Monday, February 28, 2011

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

farragomate
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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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/25/farragomate-is-a-social-game-where-you-make-up-sentences/

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Roku XD|S Media Player Review

In my never ending quest to divorce myself from Comcast and their overpriced cable service, I have been searching for alternate methods for the family to watch our shows. The Mvix Ultio media device was an effort in frustration, that fell well short of my needs and expectations. Fortunately, there are many other options in [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/24/roku-xds-media-player-review/

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Photos | The Men & Women Of 2010

The Men & Women Of 2010

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1654058

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Katy Perry - Waking Up in Vegas

Waking Up in Vegas

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3274550&vid=378735

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Snooki's Best Grammy Red-Carpet Moments, From Nicki Minaj To J.Lo

'Jersey Shore' starlet flirts with Bruno Mars, gets personal with Drake and talks juiceheads with Matthew Morrison.
By Kara Warner


Snooki and Nicki Minaj
Photo: MTV News

As any fan of "Jersey Shore" can attest, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi is a walking highlight reel. The words and quotes that emit from the pint-size, pouf-wearing, self-proclaimed guidette are so unpredictable and entertaining, who else would we enlist to co-host our Grammy red-carpet live stream?

Lucky for MTV News and all our viewers, Snooki did not disappoint. From philosophizing about Gaga's arrival in an egg to bonding with Drake's mom and talking hair poufs with Nicki Minaj, our "Jersey Shore" girl did us proud.

Here are a few more of Snooki's highlights. First, there was a flirty encounter with Bruno Mars.

"Oh yeah that's hot, I love it," Snooki told Mars, after he demonstrated some fist-pumping dance moves. "You look good tonight, I'm just sayin'."

"Hit me up when the cameras aren't on, you know what I'm saying?" Mars said. "You and me could just kick it."

Snooki's response? A surprised/indecisive "Meep."

Next up, there was Gaga's entrance. "Is that an egg?" she asked co-host Sway Calloway and then waved and shouted out, "Gaga, I love you!" as the egg passed by.

"Sway is actually a gorilla juicehead," Snooki told "Glee" star Matthew Morrison, while explaining the finer points of "GTL" and the guido lifestyle.

"A 'G.A.H.,' " an amused Morrison added about Sway. "A 'Guido at Heart.' "

In addition to naming names, categorizing people and making plans with her interviewees, Snooki also managed to "go there," in terms of asking very pointed — and sometimes very personal — questions. Her chat with superstar Drake and his mom was a prime example.

"Did you and Rihanna smush?" she asked Drake of his past romantic encounters with his "What's My Name" co-star.

"Oh, goodness," a dumbstruck Drake responded. "Ah ... this is just, ah ... " he trailed off.

"Let's snog," Jay Sean offered (a British slang term for make out or kiss).

"Snug?" Snooki asked.

"No, snog. S-N-O-G," Sean explained, even though it was clear Snooki didn't know what he was talking about.

"Snug?" she asked again. "Does that mean smush?"

Another doozy occurred with Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony. "You're f---ing hot in person," she told J.Lo.

And finally, a sweet little encounter with Nicki Minaj.

"Is this your real hair?" Snooki asked while reaching up to touch Minaj's "Bride of Frankenstein"-inspired look.

"Snooks," Minaj responded, sounding mildly offended. "What do you mean, 'Is this my real hair?' "

"I'm jealous," Snooki answered.

"Oh. I wanted you to wear your pouf today so we could be matching," Minaj said.

"I did," Snooki said. "But it deflated from the heat."

What was your favorite Snooki moment? Tell us in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1658076/snooki-grammy-red-carpet.jhtml

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Aiaiai TMA-1 Headphones Review

Looking at the box containing the Aiaiai TMA-1 headphones, one would expect flashy, ?Look-at-me? headphones to be packed inside. After all, they were developed by and for DJs, and DJs like to be noticed, right? What you may not know is that Aiaiai is a Danish company? Scandinavian. Lets face it, Scandinavians are design minimalists [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/22/aiaiai-tma-1-headphones-review/

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New Google navigation bar is not +1: it's for managing your online identity

Google's privacy navigation bar
Google's new cross-site navigation bar, which began rolling out last week, is actually a new measure to improve your surfing privacy, and not the 'Google +1' social layer that we've been anticipating.

Basically, the bar elucidates the three 'states' in which you can use Google's services. First this is 'Unidentified,' which is where Google only knows your IP address, tracks you with a cookie, but doesn't know your name; then there's 'Psuedonymous,' which is how most of us currently use Google -- and finally there's 'Identified,' which is where your real life identity is assured.

Interestingly, Google also answers a question we've always wondered about: when you're logged out, you are effectively anonymous -- even if your IP address matches one of your Google accounts, your surfing habits are still kept separate.

The navigation bar, then, is simply a way of making sure you always know just how private (or public) your actions are. It's worth noting that the nav bar might still become a part of the upcoming '+1' social layer -- but for the time being, we can only guess at how they might be combined.

New Google navigation bar is not +1: it's for managing your online identity originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/25/new-google-navigation-bar-is-not-1-its-for-managing-your-onli/

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Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo coming 'in a few weeks'

firefoxJay Sullivan, Mozilla's vice president of products, has told the IDG News Service at the Mobile World Congress that Firefox 4 for Android will ship in a few weeks. We should expect to see one more beta version this week, and then the final build soon after.

Sullivan also tells IDG about Firefox for Mobile's extensive feature set -- 150 add-ons will be available! -- and Mozilla's overall move to a faster, quarterly release cycle.

Android already has a lot of competent browsers, but an HTML5-rendering, hardware-accelerated and sync-enabled offering would blow the rest of the competition out of the water.

Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo coming 'in a few weeks' originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/15/firefox-4-for-android-and-maemo-coming-in-a-few-weeks/

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

How Thunderbolt Could Hook Up Notebooks With Powerful Peripherals

Intel’s new high-speed port technology is called Thunderbolt. But what is it, exactly?
Think of Thunderbolt (formerly code named “Light Peak”) as two cables in one. One is a fast PCI Express cable for transferring data, and the other is DisplayPort, for driving an external display.
A Thunderbolt cable is capable of delivering data between a computer [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/02/thunderbolt-explainer/

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You?ll Get the Presents When You Celebrate Scottevest?s 10th Anniversary!

Scottevest has been supplying gadget lovers with well-designed tech clothing for 10 years, and they are celebrating this milestone with a huge sale!� You can save up to 40% on some of their most popular items as their way of saying “thank you” to their customers.� The Scottevest anniversary sale ends soon, so check out [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/26/youll-get-the-presents-when-you-celebrate-scottevests-10th-anniversary/

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Consumer Reports Finds Antenna Issue on Verizon iPhone

Consumer Reports claims the Verizon iPhone 4 exhibits signal loss when held in a specific way, similar to the problems seen in the AT&T iPhone 4 last year.
More�Verizon iPhone coverage on Wired.com:

Review: Verizon iPhone
Hands-On With the Verizon iPhone Hotspot
Price Chart: Verizon iPhone vs. AT&T iPhone
Switching to Verizon iPhone? 3 Ways to Shave the Termination Fee
Verizon [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/02/consumer-reports-verizon/

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Photos | The Men & Women Of 2010

The Men & Women Of 2010

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1654058

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Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in March, starting with HTC 7 Trophy?

With Sprint starting up its Windows Phone 7 adventure on March 20th with the HTC Arrive, Verizon is now said to be matching its CDMA competitor with its own offering, the HTC 7 Trophy. We already knew this particular handset would be coming to this particular network in "early 2011," but now WinRumors has narrowed that down to a launch at some point in late March. Verizon's announcement is expected as early as February 28th, this coming Monday, and we're hearing the NoDo update -- the one with copy and paste -- should be preloaded on the device from the start. Should this solid-sounding rumor bear out as foretold, Microsoft should finally be on all US carriers by the start of April.

[Thanks, Mike]

Windows Phone 7 coming to Verizon in March, starting with HTC 7 Trophy? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/25/windows-phone-7-coming-to-verizon-in-march-starting-with-htc-7/

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Twitpic introduces video support, lets you tweet your vids

twitpic video
Twitpic, the Twitter photo-posting service, has now extended its reach into photos that move, also known as "video". Users will now be able to upload quick videos shot on the move, and share them directly with Twitter.

Twitter's Web interface currently only shows a thumbnail of the video, but Twitpic says it's working on embedding the actual video into Twitter. Right now it basically looks like a link, not much different than posting a simple YouTube link.

One difference between Twitpic video support and plain old YouTube however, is that users are able to e-mail their videos in, rather than just uploading them from the site. Once applications using Twitpic start integrating this new functionality, users will be able to upload video right from within their favorite Twitter client, on the go.

While this sort of functionality has been attempted before by 12seconds, we can only hope Twitpic's video space endeavor meets with better luck.

Twitpic introduces video support, lets you tweet your vids originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Feb 2011 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/09/twitpic-introduces-video-support-lets-you-tweet-your-vids/

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Bruno Mars, B.o.B, Janelle Monae Turn In Throwback Grammy Set

Pompadour-sporting stars rock medley of 'Grenade,' 'Nothin' on You' and 'Cold War.'
By Mawuse Ziegbe


Bruno Mars performs during the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards
Photo: The Recording Academy/CBS

Bruno Mars headed into Grammy night on top, with seven nominations under his belt for his singing and songwriting efforts. He has already scored snaps for his studio work, but on Sunday night, the 25-year-old Doo-Wops & Hooligans crooner showcased his stage skills with fellow promising genre-bending stars B.o.B and Janelle Monáe.

Following a string intro, Mars helmed the keys and gently crooned a softer version of his #1 smash with B.o.B, "Nothin' on You." The ATL hitmaker then took the mic, rocking a dapper old-school look and adding a scholarly touch with a monocle as he sang and rhymed the lyrics. Monáe kept the menswear theme going in a voluminous cape, quietly chiming in at a clear podium as B.o.B turned to croon to her.

Check out pictures from the Grammy show here.

Suddenly, a faux mid-century black-and-white broadcast introducing Mars took over the screen, and then the live telecast switched to a retro two-tone look. Mars looked perfectly in place as he belted a slowed-down yet soul-injected version of his own #1 single "Grenade," with B.o.B on the piano. A crew of background singers helped transform the pop hit into a doo-wop effort, complete with a few stuttering dance steps; Mars even got on his knees during the bluesy arrangement in a move that would have made legendary funkateer James Brown proud.

Then Monáe stepped up for her ArchAndroid cut "Cold War" in her trademark button-down shirt-and-slacks outfit. Mars hopped on the drums as the lights flashed, fog rolled in and Monáe added her own vocal pyrotechnics to the mix. The songstress then took the performance from retro to rowdy by sailing into the audience for a brief crowd-surf as B.o.B strummed away on the guitar. The upstart trio's upbeat set scored a standing ovation.

Last year, Mars was floored when he first heard he'd racked up seven nods, but added that scoring accolades isn't even his favorite part of his hitmaking gig.

"The funnest part of our job is that we don't know who we're working with next," Mars told MTV News in December about working his songwriting and production crew the Smeezingtons. "We're fans and students of music, and we just love to work with whoever wants to work, whoever wants to write a song. Rock, hip-hop, R&B — we just want to do music. And we're happy just doing that."

What did you think of Bruno Mars' Grammy performance? Let us know in the comments!

For Grammy Awards winners list, analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News during the big show and beyond.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657854/bruno_mars_b_o_b_janelle_grammy_performance.jhtml

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B.o.B's 'Nothin' On You': From Near-Miss To Grammy Nominee

Record of the Year contender almost didn't make its way to B.o.B.
By James Montgomery


B.o.B
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about B.o.B's "Nothin' On You" was not its chart-topping success, its earnestness or the fact that it served as an introductory course in two of the year's biggest artists. It's the fact that the song wasn't meant for B.o.B at all.

Yes, before the song — which is nominated for three Grammys, including Record of the Year — found its way to B.o.B, it was originally intended for Lupe Fiasco. Seems the folks at Atlantic Records felt that it would be a perfect fit for the Chicago MC, and they insisted that its producers, the Smeezingtons, send it their way. But, as fate would have it, one of the men responsible for shaping B.o.B's career intervened. And the rest was history.

"I was actually working on a session in Chung King [Studios], and [Atlantic Records chairman] Craig Kallman called me during that session with that particular track to work on it for Lupe Fiasco," Jim Jonsin, who signed B.o.B to his Rebel Rock imprint, told MTV News in May. "I told Craig, 'I like the song a lot. It's a smash and could be somebody's single. But it's not Lupe's record. I need this record for B.o.B. Please give this record to B.o.B.' I guess they went through whoever they went through, convinced whoever they needed to, and it got to B.o.B."

Turns out, Jonsin's instincts were right. "Nothin' On You" found its way to B.o.B, and would head to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2010, where it stayed for two consecutive weeks. Bouyed by the success of the single, B.o.B's debut record, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, would open at #1 on the albums chart, and 2010 officially had its first breakout hip-hop star.

And if the whole situation seems a bit, well, magical, you're not alone. Seems that even the Smeezingtons — Bruno Mars, Phillip Lawrence and Ari Levine — were shocked by the fortuitous series of events that led to "Nothin' " topping the charts, and they admitted as much to MTV News.

"Me and Phil always had that hook," said Mars, who, of course, used the song to launch his own successful solo career. "So one day, our other partner ... Ari, he walked into the studio and said he programmed the drums [over]. It had this old-school hip-hop beat. I said, 'Gimme the piano,' and that was the first thing I started playing. Magically, that melody worked with this track we were doing."

Of course, B.o.B would go on to score more hits on his own — the ubiquitous "Airplanes," his duet with Paramore's Hayley Williams chief among them — one could argue that without the success of "Nothin' On You," none of those achievements would have been possible. You can chalk all of it up to magic, but, as he heads into Sunday's 53rd Grammy Awards, B.o.B prefers to give credit to the song's sweet-natured sincerity, which connected with fans in a way a lot of songs just don't. And, really, he's right about that too.

"Introducing B.o.B or Bobby Ray, it takes more than one song to do it," he said. "But I feel like this song is really genuine and really sincere, so I feel good about people finding out about me through 'Nothin' On You.' "

Are you rooting for "Nothin' On You" to win Record of the Year at the Grammys? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657333/bob-nothin-on-you-grammy.jhtml

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Photos | The 2011 Grammy Nominations Concert

The 2011 Grammy Nominations Concert

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1653386

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Crocodoc launches plug-in free, embeddable document viewer

Looking for a slick way to share documents and allow collaborators to add annotations? Check out Crocodoc, which has launched a plug-in free document viewer powered by the standard Web code we both love and hate to refer to as HTML5.

Just like competitor Scribd, files you upload to Crocodoc can be easily embedded on any site (check out a demo after the break). Readers can also post comments and annotations and download documents as a PDF with or without markup applied.

Crocodoc offers a full API and the company's Ryan Damico says it is more focused on attracting developers, whereas Scribd is aimed at publishers. Even so, Crocodoc is an excellent option for users who want to share and embed documents on the Web.

Continue reading Crocodoc launches plug-in free, embeddable document viewer

Crocodoc launches plug-in free, embeddable document viewer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/18/crocodoc-launches-plug-in-free-embeddable-document-viewer/

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Motorola Extended Battery for Droid X Review

If you have a Motorola Droid X Android Smartphone, you probably love almost everything about it. I say�almost because there is one thing that keeps my�relationship with�this phone from going to the next level. And that one thing is battery life. To say that the battery life of my Droid X is short�would be an [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/23/motorola-extended-battery-for-droid-x-review/

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LetsTalk goes out in a blaze of glory, sells Atrix 4G and Laptop Dock bundle for $250 as AT&T partnership ends

We can totally picture how this went down: AT&T appears to have made it not worth LetsTalk's time (or Wirefly's time) to sell its phones anymore, which means they're parting ways staring next month. LetsTalk -- wishing to end its AT&T relationship in the most spectacular fashion imaginable -- has elected to sell the Motorola Atrix 4G / Laptop Dock bundle for $250 on contract after rebates, essentially half of what you'll pay through AT&T directly (LetsTalk runs Walmart's wireless store portal, which we've linked). The fire sale might not fix some of the dock's flaws... but it certainly makes them a little less painful.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

LetsTalk goes out in a blaze of glory, sells Atrix 4G and Laptop Dock bundle for $250 as AT&T partnership ends originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/25/letstalk-goes-out-in-a-blaze-of-glory-sells-atrix-4g-and-laptop/

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AOC Aire Black LED-backlit monitors, more of the same, now in black

If this super slim monitor looks familiar, it's for a good reason -- AOC's new Aire Black LED monitors are nearly identical to their white counterparts, save a couple exceptions. As the name suggests, the new monitors are an all black affair, and come in 20-, 22-, and 23-inch iterations. The slender screens also come equipped with a new software feature called Screen+ that allows users to divide the display into four separate work spaces. Other than that, not much is new here -- like the rest of the Aire series, the Aire Black features a 12.7-millimeter-thick screen, with a 16:9 aspect ratio, 50,000,000:1 dynamic contrast, DVI-HDPC input, and five millisecond response time. If you like your monitors skinny, you can get your hands on the ebony displays now for $129 (20 inch), $149 (22 inch), or $179 (23 inch). Full PR after the jump.

Continue reading AOC Aire Black LED-backlit monitors, more of the same, now in black

AOC Aire Black LED-backlit monitors, more of the same, now in black originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/26/aoc-aire-black-led-backlit-monitors-more-of-the-same-now-in-bl/

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Samson Zoom H1 Handy Recorder Review

Recording microphones are common place these days.� They are on our phones, iPods, mp3 players and even on pens.� But usually these microphones don?t result in the best audio quality from their built-in�mono microphone.� That?s where Samson?s Zoom H1 Handy Recorder comes in. The package includes the Zoom H1 Handy Recorder with a preloaded 2GB [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/25/samson-zoom-h1-handy-recorder-review/

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Deal of the Day ? HP TouchSmart tm2t 12? Core i5 ULV Tablet with Multi-touch

Today?s LogicBUY deal saves you up to $300 on the HP Touchsmart tm2t 12? laptop that converts to a multi-touch tablet. This convertible laptop/tablet has the low-voltage Intel Core i5-470UM cpu, 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450 switchable graphics, and a zero-force touch display that can rotate 180 degrees and fold flat into a tablet. [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/25/deal-of-the-day-%e2%80%93-hp-touchsmart-tm2t-12%e2%80%9d-core-i5-ulv-tablet-with-multi-touch/

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Verizon CEO claims Apple LTE products are coming, doesn't specify when

Dan Mead, Lowell McAdam's successor at the helm of Verizon Wireless, has told the Wall Street Journal that we'll "see more coming from Apple on LTE. They understand the value proposition of LTE and I feel very confident that they are going to be a part of it." No further details were forthcoming from the chief exec, such as timing and the particular shape of Apple's participation in Verizon's LTE plans, but at least we now have an indication that Cupertino is actively working toward 4G connectivity. Mead's comments came as part of an interview discussing the iPhone 4's launch on his network, which has already seen the device bust through Verizon's opening sales record. Notably, at the actual launch of that phone, Tim Cook said an LTE version of the iPhone would have required too many compromises, so we suspect those compromises are exactly what Apple's working on right now.

Verizon CEO claims Apple LTE products are coming, doesn't specify when originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/25/verizon-ceo-claims-apple-lte-products-are-coming-doesnt-specif/

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Friday, February 25, 2011

Katy Perry - Thinking Of You (Extended Version)

Thinking Of You (Extended Version)

Source: http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=3274550&vid=363915

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CorelDRAW video tutorial: Add detail to any image using the Mesh Fill tool

coreldraw
This is the third of four weekly CorelDRAW demos/tutorials. The previous two were about making a Polaroid-like image and vectorizing a simple logo.

This week's video is more of a simple demo than a tutorial: One of CorelDRAW's coolest features is the Mesh Fill. Those of you familiar with Adobe Illustrator will recognize the tool instantly: It allows you to add a great level of detail to otherwise simple vector objects. You can take a simple oval and make it into a photorealistic water droplet using nothing but the Mesh Fill tool.

This tool requires a great deal of practice to master - it's not a simple technique. Rather than attempt a complete drawing, I elected to simply show what it can do. If you've never used a vector drawing application before, this video will give you a good idea of what can be done using the Mesh Fill tool. Take the jump to watch the video.

Continue reading CorelDRAW video tutorial: Add detail to any image using the Mesh Fill tool

CorelDRAW video tutorial: Add detail to any image using the Mesh Fill tool originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/31/coreldraw-video-tutorial-add-detail-to-any-image-using-the-mesh-fill-tool/

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Internet Explorer 9 pinned sites: how they work, and the best examples on the Web

If, by some weird quirk of fate, you missed the big news yesterday: Internet Explorer 9 RC is now available to download. If you've read our complete guide you'll know about one of IE9's neatest features: pinned websites.

In essence, it takes the Firefox and Chrome idea of pinned app tabs and goes a few steps further by actually integrating with the operating system. To pin a site, simply visit it in IE9, then drag the tab down to the Windows taskbar. Your tab will quickly close and re-open in a new (color-coded!) window.

Pinned sites can do three very awesome things: they can provide notifications, such as new messages; you can right click the pinned icon to access a jump list to various parts of the site (see right); and finally, pinned sites can even have thumbnail toolbars -- you can control a media player, from a pinned site!

The thing is, though, a website has to be explicitly coded to provide these features -- and while Microsoft has done a good job of getting major Web service providers to add the IE9-specific meta tags, it will be some months before every site has IE9's special pinned site magic.

After the break, we have a comprehensive list of the best examples of IE9 pinned sites from across the Web. Make sure you've downloaded and installed IE9 before you continue, too.

Continue reading Internet Explorer 9 pinned sites: how they work, and the best examples on the Web

Internet Explorer 9 pinned sites: how they work, and the best examples on the Web originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/11/internet-explorer-9-pinned-sites-how-they-work-and-the-best-ex/

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Samsung Video Editor now available for some Android 2.2 phones

Samsung, rather stealthily, has released a Video Editor for its Galaxy S and Vibrant Android 2.2 phones. The APK is available for those of us with different phones, but early reports suggest that it only works on Samsung's flagship phones for now. Keep an eye on the xda-developers thread, though: they will probably work out how to get it running on other phones soon.

Functionality-wise, Samsung Video Editor looks fantastic. You can trim video clips and join them together. There are various special effects that can be applied, and you can change sound tracks. There's even a variety of export options!

And yes, in case you're wondering, editing video on your phone will suck your battery dry.

Samsung Video Editor now available for some Android 2.2 phones originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/21/samsung-video-editor-now-available-for-some-android-2-2-phones/

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Verizon's dropped 911 calls leave one woman trapped in burning house (video)

Verizon's dropped 911 calls leave one woman trapped in burning house
We're just hearing of a story that makes that 10,000 or so emergency calls that didn't go through over Verizon's network on January 26 look a little more serious. A house in Silver Spring, Maryland caught fire that evening during the snowstorm that knocked out power and landlines. A neighbor, noticing the house was ablaze, tried calling 911 on his cellphone but couldn't get through. Thankfully he was able to save the 94 year old woman who was trapped inside, but it would be about 30 minutes of repeated dialing before finally being connected to emergency services. Thank goodness for heroes, but maybe Verizon Guy has some work to do himself.

Continue reading Verizon's dropped 911 calls leave one woman trapped in burning house (video)

Verizon's dropped 911 calls leave one woman trapped in burning house (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/25/verizons-dropped-911-calls-leave-one-woman-trapped-in-burning-h/

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Five privacy protection Firefox add-ons for Data Privacy Day

dataprivacyday
Happy Data Privacy Day! While Lee already published one roundup showing a multitude of various tools, this post is all about Firefox!

If you're reading Download Squad, you already know all of these classics. Kudos to you! Now go ahead and let your less computer-savvy coworkers or family members read this list, and make sure they install at least one of these if they use Firefox at all.

  • HTTPS Everywhere is an add-on by the beardies over at the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation). It forces Firefox to communicate using HTTPS (secure HTTP) with a number of major websites, such as Google, Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, PayPal and others.
  • Ghostery focuses on those corporations and institutions bent on tracking your movements around the Web (or on their own websites). It detects when you're being tracked by Google Analytics, Facebook and over 400 other ad networks, and provides an easy way to block those tracking mechanisms while leaving all other JavaScript functionality intact.
  • Web of Trust provides a clear "traffic light" indication showing which sites you can trust with your credit card details, and which sites you should be leery of. The ratings are user-generated, and you don't have to access the actual website in question to view them - they show up right on the search results page when you use Google, Yahoo!, Bing and even Wikipedia.
  • NoScript is somewhat similar to Ghostery mentioned above, in that it also blocks JavaScript. But it's a more extreme solution: Rather than just block trackers, it implements a "white list", blocking all JavaScript except for scripts running on domains you trust. One of its many advantages is that it protects against cross-site scripting attacks.
  • BetterPrivacy protects you against a different kind of cookie - one that you can't flush just by clearing your browser history. These cookies are called Local Storage Objects, or Flash cookies, and are put on your computer using the Flash plug-in. BetterPrivacy scrubs these cookies off your system every time your exit your browser.
Did I miss any of the must-have privacy add-ons for Firefox? Share your recommendations in the comments!

[Image credit: dcJohn]

Five privacy protection Firefox add-ons for Data Privacy Day originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/28/five-privacy-protection-firefox-add-ons-for-data-privacy-day/

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'American Idol' Unveils Season 10 Top 24

The show moves on, sending some early favorites packing.
By James Montgomery


Steven Tyler, Jenniger Lopez and Randy Jackson on "American Idol"
Photo: Michael Becker / FOX

After Wednesday night's drama-filled cliffhanger -- in which we saw three cities, a whole lot of shocking eliminations, the partial reveal of this season's top 24 and one truly epic meltdown by judge Jennifer Lopez -- "American Idol" cut down on the theatrics Thursday night (February 24) and got down to the business of unveiling the remaining finalists.

That's not to say there still weren't tears (there were, mostly from Lopez), but most of the names the "Idol" judges chose for the top 24 were drama-free: front-runners like Julie Zorilla, Lauren Alaina, Jordan Dorsey, Pia Toscano and Jacob Lusk all breezed through, though Lusk earned the highest praise, as Randy Jackson told him his performance of "God Bless the Child" was "the single best performance on 'Idol,' ever." And even some of the tight decisions weren't really all that suspenseful. Karen Rodriguez, Robbie Rosen, country crooner Scotty McCreery and Casey Abrams all earned spots in the top 24, even if they had to sit through a few minutes of psych-out tactics by the judges.

Kendra Chantell, Lauren Turner, a tearful Tatynisa Wilson, Jovany Barreto, Tim Halperin and Stefano Langone also moved on to the "Idol" semifinals. In fact, there were really only two shock inclusions in the top 24: quirky opera singer Rachel Zevita (who swayed the judges with her final performance, a searing take on Lady Gaga's "Speechless") and rocker James Durbin, who wailed through the Sam Cooke classic "A Change Is Gonna Come."

There were, however, more than a few shocking exclusions. Not really the likes of John Wayne Schulz or Jackie Wilson (who took umbrage with the judges' decision, asking them bluntly, "Really? Why?"), but in the final cuts, which saw the show bid adieu to some favorites.

Seven-time "Idol" auditioner Jessica Cunningham and 15-year-old prodigy Thia Megia were the last two female singers left standing, but only one of them would move on to the top 24. In the end, the judges took Megia, sending Cunningham packing once again, on her birthday no less (she thanked them with a pair of middle fingers).

And that left three guys competing for the final spot in the top 24: teen favorite Jacee Badeaux, wiry-haired Brett Loewenstern and dour rocker Colton Dixon. All three held hands as they walked toward their final judgment, and, after some serious moments of tension, Loewenstern's name was called, leaving Badeaux and Dixon on the outside looking in.

All in all, 19 singers were selected Thursday night, joining Naima Adedapo, Haley Reinhard, Paul McDonald, Clint Jun Gamboa and Ashthon Jones in the top 24. And the competition goes live next week, with the guys kicking things off Tuesday.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

Related Photos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1658696/american-idol-season-10-top-24.jhtml

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'American Idol' Unveils Season 10 Top 24

The show moves on, sending some early favorites packing.
By James Montgomery


Steven Tyler, Jenniger Lopez and Randy Jackson on "American Idol"
Photo: Michael Becker / FOX

After Wednesday night's drama-filled cliffhanger -- in which we saw three cities, a whole lot of shocking eliminations, the partial reveal of this season's top 24 and one truly epic meltdown by judge Jennifer Lopez -- "American Idol" cut down on the theatrics Thursday night (February 24) and got down to the business of unveiling the remaining finalists.

That's not to say there still weren't tears (there were, mostly from Lopez), but most of the names the "Idol" judges chose for the top 24 were drama-free: front-runners like Julie Zorilla, Lauren Alaina, Jordan Dorsey, Pia Toscano and Jacob Lusk all breezed through, though Lusk earned the highest praise, as Randy Jackson told him his performance of "God Bless the Child" was "the single best performance on 'Idol,' ever." And even some of the tight decisions weren't really all that suspenseful. Karen Rodriguez, Robbie Rosen, country crooner Scotty McCreery and Casey Abrams all earned spots in the top 24, even if they had to sit through a few minutes of psych-out tactics by the judges.

Kendra Chantell, Lauren Turner, a tearful Tatynisa Wilson, Jovany Barreto, Tim Halperin and Stefano Langone also moved on to the "Idol" semifinals. In fact, there were really only two shock inclusions in the top 24: quirky opera singer Rachel Zevita (who swayed the judges with her final performance, a searing take on Lady Gaga's "Speechless") and rocker James Durbin, who wailed through the Sam Cooke classic "A Change Is Gonna Come."

There were, however, more than a few shocking exclusions. Not really the likes of John Wayne Schulz or Jackie Wilson (who took umbrage with the judges' decision, asking them bluntly, "Really? Why?"), but in the final cuts, which saw the show bid adieu to some favorites.

Seven-time "Idol" auditioner Jessica Cunningham and 15-year-old prodigy Thia Megia were the last two female singers left standing, but only one of them would move on to the top 24. In the end, the judges took Megia, sending Cunningham packing once again, on her birthday no less (she thanked them with a pair of middle fingers).

And that left three guys competing for the final spot in the top 24: teen favorite Jacee Badeaux, wiry-haired Brett Loewenstern and dour rocker Colton Dixon. All three held hands as they walked toward their final judgment, and, after some serious moments of tension, Loewenstern's name was called, leaving Badeaux and Dixon on the outside looking in.

All in all, 19 singers were selected Thursday night, joining Naima Adedapo, Haley Reinhard, Paul McDonald, Clint Jun Gamboa and Ashthon Jones in the top 24. And the competition goes live next week, with the guys kicking things off Tuesday.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

Related Photos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1658696/american-idol-season-10-top-24.jhtml

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Lady Gaga Trivia: Are You An Expert, Little Monster?

MTV News quizzes Monster Ball Tour fans. How much do you know?
By MTV News staff


Lady Gaga performs at Madison Square Garden on February 21, 2011
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Lady Gaga's Little Monsters are certainly loyal to their Mother Monster, arriving to her shows in creative Gaga garb, singing along to every word and even crediting the pop sensation for helping them become comfortable with who they are, thanks to her feel-good messages. When MTV News caught up with some of Gaga's biggest fans at stops on the latest leg of her Monster Ball Tour, we quizzed them to find out just how much they know about the New York native.

Question: Which "True Blood" star appeared in Gaga's "Paparazzi" music video?
Answer: Alexander Skarsgard
Fans who got it right: 3 out of 5

Question: What was the first song Lady Gaga performed during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards?
Answer: "Poker Face"
Fans who got it right: 1 out of 9

Question: Is Lady Gaga left- or right-handed?
Answer: Left
Fans who got it right: 5 out of 10

Question: On which two MTV shows did Gaga appear (as Stefani Germanotta or Lady Gaga) before her big break?
Answer: "Boiling Points" and "The Hills"
Fans who got it right: 3 out of 7

Question: Which pop singer recorded a demo for "Telephone" but didn't end up using it?
Answer: Britney Spears
Fans who got it right: 2 out of 6

Question: Name all of the people Gaga mentions in her song "Dance in the Dark."
Answer: Judy Garland, Liberace, Jesus, Stanley Kubrick, Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, JonBenét Ramsey, Sylvia Plath
Fans who got it right: 6 out of 6

How did you do? Share your results below!

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1658575/lady-gaga-monster-ball.jhtml

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Ask DLS: What's your primary Web browser?

Competition is a good thing, and the browser arena has been a fierce arena for years now. There are at least four "major" browsers each vying for your attention, along with lots of smaller spin-offs (SRWare Iron or Flock, anyone?).

While the browser usage charts we share from time to time show overall browser usage amongst the Web at large, Download Squad readers are not exactly the average bunch in terms of browser use. So today we have one simple question for you:

What's your primary Web browser?

View Poll

Ask DLS: What's your primary Web browser? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/16/ask-dls-whats-your-primary-browser/

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Firefox Friday: moving that orange button, beta 11, Firefox 7 (!) and Home Dash updates

It's a rare occurrence indeed when the Google Chrome news is crowded out by Firefox and Internet Explorer headlines -- but given Microsoft's massive investment in Internet Explorer 9, and Mozilla's excellent Firefox 4, perhaps it's not such a big surprise. Chrome isn't the fresh young upstart any more, and with now only a handful of unique features, Google will have to fight a lot harder to feed its hype machine in 2011.

The big news this week, then, was the apparent announcement of Firefox 4, 5, 6 and 7 before the end of 2011. I say apparent because the roadmap that we posted actually had 'Draft' written in nice big, bold letters across the top. It's amazing how the entire tech blogosphere missed it -- including us! -- but there you go.

Don't be too disheartened, though: it's all but confirmed that Firefox will be moving to a faster 3- or 4- month release cycle, but once you factor in a transitional period, it would be very hard to squeeze in Firefox 7 before the end of the year. We should at least see Firefox 6, however!

Now, about that hideous orange button...

Continue reading Firefox Friday: moving that orange button, beta 11, Firefox 7 (!) and Home Dash updates

Firefox Friday: moving that orange button, beta 11, Firefox 7 (!) and Home Dash updates originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/11/firefox-round-up-moving-that-orange-button-beta-11-firefox-7/

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ThinkGeek JOYSTICK-IT iPad Arcade Stick Review

Got an iPad? Like games and wish you could use a real joystick to play games instead of a virtual touch screen controller? I have a potential solution for you. It’s the JOYSTICK-IT from ThinkGeek. It’s a small stick on joystick that has been designed to work with any device that features a capacitive touchscreen. [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/20/thinkgeek-joystick-it-ipad-arcade-stick-review/

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iPad 2 News ? Apple Calls On More Suppliers

Last April when Apple released the original iPad to the market you had to wait in line in some cases to get your hands on the exciting new tablet device. Many orders were put on hold and some countries even had to wait for the iPad to become available. This April, when the dazzling new [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/R5QVmSMfy14/

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Store Your Data in Retro Style

An Etsy store called 8BitMemory converts old NES games into external hard drives.� They use Toshiba 2.5″ drives for the conversion.� You can get a 500GB for $129.99, 750GB for $149.99, or a 1TB drive for $179.99.� These drives are fully USB-powered.� A Star Wars game is shown here, but many others are available.� You [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/23/store-your-data-in-retro-style/

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Tech Lock Down (TLD) Accessory For iPad

Well here’s a simple, yet interesting and useful iPad accessory. Introducing the Tech Lock Down for iPad, aka TLD. Some of the most simple inventions can be the best ones. This accessory can come in handy for several different businesses. For example the Tech Lock Down would work well in hospitals, banks, hotels and doctor’s [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ipadbuzzblog/~3/h1MinML3nLw/

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Cocoon Kips Bay CPS365 13? MacBook/Pro Case Review

As I have mentioned before, I made the switch to Apple computers just before Christmas. I went to a 13? MacBook Pro, so the bag I had used for my 17? Dell was just too big. My previous bags have been big cases sized for work ? room for lots of papers and files and [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/21/cocoon-kips-bay-cps365-13%e2%80%9d-macbookpro-case-review/

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