Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only

It's hard to believe: our world-spanning network, our Internet, which is the cornerstone of free speech and free society -- which, on a good day, is capable of causing populist revolutions -- is still crippled by banal geolocation restrictions. We are, of course, talking about Amazon's two latest offerings, both of which are only available in the United States. Last week it was the excellent Android Appstore for Android, and today it's the Amazon Cloud Player for Web and Android.

Along with Cloud Player, Amazon also launched Cloud Drive, which is basically just like any other cloud storage digital locker. It's not particularly feature rich, and there's no real reason to use it over something like SugarSync or SkyDrive -- it does work outside the US, however.

Its primary purpose, as far as we're concerned, is that it stores your your Cloud Player music in a subdirectory. You get 5GB of Cloud Drive storage for free, and then it's $1 per gigabyte per year if you need more space.

The Amazon Cloud Player itself will not, to put it bluntly, blow your mind. It works, but it's very much an early, and possibly rushed, release. Let's dive in to the Web and Android players for a closer look.

Gallery: Amazon Cloud Player and Cloud Drive: on Web and Android

Continue reading Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only

Amazon Cloud Player review: functional, not mind blowing, and still US-only originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CrossOver Games for Mac and Linux updated, fixes Rift, improves WoW and Star Trek Online

CrossOver Games, a commercial implementation of Windows emulator Wine, has been updated to version 10.1, bringing support for the new (and seemingly popular) Rift MMORPG to Linux and Mac PCs.

Beyond other bug and stability fixes, CrossOver 10.1 finally lets you install World of Warcraft with the Blizzard Downloader, and support for Star Trek Online's launcher has been improved a bit (but the game itself still doesn't perform fantastically).

CrossOver, if you've never heard of it before, is an emulation suite developed by CodeWeavers that lets you run many Windows programs on Mac and Linux computers. The list of supported programs is extensive, including Microsoft Office, and a ton of Windows games, such as Civilization, Fallout, EVE, Left 4 Dead, and so on.

There's a free trial available, but to get a full license of CrossOver Pro will cost you around $70 -- or $40, if you just want the CrossOver Games package. It's worth the money, though, if you don't want to play around with virtual machines and dual-booting.

CrossOver Games for Mac and Linux updated, fixes Rift, improves WoW and Star Trek Online originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WordPress enables new iPad-optimized layout for its 18 million blogs

WordPress has just announced the introduction of a 'pure HTML5' iPad-optimized theme. It has been automatically activated for all 18 million WordPress.com blogs, and self-hosted WordPress.org users can download and install the plug-in manually.

The iPad-optimized layout, which was developed with tablet publishing specialist OnSwipe, supports touch interactions, swiping, rotation and 'many other features of the iPad,' all with the power of HTML5. The theme is highly configurable, too. You can change the font typeface, choose from nine different 'skins' to match your existing blog theme, and you can set a 'cover' image. Of course, if you want visitors to simply see your normal blog theme, you can just disable the new iPad plug-in.

WordPress, which claims that it powers over 10% of the Web, says that it currently serves 750,000 pages views a day to iPad users -- a number that will surely explode over the next few years. What we're seeing here, first with Flickr last week, and now with the WordPress juggernaut firmly embracing tablet computing, is a resounding acknowledgment of a post-PC world. It's a very good sign of things to come, too; we expect there'll be a lot of tablet-optimized websites in 2011.

WordPress enables new iPad-optimized layout for its 18 million blogs originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Declan Premium Microfiber Cloths Review

Everyone who wears glasses or owns electronic devices with screens or shiny surfaces knows the problems of keeping things clean without introducing scratches. The little freebie 2?X3? piece of microfiber cloth the manufacturer sometimes provides will clean, but it?s too small to be effective. A variety of companies make larger microfiber cloths that are big [...]

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HTML5 MP3 player lets you listen to your music library inside your browser

While this slick little HTML5 audio player might not pack all of the features of your favorite desktop media application, it's still a very cool demonstration of what a Web app can do with access to local resources -- like MP3 and OGG files.

Just fire up http://antimatter15.github.com/player/player.html in your HTML5-compatible browser and browse to the topmost folder in your music library. The app will quickly build an index of all your tunes and let you start listening right inside your Web browser. Click on the filter library text, and you can enter a search string -- results load as you type.

There's a volume control, shuffle mode, play/pause control, and you can click and drag to skip forward or rewind during playback. As OMG! Ubuntu points out, you can even save the app to your hard drive and run it offline, which is pretty darn cool.

Not all browsers are equal when it comes to HTML5 implementation, of course. We found that Chrome worked the best, and Firefox was OK. It's also worth noting that this music player comes from the same developer that created one of our favorite restartless Firefox 4 add-ons, drag2up.

HTML5 MP3 player lets you listen to your music library inside your browser originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man steers R/C car with his hands, not to mention an HTML5-based web app (video)

With the right Arduino board, an R/C race car, a couple paperclips and the MacGyver spirit, we imagine most anyone can hack together a creative remote control these days... but how many can open-source an HTML5 web app that'll do the deed from any tablet, phone or PC? Gaurav Manek crafted just such a thing, and he'll demonstrate it for you on an Apple iPad in the video immediately above. What's more, he's also got a Kinect hack that uses Microsoft depth camera (with Code Laboratories' NUI SDK) to control the very same with the wave of a well-placed hand -- we're already envisioning fisticuffs should he and a lab partner try for some head-to-head racing action. That said, you don't need to wait for an illustrious creator to have all the fun. Why not download his source code at our links below and give it a go yourself?

Man steers R/C car with his hands, not to mention an HTML5-based web app (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 14:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sendoid offers simple zero-config P2P file sharing, doesn't work that well

Yet another file sharing tool is doing the rounds, but this time it has a rather interesting selling point: zero-config peer-to-peer transfers. Sendoid, which has nothing to do with Android and everything to do with sending, lets you send files directly between two users without a server in between.

Simply pop open the Sendoid website, and use either the built-in Flash client or download the AIR desktop client to select a file to send. A short URL is generated, which you then send to the recipient. You can put a password on the URL -- but that's it, as far as configuration goes. The recipient can download the file via the website, or via the AIR client.

Being P2P-based, Sendoid has a few great features that set it apart from its central-server cousins. Sendoid has no file size limit, and your download speed is only limited by the sender's upload speed. Then there's the fact that it's a lot more secure: files are sent directly to other users and never touch Sendoid's servers.

Ultimately, though, Sendoid is hampered by peer-to-peer's (P2P) well-known and time-honored issues. If P2P was meant for sending individual files, file dumps like Megaupload and RapidShare, and tools like YouSendIt, wouldn't exist.

Gallery: Sendoid: peer-to-peer simple file sharing

Continue reading Sendoid offers simple zero-config P2P file sharing, doesn't work that well

Sendoid offers simple zero-config P2P file sharing, doesn't work that well originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Balance is a challenging mouse-based physics game

Years of computer use have taught us that the mouse cursor is "above" the windows. It doesn't push anything around; at least not without you clicking anything.

Balance takes that ingrained bit of knowledge and cancels it out. Suddenly your cursor (a blue dot) is solid - and if it touches the blue block, it pushes it around.

Your job is to use your cursor to nudge the blue block over to the orange block. You will have to push it, lift it and even flip it on its side, and then balance it. It's a very tricky game - one I wouldn't recommend tackling with a laptop trackpad.

Still, if you have a mouse and a hankering for a little physics gameplay, this is a cute little game. I like how the blue block never stops smiling, it makes me feel better about the world.

Balance is a challenging mouse-based physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Altaro Hyper-V Backup beta launched, only 250 places available

This one's for the sysadmins in the audience: Altaro, makers of our favorite "time machine for Windows" back solution, OopsBackup, have just announced a new product entering beta called Hyper-V Backup.

It's a backup solution for virtual machines running on Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization solution. If that sentence just seemed like a bunch of buzzwords crammed together, Hyper-V backup is not for you. But, if you actually use Hyper-V and are hankering for a good backup solution, Altaro might be worth checking out.

The beta run is limited - Altaro are looking for just 250 testers. All participants will get a free license key to the final, production version. So if you're interested in helping test Hyper-V Backup, get yourself over to Altaro now and join the beta.

Altaro Hyper-V Backup beta launched, only 250 places available originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy birthday iPad Wi-Fi!

One year ago today Apple released the original iPad Wi-Fi (the 3G version followed at the end of the month). A lot of us here at TiPb, staff and readers placed our online orders or lined up in person to bring one home and have been enjoying them ever since. For nostalgia’s sake, here’s TiPb’s original [...]

Happy birthday iPad Wi-Fi! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Three-In One Lightbulb Is an Energy-Saving Matryoshka

Can’t decide between a warm, instant-on halogen bulb, a long-lasting, low-power compact fluorescent or a plain old incandescent in its familiar bulb shape? You don’t have to. Just buy GE’s new hybrid and you get all three, in one handsome glass bauble.
The bulb looks like any bulb you may have bought in the last hundred [...]

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Easing the Throb of Mobile Security Headaches

There is no denying that mobile devices like tablets are changing the way we communicate, work and share information on the go -- it's the next logical step in the "post-PC" world. In addition to an increase in cloud-based services, there is a surge in multiple mobile devices -- with consumers not only using several at one time, but also switching between them throughout the day.

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Skyfire Web browser for iOS goes multiligual, adds related sites feature

Skyfire, the popular Flash-video-playing Web browser for iOS and Android, has released a new version for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users. The update includes a handful of important changes, including seven new localizations: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.

There's also an improved support process for when you need to submit feedback or bug reports to Skyfire's team of developers. User agent switching has been enhanced as well, allowing you to choose among desktop, iPad, and iPhone views of the websites you browse. Skyfire has added a 'related sites' feature, bringing a nice discovery element to the app, too.

You can find the new version of Skyfire in the App Store -- existing users can simply check for updates, of course.

Skyfire Web browser for iOS goes multiligual, adds related sites feature originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony kills A33 DSLR production, auctions off unused birthday cake

If you didn't jump on an Alpha A33 when you had the chance, you'll probably be disappointed when your eyes glaze over the next few words -- Sony has discontinued production of the translucent mirror-packed shooter. On its site, the company has noted that production has halted in Japan, without specific reasoning as to why -- though some might say that overheating sensor was just too much to bear. It's not often that a seven month-old DSLR gets canned, but if Sony's got a refined sensor waiting in a doubly refined successor... well, that'll put a plug in the waterworks real quick.

Sony kills A33 DSLR production, auctions off unused birthday cake originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 05:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lipstick, Meet Pig: The $18,000 Diamond-Encrusted iPod nano Watch Now Exists [Worstmodo]

So anyway, this is a real thing. It's an $18,000 diamond-encrusted wristband that transforms your comparatively cheap iPod nano into a wristwatch and you into a pretentious money-wasting douchebag. Magic! More »

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Farragomate is a social fridge magnet game where you make up sentences

You know those fridge magnet kits composed of a whole bunch of words? The ones you put all over your fridge door and then try to arrange into all sorts of juvenile and/or amusing sentences. Well, Farragomate is the social, webby version of that very same pastime.

You get to play with a bunch of random strangers in real-time, and make up sentences out of a pre-set collection of words, including some fairly naughty ones, and all players' nicknames. As you can imagine, some of the results are not child-friendly.

There are ten rounds to a game. Once a round is done, players get to vote for their favorite sentence from that round. You can't vote for your own creation, of course. There's in-game chat, too.

I think the vocabulary could be made a bit more eclectic, but even as it is, it's a nice way to spend a few minutes and meet random strangers on the Internet (always a thrilling experience).

Farragomate is a social fridge magnet game where you make up sentences originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Omnibox Site Search for Chrome googles your current website

You still can't sync custom search engines in Google Chrome, and that makes tasks like site-specific searches a pain. There are loads of extensions available which can handle the chore, of course, and one worth checking out is Omnibox Site Search.

Once installed, you simply type the letter s and press space to invoke a Google-powered site search for the domain you're currently visiting. The top five matches load in a flash, and you can also click through to Google via the top link for complete results. It's a fast, simple way to get results which are limited to a specific domain -- and as we know from experience, Google search is nearly always a lot better than most on-site search boxes.

Omnibox Site Search for Chrome googles your current website originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefox 4 for Mobile RC released, hints of new badge-collecting social game Firefox Spark

The near-final Release Candidate of Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo is now available to download. The final release is expected in the next week or so.

Moving away from the beta builds, this RC is more of a stability and spit-polish release than anything else. Usability-wise, the release notes point out that there are now 150 add-ons that work with Firefox 4 for Mobile, up from 100 last month -- and there's now a Form Assistant, which should make logging into websites a lot easier, especially if you have Firefox Sync enabled.

The most significant change is that the now-infamous checkerboarding from page rendering and scrolling is now a lot less prevalent, thanks to smarter rendering and page loading algorithms. Likewise, JavaScript performance has apparently been improved, but we haven't had a chance to confirm it yet. There's a promotional video from Mozilla that demonstrates Firefox 4 for Mobile after the break.

Finally, the RC contains a link to Firefox Spark, a new badge-collecting website, which seems to be one of Firefox 4 for Android's 'launch goodies.' As far as we know, Firefox Spark will be a social game, where you share the Firefox for Android download link, collect badges, and level up. We're not sure of the exact details yet, though.

Grab Firefox 4 for Android from the Market or download the Maemo version.

Continue reading Firefox 4 for Mobile RC released, hints of new badge-collecting social game Firefox Spark

Firefox 4 for Mobile RC released, hints of new badge-collecting social game Firefox Spark originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 06:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High-Tech Home Brew Kit Would Make Beer Robot Swoon

If Doc Brown ever made home-brew beer, he’d make it in something that looked like this, the Synergy Home Beer Brewing System. The all stainless steel setup will let you mash your own hops and barley, sparge the wort and then let it ferment. There are gas burners built in, and the high mash-tun lets [...]

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CrunchGear Week in Review: Speed of Snow Edition

Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear: Fez: Check Out The Indie Game Everyone Will Be Talking About This Year For Your Friday: Skiing With A Jetpack On Cute Pixelated Camera Decals For Your Wallz R.I.P. Microsoft Zune, 2006-2011 Flea 2.0 USB Rechargeable Bike Light Powers Your Night With The Light Of [...]

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Burrito Bison is a simple game for gummy bear lovers

Burrito Bison is a pretty simple game, but if you're into gummy bears you might find it addictive.

As you may have guessed from the name, you're a bison (not a burrito, though). In the course of your day-to-day grocery shopping, you're abducted into a bag of gummy bears, and must now fend for yourself.

At the beginning of each round you launch yourself onto the marching gummy (gummi?) bears, while you're being watched by a huge crowd of even more gummy bears. Your goal is to keep bouncing on the bears and earn more and more money while you do it. Every time you hit a gummy bear, you lose some momentum. If you hit the floor, you basically lose all of it.

But don't give up just yet! You have an emergency thrust which you can use to gain some momentum and keep bouncing on those bears. This extra thrust gets refilled as you hit more bears.

There are also special gummy bears that give you extra thrust or extra money. The money comes in handy at the end of each round, when you can shop for cool stuff to make your bison even more effective against those gummy bears.

It's a fun and colorful game that kept my interest for quite some time, and almost sent me running to the closest store to get some gummy bears!

Burrito Bison is a simple game for gummy bear lovers originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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