Oneword.com helps get your creative juices flowing

Writer's block is a drag. You just sit there staring at the full-screen, distraction-free editor that you spent forever tweaking so it would be just right. You're all set up to write, and ... nothing comes. Blank. The cursor blinks, the clock ticks by, and everything you can think of just seems trite and boring, like a stereotype of a story rather than the story you wish you could write.
Of course, I'm not talking about myself! Consider this a general comment on the human condition. I just found something that might come in handy if you ever find yourself in a similar situation: it's a neat little Web service called oneword.
As you might expect, oneword gives you just a single word, and then it has you write about it. What's not implied in the name is that you get just 60 seconds to do this. One word, 60 seconds, go!
It is a pretty invigorating experience. I couldn't not write, really. Once your time is up, a small form pops up where you can email your text to yourself.
The service is free, and you can also open an account so that you don't have to keep filling in your email and can access a few other features, such as "word ups" - a way to give and receive feedback for pieces of writing.Filed under: Text, UtilitiesOneword.com helps get your creative juices flowing originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Xbox Live Rewards loyalty program goes live in the US and UK

Spend an embarrassing amount of your life immersed in the Xbox Live universe? It's cool -- we all do. But now, you'll actually have a better reason to ignore whoever's yelling at you to disconnect. Microsoft has just launched its Xbox Live Rewards loyalty program after testing it out last year, but for now it's only available to US and UK-based gamers. As our compadres over at Joystiq mention, it's a lot like Club Nintendo, but instead of getting gear, you'll be awarded Microsoft Points for doing things you'd already be doing anyway. Gamers can look for a ten point boost for renewing a one-month membership, a 400 point increase for buying / renewing a family plan or 100 points for activating Netflix -- and that's just the start. Hit the source link to join up. It's free, you know.Xbox Live Rewards loyalty program goes live in the US and UK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Joystiq, Major Nelson  |  Xbox Live Rewards  | Email this | Comments

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Microsoft Kinect controlling Windows 7, exciting proof of concept

While hackers were quickly developing open-source drivers for Microsoft's new, depth-sensing motion capturing Kinect, it seems like Microsoft has an official partner in the shape of Evoluce, the multi-touch gesture experts. In a video (after the break), you can see two people using Kinect and Windows 7 to rotate and zoom 3D models, paint on a canvas, and browse websites.

The video, for the most part, isn't particularly impressive, but as always it's a proof of very exciting concepts. Instead of two people playing with banal holiday snaps, imagine some kind of interface that can be manipulated by multiple people at the same time -- a war game, perhaps. If you had Kinect on top of your computer monitor, you could lean back in your chair and surf sites with tiny hand gestures, rather than controlling a mouse or keyboard -- sign me up!

The most exciting thing, though, is that -- hopefully -- the software won't be too expensive. With an open-source driver in the wild, Evoluce can't charge too much. It's obviously in Microsoft's benefit to sell Kinect directly to Windows 7 (and 8!) users, too, so the software might even be bundled!Continue reading Microsoft Kinect controlling Windows 7, exciting proof of conceptMicrosoft Kinect controlling Windows 7, exciting proof of concept originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value

Now that Verizon's gone official with its LTE pricing for an initial launch in some 38 markets this Sunday, we wanted to take a quick look at how it compares to the other players in the laptop data market -- after all, how much you're paying month to month can be just as big of a determining factor (if not a bigger one) in choosing a carrier than the speeds you're seeing. So how do Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Clear, and Rover stack up? Let's break it down.Continue reading Laptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and valueLaptop data plans: comparing LTE, WiMAX, and HSPA+ by speed, price, and value originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

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Bing Shopping now leverages Facebook integration for 'should I buy this?' awesomeness

It's no secret that Microsoft relishes its large share of ace-in-the-hole Facebook. Not one to rest on its laurels, though, Microsoft continues to plow ahead with deeper and tastier Facebook integration. Starting today, Bing Shopping now lets you create shopping lists, which you can share with Facebook.

Now, instead of just clicking 'Go to store,' you can add items to a list. You can use the list as just that -- a shopping list for future perusal -- or you can send it to your Facebook wall. According to the Bing team, a lot of shoppers use social networks to help them choose which presents to buy. The main advantage here is with gadgets, which have notoriously fickle specifications: my mother might know that I want an iPod for Christmas, but which size should she buy? Well, now she can ask her Facebook friends.

It seems the new functionality is still rolling out -- I couldn't get it to work, even after changing my locale to the United States -- but the Bing Blog says it should be available to everyone (in the U.S.) over the next few days. If you can't see 'Add to List' yet, there's a nice video showcasing the new feature.

[Image credit: LiveSide]Bing Shopping now leverages Facebook integration for 'should I buy this?' awesomeness originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

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HTML5 drag-and-drop upload comes to Google Docs

You've been able to do it for a while now in Gmail, and now drag-and-drop uploading has arrived in Google Docs. If you're running a compatible browser like Chrome, Firefox 3.6+, or Safari 5, adding new files to your Google Docs storage is as easy as sliding them over from your desktop file manager.

To use the new drag-and-drop uploader you still need to click through to the Docs upload page. I'd like to see this added to the main screen, so I can drag right into a specific folder.HTML5 drag-and-drop upload comes to Google Docs originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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ChevronWP7 unlocking tool pulled in hopes Microsoft decides to play along

Could Microsoft actually embrace Windows Phone 7 hacking much like it's sort of done with Kinect hacking? Not very likely, but it seems like the folks behind the ChevronWP7 unlocking tool are at least holding out some hope for that possibility. They've apparently had some "good faith" discussions with Microsoft's Director of Developer Experience for Windows Phone 7, Brandon Watson, and have decided to take the rather drastic step of pulling and ceasing all development on the tool in order to "fast-track" discussions about Microsoft officially embracing homebrew development. Obviously, that may just be wishful thinking, but one thing is clear at least for the moment: it just got a bit harder to hack a Windows Phone 7 device.
ChevronWP7 unlocking tool pulled in hopes Microsoft decides to play along originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Download Squad  |  ChevronWP7  | Email this | Comments

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