Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.downloadsquad.com/media/feedlogo.gif Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Google introduces machine-generated captions for YouTube videos]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/google-introduces-machine-generated-captions-for-youtube-videos/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/google-introduces-machine-generated-captions-for-youtube-videos/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/google-introduces-machine-generated-captions-for-youtube-videos/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Google has given users the ability to caption their YouTube videos for a while now. But that can be a cumbersome, time-intensive process and most of the millions of videos hosted on YouTube are uncaptioned. That could change soon, as Google is beginning to roll out a new automatic captioning system that will analyze speech in videos and create machine-generated captions.

This means that users who are hard of hearing will have an easier time using YouTube. And because Google can translate text into 51 different languages, it means that you'll have a much easier time understanding those German and Japanese videos you're so fond of watching.

The technology for the machine-based captions is the same as the tech that allows Google Voice to automatically transcribe your voicemail messages and send them to you as emails. That is to say, it's not perfect, and we can expect to see a fair number of mistakes in YouTube captions for the foreseeable future. But this is an excellent start at making web video significantly more accessible.

Automatic captions are only available on a handful of YouTube channels right now, including Google, YouTube, PBS, National Geographic, MIT, and UCLA. A wider release is scheduled soon, with auto-caps expected on English videos by the end of the week.

Google introduces machine-generated captions for YouTube videos originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>automatic captionsAutomaticCaptionscaptionsonline videoOnlineVideoyoutubeThu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google ChromeOS: It's basically a modified browser that runs web apps]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/google-chromeos-its-basically-a-modified-browser-that-runs-web/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/google-chromeos-its-basically-a-modified-browser-that-runs-web/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/google-chromeos-its-basically-a-modified-browser-that-runs-web/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Google ChromeOS
Google is holding a press event to talk about the upcoming Google Chrome Operating System. The company is not ready to release the OS yet, and won't actually have a finished product ready for another year. But Google announced that starting today the project is open source, which means that you can download the source code today.

So what exactly is Chrome OS? It's an operating system based on a web browser called... Google Chrome. The idea is that you won't have to (or be able to) install a single application directly on your PC. Rather, all of your apps will be run from the web and all of your data will be stored in the cloud.

That doesn't mean the computer won't be able to play games or interact with USB peripherals. For instance, Google demonstrated that you can plug in a camera and watch videos using a web-based video player or copy files to cloud-based storage. And because Google has been working to give web apps access to your PC's hardware, even video games with 3D graphics should be possible as long as you have a video card that's supported by ChromeOS.

The version of ChromeOS that Google demonstrated today is still a work in progress, and we were told that the user interface could change significantly before the final product is released. But the OS already boots in just 7 seconds, and Google says it takes another 3 seconds to launch applications.

The screenshot above shows an app menu that you can use to launch some web apps. You can create permanent shortcuts to these programs by "pinning" them to the ChromeOS toolbar. See those tiny tabs at the top? Those are pinned tabs.

There will also be persistent "panels" that pop up and stay on top even when you flip between browser tabs. For instance you can bring up a Google Talk panel, a music player, or a notepad.

ChromeOS will be automatically updated each day by connecting to the web and making sure that you have all the latest updates.

What do you think? Are you ready for an OS that's effectively useless without an internet connection? While the operating system stores some data on a local storage partition, Google says it's basically just a user cache area and that data will all be synced with the web. That means if you lose your netbook or buy a new one, you should be able to pick up where you left off without missing a beat.

Stay tuned for details. The news conference is still underway. In the meantime, you can check out a few more photos after the break.

Update: You will be able to perform some tasks while offline. For instance, you can cache movies, music, or eBooks and access them while you're on a plane. But the OS is primarily designed for interacting with web services.

Update 2: If you have absolutely no intention of picking up a machine with Google Chrome OS, there's good news: All of the new features that show up in Chrome OS will be able to work with the Google Chrome browser for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Continue reading Google ChromeOS: It's basically a modified browser that runs web apps

Google ChromeOS: It's basically a modified browser that runs web apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chromeosgoogle chromegoogle-chromeGoogleChromeThu, 19 Nov 2009 13:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Hulu gets into the music video biz -- one artist at a time]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/hulu-gets-into-the-music-video-biz-one-artist-at-a-time/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/hulu-gets-into-the-music-video-biz-one-artist-at-a-time/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/hulu-gets-into-the-music-video-biz-one-artist-at-a-time/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Hulu Norah Jones
While YouTube, MTV, Vevo, MySpace, and other online video sites compete for the title of "Hulu for music videos," it looks like Hulu is hoping to get in on the action itself. Hulu has made a name for itself as a destination site for professionally produced TV shows and movies. Sure, it's only available in the US, and it doesn't have nearly as many TV episodes or movies as you can find from your friendly neighborhod BitTorrent tracker. But Hulu is 100% legal, the ads aren't that annoying, and the video quality is pretty good.

Today Hulu is announcing a deal with music label EMI. No, you won't find music videos from all of EMI's artists. Just one: Norah Jones. There's a new Norah Jones channel on Hulu with a few dozen videos including music videos and concert clips.

While this could certainly be the start of something big, right now it's pretty small. As much as I'd like to see Hulu become a one-stop shop for all-things web video, it seems like Vevo is much further along in working out partnerships to actually supply a fair amount of content. Now if only the site would go live.

Update: The folks at Vevo just annoucned that the service is set to launch on December 8th.

[via NY Times]

Hulu gets into the music video biz -- one artist at a time originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hulumusic-videomusic-videosonline-videovevoyoutubeWed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google to show off Chrome OS Thursday, release it in 2010]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/google-to-show-off-chrome-os-thursday-release-it-in-2010/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/google-to-show-off-chrome-os-thursday-release-it-in-2010/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/google-to-show-off-chrome-os-thursday-release-it-in-2010/#commentsFiled under: ,

Google Chrome mockup
Remember that rumor last week about how Google was going to unveil the first beta release of its upcoming Chrome operating system this week? Yeah, it's looking like that's not going to happen. But the company is holding an event Thursday morning to talk about Chrome OS and show some honest-to-goodness demos for the first time so that we can all stop using conceptual mockups with every blog post on the topic.

Google Chrome OS is expected to be available sometime next year, although it's still possible that a beta could be launched before the end of 2009. From what we know, the operating system, which will be initially aimed at netbooks is designed to blur the lines between desktop and cloud by essentially treating an always-open browser as the desktop. For instance, that will make it just as easy to save documents to Google Docs as to your desktop, if not easier.

Google to show off Chrome OS Thursday, release it in 2010 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chromeosgoogle-chromegoogle-chrome-opearting-systemTue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Sites rolls out template gallery for web pages, wikis]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/google-sites-rolls-out-template-gallery-for-web-pages-wikis/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/google-sites-rolls-out-template-gallery-for-web-pages-wikis/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/google-sites-rolls-out-template-gallery-for-web-pages-wikis/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Google Sites template gallery
The now-defunct Google Page Creator made it easy to create a reasonably attractive web site without an advanced degree in HTML or CSS. But Google has killed off Page Creator and replaced it with Google Sites, a service which has often been described as a tool for creating Wiki-like pages that are hosted for free by Google and which allow you to collaborate with other people on tasks such as planning a vacation or managing your office calendar and workflow.

You can also use Google Sites to create a public web site. But it's much trickier to make a page on Google Sites look, well... good. But this week Google rolled out an update that should make the service much more attractive, literally. There's now a template gallery allowing you to select and customize a template for any new page you create.

Currently there are templates arranged in categories such as business collaboration, activities & events, schools & eduction, and Personal & family. Google is also making it easy for users to submit their own templates to the gallery, so the number of available designs to choose from should climb pretty quickly.

Google Sites rolls out template gallery for web pages, wikis originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>google-page-creatorgoogle-sitesTue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Adobe release Flash Player 10.1 with GPU acceleration for HD video]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/adobe-release-flash-player-10-1-with-gpu-acceleration-for-hd-vid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/adobe-release-flash-player-10-1-with-gpu-acceleration-for-hd-vid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/adobe-release-flash-player-10-1-with-gpu-acceleration-for-hd-vid/#commentsFiled under: , ,

This morning Adobe is launching a beta version of Flash Player 10.1 with support for hardware decoding of H.264 Flash video. In other words, if you have a supported graphics card (PDF link), you should be able to watch high definition and high quality Flash video without killing your CPU.

This comes as particularly good news for people who have picked up small laptops and nettops based on the NVIDIA ION platform. While the graphics processor is powerful enough to decode Blu-Ray video and play many modern video games, the ION chipset uses a low power Intel Atom processor that seems to think that 1080p Flash video would look better as a slideshow than a video.

With Flash Player 10.1 beta installed, even these ION-based machines can handle 1080p Flash video from sites like YouTube, which is good because YouTube is getting ready to roll out a whole heck of a lot more 1080P video.

You can download Flash Player 10.1 beta from Adobe Labs.

NVIDIA loaned me an ASRock ION 330 nettop with NVIDIA ION graphics to test the new Flash Player, and it performed as advertised, easily handling 720p and 1080p HD video playback from Hulu and YouTube. The video at the top of this post shows the ASRock nettop playing video smoothly after installing the latest version of the software. To see what video playback looked like with the older version of Flash Player 10, check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Adobe release Flash Player 10.1 with GPU acceleration for HD video

Adobe release Flash Player 10.1 with GPU acceleration for HD video originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1080p720padobeadobe flashadobe flash player 10adobe flash player 10.1AdobeFlashAdobeFlashPlayer10AdobeFlashPlayer10.1hd videoHdVideonvidia ionNvidiaIonTue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Folder synchronization tool SyncToy hits version 2.1]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/folder-synchronization-tool-synctoy-hits-version-2-1/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/folder-synchronization-tool-synctoy-hits-version-2-1/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/folder-synchronization-tool-synctoy-hits-version-2-1/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

SyncToy 2.1
It feels like it's been years since Microsoft released SyncToy 2.0. That's probably because it has been. But when you have a utility that's dead simple to use that lets you synchronize files between two folders, hard drives, or other storage media, why bother updating it? But SyncToy 2.0 wasn't exactly perfect, so Microsoft recently pushed out version 2.1 which features a handful of bug fixes and improvements.

Like earlier versions, SyncToy 2.1 lets you create folder pairs and decide how data will be synchronized between those two folders. In Synchronize mode, when changes are made in one folder they'll be reflected in the other. If you add a file to folder A, it will be added to folder B. Delete one from B and it'll disappear from A.

Echo mode makes sure that folder B is always up to date with folder A. But if you make changes to folder B, they won't be reflected in the first folder.

In Contribute mode, files will copied from A to B and any files that are renamed in A will be renamed in B. But no files will be deleted. So if you delete a file from folder A it will still live on in B.

All three modes are pretty handy for making sure you have a backup of your important data. You can backup your files to a local drive or a shared network drive for safe keeping.

Probably the closest thing to a new feature in SyncToy 2.1 is the ability to backup your folder pair configurations. Microsoft also says that version 2.1 features better performance, faster copy speeds, and more resilience against network and file system errors. A few bugs have also been fixed, including one that could lead to data corruption when using NAS drives.

SyncToy 2.1 is available as a free download for Windows computers.

[via Lifehacker]

Folder synchronization tool SyncToy hits version 2.1 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoft-synctoy-2.1synchronizationsynctoysynctoy-2.1Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows Marketplace now open for all (recent) Windows Mobile phones]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/windows-marketplace-now-open-for-all-recent-windows-mobile-pho/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/windows-marketplace-now-open-for-all-recent-windows-mobile-pho/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/windows-marketplace-now-open-for-all-recent-windows-mobile-pho/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Windows Marketplace for MobileHave you been itching to download applications from the Windows Marketplace on your Windows Mobile smartphone, but been thwarted by the fact that your device runs Windows Mobile 6.0 or 6.1 instead of the shiny new WinMo 6.5? Well, fret no more. Microsoft is making its answer to the iPhone app store available for all phones running Windows Mobile 6.0 and up.

Sure, anyone stuck with an aging Windows Mobile 5.0 or earlier phone is stuck downloading and installing applications the old fashioned way -- by surfing the web to find programs and downloading either the CAB installer files or EXE files that can be installed from a PC using ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center. And then you have to walk uphill 2 miles in the snow to school and back and you'll like it!

You can install the Marketplace application by visiting mp.windowsphone.com on your mobile browser to download the software. You can also enter your phone number on a web site using a desktop browser and Microsoft will send you a text message with a download link.

[via Windows Team Blog]

Windows Marketplace now open for all (recent) Windows Mobile phones originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>windos-marketplace-for-mobilewindows-marketplacewindows-mobile-6.0windows-mobile-6.1windows-mobile-6.5Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple finally lets you check out iTunes store without installing iTunes]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/apple-finally-lets-you-check-out-itunes-store-without-installing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/apple-finally-lets-you-check-out-itunes-store-without-installing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/apple-finally-lets-you-check-out-itunes-store-without-installing/#commentsFiled under: ,

iTunes Preview
Apple may control one of the most popular digital music and video stores on earth. But that's really not saying much, since there are still millions of people who haven't installed iTunes on their PC or who can't install it on their Linux computer. And for all of those people, clicking on a web link that's supposed to take you to to the iTunes listing for a song, video, or iPhone app is an exercise in frustration, since what you end up looking at is a web page telling you to install iTunes.

But that's finally changing. Apple has launched a new service called iTunes Preview that lets you browse the iTunes catalog on the web. It also lets users copy a link from the iTunes client and paste it onto the web. When you click on that link, instead of going to a page telling you that you can't proceed without installing software, you'll be taken to a listing on Apple's web site.

This is especially useful for people who aren't using iTunes. But it could also come in handy for iTunes users that simply don't want to fire up the software just to look up a song or artist.

The iTunes Preview service is only available for music at the moment. There's no word on if or when Apple will roll it out for iPhone Apps and video content.

[via CNet]

Apple finally lets you check out iTunes store without installing iTunes originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>digital mediaDigitalMediaitunesitunes previewItunesPreviewmusicFri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[It's official, Google buys Gizmo5 to provide PC to phone calls]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/its-official-google-buys-gizmo5-to-provide-pc-to-phone-calls/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/its-official-google-buys-gizmo5-to-provide-pc-to-phone-calls/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/its-official-google-buys-gizmo5-to-provide-pc-to-phone-calls/#commentsFiled under: ,

Gizmo5 Google
A few days ago there was a nasty rumor going around that Google had just purchased Skype competitor Gizmo5. Funny thing about rumors is that sometimes they're true. Like, for instance, this one.

Gizmo5 offers a variety of tools that let users make cheap calls from a PC to a phone, or free calls from computer to computer. Google says that Gizmo5's engineers will be joining the Google Voice team. The company isn't announcing exactly what that means in terms of new features yet. But considering Google Voice currently lets you screen, receive, and record calls, I'd be shocked if Google and Gizmo5 weren't planning to add the ability to make calls.

For now, Gizmo5 has stopped accepting new user registrations, but current customers will be able to continue using the service. The same thing happened when Google acquired GrandCentral a few years ago to create the service now known as Google Voice.

It's official, Google buys Gizmo5 to provide PC to phone calls originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gizmo5googlegoogle-voicegrandcentralvoipThu, 12 Nov 2009 21:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Now you can browse Windows Mobile Marketplace on the web]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/now-you-can-browse-windows-mobile-marketplace-on-the-web/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/now-you-can-browse-windows-mobile-marketplace-on-the-web/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/now-you-can-browse-windows-mobile-marketplace-on-the-web/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Windows Marketplace
Want to know what kind of apps are available for Windows Mobile 6.5, but don't have a phone running the operating system yet? Or just want to look for apps on a screen with a resolution higher than 640 x 480? Microsoft has launched a web version of the Windows Marketplace.

Users can browse the web store without an account. If you sign in you can also purchase programs that will be installed on your mobile device wirelessly the next time you run the Windows Marketplace client on your mobile device.

One interesting feature is the ability to use the drop-down menu near the bottom of our page to change your locatino. SO if you want to see applications that are available in the Windows Marketplace for UK, Russian, Swiss, or Taiwanese users, you can do that.

[via Windows Team Blog]

Now you can browse Windows Mobile Marketplace on the web originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app-storewindows-marketplacewindows-mobilewindows-mobile-6.5Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bing rolls out new features, partnership with Wolfram Alpha]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/bing-rolls-out-new-features-partnership-with-wolfram-alpha/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/bing-rolls-out-new-features-partnership-with-wolfram-alpha/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/bing-rolls-out-new-features-partnership-with-wolfram-alpha/#commentsFiled under: ,

Bing BMI calculator (Wolfram Alpha)
Microsoft's Bing search engine is still pretty new. It just launched this summer. But the company is giving the site a minor facelift which includes improved local search results and a deal with Wolfram Alpha that allows Bing to answer some complex questions about math and health-related information.

It looks like the new features are coming in a phased rollout, because I can't seem to access them yet. But the Bing blog has a number of examples, showing the kind of results the search engine can nor provide thanks to Wolfram Alpha's computations. For example, if you search for "BMI Calculator," you'll get boxes to enter your height and weight and Bing will spit out your body mass index. If you ask it for nutritional information for steak or chicken, Bing will return a chart that looks a lot like the nutritional information that you find on food packaging in the US.

Microsoft is also merging MSN Vido and Bing, and adding features to Bing Maps such as the ability to change a route by dragging and dropping the lines on a map (which you can already can with Google Maps and Mapquest).

Bing rolls out new features, partnership with Wolfram Alpha originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bingbing mapsbing videoBingMapsBingVideomsn videoMsnVideowolfram alphaWolframAlphaWed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Zune HD software update brings 3D games, widescreen keyboard]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/zune-hd-software-update-brings-3d-games-widescreen-keyboard/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/zune-hd-software-update-brings-3d-games-widescreen-keyboard/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/zune-hd-software-update-brings-3d-games-widescreen-keyboard/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Zune HD 3D games
The Microsoft Zune HD is an intriguing device. It's a pretty good portable media player. It can handle 720p HD video in WMV and H.264 formats, and it has excellent audio quality. It even packs an HD radio tuner. And the NVIDIA Tegra chipset enable some pretty flashy (but still useful) graphics in the user interface.

And the Tegra procesor means the Zune HD can also handle some pretty slick games and other applications. Up until now, that meant a few games, a calculator, and a weather application. But now Microsoft has added a few new 3D games to the Zune Marketplace: Audio Surf: Tilt, PGR: Ferrari Edition, Checkers, Lucky Lanes Bowling, and Vans sk8: Pool Service. There's also a new Piano application.

The new games are pretty slick and really help demonstrate the power of the Zune HD platform. Unfortunately, it's still not much of a platform. There are over 100,000 apps in the iPhone app store. There are 15 in the Zune Marketplace.

Granted, all of the Zune apps are free (although you have to put up with a brief add for the Zune Pass music subscription before they start). But where are the third party apps? Where are the chat, Twitter, and Facebook clients? Or calendar and contacts applications? Heck, with the graphics capabilities on the Zune HD, where's Virtual Earth?

Anyway, the new applications should be available to anyone who updated their Zune HD to run version 4.3 of the Zune software. The update also brings a few other changes, including support for a larger virtual keyboard in landscape mode and an auto-suggest feature for text input.

You can check out my brief hands-on video with the new games after the break.

Continue reading Zune HD software update brings 3D games, widescreen keyboard

Zune HD software update brings 3D games, widescreen keyboard originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d games3dGameszunezune hdZuneHdWed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Amazon Kindle for PC: Now delivering books to your desktop]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/amazon-kindle-for-pc-now-delivering-books-to-your-desktop/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/amazon-kindle-for-pc-now-delivering-books-to-your-desktop/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/amazon-kindle-for-pc-now-delivering-books-to-your-desktop/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Kindle for PC
As expected, Amazon has launched a version of its Kindle eBook reader for Windows. The software is available for Windows XP, Vista, and 7, with a Mac version "coming soon."

As an eBook reader, Kindle for the PC is pretty no-frills. It lets you adjust fonts, read books, and create bookmarks. And that's about it. But the software can also synchronize with other devices. So if you have Amazon's physical Kindle eBook reader or the iPhone version and you've created annotations on it, you'll be able to access them on the PC client. No, I have no idea why you can't create annotations on the PC version.

In order to download books, you'll need to connect to the Amazon Kindle store via a web browser. When you select a title, it will be downloaded to your PC and available for viewing in the Kindle software.

The Windows 7 version of the software also includes multitouch capabilities that allow you to zoom in and out by pinching your fingers if your PC has a touchscreen. A future version is expected to add support for page turning with a swipe of your finger.

The biggest problem with Kindle for PC? It's geographically restricted and won't work in most countries outside of the US. I haven't seen any official statement on this, but a colleague in Canada tells me that the software won't work in his country.

[via Engadget]

Amazon Kindle for PC: Now delivering books to your desktop originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonamazon-kindleebook-readerebookskindlekindle-for-pcTue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Google buys Gizmo5, expanded VoIP service coming soon?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/rumor-google-buys-gizmo5-expanded-voip-service-coming-soon/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/rumor-google-buys-gizmo5-expanded-voip-service-coming-soon/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/rumor-google-buys-gizmo5-expanded-voip-service-coming-soon/#commentsFiled under: ,

Gizmo5TechCrunch is reporting that Google has purchased VoIP company Gizmo5. Google has its own internet telephony service called Google Voice, which lets you route your calls to different phones, screen calls, and receive email notifications and automated transcripts of phone calls. But Google Voice doesn't let you make calls from a PC to a phone. Gizmo5 does.

If Google really has entered an agreement to acquire Gizmo5, it's a pretty safe bet that we're eventually going to see Google Voice add new features turning the service into a full-fledged Skype competitor. Gizmo already has services that let you make phone calls from a desktop client or a web site.

Gizmo5 also includes chat and video call capabilities, which would be a welcome addition to Google Voice, and which, as TechCrunch points out, would bridge the divide between Google Voice and Google Talk

Of course, right now the whole thing is just a rumor. But it's one that makes a lot of sense.

Rumor: Google buys Gizmo5, expanded VoIP service coming soon? originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gizmo5googleinternet-telephonyvoipMon, 09 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rupert Murdoch to remove News Corp sites from Google, institute paywall]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/rupert-murdoch-to-remove-news-corp-sites-from-google-institute/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/rupert-murdoch-to-remove-news-corp-sites-from-google-institute/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/rupert-murdoch-to-remove-news-corp-sites-from-google-institute/#commentsFiled under: , ,

There's been talk in journalistic circles for months about News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch's plan to start putting the company's web sites behind a paywall. In other words, you might not be able to access news content from FOX, Sky Network, and dozens of newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Marketwatch, and The Sun, without paying.

The move already strikes some as a bad idea since it could essentially drive potential readers to get their news elsewhere. After all, on the web, information is always just a click away. But theoretically if News Corp can offer readers exclusive content that they won't find anywhere else, loyal readers might be willing to pay up.

OK, so that could work... but Murdoch's latest idea sounds like business suicide: He wants to remove News Corp content from Google's index. In an interview with Sky News Australia, Murdoch said that search engines are essentially stealing News Corp content without paying for it -- and that he plans to remove the corporation's web sites from Google's index.

While Murdoch claims that he doesn't see much value in searchers who often come to web sites without becoming repeat visitors, he's pretty much just plain wrong. Search engines pretty much make the web go round. If Google wasn't the dominant force in search, another company would probably rise to the challenge.

Back when there were only a few hundred web sites worth visiting, it might have been easy to find what you were looking for through old fashioned bookmarks and links. But today users rely heavily on search engines to find information, and web sites rely even more heavily on search engines for traffic and for revenue. Because who's more likely to clickon an ad? Someone who bookmarks your page and comes to it every day and has a pretty good sense of where the ads are on the page and how to ignore them, or someone who was searching for information about cheap automobiles and then came to your auto web site that also happens to have ads for good deals on new and used cars?

Still, Murdoch says he'd rather have fewer people visit his sites, but pay for it. It's possible that Murdoch is bluffing. If not, it should be very interesting to see what happens to News Corp's revenue when the paywall goes up and the sites are removed from Google. If the company winds up making more money than it does today, I'd offer to eat my own hat... you know, if I wore a hat.

You can check out the Sky News interview with Murdoch after the break.

[via The Inquisitr]

Continue reading Rupert Murdoch to remove News Corp sites from Google, institute paywall

Rupert Murdoch to remove News Corp sites from Google, institute paywall originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>news corpNewsCorprupert murdochRupertMurdochsearchMon, 09 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Boxee media center to hit beta next month]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/boxee-media-center-to-hit-beta-next-month/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/boxee-media-center-to-hit-beta-next-month/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/boxee-media-center-to-hit-beta-next-month/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Boee Alpha
Media center application Boxee has grabbed a lot of headlines over the past year or two, and for good reason: Boxee provides Mac, Linux, and Windows users with an excellent solution for watching internet video on a TV. While web browsers were generally designed for viewing text and images with video thrown in as an afterthought, Boxee was designed to look and feel more like a consumer electronics application that you can navigate from the couch with a remote control.

Boxee can access online video from services including Hulu, Joost, and BBC's iPlayer. You can use it to enjoy audio and video podcasts. And you can access local media stored on your hard drive.

But despite all of its features, Boxee is still alpha software. That's going to change next month. Boxee is set to launch the first beta version of its software at an event in New York on December 7th. I suppose the day will continue to live in Infamy, although I doubt that decades from now we'll still be talking about it as the date that Boxee went beta.

The new version will have a new user interface, improved navigation, a user-controlled queue, and a new TV and movie search function among other changes.

Boxee media center to hit beta next month originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boxeeboxee-betamedia-centerFri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Skype lives on, reaches settlement with Joltid]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/skype-lives-on-reaches-settlement-with-joltid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/skype-lives-on-reaches-settlement-with-joltid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/skype-lives-on-reaches-settlement-with-joltid/#commentsFiled under: ,

Skype 2.8 for Mac
A few months ago there was talk that a lawsuit could bring down the popular VoIP client Skype. That's because Skype was involved in a dispute with Joltid, a company that Skype was licensing technology from.

Today Skype announced that the company has reached a settlement with Joltid. The net result is that Skype now owns the technology and Joltid founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis will join the investor group that is in the process of buying Skype away from eBay as well as the Skype board.

If those names sound familiar, they should. Zennström and Friis were also the founders of Skype, back before eBay bought the company.

While there's a lot of backroom politics involved in the deal, here's what it means for users: Skype isn't going to close up shop anytime soon.

Skype lives on, reaches settlement with Joltid originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Janus FriisJanusFriislawsuitNiklas ZennströmNiklasZennströmskypeFri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Zoho rebrands as FakeOffice (not really, but it's catchy, no?)]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/zoho-rebrands-as-fakeoffice-not-really-but-its-catchy-no/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/zoho-rebrands-as-fakeoffice-not-really-but-its-catchy-no/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/zoho-rebrands-as-fakeoffice-not-really-but-its-catchy-no/#commentsFiled under: , ,

FakeOffice
Over the past few years, Microsoft has had to contend with increasing competition from free, web-based office suites such as Google Docs and Zoho Office. And when I say contend, I mean, maybe start taking notice of. There's no doubt that MS Office is still the 800 pound gorilla in the word processing, spreadsheet, and database field. But free competitors including those online applications and desktop solutions including IBM's Lotus Symphony and and the open source OpenOffice.org can't make the folks in Redmond very happy.

So it probably shouldn't be that surprising that Microsoft Online VP Ron Markezich referred to Zoho, Google Docs, and Zimbra as services that offer "fake Office capabilities."

What was a bit surprising is how well the Zoho team took that idea and ran with it. Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu wrote a blog post about the topic yesterday. And today the company launched FakeOffice.org, a site that compares Zoho's application suite with Microsoft's.

Not surprisingly, Zoho points out a number of features that it's products offer that Microsoft's doesn't. Clearly, MS Office has a few features up its sleeve that you won't find in Zoho Office, including 100% compatibility with all those Office documents your friends and colleagues keep sending you. But it's worth checking out the site for the Fake Office "work online" music video, and the little comments such as the Twitter gadget, which is powered by "Fake MS Access."

Zoho has actually been an innovator in the online office space for a while, and most of the company's web apps offer far more features than competing Google Docs. But it's tough for a company with an unusual name like Zoho to take on the big guys like Microsoft and Google. Maybe Vembu should think about permanently changing Zoho's name to FakeOffice? It does have a nice ring to it.

Unfortunately FakeOffice.com has already been registered, which is why Zoho had to grab a .org address for their site.

[via Instant Fundas]

Zoho rebrands as FakeOffice (not really, but it's catchy, no?) originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fakeofficemicrosoft officeMicrosoftOfficeofficezohoThu, 05 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Best Buy + CinemaNow = sitting in a tree]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/best-buy-cinemanow/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/best-buy-cinemanow/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/best-buy-cinemanow/#commentsFiled under: ,

CinemaNow
US electronics retailer Best Buy is preparing to enter the digital video distribution business in a big way. The company is partnering with CinemaNow, an online video download service that lets users rent and purchase movies and TV shows.

Best Buy will load up CinemaNow software on internet-connected consumer electronics sold at the company's retail stores. That includes computers, portable media players, Blu-Ray players, set-top boxes, mobile phones, and internet-connected television sets.

Customers that purchase one of these items will be able to rent or buy videos from a catalog with about 22,000 titles. Movie purchases typically run between $10 and $20, while TV shows are $1.99 per episode. Movie rentals typically go for $2.99 to $3.99.

The move should give Best Buy and CinemaNow a much stronger foothold in the digital media space. CinemaNow already offers a pretty compelling user experience, allowing you to download a video and watch it on up to three devices. But the fact that virtually every consumer electronics device that Best Buy sells that can run the software soon will, means that CinemaNow is about to become a much bigger name in digital media, and that could help the companies take on Apple's iTunes and Amazon's video on demand services.

Best Buy is expected to roll out the new service early next year.

Best Buy + CinemaNow = sitting in a tree originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>best-buycinemanowonline-videovideo-downloadTue, 03 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST