $22 Million from the EU, along with another $6 Million from other partners, this project seems to have the backing it needs to succeed. They are hoping to create an environment that encourages sharing, but removing share ratio sanctions and letting the users moderate the content. All of this is great news. Since anything that will let us pirate share files quicker and easier is downright exciting.

[Via TorrentFreak]

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European Union gives $22 Million to BitTorent development originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> BitTorrentEUp2pTribler Peter White Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[TSA learns things from the internet too!]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/02/09/tsa-learns-things-from-the-internet-too/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/02/09/tsa-learns-things-from-the-internet-too/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/02/09/tsa-learns-things-from-the-internet-too/#comments TSA learns from the internetAs we told you earlier, the TSA recently launched a new blog used to get suggestions from Johnny Everyman for improving the airport security process. And boy is it working. The TSA has already changed a practice in which passengers were required to take all their electronics out of their carry on bags during screening.


Oh, so they instituted this national policy some time ago, then due to public complaints, decided to rescind it? Nope. The head office never knew it was happening. What? Really? They say that local TSA offices set it up independently and they were never told. Yeah, but don't they ever fly? Apparently not. If not for the blessed internet, they would never have known that this was going on.

The irony of the whole thing is that this blog was set up to allow the users to help explain and improve the airport security process, giving the traveler a greater sense of ease when flying. Instead it brought to light the frightening fact that the TSA wasn't in the loop on some important security measure. At least they've got it under control now. Good ol' internet. Protector of the free world.

[via slashdot]

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TSA learns things from the internet too! originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> airlineAirplanesecurityTSA Peter White Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Mega-D botnet is the new spam king]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/02/06/mega-d-botnet-is-the-new-spam-king/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/02/06/mega-d-botnet-is-the-new-spam-king/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/02/06/mega-d-botnet-is-the-new-spam-king/#comments The humans are dead.

Mega-D Botnet would be a fantastic hip-hop name. Rolls of the tongue beautifully, botnet rhymes easily (hot set, caught yet, sought debt), and it's got a hyphen in it, which rumor has it keeps the kids interested. Unfortunately, the name is already tied to one of the greatest spamming machines to ever exist. It's the Jay-Z (he's still relevant, right?) of annoying emails.

Mega-D accounts for 32 percent of all spam right now. That's a disturbingly fat guy's slice of the spam pie chart. It's 11 percent more than the high water mark the Storm botnet hit in September 2007. It's kind of impressive, really. In a horrible way. Like a 500 car pileup on the freeway. Terrible, but you can't help but be in awe of the sheer capacity.

The botnet uses news headlines to trick people into opening spam. The spam promotes some pharmaceutical products including Herbal King and VPXL. In fact, promotion for VPXL makes up almost 75 percent of all pharma spam. VP of Products at Marshal speculates that it "is possible that the individuals behind the Storm botnet are responsible for one or more of these other botnets." Storm botnet programmers? Never. This is the handy work of Al-Qaeda. These terrorist won't rest until every warm blooded American is hooked on VPXL. We're on to you. You'll never get away with this terrorists. We'll find you. Just you wait.

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Mega-D botnet is the new spam king originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[GodTube.com growing at a miraculous rate]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/18/godtube-com-growing-at-a-miraculous-rate/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/18/godtube-com-growing-at-a-miraculous-rate/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/18/godtube-com-growing-at-a-miraculous-rate/#comments True believers say that God is everywhere. While not everyone believes that, believe this: he's online. And he's popular. Maybe not as popular as McDonalds, but still. Faith-based YouTube clone GodTube had a 973% month-on-month growth in August according to Comscore. GodTube's 3 million unique visitors have added over 800,000 hours of video, all religion based. Everything from comedy, to music, to annoying kids with webcams. Basically whatever YouTube's got, but with a strange religious twist.

While it's better than the door-to-door shirt and tie folk trying to convert you, it's still not for everyone. It probably only appeals to those who already have a soft spot for Jesus, or those who find amusement in those who believe with all their heart. If you don't fall into one of these two categories, you'll likely experience anything from mild boredom to slight annoyance while on the site. CEO Chris Wyatt claims that "Jesus 2.0 is the wave of the future" which usually means that it isn't. Wasn't Beta video the wave of the future at one point? How did that work out... Anyway, if you're into Jesus, or into chuckling at people who are, check out this short comedy sketch from GodTube. And you thought the internet was the devils tool.

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GodTube.com growing at a miraculous rate originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Rely on peers for online airport advice]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/07/rely-on-peers-for-online-airport-advice/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/07/rely-on-peers-for-online-airport-advice/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/07/rely-on-peers-for-online-airport-advice/#comments

Travelling nowadays can be frustrating. Not 16th Century four months on a boat "oh no do I have scurvy" frustrating, but it can still be a pain. Yeah, there's the bad food and uncomfortable seats that every single stand up comic in the '80's talked about, but there are also the constant and unpredictable delays and other such hazards are inherent in the world of air travel. And sometimes it's hard to find updates on exactly what's going on. A novel idea from the folks at Orbitz may help this problem, as long as people participate.

They have a new system that provides P2P generated travel reports on pretty much anything airport related. They've got basic information like traffic and weather that are pulled from other sources, but most everything else relies on user generated content. This means, of course, that the more users who participate, the better the information will be. The site has only launched recently, but already some of the major airports have had a decent number of updates. LaGuardia in New York has had 75 updates alone in the last 24 hours. It's only available for airports within the US, but it can be accessed from mobile devices, which means that if this grows in popularity, it could be an excellent tool for anyone travelling. And remember, vitamin c wards of scurvy. Eat some fruit.

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Rely on peers for online airport advice originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Get free stock from SynthaSite]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/05/get-free-stock-from-synthasite/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/05/get-free-stock-from-synthasite/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/05/get-free-stock-from-synthasite/#comments Let's say you head into some dark, seedy, back alley bar in an unnamed Scandinavian country, and to your shock and horror, you find people crowding around a ring cheering as a small child, maybe 4 years old is in a ring facing off in a fight to the death with a 1000 pound polar bear.

Moral upheaval aside, you would never risk your own money betting on the toddler. But if someone let you bet for free on the kid, as you don't put any money down, but if the toddler wins you clean up, you'd definitely do it. Who knows, the bear might have a heart attack or something before the start of the fight. You've got nothing to lose. As is the case with a new offer from Synthasite, a website builder that allows you to easily construct webpages online. They're giving away a million shares of stock to users, for free!

Now, obviously Synthasite's chances of succeeding are probably better than that of a kid fighting a bear, but as with any tech startup, no matter how good the product, nothing is guaranteed. But what do you have to lose? The company states that if Synthasite was ever "acquired or became a listed entity, these shares would be worth exponentially more than what they are today." This may sound a little sketchy, but since they're located in South Africa, they are free to do as they please.


All you have to do to get the stock is to create a template for them. The best templates will be selected, and with each selection goes 1000 shares for the designer. Of course, one has to wonder about the financial stability of any company willing to give away that much stock. Didn't the Simpson's already cover that?

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Get free stock from SynthaSite originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Learn things visually at/in 5min]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/04/learn-things-visually-at-in-5min/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/04/learn-things-visually-at-in-5min/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/09/04/learn-things-visually-at-in-5min/#comments

As "Sweatin' to the Oldies" proved oh so long ago, videos are a great way to learn things. In STTO's case, it taught you how annoying Richard Simmons was, which would've taken much longer to learn through words alone. Israeli startup 5min aims to prove that you can learn pretty much anything visually in 5 minutes or less. It's got amateur instructional videos on everything from "How to achieve total relaxation" to "How to start breastfeeding", and surprisingly enough, the two aren't related.

The player has some cool features, allowing you to show parts of the video in slow motion, or freeze on certain frames. You can also view storyboards and subtitles of the video. There are a lot of people on the site too. Not by YouTube standards, but for a fairly new site it's doing well. Anyone can sign up and upload videos proving that they are an expert on something, and can share their knowledge with the world. It's a nice little niche that YouTube doesn't really cover explicitly. Sure, you can learn a lot from watching YouTube videos, but mostly things like "How to get hit in the nuts." Go check out 5min. Get educated, fool.

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Learn things visually at/in 5min originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Sheetster: Web based spreadsheets]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/23/sheetster-web-based-spreadsheets/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/23/sheetster-web-based-spreadsheets/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/23/sheetster-web-based-spreadsheets/#comments The hierarchy of fun things goes something like: unicorns, water slides, camel rides, family reunions, PBS programming, the dentist, funerals, spreadsheets. Note that spreadsheets are way down the list, effectively referred to as the absolute zero of the fun-scale. Sheetster, a web based spreadsheet app, doesn't exactly turn spreadsheets into a Disneyworld ride, but it does have some interesting features. The neatest might be something they call R3S - Really Simple Spreadsheet Syndication. This allows you to subscribe to spreadsheets via RSS. This could be great for collaborating on sheets over the internet, which is fantastic when working with colleagues that you can't tolerate in face-to-face encounters.

The online aspect allows for some cool stuff like a constantly updated list of "Hot Sheets", which are popular spreadsheets that others have created that work as easy to load templates. This might not be a new standard for expert spreadsheet losers, er, users, since it's lacking some of the features that some other applications have. But it is a pretty straightforward, user friendly app that would be good for people new to the ever exciting world of spreadsheets. And if you are just getting into that world, buckle up. You're about to have your eyes opened to a whole new reality, with nothing but hard drugs and easy women as far as the eye can see. Truly, spreadsheet users are the new rockstars.

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Sheetster: Web based spreadsheets originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Facebook to use profile information to target ads]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/23/facebook-to-use-profile-information-to-target-ads/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/23/facebook-to-use-profile-information-to-target-ads/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/23/facebook-to-use-profile-information-to-target-ads/#comments Facebook knows you. It knows you well. You tell it all about yourself. When you're down, you talk to it, and it makes you feel better again. But it seems like Facebook may have had an ulterior motive. It wasn't just listening to be a good friend, but instead it seems it will use this information to try to sell you stuff! What a shocker! It's like The Sixth Sense all over again! Who could possibly have seen this coming? Oh right. Everyone. It shouldn't be a huge surprise that Facebook plans to start using the information that users supply to help marketers target users with specific interests. It was really only a matter of time.

The more interesting part of the plan is that Facebook is going to try to go all Miss Cleo on us. They're going to attempt to determine what you might like to buy in the future, based on the information you've already supplied. Seems like a difficult task, but if there's anything that can predict the future, I guess it's Facebook. The plan seems to have some cash behind it, with reports indicating that the upscale clientele Facebook has is bumping up the advertising rate. So, regardless of whether they can get the crystal ball working or not, it looks like they'll at least make a ton of money.

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Facebook to use profile information to target ads originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:20:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Become part owner of an English soccer team]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/18/become-part-owner-of-an-english-soccer-team/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/18/become-part-owner-of-an-english-soccer-team/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/18/become-part-owner-of-an-english-soccer-team/#comments You're not a millionaire. Accept it. You're not pulling the strings behind a major sports team, wheeling and dealing and living the life. You're not Mark Cuban, and you never will be. Unless you are Mark Cuban, in which case, disregard the previous statement. Otherwise, MyFootballClub might be your best chance at having some say in the operations of a professional sports team. It's an interesting little endeavour in which you sign up and fork over £35 in the hopes that the site can get enough money to purchase a mid-tier English soccer team. Once the team is bought - the site is currently in talks with 4 clubs - each member will get in equal vote in how the team should be run. Including which players to acquire and how the team should be set up.

£27.50 of the £35 goes into a pool of funds for purchasing the team, while the rest of the money goes toward administration costs. The goal is that the group will be able to guide the team from a mid-tier club all the way to the Premier Division. Hm, a group of English soccer fans trying to come to a decision together. Give it about a week and a half before this ends in a riot. Well, should be interesting anyway.

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Become part owner of an English soccer team originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 18 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Sat, 18 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[CIA and FBI being naughty on Wikipedia]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/17/cia-and-fbi-being-naughty-on-wikipedia/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/17/cia-and-fbi-being-naughty-on-wikipedia/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/17/cia-and-fbi-being-naughty-on-wikipedia/#comments The Government is watching you. Maybe not all the time, but enough. Waiting for you to do something you're not supposed to. That's what makes it all the more sweet when someone develops a way to catch the Government doing something wrong, no matter how small it is. A few days ago we told you about a fun little tool called WikiScanner that lets you search for companies making anonymous changes to Wikipedia entries. And lo and behold, both CIA and FBI networks have been spotted editing entries. Which wouldn't be a big deal, if they were editing entries about club sandwiches or something else irrelevant to government activities. Then it would just be a waste of time. But they've been adding and changing information on things like Guantanamo Bay and a former CIA Chief.

Now, Wikipedia has some clearly stated conflict-of-interest guidelines that say that you shouldn't be writing about a topic if you're a tad biased. Which in this case, the editors clearly are. The FBI has yet to comment on this, and a CIA spokesperson said that he couldn't confirm that their computers were used to make the changes. Granted, it's nowhere near a big deal, but it's kind of funny. The bigger question is: shouldn't the CIA and FBI have better things to do with their time than edit Wikipedia entries? Guess not.

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CIA and FBI being naughty on Wikipedia originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Bluetooth + facebook = creepy, but kind of cool]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/17/bluetooth-facebook-creepy-but-kind-of-cool/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/17/bluetooth-facebook-creepy-but-kind-of-cool/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/17/bluetooth-facebook-creepy-but-kind-of-cool/#comments For far too long you had to tell Facebook who you know. It's about time Facebook smartened up and garnered the ability to tell you who you've been in contact with automatically. It's impossible for Facebook to completely take over all of our lives unless it can follow us around everywhere we go. Finally, a team of Bath University scientists have come up with a solution. Combine Facebook with mobile Bluetooth electronics! You can now install a Facebook tool, called Cityware, and register your Bluetooth product, and it will atomically tell you who you've come in close contact with. The best part is that now, instead of actually meeting someone on the street, you can just go home and meet them in the more intimate and personal Facebook environment.

It's actually kind of neat how it works. The catch is that in order to use it you have to live in a city that has a 'node' installed. These nodes are computers that will scan for Bluetooth devices and match them up with other devices from the area. These nodes are currently installed in a few places in the UK, as well as at the University of California in San Diego. Basically, you just go for a walk around one of the nodes, then when you log into Facebook, it gives you a list of everyone who was in the same area. It's a wonderful way to meet new people, without, you know, actually meeting them. Also great for stalkers. Can't forget about the stalkers.

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Bluetooth + facebook = creepy, but kind of cool originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[What`s leaking now: Facebook source code]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/12/what-s-leaking-now-facebook-source-code/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/12/what-s-leaking-now-facebook-source-code/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/12/what-s-leaking-now-facebook-source-code/#comments
Everyone's got a best friend. Someone you tell everything too. Someone you can trust to keep a secret, no matter how personal. And there is nothing more crushing than the possibility that your friend might go ahead and share that secret. Recently, millions of people have made Facebook that best friend. Giving it all kinds of personal information that shouldn't be shared around, with the understanding that it will be kept private. That understanding was dealt a blow on Saturday when a page of Facebook source code surfaced online. While this doesn't mean that people's personal information is at risk (and Facebook has come out saying that user data was not compromised), it's not really the type of thing that inspires a lot of confidence.

The source code appeared as the only post on a blog called Facebook Secrets, which while not as fun as Tom Hanks Secrets, is quite a bit more interesting. The code is from what appears to be a recent version of Facebook's main page. Facebook's official response claims that a misconfigured server allowed temporary access to the code, and that it was corrected immediately. And while this leak isn't necessarily a huge deal for Facebook, it could give potential attackers a better understanding of the general Facebook structure which could expose more security threats. Then again, it's just as possible that nothing comes of it. Either way, it's pretty interesting to check out. Why not do so? Yeah, go for it. Here.

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What`s leaking now: Facebook source code originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Sun, 12 Aug 2007 19:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Windows XP SP3 leaked]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/09/windows-xp-sp3-leaked/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/09/windows-xp-sp3-leaked/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/09/windows-xp-sp3-leaked/#comments Robin Hood was revered because he stole from the rich and gave to the poor. And while it's not quite the same thing, there isn't a whole lot of sympathy being thrown towards Microsoft when it was heard that a testing release of Windows XP SP3 was leaked and is floating around the internet now. Everyone loved watching Mel Gibson prove he's an idiot. Everyone loved watching Kramer lose his mind. And everyone loves when things don't go as planned for Microsoft. We love when people who seem to have everything together show that they don't. Plus this Windows leak is an hilarious slap in the face to Steven Sinofsky's little attempt at complete secrecy. It's so fitting that he'd be unsuccessful at keeping things secret, since he looks a bit like a really terrible magician (see picture).

SP3 was given to a limited pool of testers in July, after being repeatedly delayed. It was originally planned to be release in 2005. Boy, did that ever go well. The leaked version of SP3 is not quite the finished product, or even a completed Beta, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming an incredibly popular torrent download. It comes in at around 340 Mb and can be found pretty much everywhere. But then again, you'd never download something illegally like this, would you?

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Windows XP SP3 leaked originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 09 Aug 2007 22:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> osupdates Peter White Thu, 09 Aug 2007 22:51:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Dabble Do: a to do list for your facebook]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/08/dabble-do-a-to-do-list-for-your-facebook/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/08/dabble-do-a-to-do-list-for-your-facebook/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/08/dabble-do-a-to-do-list-for-your-facebook/#comments If current trends continue, by the year 2016, life will exist solely on Facebook. It'll be like a more annoying version of the Matrix, where no one ever leaves their tiny little rooms and all communication and contact is done through Facebook. Intimate encounters will be something like they were between Stallone and Sandra Bullock in Demolition Man, except with a Facebook Application instead of those cheesy virtual reality helmets. Hey, if someone read the script for Demolition Man and thought, "yeah, that's a great idea for a movie!" then anything is possible. This long-winded and unnecessary opening paragraph is really just a front for letting you know about another somewhat useful but not too terribly exc Facebook app brought to you by DabbleDB.

It's essentially just a to-do list, not unlike the many other to-do list apps out there, except that it's on Facebook. DabbleDo, as they call it, works well and has a few neat features like setting to-do's for your friends, and following up on them. For anyone who doesn't already use a to-do list from some other program, this might be the one to use. Although many people would already have one on Outlook or some other email client, but if you use Facebook as your main source of email you might need this. Then again, if you use Facebook for your main email you probably don't have that much to do in the run of a day anyway.

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Dabble Do: a to do list for your facebook originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Wed, 08 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Open source Microsoft Project competitor announced]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/07/open-source-microsoft-project-competitor-announced/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/07/open-source-microsoft-project-competitor-announced/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/07/open-source-microsoft-project-competitor-announced/#comments Microsoft Project, on the whole, is a pretty annoying entity. It doesn't come with Microsoft Office, so you have to buy it separately, which is expensive and annoying, like a high-end mime. And it's not like it's the most advanced program in the world, even though it is pretty good at telling you how far behind you are. Thankfully those beautiful open-source nerds have saved us once again. They're like pale, lonely super heroes. Projity will release a public beta of OpenProj, a free open-source competitor. Reportedly, OpenProj works with Windows, Linux, Unix, and Mac OsX. Word has it that OpenProj can also open native Microsoft Project files.

The Beta will be released on August 7th, the first day of the LinuxWorld San Francisco show. If it works anywhere near as well as Microsoft Project, it'll be a wonderful little tool to download. Free software is better than not free software, financially speaking. And open-source is a wonderful alternative to pirating Project. Not just because pirating Microsoft Project is so much sadder than pirating something fun, but also because stealing software is wrong. Never do it. Ahem. Projity already has more than 50 customers testing the software, and likely won't take too long to get all the kinks worked out. This sounds like good news.

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Open source Microsoft Project competitor announced originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> opensource Peter White Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Glide provides Windows Media support for the iPhone]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/04/glide-provides-windows-media-support-for-the-iphone/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/04/glide-provides-windows-media-support-for-the-iphone/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/04/glide-provides-windows-media-support-for-the-iphone/#comments
The iPhone can do pretty much everything. Yesterday, reports from Indonesia said that an iPhone had swooped from the sky and saved a small child from a devastating landslide. But despite all the heroics, there was still one thing the iPhone couldn't handle. That, of course, is Apple kryptonite, the dreaded Windows Media format. Finally, some relief. Glide Mobile announced that it will now offer new format support for the iPhone, and can handle almost all the formats of the rainbow, including Windows Media.

We talked about Glide Mobile before, and now with this advancement there is even more reason to sign up. TransMedia CEO Donald Leka had this to say: "The EDGE network is not ideal for the cutting edge iPhone." He claims that Glide is a much better option and automatically adjusts the video to suit the connection speed. The burning question that he doesn't answer however, is whether or not the "cutting edge" comment about the EDGE network was an intentional pun or not. Because doesn't the Supreme Court ruling commonly known as "The Cheesy Dad Law" state that when you make an awful pun you have to clearly say "pun intended" or acknowledge the mistake? That should be punishable by death. Go get Glide now.

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Glide provides Windows Media support for the iPhone originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:52:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Netvibes introduces Facebook widget]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/03/netvibes-introducesfacebook-widget/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/03/netvibes-introducesfacebook-widget/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/08/03/netvibes-introducesfacebook-widget/#comments Facebook is the new meth. It's a harsh, seductive mistress that pulls in all ages and races and keeps them addicted, often crippling their social and professional lives. And while it's less dangerous than meth in the sense that very few house explosions have been directly caused by Facebook, most of the destruction comes from the fact that Facebook is available almost everywhere. And it seems a new dealer has entered the scene. Netvibes launched a new widget today that allows you to access your Facebook account through Netvibes.

While there are a few limitations - you can't access your news feed or change your status from Netvibes - overall it works pretty well. Some people have reported having some problems with it, but on the whole it seems to be functioning properly. Once you install it you can view your messages, pokes, friend requests and pretty most everything else. You might as well just go ahead and install it now. Face it, anything that gives you another way to tap into sweet lady Facebook is something you won't be able to resist. You're hooked. Pretty soon you're going to find yourself on the nerdiest episode ever of Intervention, and maybe we can get you the help you need. You have a problem


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Netvibes introduces Facebook widget originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> FacebookNetvibeswidgets Peter White Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Facebook audio application removed]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/31/facebook-audio-application-removed/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/31/facebook-audio-application-removed/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/31/facebook-audio-application-removed/#comments Every once in a while something happens that no one should be surprised by. America becoming the fattest country in the world. Lance Bass being gay. And so on. Such is the case with the latest Facebook casualty. It was no big surprise that the Facebook audio application was removed recently. Really, it only had two major flaws. One being that it was incredibly popular, the second being that it was blatantly illegal. Funny how those two things never really go together without some sort of consequence. The audio application basically allowed you to upload and share MP3's. That is all fine and dandy, except that most people used it to upload and share copyrighted material, which we all know from our "Metallica's Guide to Online Behaviour" books, is evil. Despite this fact, and the fact that when you uploaded a song, it was easy to tell which user did the uploading, the app had over 750,000 users.

Although not inherently clear exactly who would be liable for this act, it seems natural for Facebook to go ahead and remove the app themselves. Better to avoid trouble before it starts, regardless of who is to blame. We'd hate to see Metallica get all angry again. Besides, it's not like anyone's uploading any of their new music anymore. Perhaps they could go online and try to illegally download some relevance. Anyway, if you had the audio application, hope you enjoyed it. If you didn't, well, it's too late now.

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Facebook audio application removed originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:40:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[StyleMob provides a new way to have your physical flaws pointed out]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/31/stylemob-provides-a-new-way-to-have-your-physical-flaws-pointed/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/31/stylemob-provides-a-new-way-to-have-your-physical-flaws-pointed/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/31/stylemob-provides-a-new-way-to-have-your-physical-flaws-pointed/#comments So you put your picture on Hot or Not. You thought you were hot, turns out you were not. But you need more information. Exactly what makes you not hot? Is it the unibrow? The purple corduroy suspenders? Thankfully there's a new site online where you can have complete strangers (or friends) let you know exactly what's wrong with you. Ok, so that's not exactly how StyleMob is marketing itself, but that seems to be the most entertaining aspect of it. It basically bills itself as Hot or Not mixed with MySpace. Which is good, because it's way better to be criticized by strangers with profiles than strangers in general...

Users upload photos to be rated by others, but the idea is that is goes much further. Users would share fashion tips, and ask each other personal appearance questions. Basically a mob advises you on your style. Clever title. The site goes public on Thursday, so go sign up and realize that you have no idea what you're doing with your appearance. Because you've had way too much self esteem lately. Get in there and have it torn apart.

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StyleMob provides a new way to have your physical flaws pointed out originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:40:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[eSwarm: theoretical purchasing strength in numbers]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/30/eswarm-theoretical-purchasing-strength-in-numbers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/30/eswarm-theoretical-purchasing-strength-in-numbers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/30/eswarm-theoretical-purchasing-strength-in-numbers/#comments Online group buying is not a new idea. Dogs made entirely out of pasta that regenerate themselves after you eat them is a new idea. Unfortunately, this post is about group buying. Pasta dogs (Oodles of Poodles) will hopefully come up later. eSwarm is taking another swipe at the idea that finding groups of people online looking to buy the same thing should theoretically be easy to do. Ignoring the fact that this business model has failed many times in the past might seem like a silly approach, but one can only assume that eSwarm is counting on the fact that the number of online shoppers has increased dramatically in recent years.

The way it works is that you get a free account, then decide what you'd like to buy and try to get other people to sign up for the same item/service/whatever. Then a seller will make an offer to the group. Supposedly, the more people looking to buy, the better the offer the seller will give. After an offer is made, other companies have 48 hours to give the group (swarm, they call them. Because, you know, good imagery is key. Everyone loves being swarmed...) a better offer. Nothing too terribly new, but who knows? Maybe it'll work this time. eSwarm CEO Tim Newcomb seems convinced, claiming that eSwarm is a "global economic revolution". CEO Tim Newcomb is never wrong. Some of his past stellar observations include saying that Hootie and the Blowfish were "going to be seven thousand times bigger than The Beatles" and that the film Air Bud: Golden Receiver was "the best written film since Citizen Kane!"

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eSwarm: theoretical purchasing strength in numbers originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:20:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Validas to clear up cell phone bill confusion]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/30/validas-to-clear-up-cell-phone-bill-confusion/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/30/validas-to-clear-up-cell-phone-bill-confusion/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/30/validas-to-clear-up-cell-phone-bill-confusion/#comments Back in the dark ages before the internet, when people lived in caves and Hammurabi's Code reigned supreme, it was difficult to tell if you were being ripped off when making a purchase. People were less informed, and therefore more likely to be taken advantage of, or so history textbooks say. Records are hazy from those pre-net periods, before the dawn of civilized society. There are still a few instances in these enlightened times where people feel like they're getting taken advantage of however. Used cars and computer repairs ($200 to format a computer? That's highway robbery) and cell phone bills are some that come to mind. The first two you're still on your own, but it looks like there might be some help for the third on the horizon.

Validas is a site launching it's Beta shortly with the promise of explaining every inch of over-complicated cell phone bills to users. While it's not officially online yet, you can sign up for the beta and be one of the first to try it out. Right now it displays a slick looking video that will seduce you into believing that they know what they're doing. High production value always equals fantastic product, right? If it works half as well as advertised it could be a helpful little tool. If not, well, um, sorry?

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Validas to clear up cell phone bill confusion originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:20:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Big names backing internet video company]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/28/big-names-backing-internet-video-company/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/28/big-names-backing-internet-video-company/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/28/big-names-backing-internet-video-company/#comments Now you may not recognize the name Steve Wozniak. He never really did anything important. He had a hand in starting some little company, named after a piece of fruit or something. Doesn't really have any significance in today's world. But for some reason he seems awful respected in the high tech world, and when he throws his support behind something, people listen. And his newest interest seems to be in a small venture-backed company called HotSwap.com. Wozniak has signed on as an advisor. The company claims to have the ability to make common digital camera movie clips look more like high definition TV when played from websites. They say they can make the somewhat sketchy-looking amateur video loaded on sites like YouTube look way better using their technology. No word yet on if they can improve the actual content of the videos. They feel that this improved video technology will really help e-commerce take off, particularly the selling of vehicles online.

Steve Wozniak isn't the only person who agrees with them either. They've also got Red McCombs, co-founder of Clear Channel Communications on their side. And while Red might sound like the name of a 1930's Southern baseball coach, he's got a pretty solid track record with things like this. The founders of HotSwap.com are a few twenty-something nerd-extrodinaires who seem to have the right attitude for making technology work. As 21-year old chairman Luke Thomas points out: "when other kids were out partying, we were in our labs." Thankfully for Thomas, it seems like this technology might be the way of the future. It'd be a shame for them to put so much time into this and have it not to work out. Oh well, chicks dig pale skinned guys who never leave their labs, right?

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Big names backing internet video company originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 28 Jul 2007 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Sat, 28 Jul 2007 13:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[ReeledIn: take online filmmaking seriously]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/23/reeledin-take-online-filmmaking-seriously/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/23/reeledin-take-online-filmmaking-seriously/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/23/reeledin-take-online-filmmaking-seriously/#comments Internet video is big. 1994 Jim Carrey big. And sometimes just as annoying. Part of the allure and frustration of video sites such as YouTube is that anyone can post anything they want. Sure, it's fine if you're surfing around looking for anything and everything to keep you entertained. But what if you're someone like an ad exec looking to swoop in and find the next best thing in viral video to harness for a campaign? Do you really want to watch hundreds of poorly made videos featuring nothing but cats and funny looking kids lip synching to horrible songs? Of course there's tons of gold on YouTube, but even many of the most entertaining videos (Zombie turtles boy anyone?) are tough to adapt for commercial use.

Enter ReeledIn, a social networking site aimed at people who take filmmaking a little more serious than the average YouTube user. It's part of The Daily Reel, a site devoted to internet video/online filmmaking. The goal of ReeledIn is to put filmmakers in touch with other people who take it seriously, as well as potential employers. The site already has several talent agencies, such as UTA Online, checking in. There's a bit of a tighter community at ReeledIn as well, with some forums and things that are set up for filmmakers to help each other out. If you're serious about your online movie-making, this may be a better option than YouTube or MySpace. Go get famous. Then make a movie about a smart alec, streetwise unicorn. It's a guaranteed winner.

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ReeledIn: take online filmmaking seriously originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Mon, 23 Jul 2007 20:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Pageflakes: like bran flakes, but more fun. Now with two scoops of widgets.]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/19/pageflakes-like-bran-flakes-but-more-fun-now-with-two-scoops/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/19/pageflakes-like-bran-flakes-but-more-fun-now-with-two-scoops/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/19/pageflakes-like-bran-flakes-but-more-fun-now-with-two-scoops/#comments Pageflakes might sound like a really bad knock-off brand cereal aimed at those nerdy heavy reading kids, but it's so much more than that. We've covered them before, but today they launched a slurry of new features in what they've all-to-cleverly called their "Blizzard" release. The highlight of the release would be the move to a social network, where users can connect based on common interests. Everyone has their own profile page, and others with similar interests are displayed.

Along with the networking, they've also teamed with some big names and had them create there own Pagecasts. The impressive list includes USA Today, Rolling Stone, CNN, and AOL. Plus, unlike the somewhat similar Netvibe's Universe, anyone can create a public page with Pageflakes. And the widgets, oh the widgets. Or flakes, as they call them (caught onto the snow motif yet?). There are 240,000 to date, which is a pretty impressive number of widgets. Especially if you can convince your friends that a widget is actually a walrus midget (little person), and that an army of them 240,000 strong is on their way to take over the country. Seriously, how cool would that be? Can you imagine that? They'd be deadly cute, but would pack a crazy bite. Alright, first one to create a midget walrus gets $75. Come on people, let's make this happen. Oh, and check out Pageflakes too.

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Pageflakes: like bran flakes, but more fun. Now with two scoops of widgets. originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[iShare: it's YouTube, Indian style]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/16/ishare-its-youtube-indian-style/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/16/ishare-its-youtube-indian-style/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/16/ishare-its-youtube-indian-style/#comments The word on the street these days is that there are a lot of people in India. And on top of that, there are a lot of people originally from India living in other parts of the world. Also, if Bollywood is any indication, these people enjoy being entertained, albeit in a slightly different style than North America is accustomed to. If these rumors are true, the combination of a huge population and a love of video might ultimately lead to the success of iShare, which is essentially an Indian version of YouTube. Granted, YouTube is not by definition just for North Americans, but with it's headquarters in the US and most of it's content created by and for Westerners, it's understandable that someone might offer up an alternative for other parts of the world.

iShare is owned by Rediff, a large Indian portal, and is teamed with India based satellite TV channel Zee TV to run a contest as part of it's launch. Users submit audio and video clips and the winner will perform in the finals of a Zee TV musical talent show called Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Sources indicate that Sa Re Ga Ma Pa translates roughly to "See America, we've got crappy singers too." Now, not to be stereotypical, but one of the things that we lazy westerners often think of when we think Indian entertainment is, of course, tigers. Now here's an idea: combine tigers with musical talent shows! You would watch American Idol if every week the losers got fed to hungry tigers. Especially when, on the grand finale, the winner also gets fed to hungry tigers. Hello ratings.

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iShare: it's YouTube, Indian style originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Threat looming from Java security exploit]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/13/threat-looming-from-java-security-exploit/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/13/threat-looming-from-java-security-exploit/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/13/threat-looming-from-java-security-exploit/#comments Global warming? How can you worry about global warming at a time like this? Have you not heard the news? Google's security team has discovered a flaw in the Sun Java Runtime Environment that might threaten every single platform, browser, and mobile device. Apparently anything running either the Java Runtime Environment or Java Development kit is at risk, which, last time we checked, is pretty much everything. You'll be hard-pressed to find a spoon that doesn't run some form of Java these days. Ok, so maybe it's not as big a deal as global warming, but it still could cause some potential problems. In fact, Chris Gatford from Pure Hacking even goes as far as to say "This is as bad as it gets." Those unfamiliar with Pure Hacking should be told that it is a penetration testing firm. Yes. Really. The words penetration and firm were both in that last sentence. Apologies all around to anyone whose head just exploded when it was overrun with the countless easy jokes that bubble up from reading that.

So be ready. This could be like Y2K all over again. Except, you know, something might actually happen this time. But probably not. Either way, if the world ends tomorrow, at least you can go out giggling childishly at the phrase "penetration firm."


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Threat looming from Java security exploit originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Thumbstrips: remember where you've been]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/13/thumbstrips-remember-where-youve-been/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/13/thumbstrips-remember-where-youve-been/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/13/thumbstrips-remember-where-youve-been/#comments Let's set the scene for you: you're browsing the internet. You're surfing the web like you've never surfed before. You've got 12 different windows open, alt-tabbing (can that be a verb?) like it's going out of style. Empty non-descript cola (we don't play favorites) cans all around you. You may or may not be looking at pornography, but it's ok, we're not here to judge. So you're flying through all these sites, and you see something you like on one of the windows, and you go to minimize it so that you can cross-check something in another window (read: shut down the other classy clip you're watching), but instead of minimizing it, you accidentally SHUT DOWN THE WINDOW! What now? That page is lost forever! Sure, you could check the history, but you've been through hundreds of sites today, and it'll take you forever. And you obviously don't have time for that, you're a busy man.

Over-dramatized stories aside, it's a pain when you want to revisit a site in a window that you've closed. There's a cool new Firefox plug-in called Thumbstrips that takes care of this. It creates a filmstrip of screenshots of the sites you've visited, and allows you to revisit them, along with sharing them with others. Admit it, you need it. Go get it now. GO!

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Thumbstrips: remember where you've been originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Online radio fun with Tun3r]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/10/online-radio-fun-with-tun3r/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/10/online-radio-fun-with-tun3r/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/10/online-radio-fun-with-tun3r/#comments

You can lie to yourself all you want, but the truth of the matter is this: looks matter. It's true, accept it. Whether it be another person, or a computer program, no one wants to sit and stare at something hideous for hours. Using software with an unattractive interface is like being out to dinner with a really ugly person. You're stuck sitting across from them, and as much as you'd like to not look them in the face at all, it's impossible to get done what you need to get done without at least taking a few glances. Note: Feel free to insert your own terrible hard drive joke right here.

The point is, if something looks neat, it's way more fun to play around with. The people at Tun3r have done just that for internet radio. They've created an interesting little Web 2.0 style interface they call "The Dial". It's a mosaic of hundreds of popular radio stations that you can sample from. Dragging the tuner to one of the little pictures brings up the stations information, including its recent playlist and gives you the option to sample it. If you like it you can then launch the station. The site also allows you to search for a certain artist, and it will display the stations that have played the artist recently. Sure, it may not be the most groundbreaking thing to hit internet radio recently, but it's a slick little tool that you might have some use for. It's kind of pretty, and the rules of life state that you have to do whatever pretty things/people tell you to do. So get on it.

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Online radio fun with Tun3r originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Finally, a place to buy software vulnerabilities]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/06/finally-a-place-to-buy-software-vulnerabilities/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/06/finally-a-place-to-buy-software-vulnerabilities/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/06/finally-a-place-to-buy-software-vulnerabilities/#comments The Swiss are a crafty bunch. They project that outward innocent image of a country full of cheese and chocolate and watches and cute little knives, but underneath they are up to something. We all know that clever neutrality ploy that allows them to play nice with everyone, and make a ton of money behind the scenes. So it shouldn't be any surprise that when a startup appeared on the scene that allows people to sell vulnerabilities in software that the Swiss were behind it. WabiSabiLabi lets people sign up and sell the exploits they've found eBay style. The best part of the whole thing is that the site tries to play it off as helping make the world more secure. Which is an interesting stance to take considering it's basically people saying "I've found a way to hack your software, pay me and I'll tell you how. Or if you don't, I'll sell it to someone else and then everyone will know except you." Hm. Not suspicious at all.

As of right now there really isn't a whole lot of activity going on, with only 4 vulnerabilities up for grabs, and only two of them have been bid on. But then again sometimes evil things take a little while to catch on. Like identity theft? Remember back when that wasn't cool? Now it's everywhere, thank God. Hopefully blackmailing software companies becomes just as hip in the near future. Fingers crossed!

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Finally, a place to buy software vulnerabilities originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Jul 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Fri, 06 Jul 2007 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Lawsuit brought upon an avatar in Second Life]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/05/lawsuit-brought-upon-an-avatar-in-second-life/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/05/lawsuit-brought-upon-an-avatar-in-second-life/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/05/lawsuit-brought-upon-an-avatar-in-second-life/#comments

We live in a glorious age where you can sue pretty much anyone for pretty much anything. A wonderful time in which people need to put warning labels on anything and everything to keep people from suing them when they do something stupid. Sorry, but if you need a warning to tell you that a jar of peanuts contains peanuts, you don't really deserve to be breathing anymore. You're part of the problem. This trigger-happy lawsuit fetish seems like it might be finding its way into the happy little universe of Second Life now. Kevin Alderman, who runs the adult-content company Eros LLC filed a lawsuit against a Second Life resident named Volkov Catteneo for copyright infringement. Catteneo allegedly stole an Alderman creation (the ever classy SexGen bed) and is selling it at a greatly reduced price in the virtual world. Alderman also plans to subpoena Second Life operators Linden Labs to obtain Catteneo's real life identity.

Catteneo says he isn't too worried about the suit though since, "I'm not some kind of noob, my name isn't on [Linden Lab's] file. I don't even have a permanent address [in real life] either." Excellent. Suing a virtual world adult content thief who happens to be a hobo in real life sounds like a real profitable undertaking. Good luck with that. And not to wish any ill will towards Alderman, but his Second Life name is easily the creepiest handle in existence. It's physically impossible to cheer for a man who, virtual world or not, refers to himself as "Stroker Serpentine." Shudder. Moral of the story, be careful on Second Life, because apparently you can be sued there to. And by far creepier characters than you'd be sued by in real life.

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Lawsuit brought upon an avatar in Second Life originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Create yourself as a Simpsons character]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/05/create-yourself-as-a-simpsons-character/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/05/create-yourself-as-a-simpsons-character/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/05/create-yourself-as-a-simpsons-character/#comments

There have been a lot of famous people immortalized over the past way-too-many seasons of The Simpson's. And chances are good that there will be more in the upcoming film. You will not be one of them. Accept it. None of us have a shot (Although if there is a God, he will create a character named Don Dodge very shortly). As a neat little marketing ploy for the movie though, you can go online and see what you would look like if you were important enough to get on the show. All you have to do is log onto the movies official website, and select "Create Your Simpson's Avatar" from the top menu.

It's just a promotional tool, so it's obviously a tad limited in your selection, but you can actually get a surprisingly good representation of yourself as a Simpson's character. Note the striking resemblance between real life Don Dodge, and Simpson's Don Dodge. We've taken the time to label the two Don Dodge's since it is almost physically impossible to tell the two apart. Yes, this is a blatant attempt to use the hilarious name Don Dodge as many times as possible. You can roll your eyes at this post all you want, but we both know you're going to go over and create a character for yourself right now. So go do it already.

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Create yourself as a Simpsons character originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Thu, 05 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Rat out your company, get a million dollars]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/03/rat-out-your-company-get-a-million-dollars/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/03/rat-out-your-company-get-a-million-dollars/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/07/03/rat-out-your-company-get-a-million-dollars/#comments People do a lot of weird things for money. Marry a walking skeleton. Wear the world's ugliest mascot costume. Donate their soul to keep Bob Barker alive (one can only assume that there is some sort of youth soul-sucking procedure in place to keep him walking). But did you know you could be getting paid just for doing the right thing? Just by reporting that your company is using software illegally you could be rewarded with up to $1 Million Dollars. It's like "Deal or No Deal", except, you know, interesting. Of course there is the fact that the Business Software Alliance makes no mention of exactly how they decide who gets how much money, or whether or not you even qualify before you turn in your employers. But that must just be an oversight. I mean, so what if they've been offering a reward of up to $200,000 since last year, and have paid out a total of only $15,500? It took a while for someone to take in the top prize when "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" came out, right? This has got to be legit...

Add a couple of over-the-hill spokesmen and a penchant for preying on the elderly, and this is basically Publisher's Clearing House all over again. It's incredibly hard to believe that these guys are going to hand over $1 Million dollars for simply reporting software copyright infringement. Note this list of ways to make a million dollars. No "snitching on your company" to be found anywhere. Of course abusing software is not proper. But here's a novel idea, how about if your company is doing this, you talk to them about it? And if they ignore that you go ahead and report them. But if you really need a million dollar incentive to do the right thing maybe you should go home and smash your face into the wall, because you're teetering on embarrassingly greedy.

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Rat out your company, get a million dollars originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[MySpace to open up to third party developers]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/29/myspace-to-open-up-to-third-party-developers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/29/myspace-to-open-up-to-third-party-developers/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/29/myspace-to-open-up-to-third-party-developers/#comments Well, well, well MySpace. Look where we are now. You were the unquestionable social network king, remember that? Of course you do. And maybe you still are on top, for now. But you're scared. They're coming for you, aren't they? They're gaining on you. This bland, simple, college-bred, basic blue-on-white nobody is breathing down your neck. Sure, you thought nothing of it at first. 'It's ok', you thought. 'Some people might be signing up for this new Facebook nonsense, but they'll come crawling back to MySpace.' But now you're not so sure. Seems people are more interested in a better functioning, less frustrating site than they are in page after page of gaudy, seizure-inducing MySpace pages. You thought allowing people to make their page personalized would be a great feature. Bet you didn't anticipate a wave of strange creatures making pages that look like the world's most annoying acid trip. And we'll not even mention everyone who ever even laid eyes on a musical instrument begging you to come listen to their three chord masterpiece.

So when Facebook introduced the ability to allow third party programs, you took notice. And surprise, surprise, you're going to follow suit. How does it feel to be ahead, yet somehow still playing catch up? It's a sad thing to watch really. It's like a past-his-prime athlete refusing to let go, convinced he can still keep up with the new kids. Well, for your sake, we hope you get some really good wear out of this third party development. However, forgive the cynicism, but knowing the history of your users, it'll somehow end up looking like the aftermath of sticking a clown in a blender.

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MySpace to open up to third party developers originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Canadian web applications looking strong]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/26/canadian-web-applications-looking-strong/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/26/canadian-web-applications-looking-strong/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/26/canadian-web-applications-looking-strong/#comments
The following is about Canada. And Canadian web applications. Now it's understood that there are some people who, due to preconceived notions, automatically zone out when they hear "Canadian Technology." Sure they may be ignorant, and they may be the minority, but they're still people. So, as a service to them, at various points through this post, some unintelligent, stereotypical anti-Canadian jokes will be displayed in brackets. This way everyone can enjoy this post. For example: Statistics show that on average, Canadians use the internet more hours per month than anyone else in the world (Of course they're online longer, it takes forever to send packets via dogsled!). 70% of Canadian households have internet access (but how many have running water?) and broadband penetration is around 67%. With all that bandwidth someone had to be doing something productive (like watching hours of curling highlights and maple syrup tapping festivals?).

This article compiles a pretty good list of the top Canadian web applications, most of which you've never heard of yet (lumberjack dating sites), but might in the future. Most of the apps have gained users worldwide, and at least one has one a Webby this year. It's hard to say if any of them will really take off, like Vancouver born Flickr, or if they'll fizzle out, but they're at least worth checking out. They run the gamut from helpful travel tips to the largest user-written news site in the world to a just-for-kids virtual world called Club Penguin (what, ran out of seals to club?). Maybe you'll never come to Canada, but you can at least check out what it's all about (aboot) online.

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Canadian web applications looking strong originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Soundpedia: who needs Pandora]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/26/soundpedia-who-needs-pandora/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/26/soundpedia-who-needs-pandora/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/26/soundpedia-who-needs-pandora/#comments Well, I hope you can sleep at night Pandora. Walking out on us like that. And for what? Just because we don't live in the US? Fine. Yeah, we'll admit, it hurt a bit. Ok, a lot. But you know what? We've moved on. That's right. We found someone else. Ok, so she's not as pretty and as made up as you are, and maybe she doesn't sound as nice, but she's beautiful in her own way. And she's from Singapore. That's right, she's exotic. Jealous? Of course you are. You'll think twice before walking out on us again. Don't bother coming back for your stuff, we through it out.

Ok, so that stopped making sense a few sentences ago, apologies. The point is, there is a pretty decent Pandora-esque type program called Soundpedia that might be the best thing to come out of Singapore since this hilarious picture of a monkey. Ok, so the monkey might still be better, but Soundpedia isn't without it's charm. It's not as slick as Pandora, and the sound quality leaves a bit to be desired, but it has an excellent library and allows you to create your own playlists on top of suggesting music to you. It's easy enough (albeit a little clunky) to use, and works well enough that it might become your new default music player. Unless of course you live in the US and can still use Pandora. In which case, all we ask is that you treat her well, she was special. Now, back to looking at that monkey.

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Soundpedia: who needs Pandora originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Tue, 26 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Developer's widget gets too popular, becomes a burden]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/22/developers-widget-gets-too-popular-becomes-a-burden/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/22/developers-widget-gets-too-popular-becomes-a-burden/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/22/developers-widget-gets-too-popular-becomes-a-burden/#comments
Widget is a funny word. Let's get that out of the way right now. If you don't giggle when you hear it, you've lost your soul. "I like to think my widget makes a lot of people happy." That's funny, accept it. And everyone wants their widgets to be seen. But if too many people play with your widget, it can start to become a pain. It can happen. A story on InsideFacebook tells about a developer who's had 400,000 people use his widget, and it's really starting to cost him money. He doesn't really have the hardware to handle that type of traffic, and since the widget doesn't generate any money, he's pretty much on his own.

Don Dodge (can that name be real? So dynamic. That's a name that can get things done) talks about how this type of thing happens. Warning: when you check out his article, you'll notice his picture in the top left corner. DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY INTO THE EYES. They're hypnotic. You'll wake up naked in the desert buried up to your neck. Dodge has some good ideas and explanation of this phenomenon, and some ideas on how it can be used to make enough cash to support your ever promiscuous widget. And while Don Dodge's parents are probably proud of what their son is doing, they've got to be a little disappointed that with such a fantastic name he didn't become a spy, or a cowboy, or some sort of intense figure where he could shoot at someone while yelling something witty at them like "get the hell out of Dodge." It's sad, really.

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Developer's widget gets too popular, becomes a burden originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Peter White Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:30:00 EST Download Squad