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[Ask DLS: What's your backup process?]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/ask-dls-whats-your-backup-process/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/ask-dls-whats-your-backup-process/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/ask-dls-whats-your-backup-process/#comments
Today's the day, folks! In case you haven't heard, today is the not-quite-official-but-still-a-good-idea World Backup Day 2011, which is all about awareness -- awareness that your hard drive and all its data are vulnerable to the harsh realities of this world we live in today.

The idea may have started as a simple post on Reddit, but it's bloomed into a full-blown initiative, and it's a good one. Too many people, and we're all guilty of this at some time or another, put the almighty backup far too low on the to-do list. Today is meant to remind everyone that it shouldn't be, and hopefully some of us will do something about it. Otherwise, you may find yourself out of luck when that aging drive containing your entire NSYNC collection bites the dust.

So here's our question to you: What's your backup process? Do you follow the advice of Kermit the Frog's impersonator and use a tool like Mozy, or use an old-school rsync script and your own cloud-storage account? Do you keep a stack of external drives in the closet, tagged by month and year? Are you a Mac user with Time Machine, or possibly the proud owner of a Drobo? Keep a RAID fridge in the closet? Let's put it all out there, because while some of us may be diligent about backups, there are many more who aren't -- and they can probably use the tips.

[Image credit: Hard Drive Repair]

Download SquadAsk DLS: What's your backup process? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupcloud storageCloudStoragehard driveHardDrivelinuxosxstoragewindowsworld backup dayWorldBackupDayThu, 31 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[France to tax Apple, Android, and other non-Windows tablets]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/07/france-to-tax-apple-android-and-other-non-windows-tablets/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/07/france-to-tax-apple-android-and-other-non-windows-tablets/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/07/france-to-tax-apple-android-and-other-non-windows-tablets/#commentsFrance, which already has a tax on blank CDs, DVDs, and hard drives, is looking to extend the private copying levy to tablets -- but only on tablets that don't run Windows.

This little gem, which actually passed through the French government back in December, could increase the cost of tablets with 64GB of storage by up to 12 euros, or $16. The money, incidentally, goes to copyright associations like the RIAA and MPAA.

As to why this tax will only apply to Android, iOS and other non-Windows tablets, it all comes down to the French government's idea of what constitutes a real operating system. As it stands, smartphones are already taxed the same way in France, but laptops are not -- and as tablets fall somewhere in between, the operating system becomes the deciding factor. Android and iOS are smartphone operating systems, so they are taxed as such; Windows, on the other hand, is a PC operating system, and won't be taxed.

Ultimately, it all comes down to whether the storage space on a device will be used for playing pirated music. The crazy thing is, it's all one big assumption: you will pay your tax to the copyright holders whether you pirate music or not. Canadians, rather famously, have been paying a tax on blank CD-R since 1997 -- even if you use them for data backups, the recording industry still got a slice of the pie! What a mad world we live in.

Download SquadFrance to tax Apple, Android, and other non-Windows tablets originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidfrancefrenchioslevyp2ppiracyprivate copying levyPrivateCopyingLevystoragetablettaxwindowsFri, 07 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[5 ways to recycle or revitalize your old computer]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/24/5-ways-to-recycle-or-revitalize-your-old-computer/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/24/5-ways-to-recycle-or-revitalize-your-old-computer/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/24/5-ways-to-recycle-or-revitalize-your-old-computer/#commentsChristmas is coming, and you're about to have a ton of time off. Some of that time will be spent energetically tearing apart beautifully-wrapped gifts, and eating food is certainly next on the list of priorities. Obviously you have to play with your new gifts (or put on your new socks), but after that... after the postprandial sofa-surfing grunts and burps and farts... well, there isn't a whole lot you can do.

The other big thing about Christmas is the amount of waste it produces. Wrapping paper, cards, ribbons, the plastic packaging of the presents themselves... there's an awful lot of trash on Christmas Day. Then, of course, you need to throw out all of the things that have been replaced by new gifts: old kitchen appliances, clothes, televisions, printers and, most importantly, computers. A new laptop or desktop is incredibly cheap nowadays, which makes them very popular gifts.

But shouldn't we do something with the old stuff, rather than just throwing it out? Of course, you could Freecycle or wade into the Craigslist cesspit, or give your clothes to charity -- but hold onto those old computers! You'd be surprised with how many cool things you can do with an old desktop or laptop computer. You could finally learn how to use Linux, or set up a media center PC so that you can watch downloaded movies on your TV. You could create a locked-down box for your kids to surf the Web on, or a network-attached storage server for your backups. There's almost no end to the list of neat things you can do with an old PC!

Continue reading 5 ways to recycle or revitalize your old computer

Download Squad5 ways to recycle or revitalize your old computer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupcomputerdesktopdismantleDLNAfeaturesfreenashardwarehgghow-tolaptoplinuxNASnetworkingrecyclingstoragestreamingtvvideowebwindowsFri, 24 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dropbox hits 1.0, gets lighter, faster, and adds selective syncing]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/17/dropbox-hits-1-0-out-of-beta-adds-selective-sync/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/17/dropbox-hits-1-0-out-of-beta-adds-selective-sync/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/17/dropbox-hits-1-0-out-of-beta-adds-selective-sync/#commentsDropBox Dropbox has been around for so long and become so indispensable for so many people, that it's tough to remember that the spry little utility has been in beta all along. Not any longer -- the Dropbox team has announced that their baby has officially left the nursery, and version 1.0.10 is available for download right now. You may actually have to go to the site to get it -- Dropbox has never been known for auto-updating.

The folks at Dropbox are particularly proud of this release, which they've for some reason dubbed "Rainbow Shell." Most changes will be completely transparent to the average user, but quite a bit of work's been done to the client over the last few months. For starters, the syncing engine's been overhauled to not only sync files faster, but to use up to 50% less memory doing it.

New users should now have an easier time setting up Dropbox, as the initial setup wizard's been redesigned with ease of use in mind. Mac users should be a bit happier with their client too, because it's been rebuilt to use Cocoa only, and looks much more native in OS X.

The one thing that's sure to be noticed by users however, is the addition of selective syncing, which allows you to choose which files or folders will get synced with each computer. That option can be found in the Dropbox preferences, in the advanced section, and it only applies to the system on which the client is installed. That way you can set your netbook to only sync music files, your work computer to grab all your documents, and your home computer to sync everything the other two have to offer.

But for the most part, this release is about heaping piles of bug-fixes, and the Dropbox team is extremely enthusiastic about the amount of problems they've worked out. It's certainly been a tough job to make a file-syncing system that works seamlessly between Windows, Mac and Linux, and that's without adding mobile devices to the mix.

Download SquadDropbox hits 1.0, gets lighter, faster, and adds selective syncing originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appsclouddropboxlinuxos xOsXproductivitysyncutilitieswindowsFri, 17 Dec 2010 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dropbox prepares to leave beta with version 1.0 release candidate]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/06/dropbox-prepares-to-leave-beta-with-version-1-0-release-candidat/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/06/dropbox-prepares-to-leave-beta-with-version-1-0-release-candidat/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/06/dropbox-prepares-to-leave-beta-with-version-1-0-release-candidat/#commentsDropbox hits 1.0Dropbox, with a bunch of minor bug fixes, has now been bumped from version 0.8 to 1.0 and garnered the exciting 'RC' tag. This means the developers think that Dropbox is ready for prime time -- though given its massive publicity drive, and a huge numbers of users, I think this is more of an 'exhibition release' than anything else.

Due to a bug in the upgrade process, Linux and Mac OS X users who are running version 0.7 should not upgrade to 1.0 -- instead, you should wait for the next release candidate (and no ETA for the second RC is given, I'm afraid).

According to the changelog, very little has changed with version 1.0. Some little niggles have been ironed out, but that's about it. The only visible change, it seems, is to the tutorial tour -- but if want to try it out, you have to unlink and re-link your Dropbox account from Preferences.

[Did anyone else know that Dropbox was a beta service? I had no idea...]

Download Dropbox 1.0 RC1 for Windows

Download SquadDropbox prepares to leave beta with version 1.0 release candidate originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 07:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dropboxrcrelease candidateReleaseCandidatesyncutilitiesMon, 06 Dec 2010 07:46:00 EST<![CDATA[SugarSync giveaway: win a 30GB account for a year]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/10/sugarsync-giveaway-win-a-30gb-account-for-a-year/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/10/sugarsync-giveaway-win-a-30gb-account-for-a-year/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/10/sugarsync-giveaway-win-a-30gb-account-for-a-year/#commentsFiled under:

SugarSync giveawayWhen I reviewed SugarSync for Android in September, I came away with one resounding conclusion: it's better than Dropbox. The Android experience is better, and the Web experience is better. There was just one niggle: the free version of SugarSync was feature-crippled. Earlier today, however, SugarSync lifted the crippling restrictions from its free version and bumped the storage up to 5 GB.

In my mind, there's now no reason to use Dropbox -- unless you're a Linux user, in which case you can stop reading now (SugarSync still doesn't support it). The rest of you should head on over and sign up for a free account. If the multi-device support (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Symbian!) doesn't blow your mind, the share-this-folder-with-a-friend feature will.

But wait! What if 5 gigabytes isn't enough -- because let's face it, 5 GB is the merest of data morsels in today's day and age. Maybe you want 30 GB, free, for a year! In that case, enter our giveaway by leaving a comment below -- we have 10 year-long subscriptions to give away! Full terms and conditions are after the break.

Continue reading SugarSync giveaway: win a 30GB account for a year

Download SquadSugarSync giveaway: win a 30GB account for a year originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupcloud storageCloudStoragedropboxgiveawaystoragesugarsyncsyncWed, 10 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Box.net increases storage quotas for both free and paid plans]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/28/box-net-ups-storage-for-both-free-and-paid-plans/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/28/box-net-ups-storage-for-both-free-and-paid-plans/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/28/box-net-ups-storage-for-both-free-and-paid-plans/#commentsFiled under: ,

Box.net new plans

Online storage and collaboration service Box.net has increased its storage allotments for all its plans, whether free or paid.

The free service now allows you to store 5 GB of files in the cloud (up from 1GB) with a per-file size limit of 25 MB. Premium upgrades include 25 GB of capacity for $9.99 or 50 GB for $19.99. Upping the file size limit to 1 GB is also possible for a fee.

For three users and up, there's the Business plan. This costs $15 per user per month and gives you a pool of 500 GB that's shared across your users. The file size limit is 2 GB.

An enterprise plan is also available, and this still has unlimited storage (the file size limit is still 2 GB) -- but you'll have to contact Box.net for a quote if you're interested.

As the limited amount of storage has been one of Box.net's weaknesses so far, it's good to see the company rectify that. Today's upgrades are already available for new users. Existing Box.net users will get the increased capacities over the next few weeks.

Download SquadBox.net increases storage quotas for both free and paid plans originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boxbox.netcloudcloud storageCloudStoragestorageThu, 28 Oct 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Defraggler 2.0 beta gets faster, adds boot-time defrag]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/23/defraggler-2-0-beta-gets-faster-adds-boot-time-defrag/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/23/defraggler-2-0-beta-gets-faster-adds-boot-time-defrag/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/23/defraggler-2-0-beta-gets-faster-adds-boot-time-defrag/#commentsFiled under:

It's taken a while to get there, but Defraggler 2.0 is finally ready for download -- at least in beta form.

The new version is more efficient and faster than ever, and Defraggler can now perform boot-time scans. Using the expanded configuration options in Defraggler 2, you can choose to run a one-time defrag, or you can set it to run each time you reboot your system. Defraggler's Drive Map has also gotten a visual update, and it even allows you to set customized colors and block sizes.

As with older versions of Defraggler, you're still able to exclude certain file types and folders and schedule defrag operations.

Defraggler 2.0 is shaping up to be an impressive update, and the beta has been very stable so far in my testing. Take the new beta for a spin, and share your thoughts in the comments!

Download SquadDefraggler 2.0 beta gets faster, adds boot-time defrag originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defragdefragglerdefragmentdiskhard driveHardDrivepiriformtune-uputilitywindowsSat, 23 Oct 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GrabBox auto-saves your Mac screenshots to Dropbox]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/11/grabbox-auto-saves-your-mac-screenshots-to-dropbox/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/11/grabbox-auto-saves-your-mac-screenshots-to-dropbox/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/10/11/grabbox-auto-saves-your-mac-screenshots-to-dropbox/#commentsFiled under: ,

GrabBox is a handy new Dropbox-powered screenshot tool for OS X. It uses the normal OS X screenshot hotkeys (Apple+Shift+3 and Apple+Shift+4), but the resulting screenshots wind up in your Dropbox public folder. It also automatically shortens the Dropbox URL of your new screenshot and copies it to the clipboard.

Think about that for a second: in one fell swoop, you've captured and uploaded a screenshot and grabbed the link for easy pasting. I thought no screenshot sharing app could be more efficient than my beloved Skitch, but GrabBox has proven me wrong. It should go without saying that a free Dropbox account is required to use GrabBox, but aside from that, the setup is a piece of cake.

Oh, and don't worry -- GrabBox lets you keep screenshots that you don't want to share from being uploaded, so you don't have to be paranoid that your secret robot shark blueprints might inadvertently become public.

Download SquadGrabBox auto-saves your Mac screenshots to Dropbox originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clouddropboxgrabboximagesscreenshotsstorageMon, 11 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SugarSync for Android is just like Dropbox... but better]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/09/30/sugarsync-for-android-is-just-like-dropbox-but-better/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/09/30/sugarsync-for-android-is-just-like-dropbox-but-better/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/09/30/sugarsync-for-android-is-just-like-dropbox-but-better/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Dropbox has received a lot of attention recently, mostly thanks to the rampant 'OMG 250MB referral!!' scheme that they've been successfully leveraging over the last couple of months. The thing is, just like Apple, Dropbox might be receiving the most press, but that doesn't mean it's better than the competition -- and there's a lot of competition!

Enter SugarSync, a Dropbox competitor with a lot of tricks up its sleeve. If you take a quick look at the comparison chart, you'll quickly see that SugarSync easily outstrips Dropbox in terms of functionality. In fact, SugarSync does so much that today I'm only going to discuss the Android app -- if I were to wade into the Web-based and desktop-based side of the service, we'd be here all afternoon.

Continue reading SugarSync for Android is just like Dropbox... but better

Download SquadSugarSync for Android is just like Dropbox... but better originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidappclouddropboxmobilestoragesugarsyncsyncThu, 30 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DLS Review: Dropbox for Android, now you have access to your cloud storage wherever you go]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/09/22/dropbox-for-android-now-you-have-access-to-your-cloud-storage-anywhere/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/09/22/dropbox-for-android-now-you-have-access-to-your-cloud-storage-anywhere/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/09/22/dropbox-for-android-now-you-have-access-to-your-cloud-storage-anywhere/#commentsFiled under: ,


Note: Dropbox for BlackBerry was released today -- and an updated version for iOS was also released. This is a review for the Android version, but I believe all three are functionally very similar.

Using Dropbox on a mobile device is an odd amalgam of emerging technologies. On the one hand you have the cloud --and everyone loves the flexibility that the cloud brings -- but on the other, when you're on the move, head hunkered over your smartphone, do you really need access to anything other than documents?

Having said that, there are certainly unconventional uses for Dropbox on your smartphone. You can stream music and video straight from your Dropbox, for example -- but why not just load up your phone before you leave? Streaming high-quality content over public Wi-Fi or costly 3G isn't the best idea in the world.

Still, despite an inherent lack of real-world usefulness, Dropbox for Android definitely works, and it works well. You can upload photos, videos, music and text files directly from your phone, and immediately share them with the db.tt URL shortener.

Continue reading DLS Review: Dropbox for Android, now you have access to your cloud storage wherever you go

Download SquadDLS Review: Dropbox for Android, now you have access to your cloud storage wherever you go originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidappcloudcloud storageCloudStoragedropboxmobilestorageWed, 22 Sep 2010 19:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Dropbox offers a free 250MB for completing a quick tutorial]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/08/06/dropbox-offers-a-free-250mb-for-completing-a-quick-tutorial/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/08/06/dropbox-offers-a-free-250mb-for-completing-a-quick-tutorial/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/08/06/dropbox-offers-a-free-250mb-for-completing-a-quick-tutorial/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you're a Dropbox user -- and we think you probably should be -- you can get an extra 250MB added to your account by completing a tutorial that really doesn't take very long. Just click the Get Started tab on the Dropbox website and follow the instruction. There are 6 steps, and you can do any five of them: just watch a video, send some Dropbox invites to friends, click through a list of Dropbox features ... installing Dropbox and putting files into your account count as two steps, and you've probably already done them!

The whole thing took me less than 10 minutes, which isn't a bad investment for 250MB. Dropbox also gives you an extra 250MB for every friend you invite who signs up for an account, so go forth and spread the word to get more storage space.
[via Lifehacker]

Download SquadDropbox offers a free 250MB for completing a quick tutorial originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>250mbdropboxfreestoragetipsFri, 06 Aug 2010 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Google working on improved download handling in Chrome]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/27/google-chrome-improved-download-manager/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/27/google-chrome-improved-download-manager/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/27/google-chrome-improved-download-manager/#commentsFiled under: ,

I won't lie -- my download folder is a mess. It's packed with files that I've downloaded for testing purposes, archives that have long since been extracted, and .PDF and .DOCX files that were only required for the 45 seconds they took to open and print. I'll place a portion of the blame on Chrome -- which doesn't currently provide an option to open (rather than save) downloaded files like (gasp!) Internet Explorer.

Change is on the way, however. In the Chromium design docs, there's talk of building robust temporary download handling in to Google Chrome. As the doc describes it, the change would "provide a nonintrusive way to open downloaded files with another application without permanently storing them on disk." An addition would be made to Chrome's context menu allowing you to "download and open" a file -- like a .torrent -- without having to save it first.

Files downloaded that way would still appear on your shelf (the chrome://downloads page), but they'd be marked with an icon indicating their unsaved status. You can work with your "download and open" files as you would a normal download -- but Chrome would remind you that you have unsaved temporary files when you close the browser in case you want to save them permanently.

Reduced file system clutter like mine is one benefit, but it would also be advantageous for Chrome's Incognito mode. Sign into your email, open and print your docs, and close Chrome -- when you confirm the prompt, the temporary files would be purged.

So, when can you expect to see the changes? Don't hold your breath -- this is actually related to a Chromium bug filed back in September of 2008.
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Download SquadGoogle working on improved download handling in Chrome originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chromechromiumcloudfilesincognitoprivacysecuritystealthstoragetemporaryTue, 27 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Passmark DiskCheckup is a free, simple SMART monitoring tool]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/13/passmark-diskcheckup-is-a-free-simple-smart-monitoring-tool/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/13/passmark-diskcheckup-is-a-free-simple-smart-monitoring-tool/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/13/passmark-diskcheckup-is-a-free-simple-smart-monitoring-tool/#commentsFiled under: ,

Erez might have been less than thrilled with Acronis Drive Monitor the other day, but I have a feeling he'll like Passmark's DiskCheckup a lot more. They're the same people who produce the awesome app BurnInTest -- one of my all-time favorite technician tools.

It's a simple little tool which keeps an eye on the SMART status of your hard drives. In addition to displaying an exhaustive amount of information about your drives (everything from its model and serial number to standards compliance and feature support), DiskCheckup can also park itself in your system tray and keeps a watchful eye on HDD temperatures. And yes, Erez, you can choose between Celsius and Fahrenheit...

Once your threshold has been crossed, DiskCheckup can either display a notification or send you an email notification.

One tweak I'd like to see added is for DiskCheckup to display drive temperatures when hovering over the system tray icon. It's not critical, however, because I'm far more interested in being notified when something is wrong -- but it's still nice to have the option.
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Download SquadPassmark DiskCheckup is a free, simple SMART monitoring tool originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hard driveHardDrivehddmonitorSMARTtemptemperatureTue, 13 Jul 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Portable Apps platform 2.0 coming soon with loads of improvements]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/01/portable-apps-platform-2-0-coming-soon-with-loads-of-improvement/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/01/portable-apps-platform-2-0-coming-soon-with-loads-of-improvement/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/07/01/portable-apps-platform-2-0-coming-soon-with-loads-of-improvement/#commentsFiled under: ,

John T. Haller's Portable Apps suite sets the standard when it comes to one-stop-shopping for programs for your USB flash drive. Today on the official Platform blog, Haller has shared details and screenshots of the upcoming 2.0 release -- and it's looking good.

Currently in beta for about two more weeks, the final release is slated for some time later this month. Among the improvements you'll find are an enhanced theming system, a new Aero-enabled theme, and a built-in PortableApps.Com Updater to keep your suite current. There's also an expanded options screen with dozens of user-configurable settings and access to the new themes via an easy-to-use switcher.

Another part of the 2.0 platform is the much-improved Launcher, which makes it even easier for developers to create portable versions of their apps. More details about the Launcher can be found on the PortableApps blog.

Download SquadPortable Apps platform 2.0 coming soon with loads of improvements originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2.0driveflashopensourceportableportableappssuiteusbThu, 01 Jul 2010 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Redo Backup is a fast, easy way to image your hard drive]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/28/redo-backup-clone-hard-drive-free/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/28/redo-backup-clone-hard-drive-free/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/28/redo-backup-clone-hard-drive-free/#commentsFiled under:



xPud is a slick little live Linux distribution. Apparently, it also makes a nice foundation for a backup and recovery tool.

Redo Backup is just that: a small, speedy Linux live CD that provides an easy way to backup and restore the entire contents of your hard drive. Redo utilizes Partclone for the heavy lifting, and it also provides automatic mounting of Linux and Windows shares so that you can backup over your LAN.

It's a solid -- and completely free -- replacement for commercial cloning tools like Ghost. Redo also includes other handy apps, like Firefox (in case you need to browse for and download some files onto your target machine) and tools for recovering deleted files.

Redo Backup makes a nice addition to your technician's toolkit -- drop it on a flash drive and keep it handy!

[via JK Webtalks]
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Download SquadRedo Backup is a fast, easy way to image your hard drive originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupclonehard driveHardDrivehddimagelinuxrestorexpudMon, 28 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dropbox gets stupid-easy two-click file sharing!]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/25/dropbox-gets-stupid-easy-two-click-file-sharing/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/25/dropbox-gets-stupid-easy-two-click-file-sharing/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/25/dropbox-gets-stupid-easy-two-click-file-sharing/#commentsFiled under: ,

Dropbox is pretty much the best thing to happen to file sharing since ... well, ever. It just got a lot better too, with an easy way to send a quick download link to a friend in only two clicks. Previously, you had to create shared Dropbox folders and invite friends to them or put files into your public folder to make them public. Under the new sharing model, just select "get shareable link" from the contextual menu on any file or folder to share it.

Media files you link will play on the Web, and if you have friends with Dropbox, they can also quickly your linked files to their own Dropbox accounts. Of course, there are social sharing buttons, so you can post your new link on Facebook or Twitter with ease. Sharing folders is as easy as sharing files, and it's a quick way to show off a bunch of photos at once or share a music playlist.

I thought I couldn't love Dropbox any more than I already did, but I was wrong!
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Download SquadDropbox gets stupid-easy two-click file sharing! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dropboxfile sharingfilesFileSharingsharingstorageFri, 25 Jun 2010 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Is the new share-anything Google Docs the precursor to Google's in-the-cloud music service?]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/21/google-docs-cloud-music-storage/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/21/google-docs-cloud-music-storage/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/21/google-docs-cloud-music-storage/#commentsFiled under: ,

Late last week Google turned on 'public sharing' in Docs. You could always share files with friends or via an obfuscated 'secret link', but the idea of public, searchable links is something new. Not only is it an issue for piracy -- I tested it with a 350MB TV show, and it worked fine! -- but this could also be the opening salvo of Google's counterattack against Dropbox and Microsoft's SkyDrive.

But enough of the public sharing feature! I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about the possibilities of cheap, API-accessible cloud storage. This is actually an excuse for me to play catch-up: Google Docs now lets you upload almost any kind of file! This functionality was originally turned on six months ago, but it's the kind of thing that most people wouldn't discover on their own. But the plot thickens...

The inner scientist compelled me to try out as many file formats as possible. AVI, RAR, ZIP, BMP, EXE, MSI -- the list goes on -- and when combined with help of a Download Squad reader, we tested an exhaustive list of 30 popular file formats. The results are interesting: everything worked fine, except for music files. For some reason, FLAC files have their extension removed, and M4A and ALAC have their extensions changed to 'MP3'. MP3s and OGG files are left unscathed.

Now, it would make sense for Google Docs to be the One Repository To Rule Them All -- why should accessing your music on your phone be any different from accessing your work? -- but... why would music formats be renamed? No other file types were renamed. That sounds a lot like either buggy legacy code, or that the Android music cloud-sharing service is quite tightly linked to Google Docs.

I think something juicy is going on behind the scenes.

With Android now mainstream and the imminent release of Chrome OS, I think we're about to see some sexy cloud storage services from Google.

Update: A commenter has suggested that we do some speed and bandwidth testing for this new feature. Is there a limit to how many gigabytes each Google Docs account can transfer in a month? Grab the 100MB test file and post your transfer speed in the comments!

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Download SquadIs the new share-anything Google Docs the precursor to Google's in-the-cloud music service? originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audioclouddropboxgooglegoogle appsgoogle docsGoogleAppsGoogleDocsmusicskydrivestorageMon, 21 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How does Windows Live Sync stack up to DropBox?]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/17/how-does-windows-live-sync-stack-up-to-dropbox/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/17/how-does-windows-live-sync-stack-up-to-dropbox/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/17/how-does-windows-live-sync-stack-up-to-dropbox/#commentsFiled under: ,

Live Essentials 2011 is nearly ready for the launch of its beta and with it will come Live Sync, Microsoft's desktop-to-cloud storage app which provides Dropbox-like capabilities via SkyDrive. Both services provide a nice bridge between your computer and the cloud, and they're extremely handy if you use more than one computer system on a regular basis -- especially if they're in different locations.

So how do the two services match up? Let's take a gander.

Capactiy: tie (sorta)
Both Dropbox and Live Sync provide 2GB of accessible-by-anyone cloud storage for free. Dropbox, of course, offers paid upgrades while Live Sync presently does not. Whether Microsoft will allow you to expand into more of your SkyDrive's maximum 25GB of space remains to be seen.

Flexibility: Live Sync
Though Dropbox lets you choose which subfolders of your My Dropbox folder you want to sync, there's no easy way to include folders located elsewhere on your system (yes, there are ways to do it using symlinks). Live Sync lets you choose any folder on your system, plus it can also sync Internet Explorer Favorites and Office templates.

Peer-to-Peer Sync: Live Sync
Dropbox doesn't offer this function, and it can be incredibly handy. In addition to letting you sync 2GB of data to your SkyDrive cloud storage, Live Sync will also do folder-to-folder syncing on any machines you want to connect. Just sign in with your Live ID on both systems and create the folder pair.

Continue reading How does Windows Live Sync stack up to DropBox?

Download SquadHow does Windows Live Sync stack up to DropBox? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clouddropboxlive syncLiveSyncstoragesyncwebThu, 17 Jun 2010 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Box.net finally gets a desktop sync client]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/10/box-net-finally-gets-a-desktop-sync-client/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/10/box-net-finally-gets-a-desktop-sync-client/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/10/box-net-finally-gets-a-desktop-sync-client/#commentsFiled under:


One thing that may have dissuaded you from using Box.net in the past is its lack of a Dropbox-like desktop sync program. That's finally changed, with Box introducing a Windows app that creates a My Dropbox My Box Files folder and keeps it synced to your cloud storage.

Dropbox still has the edge, of course, with its app also available for Mac and Linux users. Box.net assures us that a Mac version is on the way in a few months, but I couldn't find word of any Linux plans. Box.net does have loads of cool plug-in OpenBox services though, which are well worth investigating if you're considering a cloud sync/storage account.

CNet's Josh Lowensohn laments Box's 2GB file cap, but I don't see the problem. Cloud storage and sync apps like Box.net aren't really intended for warehousing files of that size anyway. They're more geared for working files, documents, application preferences, etc. 2GB plus? That's video and ISO file territory, and something I'm sure Box.net figures they're better off without.

... Not to mention the fact that poor saps like me are still saddled with horrendous 30K/s upload speeds. Until ISPs make with faster uploads, I've got no interest in syncing enormous files to the cloud.

Download SquadBox.net finally gets a desktop sync client originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>box.netclouddropboxstoragesyncThu, 10 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DroppedBoxx is a full-featured Dropbox client for your Windows Mobile phone]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/29/droppedboxx-dropbox-app-windows-mobile-winmo/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/29/droppedboxx-dropbox-app-windows-mobile-winmo/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/29/droppedboxx-dropbox-app-windows-mobile-winmo/#commentsFiled under:

Looking for a nice app for your Windows Mobile handset which interfaces with your Dropbox storage? DroppedBoxx might be just the app you've been waiting for.

Though still fairly nascent, DroppedBoxx already lets you browse your Dropbox files, download them (with a quick email option), and upload. You can also take a photo and upload it, and the developer plans on adding an option to record and upload files soon. Full sync, folder creation, and usage stats will also be added in an upcoming version.

I don't have a Windows Mobile handset to test DroppedBox out, but the review from PocketNow is very favorable. Judging from the replies to the original post on the XDA Developers Forums, so it's fair to say DroppedBox is worth a test drive.

[via XDA Developers]

Download SquadDroppedBoxx is a full-featured Dropbox client for your Windows Mobile phone originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 29 May 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clouddropboxstoragesyncwinmoSat, 29 May 2010 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Updated Dropbox can now sync the folders you want it to!]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/28/updated-dropbox-can-now-sync-the-folders-you-want-it-to/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/28/updated-dropbox-can-now-sync-the-folders-you-want-it-to/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/28/updated-dropbox-can-now-sync-the-folders-you-want-it-to/#commentsFiled under: ,

Dropbox is an awesome sync application, and one which gets a lot of love from techy types. It runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems and the 2GB of free cloud storage is enough room to handle all kinds of useful and important files you need to be able to access from anywhere.

Until now, one knock against Dropbox was the limited choice you had with your Dropbox folder. You could choose where you wanted the base location to be, but that's it -- everything inside was synced to the cloud. In today's experimental build, selective sync has finally been added. Now you can head to your Dropbox preferences window, click the advanced icon, and press selective sync to tell Dropbox to stop syncing any subfolders you wish!

Yes, at last you can set your 'My Dropbox' location to your home folder (like C:\Users\Me\My Dropbox) and sync only the nested folders of your choosing. It's another great addition to an already great app.

To take the new version for a test run, download the Dropbox experiemental build from the forum post.

Note: please don't post your Dropbox referral codes here. They will be deleted.
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Download SquadUpdated Dropbox can now sync the folders you want it to! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 28 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betaclouddropboxexperimentalstoragesyncFri, 28 May 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SkyDrive simple viewer quickly shows your SkyDrive WebDAV paths]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/17/find-skydrive-webdav-address-paths/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/17/find-skydrive-webdav-address-paths/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/17/find-skydrive-webdav-address-paths/#commentsFiled under: ,

A few weeks ago I shared a (fairly) simple way to map local drive letters to your Live SkyDrive shares. It's a nice -- albeit somewhat slow -- way to access and manipulate your files in the cloud.

In my tutorial, I used Microsoft Office 2010's save to web functionality to find the URLs I needed. As it turns out, there's a much easier way: SkyDrive Simple Viewer.

Extract the .zip file to a folder on your computer and launch the executable. Once the main window opens, input your username and password and log in. A complete list of your folders will appear on the left, and you can click each one to display its WebDAV address on the right. Simple Viewer also shows you which files are stored in the folder you've selected.

SkyDrive Simple Viewer is a free, portable download and you can find it at Codeplex.

Download SquadSkyDrive simple viewer quickly shows your SkyDrive WebDAV paths originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 17 May 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>foldersliveskydrivestoragewebdavMon, 17 May 2010 10:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Dropbox Folder Sync simplifies multi-folder syncing]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/07/dropbox-folder-sync-simplifies-multi-folder-syncing/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/07/dropbox-folder-sync-simplifies-multi-folder-syncing/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/05/07/dropbox-folder-sync-simplifies-multi-folder-syncing/#commentsFiled under: ,

Getting things synced up to your Dropbox cloud storage from your Windows desktop normally means moving other folders inside your My Dropbox folder. That's kind of a pain, and it can really throw a monkeywrench into your workflow.

Junctions are a handy way around the problem, but the average user might not feel messing with them manually. If that's true for you, check out DropBox Folder Sync. It makes use of Sysinternals' Junction utility to create "phantom" symlink directories and move the originals into your DropBox folder. Right click a folder on your hard drive, choose Sync with Dropbox, and you're done!

For example, I'm moving my C:\Users\Lee\Downloads\Logs folder. DFS will create a symlink so that Windows thinks the Logs folder is still in its original location -- then it will move my Logs folder to C:\Users\Lee\My Dropbox\Logs. Now, no shortcuts or programs looking for that folder will freak out just because it's been relocated.

It's a great little app...But can we please use a font besides Comic Sans in the main program window, fellas?

[via Ghacks]

Download SquadDropbox Folder Sync simplifies multi-folder syncing originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 07 May 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clouddropboxjunctionstoragesymlinksyncFri, 07 May 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Use Office 2010 to map a local drive letter to your free 25GB Live SkyDrive]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/25/use-office-2010-to-map-a-local-drive-letter-to-your-free-25gb-live-skydrive/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/25/use-office-2010-to-map-a-local-drive-letter-to-your-free-25gb-live-skydrive/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/04/25/use-office-2010-to-map-a-local-drive-letter-to-your-free-25gb-live-skydrive/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Live SkyDrive is an awesome service. 25GB of web storage for free? Yeah, that sounds good to me. Sure, the 50MB per file limit is a little bit of a downside but it's still a great place to store documents, music, and photos.

Heck, if you tell an app like 7zip to chunk big files up into 50MB pieces you can store whatever the heck you want. If only there was a way to access your SkyDrive storage like a local hard drive without an app like Gladinet or SD Explorer...Why, that'd make it like a free Dropbox account x 12.5!

As it turns out, there is a way to do that -- and it's pretty darn easy to do now that Office 2010 is here.

Here's what you'll need to to turn your SkyDrive into your Z: drive (or whatever letter you choose):
  • Office 2010 -- a trial version or unexpired beta is fine
  • a Windows Live account
  • ...the ability to follow directions
That's about it. Let's go!

Continue reading Use Office 2010 to map a local drive letter to your free 25GB Live SkyDrive

Download SquadUse Office 2010 to map a local drive letter to your free 25GB Live SkyDrive originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010cloudfilesfreehackhowtoslivemicrosoftofficeskydrivestoragewebSun, 25 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CloudDrive provides easy desktop access to 5GB Acrobat.com cloud storage]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/23/clouddrive-provides-drag-and-drop-access-to-5gb-free-acrobat-cloud-stor/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/23/clouddrive-provides-drag-and-drop-access-to-5gb-free-acrobat-cloud-stor/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/23/clouddrive-provides-drag-and-drop-access-to-5gb-free-acrobat-cloud-stor/#commentsFiled under: ,

Looking for a convenient place to store 5GB of your documents and media files for free? Acrobat.com is a decent option, though getting files uploaded can be a bit of a hassle. Their web interface only allows you to send one file at a time and you can't send whole folders. That can make for a pretty lengthy upload process.

A more convenient way to do it is with CloudDrive, a small Windows application which provides drag-and-drop simplicity. It's similar to Gladinet and SkyDrive Explorer. Launch CloudDrive, drag in some folders and files, and let it handle the formerly tedious upload process for you!

Acrobat.com accepts just about any file type, so you should be able to drop in things like 7-zip archives, .mp3 files, or anything else you want to back up for free (like my Lego Digital Designer files). Just make sure you read the terms of service before you get started to make sure this is the right fit for you.

CloudDrive is a free download and works on Windows XP or newer.

Download SquadCloudDrive provides easy desktop access to 5GB Acrobat.com cloud storage originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acrobat.comadobeclouddesktopdrivegladinetsharingstorageTue, 23 Feb 2010 11:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Comcast launches Secure Backup & Share -- 2GB of free online storage... for Comcast users!]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/19/comcast-launches-secure-backup-and-share-2gb-of-free-online-sto/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/19/comcast-launches-secure-backup-and-share-2gb-of-free-online-sto/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/19/comcast-launches-secure-backup-and-share-2gb-of-free-online-sto/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As a Brit, I only know of Comcast as 'that ISP that throttles peer-to-peer traffic', but it's good to see they're back in the saddle and providing value-added services like this!

As of now, Comcast users can login and claim their 2GB of free online backup/file sharing space. As CNET points out, it's run by the successful Mozy, which also manages the online backup/storage for McAfee (and despite our collective hatred for McAfee, it's probably a sign that Mozy knows what it's doing!)

The only other interesting bit is a statistic from Mozy: apparently 140,000 hard drives crash every week, in just the U.S. Every time a hard drive crashes it's like losing a bit of your soul -- and a free 2GB of storage is more than enough space for your sensitive documents and a generous handful of family photos.
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Download SquadComcast launches Secure Backup & Share -- 2GB of free online storage... for Comcast users! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupcomcastfreemozysharingstorageFri, 19 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Open source disk tool UltraDefrag hits version 4.0]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/08/open-source-disk-tool-ultradefrag-hits-version-4-0/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/08/open-source-disk-tool-ultradefrag-hits-version-4-0/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/02/08/open-source-disk-tool-ultradefrag-hits-version-4-0/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you haven't heard it mentioned before with other disk defragmenters, UltraDefrag is a solid open source alternative to tools like MyDefrag and Auslogics' Disk Defrag.

Ultra Defrag is packed with functionality, offering whole disk defragmentation and optimization, file and folder defragging (via your right-click context menu), boot-time defragging, and scheduled jobs. The boot-time job allows UltraDefrag to take care of locked system files like pagefile.sys and your registry hives, which are locked while Windows is running.

While UltraDefrag v4.0 isn't the project's first major release, its developers consider this to be the first 'non-beta' due to past issues with reliability. The new version is fast, and after testing it on three different Windows 7 systems (including x64) those problems seem to have been fixed.

Downloads are available for both 32 and 64-bit Windows versions, and both an installer and portable option are provided.
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Download SquadOpen source disk tool UltraDefrag hits version 4.0 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defragdiskdrivehardhddopensourceoptimizeultradefragMon, 08 Feb 2010 09:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Box.net adds a versatile web-based file viewer]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/21/box-net-adds-a-versatile-web-based-file-viewer/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/21/box-net-adds-a-versatile-web-based-file-viewer/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/21/box-net-adds-a-versatile-web-based-file-viewer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Box.net, a very useful online storage provider, just got a heck of a lot more useful. Box is introducing a Flash-based viewer that will allow you to preview media files hosted on the service. It's not just mp3s and photos, although those are included, too. You'll be able to view Photoshop PSD files, code snippets, Flash videos, Microsoft Office files and more.

Box scored this new viewer from Increo, a company they recently acquired. Increo was marketing it as an embed-anywhere solution called Embedit.in. Embedit.in got high marks from Download Squad for its impressive ease of use, so it should make a great addition to the larger Box.net storage option. Now Box can provide a place to store your files AND a way to embed them, which is an attractive proposition indeed.

[via CNET]

Download SquadBox.net adds a versatile web-based file viewer originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boxbox.netcloudmediapreviewstorageviewerThu, 21 Jan 2010 18:23:00 EST<![CDATA[GlideOS now offers 30GB of free storage on their gDrive]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/glideos-now-offers-30gb-of-free-storage-on-their-gdrive/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/glideos-now-offers-30gb-of-free-storage-on-their-gdrive/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/01/15/glideos-now-offers-30gb-of-free-storage-on-their-gdrive/#commentsFiled under: ,

If Google's not going to come right out and release a product called gDrive, someone else might as well. That someone else appears to be GlideOS.

The service recently bumped their free offering to a whopping 30GB -- 30 times more than what Google is offering. You can also upgrade to a premium account which gets you 250GB for $50US per year -- the same price gets you 200GB from Google.

There is a downside, of course. Glide doesn't allow just any old file - their storage is earmarked for media and documents, so you won't be uploading things like installers and archives.

To make it easier for us to get our files synced up with the cloud, Glide provides a desktop client for Windows, Mac, Linux (RPM), and Solaris/OpenSolaris (yes, really!). There's also a mobile portal which you can access from just about any smartphone.

Glide's free storage is a nice complement for netbooks with smaller SSD drives - and a solid option for sync-powered backup of your important files.

Download SquadGlideOS now offers 30GB of free storage on their gDrive originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cloudgdriveglideglideosstoragewebFri, 15 Jan 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[My First Computer - a used IBM 80286]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/31/my-first-computer-ibm-80286/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/31/my-first-computer-ibm-80286/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/31/my-first-computer-ibm-80286/#commentsFiled under:

My first computer was a used IBM 80286 with 640k RAM, a 10MB hard drive, running MS-DOS 3.0, and a sporting stylish 5.25" floppy drive on top of a 3.5" drive. The computer was brought home by my father, from work, when I was 6 years old. He'd bought it from the company when they upgraded to 386s that were brand new that year. When he carried the massive box into the living room that evening, I wasn't sure what he was carrying, but I knew that I'd like it anyway. We spent the evening setting it up, and I was the first of us to actually flip the switch on the back and power up the beastly machine.

This computer, which still exists and runs today, was the first one I'd ever seen, and I didn't know why, but I liked the thing. Even at that age, I was obsessed with technology; even going so far as to beg for a Nintendo just because it had wires. When the machine booted up, we were met with a DOS prompt and... nothing else. My dad grabbed one of the many manuals that came with the computer, and started flipping through. Eventually, he found what he was looking for, and started typing what seemed like gibberish to me.

After an hour or more of watching him type on the huge, white, loud keyboard, he finally stopped and said, "OK. We'll come back to this tomorrow," and shut down the computer. I didn't know what I'd just seen, but I wanted to learn. So while we ate dinner that evening, I read one or two pages of the manual, and figured out a few basic DOS-commands, and a few simple lines of BASIC. After dinner, I walked into the living room, up to the desk, and switched on the dusty box.

Sitting there for most of the night, typing one-fingered, and referencing the manuals every 10 seconds or so, I was eventually able to make the computer do a few things that I thought were really good--the standard "Hello World!" script being among them. Once my father came in and saw what I was doing, he sat down and had me show him a few things from the book. After that night we started picking up shareware, games, word processors, and anything else that we could find; and met the system requirements.

A week after we first set up the computer, we went to Radio Shack and picked up a RAM upgrade. So, we went from 640k to 1024k. That's right, a whole megabyte! And that was pretty much twice what every program we could find required. We went from playing horrible Classic Concentration games, to picking up all sorts of amazing products from SSI/TSR, like the Silver and Gold Box collections of AD&D games, and even an early flight simulator that wouldn't run with the computer's original hardware.

That computer was in regular use until it was replaced by a Compaq 80386 with no 5.25" drive, one 3.5" drive, a 20MB hard drive, and 2MB of RAM, but it was still pulled out every now and then to play some of those games that were only available on 5.25" floppy. It enjoyed a long life of Wolfenstein 3D, Ken's Labyrinth, Rambo III, and countless Commander Keen games. It went from DOS to OS/2, and even had Windows 3.1 installed on it at one point. Word Perfect 3 was the word-processor of choice, and batch files cluttered every sector of it's trusty hard drive. BASIC manuals and tutorials cluttered the desk, and at least 5 different "floppy containers" were in use, and stuffed, at any given time.

These days, I'm on a MacBook with a 2.16Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, a CD/DVD burner, and a display that's not only widescreen, but supports resolutions nobody even thought of back then. The home computer of choice for the household is a DIY-monster I created using an old case, a Pentium 4, 4GB DDR2 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a video card that could render Pixar movies in real-time. Technology has certainly come a long way since my first computer, but that doesn't mean the thing is useless now. Like I said, it's still around, and every now and then it's still booted up, and an old game is loaded and played for hours on end. And that's perfectly fine with me. As long as it keeps chugging along, I'll keep going back to it and giving it all the attention it could ever need. As long as the parts are available to ensure that it still serves up some fast-paced Hillsfar then it will always have a place in my home.
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Download SquadMy First Computer - a used IBM 80286 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>28680scomputerfirstfloppyharddriveIBMretrocomputingtechnologyThu, 31 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Get every National Geographic since 1888 on a 160GB hard drive]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/29/every-issue-of-the-national-geographic-since-1888-now-available-hard-drive/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/29/every-issue-of-the-national-geographic-since-1888-now-available-hard-drive/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/29/every-issue-of-the-national-geographic-since-1888-now-available-hard-drive/#commentsFiled under: , ,

From the massively-nerdy-but-really-quite-cool news department, I bring you the coolest thing I've seen since unwrapping my presents on Christmas Day. 120 years of amazing discoveries, eye-opening editorial and mind-expanding stories form The Complete National Geographic. Maps, stories and every single damn photo, all lovingly reproduced in 'stunning high resolution'... and distributed on a hard drive!

What you see here is the beginning of the end for the librarian. It's also great news for trees and climate change! (Unless someone can turn around and tell me that a hard disk drive is actually more harmful to the environment than 120 years worth of printed magazines).

For a third of the price you could also get the entire collection on six DVDs... but that's not quite as cool, is it? They also mention that 100 of the 160GB is freely available for your own use -- or future content updates, because the National Geographic shows no sign of slowing down yet!

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The National Geographic is a frickin' institution -- and unlike some others that I don't care to mention, we should be damn grateful it exists and continues to thrive. If I had children, this would be my first gift to them.

[a nod, conspiratorial wink and thanks to Yanksy for the tip!]

Download SquadGet every National Geographic since 1888 on a 160GB hard drive originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>digitaleducationhard driveHardDrivehardwarenational geographicNationalGeographicphotosTue, 29 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[P2P backup solution Zoogmo closes its doors]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/07/p2p-backup-solution-zoogmo-closes-its-doors/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/07/p2p-backup-solution-zoogmo-closes-its-doors/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/07/p2p-backup-solution-zoogmo-closes-its-doors/#commentsFiled under: ,

Zoogmo
Computers fail. And so it's always a good idea to have a backup solution, whether it involves regularly copying your important data to a spare hard drive, burning it to disc, or syncing it with an offsite backup network. While companies such as Mozy and Carbonite have made a business out of offering subscription online backup solutions, startup Zoogmo took a different approach by offering users a peer to peer backup solution.

The main difference is that Carbonite and Mozy are still around, while Zoogmo announced today that it will be closing its doors on December 31st. The other difference is that traditional online backup services invest in bandwidth and server space while Zoogmo hoped to rely on a network of users willing to share their bandwidth and space on their hard drives.

Theoretically, that could have worked beautifully. The data would be encrypted, and you could select a trusted group of friends that would help store backups of your data. But while Zoogmo hasn't given any official explanation for the company's decision to pull the plug, I'm guessing it was difficult to sustain a peer to peer network for a company that few people had ever heard of. Storage space and bandwidth would necessarily be limited. More importantly, something about hosting your data backups on a server farm with a big name company feels a lot safer than trusting your important files to a ragtag P2P network.

Download SquadP2P backup solution Zoogmo closes its doors originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupp2pstoragezoogmoMon, 07 Dec 2009 19:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Gladinet updates to 1.4, now with added cloud backup kung-fu]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/19/gladinet-back-up-music-video-photos-cloud/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/19/gladinet-back-up-music-video-photos-cloud/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/19/gladinet-back-up-music-video-photos-cloud/#commentsFiled under: ,

Gladinet is an excellent way to plug your Windows desktop in to a number of cloud storage providers - like Amazon, SkyDrive, Google Docs - as well as your own FTP and WebDAV servers. They also recently added a nifty cloud-to-cloud backup feature.

In the update to version 1.4, Gladinet has built in the ability to selectively back up specific file types to your remote storage. Want to make sure you have a current set of your local files at the ready on Google Docs? Maybe zip all your photos up to LiveDrive? It's a breeze in the new version.

From your system tray, just right-click the Gladinet icon and choose backup my files online, and in addition to folder and Google Docs backups you can now select Documents/Photos/Videos/Music as options.

Pick one, and Gladinet quickly scours your hard drive for the appropriate files. You can exclude anything you want - for example, stray .GIF images that might be selected by default.

The new task options make backing up your most essential personal files a breeze.

If you're a believer in the cloud, Gladinet is a must-have free download and the pro version is well worth a look at $39.99 (home) or $59.99 (commercial).

Download SquadGladinet updates to 1.4, now with added cloud backup kung-fu originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazon ec2AmazonEc2backupcloudgladinetgoogle docsGoogleDocsstorageThu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google announces big price cuts on paid extra storage for GMail, Picasa Web]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/11/google-announces-price-cuts-on-paid-extra-storage-for-gmail-pic/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/11/google-announces-price-cuts-on-paid-extra-storage-for-gmail-pic/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/11/google-announces-price-cuts-on-paid-extra-storage-for-gmail-pic/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You may not have heard about it before, but Google has been offering additional storage for GMail and Picasa Web users for quite some time. Today, the folks in Mountain View announced big time price breaks.

If you want a little extra elbow room for your email, attachments, and shared photos plans now start at a whopping 20 gigabytes for only $5 per year. Not enough, you say? You'll be happy to know that Google offers up to a full terabyte for $256 annually. Granted, right now you can only use this space for GMail and Picasa Web stuff.

I think I'll be passing on that 16 TB option Sebastian screencapped for now, thanks.

At any rate, Chrome OS in on the way and that likely means we'll finally get our hands on the elusive GDrive as well. Here's hoping it does, anyway.

In the event that Google does open things up, how do their plans stack up against other popular offerings? Let's look at DropBox. For 50Gb of storage, you'll spend $10 per month. With Google's new plans, $20 will get you 80Gb - for the entire year. That's not too shabby.

Sure would be nice if we could use it for all-purpose storage. You listening, Google?

Who's with me?

Download SquadGoogle announces big price cuts on paid extra storage for GMail, Picasa Web originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>commercialgmailpicasa webPicasaWebstorageWed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Droid Does... only have 256MB of storage for apps]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/09/droid-does-only-have-256mb-of-storage-for-apps/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/09/droid-does-only-have-256mb-of-storage-for-apps/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/11/09/droid-does-only-have-256mb-of-storage-for-apps/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Motorola's Droid is a sweet piece of hardware that's hyped to give the iPhone a run for its money, especially since it's running the new Android 2.0 OS, and works on the Verizon network in the US. We care about software here at Download Squad though, and there's some dismaying news about the Droid on that front: it has only 256MB for app storage. Seriously.

The Droid reportedly only packs a 512MB ROM (that's the built-in memory), of which only half is allocated for apps. There are some iPhone games that couldn't even fit in that teeny-weeny storage space! But at least it's expandable, right? Um, nope. Google doesn't support installing apps to the SD cards that Motorola relies on, so developers are pretty limited in terms of file sizes for their Android 2.0 software.

The Droid may have a solid CPU and GPU for gaming, but games that take full advantage of that hardware are likely to need 100 megabytes or more of storage space. That's going to make things pretty tough until Android 2.0 comes to a device with a lot more pre-installed flash memory.

[via Daring Fireball]

UPDATE: While it's true that the Droid only has 256MB for apps, commenters have pointed out that various resources for the apps (graphics, etc.) CAN be stored on the device's SD cards. It looks like the situation isn't as bad as the numbers seem to indicate at first.

Download SquadDroid Does... only have 256MB of storage for apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidappsdroidhardwaremotorolastorageverizonMon, 09 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dropbox drops onto the iPhone]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/29/dropbox-drops-onto-the-iphone/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/29/dropbox-drops-onto-the-iphone/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/29/dropbox-drops-onto-the-iphone/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Dropbox, the über-slick cloud storage and backup app, now has an iPhone version. You can use the iPhone app to get to your Dropbox on the go, sync media files from your phone to your Dropbox, and share links. You'll need a free Dropbox account - which comes with 2 gigs of storage space - to use the iPhone app, but you can sign up directly from your iPhone.

The iPhone app works with Dropbox's photo gallery feature, so it's easy to upload and view photos on the go. You can also download any of your stored files that you can view on an iPhone, which strikes me as pretty darn brilliant: now, instead of just using Dropbox to back up your computer, you can use it to back up all the media on your phone, too.

If you're away from a computer and your iPhone's music and photos get wiped, they'll still be safely waiting for you in your Dropbox.

Update: Although you can obviously store music (and anything else) on your Dropbox account, there's not actually a way to sync music to your iPhone via Dropbox. Oops. Photos and videos definitely work, though.


Download SquadDropbox drops onto the iPhone originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupclouddropboxiphonestorageTue, 29 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gladinet releases cloud-to-cloud backup]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/01/gladinet-releases-cloud-to-cloud-backup/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/01/gladinet-releases-cloud-to-cloud-backup/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/09/01/gladinet-releases-cloud-to-cloud-backup/#commentsFiled under: ,

Here's an idea I wish I had thought of first: instead of backing up files from your PC to the "cloud" of some online storage service, create a way to back up data from cloud to another. Gladinet's already doing it (for Google Docs users, anyway). With the latest version of Gladinet, you can back up your Google Docs data to Amazon S3, Windows Live SkyDrive, Box.net and more. The backup process can also be automated, so it'll take place behind the scenes, with no work required on the user's part.

Sure, backing up Google Docs might not be such a big deal, but the principle is solid. Arguably, the toughest thing about selling new users on the cloud is convincing them that their data will be safe when it's not stored on a device they can see. The extra security of being able to back up crucial data to multiple systems, in case one provider has an outage, makes the cloud look a heck of a lot more reassuring to the unconverted. For now, though, it's just a good way to back up your documents.

[via ReadWriteWeb]

Download SquadGladinet releases cloud-to-cloud backup originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>backupcloudgladinetgoogle docsGoogleDocsstorageTue, 01 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[11 useful Windows apps that tie in to your GMail account]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/28/11-useful-windows-apps-that-tie-in-to-your-gmail-account/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/28/11-useful-windows-apps-that-tie-in-to-your-gmail-account/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/08/28/11-useful-windows-apps-that-tie-in-to-your-gmail-account/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Love your GMail account but want to do more with it? If you're a Windows user, there are plenty of great (and free) apps that take advantage of your massive inbox in the cloud!

GBridge sets up a Hamachi-like VPN and offers loads of cool features for your Windows desktop, including file sharing, backup and synchronization, and remote control via VNC. Since the developers added support for Google Apps domains, this has become a great way to keep your office team connected.

GMail Drive is an oldie but a goodie. I've got several of gigs available, and there's no chance I'm going to fill that up with actual email anytime soon. Plug GMail Drive into Windows, and you can drop files into your extra space just like any other folder on your system.

g2peer allows simple file sharing with your friends via your GMail account. Don't need the other features from GBridge? g2peer is a good option. Your pals at the other end don't even need to install the app to get files from you since it supports "command line" interaction via GMail - check the help page to see how it works.

Continue reading 11 useful Windows apps that tie in to your GMail account

Download Squad11 useful Windows apps that tie in to your GMail account originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>affixabackupdigsbydriveg2peergmailgoogle-mailpidginFri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mobile Minute: SugarSync now available for Android]]>http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/07/29/mobile-minute-sugarsync-now-available-for-android/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/07/29/mobile-minute-sugarsync-now-available-for-android/http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/07/29/mobile-minute-sugarsync-now-available-for-android/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Need to sync files across machines? Need to access those files on your mobile devices? SugarSync to the rescue. There are currently SugarSync clients for WinMo, BlackBerry, iPhone, Mac and Windows, and starting today, Android phones (Android netbooks too, if they ever appear).

The apps are free, but you pay for storage, starting at $4.99 a month. You can try it free for 30 days, or keep it free with a mere 2GB of storage. You get 30GB for the $4.99 price. SugarSync hasn't yet replaced my current favorite, DropBox, but in light of Apple's iDisk app release, it seems there are more options for syncing files than ever. Here's to choice!

Download SquadMobile Minute: SugarSync now available for Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidblackberrycloudcommercialdocumentfalsefilefile syncFileSynciphonemobileminutestoragesugarsyncwindowswindows mobileWindowsMobilewinmoWed, 29 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST