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Switched Download: Foxit PDF Reader

Terrence O'Brien — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:46:00 EST

Filed under: Computers, Advice, Columns, Editor's Picks, Windows Software, Reviews, Downloads

Foxit PDF Reader

What it does:

Foxit is a replacement for that unfortunate staple of every computer user's life: Adobe Reader. Foxit reads and even edits PDFs -- those files that look exactly like original documents -- without the slowdown and crashes associated with Adobe's product.

What we like about it:

Foxit is about as close to perfect as a piece software can get: it opens and operates faster than Adobe's Reader, uses much less RAM, and packs more features into a download about a tenth the size.

In addition to reading PDFs, Foxit can perform basic editing tasks and lets you add notes to documents -- features Adobe charges several hundred dollars for in its Acrobat platform. Foxit even has some features that Adobe's professional application lacks, such as tabs for opening several PDFs in one window, and support for multimedia so you can actually play back audio and video in multimedia e-books.

What we don't like:

Our only problem with Foxit is that the latest versions are Windows-only. Mac and Linux users need love too.

Bottom line:

The existence of the fast, stable, and user-friendly Foxit makes you wonder why anyone would continue to use Adobe's bloated, crash-prone program. Get Foxit now and clicking links to PDF files will no longer prompt panic and cursing.

Download Foxit PDF Reader

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Switched Download: VLC Media Player

Terrence O'Brien — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:17:00 EST

Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Columns, Windows Software, Mac Software, Downloads

VLC Media Player

What it does: The VLC Media Player does just what its name implies, and so much more. In addition to playing back video and audio, VLC can even be used to rip DVDs or stream video over a home network to watch on another computer in the house, or across the Internet.

What we like about it: First and foremost this free and open source media player is incredibly lightweight, which means it's fast. VLC is perfect for playing back any unprotected video file or taking a quick listen to a song when firing up iTunes and searching through your library is too much trouble.

VLC also makes quick work of the maze of media formats out there. OGG, MP3, WAV, MP4, AAC, DivX, AVI, WMV, MOV, even Flash Video (FLV) like those used on YouTube -- VLC will play them all. No need to open Quick Time for MOV files, Windows Media for WMVs, and iTunes for AAC.

If you do feel like tinkering ,VLC has more optiona than you could possibly imagine, some of which are easily leveraged for legally questionable ends. For example you can easily save streaming media from the Web by pasting the URL into VLC and checking off the Stream/Save option.

What we don't like: VLC won't work with any DRM-protected files. So many songs purchased through iTunes or movies downloaded from Amazon's Unbox store won't be playable. VLC can also be a bit confusing for those used to the pretty and uncluttered options available to users of iTunes and Windows Media Player. We strongly recommend spending a few minutes wandering around the menus and options to get acquainted with the app before jumping in. Also, it won't handle Real Media (.rm) media files, the type you'll find on some online radio stations, and, of course Real.com.

Bottom line: VLC could use a little spit and polish, but is still an essential tool for anyone who watches a lot of video on their computer or listens to audio in a multitude of formats. This one stop shop for media playback is quicker and more versatile than the market leaders such as iTunes, Windows Media Player or RealPlayer. MusicMatch. That said, you'll still need one of those market leader programs if you have any purchased content from iTunes, mobile music stores, or any of the music services such as Napster or Rhapdsody. The point of VLC is to play everything else without slowing down your computer.

Download VLC Media Player

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Top Net Threats Right Now

Evan Shamoon — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:12:00 EST

Filed under: Computers, Advice, Editor's Picks, Windows Software, Webware, Mobile Software, Mac Software, Notebooks, desktops, Downloads

While it may not feel quite like the Wild West anymore, the Internet is still full of people looking to rip you off -- the anonymity and secretive nature of online dealings makes them much more prone to fraud than in the real world. We've compiled a list of the top threats to your security lurking around the Internet -- and what you can do to avoid them.

The threat: The upcoming presidential election

The problem: All of the presidential candidates accept donation contributions online -- but be careful. Extremist supporters have been using "typo-domains" that mimic the Web site of a political rival; when the contributions come in, they're either pocketed or contributed to someone else's campaign. GOP Presidential nominee Ron Paul's campaign received funds from five hundred stolen credit cards, which were stolen from Frost bank; investigators discovered overseas thieves used Paul's site to test the stolen cards with $5 contributions.

How to protect yourself: Don't reply to the email -- and don't click the links inside it, either. Want to make an online donation? Google the name of your candidate of choice, go to his or her official site, and donate away ...

Next >>

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Nine Inch Nails Gives Away New Album Online

Terrence O'Brien — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:17:00 EST

Filed under: Audio/Video, Celebrities, Downloads

Trent Reznor and his conspirators in Nine Inch Nails are hard at work trying to destroy the music industry as we know it. Following a year in which Reznor told his fans to steal his music and then produced an album for Saul Williams that he gave away for free, the dark Prince (as in Prince, the artist, not Satan) has cobbled together a new album of material and is offering the first installment of it as a free download.

Unlike the Radiohead free album experiment of last year, Reznor is covering all his bases. The first part of 'Ghosts I-IV' is available as a free download both from the official NIN page and via torrents (file-sharing networks) uploaded by the band themselves to popular sites such as Pirate Bay. The band encourages fans to share the album via peer-to-peer (P2P) methods such as Bit Torrent, on Web sites, and in podcasts.

If you don't mind throwing a little cash the band's way, you can get all four volumes in a variety of DRM-less formats -- including the lossless FLAC format that audiophiles love -- for only $5. And if you absolutely must have a physical copy, then you can shell out $10 for the two-CD version, which is quite a steal compared to other two-CD special editions. For the truly fanatical, check out the $75 or $300 deluxe editions that include data DVDs, hardbound fabric booklets, Blu-ray videos, and, in the case of the more expensive version, limited-edition prints of album art signed by Reznor himself.

From TorrentFreak

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PicLens Is Like iTunes Cover Flow, But For Pictures

Thomas Houston — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:19:00 EST

Filed under: Cameras, Computers, Editor's Picks, Windows Software, Webware, Mac Software, Reviews, Downloads

Step aside, Cover Flow. Firefox plug-ins rarely get us excited, but PicLens is one of the most impressive we've ever seen. The plug-in creates a 3D stream of photos from a range of sources on the Web, including flickr, Google Image Search, Facebook, and more.

The full-screen experience of zipping through your photos is instantly responsive and seamless because PicLens does some fancy image loading in the background. You can zoom in and out with scroll-wheel movement, and clicking and dragging zips the screen along towards hundreds of new photos.

CoolIris offers PicLens for free and it runs on both Windows and Mac OS X.

Get it free at the Switched/CNET Download Center.

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Netscape Officially Closes Down On March 1

Terrence O'Brien — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:09:00 EST

Filed under: Computers, Windows Software, Mac Software, Downloads

A pioneer in the Internet revolution will fall silent on March 1. The venerable Netscape Browser (owned by our parent company AOL) -- once the leader in Web browsers -- is finally throwing in the towel. Netscape will still be available to download after the end of the month, but AOL will no longer update the product or offer any technical support.

After losing the browser wars of the '90s to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Netscape struggled in obscurity and irrelevance. Eventually, Netscape opened its source code, allowing anyone to see it, use it, and alter it , which eventually gave birth to Mozilla and Firefox (now the second most popular browser after Explorer).

At this time, Netscape has a dismal 0.61 percent of the browser market, so it's highly unlikely you know anyone who is still using it. But if you do, then you should encourage them to follow the advice to be found on the Netscape site, which suggests you download Firefox.

If you really miss the all-in-one nature of Netscape, then also check out SeaMonkey, which is based on the same code as Firefox and is compatible with many of the same extensions.

From ArsTechnica

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Windows Vista Update Disables Anti-Virus Programs

Terrence O'Brien — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:11:00 EST

Filed under: Computers, Downloads, Viruses

Microsoft is preparing to release the first major update to Vista, Service Pack 1 (SP1), which is supposed to clear out some of the major issues users have had with Vista, including speed and compatibility problems. Unfortunately for those eagerly awating SP1, it seems that Microsoft is creating just as many problems as it's solving.

Microsoft released an admittedly incomplete list of applications that will either not work properly or not work at all with SP1:

BitDefender AV
Fujitsu Shock Sensor
Jiangmin KV Antivirus 10
Jiangmin KV Antivirus 2008
Trend Micro Internet Security
Zone Alarm Security Suite
Iron Speed Designer
Xheo Licensing
Free Allegiance
NYT Reader
Rising Personal Firewall
Novell ZCM Agent

Ironically, most of the applications that will lose functionality or not work at all with Vista SP1 are security applications -- namely firewalls and anti-virus programs. One of the major complaints against Microsoft Windows is its relative insecurity when compared to Mac OS X and the Linux operating systems, so losing access to security programs will be a major drawback for most users.

From Beta News

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"Friendly" Computer Viruses That Are Good For Your Computer

Tim Stevens — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:06:00 EST

Filed under: Computers, Windows Software, Downloads, Viruses

Everyone likes to race, whether it's cars or skateboards or just people on two feet. Researchers at Microsoft are looking to apply this notion of competition to the world of viruses, with the hope of creating friendly worms to compete against malicious ones.

Similar to the current research that use genetically-modified viruses to deliver medication or fight cancer, the "good" computer viruses that Microsoft is working on would take advantage of a given security loophole in computer systems. These viruses would spread themselves out like self-replicating worms by finding computers capable of being infected, then installing themselves onto those compuers and patching any flaws or security holes.

In theory, these angel viruses would make the computer safe from any virus that would attempt to exploit the same loophole -- assuming they get to the exposed computers faster than the real viruses do.

This is all theory for now, though, so in the mean time, keep that virus-scanner updated.

From slashdot and New Scientist Tech

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Striking Writers Accept $1,200 Per Web-Streamed Episode

Tim Stevens — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:10:00 EST

Filed under: Computers, Downloads

The writers' strike is over -- or nearly so anyway. According to reports, most of the players involved have come to terms and all that remains now is an official vote from the various unions and guilds involved. If all goes well, it'll be over by Wednesday.

One of the big sticking points had been how writers should be compensated for shows broadcasted online, something they were previously receiving nothing for. The answer, according to the pending deal, is a flat fee of up to $1,200.

That would be on top of whatever amount they'd get for the traditional, on-air broadcast of the episode. $1,200 may seem like a lot, but with television stations losing traditional viewership and moving more and more content online in an attempt to stay hip, it may not be too much longer before "traditional" television broadcasting becomes the exception rather than the norm.

What happens to this contract when major network shows are being exclusively distributed online? We're hoping that when that time comes, the various players involved can do a little better at negotiating than they did this time. Nobody likes a strike -- or months of re-runs.

From Valleywag

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Amazon Buys Audio-Book E-tailer Audible

Terrence O'Brien — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:21:00 EST

Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Downloads

For the few of you out there lucky (crazy) enough to have gotten your hands on the Amazon Kindle e-book reader, one feature may have perplexed you -- the headphone jack. Headphones would be pretty useless on a device that can't play back audio. But we expect an update soon to unlock that feature as Amazon has just snatched up the web's biggest audio-book retailer, Audible.

Amazon sells everything else under the sun, so getting in on the audio-book market only makes sense. It's unclear how the Amazon purchase will affect Apple's deal with Audible for content access, or even who would pay $399 for an e-book reader only to listen to audio-books on it. That's what your iPod is for.

If you don't know what a Kindle is, see the gallery below.

Gallery: Amazon Kindle, Up Close

From BetaNews

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Hymn Books Move Online

Terrence O'Brien — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:37:00 EST

Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Downloads

If you need more evidence that everything is moving online, then look no further than 'Mission Praise,' the multi-million selling British hymn book. The entire collection of traditional hymns and newer songs of praise is available online at www.missionpraise.com for an annual subscription fee of £40, or about $79.

The collection of over 1,800 songs will be searchable and downloadable, and features lyrics, sheet music, and musical backing tracks. The new service will likely prove popular among some the smaller so-called "mega-churches" and evangelical congregations that often project lyrics on large screens for worshipers to follow.

From Reuters

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Netflix and LG to Bring Digital Movies to your TV

Terrence O'Brien — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:09:00 EST

Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, TV, Downloads

After leaving Blockbuster in its dust, Netflix is looking to expand its reach beyond the decidedly low-tech DVD rental business. Sure, Netflix.com has its Watch Instantly feature, but that still requires a PC to stream digital content in questionable quality. Cutting out the computer is an important step in seamlessly integrating your digital content and your home theater. To that end Netflix is teaming up with LG to stream movies and TV shows straight to LG's upcoming line of Internet-connected HDTVs and combination Blu-ray / HD DVD players.

The Netflix deal is looking to one-up Amazon's deal with TiVo to stream films from its Unbox service to TiVo set top boxes. Netflix's likely hope is that it can ultimately ditch those costly red envelopes.

From the New York Times

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Top 10 Pirated TV Shows and Movies in 2007

Terrence O'Brien — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:09:00 EST

Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Top Lists, TV, Downloads

We all know by now that piracy is rampant on the Internet, especially since the advent of super-fast broadband connections and BitTorrent, the current file-sharing method of choice. But do you ever wonder what exactly people are pirating? If so, you're in luck, since the TorentFreak blog has crunched data from the popular Mininova torrent site and found the 10 most downloaded movies and TV shows from 2007.

Take a gander, and before you judge the questionable taste of the online masses exposed in this list, remember this: At least they're not paying for it.

Movies

'Transformers'
'Knocked Up'
'Shooter'
'Pirates Of The.Caribbean At World's End'
'Ratatouille'
'300'
'Next'
'Hot Fuzz'
'The Bourne Ultimatum'
'Zodiac'

TV-Shows

From TorrentFreak

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Free Tools Help You Fulfill Your New Year's Resolutions

Terrence O'Brien — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:17:00 EST

Filed under: Cell Phones, Computers, Google, Webware, Downloads

Now that the hang over from New Year's Eve has worn off, it's time to get down to the business of tackling those New Year's resolutions you foolishly made. Of course, the biggest problem with resolutions is finding the motivation and organizational system to make you stick to your guns. Thankfully there are Web sites such as Lifehacker looking out for you. The productivity-focused site has some advice and a healthy helping of (primarily Web-based) ways to track your progress.

The first piece of advice is to utilize management expert Peter Drucker's S.M.A.R.T. system. S.M.A.R.T is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely, which really doesn't need any further explanation.

When it comes to tracking your progress and keeping yourself motivated, you'll find a wealth of options, including two highly flexible Web apps suggested at the beginning of 2007: Backpack (a Wiki-like note-taking tool, to-do list and calendar app) and Joe's Goals (a daily checklist of objectives).

There are also two new weight-loss-specific sites added this year: Traineo, which tracks your diet and exercise with a bit of social-networking thrown in to keep you motivated, and Daily Plate, which lets you look up and track not just your caloric intake, but also your fat and carbohydrate consumption.

For those with resolutions that are more fiscal in nature, Lifehacker suggests taking Mint for a spin. Mint will let you set budgets and track your spending. These tasks are made all the more easy since Mint can automatically pull in financial data from your bank accounts and credit cards.

We'd also like to suggest Remember The Milk (RTM) (pictured above), a very flexible and full-featured task management site. RTM even has a newly released Firefox extension that integrates your to-do list with Gmail, making your daily goals unavoidable every time you check your e-mail.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

From Lifehacker

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Is iTunes Illegal? The Switched Show Podcast Sorts It Out

Switched Staff — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:34:00 EST

Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, Computers, Advice, Interviews, Switched Video, Reviews, Downloads

Is your iTunes library illegal? The RIAA says so; as far as we can understand, the Recording Industry Association of America now thinks merely ripping a CD to your hard drive (a CD you legally purchased and own) is, in itself, illegal. We peel away the motives behind this latest salvo in the digital content wars. Plus: w00t. WHAT? That's a word? In a dictionary? Share our confusion in the latest Switched Show Podcast, online for direct download here or, even better, for iTunes subscription.

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