Archive for January, 2010
Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware
The Windows recycle bin can be a life-saver for anyone who’s a little trigger-happy with the delete button. By default, Windows sends deleted items to the recycle bin before removing them, which means that you have to take the second step of emptying the bin before they’re truly (mostly) gone. And that means if you accidentally delete an item, you have a second chance to recover it.
Unless the item you deleted happens to be on a USB flash drive. Because the recycle bin doesn’t cover those.
Fortunately, iBin does. It’s a portable application that you can throw on a USB flash drive to create a portable recycle bin. Basically, all you have to do is download iBin, copy it to your flash drive, and run it. From then on, whenever you try to delete an item on your flash drive, a window will pop up asking if you really want to erase it, or if you want to dump it into your iBin.
You can then right-click the iBin icon in your Windows system tray to undo the last dumping, clean the bin, or open up the Dumping Management window where you can clear or recover (recycle) selected items.
The application is available as a free download for all versions of Windows.
[via Addictive Tips]
IBin is a portable recycle bin for USB flash drives originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Microsoft Windows – USB flash drive – Windows – Portable application – Recycle Bin
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Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Productivity, Open Source
Sure, Google Reader is all the rage these days, but some folks still prefer a powerful desktop app for reading their RSS feeds. RSSOwl, a cross-platform, open source app, just got an update to version 2 that makes it competitive with the best readers out there. Its most important new features include the ability to import OPML files – essentially, your list of feed subscriptions – from another reader and the ability to search feed items.
Without importing, RSSOwl was going to have a tough time picking up new users. Now switching is easy, and it’s definitely worth giving RSSOwl a chance. The new search feature in RSSOwl 2 is the most powerful I’ve seen in an RSS app. It’s not just one field: you can filter by subscription, date, title, contents and more, to make sure you find exactly what you’re looking for. Even better, you can save searches, so new items that match your search will automatically be added to the search folder (created by saving the search). Depending on your needs, RSSOwl might give your current reader a run for its money.
[via Lifehacker]
Open source feed reader RSSOwl hits version 2 originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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GoogleReader – RSS – Open source – Windows – Microsoft Windows
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This past week 14 new mashups were added to our mashup directory and 26 different APIs were used to build them. Some of the newer or less frequently seen APIs include Jigsaw, Mobypicture, Stylight, and TwitterCounter. The most often used APIs this week are Google Maps, TwitPic, and Twitter. And the most frequently used types of APIs were Social (6 APIs, 11 mashups), Mapping (5 APIs, 9 mashups), and Search (3 APIs, 3 mashups). The list below shows which APIs were used by which mashups:
eBay used in Game Scootch
Facebook used in Vodafone Update App for BlackBerry or iPhone
Google AJAX Language used in Dear Map
Google Ajax Search used in Dear Map
Google Earth used in Dear Map
Google Homepage used in Outfit Editor
Google Maps used in Allogarage, Brazil Preco dos Combustiveis, Dear Map, Local Twitter Trends with Google and Yahoo, Map Your Ride/Drive With Biker Footprints
Google Maps Flash used in Party Map
Google Search used in Brazil Preco dos Combustiveis
Google Static Maps used in Dear Map
Google Visualization used in Dear Map
Jigsaw used in Ixcitable for Jigsaw
Last.fm used in Slandr Mobile Twitter
MaxMind GeoIP used in Local Twitter Trends with Google and Yahoo
Mobypicture used in Slandr Mobile Twitter
MySpace used in Vodafone Update App for BlackBerry or iPhone
OpenSocial used in Outfit Editor
Stylight used in Outfit Editor
TwitPic used in Moo’d Tweet, Slandr Mobile Twitter, Vodafone Update App for BlackBerry or iPhone
Twitter used in Bot Beverages, Local Twitter Trends with Google and Yahoo, Moo’d Tweet, Slandr Mobile Twitter, tDash, Vodafone Update App for BlackBerry or iPhone
TwitterCounter used in Slandr Mobile Twitter
What The Trend? used in tDash
Wikipedia used in Game Scootch
Yahoo Term Extraction used in Local Twitter Trends with Google and Yahoo
YouTube used in Game Scootch
Mashups of the day:
And each day there is one mashup selected to be Mashup of the Day. Here are last week’s winners:
Local Twitter Trends with Google and Yahoo
Filed under: Internet, Adobe, Microsoft, Mozilla, Browsers
It’s the second of January 2010 and the figures are in from December. In just 16 months, Chrome has caught up and passed Apple’s Safari browser. Google Chrome now has 4.63% of the global market share, while Safari has only 4.46%!
It doesn’t look like a lot when you’re talking about a fraction of a percent, but when you consider that last month Chrome only had 3.93% you can see just how quickly it’s being adopted. Last month was actually Chrome‘s biggest leap since its launch, which probably has something to do with Google‘s current large-scale advertising campaign. PC World speculates that the large surge could also be due to the Mac and Linux Chrome Beta releases last month.
Despite Chrome’s progress in December, it was not at the expense of Opera or Safari’s market share — both actually made slight gains. Firefox lost 0.1% and Internet Explorer lost almost an entire percentage point, but thankfully not from IE8! Down with IE6 and 7, down I say!
In just 16 months Google Chrome overtakes Safari originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Google Chrome – Microsoft – Internet Explorer – Apple – Opera
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This week we had 6 new APIs added to our API directory including a new API for finding song lyrics, an API for integrating Apple Push Notification Service messages into any service, an API for domain registration and web hosting, an API for social messaging, an API for the Sourcemap project (which we covered earlier this week), and an interesting new API for people search. Below are more details on each of these new APIs:
ChartLyrics Lyric API: ChartLyrics is a lyrics database sorted by artists or songs. The Lyric API supports both a SOAP or REST interface to allow developers to access the full database. The API provides 2 functions: SearchLyric to search the available lyrics and GetLyric to retrieve the lyric.
iLime API: iLime is a solution for integrating Apple Push Notification Service (APNS). Push notifications can be sent as one of three types: a custom text alert, an icon badge number, or a custom sound. Responses are formatted in either XML or JSON.
MessageMost API: MessageMost is a short, mobile, and local messaging service. The MessageMost API allows developers access to data and user accounts to build applications that interact with the MessageMost network. The API can be used to build mobile, desktop, or Web applications or to interpret and visualize data.
NameCheap API: NameCheap offers domain registration and web hosting. The NameCheap API allows developers to build new web and desktop applications that integrate with the NameCheap account. It allows users to programmatically access account data from NameCheap.com and perform operations like domain check, registrations and renewals from within applications.
Sourcemap API: Sourcemap is project from the MIT Media Lab. It is a tool for producers, business owners and consumers to understand the impact of supply chains. The services lets you simulate the impact of manufacturing, transporting, using and throwing away products using our Life-Cycle Assessment calculator. This web-based tool uses linked data from geological and geographic resources. Each Sourcemap can be used to help market socially- and environmentally- conscious products and to buy carbon offsets.
Whoozy Person Search API: This API is part of the people search engine Whoozy. This API offers a RESTful interface to allow developers to search for a name in social networks, search engines, blogs, news, pictures, phone numbers, email addresses and more. Responses are formatted in either XML or JSON.
Filed under: Utilities, Macintosh, Productivity
If you’re using Apple’s latest and greatest little peripheral, the Magic Mouse, you don’t want to be without MagicPrefs. Our good friends over at TUAW stumbled on this free and extremely useful utility that gives you control over every aspect of your mouse experience. From adjusting your tracking speed to assigning functions to buttons and gestures, MagicPrefs has you covered.
Because the Magic Mouse’s main selling point is its versatility, MagicPrefs covers a lot of ground in terms of clicks, taps, swipes, pinches and drags. You can assign functions to practically anything, even three and four-finger clicks and taps. On top of assigning standard keyboard commands, you can also make your mouse activate hot corner functions like Exposé, so you never have to drag your cursor to a corner again.
Apple should build something like MagicPrefs into the Finder, because you’re really not getting the most out of your Magic Mouse without it.
[via TUAW]
MagicPrefs: don’t use a Magic Mouse without it! originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple – Apple Mouse – Macintosh – MagicMouse – Download Squad
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Filed under: Palm, Web services, Social Software, web 2.0, Microblogging
For the last month or so, I’ve been keenly keeping an eye on the progress of the open source webOS application for Foursquare: the location-based mobile game that’s been in the tech spotlight since its launch at SXSW last year.Whilst you can check in online using Foursquare’s mobile website, the folks at Foursquare have been gradually rolling out more native applications after launching with just an iPhone app. On top of the existing iPhone, Android and beta Blackberry applications out there, the new webOS app has just been made available for Pre and Pixi users to use.
Though the application is available as part of the webOS App Catalogue, it’s currently still in beta. As such there are a couple of unfinished areas to the app – including the leaderboards for each Foursquare city.
However, if you simply have to check into it at the gym, coffee shop or elsewhere on your Pre, be sure to have a look at our gallery after the break and visit the App Catalogue to download the beta!
For the last month or so, I’ve been keenly keeping an eye on the progress of the open source webOS application for Foursquare: the location-based mobile game that’s been in the tech spotlight since its launch at SXSW last year.Whilst you can check in online using Foursquare’s mobile website, the folks at Foursquare have been gradually rolling out more native applications after launching with just an iPhone app. On top of the existing iPhone, Android and beta Blackberry applications out there, the new webOS app has just been made available for Pre and Pixi users to use.
Though the application is available as part of the webOS App Catalogue, it’s currently still in beta. As such there are a couple of unfinished areas to the app – including the leaderboards for each Foursquare city.
However, if you simply have to check into it at the gym, coffee shop or elsewhere on your Pre, be sure to have a look at our gallery after the break and visit the App Catalogue to download the beta!
Foursquare beta now available for the Palm Pre originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Fun, Games, Features, Time-Wasters, Lists
Peel yourself off the floor (like Flickr user B. Rosen above), Download Squad readers! It’s time to usher in 2010!
Over the past twelve months we’ve shown you plenty of great tools to improve your productivity. We like to keep things in balance, though, so there were also plenty of awesome Time Wasters posted to keep your stress levels in check. Although in hindsight there were several which probably stressed some of you out even more… so… sorry about that.
Still, there’s no better way to kick off the new year than with a big ol’ helping of button-mashing, bad guy-blasting, puzzle-solving fun. Without further ado, it’s time to take the jump and enjoy ten of our favorite Time Wasters from 2009!
Jason got hooked on this one and couldn’t put it down for three days — that’s the risk you run when you go hunting for Time Wasters, but we do it for you! Also to, er, waste time. Perform tricks and race your bike as different characters, including a robot and none other than The King, Elvis Presley.
Effing Hail [Go Play!]
As a guy who gets his share of nasty, horribly-cold weather during the Winter months I get a little added enjoyment out of harnessing the power of hail to smash stuff. Buildings, planes…It’s all fair game in Effing Hail.
Hammertime in 60 Seconds [Go Play!]
I just couldn’t put this list together without including Jay’s awesome discovery. Play your way through loads of minigames featuring — who else — MC Hammer. Awesome sequined blazer not included.
Infectonator [Go Play!] [Go Play Christmas Edition!]
Zombies are awesome. Time Wasters are awesome. The two combined? Fuhgettaboutit! Choose the original or the holiday remix – either way, the goal is the same. Power up your zombies, turn the townspeople, and destroy stuff. Mmmm, brains!
Little Wheel [Go Play!]
Jay found Little Wheel’s levels a bit on the simple side, but the game’s visuals and soundtrack make it highly enjoyable distraction. Help the little robot fix all the broken stuff and restore power to the city!
Minim [Go Play!]
This interesting little puzzle game will have you banging your head occasionally – but some of our favorite Time Wasters have been incredibly frustrating. Connect the molecules, clear the board. Sounds simple enough, right?
Monster Evolution [Go Play!]
I had a great time playing this, and my son had an even better time watching. Grow your monster from a minor annoyance to a humanity-destroying beast of epic proportions. 25 different monsters to play and three difficulty settings make for soldier-eating, tank-smashing fun!
Rayhound [Go Play!]
Battling enemies using a ship with no guns whatsoever might seem like a pretty stupid idea, but who needs guns when you have a crazy gravity field at your disposal? Just blow your enemies up by redirecting their own fire.
This is the Only Level [Go Play!]
Sometimes the best games are the simplest ones – or at least the ones which appear to be simple. Every level is the same in this game, or so it looks. There’s something different about each one, and it’s up to you to figure it out.
Tuper Tario Tros. [Go Play!]
This was one of our more recent selections, and you’ve really got to play it to understand why it’s cool. Take the original Super Mario Bros. and throw it into a blender with Tetris, and this is what you get.
Have another favorite I missed? Share it in the comments!
10 favorite Time Wasters from 2009 to kick off your 2010 gaming! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Download Squad – TimeWaster – Video game – Game – Elvis Presley
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Filed under: Games
It had to happen eventually — and sooner rather than later it would seem! Today I am proud to be a crumpet-eating, tea-drinking subject of the Queen because in the UK, video games outsold movies in 2009. A total of of $2.8 billion was spent on video games, while only $1.93 billion was spent on DVD, Blu-ray and box office sales. That’s not just a minor victory, that’s a frackin’ landslide.
These shocking (and awesome) numbers come from a report that also says there are now 25 million games consoles in the UK, or theoretically up to 90% of all households. Sure, some households will have multiple consoles, but that’s still pretty damn solid market penetration!
I can only assume that modern distribution channels like Steam and Xbox Live are driving the incredibly rapid growth of the games industry. Perhaps this is finally the wake-up call that the film industry needs: content needs to be high quality and easily obtainable and reasonably priced — not just two out of three.
You need to get us out of our houses somehow, or better yet: give us a reason to watch a film instead of playing Modern Warfare 2.
I’m also curious to see if other countries will release similar figures for 2009, or if the UK is actually leading the most important, contemporary charge of the 21st century.
[via CNET]
Video games overtake movies in the UK originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Video game – Xbox Live – DVD – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Games
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During the decade that ends today open source went from being almost an underground movement into a dominant business model.
(Anyone who didn’t go through an M.C. Escher period during college needs to go back. This is his famous crystal ball.)
One by one the niches fell. And while proprietary vendors could still innovate around and beyond open source, most found it necessary to make peace or die. Sometimes make peace and die.
So what might open source do in the teens? (At least we have a name for this new decade. We never settled on a name for the old one.)
I know what many in the business will say. Open source will be assimilated. Everything will be mixed source. Products will be a melange of licenses — enough to make you feel it’s open, but not enough that you can avoid paying the guy at the bottom of the stack.
This seems a reasonable attitude because so much open source is moving into places where business models are established and reasonable. Hardware, the cloud.
- You buy hardware at a store, it moves through the channel, and it doesn’t matter whether the software inside is open or closed. Is there really a difference between a Google Nexus One and an iPhone, from the transaction point of view?
- You buy services by the month or the user or the hour or the project. What’s really the difference between a fee for cloud services and a software license for an anti-viral? One is monthly, the other annual. Is that all the revolution was for?
But in fact much has changed, and we won’t go back. Commodity software has a shelf life now. You can no longer demand renewed payments for the same old same old. Someone is going to deliver an open source competitor and take your market.
Then there is the problem of Windows. This is not open source’s problem. Some might argue that the Internet, from which open source is born, caused the problem, by letting hackers deliver attacks from anywhere, just as the Internet lets anyone build and deliver open source software.
Some will argue that solving the problems of Windows and security will mean closing off the Internet somehow, that it will require user licenses, audit trails of every online session, an end to anonymity.
I may be wrong, but I don’t buy this. I think it’s software, not the Internet, that has to change. I think either Microsoft solves the problem or open source will solve it and eliminate the need for Microsoft. This tension will be one of the decade’s biggest stories.
What will be some of the others?