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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

textRace is a fun, competitive way to become a better iPhone touch typist

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Typing on the iPhone is one of those things that even the most die-hard of Apple fans will often admit to hating. It may be the most accurate out there in terms of touchscreen performance, but it's still a tiny touchscreen.

That's where textRace comes in. As the newest app from textPlus, it might actually help some iPhone owners -- new and experienced alike -- to build their touch-typing proficiency through competitive repetition.

Basically, they've taken the age-old keyboarding tutor (remember that thing you learned your home row on between games of Oregon Trail?) and spiced it up with arcade-style beats and some healthy competition. It's available for iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad -- and after fooling around with it myself I can safely say that it could actually improve my iTyping abilities if I keep playing it.

Aside from having a regular training mode and a "challenge" game, you can actually compete with other players to set world records. It should be pretty fun to see some truly ridiculous numbers come out of that in the near future.

Best of all, it's a free app, so there's really no harm in trying it either way. See it on iTunes.

textRace is a fun, competitive way to become a better iPhone touch typist originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 29 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BCArchive creates mega-secure encrypted archives

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Archives are very easy to snoop into. Heck, Gmail looks into every ZIP archive you get, and won't let it through if it contains any executables. That's fine, and I can see the point of it.

While you can get around GMail's rudimentary checking by simply opting for a different compression format (7z, anyone?), sometimes you want a bit of extra privacy for whatever is inside your archive.

For those cases, BCArchive is just what you need. While it is a proprietary piece of software, it's freeware and it lets you use any of a vast number of established, high-security encryption algorithms. The end product is an encrypted file, either using a password or using a private/public key pair.

The resulting file can also be made executable, which means that while you would have a problem emailing it to someone else, it would be easy for you to decrypt it in the future without needing a copy of BCArchive.

Interestingly enough, I could not find PGP on the list of algorithms the program supports. Perhaps it's there, just under a different name. If there are any crypto-nerds in the audience, please enlighten me - why isn't it there, or what is it called these days if not just PGP?

BCArchive boasts very powerful encryption, but I could not find much information about its compression algorithms. It seems like compression is more of an after-thought on this one, or a way to bundle all of the files into one chunk which could be easily encrypted. Still, when you go for a solution like this, I can see why you would care more about the encryption than the compression.

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BCArchive creates mega-secure encrypted archives originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 31 May 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SecondBar put the OS X menubar on both of your Mac's dual monitors

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If you are among the fortunate souls who run a Mac with a dual monitor setup, you'll want to check out SecondBar. Normally, you'd be stuck with the OS X menubar on just one monitor, forcing you to move your mouse back to your main screen whenever you want to access it. SecondBar solves that problem by putting a second menu bar on your other monitor.

SecondBar has a few weaknesses -- it's Snow Leopard-only, and it doesn't copy your extra menubar apps onto the second bar. It does give you access to the Apple Menu and the menubar for the active application, though, which can be extremely useful. it also has keyboard shortcuts to resize and reposition windows to one half of the screen, in case you need to view documents side by side on that second monitor.

Oh, and SecondBar is also completely free. Probably good, considering how pricey those delicious Apple Cinema Displays are.

SecondBar put the OS X menubar on both of your Mac's dual monitors originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrome extension opens PDFs and PowerPoint presentations with Google Docs

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Do you hate the way that Google Chrome handles PDFs? Are you tired of downloading them? Well, now there's an official Chrome extension from Google that lets you view all PDFs and PowerPoint files in Google Docs by default. Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer seems to work well for the most part, but the ability to save a PDF to your Google Docs account would be a useful addition.

It worked fine for me on the latest stable version of Chrome Mac, but some commenters have reported problems with the extension on their Macs. Also, it seems to have trouble with PDFs from password-protected sites -- even when you're logged in -- but that's a minor quibble.

If you're not running Chrome, I previously covered a userscript that does basically the same thing, so you can plug that into Greasemonkey in Firefox or GreaseKit in Safari.

Chrome extension opens PDFs and PowerPoint presentations with Google Docs originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boxcar push notification app for iPhone and iPad is now totally free

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Boxcar manages all the push notifications on your iPhone, letting you add sources like Twitter, Facebook, email and RSS feeds. It's an extremely useful app, and the latest version also comes at a useful price: FREE.

That's right: Boxcar 3.0 has a completely revamped appearance, an iPad version, and some new alert sounds, and it's available at the lowest of low prices.

Boxcar's new pricetag comes with an in-app ads tradeoff, of course. If you really can't stand the advertising, you can get rid of it with one $4.95 payment. The free version isn't crippled in any way, though, so you'll probably decide not to worry about it. Users who bought older versions of Boxcar (or got it for free, but paid to add more services) won't see ads, although this is confusing, because the "Turn Off Advertising" button is still available.

Boxcar's developer, Jonathan George, has said, " If you have ever given us any money in any way, you will never see an advertisement." So, breathe easy, current Boxcar owners, and enjoy the new features! And if you don't own Boxcar, it's never been cheaper to check it out.

Boxcar push notification app for iPhone and iPad is now totally free originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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QuicklyCode compiles programming cheat sheets from all over the Web

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While QuicklyCode's tagline, "Cheat sheets and programming stuff," may not be the most eloquent I've seen all day, the site boasts a large number of cheat sheets for programming languages that are compiled from all over the Web.

It seems that authors receive correct attribution, and the cheat sheets are linked directly back to their source. This means that you don't download a PDF directly from the site, but instead you're sent to the creator's site to download a sheet. That's a wise and ethical choice, if you ask me.

It is interesting to note that many cheat sheets use color. Of course, that's nice when you look at the cheat sheet on the screen, but I was under the impression that the whole point of a cheat sheet is that you can print it and have it adorn the walls of your cubicle right next to that lolcat that you xeroxed.

The site has two other sections that, I guess, come under the heading of "programming stuff." One of them is called "apps" and seems to contain a hodgepodge collection of Web applications, mobile applications, and browser add-ons. The other section is called "wallpapers," and it does indeed contain nerdy wallpapers -- some of which double as more cheat sheets.

QuicklyCode compiles programming cheat sheets from all over the Web originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More on Google Cloud Print, and announcing HP's new Web-aware printers

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I actually wanted to cover this one a few days ago, when I first heard about HP's new range of 'just email me!' printers -- but we're not a hardware site! However, now that Google's in on the gig and now that we know Chrome OS played a role in HP's printer development... well, now it's software news! (Fast forward to 31:37 in the video above for the Google Cloud Print presentation.)

If you haven't heard about HP's new printers, it's a complete range, from domestic printers priced at $99 through to enterprise-level machines. They have one amazing trait in common: they're all Web-aware. They all have an email address. You can simply send a document or some photos to that email address and... it prints! I'm trying to find you a link to the actual printersso you can check their specs, but it seems like HP hasn't updated their website yet. Darn.

Google Cloud Print is basically the same thing, but without the email step. You simply press 'print', and Google Cloud Print does the rest. If you've tried printing from your smartphone, you'll probably appreciate just how awesome such a feature would be.

Anyway, Lee and I have been keeping an eye out on the Google Chrome OS source, and the Cloud Print functionality is only available for internal testing at Google. We'll be sure to let you know when it's ready for public testing!

More on Google Cloud Print, and announcing HP's new Web-aware printers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Encrypt Text lets you quickly create Blowfish-encrypted rich texts

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Encrypt Text is a service by Encrypt Easy that lets you quickly and easily encrypt and decrypt Blowfish texts. The page features a rich text editor (NiceEdit, I rummaged around the sources a bit), and you can easily write whatever you want, set a password, and click Encrypt.

You can then send the encrypted message over IM, email, or painstakingly handwritten snail mail. The recipient can decrypt it with any Blowfish-enabled software (I think most Linux users probably have something like that built into the system, right?).

Of course, if the recipient does not have their own Blowfish decryption software, they can just go to Encrypt Easy and decrypt the message right there. The rich formatting (fonts, links, bold text) is preserved once you decrypt the message.

In case you're curious, bored, or just feel like giving this tool a spin, I've written a secret message that you can find after the fold. To decrypt it, use the password DownloadSquad (original, I know! My Windows login password is Erez123, too).

Continue reading Encrypt Text lets you quickly create Blowfish-encrypted rich texts

Encrypt Text lets you quickly create Blowfish-encrypted rich texts originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SPGrab lets you share screenshots effortlessly

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It seems like applications for quickly sharing screenshots are all the rage these days; first we get Gyazo, then we get extra sharing options with Screenpresso, and now we get dead-simple sharing again with SPGrab.

SPGrab is slightly more powerful than Gyazo in that it lets you configure your own hotkeys and also select whether you want to capture the entire screen or just a section.

By default, it instantly uploads the images to its own FTP servers and copies the path to your clipboard. You can configure your own FTP server if that makes you feel more comfortable, though.

One thing that really bugs me about these two applications is that there is no way to remove an image from the server once it's up there, and there's no clear privacy policy. What if I just took a screenshot, and then I notice that it includes some sensitive information that I wish I had blurred out? I know it's my bad, but at least give me an option to remove it from the server somehow.

Still, if you're in a rush to share some images of your screen, both Gyazo and SPGrab are fairly painless, if minimalistic, solutions.

SPGrab lets you share screenshots effortlessly originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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StayFocusd for Chrome helps you curb time-wasting websites

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LeechBlock is one of the cornerstones of my online life; it is an add-on that lets me set up a list of "time-wasting" websites and forces me to stop using them after some time has elapsed. It's one of the main add-ons that's keeping me on Firefox (rather than Chrome or Opera, which I really do like).

StayFocused tries to bring a very similar feature set to Chrome. I looked at this extension a couple of months ago, and a second look this morning shows that, with many new features added, the developer has been hard at work.

In addition to specifying which sites to block, you can now configure active days and hours (meaning, when to apply the blocking), blocked sites, and allowed sites (for white-list functionality). There's also a "nuclear option" for blocking access to all but the white list (or all including the white list, which would render your browser useless), and there's a "require challenge" option that forces you to type in a random string before you can change the options.

If any of these seem familiar to you, that's because StayFocused seems to have taken a page right out of LeechBlock's book. LeechBlock has all of these features and many more. For example, LeechBlock lets you configure five different blocking sets and control the length of the string. With LeechBlock, I can configure it to let me access my time-wasting websites for "5 minutes every hour."

Don't get me wrong, StayFocused is taking steps in the right direction. If you're serious about blocking distracting websites, though, it doesn't come close to the versatility and simplicity that LeechBlock offers. Also, I wish that StayFocused would give a bit of credit where credit is due; I could find no mention of LeechBlock in the FAQ or elsewhere.

StayFocusd for Chrome helps you curb time-wasting websites originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows tip: Use the built-in calculator for date calculations

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When I wrote about the TimeAndDate Birthday Calculator, commenter Kevyn was quick to note that you can do "pretty much the same job" using Windows 7's built-in calculator.

That statement may be a bit of a stretch, since Windows' calculator does not compute differences in hours, minutes or seconds. But still, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it can quickly and painlessly calculate the differences between two dates, or add or subtract days to a specific date.

To access this functionality, just fire up Calculator and go to View > Date Calculation. You can also hit Ctrl-E to get there with the keyboard.

Another useful feature built into Calculator is unit conversion, accessible via View > Unit Conversion or Ctrl-U. You can convert back and forth any number of volume, energy, mass and other unit types. Currency conversion is not included, of course, since that would require constant exchange rate updates.

Thanks, Kevyn!

Windows tip: Use the built-in calculator for date calculations originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TriX is a do-it-all keyboard shortcut tool that tries a bit too hard

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If only there were a way to cram a kitchen sink through a DSL line, I'm quite sure TriX's author would have been one of the first to adopt this technology.

As it is, TriX must somehow make do with merely providing hotkey hooks for volume control, data export (more on that later), system power, zipping/unzipping, on-the-fly calculator, text to speech, eight different string processing functions (because we all need a systemwide hotkey for reversing text), a color picker, and a bunch of other stuff that you can find out if you ever download it.

If you somehow get the impression this tool tries to do too much, you're right. It's a damn shame, too, because the stuff that works does so very well. For one thing, the calculator is brilliant. Highlight a mathematical expression anywhere on your system, hit a hotkey, and a balloon tip pops up with the result. In effect, every text field becomes a calculator - that's awesome.

Data extraction is also interesting. TriX can extract only the email addresses or URLs from a large bunch of text containing many other strings (for example, the source of a Web page). That may come in handy every now and then, but I don't see myself using it all the time.

There is so, so much crud surrounding the few bright spots that they literally drown in the noise. The whole thing feels quite shoddy. For example, the configuration dialog is not a proper window but a "toolbox." It doesn't show up on Alt-Tab or on the taskbar, and if it disappears, it doesn't pop back up again (because it is open somewhere - the question is just where exactly?).

The coolest thing about this little program is the calculator; if it just did that single thing, I would be far more excited about it.

TriX is a do-it-all keyboard shortcut tool that tries a bit too hard originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DLS Presents: URLauncher keyboard launcher for Windows (open-source)

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Before Windows 7 came out, I used to love Launchy. I'm a keyboard-centric kind of guy, and a keyboard launcher fits in perfectly with my workflow. Launchy wasn't the only app I tried; I think I went through just about every major keyboard launcher for Windows and quite a few minor ones as well (including several AutoHotkey scripts).

And then Windows 7 came out, with its shiny new Start menu. No longer did I have to fire up Launchy to run a program quickly; in fact, the new Start menu was often faster than Launchy.

So, for a while, I was sated. I just hit Start, typed Excel, hit Enter, and everything just worked. Then, something started nagging at the back of my mind ... what about URLs? We're all about the Web these days, ... so what if I want to quickly launch a URL? What if I want to quickly search Google or IMDB, and I can't be bothered to Alt-Tab through 15 open windows until I hit my browser?

While I can use something like Start++, it's not always reliable, and it simply doesn't fit well with how my desktop is laid out. The text is too small, and my Start menu isn't in the normal position, so the whole experience is kind of awkward.

So, today, I have set out to make a small launcher of my own. I rather like the result, so I thought I'd share. I called it URLauncher, because it's aimed at getting to websites and executing searches quickly. You can download and use it for free, and the archive includes full source code.

URLauncher can:

  • Go to any Web address using your default Web browser
  • Save you typing the http://www and even the .com, .org, or .net
  • Perform instant searches with Google, Wolfram Alpha, Wikipedia, and more
  • Run any YubNub command instantly using the same mechanism
  • Understand and calculate complex mathematical expressions (instant calculator)
  • Execute user-defined aliases with the full power of AutoHotkey (for advanced users)

And it's a single file, so it's very portable. To see how it works and what it looks like, continue reading after the fold.

Continue reading DLS Presents: URLauncher keyboard launcher for Windows (open-source)

DLS Presents: URLauncher keyboard launcher for Windows (open-source) originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wordpress 3.0 arrives, with multi-blog support and new default theme

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If you're running several Wordpress blogs, your life just got a lot easier. Wordpress 3.0, codenamed "Thelonious," has finally arrived, and it supports multiple Wordpress blogs. You can manage them all from a central dashboard, too, with no logging out and back in. There's also a sexy new default theme called 2010, which is highly customizable and lets you post small "asides" in addition to regular long posts.

Wordpress 3.0 also features extremely convenient bulk updates of plug-ins and themes, so you don't have to do them one at a time. On the widget front, the coolest new feature is custom menus, so you can do your site navigation your way. Because Wordpress can occasionally be confusing, there's also help on every page now, to help you get a handle on all the new features.

There are honestly too many improvements to Wordpress to do them justice in one post, so I suggest you check out the very useful overview video below.
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Wordpress 3.0 arrives, with multi-blog support and new default theme originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preme For Windows 7 is a neat window management utility that almost works

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Preme For Windows 7 is a utility that tries to let you manage your windows more easily. I can tell you one thing about its developers, though: they use a completely stock Windows 7 installation, with the taskbar in the default location and just one monitor.

I'm quite sure of this, because many of the functions utterly (and sometimes comically) failed when faced with my setup; I use dual monitors, and the taskbar is placed vertically on the secondary monitor. Here's a quick rundown of what the functions do, and whether or not they worked. I'm going to list them clockwise according to the image above, starting with Window Switcher Corner:

  • Windows Switcher Corner: This is supposed to activate Alt-Tab or Aero Flip 3D when you hit a hotspot on the top-left side of the monitor. It was an utter fail. I hit the spot again and again, but nothing happened. It kind of reminded me of ... never mind, moving on.
  • Touch Slide Window: This is the one that comically failed. The idea is neat. You single-click the area right under the minimize/maximize/close buttons, and it slides the window outside of the screen. All that remains is a thin bar (the border of the window), and when you hover over it, the window slides back into view. That sounds neat, right? Well, it "hid" stuff by moving it off of my primary monitor and onto my secondary one. It placed it under my taskbar, no less. It was really, really lame but also kind of funny.

Continue reading Preme For Windows 7 is a neat window management utility that almost works

Preme For Windows 7 is a neat window management utility that almost works originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Join Oops!Backup Beta Program and get v3 for free

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I have a fairly serious backup fetish. I don't take data loss lightly, and I do everything I can to prevent it from happening to me. At the moment I am using four different backup strategies and services to safeguard my files -- online storage using several different services and local backup.

In the "local backup" front, Oops!Backup is my chosen solution. Simply put, it is Time Machine for Windows. It's an automatic versioning system for all of your files, with a nice friendly GUI. It runs every hour on the hour, and lets you know your files are protected. Then, when push comes to shove, it lets you roll specific files or entire folders back to a specific time in the past.

It is one of the most useful applications on my system. For me, backup is usually a "set it and forget it" affair; sometimes that can be really bad, like that time I discovered Backblaze somehow didn't back up about half of my stuff. I only discovered it when I really needed it, because restoring from Backblaze is such a pain. By then it was too late.

With Oops!Backup, restoring is so easy I find myself using it about once every two weeks. I just open the interface, navigate to the folder I want to restore, and roll it back. It takes seconds, and it's very handy once you get used to it.

And now the Oops!Backup team is telling me they're hard at work on Version 3. Oops!Backup 3 promises several interesting features, including LAN backup and backup to multiple locations concurrently.

To test version 3, they're running the Oops!Backup Beta Program. Anyone who enrolls in the program will get a complementary license for Oops!Backup 3 when it comes out, and they're looking for 75 lucky testers right now. So if you're looking for a slick Time Machine for Windows, now is a great chance to get your hands on one for free!

Head on over to their website to register, and good luck!

Join Oops!Backup Beta Program and get v3 for free originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SpeedDate is an awesome Chrome extension for Google Calendar users

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If you're using Google Chrome, chances are good that you've got a Google account and use at least some of their Web apps. If Google Calendar happens to be one of those, you owe it to yourself to install the SpeedDate extension for Google Chrome.

Once you've got it installed and grant permission to submit events to your Google Calendar via OAuth, SpeedDate is ready to serve. Click its icon in your Google Chrome browser actions area and you'll have the option of quick-adding an event to your Calendar or creating one using the date and time you've selected on the current Web page.

During my visit to TSN, for example, I noticed their coverage for the upcoming NHL entry draft listed. I highlighted the time slot for the draft, clicked SpeedDate > Add Event, and the time was automatically filled. The quick add feature works nicely as well -- got a luncheon tomorrow from 1pm-2pm with a client? Type it in just like that, and SpeedDate and Google Calendar will pencil it in for you.

If you count Google Calendar among your must-use web apps and you're browsing with Chrome, SpeedDate will be an extremely handy addition to your browser.
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SpeedDate is an awesome Chrome extension for Google Calendar users originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GoogleCL: Your command line might get more love now

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With all of the projects that Google's been working on lately, it's easy to forget that not everything has to have a glossy UI to function well. Sometimes a service can function more efficiently with the entire visual element stripped from it, and that's exactly what Google's allowed the geeks among us to do. Users can now interact with several of the most popular Google services via command line, and all that's required is Python and a bit of light CLI experience.

The tool to do this is called GoogleCL, and it makes good use of Google Data APIs. The whole thing runs on Python and uses the GData Python Client -- its only real dependency. If you're a beginner in CLI work, don't worry. Installing both took less than 5 minutes, and it's very straightforward.

At this time, six services can be used with GoogleCL: Blogger, Calendar, Contacts, Docs, Picasa, and YouTube. Don't think that it's just a toy, though. The power of this thing is serious business; you can post to Blogger (like in the example image above), post videos to YouTube, edit documents on Docs, or even pull entire albums from Picasa straight to your hard drive with a simple get. It really is pure function and no nonsense (unlike some other projects). [Harsh -Ed]

The first time you connect to each service, you're asked to verify in a browser that the service should allow GoogleCL to connect, but once you've granted access, an OAuth token is cached for further use. You can also set defaults, like which browser to use if you want it opened automagically, by adding that info to a config file.

Perhaps the most impressive part, though it may not sound like it at first, is the fact that you're not only able to post to Blogger or upload to YouTube and Picasa, but that you're also able to delete and edit items as well as pull them from the cloud at will. I can definitely see some nice scripts in the future that will make even better use of this.

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GoogleCL: Your command line might get more love now originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Voice opens to everybody! Everybody in the US, that is.

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Google Voice, Google's very useful call-forwarding-slash-voice-mail-slash-transcription service, has finally opened to everyone! Well, everyone in the United States, that is. I know we Americans sometimes act like we're the center of the universe, but plenty of users in other countries can't wait to get their hands on Voice. Even our intrepid editor Lee Mathews can't get it yet, and he's just a border away in Canada. Bummer!

Voice has been mostly invite-only since launch, but it opened to college students and the military for a while, too. If this will be your first time using Google Voice, check out some of the features before you get started: SMS-to-Email, using Voice with your existing number and more are explained on this Google Voice help page.

Does Google Voice opening up to everyone signal the upcoming launch of that new Google Voice web app Lee was predicting?
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Google Voice opens to everybody! Everybody in the US, that is. originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows tip: If you use Dropbox for portable software, stay away from System Restore

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I love it when troubleshooting only serves to aggravate the problem. Do you know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get right after you finish executing a long, irritating troubleshooting procedure, only to realize that it screwed with your system and made it even worse than it was before?

Ahh, ... that warm glow. Today, I got to experience it for the second time while using System Restore under Windows 7. My favorite screenshot application, Screenpresso died on me; I did everything in my power to fix it, and one of those things was a System Restore.

I use my Dropbox (which is right under the Documents folder) to store some portable software so that I can run the same software on, both, my laptop and my desktop. Now, System Restore goes out of its way to explain that your documents will not be affected.

Naively, I trusted Microsoft and went ahead and ran System Restore. Imagine my surprise when I found out that all EXE files had been wiped clean off of my Dropbox and off another folder that I keep under my Documents folder (a Bazaar version control repository). And I'm talking all EXE files here - not just stuff that has been added since the restore point was created. Way to go, Microsoft! At least I was able to fix it by undoing the System Restore.

Since this is the second time that this same thing has happened to me, and I am apparently not the only one, I thought I would share. Maybe it can save you some grief, or you can clue me in in the comments as to why this happens and (more importantly) how to keep it from happening.

Windows tip: If you use Dropbox for portable software, stay away from System Restore originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Voice opens to everybody! Everybody in the US, that is.

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Google Voice, Google's very useful call-forwarding-slash-voice-mail-slash-transcription service, has finally opened to everyone! Well, everyone in the United States, that is. I know we Americans sometimes act like we're the center of the universe, but plenty of users in other countries can't wait to get their hands on Voice. Even our intrepid editor Lee Mathews can't get it yet, and he's just a border away in Canada. Bummer!

Voice has been mostly invite-only since launch, but it opened to college students and the military for a while, too. If this will be your first time using Google Voice, check out some of the features before you get started: SMS-to-Email, using Voice with your existing number and more are explained on this Google Voice help page.

Does Google Voice opening up to everyone signal the upcoming launch of that new Google Voice web app Lee was predicting?
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Google Voice opens to everybody! Everybody in the US, that is. originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows tip: If you use Dropbox for portable software, stay away from System Restore

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I love it when troubleshooting only serves to aggravate the problem. Do you know that warm, fuzzy feeling you get right after you finish executing a long, irritating troubleshooting procedure, only to realize that it screwed with your system and made it even worse than it was before?

Ahh, ... that warm glow. Today, I got to experience it for the second time while using System Restore under Windows 7. My favorite screenshot application, Screenpresso died on me; I did everything in my power to fix it, and one of those things was a System Restore.

I use my Dropbox (which is right under the Documents folder) to store some portable software so that I can run the same software on, both, my laptop and my desktop. Now, System Restore goes out of its way to explain that your documents will not be affected.

Naively, I trusted Microsoft and went ahead and ran System Restore. Imagine my surprise when I found out that all EXE files had been wiped clean off of my Dropbox and off another folder that I keep under my Documents folder (a Bazaar version control repository). And I'm talking all EXE files here - not just stuff that has been added since the restore point was created. Way to go, Microsoft! At least I was able to fix it by undoing the System Restore.

Since this is the second time that this same thing has happened to me, and I am apparently not the only one, I thought I would share. Maybe it can save you some grief, or you can clue me in in the comments as to why this happens and (more importantly) how to keep it from happening.

Windows tip: If you use Dropbox for portable software, stay away from System Restore originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SheepDog rounds up stray application windows on multi-monitor setups

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It doesn't happen often, but every now and then I receive a customer's laptop which just doesn't want to believe it's no longer attached to an external monitor. And it never fails - some important app is going to appear in the display Twilight Zone.

If only there was some kind of digital shepherd to corral those errant windows. Hey, if not a shepherd, why not SheepDog?

It's a tiny, portable application whose sole purpose is to bring apps that have wandered back to the primary display. Fire it up, and the tray icon listens for a hotket combination to be pressed. In the options screen you can customize your key combo and also change the system tray icon.

Hit the hotkey (or right click the system tray icon and select reposition) and any offending application windows are instantly moved.

At only 20Kb, this baby is going straight on my USB flash drive with all the other handy utilities I need once in a blue moon.

SheepDog rounds up stray application windows on multi-monitor setups originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A list of dumb things to check

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a list of dumb things to checkWe've all been there; we've got a problem with our server, laptop, PC, website, or blog, and have tried to solve it for hours with no success. At some point, we reach that point where we're absolutely certain that it's just some dumb thing that we're overlooking or forgetting to check. If you've ever found yourself in that situation, you'll probably want to bookmark a list of dumb things to check.

It's a list of (now 36) stupid things to check that you may have overlooked, compiled by Tom Limoncelli with input from members of the SAGE-Members mailing list. For anyone that hasn't found themselves in this situation, it will seem like a ridiculous concept. But for those of you out there that have been there, I bet you're thinking "awesome" like I am.

So, what's missing from the list? What's your best troubleshooting tip? Let us know in the comments.

A list of dumb things to check originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auslogics Disk Defrag buffs up, adds disk optimization in v3

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Defragmentation (like backing up) is one of those chores I don't think about doing all that often. And I really should, since my desktop at work is a cluttered mess of downloads, screenshots, temp files, and other digital flotsam.

When Auslogics mentioned they've got a new version of their Disk Defrag tool available for download, I figured why not take it for a spin? My drive could use the TLC, after all. The app is available with an installer or as a portable app and is free for home use.

One small feature worth a mention is that Disk Defrag supports Windows 7's superbar progress indicator. You can choose to defragment your entire drive or target specific files or folders. It's also got a number of other smart features, like free space consolidation and intelligent system file placement. Disk Defrag can also be set to run automatically when your system is idle.

The installable version can also clean up your temp files prior to defragging, minimize to the system tray, run scheduled jobs, and integrate into your right-click context menu.

Tidying up my drive's 130Gb+ of disorganization took about 25 minutes. Disk Defrag also includes a new optimization feature which Auslogics recommends running once a week. It takes quite a bit longer, but if it helps keep your drive healthy and running at peak performance it's time well spent.

Auslogics Disk Defrag buffs up, adds disk optimization in v3 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Teamviewer 5 beta gets faster, adds voice and video conferencing

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I've been running TeamViewer as my go-to remote support app for a couple years now, and I don't see myself switching any time soon. It's fast, requires no configuration, and the additions of the Flash-based web viewer and partner list in version 4 were solid upgrades to an already good app.

Version 5 is now ready for beta testing, and it looks like Teamviewer is once again set for some solid new features and yet another boost in speed.

In addition to getting quicker, Teamviewer 5 now includes a major communications improvement. You're no longer limited to text-based chatting - v5 supports voice and video chat. Quality is good - about on par with Skype in my testing. It's still at the mercy of your ISP, of course, so the more bandwidth you have at your disposal, the better it will work.

Besides being a great app for remote support, Teamviewer evolved into an excellent screen-sharing and presentation tool in v4 and has just got even better with v5.

You can download the TeamViewer 5 beta right now and take it for a spin. As with previous releases, you can expect version 5 to be free for personal use, and there will be a portable version available as well.

Teamviewer 5 beta gets faster, adds voice and video conferencing originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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