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[Welcome to the new DownloadSquad]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/22/welcome-to-the-new-downloadsquad/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/22/welcome-to-the-new-downloadsquad/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/22/welcome-to-the-new-downloadsquad/#comments new dls When I helped launch DownloadSquad into cyberspace five years ago, our goal was to make the site a one-stop shop for news and reviews about applications you can download on your computer. Since then we've seen the rise of "web 2.0" applications -- or apps that run in your browser -- and the rise of mobile computing and apps on smartphones. In short, the tech landscape has changed quite a bit! Back in 2005 there was no Chrome, no iPhone, and web apps were only beginning to come into their own.

Today we're proud to announce a merge with Switched, AOL's go-to source for all sorts of tech news, from games to social networking to software. DownloadSquad will remain a source of news and reviews, and you'll still be able to find coverage on your favorite platforms. We're also ramping up coverage on mobile platforms, browser-based features and more. Stay tuned as we continue to roll out features and new series designed to keep you on top of tech every day.

As part of this merge let me personally thank the new editor-in-chief of DLS, Thomas Houston, without whose tireless efforts we simply could not have done this before 2011. If you've noticed increasingly better posting lately, it's because Thomas is dedicated to the highest quality reporting and DLS will continue to improve under his stewardship. Also, thanks to the people behind the scenes, including Brad Hill, Joshua Fruhlinger, Justin Glow, Richard Garner, Brett Terpstra and Erik Sagen. And, of course, a big thanks to all our hard-working Download Squad bloggers, both past and present.

The best is yet to come, with more video, news and reviews plus features and tools on the site. For now, enjoy the improved featured stories at the top of the page, better tools on the right side of the page, and a fresh, clean look on every page. New stuff to check out: a revised Share & Discuss module for sharing posts via e-mail and major social networks, new sourcing tools, redesigned video and gallery experiences, site-wide calendar-based archives and several new sidebar modules highlighting the best DLS has to offer. Once the dust has settled and the migration is complete, we'll have a full run-down of the features on the new DownloadSquad.

Finally, a huge thanks to all our fans at DownloadSquad -- we think you'll find even more to love as we go forward.

Welcome to the new DownloadSquad originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> downloadsquad Victor Agreda, Jr. Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:05:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Foursquare 2.0 for iPhone now available, emphasizes To-Dos and Tips]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/09/20/foursquare-2-0-for-iphone-now-available-emphasizes-to-dos-and-t/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/09/20/foursquare-2-0-for-iphone-now-available-emphasizes-to-dos-and-t/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/09/20/foursquare-2-0-for-iphone-now-available-emphasizes-to-dos-and-t/#comments Foursquare has announced a 2.0 update for the iPhone version of the app, with Blackberry and Android versions soon to follow (the company doesn't make a webOS version, but I'm sure those devs will update soon). The first thing you'll likely notice is that Tips and To-Dos are now separate menu items. According to their blog, "When we started foursquare, we dreamed it would be much more than check-ins. We really wanted to build tools that would help people collect and share their real-world experiences." The tips and to-dos are also more integrated throughout the app, providing (we hope) a more useful experience than just "checking in."

Indeed, as Mashable reminds us, after Facebook unveiled Places, the CEO of foursquare promised a new version of the app would be like "Instapaper for the real world." So, Places is designed to be a location-aware scrapbook or memories, and I guess foursquare is going to do the same thing, except with more practical advice from your friends and with to-dos, which will be location-aware (as opposed to most to-do lists and apps which are not always given any context). Tips also sport a counter, so you can see how popular they are.

One huge new item: foursquare now allows websites to add a to-do directly on a web page. This Instapaper-like service shows up immediately on your mobile device and provides useful information for a location. I can see how this will add tremendous value for anyone who manages a physical location, let alone the review and discovery sites like Eater and Racked who have already added them. The foursquare blog mentions some heavy hitters who are adding these buttons in the near future.

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Foursquare 2.0 for iPhone now available, emphasizes To-Dos and Tips originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> check-infoursquareiphonelocationlocation-basedmobile Victor Agreda, Jr. Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Microsoft Street Slide makes more sense than hopping around Google's bubbles]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/29/microsoft-street-slide-makes-more-sense-than-hopping-around-google-maps/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/29/microsoft-street-slide-makes-more-sense-than-hopping-around-google-maps/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/29/microsoft-street-slide-makes-more-sense-than-hopping-around-google-maps/#comments
As the video above explains, moving around panoramic views of a street is great if you can go "bubble to bubble" of a panorama, looking for what you want. That is, a panorama with up and down info is much like a bubble. But if you want to "slide" down the street, you want a more linear view of that street, and what's in the sky or on the ground really isn't that important.

Microsoft Research is really onto something here, allowing you to zoom out of a street view and enter a linear representation of that street, complete with signage for businesses and street names, etc. As with all competition (in this case obviously Microsoft is going after Google Street View), the battle for online supremacy is going to be awesome for the consumer. I can't wait for this to be available! For now it's just a presentation at SIGGRAPH.

[via Switched]
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Microsoft Street Slide makes more sense than hopping around Google's bubbles originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> microsoftresearchsiggraphslidestreet Victor Agreda, Jr. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Google sync issue for iPhone sends you to web dead end]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/07/how-much-google-hate-iphone/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/07/how-much-google-hate-iphone/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/07/how-much-google-hate-iphone/#comments
How much does Google hate the iPhone? Well, I can count two ways. One is in the pisspoor shape of the Google Mobile app for iPhone. I begrudgingly use it because of the insta-local searches. Yeah, Google on Safari is supposed to work this way as well, but more often than not I have to add a click to get local results. But seriously, have you used the Google Mobile app lately? Gotta love that jump from previous searches to search bar, often causing a misfire when you really wanted to search for something recent again. Back in March there was a nasty push notification issue as well.

Then today I ran into a particularly nasty thing using Google Calendar. In theory you can sync more than one calendar with the iPhone using Google Sync. Of course, on the iPhone it isn't an app itself, so you go to m.google.com/sync in mobile Safari and set which calendars you wish to sync (by default only your "primary" calendar is included). So that's great except this particular page, for iPhone users and iPad users alike are being routed to the dead-end pages (see photo above). There's a link for "How to setup Google Sync on iPhone" which comically then refers you to go to m.google.com/sync. That, my friends, is what we call a loop or dead-end and is very, very bad web design. Not to mention it effectively breaks Google Calendar sync for anything but your primary calendar.

What makes me think this is a bug? Well, I don't have an Apps account, so I don't know how the other half lives, but in the "Setup" guide I get it refers to my device as "null." I realize Google has little love left for the iPhone, but has it really come to this craptacular performance? Must we mice be trampled as elephants joust? Pipe up in the comments if you see a fix or are having the same issues.

UPDATE: It's a frickin' documentation error. Google changed the URL but didn't document it. Here's the proper URL for adding calendars to sync with iPhone: https://www.google.com/calendar/iphoneselect
This still doesn't eliminate the loop I documented, but maybe their intern in charge of this will stop playing Pac-Man one day and fix it.

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Google sync issue for iPhone sends you to web dead end originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bugcalendargooglehateiphonemobileweb Victor Agreda, Jr. Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Steve Jobs to Adobe: Get with the times]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/29/steve-jobs-to-adobe-get-with-the-times/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/29/steve-jobs-to-adobe-get-with-the-times/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/29/steve-jobs-to-adobe-get-with-the-times/#comments When Steve Jobs fires off a missive on the Apple site he's usually making a specific statement around a larger issue that we've all been discussing for months. Remember his rant against DRM when all the world called foul on FairPlay? Today Steve dropped a big ol' bomb into the Flash pool by stating Apple's frustrations with Adobe, Flash and their view of the mobile space.

In the letter, Steve points out Flash is a closed system, there are H.264 alternatives to Flash video and HTML5 and JavaScript are true open standards that Apple has embraced, while Adobe has continued to pour the juice into their proprietary systems. Yes, Steve points out that OS X is a proprietary OS. But despite Adobe's claims to have a proper, non-battery-sucking version of Flash on mobiles by 2009, they have yet to deliver and Steve calls them on it.

In a nutshell, Apple chastises Adobe for clinging to the past. In many ways they are right -- remember when Flash was a simple animation tool that created animations that were lighter than GIF animations?

Yes, at one point Flash was a simple, streamlined tool designed to bring balance to the Force. Instead, it has grown into a full platform when you factor in AIR, and I doubt Adobe has any intention to back down after spending a decade and billions on its continued development and success.

No matter how crufty the tool becomes, I'm sure Adobe will find a market for it for many years, like VRML or the Beatnik player. Either way it'll be interesting to watch these two elephants dance.

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Steve Jobs to Adobe: Get with the times originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> adobeappleflashhtml5letterstandardssteve jobsSteveJobsweb Victor Agreda, Jr. Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:09:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[A taste of Netflix on Wii (video)]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/26/a-taste-of-netflix-on-wii/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/26/a-taste-of-netflix-on-wii/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/26/a-taste-of-netflix-on-wii/#comments As I was on my way out the door today the friendly postman drove by and shoved a familiar red envelope in my mailbox. Knowing what was coming, I skipped back to the house with the Netflix streaming disc for Wii... My video missed the startup chime, but it kinda sounds like a THX startup sound, low and dramatic.

Browsing on the Wii is pretty basic, but at least more functional than a Samsung I had been using. You can add movies, browse by category, play individual episodes, and enjoy most of what you get on the Xbox but with less resolution. Having seen the 360 version, it's a bit of a bummer to see the fuzziness on my HDTV, but hey, unlike my Samsung (the WiFi dongle died) it works. Yes, you have to keep the disc in while you run Netflix, but that's not really a big deal unless you mistreat the disc.

The video below is a quick taste of our first experience with Netflix on Wii.

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A taste of Netflix on Wii (video) originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> netflixstreamingvideowii Victor Agreda, Jr. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:31:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - BrewaTalk and SnapPages]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/25/dls-sxsw-brewatalk-and-snappages/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/25/dls-sxsw-brewatalk-and-snappages/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/25/dls-sxsw-brewatalk-and-snappages/#comments BrewaTalk is a form of ad hoc conversation platform where you make a blog around a topic, then invite others to come have a conversation around that topic on your blog. What's different than starting something on Blogger, WordPress, or what-have-you? The BrewaTalk conversations are more akin to Twitter or Facebook conversations, as they are short (typically a sentence or two, maybe just a question). However, they are categorized, public, and shareable on Facebook and Twitter. So, if you're looking to have a focused conversation in a semi-public way, BrewaTalk may be for you.

Here's the quick video intro to their service:


SnapPages is for the impatient web page builder. A web-based (and Flash-powered) WYSIWYG page builder, SnapPages does offer some attractive options and a very slick interface.

Video with SnapPages after the click...

Continue reading DLS @ SXSW - BrewaTalk and SnapPages

DLS @ SXSW - BrewaTalk and SnapPages originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> Victor Agreda, Jr. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - MutualMind]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/24/dls-sxsw-mutualmind/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/24/dls-sxsw-mutualmind/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/24/dls-sxsw-mutualmind/#comments
There was almost no end to companies looking to track your social media efforts at this year's SXSW, and MutualMind is another runner in the race. MutualMind adds some CRM flavors to the mix, providing you with specific data on campaigns and accounts and some metrics that, in theory, allow you to make adjustments to your strategy. As any marketer will tell you, social media marketing is a fluid beast, and metrics are a good thing. Whether or not MutualMind stands out from the rest of the crowd? Well, I see a lot of the same features: track shortened URLs, alerts, comparative tools, etc. MutualMind does have an API and a white label version, however, so as a web app it can be tuned to your heart's content. Or your companies' content. See what I did there?

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DLS @ SXSW - MutualMind originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> marketingmetricsmutualmindsocial mediaSocialMediasxsw Victor Agreda, Jr. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:47:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Glass]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/24/dls-sxsw-glass/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/24/dls-sxsw-glass/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/24/dls-sxsw-glass/#comments
Glass is a cool Firefox add-on that allows you to "write" on any website, sharing "slides" (notes) with anyone you wish (and anyone willing to install the add-on and set up an account). I've seen a few attempts at this in various incarnations (one particularly useful one to me is Wired Marker, which allows you to highlight stuff on a page) but Glass looks quite easy to use and provides a real benefit to web designers, or marketers or anyone who frequently needs to add context to a link in an email.

Glass slides can be stored locally but are also kept online, and much in the way Buzz tries to be helpful by reminding you of how many unread items you have, Glass has a feed with comments left by anyone you invited to share your slides with. The feed is a list of your conversations, and the slides are those conversations left on specific URLs. It's a terrific service that is currently in a semi-private beta. We'll have a more in-depth look at it later, but for now here's the Glass marketing director explaining the service.
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DLS @ SXSW - Glass originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> add-onbrowserfirefoxglassservicesxswweb Victor Agreda, Jr. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:55:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - MobbStream]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-mobbstream/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-mobbstream/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-mobbstream/#comments
Ever wanted Hulu on your iPhone? MobbStream is one attempt to put Flash content on the iPhone. If you run a website with Flash content MobbStream will allow you to convert that content in real time to an MJPEG stream, complete with interactivity, and play it on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. While the 8 frames-per-second won't really have you watching Hulu, the on-screen mouse system will at least allow you to interact with sites just as you would with a keyboard, mouse and Flash plug-in. Shrunk down and streamed into your hot little iDevice.

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DLS @ SXSW - MobbStream originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> flashipadiphoneipod touchIpodTouchstreamingsxswvideoweb serviceWebService Victor Agreda, Jr. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Brown Paper Tickets]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-brown-paper-tickets/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-brown-paper-tickets/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-brown-paper-tickets/#comments
I happened to use Brown Paper Tickets a couple of months ago to buy tickets for a local comedy show. It was just as simple and easy as any other ticketing system I've used, certainly simpler (and faster) than Ticketmaster. But the real magic happens if you are putting a show together. Brown Paper Tickets has the lowest transaction fees and doesn't collect a dime if you don't sell any tickets. It's a simple, direct method for venues and organizers to allow ticket sales without a lot of overhead and complicated fee structures. To top it off, the company donates at least 5% of their profits to charities or microloans to communities they serve. Isn't it great to find a company with a purpose and a mission and one that provides an awesome service to boot?

Note: all of our SXSW videos are available here.

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DLS @ SXSW - Brown Paper Tickets originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> brown paper ticketsBrownPaperTicketslivemusiconlineperformancepromotionsalessxswticketsvideo Victor Agreda, Jr. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Sliderocket]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-sliderocket/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-sliderocket/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-sliderocket/#comments
Sliderocket is a super-powered slide machine for you PowerPoint junkies in the audience. Not only does Sliderocket build shows, the site allows you to share those slides with viewers or collaborators, buy assets for your slides on their site, and add plug-ins to make your presentations full of live data. Add onto this some metrics (you can see how your slides are performing) and a hosted meeting solution (sort of like WebEx) and Sliderocket is a pretty hip spin on the old presentation flow. You can try Sliderocket for free, with fewer features, or pay anywhere from $12-24 a month for more advanced features. I suggest you give it a try and see if the tool meets your needs. The networking tools are certainly icing on the cake and probably a great fit for smaller businesses who may live or die based on successful presentations.

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DLS @ SXSW - Sliderocket originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> powerpointpresentationsservicesliderocketslidessxswvideoweb Victor Agreda, Jr. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:05:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Lugiron]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-lugiron/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-lugiron/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/23/dls-sxsw-lugiron/#comments
Lugiron is one of the many companies I found at SXSW hitting the social media space with metrics and analysis for their clients. Currently they are in private beta with some undisclosed companies, but I'm eager to see how their solution plays out when the public beta goes live later this year. It sounds compelling: tie together your social media profiles (Twitter page, Facebook page, etc.) with your analytics (Salesforce or Google or others) and see how they perform. The devil's in the details, however, as Lugiron is in a hot space with new competitors every day.

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DLS @ SXSW - Lugiron originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> analyticslugironmarketingmetricsSocialNetworkingsxswweb Victor Agreda, Jr. Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:34:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Crowd Fusion]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/19/dls-sxsw-crowd-fusion/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/19/dls-sxsw-crowd-fusion/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/19/dls-sxsw-crowd-fusion/#comments
I spoke to Brian Alvey, co-founder of Weblogs, Inc. and the guy who built Blogsmith -- the same engine Download Squad, TUAW, Engadget and our other blogs use) about his newest creation: Crowd Fusion. There are quite a few CMS products to choose from out there, but Crowd Fusion is built to perform at scale while boasting an impressive feature set. That's because Brian knows a thing or two about scale! Having had the experience of watching Engadget and TUAW cover Steve Jobs keynotes and CES and Detroit Auto Show (Autoblog also uses Blogsmith), not to mention Brian's early gigs building industry-grade sites, the team at Crowd Fusion has experience when it comes to building rock-solid CMS tools that enable content programmers to do just about anything they can imagine. If it sounds like I'm gushing it's not because I used to work (somewhat indirectly) for Brian -- it's because I've seen what Crowd Fusion can do. You can see it too on this demo from TC50 last September. You can also join the open source beta program to test Crowd Fusion out for yourself.
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DLS @ SXSW - Crowd Fusion originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cmscommercialcrowd fusionCrowdFusionopensourcesxswvideo Victor Agreda, Jr. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Lifeyo]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/19/dls-sxsw-lifeyo/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/19/dls-sxsw-lifeyo/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/19/dls-sxsw-lifeyo/#comments
Erez dove into Lifeyo recently, so I won't duplicate his efforts here. But I should say that Lifeyo makes building snazzy websites exceptionally easy and it does it for free. If you want your own domain name on your site, it's just $30 a year. That's a great bargain considering the quality of the pages it creates and the ease with which it creates them. Try them out yourself and see.

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DLS @ SXSW - Lifeyo originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> businessdesignlifeyopagepersonalservicesxswvideoweb Victor Agreda, Jr. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:26:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - PayPal]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/19/dls-sxsw-paypal/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/19/dls-sxsw-paypal/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/19/dls-sxsw-paypal/#comments
PayPal had a nice booth at SXSW and was there to promote their API and developer platform, which now allows developers (hint: mobile developers, prayers answered) to enable PayPal's e-commerce solution within their apps. They were also there promoting their new iPhone app, which allows you to manage your PayPal account and send money to merchants or friends. Here's my chat with Francesco Rovetta, Director of PayPal Mobile.

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DLS @ SXSW - PayPal originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> APIbusinessdevelopere-commerceiphonepaypalsxswweb Victor Agreda, Jr. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:28:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Impressions of SXSWi part deux]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/18/dls-sxsw-impressions-of-sxswi-part-deux/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/18/dls-sxsw-impressions-of-sxswi-part-deux/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/18/dls-sxsw-impressions-of-sxswi-part-deux/#comments
Say hello to Sunny Thaper, production director for Forty Agency, and Saul Colt, lead evangelist at Thoora. They are regular SXSW attendees (and all-around awesome dudes) and give their thoughts on this year's event. For added atmosphere, I added a real, live foursquare game being held outside of the convention center, and a taste of the crowds you see inside.

If you're interested in a taste of the music side, here's a field report from the Man or Astro-Man? show where they promise to perform live more often.

For ongoing coverage of the SXSW Interactive festival check out our SXSW hub page.

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DLS @ SXSW - Impressions of SXSWi part deux originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> mosopinionsxswvideo Victor Agreda, Jr. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Are You Watching This? chooses the best games on TV]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/17/dls-sxsw-are-you-watching-this-chooses-the-best-games-on-tv/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/17/dls-sxsw-are-you-watching-this-chooses-the-best-games-on-tv/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/17/dls-sxsw-are-you-watching-this-chooses-the-best-games-on-tv/#comments
Today there are more cable channels offering sports, more sporting in general -- and more interest in sports than ever before! It is, as they say on the web, a firehose of content. Thing is, how do you, the sports fan, choose among the many options? How do you know what games will be duds and which will be can't-miss-watercooler fodder? RUWT? or Are You Watching This? attempts to solve that problem by using computers to analyze previous game data, current standings and more to choose the "best" games for you to watch at any given time, then alert you to those.

I spoke to founder Mark Phillip about the service and how it works. Like Pandora, it's a cool tech-based solution to the problem of abundance of choice.

Check out the rest of our SXSW coverage here.

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DLS @ SXSW - Are You Watching This? chooses the best games on TV originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> contentRUTWsportssxsw Victor Agreda, Jr. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - SuperGlued]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/16/dls-sxsw-superglued/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/16/dls-sxsw-superglued/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/16/dls-sxsw-superglued/#comments
SuperGlued is a music lover's dream. It's a one-stop shop for people who go to shows and gigs regularly, offering schedules, tickets, social networking and sharing tools. For instance, you could see who is playing locally, buy a ticket, meet people who are going to the show, later share your pics of the show and ultimately brag about (or remember) all the shows you went to and logged on SuperGlued. It's one of those sites you can use as a casual user or a superfan, and I think it's going to be a big hit with artists and fans.

SuperGlued is limited to a few cities for now, but Rush Doshi, the co-founder, said they are dedicated to hooking in as many cities as possible. Why the name, by the way? The site isn't like Facebook, who wishes you to use all their crappy tools (hello, photo uploader of doom!) to curate your world. No, SuperGlued is an aggregator of sorts, allowing you to use Flickr, Foursquare, Blogger, WordPress, etc. -- all the services you probably already use -- to build your musical memories. Powerful and fun stuff!

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DLS @ SXSW - SuperGlued originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> interviewmusicsupergluedsxswvideo Victor Agreda, Jr. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Wolfram Alpha]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/16/dls-sxsw-wolfram-alpha/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/16/dls-sxsw-wolfram-alpha/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/16/dls-sxsw-wolfram-alpha/#comments
If you've ever played around with Wolfram Alpha you know it is kinda like magic. Put in some words or ask a math question and bingo, there's an intelligent (and crazy accurate) answer. I spoke to managing director Barak Berkowitz about their Alpha "beta" and their future plans to put Wolfram Alpha on your web pages.

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DLS @ SXSW - Wolfram Alpha originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> enginemathsxswwebwolframwolfram alphaWolframAlpha Victor Agreda, Jr. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Opera (and my impression of Opera Mini on the iPhone)]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/15/dls-sxsw-opera/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/15/dls-sxsw-opera/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/15/dls-sxsw-opera/#comments
While we can't show you video of the app for iPhone known as Opera Mini, I did get a chance to briefly play around with it. The SXSW trade show floor has terrible WiFi (at times), and as a result, I think the speed might have been affected. That said, in some cases I found the Opera Mini app to be a faster browser than mobile Safari.

Truthfully, Opera's 90% compression of content on sites doesn't really affect the user, except that it makes pages load faster. It still won't support Flash (since that'd have to be supported on the OS level), but Opera's primary goal is speed, and from what I saw, Opera Mini on the iPhone is pretty darn speedy. Still, you can hear it straight from the senior communication manager's mouth: Opera is fast and the newest version is the fastest yet.

They haven't submitted Opera Mini to Apple yet, but (unfortunately) I'm betting it'll be rejected. It's a shame, however, as the browser/app supports tabs and provides a viable alternative to Apple's built-in browser. How long before Apple is forced to open this piece of their OS up, much in the same fashion that Microsoft has been forced to offer alternatives to IE? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, here's Thomas Ford talking all things Opera (both mini and full) in the newest version.

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DLS @ SXSW - Opera (and my impression of Opera Mini on the iPhone) originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> browseroperaopera miniOperaMinisxsw Victor Agreda, Jr. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Three views of SXSW]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/15/dls-sxsw-three-views-of-sxsw/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/15/dls-sxsw-three-views-of-sxsw/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/15/dls-sxsw-three-views-of-sxsw/#comments
I ran into Guy Kawasaki, Jay Cuthrell and Nicholas Bonsack and asked them about their impressions of SXSW this year. Granted, Guy had just walked in the door... But Jay and Nicholas discuss a few panels they attended. Thanks guys!

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DLS @ SXSW - Three views of SXSW originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> guy kawasakiGuyKawasakijay cuthrellJayCuthrellnicholas bonsackNicholasBonsacksxsw Victor Agreda, Jr. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:20:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Betwext]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/15/dls-sxsw-betwext/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/15/dls-sxsw-betwext/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/15/dls-sxsw-betwext/#comments
When TUAW went to Macworld, we had a chance to test Betwext, and I have to say it worked like a charm. Think SMS meets AIM and you get the idea: sign up on Betwext as a group and, when you text one number, it sends a text to a group with your name attached. It's easy and useful in certain cases. Yes, not in all cases, but for things like ad hoc group coordination when nothing but a text message will do, there's almost nothing like it. Jonathan Kressaty gives us the scoop on his latest project.

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DLS @ SXSW - Betwext originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> betwextcommuncationssmssxswtextTextingTextMessaging Victor Agreda, Jr. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:40:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Genius, a marketing automation system]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-genius-a-marketing-automation-system/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-genius-a-marketing-automation-system/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-genius-a-marketing-automation-system/#comments
Genius appears to bridge the gap between CRM tools and online marketing efforts. Yes, it automates your push across various social networks and online services (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). It also focuses on generating demand and engagement, and tracking your efforts along with lead generation. What it boils down to is tracking conversations on these sites via trackable links. A novel approach to what is a widespread conundrum for businesses. I spoke to Parker Trewin about what Genius is all about in the video.

Continue reading DLS @ SXSW - Genius, a marketing automation system

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DLS @ SXSW - Genius, a marketing automation system originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> sxsw Victor Agreda, Jr. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-cali-lewis-of-geekbrief-tv/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-cali-lewis-of-geekbrief-tv/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-cali-lewis-of-geekbrief-tv/#comments I ran into Cali as she just hit the show floor so the only thing she'd seen that caught her eye was the OWLE bubo (covered here on TUAW). But she was shooting video of the floor as well that I'm sure will wind up on GeekBrief.TV. What's up with everyone showing up late to SXSW?

Continue reading DLS @ SXSW - Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV

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DLS @ SXSW - Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cali lewisCaliLewisgeekbrief.tvsxswtrade showTradeShow Victor Agreda, Jr. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - SocialTALK]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-socialtalk/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-socialtalk/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-socialtalk/#comments
There are plenty of ways to spread your content around on social networks, but the tools are designed for individuals or, at best, can be hacked to work with small business needs. SocialTALK, by Syncapse, is a real business solution for companies needing to manage numerous networks for numerous brands. Instead of having a silo for each individual effort, SocialTALK allows access controls, publishing controls and the requisite analytics for as many initiatives or products as you like. Think of it as "enterprise class" social media management. I spoke to the CEO of Syncapse, Michael Scissons, about what SocialTALK can do for your business.

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DLS @ SXSW - SocialTALK originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> businessenterprisesocialsocial networkingSocialNetworkingsocialtalksxswsyncapse Victor Agreda, Jr. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Social Toaster]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-social-toaster/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-social-toaster/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/14/dls-sxsw-social-toaster/#comments
There are quite a few social media plays at SXSW this year, and the name of the game is analytics. Once you go beyond the hype of social media, marketers who decide to use it for promotion need to know what the return on their investment will be. Social Toaster automates some of the work, and provides analytics to track how many people are actually finding and sharing your stuff online via the major social media networks and tools.

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DLS @ SXSW - Social Toaster originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> analyticssocial mediasocial toasterSocialMediaSocialToastersxsw Victor Agreda, Jr. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Microsoft booth tour]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/13/dls-sxsw-microsoft-booth-tour/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/13/dls-sxsw-microsoft-booth-tour/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/13/dls-sxsw-microsoft-booth-tour/#comments
I took a whirlwind tour of the Microsoft booth and essentially got a quick demo of some things we've covered before, including Photosynth and Windows 7. Still, it's always nice to see what features you might have missed or features MS thinks you should really pay attention to. In this case they are very proud of their touch support and data-driven application support. Something like Photosynth does a lot of crunching behind the scenes to make a fluid, wonderful experience.
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DLS @ SXSW - Microsoft booth tour originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> microsoftphotosynthsxswwindows 7Windows7 Victor Agreda, Jr. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:40:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[DLS @ SXSW - Patrick O'Keefe of iFroggy]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/13/dls-sxsw-patrick-okeefe-of-ifroggy/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/13/dls-sxsw-patrick-okeefe-of-ifroggy/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/13/dls-sxsw-patrick-okeefe-of-ifroggy/#comments
Patrick is the author of Managing Online Forums and is somewhat of an expert on managing online communities in general, having managed the iFroggy network for several years. I caught up with him here in Austin and asked about first impressions of the conference and a little about his core conversation, "Shameless Self Promotion Without Looking Like an @#$%^&!"
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DLS @ SXSW - Patrick O'Keefe of iFroggy originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ifroggyonline communitiesOnlineCommunitiessxswvideo Victor Agreda, Jr. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[SXSW Interactive day one in pictures]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/12/sxsw-interactive-day-one-in-pictures/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/12/sxsw-interactive-day-one-in-pictures/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/12/sxsw-interactive-day-one-in-pictures/#comments SXSW (you can find a list of day one interactive events here), but I took a quick stroll through the Austin Convention Center earlier today and grabbed some pics of how many people are here (spoiler alert: a ton) and some shots of the Seed booth. Again, if you're on the ground in Austin you can write your takeaway from any interactive panel you attend via this Seed assignment. If you get published, we'll pay you!
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SXSW Interactive day one in pictures originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> austineventinteractivesxsw Victor Agreda, Jr. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Download Squad at SXSW Interactive]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/11/download-squad-at-sxsw-interactive/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/11/download-squad-at-sxsw-interactive/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/11/download-squad-at-sxsw-interactive/#comments The Interactive portion of SXSW is March 12-16, and Download Squad will be covering the event a little differently this year. We'll still have videos from developers, designers and business leaders, but in addition, we'll be harnessing the power of the crowd via Seed to cover the core takeaway from as many panels and conversations as possible.

If you're interested in covering SXSW Interactive for Download Squad, you too can join the fun. Just head over to Seed and set up an account. Then email us at sxsw (make the at sign here) downloadsquad dawt com to let us know who you are and what panels you'd like to cover. We'll be meeting and greeting Download Squad fans and Seed writers at the Seed booth right there in the Austin Convention Center, so don't be a stranger.

Also, you can jump straight into the action by giving us a short, punchy "takeaway" from any panels that you attend (or conversations both in and out of the convention center). Once you have a Seed account, you can accept this assignment here. If we publish your work, you get paid!

Starting tomorrow, I'll check in with daily updates and I'll be appropriating our Twitter feed with regular happenings. I'll use the #sxsw hashtag, of course. Meanwhile, keep an eye on our special hub page for SXSW as we build out coverage through next week.

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Download Squad at SXSW Interactive originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> seedsxsw Victor Agreda, Jr. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Boxee beta officially available]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/07/boxee-beta-officially-available/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/07/boxee-beta-officially-available/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/07/boxee-beta-officially-available/#comments Boxee is one of those magically delicious technologies that you may not "get" until you try it. Then you try it and you're hooked. I'm just talking about the old alpha builds here, which I tried on my non-techy mate and she loved Boxee, frequent crashes and all. With tons of free video and audio streaming content, plus the ability to add your locally stored multimedia wares, it's one of the least painful "media center" tools I've ever used.

Hot on the heels of their Boxee box unveiling at CES, Boxee now has the beta version of the Boxee application ready for download on Mac, Linux and Windows. Apple TV users still get the alpha version, but I keep wishing Apple would just bundle it (they never, ever will). There's a 64-bit version for Linux and some 64-bit lovin' for Windows as well. If you want to know more about the features in the beta, you can read Brad's writeup here.

And lest we not forget the humble browser origins from whence Boxee came, there's a bookmarklet that works on a handful of right-minded sites like Vimeo, Viddler, YouTube and such. The bookmarklet will add videos you want to watch to Boxee. Pretty handy if you see something you'd like to watch on your big HDTV instead of your teensy netbook.

Go forth and download!

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Boxee beta officially available originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> audiobetaboxeelinuxmacintoshmedia centerMediaCentermultimedianewsopen sourceOpenSourcevideowindows Victor Agreda, Jr. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:06:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[What was your first computer?]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/31/what-was-your-first-computer/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/31/what-was-your-first-computer/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/31/what-was-your-first-computer/#comments I remember playing Star Wars from a cassette on our Apple ][. My dad bought it in a bike shop and it came with paddles and some starter cassettes like Breakout, Applesoft BASIC and Star Wars (complete with slightly off-pitch theme song). Later we upgraded the ][ to a ][+ on the inside (capable of addressing a whopping 8K of RAM!). We also upgraded to two disk drives -- something you really needed for playing Wasteland. The dual drives might have been on my Laser 128, but that was the first computer that was given to me specifically. The Apple ][ started it all.

Things progressed nicely when I caught my first computer virus by unsafely downloading some Monty Python sounds on my dad's Macintosh SE/30. Today my iPhone has far more computing power (and has yet to see a copy of Disinfectant cleared on the App Store) than a room full of 80's-era Macs. For anyone who reflects back upon their first computer and their current computer, it is a similar, dizzying experience.

As we head into a new decade, we've assembled a few stories from our Seed contributors on this same topic. Each contributor recalls a specific type of computer and their own special experiences with their first computers. The last story, "Helping My Mom..." is more about how computers have left a generation behind, and how the technological divide still exists... But it's OK -- the future is bright for computing, as we now carry miniature PC's in our pockets every day. Here's to the future!

To jump to a particular story, click below.

The Digi-Comp II

The Sinclair ZX81

The sad little IBM PCjr

My first computer: remembering in black and green

A used IBM 80286

Helping my Mom slide technologically backwards




Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/ / CC BY 2.0

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What was your first computer? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featureshistoryretrocomputing Victor Agreda, Jr. Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:01:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Game on, for real this time - Nexus One has OpenGL ES 2.0 support]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/16/game-on-for-real-this-time-nexus-one-has-opengl-es-2-0-suppor/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/16/game-on-for-real-this-time-nexus-one-has-opengl-es-2-0-suppor/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/16/game-on-for-real-this-time-nexus-one-has-opengl-es-2-0-suppor/#comments Why am I writing about hardware on Download Squad? Well, because I'm sick and tired of people squinting their eyes at the mobile market in a vain attempt to understand why Apple's tabula rasa has lobbed a shiny multi-touch grenade into the space. U.S. "Droid Does" TV ads are touting all the things the iPhone doesn't do.

But what is it the Pre and various Android-based phones lack? A proper 3D engine that makes it easy for developers to write awesome games in a short amount of time. Enter OpenGL ES 2.0, a royalty-free, cross-platform API for just this sort of work (or play, as it were).

Heck, OpenGL ES 1.1 wasn't too shabby, either, since that is what powers everything before the 3GS and recent refresh of iPod touch models (not the 8GB version, however). The point is that OpenGL provides a known, viable 3D foundation for developers to make games on the iPhone (or anything else that'll throw a little horsepower at it).

Continue reading Game on, for real this time - Nexus One has OpenGL ES 2.0 support

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Game on, for real this time - Nexus One has OpenGL ES 2.0 support originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> androidgamesgraphicsiphonemarketnexus oneNexusOneopenglopengl es 2.0OpenglEs2.0 Victor Agreda, Jr. Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:32:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Weird Wednesday Holiday Edition]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/16/weird-wednesday-holiday-edition/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/16/weird-wednesday-holiday-edition/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/16/weird-wednesday-holiday-edition/#comments I'm more of a Festivus guy, but apparently there are weird and wacky holidays every day of the year -- and that's just in the good ol' USA, where we can find a reason to "celebrate" anything. If you chart global weird holidays you have to zoom the chart out an order of magnitude. So in this holiday edition I'm going to stick to weird US holidays, the dates for which are lovingly curated by the best our nation has to offer: awesome high school kids. Of course, if you want to chime in with your Buy Foxes Days and New Gear Unboxing days, leave 'em in the comments.

Shout out to Hiawatha High School and Paxton High School for a collaborative calendar effort by Larissa Wilson and Colleen Gilg called Bizarre American Holidays. Their description says it all:

"Only in the USA can we celebrate the glory of egg salad, dictionaries, and procrastination. Here we celebrate these lesser known holidays. You won't find boring holidays like Thanksgiving and Mother's Day in here!"

So, happy National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, Larissa and Colleen -- I shall eat a chocolate covered something today in your honor.

Our next resource could be nominated for a Fugly Friday, I guess, but who cares what these holiday sites look like, right? Let's face it, there's a time-honored tradition of the tacky sweater, so why not extrapolate to your site? Brownielocks has an even more extensive and frequently-updated calendar of bizarre holidays, despite their old-skool design chops. I learned from them that today isn't just about chocoloate, oh no. It is also about Barbie and Barney Backlash (people still give a dinosaur's tail about Barney?). Plus, the Thursday before Christmas is National Re-gifting day! There are some weekly and monthly observances listed, plus the panoply of religious holidays on the list. Brownielocks has done a great job, to be sure.

If you just want a 2010 Holiday calendar to import, check out Calendar Labs. You can also add these in Google Calendar without much fuss.

Lastly, I'd like to show you some candy. Weird candy. Gingerbread malted milk balls, anyone?


Photo: ThisParticularGreg / CC BY-SA 2.0

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Weird Wednesday Holiday Edition originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bizarrecalendarhggholidayweirdweird wednesdayWeirdWednesday Victor Agreda, Jr. Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Livescribe's Pulse smartpen store hands-on]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/24/livescribes-pulse-smartpen-store-hands-on/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/24/livescribes-pulse-smartpen-store-hands-on/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/24/livescribes-pulse-smartpen-store-hands-on/#comments
There's little to add to my glowing review of the Livescribe Pulse smartpen I wrote for TUAW last year. This is one of those gadgets that you show people and it looks like magic. It kinda is magic, I think. But this year's model introduces an app store for the pen (plus some nifty paper products), making it a desirable platform for anyone who takes their notes seriously.

Read my review for the hardware scoop; the newer models now have an improved cradle. You can now charge and keep your computer asleep, for example. The desktop software, which allows you to sort and annotate your notes (plus many other tricks covered in that earlier review for the Mac version of the software) is similarly the same but slightly upgraded. What matters is what's in the pen, since that's what you'll be using every day.

The pen runs Java applications specifically made *for* the Pulse smartpen. Now, earlier there had been some tech demos for 3D audio (the pen records in 3D, and it is very cool) and what amounted to built-in utility apps. Stuff like calculators and a simple piano that you draw and tap to play. Like Apple launching the iPhone with a limited set of pre-built applications, the Pulse had only a few "apps" but that was fine. The app store for the pen opens the doors to a huge variety of other applications, much like Apple's store does for its mobile platform.

The Livescribe Store also looks and feels nearly identical to Apple's -- at first. There's more than just apps here; there are paper products (you use special paper with the pen) and pens themselves. When you go to check out, you notice the lack of polish. Every purchase, even the free stuff, requires about three times as many clicks at it takes to buy something on the iTunes App Store. I'm not sure why people don't understand this seemingly obvious notion that consumers want to consume quickly. Especially for a pen, you know? But the entire store is a website, really, so perhaps app purchasing can be streamlined later. For now, it is catering to the physical side of the store by requiring shipping info with your orders.

Continue reading Livescribe's Pulse smartpen store hands-on

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Livescribe's Pulse smartpen store hands-on originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> app storeAppStoregadgethardwarehggjavapenplatformpulsereviewssmartpen Victor Agreda, Jr. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:05:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Download Squad job boards, whether you're hiring or looking for work]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/03/download-squad-job-boards-whether-youre-hiring-or-looking-for/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/03/download-squad-job-boards-whether-youre-hiring-or-looking-for/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/03/download-squad-job-boards-whether-youre-hiring-or-looking-for/#comments
Need a sysadmin, coder, designer or other web working new hire? Virtual, on-location or whatever, the Download Squad job boards have you covered. Post your resume using emurse, or (better yet) post a job position in no time and immediately get an engaged, targeted audience of job seekers. We'll also start showing some search-powered job results on posts, like what you see here, but with a relevant job find:

Still not convinced? Did I mention that those looking for hires will see their jobs on our boards, on the boards at TUAW, plus those jobs are sent over to Juju, Simply Hired, Indeed and other job aggregation services. TUAW and Download Squad together serve up over ten million views a month, and serve over a million visitors each month. If you don't think your job posting will get seen, think again. We'll also write up interesting and amazing people and positions right here on the main page of Download Squad from time to time, further extending your hiring reach.

Try it and let us know what you think!

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Download Squad job boards, whether you're hiring or looking for work originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> businesscontractdownloadsquademploymentemursefeaturesfreelancehirejob boardsJobBoardsjobsnewswork Victor Agreda, Jr. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Treat bag two - The Collector]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/30/treat-bag-two-the-collector/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/30/treat-bag-two-the-collector/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/30/treat-bag-two-the-collector/#comments In this bag we find a collector of small gems from SXSW, including Internet All Star cards, a Firefox button and an iPod sock. Or something. Flash doesn't run on iPods, but OK Adobe.
  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  • To enter leave a comment on this post to win this prize package.
  • The comment must be left before Friday, November 6, 2009, 11:59PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
  • Prizes: One promotional light-up pin, two stickers, one gadget sock, three buttons, three collector cards. Estimated value: no more than $100.
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Treat bag two - The Collector originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> giveaway Victor Agreda, Jr. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Treat bag three - the Mobile Warrior]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/30/treat-bag-three-the-mobile-warrior/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/30/treat-bag-three-the-mobile-warrior/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/30/treat-bag-three-the-mobile-warrior/#comments In treat bag three we find some gear for the mobile guy. LogMeIn pen and shirt remind you of a good service for remote workers, the gel pad keeps your phone on your dash, the Brenthaven bag (15") cradles your laptop and the HeatShift Cooling Pad keeps it cool when gaming.
  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  • To enter leave a comment on this post to win this prize package.
  • The comment must be left before Friday, November 6, 2009, 11:59PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
  • Prizes: One HeatShift cooling pad ($50) one Brenthaven laptop bag ($50). One LogMeIn shirt, one pen and one gel pad, all valued less than $100 total.
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Treat bag three - the Mobile Warrior originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> giveaway Victor Agreda, Jr. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST Download Squad <![CDATA[Treat bag one - The Musical Developer]]> http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/30/treat-bag-one-the-musical-developer/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/30/treat-bag-one-the-musical-developer/ http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/10/30/treat-bag-one-the-musical-developer/#comments
The musical developer. Featuring some CD's from SXSW, a soma fm sticker, an old copy of Microsoft Expression, a "Games and Puzzles" book from O'Reilly, an AOL USB light and a bottle opener from Sapient.
  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
  • To enter leave a comment on this post to win this prize package.
  • The comment must be left before Friday, November 6, 2009, 11:59PM Eastern Time.
  • You may enter only once.
  • One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
  • Prizes: One Soma FM stick, one "Games and Puzzles" book, 2 promotional music CD's, one Xiine disc and one version 1.0 copy of Microsoft Expression, plus one USB LED light and one aluminum bottle opener. Estimated value: no more than $100.
  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Treat bag one - The Musical Developer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> giveaway Victor Agreda, Jr. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST Download Squad