Chrome Dev and Beta updates bring UI and Web Store tweaks, more functional print preview

Once again, don't get your hopes up too much if you see the orange-yellow dot on your Google Chrome wrench icon today -- there are updates for both the Beta and Dev channels, but most of the changes aren't forward-facing. There are, however, some behind-the-scenes updates that are worth knowing about.

On the Beta Channel, several Web Store related fixes were pushed. Access to Chrome's private Web Store APIs has been made more secure, and a histogram has been added which tracks Chrome's built-in promo for the Web Store. Events such as launching an app, clicking through to the Web Store, or manually closing the promo will be logged.

Dev Channel users, brace yourselves: print preview is getting really close now! If you've got the feature enabled in about:flags, pressing Ctrl+P will now actually cause the print preview page to display. It's still not functional, but you will see the in-tab preview page appear and a list of your installed printers -- but the Chrome print dialog will also appear. Cancel the dialog, and you'll get the something went wrong alert.

The Chrome Task Manager has also been updated (image after the break) and now displays Chrome processes in two groups: apps and extensions, and browser and plug-ins. Sandboxed Flash -- which debuted in Canary recently -- has also arrived for Windows Dev channel users. Google Instant integration has also been tweaked, and now plays nicely with extensions which have keywords hooked into the Omnibox.

And of course, both Channels have had the version number bumped "so we look hot, fresh, and new to our friends." Gotta love the less-serious side of Google.

Filed under: Google, Browsers

Chrome Dev and Beta updates bring UI and Web Store tweaks, more functional print preview originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/19/chrome-dev-and-beta-updates-bring-ui-and-web-store-tweaks-print-preview/

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Domize offers fast, powerful, find-as-you-type domain name search

Coming up with a good domain name these days is akin to finding a parking spot in New-York. Accordingly, tools for finding free domain names abound, and most of them offer some sort of a "brainstorming interface". The idea is to help you come up with a domain name nobody (including yourself) considered before.

Domize is one of the nicer attempts at this sort of thing. At its simplest form, it's a very fast find-as-you-type service for free domain names. As you type each new letter in the name of your domain, Domize quickly checks whether or not that domain name is free for .com, .net, .org, .co, .us and .biz.

But as I said, that's just scratching the surface of what Domize can do. Click Options and you can change the TLDs (top-level-domains, such as .at, .me and others), toggle the find-as-you-type functionality, and change the domain registrar used.

Once you're done tweaking the options, click Advanced to find out what neat syntax directives Domize supports. It actually has its own expression language: You can type something such as [like:cool] to search for synonyms of the word "cool" (coolheaded.net is up for grabs, by the way).

When you finally find a domain you like, hovering over the TLD shows a pop-up with price quotes from several different registrars, usually with significant differences in price. This is a beautiful tool.

Filed under: web 2.0

Domize offers fast, powerful, find-as-you-type domain name search originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 27 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/27/domize-offers-fast-powerful-find-as-you-type-domain-name-searc/

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Steve Jobs: Apple to add AirPlay video to Safari, App Store apps in 2011

According to another purported email response from Steve Jobs, the AirPlay feature introduced in iOS 4.2 for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad should be updated in 2011: The question: Hi, I recently updated both my iPhone 4 and iPad to 4.2. I think my favourite feature is airplay. This is seriously amazing and makes sharing [...]

Steve Jobs: Apple to add AirPlay video to Safari, App Store apps in 2011 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/kvLeDkxMSNs/

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Apple updates Safari, fixes annoying address bar behavior

Apple's latest update to Safari, Safari 5.0.3, fixes some Flash and JavaScript plug-in issues, but the most important fix can be found in the address bar. Yes, Apple has finally fixed the absolutely obnoxious behavior of Safari's address bar autocomplete, which used to suggest sites based on page titles and headlines rather than by URL. The address bar now prefers your bookmarked websites and previously visited URLs over arbitrary page titles and headlines, so typing "Apple" will get you Apple.com, instead of a Google results page from the last time you Googled "apple."

Our friends at TUAW tested out this new behavior, and they've got before and after screenshots of the address bar results from Safari 5.0.2 vs. Safari 5.0.3, in case you want to see the difference for yourself. You can get Safari 5.03 now, either by running Software Update or directly from Apple.com.

Filed under: Apple, Browsers

Apple updates Safari, fixes annoying address bar behavior originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/18/apple-updates-safari-fixes-annoying-address-bar-behavior/

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512MB free storage for your Dropbox, just for tweeting

Well, not just for tweeting... But Dropbox will boost your free account by a full 512MB if you're feeling social. Head on over to www.dropbox.com/free, sign in to your account, and you'll be given four tasks to complete. Each one is worth an additional 128MB and they're all pretty painless:

• Connect Dropbox to your Facebook account
• Connect Dropbox to your Twitter account
• Follow Dropbox on Twitter
• Provide a little feedback to the Dropbox team

The last one is actually pretty important. Dropbox is a fantastic service, and one way to make it even better is to offer up your two cents. I'll happily tell the team that I'm still waiting patiently for a webOS app in exchange for an extra 128MB.

512MB free storage for your Dropbox, just for tweeting originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/23/512mb-free-storage-for-your-dropbox-just-for-tweeting/

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Playboy Goes Non Nude For iPad

Soon the official Playboy iPad App will be revealed but certain other elements won’t be. What we’re trying to say is that in order to follow Apple’s very strict anti-obscenity rules Playboy has agreed to keep their app for the iPad tablet device entirely non-nude and tasteful. With no nudity allowed Playboy may just have [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/CJCFmMg-D-c/

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Twitter connects with Apple's Ping for easy music sharing

Apple's Ping social network, built for sharing music preferences with your friends via iTunes, disappeared from everyone's radar right after it launched. It might be getting a second wind now, though, thanks to a partnership with Twitter. Ping now lets you discover and add your Twitter contacts, and share your Ping posts as tweets.

Here's how it works, according to Twitter's official blog: if you link your Twitter account to Ping, your likes, purchases and reviews will be sent out as tweets. They're not just any tweets, though: Twitter and Ping have built in a "rich media experience" so you can preview a song or click a purchase link directly from a Ping tweet. The song and album info will also pop up in the details pane on the right side of Twitter.com.

After Facebook integration for Ping fell through, Apple's social network withered away because it had no connection to its users' existing social graphs. This Twitter partnership brings Ping out of isolation in a big way, by not only leveraging Twitter to help people add Ping contacts, but also letting Ping invade Twitter.com directly. It would be nice to see Twitter offer an option to filter out Ping tweets, though, because some users will inevitably see them as spam.

Filed under: Web services, Apple, web 2.0, Twitter

Twitter connects with Apple's Ping for easy music sharing originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/11/twitter-connects-with-apples-ping-for-easy-music-sharing/

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Wordpress gets A/B testing for headlines with Headline Split Tester plugin

If you're not sure whether your blog's audience is responding better to keyword-heavy, all-business headlines or quirky, feature-y ones, Wordpress now lets you test two headlines for each post with a new plugin. Headline Split Tester allows you to enter two headlines for every post and automatically choose one at random for each reader. Eventually, whichever headline gets more clicks becomes the permanent headline.

Of course, this can only measure clicks on articles within your site. It doesn't provide data on the effectiveness of your headline SEO. But, if you need to decide whether it's worth trading off those terse, keyword-laden headlines for something more fun, this plugin will do the trick. As interesting side note, the Headline Split Tester was inspired by the practices of the Huffington Post, which is the most-trafficked blog in the megaverse, so you'll be in good company if you decide to split-test your post titles.

Wordpress gets A/B testing for headlines with Headline Split Tester plugin originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/24/wordpress-gets-a-b-testing-for-headlines-with-headline-split-tes/

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Copy Fixer for Firefox and Chrome lets you easily copy the URL and page title

Here's an operation I need to do quite often: copy both the page title and its URL. For some reason, neither Firefox nor Chrome provides a way to do this in one fell swoop. I need to activate the address bar in order to copy the URL, and I'm not even sure there's a way to copy the page title (I usually just type it out manually).

Copy Fixer is an add-on for Firefox and Chrome that provides a simple and elegant solution. With Copy Fixer, if you hit Ctrl+C when nothing is selected, your clipboard is populated with something like this:

Download Squad
http://downloadsquad.switched.com/

That's it. It's just the page title and the URL and nothing more. I tried out the Chrome version, and it worked perfectly. It did require a restart to begin working, though, but maybe that's due to the Canary build I'm using.

The add-on is very minimalistic. There's no UI to speak of, and there are no preferences. One option that I wish the developer would add is a way to wrap the title and the URL with arbitrary strings and lose the line break. This way, the add-on could be used to produce Markdown-friendly links - page title surrounded by brackets, followed by the URL surrounded by parentheses. Maybe that will come in the future!

Filed under: Google, Mozilla, Browsers

Copy Fixer for Firefox and Chrome lets you easily copy the URL and page title originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/16/copy-fixer-for-firefox-and-chrome-lets-you-easily-copy-the-url-a/

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Twitter for Windows Phone 7 reviewed, thoroughly unexciting

Perhaps my expectations were too high as I eagerly unwrapped my HTC Trophy, plugged it into my computer and booted up Zune. Installing apps is so easy! Search, click, blam. In moments I was booting up Twitter, its comforting, peaceful blue emanating from the phone's bright screen.

You're greeted with a 'top tweets' (lower-case is obviously still in), 'trends,' 'suggested,' and 'nearby' panorama. You don't have to log in to use this section, which is nice, as a lot of people use Twitter for the newsy aspect, rather than actually tweeting.

That's where the good news ends.

Twitter for WP7 is slow. Sliding between pages is spluttery and nowhere near as smooth as the main WP7 menus. Scrolling down through tweets is worse; the frame rate drops just enough to create a bit of a 'blinking' effect that will probably cause epileptic seizures amongst sensitive users.

Unfortunately... it gets worse.

Continue reading Twitter for Windows Phone 7 reviewed, thoroughly unexciting

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Social Software

Twitter for Windows Phone 7 reviewed, thoroughly unexciting originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/15/twitter-for-windows-phone-7-reviewed-thoroughly-unexciting/

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Facebook -- with or without Google -- will destroy the world as we know it

On Monday, Facebook announced the launch of a platform that will set in motion a process that will catastrophically terminate the world as we know it. Known by the end-user as the rather demure 'Messages', and internally as Project Titan, it is only those that look toward the future that know its true name: Skynet.

The future can be defined as a flow of time that has the potential to become anything. With an almost-infinite number of possibilities, it's no surprise that we occasionally get dizzily lost in our thoughts of the future. It's also no surprise that most of our life is about making choices, for it is the only way we can control our future. Should I get out of bed? What should I make for lunch? Who will I meet today? Should I ask her out? These are all choices, all decisions that irrevocably alter the future.

Unless we choose for something to happen -- unless we cause an event to occur -- everything else happens to us. When you lose the power of choice, you lose the power to affect your future. You are no longer you -- instead, you are the punching bag of the universe.

Which brings us back to Facebook. We are rapidly approaching a point in time -- a technological singularity -- where Facebook knows enough about you, me and all of mankind that it can make better choices than us.

Continue reading Facebook -- with or without Google -- will destroy the world as we know it

Filed under: Social Software, Op-Ed

Facebook -- with or without Google -- will destroy the world as we know it originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/17/facebook-with-or-without-google-will-destroy-the-world-as/

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TuneCrank lets you listen to independent music and rank it

TuneCrank is another crack at a familiar problem: How do you make people listen to unfamiliar independent artists, and help the good stuff float to the top?

Uvumi tries to do this, and so does Bandcamp in a completely different take. TuneCrank is yet another attempt, with a stress on bare-bones simplicity and minimalism. It's basically just a player with "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" buttons, and a third button that looks like the ever popular "rock hands." There are no genre tags; the playlist at the front page has hip-hop, indie, elecronica, and more - it's a whole mush of styles. The most voted tracks float to the top.

I like the visual simplicity - it's reminiscent of Muxtape, but sadly, not as chic.

You can filter by artist, and the service appears to have around 150 artists or so. It's not the best online music experience by a long shot (not for the artist, nor for the listener), but who knows - you might find something you like right on the front page.

Filed under: Audio

TuneCrank lets you listen to independent music and rank it originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/23/tunecrank-lets-you-listen-to-independent-music-and-rank-it/

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T-Mobile G2 free at Best Buy Mobile and T-Mo today

If you've got an upgrade available on T-Mobile and have been holding out for a deal on a G2 then today is you're lucky day. Best Buy Mobile now has the T-Mobile G2 available for free when you up your contract for another 2 years. Can't really beat that offer. Anyone going to be hitting up Best Buy Mobile to take advantage of this? If you're not feeling Best Buy Mobile, T-Mobile also has the sale on their website.  [TMonews]

T-Mobile G2 free at Best Buy Mobile and T-Mo today posted originally by Android Central

Sponsored by Android Cases and Accessories

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/HGN461JFWCE/t-mobile-g2-free-best-buy-mobile-today

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Happy 25th birthday, Windows!

25 years ago today, Microsoft released the very first version of the operating system which now powers around 90% of the personal computers in the world. Even with the sweet analog clock to the word processing might of Write (and truly useful features like running multiple applications and a shared clipboard), Windows 1.0 failed to generate much excitement.

It would take five more years -- when version 3.0 launched -- for Windows to become a force to be reckoned with on the desktop. Sure, there have been bumps along the way like Windows ME and Vista, but Microsoft keeps on rolling. Most of our readers are now happily running Windows 7, Microsoft's customer satisfaction rate is at an all-time high, and things are generally looking good for the crew in Redmond.

This is actually the time of year when my family brought home our first Windows PC -- a sleek (for then) little unit from Magnavox complete with caveman overclocking. Oh turbo button, how I loved you...

Filed under: Microsoft

Happy 25th birthday, Windows! originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/20/happy-25th-birthday-windows/

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Opera 11 beta brings "tab stacking," on-demand plug-ins, more

So far with the Opera 11 snapshots, the focus has been on speed, extension support, and some pretty major UI work on the email client. There's been plenty of additional activity behind the scenes, however, and with the arrival of the Opera 11 beta today you can now play with one more feature: tab stacking.

What is it? It's a way to keep your browser tabs organized, and it's going to be very handy for those of you who tend to accumulate tabs like 8-year-olds accumulate Pokemon cards. Maybe you have 8 tabs open which are all related to a new motherboard you're buying -- just drag and drop them onto a single tab, and Opera automatically creates a stack for you. You can see the tiny arrow pointing to the right on my screenshot. Click the arrow, and your tabs slide out. Hover over a stack and Opera 11 shows you thumbnails for each tab inside it. [Firefox Panorama, eat your heart out -Ed]

Opera's shared a demonstration video which shows you tab stacking in action -- check it out after the break!

There's more to like about the new beta, of course. There's now an option to load plug-ins on demand, the address bar has been re-touched to make security information more visible, and Opera's mouse gestures have been improved. It's got extensions, too -- and we recently ran down 10 particularly handy ones.

Download Opera 11 Beta

Continue reading Opera 11 beta brings "tab stacking," on-demand plug-ins, more

Opera 11 beta brings "tab stacking," on-demand plug-ins, more originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/23/opera-11-beta-brings-tab-stacking-on-demand-plug-ins-more/

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Gboard, il tastierino studiato appositamente per Gmail

Google e la sua rapida espansione e innovativit� ci portano per forza di cose a utilizzare i suoi servizi. In particolar modo il servizio di Gmail, utilizzato dalla maggior parte delle utenze, in questo momento svolge un ruolo fondamentale per l’invio / ricezione della posta elettronica. Tuttavia, c’� qualcuno che si ingegna ad inventare qualcosa [...]

Source: http://www.geekissimo.com/2009/12/07/gboard-il-tastierino-studiato-appositamente-per-gmail/

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Protect Your iPad With iShine Microfiber Sleeve

Every iPad owner understands the importance of keeping their device both protected and clean. It takes very little time for oil from your hands to build up on the iPad’s screen, leaving plenty of unwanted smudges. There is an affordable solution though thanks to the iShine Microfiber iPad Sleeve. The iShine Sleeve is a must [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/DOIiF-uD1vk/

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Internet Explorer 9 preview 7 available, takes SunSpider crown; Beta now downloaded 13 million times

As of a few moments ago, you can now download Platform Preview 7 of Internet Explorer 9. The main focus of this update is the continued enhancement of the Chakra JavaScript engine; as a result, IE9 now leads the SunSpider benchmark by a few percent.

Like its predecessors, this preview lacks any kind of useful UI -- but if you have the Beta installed, you can follow Lee's guide to hack the Beta UI onto the preview. The Beta, incidentally, has now been downloaded over 13 million times. We're not seeing significant use of IE9 amongst Download Squad readers, but with almost 4% of Ed Bott'z ZDNet readership using IE9, there's definitely some evidence of its growing popularity. With my sources indicating a January release of IE9, Microsoft really ought to release a second beta...

Anyway, in infinitely more exciting news, there's a bunch of cool new HTML5 demos on the Test Drive site to play around with! Shakespeare's Tag Cloud is very cute (and educational!) Galactic, on the other hand, is an excellent example of the 'Open Web' 3D games that we can expect to see next year. It also acts as a very good benchmark tool -- I may have to do another head-to-head browser shootout!

Update: I just tested IE9 on the 'real world' Kraken benchmark... and it beats Firefox!

Another update: The IE Blog has been updated with more information about Preview 7.

Filed under: Microsoft, Browsers

Internet Explorer 9 preview 7 available, takes SunSpider crown; Beta now downloaded 13 million times originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/17/internet-explorer-9-preview-7-available-takes-sunspider-crown-13-million-downloads/

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Discover Windows Phone 7 apps with Bing Visual Search

You can now browse the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace with Bing's Visual Search tool. According to the announcement, it only works in the US and UK -- but to make it work, after visiting the WP7 Visual Search, I had to change my location (in the top right corner) to "United States - English." Then I had to visit the Visual Search page again. Presumably this will also work if you live elsewhere, too.

The Visual Search itself is beautiful. The app icons slip and slide around the screen, and panels fade in and out with consummate smoothness -- it's powered by Silverlight, of course. Unsurprisingly, it looks and feels a lot like Zune -- and indeed, you can click through from any app to the Zune. From there you can install apps onto your phone.

The thing is, this tool in itself is nothing special -- but look at the competition! Apple's Web presence is alright, but it's hardly a joy to navigate -- it simply functions as a "preview" for those without iTunes. Google... well, take a look at the Web-based Android Market and decide for yourself. Microsoft's WP7 visual search seems positively awesome by comparison.

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Search

Discover Windows Phone 7 apps with Bing Visual Search originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/18/discover-windows-phone-7-apps-with-bing-visual-search/

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Firefox Friday: a round-up of this week's Firefox releases and news

Stop! Stop your Friday afternoon it's-only-two-hours-until-weekend procrastination! Focus on this tab for just a moment because I have a lot to tell you. We've covered so much Firefox news this week that you can't possibly have read it all. You need this round-up like you need a Friday beer.

Enough waffling... let's rock.

Firefox 4 Beta 7 has been released for Windows, Mac and Linux

Almost two months late, Mozilla finally squeezed out the first feature-complete Firefox 4 Beta. Beyond the fact that FF4 has a staggering number of new features, it's not clear why the browser is slipping so behind schedule. Still, if everything goes to plan, we should see three more beta releases followed by a release candidate around February or March.

If you haven't yet tried out Firefox 4, now's the time to take it for a spin. There are still plenty of rough edges, but my guide should walk you through most of the cool new features. Most importantly, thanks to the inclusion of a suped-up JavaScript engine in this new build, you'll quickly notice that FF4 is now as fast as Google Chrome.

Continue reading Firefox Friday: a round-up of this week's Firefox releases and news

Filed under: Mozilla, Browsers

Firefox Friday: a round-up of this week's Firefox releases and news originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/12/firefox-friday-a-round-up-of-this-weeks-firefox-releases-and-news/

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Bloglines not shutting down, being taken over by MerchantCircle

Bloglines, a blog subscription service controlled by Ask.com, announced in September that it would be shutting down. That changed today, when Bloglines and Ask.com owner IAC decided to keep Bloglines alive, but not under the Ask.com banner. Bloglines and its 2.7 million subscribers are being handed off to another IAC property, MerchantCircle, starting on December 1.

MerchantCircle seems like an odd fit for Bloglines, considering that it's not a blog service or even a media property. In fact, it's an online advertising network for small businesses. MerchantCircle already has plans for Bloglines, like offering relevant local blog subscriptions to its 1.4 million local business users. In fact, the whole focus of the new Bloglines seems to be local, with "new deals and specials from local business owners" as a major part of the package.

[via TechCrunch]

Filed under: Web services

Bloglines not shutting down, being taken over by MerchantCircle originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/05/bloglines-not-shutting-down-being-taken-over-by-merchantcircle/

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CES 2020: previsioni di un futuro tecnologico

Ci spiace per chi si sta arricchendo sulla stupidit� altrui, ma nel 2020 noi saremo tutti qui, freschi e pimpanti come non mai. E ad allietare le nostre vite da geek ci saranno tante succulente novit� tecnologiche. Quali? Beh, rispondere a una domanda del genere non � affatto facile, eppure Jason Hiner di ‘Tech Republic’ [...]

Source: http://www.geekissimo.com/2010/01/20/ces-2020-previsioni-tecnologia/

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webOS 2.0 coming soon to Pre, Pixi, and Pre Plus

With HP Developer Days in full swing, we're hoping there's plenty of good webOS-related news to report on in the coming days. One huge announcement has already been made, and it's great news for owners of the Pre, Pixi, and Pre Plus: webOS 2.0 will soon be available for your devices.

That's good news for developers as well. webOS 2.0 is a very different beast from its predecessor, so making the update available to all HP Palm devices will help prevent the kind of fragmentation which Android developers have to deal with.

HP didn't give a specific date for the release -- "in the coming months" is all we've got to go on for now.

[via Precentral]

Filed under: webOS

webOS 2.0 coming soon to Pre, Pixi, and Pre Plus originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/19/webos-2-0-coming-soon-to-pre-pixi-and-pre-plus/

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Choosing Between a laptop and an iPad: A guide

One of the big questions many consumers are faced with today is whether to purchase a laptop or an iPad. We hope to take some of the pressure off and help make that decision easier for you in this guide. Since many of you are already more than well aware of what laptops can be [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/jMXCDJ78U7U/

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IMDb for Windows Phone 7 reviewed, very yellow indeed (video)

As one of the highest-rated and most-downloaded WP7 apps, IMDb might just be the most popular yellow app in the world. It's a nice yellow, though, a golden, orangey tone. Anyway, I digress: IMDb for Windows Phone 7 is excellent. It provides, with a couple of flicks, everything a film buff might need.

In the video review (after the break), I take a quick stroll through each of IMDb's main features. If you set your location, you can see the movie screening times at local cinemas. Like the IMDb website, the app's prime focus is on exploring the details of movies (and TV shows), and the app certainly doesn't disappoint in that regard; the app might actually be better than the website! You can watch trailers, browse cast photos, check out related news -- it's fast, easy and pretty.

In many ways the app mirrors the website. You can browse the top 250 films, the bottom 100, the winners of the Best Picture Academy Award, this week's top movies and TV shows... and so on. It's so good in fact that, from now on, I'll be using the app instead of the website.

The only flaw with IMDb for WP7 is that you can't book cinema tickets directly. As far as I'm aware, not even Flixster for WP7 -- IMDb's chief rival -- offers this functionality. Needless to say, the first movie app to offer such a feature will decimate the competition.

The video review is after the break.

Continue reading IMDb for Windows Phone 7 reviewed, very yellow indeed (video)

Filed under: Video, Windows Mobile

IMDb for Windows Phone 7 reviewed, very yellow indeed (video) originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/18/imdb-for-windows-phone-7-reviewed-very-yellow-indeed-video/

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The Incident brings retro 80s gameplay to your TV, with an iPhone as the controller

We've already told you about the retro, 80s-styled iPhone game The Incident, but the makers of the game are planning to take things to the next level with version 1.3. In a sneak peek posted on the Big Bucket Software blog, they've got The Incident running on a giant TV hooked up to an iPad, with an iPhone as the wireless controller. That's right, you can play The Incident the same way you played old-school Nintendo: on your TV, while sitting on the couch.

The Incident's graphics have been revised for the new wide screen look, which is good for iPad Incident players regardless of their enormous-TV-ownership status, and the game has been set up to smoothly handle things like pausing to take a call on your iPhone. Of course, you'll need about a grand worth of Apple devices, a TV, and iPad connector cables to enjoy this awesome experience, but that doesn't make it any less impressive as a feat of programming and design.

Filed under: Games, iPhone

The Incident brings retro 80s gameplay to your TV, with an iPhone as the controller originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/10/the-incident-brings-retro-80s-gameplay-to-your-tv-with-an-iphon/

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Natale Geek: 5 gadget da NON mettere sotto l?albero

Tra mutande rosse, pandori zombi e sciarpe del nonno riciclate, sotto l?albero di Natale ci finisce davvero qualsiasi schifezza possibile e immaginabile. Almeno noi geek cerchiamo quindi di rendere queste feste pi� piacevoli, evitando di regalare e farci regalare cose come quelle che stiamo per proporvi. Cinque gadget tecnologici da non mettere sotto l?albero per [...]

Source: http://www.geekissimo.com/2009/12/21/natale-geek-gadget-curiosita/

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Skype 5 Mini brings better-looking chat to Skype 5 for Mac

If you've switched over to the Skype 5.0 Beta for Mac, and you don't love the new look of Skype chat, there might be an easy fix. Skype 5 Mini is a simple chatstyle swap that cuts a lot of the whitespace out of Skype's new default chat appearance, letting you fit more text into your window.

Mini is the Lego to the default's ages-3-and-up Duplo. The first thing you'll notice about Mini is that it drops the clownishly large font size down to something reasonable. The next big thing is that the View Earlier Messages bar at the top has been made a lot more space-efficient, and all the options fit on one line now. This doesn't fix some of the other complaints people have had about the new Skype, though, like the somewhat scattered UI elements -- searching for important functions and settings is no fun for the novice user -- but it does make Skype's text chat a lot more tolerable.

[via Reddit]

Filed under: Utilities, Macintosh, VoIP

Skype 5 Mini brings better-looking chat to Skype 5 for Mac originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/07/skype-5-mini-brings-better-looking-chat-to-skype-5-for-mac/

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Voogle brings Google Voice to webOS

Been waiting for a solid Google Voice app you can use on your webOS smartphone? Check out Voogle, which has just landed in the App Catalog at the bargain price of $1.99.

Voogle supports all the important Google Voice features you'd expect. You can make voice calls, send text messages, playing recorded calls, and check voice mail. If you so desire, you can even use Voogle to replace your carrier's built-in voicemail with your own from Google Voice (slick!). Future plans include the addition of MMS support and real-time notifications.

If you're a Google Voice fan and you own a Pre or Pixi, Voogle is a must-have app.

[via PreCentral]

Filed under: VoIP, webOS

Voogle brings Google Voice to webOS originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/19/voogle-brings-google-voice-to-webos/

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Slacker Radio for Windows Phone 7

On my desktop, I'm a Grooveshark user -- but there's no Grooveshark app for Windows Phone 7 yet... so where does one turn for custom-tailored streaming tunes? Why, Slacker Radio, of course!

Search for a band, tap their name (Volbeat, for example), and Slacker begins buffering your first track and looking for other songs it thinks you'll like -- which you can like or ban while they play. Tap the album cover and Slacker loads band information, including a bio, album review, and lyrics from LyricFind. The free version allows you to favorite stations Slacker creates from your searches, while subscribers can also access their custom channels.

One big downside right now is that Slacker Radio doesn't run in the background. Tap the Windows button, and your track quits playing. To add salt to the wound, if you press back to return to the app it actually starts playing the next track in your queue -- even though it says 'resuming,' which I typically assume means a music app is going to pick up where it left off. Even if you tap to share with a friend, Slacker cuts out as soon as Windows Phone 7 loads up the email screen.

Continue reading Slacker Radio for Windows Phone 7

Filed under: Audio, Windows Mobile

Slacker Radio for Windows Phone 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/16/slacker-radio-for-windows-phone-7/

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Viewfinder - a Mac app for finding the right image on Flickr

If you're a blogger, a designer, or just someone who uses a lot of images from Flickr, you might want to check out ViewFinder. ViewFinder is a Mac app that offers speedy searches of Flickr, using tags, titles and descriptions. It even lets you limit your search to Creative Commons-licensed images, and automatically generates attributions for you, so you can properly credit the work you download.

Viewfinder also has Keynote integration (for Keynote '08 and above), for folks who like to use Flickr photos in their presentation slides. You can drop Flickr photos right into Keynote with no mess, instead of downloading and opening the files and trashing them when you're done.

Viewfinder carries a £15 introductory price -- that's roughly 25 US dollars -- but it could easily be worth the cost for people whose workflows depend heavily on Flickr. If you want to test it out, the free demo has no time limit, but it only allows 2 downloads per launch, and it delays each download by 30 seconds.

Filed under: Photo, Utilities, Macintosh

Viewfinder - a Mac app for finding the right image on Flickr originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/08/viewfinder-a-mac-app-for-finding-the-right-image-on-flickr/

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SugarSync giveaway: win a 30GB account for a year

When 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

Filed under: Utilities

SugarSync 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.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/10/sugarsync-giveaway-win-a-30gb-account-for-a-year/

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How To Fix iTunes 1013 Error During iOS 4.2 Upgrade

Probably you’ve already upgraded your iPhone to iOS 4.2 without any issue. However, some of you (including me) may come across a 1013 error in iTunes during the iOS upgrade and your iPhone ends up at recovery mode. For those who have used TinyUmbrella before, you may suffer from the error. TinyUmbrella is a great [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SimonBlog/~3/zOknwXXOQu0/

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Use VPN On Your iPad To Protect Privacy | Plus Special Giveaway Inside

When it comes to online privacy while using your iPad you need all the protection you can get. Luckily Golden Frog provides a service called VyprVPN that keeps your data safe. You may not be aware but your surfing as well as other online activities are constantly being tracked and recorded by your ISP and [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/h-Xua-1Pmzg/

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Wordpress gets A/B testing for headlines with Headline Split Tester plugin

If you're not sure whether your blog's audience is responding better to keyword-heavy, all-business headlines or quirky, feature-y ones, Wordpress now lets you test two headlines for each post with a new plugin. Headline Split Tester allows you to enter two headlines for every post and automatically choose one at random for each reader. Eventually, whichever headline gets more clicks becomes the permanent headline.

Of course, this can only measure clicks on articles within your site. It doesn't provide data on the effectiveness of your headline SEO. But, if you need to decide whether it's worth trading off those terse, keyword-laden headlines for something more fun, this plugin will do the trick. As interesting side note, the Headline Split Tester was inspired by the practices of the Huffington Post, which is the most-trafficked blog in the megaverse, so you'll be in good company if you decide to split-test your post titles.

Wordpress gets A/B testing for headlines with Headline Split Tester plugin originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/24/wordpress-gets-a-b-testing-for-headlines-with-headline-split-tes/

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Multitasking For iPad Arrives With iOS 4.2

Multitasking for the iPad is finally here with the latest iOS 4.2 update. This is a feature many iPad owners have been patiently waiting for and now the wait is over. For example now you can listen to your favorite online radio station while simultaneously browsing the web among many other things. Over 100 new [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/crgPslT2pHM/

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CES 2020: previsioni di un futuro tecnologico

Ci spiace per chi si sta arricchendo sulla stupidit� altrui, ma nel 2020 noi saremo tutti qui, freschi e pimpanti come non mai. E ad allietare le nostre vite da geek ci saranno tante succulente novit� tecnologiche. Quali? Beh, rispondere a una domanda del genere non � affatto facile, eppure Jason Hiner di ‘Tech Republic’ [...]

Source: http://www.geekissimo.com/2010/01/20/ces-2020-previsioni-tecnologia/

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Google Chrome sponsors free holiday Wi-Fi on Virgin, AirTran and Delta flights

If you're flying this holiday season, Google has a present for you. From November 20th to January 2nd, most flights on Virgin, AirTran and Delta will offer free, Google-Chrome-sponsored Wi-Fi, in a repeat of last year's successful giveaway. The internet access provider for these flights is GoGo In-Flight Internet, which would normally cost between $5-13 for a single flight pass, depending on the length of your flight.

Speeds will likely be quite slow -- as more people than usual will be using the flight's connection when it's free. You probably won't be able to keep up with your World of Warcraft raids while you're in the air, but you'll at least be able to check your email a few times before you land.

[via Switched]

Filed under: Internet, Google, Browsers

Google Chrome sponsors free holiday Wi-Fi on Virgin, AirTran and Delta flights originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/11/08/google-chrome-sponsors-free-holiday-wi-fi-on-virgin-airtran-and/

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