Posts tagged Downloads at Switched

Posts with tag Downloads

Google's Picasa Gets Face ID Update

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Sep 4th 2008 at 12:09PM

Picasa Gets Updates, Knows Who Your Friends Are

Google was not resting on its laurels earlier this week. First, it announced its corporate video sharing platform, then it unveiled Chrome, and towards the end of the day rumblings of a vastly updated Picasa started to come out.

The Picasa news was clearly overshadowed by Chrome, but the new features are nonetheless impressive. Most dramatically, Picasa's Web Albums will allow you to tag people in a photo, automatically. Facebook, MySpace, and Flickr may let you tag photos, or people in photos, but they make you do it manually, which can take quite a long time. The revamped Picasa doesn't just search all your photos for faces -- it also compares them and tells you which ones it thinks are the same person, thus allowing you to tag a person in several different photos in one step.

In our brief hands-on, Picasa performed quite admirably, even recognizing a few partially obscured faces correctly. It wasn't perfect and incorrectly identified a few photos and failed to identify others at all, but we were still able to tag an album of 40-plus photos in under 10 minutes.

The Picasa desktop application also picked up a few new features this week, including a movie editor, a touch-up tool for clearing up skin blemishes and red-eye in photos, and a synchronization mode that lets you alter and tag photos in your Web album even if you've uploaded them from somewhere else.

Picasa is getting a little long in the tooth, Google shows it is serious about staying in the digital photo market with these updates. [From: CBS]

Google's Chrome Browser Vulnerable to Hackers

by Tim Stevens, posted Sep 3rd 2008 at 10:37AM

When Google's new browser Chrome launched by surprise yesterday, many fans of the famously "do no evil" search company rushed to download it. Who wouldn't be wooed by its clean looks, fast performance, and pledges of security? So far, we think the browser delivers on the first two -- but we're not so sure on that last one. Word is hitting the Web that Chrome is vulnerable to a Safari-related security issue that Apple has already fixed, but Google has (apparently) not.

The exploit lets a hacker automatically download an executable malware file to the user's computer. It's then up to the user to actually click on the file to run it, but with a little encouragement (as shown in the proof-of-concept), that's not difficult to do. Should you avoid Chrome? Not necessarily, but if you're going to use it, use a typical common sense while online and don't go crazy opening any file you like. The Internet's still a dangerous place, you know. [From: ZDNet]

Google Launches Chrome, a New Web Browser

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Sep 2nd 2008 at 10:25AM

Google Throws its Hat Into the Browser Market

The world has been speculating for years that Google would eventually release its own browser, one that would, of course, be finely tuned to run Google services and other rich Web apps. Well, the day has finally come: In a surprise Labor Day announcement, Google announced Chrome, its new browser project.

The Windows PC version of Chrome is set to become available for free download sometime today, with Mac and Linux versions forthcoming in the next few weeks.

Though Google used some of the code in both Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's Safari to build its browser, it looks like Chrome is otherwise an entirely new beast. Google's browser uses its own JavaScript engine, called V8, which the search giant claims is dramatically faster than other engines, and provides new features and abilities that will "power the next generation of Web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers." In other words, Chrome should runs significantly smoother and faster than other modern Web browsers when running multiple Web applications at once (say, a chat program on one page, Internet radio on a second page, and a photo-editing app on another)

Google also puts security and stability at the forefront in Chrome. Each tab is run as a separate process, so that if one site you're visiting crashes, it doesn't bring down the entire browser. Each tab is "sandboxed" (cut off from other tabs and underlying system components), which promises to keep your computer safe(er) from malware.

From the screen shots that have been circulating, we can tell that Chrome's tab bar will be at the top of the window, as opposed to under the location bar as it is in most other browsers (including Firefox and IE). We've also seen a start page that has thumb-nailed links to nine of your most visited Web pages for easy access.

Google is, as usual, making Chrome open-sourced so that others can borrow and modify Chrome's code at will. Expect to see some of its innovations working their way into the next versions of Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. And therein lies Chrome's true purpose, not to snatch large swaths of market share from IE or Firefox, but to make sure the groundwork is laid for Google's next generation of Web apps. [From: Official Google Blog, TUAW and Download Squad]

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 Released to Public (Hands-On)

by Tim Stevens, posted Aug 29th 2008 at 4:10PM

Internet Explorer Beta 2 Released to Public

Have you been itching to get your hands on the latest flavor of Internet Explorer? Yeah, we can't say we really have been either, but just the same, Microsoft has released the second beta version of Internet Explorer 8 for public consumption, and you can download it now and check it out if you like.

The first beta was only for developers, but after a number of updates and fixes, Microsoft is opening this new version to anyone. To save you the trouble, we threw caution to the wind and installed it. So far it's looking quite good; stable and noticeably faster in many tasks than IE7, which is looking more than a little dated compared to the recently released Firefox 3.0. At first glance, IE8 doesn't look that much different, but does include a number of tweaks and updates, including:

Private Browsing - Curious about the darker sides of the 'Net? Don't worry, most of us are, and IE8 is the first browser to realize this, giving you a mode called "InPrivate" that doesn't track where you go in your history, doesn't keep cookies, and doesn't store auto-complete information.
Accelerators - Highlight a word, and IE8 will display a button that will let you define it through Encarta. Highlight a street address, and you'll see an option to display the address on a map. Highlight words in a foreign language, and you can see a quick translation. There are lots of little context options like this, called accelerators, because they speed up the process of copying a line of text, opening a new browser window, and pasting it in somewhere to look it up.
Visual Search - This is another area where sites will be able to insert themselves into your browser. Here you can define visual searches for things like eBay, enabling you to start typing your search into the IE8 search box and immediately get results and pictures from listings right through the browser. You can then click directly on what you want. There are visual searches available for other sites like Wikipedia, YouTube, and naturally, Google.

There are dozens of other updates, including stability and compatibility, which should make IE8 an excellent choice for someone looking for an alternative to Firefox. So far, we've found the browser to be very stable, so we'd rate this low on the danger meter, but as always, install betas at your own risk! [Source: IEBlog]

New iPhone App Streams iTunes Collections Anywhere

by Evan Shamoon, posted Aug 18th 2008 at 10:12AM

In what may be most promising portable music sharing application to date, Simplify Media -- available now for iPhone and iPod Touch on the App Store -- lets users stream their friends iTunes libraries from any broadband Internet connection, making storage capacity something of a non-issue.

Like its sister apps for Mac, Linux, and Windows, the program lets users stream songs and playlists from both the their own computers and those of up to 30 friends, complete with album art and lyrics attached to each track. And here's what's awesome: The software even works over 2G and 3G networks, meaning you'll always be connected (if at a somewhat slower speed), even when not in range of a Wi-Fi network. While it's not a huge deal, the downside is that DRM-protected iTunes purchases won't stream through the program (it's a copyright thing).

The iPhone app is free to the first 100,000 to download it, $3.99 for everyone else. Get it, go, forth, and be merry. [Source: TUAW]

Download Movies and TV Shows to Your PlayStation 3, Starting Tonight

by Tom Samiljan, posted Jul 15th 2008 at 4:36PM

With the exception of Nintendo's Wii, it looks like video game consoles are increasingly becoming excellent devices on which to get movie and TV show downloads (especially for HDTV owners who are starved for fresh HD content). Yesterday, Microsoft announced the immediate availability of more movies and TV shows from partners such as Universal and NBC (essentially, this means that viewers can now get 'The Office' and 'Battlestar Galactica' on demand in HD for the first time ever). Well, now it looks like Sony has followed suit, as it just announced that starting tonight, its movie and TV download service for the PlayStation 3 will be up and running.

Though it doesn't have the nifty Netflix integration that Microsoft also announced for Xbox 360 yesterday, it does offer the ability to transfer downloaded movies and TV shows to the PlayStation Portable (PSP), so you can take your content on the road with you. Of course, being Sony, the company was able to line up a roster of content partners that include not only Sony, but also MGM, Turner, Lionsgate, and Fox. All shows will be offered in SD video, but plenty will also be available in HD, for rental or purchase (we still don't know if it'll be 720p HD or 1080p HD, but we're guessing 720p since nothing was mentioned). As with Vudu, Xbox 360, iTunes, and other downloadable movie services, the PS3 download service has progressive download, which means you can start watching the movie within a minute after purchasing (the rest of the movie downloads in the background).

We're looking forward to seeing how this service works when it launches later tonight. We're particularly curious to see what content, specifically, is available in HD. We're hoping plenty of TV shows are on that HD list, as on demand TV shows in high-def are sorely lacking. For a play-by-play account of today's Sony E3 press conference, make sure to read through Engadget/Joystiq's thorough live blog.

Firefox Gets Guinness World Record for Most Downloads

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 9:46AM

As we now well know, the Internet is serious business.

And to further clarify the point, the Guinness organization (World Records, not beer) has now given the title of "most downloads in a 24-hour period" to Mozilla, which hurled 8,002,530 copies of its Firefox 3 browser into cyberspace on June 17.

"As the arbiter and recorder of the world's amazing facts, Guinness World Records is pleased to add Mozilla's achievement to our archives," Gareth Deaves, Guinness' records manager, said in a statement.
While "Download Day," as Mozilla branded it, may have been a bit of a publicity stunt, it's still a pretty hefty achievement; this is the biggest launch to a piece of software, free or otherwise, in the history of the series of tubes that we have come to know as the Internet.

So how do things stand? Net Applications gave Firefox 3 2.31 percent market share for the entire month of June, compared with 4.28 percent for Safari 3.1, 16.13 percent for Firefox 2, 26.38 percent for Internet Explorer 6, and 46.45 percent for the Internet's 400 lb. gorilla, Internet Explorer 7.

And to the longtime users of IE, we have some advice: try Firefox for a week. Install some plug-ins. You may never go back. [Source: CNET]

Firefox 3.0 Released, Sets Download Record

by Tim Stevens, posted Jun 18th 2008 at 10:32AM

A few weeks back, developers of the Web browser Firefox announced that when the eagerly anticipated 3.0 version of their software was released, they wanted to break the Guinness World Record for most downloads in a 24-hour period. The only problem was they didn't say when that day would be. As it turns out, the clock started ticking yesterday at 2pm, and they've already eclipsed the 5 million mark they set out to achieve.

As of this morning, downloads currently stand at 6,250,796 worldwide, a third of those coming from the U.S. This is despite a number of problems that plagued the Firefox download sites yesterday, as they struggled to handle the demand from all those would-be record breakers. But, they made it, and so far, initial reports are very positive for this new release. Browsing is noticeably faster than with the last version, stability seems to have been improved, and the graphical refresh the menus and buttons have received gives everything a nice, clean appearance.

We'll have a full review of the release later, but if you still want to be a part of history you have until 2pm E.S.T. today to fire up your (older) browsers to start the downloadin'. [Source: Mashable]

Wal-Mart's New Downloads Play On iPods, Zunes, Cell Phones and More

by Tom Samiljan, posted Aug 21st 2007 at 4:21PM

Wal-Mart is the latest store to jump into the DRM-free music sales game, offering the same digital-rights-management-free tracks from EMI and Universal that are sold through the iTunes Plus, Yahoo! Music Unlimited, and other online music stores. (DRM is a system of adding a small amount of data to an audio file, which puts draconian limitations on copying, burning, and playback of the material -- essentially this means you can't play your purchased music on more than one kind of portable player.)

The giant retailer's latest move means that, say, tracks by Norah Jones, Keith Urban, Barrio Fino, Amy Winehouse (pictured), or Bon Jovi, among other EMI and Universal acts, will be playable on everything from iPods, iPhones and BlackBerrys to Zunes, Windows Mobile Smart Phones, and most music cell phones.

What's more, these tunes will only cost $ .94 cents a track (or $9.22 per album), a full 35 cents less than the $1.29 iTunes is charging for its DRM-free tunes. The difference is Wal-Mart's tunes will be in the MP3 format, which plays on pretty much every audio player in existence, while Apple's iTunes Plus tracks are in the AAC format, which is of slightly higher audio quality (but plays on a smaller number of players).

In what is definitely a sign of the music industry's desperation, these easy-to-copy-and-pirate tunes are being virtually given away. The idea is this -- people who are nice law-abiding citizens or who just don't feel like dealing with the Wild West of illegal-file-sharing sites will flock to these attractively-priced, unshackled tracks.

For a full explanation on how DRM-free tunes work and where you can find and purchase these tunes, check out USA Today's newsy primer on the subject.

Related Links:

Find Songs By Lyric at Yahoo! Music

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Apr 24th 2007 at 6:20PM

Starting today, Yahoo! Music will be the first online music store to legally offer lyrics. After a deal with Gracenote and the five major music labels, Yahoo! Music will sport more than 400,000 songs' lyrics in a completely searchable database.

While there are already several lyric sites, Yahoo!'s marks the first legal service of its kind, as the songwriters and labels own copyrights to the lyrics just as they do the music itself (they're just less vigilant about going after lyrics-thieves).

In this case, though, the lyrics will be paired with the download service. So what does that mean? Let's say you heard a great song on the radio but have no idea who sang it. Just go to Yahoo! Music, search the lyric based on what you remember, and ideally you'll get results that reveal the song you were looking for. Unfortunately, in our test, "la, la, la" returned over 1,000 results, so try to be a little more specific than we were.

The hook, of course, is that Yahoo! offers the song you found for sale right there on the results page. Convenient.

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Google's Picasa Gets Face ID Update

Google's Chrome Browser Vulnerable to Hackers

Google Launches Chrome, a New Web Browser

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 Released to Public (Hands-On)

New iPhone App Streams iTunes Collections Anywhere

Download Movies and TV Shows to Your PlayStation 3, Starting Tonight

Firefox Gets Guinness World Record for Most Downloads

Firefox 3.0 Released, Sets Download Record

Wal-Mart's New Downloads Play On iPods, Zunes, Cell Phones and More

Find Songs By Lyric at Yahoo! Music

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