Diaspora Alpha hands-on: a video review of Facebook's competition

So, Diaspora started sending out invites. Jay got one and invited me in! Rather than bore you with a lengthy text description, I've decided to bore you with a video instead, so you can at least see for yourself what it looks like while I rattle on and on.
The aesthetic is different than what we've seen in past screenshots. It doesn't look as good, at least to me. At any rate, you're welcome to watch the video after the break and judge for yourself!
What do you think? Can this venture even get off the ground?Continue reading Diaspora Alpha hands-on: a video review of Facebook's competitionDiaspora Alpha hands-on: a video review of Facebook's competition originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentswire bike

Diaspora Alpha hands-on: a video review of Facebook's competition

So, Diaspora started sending out invites. Jay got one and invited me in! Rather than bore you with a lengthy text description, I've decided to bore you with a video instead, so you can at least see for yourself what it looks like while I rattle on and on.
The aesthetic is different than what we've seen in past screenshots. It doesn't look as good, at least to me. At any rate, you're welcome to watch the video after the break and judge for yourself!
What do you think? Can this venture even get off the ground?Continue reading Diaspora Alpha hands-on: a video review of Facebook's competitionDiaspora Alpha hands-on: a video review of Facebook's competition originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsfirefox google chrome bing

Metrodome is a metronome for Google Chrome

So the Chrome Web Store is upon us, and I decided to cover my first Web Store application for Download Squad. Rather than aiming for something high-profile like the Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online app, I decided to go with Metrodome!
Yes, it's just a humble metronome, but it's graceful. It comes with three different sound options (a "tick", a "beep" and a "tock"), all quite pleasant-sounding. But what I like best about it is that it shows a huge dot right in the middle of the window, that goes on and off to the beat. This makes it possible to play by eyesight rather than by listening to the metronome, so you can jam with your headphones connected to your amp and just watch the metronome on-screen.
You can set the BPM, of course, but only by clicking the up/down arrows. This means you're in for a lot of clicking if you want something drastically different than the default (120bpm). This is actually the only extra feature I wish this metronome had. Other than that, it's a beaut!Metrodome is a metronome for Google Chrome originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Commentsandroid wire bike

Momiga is an extremely minimalistic, fun Time Waster

Yes, that's an actual screenshot up there, not an error. That's what Momiga looks like!
One dot, one button (the left mouse button, or SPACE on the keyboard), and one cute "beep" sound. That's all you get. This is probably the most bare-bones time-waster we've ever published, but it's awesome just for that.
You have to get the dot from one end of the screen to the other. The dot's starting position signifies your progress through the levels of the game. As you can see in the screenshot, the dot is quite high, so I'm fairly well advanced in the game.
On every level, your input affects the dot in a slightly different way. Sometimes your click launches the dot very forcefully, so you have to be careful. On other levels, the click causes the dot to levitate, so you have to keep clicking so that the dot doesn't crash at the bottom of the level (but don't click too fast, or it would go out the top).
It's a short time waster, but it's a fascinating one. The level on the screenshot is very frustrating, but all of the other ones were fun, and fairly easy to pass.Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-WastersMomiga is an extremely minimalistic, fun Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentswindows iphone phone

Watch And Learn Everything That Goes Into Launching A Space Shuttle In Beautiful Slow Motion [Video]

It's the longest video I'll ever recommend, but if you love space or photography or learning or just stunningly beautiful images, watch this compilation video of three NASA Space Shuttle launches. You're looking (and learning) from NASA's own point-of-view. It's amazing. More »






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Patriot intros Supersonic USB 3.0 flash drive, milks 100MB / sec from a single chip

At present, there seem to be three strategies to embracing the potential of USB 3.0 -- go all out with an external SSD, introduce a hulking RAID-on-a-stick, or settle for a single-chip USB key with ho-hum maximum read/write speeds of roughly around 80MB / sec and 60MB / sec. There are a number of these barely-better-than-USB-2.0 flash drives floating about, but Patriot decided not to settle for that -- its new Supersonic flash drive uses the mythical "quad channel" technology (and a native USB 3.0 controller) to eke out some extra speed. That allows Patriot to beat down the USB 2.0 straw man with 70MB / sec writes and 100MB / sec reads, and possibly justify a pricing premium if the company can't manufacture them on the cheap. If the Supersonic sounds like the best of all worlds for your portable data, you'll find it in 32GB and 64GB configurations starting Q1 2011. No word on price quite yet.Patriot intros Supersonic USB 3.0 flash drive, milks 100MB / sec from a single chip originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 03:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Patriot  | Email this | Commentsipad android wire

Scientists Say There's a Planet Lined With Diamonds [Space]

The extremely hot planet Wasp-12b has such a high carbon-to-oxygen ratio that scientists are saying that the planet's surface might be littered with diamonds. The lead researcher specifies: "You might see land masses and mountains made up of diamonds." More »






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The Engadget Podcast, live at 7:30PM EST!

We do our best to keep you on your toes, but it appears as if you're onto us: we're doing a podcast today, at 7:30PM. It might be a little late as we wrap some of our end-of-week projects (we're trying to build a really tall tower of paper cups in the Engadget HQ den, but Nilay keeps knocking it over), but we promise you it will happen. Today. Approximately. Check out the stream and chat after the break.

P.S. And don't forget that Ustream has Android and iPhone clients as well, if you're out and about and you can't join in on the Flash-based fun below.Continue reading The Engadget Podcast, live at 7:30PM EST!The Engadget Podcast, live at 7:30PM EST! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 18:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments



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Download Dungeon Hunter HD for Android free today only

We told you about Gameloft's awesome December giveaway plans a few days back, and today's offering is a real humdinger. Until the end of the day, you can get your hands on Dungeon Hunter HD -- arguably one of the best RPGs available for your Android device -- absolutely free.

Dungeon Hunter HD is normally $6.99, and it's packed with sword-wielding, spell-casting action. The easiest way to get your download is to view Gameloft's Twitter post on your mobile browser. Follow the links, and you'll be downloading the .APK in no time. Check out the gameplay video after the break if you still need convincing.

Please don't blame us if this cripples what little remains of your Friday productivity. We're suffering because of this one, too.
Continue reading Download Dungeon Hunter HD for Android free today onlyDownload Dungeon Hunter HD for Android free today only originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Commentsfollower blog twitter

Mind-Mapping Apps: Lightweight Labyrinth, Quick-Witted VYM and Simple Semantik

Mind map tools offer users a system to graphically think through complex ideas in a somewhat controlled space on the computer screen. This type of software makes it easy to link related ideas with lines, branches and multiple colors in much the same way you would "think" about a topic with a scratch pad and pencil. Think of mind mapping as a form of electronic brainstorming.keyboard facebook follower

AR-Tees brings augmented reality to a t-shirt, on sale now (video)

Sebastian Merchel, the same bloke responsible for the SweetSpotter, is back, and he's out to invade your SO's stocking. The above pictured AR-Tee is exactly what it purports to be: a t-shirt with ingrained augmented reality superpowers. Simply pop one on (in your size, naturally), connect your webcam, and visit the link down there in the source. With a couple of mouse clicks, you'll be watching content on your chest, becoming the star of this year's holiday party and blowing grandma's mind. Simultaneously. Grab yours today for the tidy sum of €27.90, or around 37 of America's strained, deflated dollars. Demonstration vid is just past the break, just so you know.Continue reading AR-Tees brings augmented reality to a t-shirt, on sale now (video)AR-Tees brings augmented reality to a t-shirt, on sale now (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Sebastian Merchel  | Email this | Commentsandroid wire bike

Microsoft Word XML patent case to be heard by Supreme Court

Microsoft struck out on two previous attempts in court, but it's not prepared to give up on Word just yet. Today, the Redmond company received a bit of welcome news: the Supreme Court has agreed to hear Microsoft's appeal in the case to decide who owns the patent for XML, the markup language that powers Word. That takes Microsoft off the hook for the $290 million in damages previously awarded to plaintiff i4i, and allows it to keep selling Word for now.

For the time being, then, it's business as usual for Microsoft. That's good news for all of us -- considering the Office Armageddon they warned us about back in 2009 when things were just getting started. As the Register points out, the tech world will be waiting with bated breath to hear the Court's decision -- if i4i's patent on XML is upheld, it could have major implications for future patent-related trials.Microsoft Word XML patent case to be heard by Supreme Court originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsipad android wire

Transparent Specimens: Making Flesh Invisible [Art]

Iori Tomita, a Japanese artist, combines art and science by turning the flesh of marine life transparent. And to enhance each creature's invisibility, he injected dye into their bones too. It's a pretty psychedelic combination. More »






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Visa clears DeviceFidelity's In2Pay mobile payment microSD card for use in smartphones

No iPhone? No problem. If you'll recall, we heard back in May that Visa was in cahoots with DeviceFidelity, with the two trumpeting a not-exactly-svelte In2Pay case that would add contactless payment support to Apple's darling. Today, the rest of the world is finally being taken into consideration. The aforementioned firms have just cleared a new In2Pay microSD solution for use in the real world, with the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and the Samsung Vibrant in particular named as compatible. In theory, it seems that nearly any smartphone with a microSD slot could be ushered into the arena, and Visa itself expects to add additional phone models for use with this technology, "including phones based on the Symbian and Windows operating systems." This unveiling is happening after a solid 18 months of testing around the globe, but there's no definitive word on which banks will be offering this to customers. Between this and the sudden interest in NFC, America seems more poised than ever before to slip ever further into an endless pool of debt, and with way less friction than before! We kid, we kid... kind of.Continue reading Visa clears DeviceFidelity's In2Pay mobile payment microSD card for use in smartphonesVisa clears DeviceFidelity's In2Pay mobile payment microSD card for use in smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 10:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Visa  | Email this | Commentsipad android wire

Griffin Elan Passport for iPad ? accessory review

This week I got to try out the Griffin Elan Passport Case for iPad and I really like it! The Elan Passport is a leather flip case with a soft microsuede interior. When closed, the Elan Portfolio resembles a book. When you open it you have immediate access to the touchscreen on the right and [...]Griffin Elan Passport for iPad – accessory review 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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NFC certification program announced just in time for Android 2.3 Gingerbread launch on Monday?

Call it coincidence if you want, but a December 7th press conference to launch the NFC Forum's new Certification Program likely has something to do with NFC read / write support built into Google's new Android 2.3 "Gingerbread." An OS that could be officially unveiled as early as today according to a cheeky blog post by Notion Ink that includes this bullet:

"6th December is another big day for Android and you will find out how fast Notion Ink can work. (Eden is extremely compatible with 2.3)."
Recall how gung-ho Eric Schmidt was on the topic of Near Field Communication while demonstrating it using a still unannounced Nexus S with an embedded NFC chip at the Web 2.0 Summit. That was way back on November 16th when Schmidt promised a Gingerbread release "in like the next few weeks." According to the NFC Forum, a device must be certified in order to display the official "N-Mark" (pictured) -- a symbol for NFC that tells you where to touch in order to initiate NFC services on your device. So, Google... anything you'd like to announce before Tuesday?

P.S. Almost forgot that Google's Andy Rubin will be kicking off the D: Dive into Mobile event later today. We'll be there live just in case Andy feels like introducing something pungent and tasty during the opening session scheduled for 6:30pm San Francisco time.Continue reading NFC certification program announced just in time for Android 2.3 Gingerbread launch on Monday?NFC certification program announced just in time for Android 2.3 Gingerbread launch on Monday? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Notion Ink  | Email this | Commentsfollower blog twitter

Google?s Possible ?+1? iPhone App, Facebook Similarities, And Social ?Loop? Groups

Since we broke the news a couple days ago that Google's secret social project, formerly known as "Emerald Sea", is now being called "Google +1", we've gotten more confirmation about the naming. This includes people more confident that this could well be the name Google ends up going with. We've also heard a couple other new interesting tidbits about the project.

The first is that Google may be testing an iPhone app for +1, which would presumably launch alongside the web variation of the service. One source reports seeing a Google employee's iPhone with an app called "Loop" on it. This was apparently Google's social project in native app form. The source says that it looked similar to Facebook and had large portions that were still in development.facebook follower blog

Shortcut Manager for Chrome lets you execute JavaScript with hotkeys -- and more!

I've recently been spending more and more time in Chrome, and I'm very impressed. One of the things I needed was a way to execute arbitrary bits of JavaScript (bookmarklets and other tidbits) using keystrokes. This is useful because it lets me control Chrome using AutoHotkey, and do all sorts of other things.
The solution I found is called Shortcut Manager, and it's a Chrome extension that goes above and beyond what I need. It lets you assign hotkeys to execute existing browser operations (switch tabs, scroll, etc.), but also lets you paste in any bookmarklet code or other JavaScript for the hotkey to execute. You can also assign site-specific hotkeys -- meaning a certain hotkey would do something on one site, and something else (or nothing at all) on another site.
Last but not least, having worked so hard on your customizations, Shortcut Manager lets you easily export and import your settings (sync support would be a nice addition). This is a a must-have extension for me, and probably for other JavaScript-loving nerds as well.Filed under: BrowsersShortcut Manager for Chrome lets you execute JavaScript with hotkeys -- and more! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsfacebook follower blog

Facebook Shares Only Gain 1.2% Since Last Week

Ok, I flat out love these auctions that SecondMarket are holding for privately held Facebook shares. Last week the first one closed, and $40 million of stock changed hands at $20.76 per share, valuing the company at roughly $50 billion.

This week's auction has now closed. Only 475,000 shares moved, compared to 1.9 million last week. The auction closing price edged up 1.2% to $21.01, about $10 million worth of stock total.

Stay tuned for next week's auction. What do you think the closing price will be? Closest guess gets a TechCrunch tshirt.ipad android wire

Sony Ericsson's Zeus Z1 PlayStation phone contributes sample shots to Picasa

At this point, does it really surprise anyone that a new phone is leaking by way of a photo sharing site? We totally understand the conundrum: when you're logged into a phone that you're testing and you're taking pictures, it's so easy to upload 'em. And hey, you need to test the sharing functionality at some point anyway, right? At any rate, we love it, so we're not going to complain that a few photos with Sony Ericsson Zeus clearly called out in the EXIF data have started showing up on Picasa. The four appropriately-labeled pictures all clock in at 5 megapixels, so we hope you weren't expecting an N8-beating resolution here... but then again, when you're heads-down in PlayStation-branded games for hours on end, do you really have time to be taking decent pictures anyway?Sony Ericsson's Zeus Z1 PlayStation phone contributes sample shots to Picasa originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Android Police  |  Picasa  | Email this | Comments



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Chinese passenger train reaches 302mph, claims speed record for unmodified trains

Did you find the 262mph record that China scooped up only two months ago impressive? Well, add another 40mph to that number as today Xinhua News has revealed China's claim to the new speed record for unmodified commercial trains. The new line presently being tested between Beijing and Shanghai has delivered a mind-warping 302mph (486kph) top speed, which is projected to help cut down travel times between the two cities in half, down to a mere five hours. As with the Shanghai-Hangzhou connection that held the record previously, speeds with actual passengers on board will probably be limited to more moderate levels when this connections opens up in 2012, but the Chinese government's goal is still that magical 312mph (500kph) mark -- at this pace, they should be there by Tuesday.Continue reading Chinese passenger train reaches 302mph, claims speed record for unmodified trainsChinese passenger train reaches 302mph, claims speed record for unmodified trains originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Associated Press (PhysOrg)  |  Xinhua News  | Email this | Comments



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Spinning Shelf Balances Your Books

Christian Kim’s DreiX shelf brings a little bit of the fairground to your living room, in the form of three spinning, rotating cubbyholes. His concept features three boxes. The central box is fixed to the wall and the other two are joined on by a pair of metal beams, which allow them to move around [...]twitter social firefox

Microsoft Files for Patent on Touchy-Feely Screens

Microsoft has filed a patent application for a display screen that would dynamically give users the feeling of pushing buttons when they touch it. It filed patent application 20100295820 last week. The patent's for a "light-induced shape-memory polymer display screen" that would give users the sensation of actually touching buttons as they're displayed on a touchscreen.firefox google chrome bing

$10 Gets You a Flat-Rate Plan on Onlive's Game Streaming Service [Onlive]

OnLive's video game streaming service just got more appetizing, with a $10 flat-rate PlayPack plan to get all the games you can eat for one price. The only caveat is that you don't get ALL games OnLive has. More »






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Camtasia 7.1 giveaway and video review

Personally, I think TechSmith's Camtasia is the best screencast recording and editing suite available for Windows today. It's an extremely capable application, and one of its only potential drawbacks is the price - at $300, this is not a cheap piece of software. This is where the giveaway comes in!
TechSmith recently released Camtasia version 7.1, with several interesting new features. Since this is a screencasting application, I figured that the best way to show it off would be by recording a screencast. So I've created an 8-minute review that showcases some of the new features, and you can watch it after the jump. Here are some of the highlights:

New callouts: There are several new types of callouts to draw viewer attention to where you want it, including animated "motion callouts."
Shortcut key callouts: Camtasia now remembers what keystrokes you pressed while recording the video, and it can automatically show this in special callouts (shown in my review).
A new playhead control: This new control makes it easier to select portions of the video. I've explained, in detail, how it works.

There are several other highlights, but I don't want to spoil any surprises. TechSmith has provided us with 10 licenses to give away to Download Squad readers, so go ahead and watch the video, and then leave a comment to take part in the giveaway!Continue reading Camtasia 7.1 giveaway and video reviewFiled under: VideoCamtasia 7.1 giveaway and video review originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsblog twitter social

Online Egg Timer is another slick, stylish timer

Along with pornography, it seems that online egg timers are a driving force for change and innovation on the Internet. I'm not sure there's any other way to explain the proliferation of egg timers. Granted, people may be using these timers for more than just eggs, but this burgeoning market segment never ceases to amaze and surprise me. My latest find is simply called Online Egg Timer, which is a great name for SEO.
The interface is dead-simple and very friendly, and it sports a friendly URL format as well. You can just go to www.online-eggtimer.com/90/120/240 to instantly start three timers: one for ninety seconds, one for two minutes, and one for four minutes.
Granted, the URL format could have been a tad friendlier if it allowed for other time units too, like CD allows for /2h4m15s. But Online Egg Timer does have one alarming advantage over CD: it emits a very loud ringing sound once the time is up.Filed under: Internet, UtilitiesOnline Egg Timer is another slick, stylish timer originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Commentsfollower blog twitter

Your Cellphone Can Know Exactly Why You Love Your Fishing Pole [Video]

Waving your cell phone over any old RFID tagged item could automatically bring up photos, videos, and other memories on your mobile device. It's called "The Internet of Experiences," and it's the result of newly patented technology from XtremeSignPost. More »






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