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[Quicksys RegDefrag: Defrag your Windows registry]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/13/quicksys-regdefrag-defrag-your-windows-registry/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/13/quicksys-regdefrag-defrag-your-windows-registry/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/13/quicksys-regdefrag-defrag-your-windows-registry/#comments Who doesn't love defragmenting? Here at Download Squad, we defragment everything we can get our hands on: hard drives, registries, jigsaw puzzles. Our daily defragment fix can be found here, with Quicksys RegDefrag.

In case you didn't piece it together from the name, RegDefrag will defragment your registry. In layman's terms: the program works to optimize your registry by removing gaps, fragments and wasted space in Windows registry files.

RegDefrag begins by analyzing your system's registry. If your registry is sufficiently fragmented, RegDefrag will give you the option to defragment. Unfortunately, there are no backup options (unless RegDefrag performs them behind the scenes, but we wouldn't count on it), which means you're out of luck should RegDefrag decide to remove or defragment the wrong files.

In our tests, RegDefrag recovered over 3 MB of space, which was about 10% of our computer's registry. Not too shabby.

RegDefrag is free, and compatible with Windows Vista, XP, and the ghosts of Windows past.

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Quicksys RegDefrag: Defrag your Windows registry originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 13 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> defragdefragmentfreewareregistry Simon Kerbel Tue, 13 May 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Fotosizer: A free batch image resizer]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/13/fotosizer-a-free-batch-image-resizer/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/13/fotosizer-a-free-batch-image-resizer/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/05/13/fotosizer-a-free-batch-image-resizer/#comments Fotosizer is a free batch image resizer for Windows. The tagline for Fotosizer is "batch image resizing made easy," and we couldn't agree more.

In the Fotosizer interface, you have the option to select individual files or entire folder. You can also include sub-folders with a simple click. Once you've selected the images you wish to resize, you can resize them in one of three ways: custom size, using a percentage of the original, or using a preset size.

Set your destination folder, output format, and filename mask, and hit Start. That's all there is to it.

In our tests, Fotosizer needs about a second for every file to be resized. Combine the program's quickness with the time you will save by not having to individually resize all of your images, and you might just have enough extra time in your day to boil an egg, or write a Twitter post. Heck, two Twitter posts, even.

Fotosizer is a free download, and Windows only.

[via gHacks]

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Fotosizer: A free batch image resizer originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 13 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> fotosizerfreewareimage resizerImageResizer Simon Kerbel Tue, 13 May 2008 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Phreetings: Facebook app to send photos and greetings]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/phreetings-facebook-app-to-send-photos-and-greetings/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/phreetings-facebook-app-to-send-photos-and-greetings/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/phreetings-facebook-app-to-send-photos-and-greetings/#comments

Have you always thought that Hallmark greeting cards are too cheesy? Have you wanted to follow in the steps of Mr. Deeds (at least, the Adam Sandler version of Mr. Deeds) and write your own cards? Well, now is your chance...sort of.

Phreetings is a Facebook app that allows you to send a photo and a short greeting to a Facebook friend, a la greeting card style.

As far as Facebook apps go, Phreetings couldn't get any simpler. Type in a keyword at the top of the page to search for photos, and Phreetings displays the results (all photos are from Flickr, and licensed by the Creative Commons license).

Drag the photo you want to send over to the section on the right hand side of the page, then type in a short message below. You can choose an optional color scheme for your greeting as well. When your greeting is ready, hit the send button, enter in the name of the recipient, and your greeting is sent.

All in all, a simple application that helps spread your web 2.0 greetings both near and abroad.

Thanks for the tip, Augustine!

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Phreetings: Facebook app to send photos and greetings originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookfacebook appsFacebookAppsflickrgreetingsphreetings Simon Kerbel Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[CaTraxx music management application brings your music collection together]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/catraxx-music-management-application-brings-your-music-collectio/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/catraxx-music-management-application-brings-your-music-collectio/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/catraxx-music-management-application-brings-your-music-collectio/#comments

CaTraxx is a music management tool that aims to catalog all of your music, from digital media to CD's, cassettes, and vinyl.

CaTraxx will automatically scan your computer for any supported audio files and import them into its music database. Additionally, you can insert your CD's and CaTraxx will scan and download the audio tracks automatically. The program has a direct connection with the CDDB database; track and album information are instantly downloaded as you import your files.

CaTraxx also functions as a basic jukebox/media player, though iTunes and Windows Media Player would be better options if all you want to do is play your music.

So what good is CaTraxx? In our minds, it's beneficial to think of the program as a database rather than a music collection. So why do you need a database of your music? Well, for example, you might need a database for insurance purposes, in case your beloved vinyl collection is usurped by a thief (or vengeful ex). The database can also keep records of who borrowed pieces from your collection and when they borrowed it, so you never lose track of a CD.

CaTraxx is available as a fully functional trial; after that, it'll set you back $40. In our minds (can we say that twice in a post?), you'd have to be pretty obsessive of your collection to shell out that kind of dough.

[via AppScout]

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CaTraxx music management application brings your music collection together originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> caTraxxdatabasejukeboxmusicshareware Simon Kerbel Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Apple Software Updater won't shove Safari down your throat anymore]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/apple-sofware-updater-wont-shove-safari-down-your-throat-anymor/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/apple-sofware-updater-wont-shove-safari-down-your-throat-anymor/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/apple-sofware-updater-wont-shove-safari-down-your-throat-anymor/#comments

You've got to hand it to Apple: they listen to their detractors, and listen fast. When they dropped the price of the iPhone soon after its launch, and the responding outcry was fierce, they doled out credits to the Apple Store as an apology. The 10.5.2 update, while fixing many other issues, was also a response to customer complaints about the new Leopard feature Stacks.

The most recent Apple fiasco had to do with pushing Safari for Windows via Apple's Software Update. The sticky wicket was putting Safari in a software update as if it were a necessary update, or an update to a piece of software already installed on your machine. Detractors claimed that amounted at worst to trickery, at best to an unfair advantage in the ongoing browser wars. Frankly, we kind of agreed.

Well, Apple has listened again.

The newly released Apple Software Update now has two panes instead of one: Updates, and the new pane, labeled New Software. This small but significant tweak allows users to easily discern whether a product is an update to an existing piece of software on their machine or a new offering.

Some might say that the change is still not enough. After all, the Safari install is still checked by default. We're also left to wonder, in the intervening time between offense and repentance, how many new Safari "users" can Apple claim?

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Apple Software Updater won't shove Safari down your throat anymore originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> appleapple software updateAppleSoftwareUpdatenewssafari Simon Kerbel Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Camino 1.6: Automatic updates, keychain integration, and more]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/camino-1-6-automatic-updates-keychain-integration-and-more/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/camino-1-6-automatic-updates-keychain-integration-and-more/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/18/camino-1-6-automatic-updates-keychain-integration-and-more/#comments Camino 1.6 is now out in the wild, and it looks to be the release a lot of people were waiting for. With many new features as well as many updated features, Camino 1.6 is an excellent and compelling alternative to Safari and Firefox on the Mac.

New to Camino 1.6:
  • Toolbar Search Improvements: The toolbar search in Camino can now be edited and customized, with the ability to delete, rename, and reorder search engines. Camino also supports OpenSearch plug-ins.
  • Streamlined Find Interface: No more Find panel in Camino 1.6. Instead, a simple Find toolbar will appear when you need it at the bottom of the browser window (this feature is very similar to Safari's inline search, though Safari's find toolbar appears on the top).
  • Tabbed Browsing Improvements: Camino 1.6 now includes a scrolling tab bar. If more tabs are open than can be displayed in the tab bar, you'll see arrows on the right and left edge that will allow you to scroll through the tabs.
  • Integrated Software Update: Using the "Sparkle" framework, Camino now has an auto-update feature.
There are also many improved features in Camino 1.6, including AppleScript support, feed detection, and spell checking.

The big improvement in Camino 1.6 for many users has to be the updated keychain support, which now stores information for multiple accounts in the Keychain. And, as always, Camino will automatically block pop-ups, ads, and animations.

You owe it to yourself to download Camino 1.6 and take it for a test run. It might just be the best browser on the Mac. Agree? Disagree? Spell it out in the comments.

[via Mozilla Links]

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Camino 1.6: Automatic updates, keychain integration, and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> caminofreewaremozillanewsweb browserWebBrowser Simon Kerbel Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[The Time Machine Screensaver]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/the-time-machine-screensaver/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/the-time-machine-screensaver/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/the-time-machine-screensaver/#comments

Sure, you make fun of the chintzy Time Machine animation when you're out to sushi with your geek friends, but secretly you adore it. When the night is late, and it's just you and your Mac, you turn on Time Machine simply to gaze longingly into its starry goodness.

But don't you wish that you could just get that pesky Finder window out of the way, so you could stare into the full, unadulterated Time Machine backdrop? Well, we've got the next best thing, friend: the Time Machine Screensaver.

The Time Machine Screensaver is a Quartz Composer Movie that is pretty much an exact clone of the Time Machine animation. To install the screensaver, you can drag it onto the Screen Saver window, or put it into your default Screen Saver folder, or copy it to the Screen Saver alias included with the download. Once you see it in your Screen Saver preferences, select the Time Machine Screen Saver, and off you go.

Now, it's just you and the Time Machine. Face to face.

If you want something a little more "Leopard" themed, with the colors from the default Aurora desktop picture, you can download it from the Time Machine Screen Saver discussion forum.

[via Softpedia]

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The Time Machine Screensaver originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarescreensaverTime MachineTimeMachine Simon Kerbel Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Taboo Firefox extension saves your tabs for later]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/taboo-firefox-extension-saves-your-tabs-for-later/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/taboo-firefox-extension-saves-your-tabs-for-later/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/taboo-firefox-extension-saves-your-tabs-for-later/#comments

Are you sick of having multiple tabs open at one time because you have numerous items that you want to read or research? The Taboo Firefox extension will help cure your "tabitis" (their term, not ours, so don't hate on it) and minimize the glut of tabs on your tab bar.

Once Taboo is installed, you'll have two new items on your toolbar. When you click the first button, Taboo will take a snapshot of any web page you are on, including session state information (such as the scroll location and any data you've entered into forms), and store it for later. You can do this with as many tabs as you need.

When you want access to one of your saved tabs, click on the other Taboo button, and Taboo will load thumbnails of your saved pages into a new tab. From there, all you need to do is click on a saved page, and it will automatically load, complete with scroll location and any text you may have entered.

The saved pages are kept through browsing sessions and shutdowns, and for as many days as you like. Taboo even has a calendar view of all your saved tabs, if you want to access pages from days or weeks ago. You can also search among your pages using the url or page title as a keyword.

Taboo requires Firefox 2, and isn't yet compatible with the Firefox 3 beta.

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Taboo Firefox extension saves your tabs for later originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> extensionfirefoxtabootabs Simon Kerbel Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[From the makers of VisualHub: AudialHub 1.0]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/from-the-makers-of-visualhub-audialhub-1-0/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/from-the-makers-of-visualhub-audialhub-1-0/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/from-the-makers-of-visualhub-audialhub-1-0/#comments

Chances are, if you've searched the web for a universal video converter for the Mac, you've come across VisualHub (formerly iSquint). Now, the makers of VisualHub have brought the same conversion magic to audio with AudialHub version 1.0.

AudialHub can easily convert audio files to most any format of your choosing, including AAC, MP3, WMA, AIFF, WAV, Apple Lossless, 3G (cell phones), Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, and Audio and MP3 CDs.

AudialHub brings the same simplicity-and optional advanced features-that VisualHub offers. If you want to use AudialHub for quick and dirty conversions, simply drop in some audio files, choose the output format, and hit start. That's it!

If you want more advanced conversion, you can look into the advanced settings, where you can set bitrate and channel, trim the audio file, add tags and comments, etc...

AudialHub also offers a Quick Preview capability, so you can instantly preview compression quality and trim settings before you convert. AudialHub also supports simultaneous conversions in separate queues, each with their own setting.

AudialHub is currently offered with a free trial; after that, it'll cost you $18.81 (you get a $4 discount if you're a current owner of VisualHub). AudialHub requires Mac OS 10.4.11 or later.

[via MacInTouch]

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From the makers of VisualHub: AudialHub 1.0 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> audialhubaudiocommercialconversionvisualhub Simon Kerbel Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Deluge: Cross-platform BitTorrent client]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/deluge-cross-platform-bittorrent-client/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/deluge-cross-platform-bittorrent-client/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/deluge-cross-platform-bittorrent-client/#comments

Deluge is an up-and-coming BitTorrent client for Mac, Windows, and Linux that looks strong enough to compete with the likes of Azureus, uTorrent, and Transmission.

Deluge supports the most common P2P features, including encryption, UPnP and NAT-PMP, Mainline DHT, proxy support, and more. The main strengths of Deluge, however, come from its design:
  • The program has a clean interface and is easy to look at, which makes for simple and unobtrusive torrent downloading.
  • The program was built to be extensible, with a rich plugin collection (many plugins are included in the software already)
  • The progam was designed to be lightweight; it doesn't tax your system like other BitTorrent clients.
Best of all, like previously stated, Deluge will run on Mac, Windows, and Linux. If you're willing to give Deluge the old college try, you can download it here - and be sure to report back what you like and don't like about it.

[via Freeware Genius]

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Deluge: Cross-platform BitTorrent client originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bittorrentdelugeopensourcep2p Simon Kerbel Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google releases Picasa 2.7 for Linux]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/google-releases-picasa-2-7-for-linux/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/google-releases-picasa-2-7-for-linux/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/17/google-releases-picasa-2-7-for-linux/#comments

Google has released Picasa version 2.7 for Linux, which promises many of the same improvements of the PC version, including (drum roll, please) uploading and downloading from Picasa Web Albums.

Further improvements include:
  • Folder hierarchy views: Browse explorer-style through your photos
  • Save edits to disk: Including batch saving
  • Improvements to importing: You can now import into an existing folder.
  • Better RAW support
And much more. So if you're still running version 2.2 of Picasa for Linux, head on over to Google and download the latest and greatest. Picasa should run on any x86-compatible Linux system.

So, with Linux getting some love, what does this mean for Mac users? Absolutely nothing. The Google camp remains mum about the possibility of Picasa for the Mac, and all we have to assure us is the over-enthusiastic promise of a t-shirt wearing publicist.

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Google releases Picasa 2.7 for Linux originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewaregooglelinuxnewspicasa Simon Kerbel Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Ad-Aware 2008 Beta released with redesigned interface, Vista compatibility]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/ad-aware-2008-beta-released-with-redesigned-interface-vista-com/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/ad-aware-2008-beta-released-with-redesigned-interface-vista-com/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/ad-aware-2008-beta-released-with-redesigned-interface-vista-com/#comments

Spyware beware: Lavasoft has just announced a beta of its popular anti-spyware software Ad-Aware.

Ad-Aware remains one of the most popular free anti-spyware solutions out there, with over 280 million downloads worldwide. That a big, hard to visualize number, but we'll put into context for you: that's four times the downloads of any laughing baby on YouTube.

The new features of Ad-Aware 2008 include:
  • New rootkit removal system
  • Reduced use of computer memory
  • Faster updates
  • 64-bit platform support and full Vista compatibility
What's not to love?

Actually, we don't love the redesigned interface, which looks like it took some hints from the web 2.0 designers: lots of big round buttons, and text that reflects itself, as if it were sitting at the edge of a still summer pond. That was cool, like, five years ago.

If you want to take a closer look at Ad-Aware 2008, you're in luck: everyone is invited to be a beta tester.

Ad-Aware 2008 is Windows only.

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Ad-Aware 2008 Beta released with redesigned interface, Vista compatibility originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ad-awarebetafreewarenewsspyware Simon Kerbel Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[AppFresh: Keep all your Mac programs up to date]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/appfresh-keep-all-your-mac-programs-up-to-date/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/appfresh-keep-all-your-mac-programs-up-to-date/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/appfresh-keep-all-your-mac-programs-up-to-date/#comments

If you're like us, which we hope you're not; you don't become writers for Download Squad by being handsome, well-adjusted, and sociable, (Ed: Speak for yourself), you like to keep your applications up-to-date.

AppFresh is a promising new application for the Mac that aims to keep all of your applications updated, or fresh (hence the name). The wonderful thing about AppFresh is that it doesn't limit itself to only applications; instead, it scans all widgets, preference panes, and plugins for updates as well.

AppFresh even scans your system for Apple updates, thus removing the need to run Apple's Software Update separately. It also takes the place of Microsoft's AutoUpdate, if you have Office 2004 or 2008 installed.

Another gold star for AppFresh: you can download and install updates from directly within the AppFresh interface.

AppFresh is currently a Development Preview, and will remain free at least until version 1.0 (the developers haven't promised anything beyond that). AppFresh works on both Tiger and Leopard.

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AppFresh: Keep all your Mac programs up to date originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> AppFreshappleupdates Simon Kerbel Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Free tool for downloading Google Web Albums to your Mac, PC, or Linux machine]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/free-tool-for-downloading-google-web-albums-to-your-mac-pc-or/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/free-tool-for-downloading-google-web-albums-to-your-mac-pc-or/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/16/free-tool-for-downloading-google-web-albums-to-your-mac-pc-or/#comments Picasa Webalbums Assistant is a free Java tool that enables you to preview and download photos and entire albums from Picasa Web Albums.

The free program, written by computer studies student Bradley Beach, was designed for Mac and Linux users who don't have the built-in convenience of one-click downloading from Picasa Web Albums.

Picasa Webalbums Assistant enables you to download from albums that are both public or private. If you need to download from a public album, enter in the username of the Google account, and Picasa Webalbums Assistant will find all public albums under that username. If you want to save photos from a private album, you'll need the invite link sent by the user.

Once the album is located, the Assistant will automatically load preview thumbnails of all the pictures in the album. You can choose to download all of the pictures or a selection.

While Mac users patiently await the arrival of Picasa for the Mac (which one ambitious Google employee promised was coming this year), and its built-in communication with Picasa Web Albums, tools like Picasa Webalbums Assistant (and the free Picasa Web Albums Uploader) make the wait a little more bearable.

[via Lifehacker]

Gallery: Picasa Webalbums Assistant

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Free tool for downloading Google Web Albums to your Mac, PC, or Linux machine originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarepicasapicasa web albumsPicasaWebAlbums Simon Kerbel Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Amazon MP3 has little or no effect on iTunes]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/amazon-mp3-has-little-or-no-effect-on-itunes/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/amazon-mp3-has-little-or-no-effect-on-itunes/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/amazon-mp3-has-little-or-no-effect-on-itunes/#comments As much as Amazon mp3 would like to be a thorn in the side of iTunes, the data indicates that the service has had little effect on iTunes' dominance in digital music sales.

According to a new study by The NPD Group, only 10 percent of all purchasers at Amazon mp3 are converts from Apple's service, while the rest are switching from other services or new to the whole direct-download music scene.

While 10 percent may sound like a lot to us ordinary folks, it wasn't worth the eyebrow raise of a single analyst.

The bottom line is, if Amazon mp3 sees itself as the David to iTunes' Goliath, then their work is definitely cut out for them. Amazon currently sits in fourth place in US music sales, with iTunes and Wal-Mart fighting it out for the top spot, and Best Buy in third.

The troubling statistic for Amazon is that only a tenth of their music sales come from Amazon mp3. The rest come from those archaic compact discs; if you don't know what we're talking about, check out your parent's music collection-maybe they have some laying around.

The question is, my friends, what is keeping Amazon mp3 from biting into sales on iTunes? Is it the poor browsing experience? Is it because Amazon is seen as outside of the iTunes-iPod ecosystem? Are people willing to part with 10 cents more, and put up with DRM, for the sake of iTunes simplicity?

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Amazon MP3 has little or no effect on iTunes originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> amazonamazonmp3itunesnews Simon Kerbel Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[File Dropper: Hosts your files up to 5 GB for free]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/file-dropper-hosts-your-files-up-to-5-gb-for-free/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/file-dropper-hosts-your-files-up-to-5-gb-for-free/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/file-dropper-hosts-your-files-up-to-5-gb-for-free/#comments If it turns out that the Internet collapses under the weight of all our uploaded files, we will blame it all on the incredible, and seemingly unstoppable, growth of file upload services like File Dropper.

File Dropper is yet another file upload service that will host your files up to 5 GB. As far as file sharing services go, it couldn't be easier to use:

On the main File Dropper page, you click the upload button, browse to the file you wish to upload, and the file is automatically uploaded to the File Dropper servers. After the upload is complete, you will be taken to a page with a link to send to your friends or co-workers. All they have to do is follow the link and hit the download button, and the file is theirs.

As a free service, File Dropper meets the basic needs of file sharing: upload, share, and download. If you want more enhanced features, such as the ability to protect your files with a password, or the inclusion of a handy file manager, you'll have to pony up the dough, with plans starting at $0.99 a month.

When File Dropper first saw the light of day a few weeks ago, its Achilles heel was quickly discovered: the uploads and downloads were terminally slow. Some time has passed since its initial release, so we figured that we'd test it out again:

Continue reading File Dropper: Hosts your files up to 5 GB for free

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File Dropper: Hosts your files up to 5 GB for free originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> file sharingFileSharing Simon Kerbel Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[RegToy: All-purpose utility for Windows]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/regtoy-all-purpose-utility-for-windows/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/regtoy-all-purpose-utility-for-windows/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/regtoy-all-purpose-utility-for-windows/#comments It used to be that you would need four or five different programs to optimize your system, clean the registry, rename files, capture screens, etc...

That was before RegToy.

RegToy is a freeware utility that is basically a collection of utilities. The program sidebar is broken up into three main categories: System, User, and Others.

The System section allows you to perform seriously arcane apothecary, such as enabling a large system cache, forcing Windows to unload DLLs from memory, setting prefetch and MFT settings, tweaking your video card settings, and more.

In the User section, you have a whole screen dedicated to tweaking Windows Explorer, as well as different customization options for your Taskbar and Start Menu, Icon settings, Logon settings, and more.

In fact, if there's a statement that best personifies RegToy, it has to be "and more."

We'll let you search out what else RegToy has to offer, but if you're looking for a window manager, registry cleaner, file renamer, screen capturer, memory and disk cleaner, and more...then you should give RegToy a shot.

One warning: the home page loads very slowly. But trust us: it's worth the wait.

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RegToy: All-purpose utility for Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cleanerfreewareRegToytweakerwindows Simon Kerbel Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Is this the release date for Windows XP Service Pack 3?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/is-this-the-release-date-for-windows-xp-service-pack-3/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/is-this-the-release-date-for-windows-xp-service-pack-3/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/15/is-this-the-release-date-for-windows-xp-service-pack-3/#comments Neowin claims today that they've managed to get their hands on an "internal schedule" for the release of Windows XP service pack 3, with the official date of release pegged as April 29th.

On that date, XP service pack 3 will be sent to Microsoft Update, Windows Update, and the Microsoft downloads center. The automatic update to XP service pack 3 will not be pushed to the user until June 10th, presumably in case they find any distressing and cataclysmic hardware incompatibilities in the soft opening.

For a full schedule, you can check it out here.

News of the impending Service Pack release comes along with the fact that XP users are fighting for the survival of Windows XP itself.

It seems like Vista is quickly turning out to be like the new Star Wars movies, while XP represents the original trilogy. The people who weren't raised on the old trilogy didn't find the new movies all that bad. The fans that have seen and cherished the old trilogy know how good things can be, and know what an aberration the new movies are.

This Service Pack will likely be the last for XP, unless the save XP users can fight to an unlikely victory.

[via Softpedia]

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Is this the release date for Windows XP Service Pack 3? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> newsosupdatesxp sp3XpSp3 Simon Kerbel Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Time Machiner: Send emails to a future date]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/11/time-machiner-send-emails-to-a-future-date/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/11/time-machiner-send-emails-to-a-future-date/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/11/time-machiner-send-emails-to-a-future-date/#comments Time Machiner

New web service Time Machiner enables you to send emails to any recipient on any future date.

You can use the service to remind yourself of upcoming events or appointments, or you can set up happy birthday emails to friends, family members, and co-workers, in one glorious chunk of time.

And, if you time it right, you can even send emails from beyond the grave. Cue Vincent Price's ghoulish laughter.

While we think this service has its uses, some more beneficial than others, it seems to be more of a novelty at this point. Some basic features are missing: e.g., you can't email a group of people, formatting of any kind (except for line breaks) is disallowed, you can't add attachments, etc...

Besides, for events such as birthdays, wouldn't it be easier to set reminders in a calendar application? If you're averse to calendar apps, they even have calendars that are made out of real paper and hang on walls.

The most beneficial use of Time Machiner is the ability to send present advice to your future self. Maybe you've had an epiphany, and would like to make sure you don't forget it. That's where Time Machiner can really shine.

So what would your epiphany be, dear reader?

Here's ours:

Trust us on the sunscreen.

[via Freeware Genius]

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Time Machiner: Send emails to a future date originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> emailreminderstime machinerTimeMachiner Simon Kerbel Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Demonoid will rise again]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/11/demonoid-will-rise-again/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/11/demonoid-will-rise-again/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/11/demonoid-will-rise-again/#comments The closure of Demonoid, one of the most popular torrent trackers online, spread unrest and despair both far and wide. Entire forum topics were set aside for Demonoid refugees, users who had come to rely on Demonoid for its exhaustive torrent listings and wealth of harder-to-find music, programs, and more.

Take heart, you refugeees, and let your weeping turn to rejoicing: it looks as if Demonoid might live again.

The administrator of Demonoid, Deimos, has turned over control of Demonoid to a new admin, a personal friend whom he trusts implicitly. This new admin is charged with the responsibility of bringing Demonoid back online. And, unfortunately, that's all we know for now.

While there might be a lot of speculation as to what the new Demonoid will look like, or how it will avoid being shutdown by the threat of lawsuits again, it looks like we'll just have to wait and see.

[via DailyApps]

Update: Okay, it looks like Demonoid is back up and running. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

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Demonoid will rise again originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Demonoidnewstorrent Simon Kerbel Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[nDroid: Windows keyboard application launcher]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/ndroid-windows-keyboard-application-launcher/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/ndroid-windows-keyboard-application-launcher/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/ndroid-windows-keyboard-application-launcher/#comments

Keyboard application launchers are all the rage, and we're always on the lookout for any new entries into the field. One such entry is nDroid, a simple keyboard launcher that performs basic launch tasks, but also has a few tricks up its sleeve.

nDroid is launched by a default hotkey: CTRL+ALT+Z. The hotkey combination brings up the default nDroid window. Type in the name of an application, a document, etc...and nDroid will find any appropriate matches on your computer. In our test searches nDroid was very fast and found relevant results.

nDroid also has a few extra niceties:
  • Type a ? followed by a mathematical expression and nDroid will calculate the answer.
  • Shift + Enter will open the application's parent folder in Windows Explorer.
  • CTRL + Enter will run the typed text as a full command, just like the "Run" option in the Start menu.
So nDroid essentially takes the place of the Run command, the calculator, and to a certain extent, Windows Explorer. Very sweet.

nDroid is built with an open architecture, which means that anybody can build plugins to extend nDroid's functionality.

nDroid is a free download, and Windows only.

Thanks for the tip, Chris!

[via the Wired Blog]

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nDroid: Windows keyboard application launcher originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewarelaunchernDroid Simon Kerbel Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[SimpleBucket: Real Simple Photo Hosting]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/simplebucket-real-simple-photo-hosting/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/simplebucket-real-simple-photo-hosting/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/simplebucket-real-simple-photo-hosting/#comments

SimpleBucket is a promising new photo sharing site that has just emerged from a complete redesign and rebuild. The service is very promising, and offers a lot of nice features that might make it a big player in the days to come.

SimpleBucket's tagline reads "Real Simple Photo Hosting," and it shows. First off, SimpleBucket does not require registration. As in at all. Simply enter in any email address, select a photo (or number of photos) to upload, and away you go. HTML code for embedding your photo, a link to the photo page, and a link to the photo itself are all instantly generated.


Gallery: SimpleBucket

HomeMain PageAdmin page

Continue reading SimpleBucket: Real Simple Photo Hosting

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SimpleBucket: Real Simple Photo Hosting originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> photophoto sharingPhotoSharingsharingSimpleBucket Simon Kerbel Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Stardock releases Object Desktop 2008, offers Regular and Ultimate versions]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/stardock-releases-object-desktop-2008-offers-regular-and-ultima/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/stardock-releases-object-desktop-2008-offers-regular-and-ultima/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/stardock-releases-object-desktop-2008-offers-regular-and-ultima/#comments

Stardock today announced Object Desktop 2008 for Vista and Windows XP. Stardock products are essentially synonymous with Windows tweaking and customization, and Object Desktop is their flagship product.

For the first time, Object Desktop will be split into two versions: Regular and Extra Crispy...oops, we mean Ultimate. The Ultimate version is 20 bucks more, but from our vantage point it seems to be worth it; you get around 10 added programs for the extra Jackson (doesn't quite have the ring of "Benjamins," does it?).

Both version include WindowBlinds, a program to alter the look of the entire Windows GUI; IconPackager, a one-click icon manipulator; DesktopX, a desktop enhancer that adds widgets and more; and Deskscapes, a progam that allows you to run animated desktops on your Vista machine (not limited to Vista Ultimate).

Existing Object Desktop users get the Ultimate version for free. That makes us warm and fuzzy inside.

If you've never played with Object Desktop before, you should give it a shot; but only if you have countless hours to waste trying to find that just-so look for your machine.

In our experience, we've spent hours and hours adjusting, tweaking, repackaging, downloading, etc...just to slink back to the normal Windows GUI after the novelty of customization had worn off.

But that's just us.

Object Desktop requires XP or Vista.

Thanks, Stephanie!

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Stardock releases Object Desktop 2008, offers Regular and Ultimate versions originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> commercialnewsObject DesktopObjectDesktopStardock Simon Kerbel Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[TreasureMyText stores your text messages online]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/treasuremytext-stores-your-text-messages-online/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/treasuremytext-stores-your-text-messages-online/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/treasuremytext-stores-your-text-messages-online/#comments If you shed a tear every time you have to delete a text message at the bottom of your inbox, or if you can't bring yourself to part with the latest ROTFLOL SMS sent by your best friend, then TreasureMyText is for you.

TreasureMyText is an online service that will store all of your text messages online: the good, the bad, the mundane, the unintelligible. Simply create an account and forward any text message to their standard rate numbers (available worldwide), and your message is forever immortalized.

True to web 2.0 standards, TreasureMyText also has a sharing feature called TextStream (which definitely reminds us of Twitter). You can choose to share your text messages with absolutely everyone (and you wonder why the internet is sagging under the weight of needless information?), or you can pick and choose friends and other members to share your messages with.

TreasureMyText also offers simple folders for organization, and an easy-to-use contacts list.

If you're wondering where the iPhone fits into all of this (since you can't forward text messages with the iPhone), the programmers at TreasureMyText have created a mobile client for your jailbroken iPhone that will allow you to archive your SMS over EDGE and WiFi. They have also stated their intention to create a more robust iPhone application with the release of the official iPhone SDK.

[via Technobuzz]

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TreasureMyText stores your text messages online originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> archiveSMS Simon Kerbel Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Create easy to remember, hard to guess passwords with Password Bird]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/create-easy-to-remember-hard-to-guess-passwords-with-password-b/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/create-easy-to-remember-hard-to-guess-passwords-with-password-b/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/10/create-easy-to-remember-hard-to-guess-passwords-with-password-b/#comments Password Bird is a simple online service that will create a password based on a number of personal markers. Because the password is culled from a few names and dates that are important to you, the hope is that the password will be easy to remember but remain hard to crack.

So how does it work? When you visit Password Bird, you are prompted to enter in three items:
  • A name that is important or special to you
  • A word that is special to you
  • A date that has personal significance
After that, you hit the create password button, and Password Bird goes to work. The next page will show you the customized password. If you don't like the password, Password Bird can quickly generate a new one based on the personal markers; or, you can choose to start over completely with a new set of words and dates.

The question is, does Password Bird make secure, yet easy to remember, passwords? In our test, we used the name Simon, the word Technology, and 1/1/2000 for the date. Here's what Password Bird came up with:

00simogy
01tecmon
ogysim00
simtec20

It doesn't take the guy from A Beautiful Mind to see a pattern here.

What do you guys think? Useful service or not?

[via Technobuzz]

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Create easy to remember, hard to guess passwords with Password Bird originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> passwordpassword birdPasswordBird Simon Kerbel Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[SMSOfficer: Send SMS with Microsoft Outlook 2007]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/09/smsofficer-send-sms-with-microsoft-outlook-2007/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/09/smsofficer-send-sms-with-microsoft-outlook-2007/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/09/smsofficer-send-sms-with-microsoft-outlook-2007/#comments SMSOfficerWhile the ability to send SMS is built directly into Microsoft Office 2007, users are always on the lookout for an affordable way to use the service.

SMSOfficer is one of the SMS services that has answered the call. SMSOfficer allows you to easily send SMS to any mobile phone using Microsoft Outlook 2007. No installation is required, which is an instant plus in these dark times of worm-infested installers.

First, you need to register for your free SMSOfficer account. They'll send you a text message (natch) with a password, and a link to introduce the service to Microsoft Outlook. That's all for the setup.

Sending messages is a no-brainer. In Outlook, go to File-New-Text Message, type in your contact, type in your message, and hit send. Easy like Sunday morning.

10 free messages are yours when you sign up. After that, you have to pay to play. And while we like the service, we don't necessarily like the cost (if you've been reading Download Squad for a while, you'll know that we like free best of all).

So we'll ask you, constant reader: are there any similar services that offer this type of Outlook integration that are less expensive, or free?

[via Digital Inspiration]

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SMSOfficer: Send SMS with Microsoft Outlook 2007 originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> OutlookSMS Simon Kerbel Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[InstallEase helps you create custom install packages on the Mac]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/09/installease-helps-you-create-custom-install-packages-on-the-mac/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/09/installease-helps-you-create-custom-install-packages-on-the-mac/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/09/installease-helps-you-create-custom-install-packages-on-the-mac/#comments Have you ever needed to install an application, complete with custom setup and preferences, onto a large number of machines? The free program InstallEase aims to help streamline this process (and keep you from reaching for the Maalox).

InstallEase enables the user to create custom install packages for any application. Once the custom install package is created, you can use it to install the same application, preferences and all, on any number of machines.

So how does it work? While we'd like to say "by using furry gnomes," alas, that is not the case. InstallEase takes automatic snapshots of your system both before and after installation. The program then compares the changed data and uses that data to create the install package.

If you really like to get your tech hands dirty, you can manually create install packages by dragging and dropping which files will be added onto the InstallEase interface.

InstallEase also features the ability to create an uninstaller, custom filters, and support for PKG, Iceberg Project, and DMG packages.

InstallEase requires registration, and is Mac only.

[via Softpedia]

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InstallEase helps you create custom install packages on the Mac originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewareInstallationinstalleaseMac Simon Kerbel Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Amic Email Backup: Free backup for your email account]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/08/amic-email-backup-free-backup-for-your-email-account/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/08/amic-email-backup-free-backup-for-your-email-account/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/08/amic-email-backup-free-backup-for-your-email-account/#comments Backup. It's so hot right now. Backup.

Amic Email Backup is another new email backup solution, designed for ease-of-use and offering support for a wide variety of email accounts, such as Outlook Express, Outlook, Eudora, IncrediMail, Opera Mail, and more.

Amic Email Backup not only saves the text of the emails themselves, but the address books, settings, news accounts, message rules, blocked senders lists and signatures.

The program has two modes: Wizard and Standard mode. Obviously, the Wizard mode will walk you through creating, restoring, and/or scheduling your backup. Standard mode is for the tweakers and the customizers. The email backup can also be moved from one computer to another, handy if you're moving all of your information to a new computer.

In all, Amic Email Backup is a nice, and affordable (read: free) entry into the realm of automated email backup, though there wasn't much in the program that made us sit up and take notice. In other words, it's not the kind of thing that wars are started over, and not the kind of thing that makes us want to do cartwheels. But if you're looking for a free and simple email backup solution, believe us, you can do worse.

[via Shell Extension City]

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Amic Email Backup: Free backup for your email account originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> backupEmailfreeware Simon Kerbel Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[HP launches Upline, offers unlimited storage for a fee]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/hp-launches-upline-offers-unlimited-storage-for-a-fee/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/hp-launches-upline-offers-unlimited-storage-for-a-fee/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/hp-launches-upline-offers-unlimited-storage-for-a-fee/#comments

If it feels like the online storage and file sharing market is getting a little crowded, that's because it is. Just in the past few weeks, we've seen services such as Dropbox, AOL's Xdrive Desktop, Windows SkyDrive, and more, come into the market.

Now HP is dropping its hat into the ring, with HP Upline. HP Upline offers unlimited storage for as low as $59 per year. Features of Upline include:
  • Automatic Backup
  • 1-click restore
  • Access from anywhere
  • Ability to share files with friends
HP Upline also offers upgraded packages for family and professional use. If you want to try HP Upline, you can sign up for a limited account with one measly GB of storage. The limited account expires in one year; after that, you'll need to upgrade to the paid service to access your files, or kiss them goodbye.

One other note: The Upline software requires Windows. Mac users, you're out of luck. Well, out of Upline, anyway.

It's nice to see that two formerly disparate services, online backup and file sharing, are slowly merging into one complete service, with the choice of several offerings from big players.

[via TechCrunch]

Gallery: HP Upline

Upline InterfaceUpline SettingsUpline Sharing WindowUpline Remote Access

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HP launches Upline, offers unlimited storage for a fee originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> commercialHPnewsonline storageOnlineStorageUpline Simon Kerbel Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Toggle Flash: Add-on to disable Flash in IE 7]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/toggle-flash-add-on-to-disable-flash-in-ie-7/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/toggle-flash-add-on-to-disable-flash-in-ie-7/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/toggle-flash-add-on-to-disable-flash-in-ie-7/#comments Flash, like most things in life, has its good and its bad. The good: it's hard to imagine interactive content on the web without Flash. The bad: it's hard to imagine anything more annoying than poorly designed, seizure-inducing banners and advertisements created with Flash.

What we want is choice, isn't it? We want to be able to choose when to allow Flash, and when to keep it at bay.

Luckily there is an Internet Explorer add-on created just for this purpose: Toggle Flash. This simple add-on creates a new toolbar button on your IE window. A single click on the button turns off all subsequent Flash animation; and if you want to re-enable Flash at any time, just click on the button again.

So simple even your kid brother could do it.

For a walkthrough on getting the add-on installed, and for help if the toolbar button doesn't show up immediately, check out the developer's website.

Toggle Flash is a free download, and requires IE 7 and Windows.

[via Lifehacker]

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Toggle Flash: Add-on to disable Flash in IE 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> FlashfreewareIE 7Ie7Toggle FlashToggleFlash Simon Kerbel Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Play video files from incomplete RAR archives with Dziobas RAR Player]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/play-video-files-from-incomplete-rar-archives-with-dziobas-rar-p/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/play-video-files-from-incomplete-rar-archives-with-dziobas-rar-p/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/play-video-files-from-incomplete-rar-archives-with-dziobas-rar-p/#comments Dziobas RAR Player is a media player with a couple of nice features, but one that stands out in particular: the ability to play an incomplete RAR file.

With videos that have been compressed as RAR files, you usually have to wait until the entire archive is downloaded before you can uncompress the file for playback. With Dziobas RAR player, you can view any portion of the RAR file you've downloaded without having to wait for the rest. This can be helpful in a few ways:
  • You can make sure that the RAR file is actually what it claims to be
  • You can make sure that you have the proper codecs on your system to playback the file
  • You can watch the video while the rest downloads; if you time it right, you can watch the RAR file all the way through without ever having to uncompress it.
To open an incomplete RAR file for playback in Dziobas RAR player, go to File, Streaming from Unrar, and locate the RAR file. That's all there is to it. The only limitation we could find was the inability to fast forward and rewind the movie while it was still downloading.

Dziobas RAR player also supports subtitles, has a thumbnail generator, and more. The free program is Windows only.

[via Sizlopedia]

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Play video files from incomplete RAR archives with Dziobas RAR Player originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewareRARvideo Simon Kerbel Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[RealNetworks snubs Scrabulous, offers up "Scrabble by Mattel"]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/realnetworks-snubs-scrabulous-offers-up-scrabble-by-mattel/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/realnetworks-snubs-scrabulous-offers-up-scrabble-by-mattel/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/realnetworks-snubs-scrabulous-offers-up-scrabble-by-mattel/#comments scrabulous

RealNetworks, one of the many fingers dipping into the pie that is Scrabble, has released an online version of Scrabble for the social networking site Facebook. This new twist is just one of many in the saga that is Facebook-Scrabble-Scrabulous.

Scrabulous, the insanely popular, yet completely unauthorized online version of Scrabble, was a huge hit on Facebook, with over 600,000 users. Unfortunately, that popularity caught the ire of Hasbro and Mattel, the controlling parties of Scrabble, and they sent their gaggle of lawyers to shut down the application.

Public outrage was immediate, loud, and prolonged, so much so that RealNetworks, the company that controls the electronic rights to Scrabble, pledged to save Scrabulous. But now, with the introduction of a completely separate, yet authorized, version of Scrabble (aptly named "Scrabble by Mattel"), it seems as if they are headed in another direction.

So far, user response to Scrabble by Mattel hasn't been overwhelmingly negative or positive. Some say that it's slow to load, others that it's an excellent application. The main complaint was that the game does not accurately reflect the official Scrabble dictionary, and seems to miss commonly used yet not officially sanctioned words, such as "zen."

One more thing: because it was Mattel that worked this deal, and they don't own the rights to Scrabble in the U.S. (that's Hasbro's domain), it's only available to users outside US and Canada.

No word yet as to whether Scrabulous is dead on the operating table.

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RealNetworks snubs Scrabulous, offers up "Scrabble by Mattel" originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> FacebookMattelnewsScrabblescrabulous Simon Kerbel Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[ImageShack offers free Torrent download service]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/imageshack-offers-free-torrent-download-service/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/imageshack-offers-free-torrent-download-service/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/07/imageshack-offers-free-torrent-download-service/#comments ImageShack has taken the wraps off its new, and free, BitTorrent downloading service.

Downloading torrent files with ImageShack will essentially be a two-step process: one, you download the torrent files onto the ImageShack server; two, when the download is complete, ImageShack gives you a simple http link to the file, so you can download it to your local machine.

ImageShack is hoping that users will benefit from the use of their servers, especially the users that have experienced ISP limiting of torrent traffic.

It certainly looks as if users are excited. Because of the overwhelming response to their new torrent service, ImageShack has taken the "public" off of the "public beta," meaning the torrent service is not available to new users at this time.

[via Daily Apps]

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ImageShack offers free Torrent download service originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ImageShacktorrent Simon Kerbel Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[YemuZip: Free zip utility for Mac creates Windows friendly Zip files]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/06/yemuzip-free-zip-utility-for-mac-creates-windows-friendly-zip-f/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/06/yemuzip-free-zip-utility-for-mac-creates-windows-friendly-zip-f/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/06/yemuzip-free-zip-utility-for-mac-creates-windows-friendly-zip-f/#comments YemuZip is a free Mac application for creating zip files for use on a Mac or PC.

But wait, doesn't the Finder have its own built-in Archive (zip) function?

Yes, it does -- but oftentimes, when you create a zip file on a Mac and unzip the file on a PC, you'll get a lot of gobbledy-gook along with your unzipped files. That's because the PC doesn't know how to read the Mac-specific metadata. YemuZip will zip your files in either a Mac or a PC format so you can avoid the unnecessary information.

The application itself couldn't be easier to use. Simply drag and drop the files you wish to compress onto the YemuZip interface, choose whether you want a PC or Mac specific zip format, and away it goes, merrily compressing.

YemuZip is free for personal use, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

[via Cool OSX Apps]

Gallery: YemuZip

YemuZip1YemuZip2YemuZip3

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YemuZip: Free zip utility for Mac creates Windows friendly Zip files originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 06 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> archivefreewareYemuZipzip Simon Kerbel Sun, 06 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google Talk Labs edition released, adds group chat and more]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/05/google-talk-labs-edition-released-adds-group-chat-and-more/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/05/google-talk-labs-edition-released-adds-group-chat-and-more/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/05/google-talk-labs-edition-released-adds-group-chat-and-more/#comments Google Talk Labs edition is a new desktop version of Google Talk that borrows some features from the online Google Talk Gadget, including the addition of Group Chat, emoticons and more.

Google Talk Labs edition also adds new desktop notifications from Google Calendar, Orkut, and Gmail.

Unfortunately, it skimps on a few of the desktop features, and seems more like an intermediate step toward a full-featured desktop Chat application rather than its fulfillment. The most notable missing features are voice calling and file transfers. If you need those, you're better off with the original Google Talk client.

We hope that, in the near future, Google can round up all of its Chat features into one application. Until then, you'll have to pick and choose which features are important to you, and download or use the appropriate Google Talk service.

[via Daily Apps]

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Google Talk Labs edition released, adds group chat and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> googlegoogle talkGoogleTalkIMlabs Simon Kerbel Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Twitzer Firefox add-on: Post entries longer than 140 characters on Twitter]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/05/twitzer-firefox-add-on-post-entries-longer-than-140-characters/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/05/twitzer-firefox-add-on-post-entries-longer-than-140-characters/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/05/twitzer-firefox-add-on-post-entries-longer-than-140-characters/#comments If you post regularly on Twitter, and have constantly felt constrained by the 140 character post limit, then Twitzer might be the Firefox extension for you.

Twitzer is a Firefox extension designed by the developers of the shortText website, which lets you post entries longer than 140 characters on Twitter. It's pretty simple to use: once installed, navigate to Twitter and type a post as you normally would (ignoring those big red warning numbers on the right hand side of the text box as you go over 140 characters).

When you're finished, right-click on the box, and choose "Twitzer text". That's it! Your entry is shortened to less than 140 characters.

Magic? No, simple web sleight-of-hand. When you "Twitzer" your text, the extension automatically shortens your entry to 140 characters, uploads the rest to the shortText website, and posts a link to that text at the end of your entry.

Also available from the right-click menu is the option to "De-Twitzer" your entry or someone else's, meaning the full entry is shown on the Twitter website as it is saved on shortText.

While this is a good execution of a nice idea, we're a bit confused; we thought Twitter was in the category of micro-blogging...this kind of defeats the purpose, nay, the definition of, a micro-blog.

What say you? Will this extension, and other items like it, cause Twitter to bloat into extinction? Or, if used with caution and prejudice, can this be a helpful way to post your rants that exceed 140 characters?

[via Softpedia]

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Twitzer Firefox add-on: Post entries longer than 140 characters on Twitter originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> shorttextTwitterTwitzer Simon Kerbel Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[TwitterLocal: Find fellow Twitterers in your neck of the woods]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/twitterlocal-find-fellow-twitterers-in-your-neck-of-the-woods/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/twitterlocal-find-fellow-twitterers-in-your-neck-of-the-woods/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/twitterlocal-find-fellow-twitterers-in-your-neck-of-the-woods/#comments TwitterLocal is a great tool for finding other Twitter users and tweets in your area.

You can use TwitterLocal one of two ways: by using the simple web form on their website, or by downloading the Adobe AIR application, which also enables you to send tweets and follow your friend's replies (functionality similar to Twhirl).

The web form is easy enough: enter in your location (using a postal code and/or city and state), choose the radius you want to search (from 1 mile to 50 miles), and hit the Go button. Tweets in the selected area are supplied in both an RSS and XML feed.

All in all, this is a handy tool for finding tweets and Twitterers in your area. Who knows, maybe you'll one day meet a local Twitterer at the grocery store or Jiffy Lube. Though that might be hard, because:
  1. People who use Twitter don't often go out into the sunlight. It hurts us.
  2. Though billed as a social tool, Twitter is actually for people who fear social interaction. Thus, even if one Twitterer recognized a fellow Twitterer in a store or other public location, they'd probably scurry away before a confrontation could ensue.
  3. Our Twitter alter-egos are often so different from our real selves that others would have a hard time recognizing us. We might be Superman in the Twitter universe, but outside we are merely mild-mannered reporters.
The desktop version of TwitterLocal requires Adobe Air.

[via Paisano]

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TwitterLocal: Find fellow Twitterers in your neck of the woods originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> TwitterTwitterLocal Simon Kerbel Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[US consumers lose record amounts of money to Internet scams]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/us-consumers-lose-record-amounts-of-money-to-internet-scams/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/us-consumers-lose-record-amounts-of-money-to-internet-scams/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/us-consumers-lose-record-amounts-of-money-to-internet-scams/#comments ScamsIt's like the song says, "Everybody plays the fool."

The FBI reports that US consumers lost a record 239 million dollars to Internet scammers and thieves in 2007. Given the record number of spam emails being sent (which accounted for 75% of the Internet scams), and the mass amounts of money being made by scammers worldwide, this really shouldn't surprise us; it's kind of like reporting that peanut butter goes well with jelly.

Internet scams are a hot, and a big, business.

A couple interesting tidbits:

Even though the amount lost this year was higher, the actual number of complaints was down. This means that scammers are focusing more and more on big ticked items, such as work-at-home schemes and so forth.

Continue reading US consumers lose record amounts of money to Internet scams

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US consumers lose record amounts of money to Internet scams originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Internetnewsscam Simon Kerbel Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[SubDownloader finds subtitles for your movies]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/subdownloader-finds-subtitles-for-your-movies/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/subdownloader-finds-subtitles-for-your-movies/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/04/subdownloader-finds-subtitles-for-your-movies/#comments Whether you're pro-subtitles, anti-subtitles, or subtitle agnostic, we can all agree on one thing: subtitles are hard to find over the internet. Often you have to visit a number of sites or forums to find the right subtitles for the movie in question.

SubDownloader, a free program written in Python, aims to ease that quest by providing an easy way to download and view subtitles with your movies.

The program is very straightforward: select an individual movie file (DIVX,MPEG,AVI,etc) or a folder where a number of movie files are located, and SubDownloader will automatically find the available subtitles for that movie.

If you want to watch the movie with the subtitles that SubDownloader located, simply right-click the subtitle and choose "Play With," and then choose one of two options: Mplayer or VLC (obviously, the players need to be installed first in order to use them).

You can customize which languages to search for, and if you find subtitles you want to keep, you can download the subtitle files to a location of your choosing. If you're a inescapable uploader, you can upload subtitles if you have any laying around (as we all do, of course).

SubDownloader is free, with builds for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.

[via gHacks]

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SubDownloader finds subtitles for your movies originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freewareSubDownloadersubtitles Simon Kerbel Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[ClipX: Clipboard history manager for Windows]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/03/clipx-clipboard-history-manager-for-windows/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/03/clipx-clipboard-history-manager-for-windows/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/04/03/clipx-clipboard-history-manager-for-windows/#comments We've covered clipboard applications for OS X in the near past (well-nigh exhaustively), so it's only fair that Windows clipboard applications get a little love and affection.

ClipX is a handy little clipboard manager for Windows which allows you to copy multiple items to your clipboard, then pick and choose which one to paste, either through a mouse selection or use of a hotkey. ClipX allows you to copy both text and images.

ClipX abounds with customizable options:
  • Change how many items to remember on the clipboard (up to 1024, perhaps a number of significance for the developer)
  • Choose a sound to play when a clipboard entry is recorded
  • Enable multi-user or multi-session support
ClipX has plugin extensibility as well. Here are a few of the more useful ones:
ClipX is free, though donations are appreciated. Windows only.

[via Online Tech Tips]

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ClipX: Clipboard history manager for Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> clipboardclipXfreeware Simon Kerbel Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST Download Squad