Download Squad http://downloadsquad.switched.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif Download Squad http://downloadsquad.switched.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Robot Wants Ice Cream is a fun retro platformer -- Time-Waster]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/25/robot-wants-ice-cream-is-a-fun-retro-platformer-time-waster/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/25/robot-wants-ice-cream-is-a-fun-retro-platformer-time-waster/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/25/robot-wants-ice-cream-is-a-fun-retro-platformer-time-waster/#commentsFiled under: , ,

robotwantsicecream

Robot Wants Ice Cream does not actually have ice cream. At least not as far as I was able to tell.

What it does have is a robot. Well, to be exact, it has a robot, a dog, a ton of bad guys, 8-bit music, and bosses that you have to beat. You can tell when you're facing a boss because it's huge, and the music gets all "Bowser" when one of them shows up. There are also bonuses that make you jump higher, shoot faster, and generally become a more awesome, ice cream-loving robot.

Most importantly, there are lots and lots of save points, and if you die, you instantly reincarnate. You don't even lose your bonuses!

As far as time-wasters go, this isn't a quick one. It leans more towards the "addictive" side of the scale. If you have any sort of affinity for 8-bit graphics, robots, and cute puppies, you really should give it a spin.

Download SquadRobot Wants Ice Cream is a fun retro platformer -- Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flashfunrobot wants ice creamrobotsRobotWantsIceCreamtime wasterTimeWastertimewastersMon, 25 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[NuCaptcha offers video-based CAPTCHA prompts, easier for humans]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/08/09/nucaptcha-offers-video-based-captcha-prompts-easier-for-humans/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/08/09/nucaptcha-offers-video-based-captcha-prompts-easier-for-humans/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/08/09/nucaptcha-offers-video-based-captcha-prompts-easier-for-humans/#commentsFiled under: ,

nucaptcha

Like spam filters, Captcha is one of the necessary evils of the Internet. Google's Captcha is consistently irritating for me. I routinely fail it at least once, sometimes twice in a row, and I'm not a robot (to the best of my knowledge). Google bought reCAPTCHA a while back, and it's nicer (and helps a good cause), but they still seem to be using their older, super-irritating Captcha in many places.

The problem with Captcha is that it's irritating to users, and it can also be quite easy to break. Many programs and spambots contain built-in Captcha-defeating mechanisms that use sophisticated OCR to figure out what the image says, and they're often quite good. So, everyone loses; the users get an irritating interface, and the sites still get automated "visitors." And the harder the sites fight the bots, the more irritating it gets for the users.

NuCaptcha offers a completely different take on the issue: use video! You get a nice, customizable Flash video window with a bunch of text scrolling from right to left. The letters wiggle a little bit but are quite legible otherwise. You only need the last three letters of the string, which show up in red, and are (apparently) random.

It is much harder to apply OCR to video, so NuCaptcha can afford to be very legible, at least for now. I think it's a brilliant solution, and I can't wait to see it on more websites.

[via Switched]

Download SquadNuCaptcha offers video-based CAPTCHA prompts, easier for humans originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aicaptchadesignocrrobotssecuritywebdesignMon, 09 Aug 2010 19:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Wave now open to the public: faster, Robots and Gadgets aplenty!]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/20/google-wave-now-open-to-the-public-faster-robots-and-gadgets-a/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/20/google-wave-now-open-to-the-public-faster-robots-and-gadgets-a/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/20/google-wave-now-open-to-the-public-faster-robots-and-gadgets-a/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you somehow missed it, Google Wave is now a bonafide Labs project: rather than being an invite-only alpha, it's now a public beta test! If you don't already have an account, just head on over to Wave and use your regular Google login details. If you've not seen any of the Google Wave introductory videos, you should check them out -- they explain the whole thing a lot more succinctly than I ever could. Wave has also been enabled for Google Apps domains -- businesses could convert their internal communication to Waves today!

Leading up to this public release there have a lot of changes. It's by no means finished, but Google Wave is now a lot faster. It's also more intuitive -- more useful -- and given the large number of Robots and Gadgets now reaching prime-time readiness, it feels like the mass adoption of Wave is imminent. Also, if you're an old, disillusioned user, Wave is now deserving of 'just one more go'.

In the following days I'll be highlighting some new Wave Robots and Gadgets that have caught my eye. I will take it upon me to convince you of Google Wave's awesomeness -- just you wait!

Download SquadGoogle Wave now open to the public: faster, Robots and Gadgets aplenty! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betacommunicationemailgadgetgooglegoogle waveGoogleWavelabspublicrobotwaveThu, 20 May 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Wave Extension Gallery goes live, still very wet around the ears]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/12/google-wave-extension-gallery-goes-live-still-very-wet-around-t/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/12/google-wave-extension-gallery-goes-live-still-very-wet-around-t/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/12/google-wave-extension-gallery-goes-live-still-very-wet-around-t/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Showing off the truly omnivorous and omnipotent nature of Wave, there is now an internal Extension Gallery. All you have to do is hit the 'Extensions' button on Wave's Navigation menu and voila!

Until now, it's always been a bit tricky to find 'proper' extensions for Wave. There have been a few lists, but gadgets are often plagued with stability issues (or they don't work at all), and robots are prone to go offline without warning. With this official Gallery, and the necessity for all submitted extensions to be reviewed by the Wave team, the quality of extensions will surely improve.

In other news, there's also a new Robot API, if you're a developer -- it's been awfully quiet on the Wave front, but I have a feeling there's still quite a lot going on behind the scenes.

Anyway, if one of the 18 currently-available extensions (yes, there aren't many yet -- no doubt they're being reviewed as we speak) aren't what you're looking for, don't forget to check Download Squad's ultimate list of Wave robots, or alternatively our gadgets list.

Download SquadGoogle Wave Extension Gallery goes live, still very wet around the ears originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collaborationcommunicationextensionsgadgetsgooglegoogle waveGoogleWaverobotswaveFri, 12 Mar 2010 08:45:00 EST<![CDATA[YouTube rolls out auto-transcript, LOLs ensue]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/04/youtube-rolls-out-auto-transcript-lols-ensue/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/04/youtube-rolls-out-auto-transcript-lols-ensue/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/03/04/youtube-rolls-out-auto-transcript-lols-ensue/#commentsFiled under: , ,

YouTube auto-caption
There are already plenty of third-party apps that allow you to leverage the power of Google Translate for hilarity's sake. Translation Party, Google Translate Boomerang. They're always good for a "Mr. Sparkle"-esque chuckle.

But now -- thanks to Google rolling out automatic transcripts on YouTube -- you get your insipid translation giggles directly from the source!

Just have a look at Brad's awesome Nexus One unboxing video. I'm pretty sure the first time I watched it I missed the bit about Hilary Clinton. Thankfully, Google displayed it in clear, readable text so that wouldn't happen the second time around.

Don't get me wrong -- I lean on Google translate frequently for actual translation, and I love how it works. But I love how it doesn't work even more. Check out some vids and share your favorite mis-translates in the comments. Make sure to click the up arrow and turn CC on, or you'll miss out on the fun.

Winner gets the bill from my physical therapist when I fall off my drafting stool!

Download SquadYouTube rolls out auto-transcript, LOLs ensue originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>automaticfaillolrobottranslateyoutubeThu, 04 Mar 2010 15:57:00 EST<![CDATA[The Ultimate List of Google Wave Robots]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/30/the-ultimate-list-of-google-wave-robots/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/30/the-ultimate-list-of-google-wave-robots/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/30/the-ultimate-list-of-google-wave-robots/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

This list has been a long time coming, and for that I apologise. But I think it will be worth the wait. In just the last month invites for Google Wave have opened right up with second and third generation testers getting invite codes of their own to distribute. Developers and users are now flooding into the new and exciting service. As a result, we're seeing rapid and extensive development of both Robots and Gadgets. This article's about Robots -- if you want Gadgets, we got gadgets, but they will not be covered here. What I've done is compiled a list of useful robots that actually work and seem to be actively maintained. You can find lists of robots all over the place, but they're full of useless and broken bots.

What are Robots in the world of Wave? They are very similar to what you might initially assume: they perform tasks and process data so that you don't have to. Robots are capable of real-time translation, or bringing news and stock tickers into a specific wave. Robots are what make Google's Wave truly powerful and extensible -- they are what allow you to send and receive Twitter tweets and feeds directly into your Wave user interface. In theory, with robots, you could experience most of the Internet from within Google Wave. News, email, games, instant messengers... everything will feed into your Wave inbox.

Share
Prepare to be impressed by these robots... or if you believe in John Connor, Skynet and the eventual cyborg apocalypse, prepare to be afraid; very, very afraid.

Continue reading The Ultimate List of Google Wave Robots

Download SquadThe Ultimate List of Google Wave Robots originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>communicationemailfeaturesgooglegoogle waveGoogleWaveguideIMinternetlistlistsproductivityrobotwaveMon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Little Wheel: gorgeous robot puzzles, cool soundtrack - Time Waster]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/06/12/little-wheel-gorgeous-robot-puzzles-cool-soundtrack-time-was/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/06/12/little-wheel-gorgeous-robot-puzzles-cool-soundtrack-time-was/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/06/12/little-wheel-gorgeous-robot-puzzles-cool-soundtrack-time-was/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Little Wheel is a wonderfully-illustrated puzzle game starring a robot in a city where the power is out and everything is broken and needs repairing. The levels are cast in shadow against a slick sunset background that suits the game's collection of machines perfectly. Little Wheel is also one of the only flash games I've played with a soundtrack that didn't drive me nuts after 30 seconds. Sure, the fun, jazzy music does get repetitive, but it's good enough to leave on for a little while. The sound effects are great, too.

A little while is probably all you'll need to beat Little Wheel. It's a pretty game, but the puzzles are a little easier than I'd like. Wanton pointing and clicking can get you through some levels, but it's worth playing each level just to see what the machines do. I wish it were longer and more complex, but Little Wheel looks and sounds better than most of the casual puzzle games out there.

Download SquadLittle Wheel: gorgeous robot puzzles, cool soundtrack - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flashlittle-wheelpuzzlerobottime-wastertimewastersFri, 12 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Weird Wednesday: Real websites making fake stuff]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/02/11/weird-wednesday-real-websites-making-fake-stuff/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/02/11/weird-wednesday-real-websites-making-fake-stuff/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/02/11/weird-wednesday-real-websites-making-fake-stuff/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Until we can finally allow robots to craft everything via iPhone CAD/CAM apps, you'll have to get your fix of fake tombstones and dress-up robots online. Here's a roundup of some helpful tools -- maybe. Honestly, several are horrendous to use. Others are merely fugly. One frightened my hamster. Still, if you are looking for a way to express yourself on the cover of TIME magazine, this may be your thing. Please add more in the comments, I know I've missed a few decent ones among the junk.

Make these crazy things online:

Tombstone
Great for making a very specific point (see above). Etch directly into a tombstone and right-click to download the result. Dead simple.

Internet Diploma
We've covered My Internet Diploma in the past. We sorta wish we hadn't. Luckily, now that we have all graduated with honors and have mad ninja skills, we know better. My Internet Diploma is as fake as My Little Pony.

Magazine
Put your face or drunk/nude torso on the cover of numerous magazines. There are bunches of these, but I chose the one with lots of real magazine covers. The workflow is irritating. You upload a pic, which opens a useless (new) window. Close that window, keep following the steps. Each step spawns a new window. If anyone knows a decent version of this, leave it in the comments.

Robot
It's a dress-up doll with robot parts. A little part of me died while playing with this. Still, the owner of this domain will be rich... when the robots take over.

Signs
The link takes you to the classic Church Sign Generator, but there are others. If anything comes up as sign generator in the URL, however, you may have stumbled upon one of the vast linkfarms of the interwebs.

There are many other examples, like a place that claims to print fake pay stubs (for a fee). I'm not linking to that one, but you get the idea. With the right web skillz you can fake just about anything. But with great power comes great responsibility, so don't go throwing your doctorate of hyperlinking in our faces -- we saw your nude cover for Byte magazine.

Download SquadWeird Wednesday: Real websites making fake stuff originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diplomagaghumormagazinerobotsigntombstonewebwareweirdwednesdayWed, 11 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Product View to recognize text in images]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/01/04/google-product-view-to-recognize-text-in-images/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/01/04/google-product-view-to-recognize-text-in-images/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2008/01/04/google-product-view-to-recognize-text-in-images/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Google image text searchGoogle recently filed for a patent to protect a sophisticated search system designed to find text in images. The most obvious use of the the technology is to find text in pictures through Google Images, but that's just the beginning.
Currently, Google uses the technology in Google Maps Street View, but, as usual, the company would like to expand into other areas of money-making. It is currently putting together what may be called Google Product View, a service that could revolutionize the way we shop and revitalize walk-in stores.

Product View requires automatic machines to index the inventory of regular, walk-in stores. Consumers can search local stores or a specific location for rare items, preventing them from having to call individual stores and dealing with disgruntled 19 year olds. Google plans on integrating Product View with its other services including the company's advertising efforts and Google Maps.

[via Information Week]

Download SquadGoogle Product View to recognize text in images originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>googleimageimagesrobotsearchsearch imagesearch textSearchImageSearchTextsmart searchSmartSearchtextFri, 04 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cottage industry pops up around unusual Google Street View sightings]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/04/cottage-industry-pops-up-around-unusual-google-street-view-sight/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/04/cottage-industry-pops-up-around-unusual-google-street-view-sight/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/06/04/cottage-industry-pops-up-around-unusual-google-street-view-sight/#commentsFiled under: ,

Google Street View robotSo it turns out Google Maps Street View is good for finding a lot more than aliens, cats in windows, and guys exiting porn shops.

In fact, in the short time since Google launched its new service, finding oddball photos has become an addictive new way to kill time for some. But if you don't have the time to search the country street by street for photos of robots, you might want to check out Streetviewr (despite the hokey web 2.0 insistence on leaving the final "E" out of the site's title).

Streetviewr is a rather simple page where users can upload interesting or funny images found using Google Street View. A rather large number seem to be photos of people with missing heads and cars that don't look quite right because the 360 degree photos didn't line up very well. But some of the user-submitted coordinates and captions are good for a laugh.

[via Frantic Industries]

Download SquadCottage industry pops up around unusual Google Street View sightings originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>privacyrobotstreet viewStreetViewtimewastersMon, 04 Jun 2007 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to get your content removed from Google]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/04/18/how-to-get-your-content-removed-from-google/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/04/18/how-to-get-your-content-removed-from-google/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2007/04/18/how-to-get-your-content-removed-from-google/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

how to get your content removed from googleHave you ever wondered how you can get your content wiped out of the Google directory, as some newspapers have been vying to do recently? Google has a plan for webmasters.

The Google Webmaster Blog outlines a few methods that site owners can use in order to ensure their content is not indexed by the search engine. This can include a simple robots.txt file that either blocks Google completely or blocks certain directories on a server. The best way to go about removal however, is to verify the ownership of your site through Google's webmaster tools by inserting a small line of code in a webpage. There is a diagnostic tab there called URL Removals. From there you can submit a New Removal Request and choose to remove Individual URLs, a directory, your entire site, or cached copies.

Of course if you end up changing your mind, Google also has a way to reinclude content. Keep in mind, either way could take a few months or more to refresh on all of Google's servers.

Download SquadHow to get your content removed from Google originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Apr 2007 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>centraldirectorygoogleremovalrobotsrobots.xtxsearchwebmasterWed, 18 Apr 2007 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ninja Loves Pirate - Today's Time Waster]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2006/09/19/ninja-loves-pirate-todays-time-waster/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2006/09/19/ninja-loves-pirate-todays-time-waster/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2006/09/19/ninja-loves-pirate-todays-time-waster/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Ninja Loves Pirate
I've never made a very convincing pirate, even on International Talk Like a Pirate Day, but like you I can enjoy a hearty "yarr" now and again. What I enjoy even more, though, is Ninja Loves Pirate, a gorgeous side-scroller for Windows in which you play the dual roles of (wait for it) stealthy ninja Ichiro and dread pirate Blackbeard, who must battle their way through (wait for it) evil zombies and robots. I'm not even kidding. Blackbeard and Ichiro each have their own special moves and skills, and the characters, enemies, and environments are composed of lush 16-bit-inspired graphics and excellent animations. The game does have a manual, but it's hidden on the Ninja Loves Pirate web site. Unfortunately only a demo is currently available, but it's challenging and satisfying to play, and I don't recommend you miss it. Matey.

Know any good pirate-themed time-wasters? Post them in the comments and I'll add them to this post.

Download SquadNinja Loves Pirate - Today's Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 19 Sep 2006 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>16bitdemofreefreewarefungameninjaninjalovespiratepirateretrorobotstalklikeapiratetimewasterswindowszombiesTue, 19 Sep 2006 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows Live Messenger "Invasion of the Robots" Contest]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2006/05/30/windows-live-messenger-invasion-of-the-robots-contest/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2006/05/30/windows-live-messenger-invasion-of-the-robots-contest/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2006/05/30/windows-live-messenger-invasion-of-the-robots-contest/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Invasion of the RobotsMicrosoft is sponsoring a contest that challenges developers to create chatbots for the MSN/Windows Live Messenger network. The contest, called Invasion of the Robots, promises over $40,000 in prizes, including the grand prize, a sweet Alienware system or US$10,000 in cash. The deadline is September 15, and Judging will presumably be done by a Microsoft panel (the contest rules just say "qualified judges supervised by an independent judging organization"), with winners being announced on October 15. There is also a "Users' Choice" category, the winner of which can choose among thre different prizes valued $500, or just the cash. If you want to enter, head over to the Invasion of the Robots site and download the SDK.

[Via Digg]

Download SquadWindows Live Messenger "Invasion of the Robots" Contest originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 30 May 2006 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chatbotcontestlivemessengermicrosoftmsnrobotrobotssdkwlmTue, 30 May 2006 13:15:00 EST