Element Case gets all stealthy with the Vapor Pro case for iPhone 4

You may recall that my review of the Element Case Vapor case for the iPhone 4 was not all good, citing problems with comfort, reception, and clearance in the cutouts for the headphone and dock connector. Well, few things please me more than a company that can learn from its mistakes, and Element Case is [...]

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How to back up Gmail to Hotmail or a desktop email program

When the news first broke of Gmail losing a small chuck of its users' inboxes, I had a rather terrifying realization: For nearly 8 years, I've been using Gmail as my only message store -- putting all my eggs in one basket, so to speak. If you use Gmail, you're probably now thinking the same thing as me: I really should have a backup.

But where should I back up to? There are two choices: use a regular desktop email program, like Outlook or Thunderbird, or use an alternate webmail provider like Hotmail.Continue reading How to back up Gmail to Hotmail or a desktop email programHow to back up Gmail to Hotmail or a desktop email program originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Deal of the Day ? Lenovo ThinkPad X120e 11.5? AMD Laptop

Today?s LogicBUY deal offers the Lenovo ThinkPad X120e 11.6? laptop as low as $399 with free shipping, or you can customize to your liking (over $799) and save an extra 10%. This ThinkPad is the first laptop with the AMD Fusion E-series accelerated processing unit (APU). Battery life has been increased by 30%. The AMD [...]

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Gadget Lab Podcast: Motorola Xoom, iPad 2, Intel?s Thunderbolt

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This week’s Gadget Lab podcast zooms in on the Motorola Xoom tablet, the upcoming iPad 2 and Intel’s new Thunderbolt connectivity standard.
The Motorola Xoom is a neat piece of hardware. It’s got a 10.1-inch screen (slightly bigger than the 9.7-inch iPad), front- and [...]

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10+ Chrome extensions and Web apps for new users

It might only be a couple of years old and its extension interface might not be quite as powerful as Firefox's, but in terms of developers, big-name publishers, and sheer numbers, Chrome already has a very healthy ecosystem of add-ons.

When you factor in Chrome's exclusive selection of Web apps, it's even possible to say that Chrome has a wider variety of extensions -- or at least until Mozilla launches its Open Web Apps later in the year.

Still, as always, the problem with add-ons is finding the right ones. You have thousands of add-ons to choose from, and only a handful that are actually worth using. First-time users haven't got a snowball's chance -- unless they read this list of must-have extensions!

But this list of extensions is for converts, too. With massive defections from Internet Explorer and Firefox, Chrome has grown from just a few million users in 2009 to over 120 million at the start of 2011. Firefox users will be especially pleased to find almost every add-on has a comparable extension -- and IE users... well, they'll just be glad to have any extensions at all.

Whether you are looking for helpers or shortcuts, or full-blown Web apps, you will be pleasantly surprised with the variety and power of Chrome's extensions.Continue reading 10+ Chrome extensions and Web apps for new users10+ Chrome extensions and Web apps for new users originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Choose Your Own Software Update Adventure [Image]

Depending on which platform you use, the experience of downloading and installing updates to your OS can vary. Which one are you? [Sticky Comics] More »

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Fisker Karma enters production on March 21st, our future shortly thereafter

It's been a long road for the Karma to reach production, but now it finally has an end in sight: March 21st. That's the date Fisker promises to start rolling its gorgeous PHEV off assembly lines, with deliveries to the first humans to reserve one coming up in April. The price for the 2012 Karma remains a mighty $95,900, though if you ask our brethren over at Autoblog, that's a bunch of pennies well spent. Fisker expects to start producing 1,500 Karmas per month starting in October and to then sell 15,000 a year from 2012 onwards.Fisker Karma enters production on March 21st, our future shortly thereafter originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 04:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Autoblog Green  |  GreenBeat  | Email this | Comments

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Lavasoft Rogue Gallery puts fake antivirus and rogue applications on display

It's hard for less-savvy computer users to stay out of trouble on the Internet, and part of the problem is that they just don't know how to identify potential threats. Fortunately, there are plenty of great online resources you can use, or point your friends and family to. We've already covered the excellent Facecrooks, which helps users avoid trouble on Facebook, and today we're taking a look at the Lavasoft Rogue Gallery.

Lavasoft is the company behind Ad-Aware, the granddaddy of adware removal apps. Though its malware cleanup crown has been snatched away by Malwarebytes in recent years, Ad-Aware remains enormously popular -- and Lavasoft provides a nice public service by displaying the fake antivirus (fakeAV) and rogue applications it discovers for all to see.

Rogue applications are those nasty programs which appear to be useful utilities like antivirus or Windows tune-up tools. In reality, of course, they're some of the nastiest threats around. They're easy enough to spot if you know what to look for, so spending a few minutes going through the Lavasoft Rogue Gallery is highly recommend to anyone who needs a bit of help avoiding Internet dangers.Lavasoft Rogue Gallery puts fake antivirus and rogue applications on display originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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QuickOffice shows off version for Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets

QuickOffice has been making top-notch productivity apps for smartphones for quite some time, and now the company has unveiled a new version for Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets. As is the case with its apps for other platforms (including iOS and webOS), the new tablet version features Google Docs, Dropbox, MobileMe, and SugarSync integration and offers on-the-go editing of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. QuickOffice is fully Microsoft Office compatible, of course.

To see QuickOffice for Android Honeycomb in action, take the jump and check out the hands-on video from the folks at Laptop Mag. Those of you on the Apple side of the tablet war can currently pick up QuickOffice for about $15 -- which is a good deal on a great app suite.Continue reading QuickOffice shows off version for Android 3.0 Honeycomb tabletsQuickOffice shows off version for Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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How to change the screen time-out on Android

This week's tips series was all about Android, highlighting some the operating system's built-in utilities, and better ways of getting stuff done. For other technology tips, check our Tips index.

Earlier today, I was helping my brother set up his new Motorola Defy. While the phone itself was quite nice (and tough), the screen kept turning off after just a few seconds of idle time. It was starting to drive us crazy, but after quickly poking through the settings we fixed it. Here's how:

1) Go to Settings > Display

2) Tap Screen timeout

3) Tap the timeout value you wish to use

Of course there's a trade-off between convenience and battery life - having the screen time out after two whole minutes can be nice, but your battery may not last very long. And while you're here, you can also easily adjust your display's brightness.

This tip wraps up this week's Tips series. What would you like to see next week? Let me know in the comments!How to change the screen time-out on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Facebook Breakup Notifier: this is 21st century romance

Ladies and gentlemen, there is now a sure-fire way to capitalize on the freshly dumped. Netizens, Facebookers and geeks: take heed! No longer must you pore through your friends list looking for easy rebound relationships. With Breakup Notifier, simply select friends who, in your opinion should be in your bed rather than someone else's, and you'll receive an email when (if?) they become single.

Speaking on behalf of romantics everywhere, the service is depressingly simple to use. Seriously, it's a 3-step process -- and to be honest, it kind of takes all of the effort (read: romance) out of Facebook-stalking your crushes. Anyone who has successfully chatted up a boy or girl online will know that timing is by far the most important factor, and with Breakup Notifier in your arsenal, rebound hook-ups are an easy, foregone conclusion.

Breakup Notifier is free for now -- but considering Facebook historically bans 'who defriended me?' apps, it might not be around long enough to make the developer any money. Better strike while the iron's hot, eh?Facebook Breakup Notifier: this is 21st century romance originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Madness Takes Physical Form Within the Caduceus Cellphone Hack [Video]

South Korean inventor Mok Young Bak took his apparent obsessive compulsive disorder—an intangible thing—and put it into Caduceus, a very real thing. It serves one, mad purpose: Simultaneous cellphone usage from a remote location. More »

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Daily Crunch: New Temple Edition

What Is Thunderbolt And Will It Change Your Life? Stealth: The Arcade Table With 60 Built-In Games LaCie Is The First With A Thunderbolt-Equipped External Drive Startup Company QuakeGuard Develops Early Warning System For Earthquakes Hooray: Alan Turing?s Papers Successfully Acquired For Public Display

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This Week's Top Web Comedy Video: Mike Tyson Gives Oscar Picks [Video]

Click to viewNotable film critic Leonard Maltin and notable unstable former boxer Mike Tyson take a few minutes to hash out Iron Mike's Oscar favorites. It's even more ridiculous than you'd think. I mean, there's pigeon-whispering. More »

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HTC Droid Incredible 2 shows up in Verizon's system

Well, look what we've got here! Seeing that HTC just introduced the Incredible S -- a world phone only available in the UK -- it was only a matter of time before the phone hit the stateside. A trusted tipster just hit us with screen shots of Verizon's internals containing a device dubbed HTC ADR6350. The other screenshot below has a listing for the HTC63503 with a description of "INCRD2." Putting two and two together, we'd say with great confidence that the Incredible 2 is coming to Verizon in the near future -- and we certainly wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with that "buttonless" shot we saw a while back. Stay tuned as we try and dig up more details... and in the meantime, peep the second screenshot after the break!Continue reading HTC Droid Incredible 2 shows up in Verizon's systemHTC Droid Incredible 2 shows up in Verizon's system originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Feb 2011 05:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

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Timescape Sci-Fi Watch Gives Your Brain a Workout

Gadgets and Gear has another interesting watch that’s as much art as it is timepiece.� The Timescape Sci-Fi Watch uses a series of LEDs to display the time on a grid on the black face.� Press a button, and the LEDs light up to show hours on the vertical bars and minutes on the horizontal [...]

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Avast 6 ready for download, adds sandboxing to antivirus defense

After only a few weeks in beta testing, Avast 6 is now ready for download. If you're looking for a good, free antivirus program for your Windows computer, Avast is still one of the best options -- and version 6 adds one very powerful defense mechanism.

Sandboxing -- which allows your computer to run unknown and untrusted programs in an isolated spece where they can't harm your operating system or data -- has been added to Avast 6. It's even there in the free version, and it's a very compelling reason to take another look at Avast. Since Avast 6 can automatically sandbox programs, you're protected even if its definitions and behaviorial scanning can't tell that program is malicious. In paid versions, Avast has added a new Safe Zone designed to offer increased protection when transmitting sensitive data to banks or other Web sites.Continue reading Avast 6 ready for download, adds sandboxing to antivirus defenseAvast 6 ready for download, adds sandboxing to antivirus defense originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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The Next MacBook Makeover: High Hopes, Low Expectations

Rumors are flying fast and furious regarding the long-awaited next generation of Apple MacBook Pros. The last major update to the line came in April last year, but we might finally get a redesign as soon as Thursday. Of course, it's also possible that Apple will fold a MacBook Pro announcement into its March 2 media event next week, where Apple is widely expected to reveal it's second-generation iPad 2.

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Flight challenges you to fly a paper airplane to London

Who doesn't like flying paper planes? I know I do, but I can never make them quite right - they never fly for more than a few seconds. Flight has just given me another chance to fulfill my lifelong dream of flying a paper plane all the way to London, England!

The background story is not the best - a lonely girl is sending a note to Santa to bring her mommy home for Christmas (not sure why Santa would be in London) - but the game itself is super-fun.

You need to fly your paper airplane as far as it would go, and collect as many stars as you can along the way. The stars, the distance you travel and some other parameters like velocity and altitude help you accumulate money. With this money you can buy cool upgrades for your plane that will help you get it to London that much faster.

The graphics for this game are pretty impressive, but you might want to engage that mute button before you really get into it - the music is rather annoying.

All in all it's a fun little game. There are just two things I still couldn't figure out: What does the pink origami swan do? And what happens when you get to London? Tell us in the comments if you made it!Flight challenges you to fly a paper airplane to London originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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SHIFT: Freedom! is a fun, intelligent platformer -- Time Waster

Creating a good casual game is not a simple task: On the one hand, people want to "get" the game instantly, and just start playing without having to read lengthy tutorials or figure out complex controls. On the other hand, you don't want the game to be too one-dimensional.

And really, the first thing I noticed about SHIFT: Freedom! is that learning how to play was fun. The built-in tutorial walks you through a couple of levels, but you still have to think a little bit, and it's very fast.

As you might have gathered from the title, this is one platformer that doesn't emphasize crazy speed and agility. It's more cerebral - you have to figure your way out of every level using just what you see on the screen (no extra "tools" or anything like that).

It's a lot of fun to play, and due to the way it "teaches" you, you keep finding out new things you can do during the first few levels. And by the time you're done with those, you might just be hooked!SHIFT: Freedom! is a fun, intelligent platformer -- Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Google's Native Client updates to Pepper API, looks set to fragment the Web

Native Client (NaCl), Google's attempt at bridging the gap between pure JavaScript Web apps and installed programs, creeps ever closer to a stable release, and ultimate inclusion in other browsers, including Firefox. The plug-in, which allows the browser to safely execute native compiled code, has retired its NPAPI interface in favor of Pepper (PPAPI), and now has a much-improved SDK.

NaCl, as a concept, is awesome. It allows for untrusted code to be executed natively, which is perfect for processor-intensive tasks like games and data analysis. The ultimate goal is to have NaCl modules that you can plug into a website, just like JavaScript is used at the moment -- a physics module, a maths module, a graphics module. JavaScript would still manage the easier bits, while NaCl would be leveraged for meatier tasks.

Ultimately, however, NaCl could cause immeasurable damage to the Open Web paradigm. NaCl is an open source project, but it still brings the same risks of fragmentation as Flash, Silverlight and Java applets. As it stands, only Chrome supports the Pepper interface that NaCl requires -- and with IE9 and Firefox 4 only weeks away from release, it would be a long time until support for the plug-in could improve.

If NaCl gains enough traction, Chrome could become the next IE6...Continue reading Google's Native Client updates to Pepper API, looks set to fragment the WebGoogle's Native Client updates to Pepper API, looks set to fragment the Web originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Legit Sites Could Get Caught in Google's Content Farm Crosshairs

Google on Thursday began using a new algorithm to rid its top search results of what it described as low-quality websites. This will reduce the rankings for sites that are low value-add for users, ones that copy content from other websites, or sites that just aren't very useful. Simultaneously, the algorithm will improve the rankings for high-quality sites.

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Intel Oak Trail Atom Z670 tablets to arrive at the end of March

Intel's spent the last nine months prepping its Oak Trail silicon to improve the battery life and performance of Windows 7 tablets, and come the end of next month we should finally have some slates with the new 1.5GHz Atom Z670 chip inside. While Fudzilla has heard that the tablets will hit in the general March time frame, the eagle-eyed guys at Netbook News spotted the Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 press materials stating that the new platform will launch on March 30, 2011. That seems to line up with what we've heard on timing, since both the Oak Trail-powered Samsung Sliding PC 7 and MSI WindPad 100W were announced with March availability. Chances are we will hear more about it all at CeBIT next week, but honestly, at this point we're just really eager to get one of these in our hands to see what Chipzilla's really improved.Intel Oak Trail Atom Z670 tablets to arrive at the end of March originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  NetbookNews, Fudzilla  | Email this | Comments

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Deal of the Day ? Dell XPS 15 with 2nd Generation Intel Core i7

Today?s LogicBUY deal features the 15.6? Dell XPS 15 laptop with the 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2620M cpu. Base configuration includes 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 525M graphics, 4GB memory, and 500GB hard drive. You can customize with 1080p LCD, 8GB memory, 2GB GeForce G540M with TV tuner, and more. Cheapest deal for basic 2nd generation [...]

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Consumer Reports Finds Antenna Issue on Verizon iPhone

Consumer Reports claims the Verizon iPhone 4 exhibits signal loss when held in a specific way, similar to the problems seen in the AT&T iPhone 4 last year.
More�Verizon iPhone coverage on Wired.com:

Review: Verizon iPhone
Hands-On With the Verizon iPhone Hotspot
Price Chart: Verizon iPhone vs. AT&T iPhone
Switching to Verizon iPhone? 3 Ways to Shave the Termination Fee
Verizon [...]

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Fujitsu ScanSnap S1100 Portable Color Scanner Review

The ScanSnap Color Scanner from Fujitsu is one of those products that surprised me when I first used it. It surprised me because it works so well. The scanning was surprisingly fast and the scanned images were a perfect copy.� I had to stop myself from scanning any picture and document I could get my [...]

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Motorola Xoom and Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Pro get torn down

The Xoom's big attraction may be the ethereal Honeycomb that oozes within it, but it's still a gadget made of metal, silicon and plastic, so we're as keen as anyone to see what its insides look like. iFixit has dutifully performed the task of tearing one down to its constituent components and found an Atmel touchscreen controller capable of picking up 15 inputs at a time, a Qualcomm MDM6600 chip capable of 14.4Mbps HSPA+ speeds, some Toshiba NAND flash memory, and of course, NVIDIA's beloved Tegra 2 dual-core SOC. The conclusion reached was that the Xoom is relatively easy to repair, though you should be aware there are no less than 57 screws holding the thing together, so free up a nice long afternoon if you intend to disassemble one yourself.

Aside from Moto's flagship tablet, iFixit has also gotten to grips with Apple's latest MacBook Pro, the one that can do Thunderbolt-fast transfers with as yet nonexistent peripherals, though discoveries there were predictably few and far between. The wireless card now has four antennas instead of three and there are some changes made to the cooling systems, but the real reason you'll want to see this is the quad-core Sandy Bridge CPU lurking within -- it's as big and imposing as the performance it promises to deliver.Motorola Xoom and Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Pro get torn down originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  iFixit (Xoom), (MacBook Pro)  | Email this | Comments

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Official Android 2.3.3 updates for Nexus One and Nexus S unearthed, available to the impatient

Waiting sucks, doesn't it? Yes, yes it does -- which is why we're delighted to see that direct links to the official, final updates to Android 2.3.3 for the Nexus One and Nexus S have both been turned loose. This is especially exciting news for Nexus One owners who've stayed on the straight and narrow and haven't moved to a cooked Gingerbread ROM already, since they're still on Froyo -- but it's also good news for developers working on NFC apps with the Nexus S and Android's freshly-baked NFC API, since it means they'll have real-world devices to start playing with. So go on, get to it -- we know you're not going to wait for the over-the-air notification anyway.

[Thanks, Will]Official Android 2.3.3 updates for Nexus One and Nexus S unearthed, available to the impatient originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink BriefMobile  |  xda-developers  | Email this | Comments

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Dodocase?s Bookback Covers iPad in Leathery Skin

On of my biggest complaints in yesterday’s iPad 2 wish-list was that the back of the current iPad is just too slippery. It never feels secure in the hand, and if you tuck it under your arm or prop it on the arm of a couch, you’re looking at imminent disaster.
And as if by magic, [...]

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Will iPad 3 Arrive In 2011

It’s incredible how fast new technology becomes outdated and obsolete these days. The iPad 2 hasn’t even gone on sale yet and there’s already rumors about iPad 3 making it’s debut sometime during the fall, around September to be exact. There’s no confirmation on whether or not these rumors are true. However, Apple must be [...]

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Sprint pulls Epic 4G Froyo update, cites data connectivity and SD card issues

Well, we're not quite sure what the trouble is with firmware updates for Samsung phones this week, but another one's just been pulled days after it was rolled out. This one affects the Epic 4G, which has now seen its recently released Froyo update pulled by Sprint, which says it's received reports of SD card issues and data connectivity problems from customers who've already installed the update. Still no word as to when a new update might be rolling out, but Sprint says that those who have already taken the plunge should be able to fix any problems with a hard reset -- after they backup all their data, of course.Sprint pulls Epic 4G Froyo update, cites data connectivity and SD card issues originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink BGR  |  Sprint  | Email this | Comments

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Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game

Yes, that's right, I said adorable. Because Cueboy Quest really is!

You play an 8-bit cowboy whose goal on each level is to get to the door (and thus to the next level), but the door is often locked. To get it to open, you must shoot at one or more targets, and those targets aren't always in your line of sight. For example, on one level the the target is a balloon which is stuck all the way at the other end of the screen. You must first nudge it free, and then watch it float up and try to shoot it before it floats clear off the screen. Your bullets are chunky pixels that have some weight - the have arcing trajectories, so you don't always hit exactly where you aim.

There's another level where you must jump on the balloon as it floats up, use it as a platform to get to the other end of the screen, and then turn to shoot it very quickly before it flies away. Each level is very short, and most of them are quite easy. And not only are the graphics 8-bit blocky, but they're large too. Simply beautiful!Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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AOL To Restructure Media Group Around Huffington Post ? Here?s The Internal Email

Earlier this morning AOL President Media David Eun resigned, leaving us wondering who we at TechCrunch work for now (I mean besides you, dear readers). Now we know.

In an email to all staff except us (I love writing that), CEO Tim Armstrong outlines his plan for AOL's content business going forward. The bottom line is this: Arianna Huffington is leading editorial, and AOL exec Jon Brod will become COO of the group. This is largely the same message Armstrong sent when announcing the Huffington Post acquisition.

Here's the email. There are other executive shifts happening as well. I really need to meet some of these people.

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Ohio Girl Scouts accepting mobile payments for cookies, your thin mint craving starts now

Short on cash but wishing you could stock up on Girl Scout cookies? Then you no longer have an excuse -- at least if you're in Northeast Ohio -- and as the local Girl Scout group there has teamed up with Intuit to accept credit cards using the company's GoPayment app (and accompanying card reader) for iOS and Android. What's more, while the Ohio group is the first to sign up, Intuit is now also extending the same offer (which includes reduced transaction fees) to Girl Scout organizations across the US -- something tells us it won't have much trouble getting attracting interest.
Continue reading Ohio Girl Scouts accepting mobile payments for cookies, your thin mint craving starts nowOhio Girl Scouts accepting mobile payments for cookies, your thin mint craving starts now originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink 9 to 5 Mac  |   | Email this | Comments

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iPad 2 News ? Apple Calls On More Suppliers

Last April when Apple released the original iPad to the market you had to wait in line in some cases to get your hands on the exciting new tablet device. Many orders were put on hold and some countries even had to wait for the iPad to become available. This April, when the dazzling new [...]

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Shopping List Manager for Windows Phone 7 organizes your grocery runs

The number of apps available for Windows Phone 7 is starting to climb sharply and we've seen more good apps of late, too -- not just soundboards and wrappers around mobile websites. If you're after a nice WP7 app to manage your grocery store excursions, check out Shopping Lists Manager.

Create a list, add items, and you'll get a checklist to mark off items as you add them to your grocery basket (or cart, if that's how you roll). Shopping Lists Manager will also optionally hide checked items so they're not cluttering up your list view. Better still, you can register and then sync your lists between two devices -- very handy if you and your roommate or significant other want to collaborate on purchase planning.

Download Shopping List Manager for Windows Phone 7Shopping List Manager for Windows Phone 7 organizes your grocery runs originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Apple Releases A Developer Preview Of OS X Lion ? Through The Mac App Store

Two days ago, we first reported that Apple was likely to release a developer beta of OS X Lion "soon". Well, how's this for soon? This morning, alongside their new MacBook Pros, Apple has announced the developer preview of the latest version of OS X. And the most interesting aspect may be how Apple is releasing this developer preview: through the Mac App Store.

Again, to be clear, this initial test version of the OS will be for developers only. The final version of Lion is still on track to be released this summer, Apple notes.

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Flash Player 10.2 with Stage Video hardware acceleration out of beta

Flash Player 10.2 is finally out of beta!

We've covered this upgrade before, and after three months of beta testing, Adobe feels ready to roll this one out as an official update.

The key features that make Flash 10.2 a worthwhile upgrade are:

Proper full-screen support for multi-monitor systems: At long last, users with more than one monitor would be able to play a full-screen video on one monitor while working with another monitor! Hurrah! This long-overdue feature alone is worth the upgrade.
Stage Video: Adobe's new API for high-performance video playback across multiple platforms. In simple terms, it makes HD video fast and easy on your computer. The only snag is that developers will have to build in support for it - it's not just a client-side change. Adobe says YouTube, Vimeo, and Brightcove are already hard at work adding support.
Font smoothing: Flash player isn't all about video, after all. This improvement adds ClearType-like font smoothing.
Hardware acceleration: Last but not least, Flash 10.2 supports IE 9's hardware acceleration capabilities ("GPU rendering").

All in all, Flash 10.2 sounds like a worthy upgrade. Click here for the download page, and if you're using Chrome, be sure to disable the built-in Flash plug-in to reap the benefits unless you're on the updated Dev channel.Flash Player 10.2 with Stage Video hardware acceleration out of beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Will iPad 3 Arrive In 2011

It’s incredible how fast new technology becomes outdated and obsolete these days. The iPad 2 hasn’t even gone on sale yet and there’s already rumors about iPad 3 making it’s debut sometime during the fall, around September to be exact. There’s no confirmation on whether or not these rumors are true. However, Apple must be [...]

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Opera 11.10 Barracuda incoming

With nothing more than the most tantalizing of teasers, the Opera team has just announced that an early build of Opera 11.10, codenamed Barracuda, will emerge "in the near future."

As far as Barracuda's feature set is concerned, all we know is that "another popular Opera feature will be taken to the next level."

If any of Download Squad's seven Opera users are out there: shall we take some bets on which feature the Opera team is hinting at? Our money's on hardware acceleration, though that doesn't really fit with Opera's hint...Opera 11.10 Barracuda incoming originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Nokia: Culture Will Out [First Person]

Before starting Urbanscale, his own design firm, Adam Greenfield spent two years as Nokia's head of design direction for user interfaces and services. Here, he explains how Nokia's focus on commodity over user experience led to the company's precipitous decline. More »

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Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus

Once upon a time, there used to be a DOS game with a caveman and a human powered helicopter. The caveman would shuttle around the screen, madly trying to get customers to where they wanted to go.

Jetbus is not that game, but it's obviously inspired by it. You're driving a yellow school bus which has jets. I guess the jet engine takes quite a bit of space inside the bus, because you can only pick up one person at a time.

There are several doors on the screen, each with its own number. As you pick up a person, the status bar at the bottom of the screen shows you which number door you have to take them to.

You must fly your bus carefully, because if it gets bumped around too much, you lose. You earn money on each level, and can visit the garage to buy better jets and damping, power-ups, or even a whole new vehicle.

So while this game isn't made as well as the original that inspired it, it does provide a few minutes of fun. And now, which one of you guys remembers the original and feels like pointing to it in the comments?Jetbus is a retro-tastic physics game, with a bus originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Firefox 4's best restartless add-ons

Unless you've been sleeping under a rock, or in a tent outside the Googleplex with an "I LOVE SCHMIDT" banner, you hopefully know that Firefox 4 supports restartless add-ons, or in developerese: bootstrapped extensions.

Unfortunately, however, the process of converting an existing add-on into a restartless wonder is far from simple. A few months ago, back when the Firefox 4 beta machine really got into the swing of things, the developer of the world's most popular add-on, Adblock Plus, described his laborious and infuriating attempt at making his add-on restartless -- and today, just a few days away from the final Firefox beta, there still isn't a single big-name restartless add-on to be found.

On the flip side, writing new restartless add-ons is a little easier. Uptake amongst developers still seems to be very slow, though. Add-ons for Firefox (AMO) only has about 80 add-ons tagged with 'restartless', and even less with the restartless add-on's SDK, 'jetpack'.

Then, of course, only a few of those add-ons are actually worth using! Read on for our pick of the best Firefox 4 restartless add-ons.Continue reading Firefox 4's best restartless add-onsFirefox 4's best restartless add-ons originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Gmail now uses the Google Chrome PDF viewer to display attachments

If you use access Gmail in Google Chrome on your computer, you can now view PDF attachments using Chrome's built-in viewer. The Chrome PDF plug-in is faster than the Google Docs previewer, its rendering accuracy is better, and you don't have to change settings anywhere for this to take effect. Just use Gmail in Google Chrome and the 'view' link will automatically open your file in the Chrome PDF viewer.

The change is also nice because Chrome's PDF plug-in actually lets you print, unlike the previewer which can only manage recursion printing (it generates a PDF of your PDF).

Users of Google Apps will receive the feature soon, according to a post on the Google Apps blog.Gmail now uses the Google Chrome PDF viewer to display attachments originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Twitter overhauls its Translation Center, adds Turkish, Indonesian and Russian

First launched in 2009, Twitter has just overhauled its 'gameified' Translation Center. It now has a very shiny UI, and voting on suggested translations or adding your own is easier than ever.

Translating phrases earns you experience points, and ultimately yields level-ups. You don't actually get anything by leveling up -- you just end up at the top of a feel-good leader board. If you're an active translator, though, you do get a badge on your profile page -- and as we all know, except for having wheelbarrows of cash, badges are the single most important metric of social status.

To get started, head on over to the Twitter Translation Center and connect it to your Twitter account. You can choose from a bunch of languages, and your translation services aren't limited to just the Twitter.com website: you can translate the mobile website and iPhone and Android apps, too.Twitter overhauls its Translation Center, adds Turkish, Indonesian and Russian originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Artists Keep Hands Clean with Tablet-Friendly Brush Stylus

Beret-wearing, work shy layabout “artists” rejoice! Now you can swap expansive and messy paint and canvas for an expensive and tidy iPad and brush-shaped stylus. Well, the iPad part is expensive. The Nomad brush stylus is just $24, or around the same price as a rubber, nubbin-tipped pen stylus.
As an object, the brush is beautiful. [...]

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Android 2.3.3 gives you another reason to want it: WebM support

Our first indication of a delivery date for the Gingerbread iteration of Android came way back in May when we were perusing the FAQ to Google's then newly announced WebM video format. There should be no expressions of shock, therefore, to hear that WebM support has indeed been added into Google's mobile OS, with the lowest compatible version being today's freshly introduced Android 2.3.3. Google has already demonstrated its intention to brute-force this format into our lives, which we'll be quite happy to accept just as soon as Gingerbread starts appearing on more devices than its own Nexi.Android 2.3.3 gives you another reason to want it: WebM support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Android Developers  | Email this | Comments

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Samsung launches five more i-Function NX Series lenses, we long for broader compatibility

Outside of the D3S's ridiculous low-light performance, Samsung's i-Function lenses just might be the best thing to happen to digital photography in the past five years. Sure, some of you are probably spitting out your morning Cup of Joe at the thought, but it's one of those things that you truly have to use to appreciate. For those out of the loop, have a peek back at our NX100 preview, and once you're sold, feast your eyes on five new ones in the 2011 NX Series stable. The new range is comprised of Samsung's 18-200mm multi-purpose Long Zoom Lens, a light, compact 16mm F2.4 ultra-wide pancake lens, a 60mm macro, 85mm F1.4 CSC lens (for those low-light shoots needing plenty of bokeh) and a 16-80mm standard zoom. Hit the source link for all of the specifics, but don't go hunting for prices or release dates -- those are still hidden in the background, regrettably.Continue reading Samsung launches five more i-Function NX Series lenses, we long for broader compatibilitySamsung launches five more i-Function NX Series lenses, we long for broader compatibility originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Imaging Resource  | Email this | Comments

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First Windows Phone 7 update updates update mechanism, no copy paste

If you've been waiting patiently for your Windows Phone 7 device to get copy and paste support, bad news: you're still going to be waiting after you install the update Microsoft is pushing today. The first Windows Phone 7 update brings changes which will pave the way for future updates -- by improving the way the operating system handles updates.

And don't forget, for now you need the Zune desktop app for Windows or the Windows Phone 7 connector app for Mac to install updates on your WP7 phone. Perhaps one of the improvements being shipped is support for OTA updates...First Windows Phone 7 update updates update mechanism, no copy paste originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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VIC Ltd NaviSurfer II UBU-3G in-car PC gets built-in GPS -- finally

It's been a while since we've heard anything about the NaviSurfer II, but for those patiently awaiting the update of this commuter computer, VIC Ltd. has just given the thing a pretty hefty overhaul. The new NaviSurfer II UBU-3G runs on an auto-specific Ubuntu 10.10 and sports a 7-inch touchscreen, 250GB hard drive, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 3G HSDPA modem, and three USB 2.0 ports. Possibly the most useful upgrade of all, however, is the inclusion of a built-in GPS receiver, rocking a Navit navigation system. Unfortunately for those lacking in the dashboard department, this sucker's Double DIN, or about twice the size of the standard car radio, but if you've got room for the thing, the NaviSurfer runs €300 (about $400).

Update: The VIC Ltd website is currently down -- looks like someone might be throwing a little too much traffic their way. VIC Ltd NaviSurfer II UBU-3G in-car PC gets built-in GPS -- finally originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  VIC Ltd  | Email this | Comments

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Why Pirating Your Anime Isn't So Bad [Video]

During an unscientific focus group, Nate Anderson over at Ars Technica found a few key reasons why animes that you can stream for free and legally online are still pirated. Rather than just pricing, factors like speed of availability, video quality, and especially good subtitles with respect for culture all come into play. So it's not just the money. It's the whole experience that often makes piracy a viable alternative. [Ars Technica] More »

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What "Do Not Track" Is and Why It's Important [Web Browsers]

What's so bad about ad tracking on the web, a.k.a. behavioral targeting? Nothing, if you don't mind being a living stereotype. No, seriously—that's what much of the fuss over "Do Not Track" browser options and opt-out options is about. Ad companies watch what you do online, and they make bold assumptions about you. How you feel about that is up to you. More »

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Newer Apple bumpers now fit 3rd party accessories better

Good news — the new Verizon iPhone friendly Apple bumpers now fit 3rd party dock accessories better! One of my biggest gripes with Apple’s bumpers is that the charge port only fit Apple chargers. If you use any third party sync cables, chargers, or battery packs they would never fit. I have a Griffin Power [...]Newer Apple bumpers now fit 3rd party accessories better is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

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Daily Crunch: Galaxy Space Edition

Canjo: You Know, A Banjo Made From A Can Samsung Releases Handsome PMP, The Galaxy S WiFi Pac?n Twit: Pac-Man Twitter Client For The iPhone Hands On Video: The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 10-Year-Old Talks About MakerBot At Ignite Phoenix

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Libyan Mirage F1 Fighter Jets Escape to Malta After Refusing to Bomb Protesters [War]

Two Libyan Mirage F1 jet fighters have escaped the country after refusing to attack unarmed civilian protesters on the streets, landing in Malta's International Airport, 211 miles north of their home country. More »

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New York Times: Apple Is Not Making a Smaller iPhone

The New York Times has poured cold water on a rumor that Apple is preparing to sell a smaller version of the iPhone.
The report conflicts with stories published earlier this week by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, who both claim that Apple is making a smaller iPhone that relies heavily on cloud-based storage and [...]

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Apple Smacks Readability In The Face With Subscription Rules; All SaaS In Trouble

We've already been over (and over and over and over and over) Apple's new iOS subscription rules. And the initial backlash has seemingly cooled down as everyone has moved on to the next hot topic of the hour. But it's pretty clear that this issue is going to keep surfacing, because it really does screw a lot of developers. And sure enough, it's already back today.

Readability, a service which takes text on the web and strips out ads and other distractions to make posts more readable, had been planning to bring an app to the iOS platform. In fact, they worked with Instapaper creator Marco Arment to build it. It seems like it would have been a pretty popular app. Except it was rejected on the grounds that it circumvents Apples in-app subscriptions today.

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Threadless Is Now Crowdsourcing For Causes

Threadless, one of the original crowdsourcing sites that pioneered the idea a decade ago and is now paying out more than $1 million a year in artist fees, is not just for T-shirts anymore. Today, the company is introducing a crowdsourcing platform called Threadless Atrium, which is initially targeted at causes and cause-based marketing campaigns. "Threadless Atrium will allow other organization to use community-based design to further their mission and causes," says CEO Tom Ryan.

The first two examples of organizations using Atrium can be found on Threadless Causes. The DNA (Demi and Ashton) Foundation is using Threadless to solicit T-shirt designs to raise awareness about child sex slavery, and the Oceanic Preservation Society is crowdsourcing the artwork for its upcoming documentary Singing Planet about mass extinction. On the product side, Threadless is also working with fashion designer Steven Alan to come up with patterns for a future line of clothing which will also go towards helping DNA.

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Win A New iPad From the Staff At Klick.com

The creative staff at Klick.com is giving away a brand new Apple iPad absolutely free to one lucky winner this holiday season! For your chance to win a new iPad simply pay close attention to the video below, watch it a few times if you have to. While viewing try to spot as many Internet [...]

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Born This Way

Last night at the dinner table we wrestled with the next generation in the form of our 17 year old. It all began when she asked to borrow my iPad for "a second." We had been discussing Lady Gaga's new single, which Naomi insisted was a direct cop of a Madonna 80?s hit, Express Yourself. OK, there might be some similarity ? like the whole verse, 75% of the chorus, and the fact that Lady Gaga is in fact Madonna.

But I maintain that Lady Gaga is the first and only artist to appear since the Beatles were thrown off the rooftop in London with sufficient gravitas to allude endlessly to in articles about technology. So I did the adult thing to do in this parenting opportunity. I distracted my daughter and grabbed my iPad back. Things got worse fast.

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Dolphin Browser for Pad enters private beta for Android tablets

With Android 3.0 set to arrive soon on a slew of big-name tablets like the Motorola Xoom, developers are gearing up for the move to the big screen. Today, one of our favorite Android apps -- Dolphin -- launched a private beta for its new tablet version.Called Dolphin Browser for Pad, the big brother of Dolphin HD looks to be every bit as customizable and packs a similar array of kicked-up browser functionality. Social sharing is built-in and the company claims Dolphin for Pad "convert[s] traditional websites content into digital magazines."

Interestingly, the app made it into the Android Market sans screenshots -- but expect Dolphin Browser for Pad to look like Dolphin HD with a slightly more desktop-like UI.Dolphin Browser for Pad enters private beta for Android tablets originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Motorola Atrix 4G already rooted, and it's not even out yet

If you thought the lack of root on the Atrix 4G was going to save you a couple hundred bucks next week... well, we hate to break the bad news, but you're going to need to find another excuse not to buy it (more on that in a second). Long story short, the phone's already been rooted by a gentleman over on the ever-resourceful xda-developers forums, which means you can do all the normal things that require root access like enabling the standard Froyo mobile hotspot feature, using root apps like Titanium Backup (pictured above), and generally looking 1337 compared to your friends locked up in their walled gardens. Now, the bad news: the bootloader remains firmly locked and presumably encrypted given Moto's track record, so custom kernels are still just a dream -- but hey, where there's a will, there's a way. Keep the faith!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Motorola Atrix 4G already rooted, and it's not even out yet originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  xda-developers  | Email this | Comments

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djtxt: Collaborative Grooveshark music playlists via SMS, Twitter and email

Fresh from the fragrant and bohemian confines of the New York 2011 Music Hack Day comes djtxt, a surprisingly awesome Web app that lets you collaborate on the perfect Grooveshark party music playlist.

All you have to do is run the djtxt 'client' (which is just a matter of opening Grooveshark and clicking a bookmarklet) on a computer that's attached to some (preferably loud) speakers. Anyone can then SMS, tweet or email to add songs to the playlist. It's surprisingly easy and it works really well! Songs are added within a few seconds of an email or tweet being received by the djtxt robot -- we didn't test SMS, but presumably it's just as fast.

If you want to see it in action, just follow the first two steps on the djtxt website, then follow the instructions on the Grooveshark page. We'll be listening to the demo playlist in the Download Squad bunker, so feel free to entertain us with your choice of funky beats! If you like what you see (hear?), set up your own djtxt party, turn the volume up to 11, and rock on. Incidentally, if there's a song that you don't like, you can even send djtxt a 'skip' message -- but you can only do it once every 20 minutes!

If you're at work and unable to test it out, there's a video demonstration after the break.Continue reading djtxt: Collaborative Grooveshark music playlists via SMS, Twitter and emaildjtxt: Collaborative Grooveshark music playlists via SMS, Twitter and email originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Motorola Xoom up for in-store pre-order at Best Buy, $800 for Thursday availability

No more stunt prices, no more premature web appearances, this (we hope) is finally Best Buy's fully official listing for the Motorola Xoom. It brings no great surprises to those who've been tracking the tablet's progress to retail shelves, offering first dibs to buyers willing to make the effort and pre-order one in store today, with full availability coming on Thursday, February 24th. The $800 3G-equipped model is accompanied on Best Buy's site by a $40 portfolio case, a $50 basic charging dock, a $130 stereo speaker dock, and a $70 Bluetooth keyboard, but there's no sighting of the cheaper WiFi-only Xoom. There was some suspicion that the $600 SKU would launch a little later on and that is indeed what appears to be happening. One final note of caution: even if you're intending to use the Xoom as a pure WiFi-only device, remember that you'll be required to activate data with Verizon for at least a month first -- don't ask us why.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Motorola Xoom up for in-store pre-order at Best Buy, $800 for Thursday availability originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Best Buy  | Email this | Comments

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Idapt's $40 i2+ universal charging dock now shipping, patching over divides

Fancy a way to charge his and her phones with a single dock? Idapt's i2+ has you covered -- the multifaceted mobile charging machine that launched at CES is now shipping directly from the company, with Walmart, Crutchfield, Costco and loads of others slated to pick it up in the coming weeks. It'll set you back $39.99 (or €34.99 across the way), with that tally netting you six of the most popular charging tips: miniUSB, microUSB, iPod / iPhone, Samsung 4, Nokia 2 and Sony Ericsson 2. Head on down to the source link if you're anxious to drive one more faction out of your current domestic situation.Continue reading Idapt's $40 i2+ universal charging dock now shipping, patching over dividesIdapt's $40 i2+ universal charging dock now shipping, patching over divides originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Idapt  | Email this | Comments

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Opera and Qualcomm partner to bring better Web browsing to millions on Brew

Opera has announced yet another integration deal with a major OEM. This time, it's with chip maker Qualcomm which will begin shipping the Opera Mobile 10 and Opera Mini 5 browsers as part of its Brew platform for mobile phones. Qualcomm calls the partnership "a perfect match, saying "With its cross-platform technology, renowned performance, superior standards compliance and small size, Opera gives users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience than much of its competition."

Despite the growing popularity of smartphones and superphones, there are still tens of millions of people purchasing less expensive feature phones -- many of which run Qualcomm's chips and the Brew platform.

While Opera and Qualcomm don't know exactly how many new users will be reached, Opera's Thomas Ford told us "Qualcomm ships tens of millions of chipsets every year. We expect a substantial number of their OEMs and ODMs to ship Opera Mini with their devices." Opera Mini recently crossed the 100 million user mark, and we don't doubt the Qualcomm deal will help that number grow significantly.Opera and Qualcomm partner to bring better Web browsing to millions on Brew originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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The Truest Comic About Videos on Websites [Humor]

I've always noticed this when watching videos with ads. The actual video never plays but, somehow, the ad plays just fine. [Toothpaste for Dinner] More »

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Daily Crunch: Crossing Edition

?Ultrasonic? Klang Speaker Concept Only Produces Sound Where Your Head Is Today, A Ban On Headphones While Crossing The Street; Tomorrow, A Ban On Chewing Gum While Walking Are You Man Enough For This iPad Bjorn? Just In Time For Trenta: Send Your Facebook Friends Starbucks Card eGifts Hump Day Giveaway: ThinkFun Solitaire Chess

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Opera now used by over 100 million mobile surfers, dominates iOS browser

Opera, now with a combined total of over 100 million Mini and Mobile users, dominates the mobile browser market. While Mobile has a very valiant 15 million users, it is Opera Mini with over 90 million users and 52 billion page views in January 2011 that really steals the show. Those figures don't include phones that come with Opera pre-installed, incidentally.

The maths are more complicated than they first look, though. There's no doubt that Opera's share of the mobile browser share is shrinking -- in direct correlation with Android's growth -- but at the same time, there's no doubt in terms of platforms that iOS dominates the mobile surfing market. One conclusion, which is suggested by Opera's own figures, is that iOS users are using Opera Mini over the stock browser -- and in the U.K. and U.S., the iPhone is actually Opera Mini's most-used platform.

There's no avoiding the fact that Opera's stronghold is on Nokia phones, though. If you leaf through Opera's State of the Mobile Web, it's rare to find less than 9 Nokia phones in each country's top 10 handsets. There's also no Android phones to be found -- but that's more to do with the sheer variety of Android phones than anything else. Still, despite the much-belabored and over-blogged Rise of the Smartphone, Opera's growth doesn't look like it's slowing down.

Smartphones might be set for massive growth in the West, but Opera looks set to dominate every territory east of the EU -- and with over 4 billion people on that side of the world, we don't think you'll hear Opera complaining.Opera now used by over 100 million mobile surfers, dominates iOS browser originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Amazon Appstore for Android will let you buy apps without a device

No Android device? No problem! Turns out Amazon's upcoming Appstore for Android -- which has been in the works for some time -- will allow you to purchase apps even before you receive the device you intend to install them on, presumably so that you're stocked up and ready to go by the time the phone (or tablet, or whatever miscellaneous gizmo) arrives on your doorstep. As AllThingsD points out, the concept appears to go partway toward mimicking Amazon's Kindle business model, which does a decent job of decoupling content (which is associated with your Amazon account) from the actual hardware you've got it installed on. We still don't know exactly when the Appstore is launching, but considering Amazon's retail chops, these guys might actually stand a chance at cutting into the Android Market's revenue by some noticeable margin.Amazon Appstore for Android will let you buy apps without a device originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  AllThingsD  | Email this | Comments

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How to switch between your recently used apps on Android

This week's tips series is all about Android, highlighting some the operating system's built-in utilities, and better ways of getting stuff done. For other technology tips, check our Tips index.

Android is inherently capable of multitasking, and has a sophisticated mechanism for deciding which applications should be kept running in the background, and which should be killed to conserve system resources. That means Android keeps tabs on which applications are running, and when.

It turns out there's a simple way to tap into this mechanism: A long press of the Home hardware button on your device pops up an overlay screen showing the most recently-used applications. You can then just tap an application's icon to instantly switch to it. Handy!How to switch between your recently used apps on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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The Kork Case for iPad

Introducing the Kork for iPad, a slick case with a great look and feel. With it’s light weight and ergonomic design you’ll find it’s one of the most comfortable iPad cases available. Get a Grip: Comfortable & Convenient Those of you who have experienced using an iPad know that it’s smooth surface can cause the [...]

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Masdar City's driverless pods now whisking students around on a limited basis (video)

Oh, sure -- Masdar City's driverless pods may not make nearly as many stops as your average metro, but it essentially matches the usefulness of the subway station in Pyongyang. And with a lot less energy waste, to boot. If you'll recall, these driverless pods were planned years ago, and while the ambitions have been quelled somewhat thanks to the economic crunch, that hasn't stopped students and engineers from using 2GetThere's pods, magnets and a fiber optic system to create a two-stop transfer system at the university. For now, they're whisking students between a pair of drop points that are 800 meters apart, traveling 15 miles per hour and instilling fear into everyone who dares step inside. As for the future? Only The Jetsons truly know, but you can take a glimpse in the video just past the break.Continue reading Masdar City's driverless pods now whisking students around on a limited basis (video)Masdar City's driverless pods now whisking students around on a limited basis (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Autoblog Green  |   | Email this | Comments

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Could Watson Have Been Defeated by Homebrew? [Final Jeopardy]

Well before Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, IBM's design team grappled with a different challenge - getting beaten to the punch by someone else inventing a trivia-savvy artificial mind. Final Jeopardy discusses Watson's early development and how this Q&A juggernaut overcame the "Basement Baseline." More »

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HTC Incredible S auto-rotating buttons explained? (video)

We were quite bedazzled by the HTC Incredible S after our hands-on at MWC, but it's the auto-rotating icons for the capacitive buttons that left us most intrigued. So we went back to the HTC booth to try to make sense of it all. From what we were able to observe, there's some optical trickery happening here: the icons appear to be glittering and shimmering depending on viewing angle as if lit through a prism, half-mirror or grate of some kind. We think that a pair of LEDs are used to project the intended icon onto the glass surface via either a combination of prisms and half-mirrors, or via horizontally and vertically polarized grates. Watch our video after the break, and let us know in the comments how you think this actually works.Continue reading HTC Incredible S auto-rotating buttons explained? (video)HTC Incredible S auto-rotating buttons explained? (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

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ZAGGmate w/Keyboard for iPad Review

Trying to turn the iPad into a laptop replacement can be an easy or difficult task depending on your needs. I failed at that task when I tried to do it last Fall during a vacation to Florida. I wish I would have had a ZAGGmate w/Keyboard at that time, I think it would have [...]

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Firefox F1 social sharing add-on gets vertical UI, big sharing tweaks

Mozilla Labs has posted another update to its F1 social sharing add-on for Firefox. Right off the bat, you'll notice a new vertical UI has replaced the full-width horizontal look of previous versions -- and rather than rudely shunting everything out of the way, F1 floats above your current Web page in a Firefox 4'ish notification box.

F1 now lets you share with your LinkedIn contacts, Twitter support has been improved with the addition of direct messages, and you can now post to a group wall on Facebook. Mozilla has also added a thumbnailed image of pages you share via Gmail to the F1 email template.

It's not all wine-and-roses with the new F1 release, however. Mozilla has announced that support for Firefox 3.6 has been dropped, and the new F1 also requires a restart when you install it (we liked the fact that the original was restart-free). Still, the new version of F1 is cleaner, faster to load, and provides a smoother sharing experience.

Mozilla has also posted a demo video to show you what F1 is all about -- check it out after the break!

Download F1 for Firefox 4Continue reading Firefox F1 social sharing add-on gets vertical UI, big sharing tweaksFirefox F1 social sharing add-on gets vertical UI, big sharing tweaks originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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