Filed under: Fun, Mozilla, Browsers

When Google's Chrome browser first came out, the first thing everyone commented on was its minimal blue look. Sure, it's got Webkit under the hood, and it was put out by one of the hugest players in the web game, but ... it's blue! If you'd rather have a Gecko-based browser with tons of add-ons, you're probably sticking with Firefox. This doesn't mean you have to compromise: there's a Chrome skin for Firefox that keeps getting better with each update.

It's called Chromifox, and it's available as an experimental add-on. All "experimental" means is that you have to log into the Firefox add-ons site to download the theme, and you install it at your own risk. I've been testing it for about a week now, and I haven't hit any problems. The only thing Chrome can do, UI-wise, that Chromifox can't, is that cute little effect with the transparency and the tabs on top of the window. Unfortunately, your tabs are stuck in the default position in Firefox.

How to Chrome out your Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: OS Updates, Linux

Now that Ubuntu 8.10 is available (as well as its official cousins, Kubuntu 8.10 and Xubuntu 8.10), all of the unofficial community-run projects based on Ubuntu are updating their code. And that includes Mythbuntu, an operating system designed to turn your PC into a media center by fusing the open source MythTV software with Ubuntu.

Mythbuntu 8.10 incorporates many of the updates that you'll find in a stock version of Ubuntu. It uses the Xfce 4 desktop environment, but if you use your Mythbuntu system primarily as an operating system you'll rarely see the desktop.

One of the coolest features in Mythbuntu 8.10 is support for Wubi. What Wubi does is let you install Mythbuntu (or Ubuntu) from within Windows as if it were just another Windows program. Once installed, you can reboot your system and just select the Mythbuntu option at boot. This makes it easy for anyone who's ever wanted to try Mythbuntu or MythTV to take it for a spin without repartitioning your hard drive. If you don't like it, you can just uninstall Mythbuntu from the Windows add/remove programs utility.

[via eHomeUpgrade]

Install Mythbuntu 8.10 from Windows with Wubi originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Internet, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, E-mail, Web services, VoIP, Social Software, Beta, web 2.0

VoxOx is one of those applications that does so many things that the easiest way to describe it is by listing some of the tools it can replace: AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, Jabber, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, whatever email and social networking notifiers you use. In other words, it's like Digsby. But with support for video chat and VoIP calls to telephones. Oh yeah, and VoxOx automatically assigns all new users a phone number which people can dial to reach you on your computer.

VoxOx is currently in beta, with clients available for Windows and OS X. Linux and mobile clients are coming soon. And right now some of the services listed in VoxOx are unavailable. For examle, you can link the client to your Yahoo! Mail account to receive a pop up message every time you get a new email. But when you click the button to do the same thing with Gmail, nothing happens.

One of the most interesting things about VoxOx is the company's business model. You can do text chats with anyone for free. You can make free voice or video calls to anyone using VoxOx. And when you sign up you get 120 minutes of free calls to telephones. You can purchase credit for additional calls, or pay a monthly fee fro unlimited access. But every time you refer a friend to the service you get another 2 hours. And VoxOx will also soon add the ability for users to gain points by watching video ads.

If you're one of the first 500 Download Squad to register using our signup page, you'll get 1200 VoxOx Points which are good for 1200 domestic phone calls minutes of domestic US phone calls. Keep reading to find out how to get your bonus minutes.

Continue reading VoxOx brings chat, social networking, phone calls together

VoxOx brings chat, social networking, phone calls together originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Beta

It obviously hasn't been a priority for Microsoft in the past, but it looks like another one of Windows' minor shortcomings has finally been addressed.

Yes, at long last your Microsoft OS will know what to do with an ISO file. While I'm sure none of us are going to forsake our favorite burning applications when and if we do switch to Windows 7, it's nice to see simple, useful features like this being implemented.

The process is so simple, even novice users will be able to burn an image with no trouble. Double-click an ISO, and Windows 7 opens a minimalistic dialog: choose a burner, select whether or not to verify your burn, and burn/cancel.

It works nicely, and it's definitely the kind of simple, functional addition that is making my test drive of Windows 7 an enjoyable one. Look for more Windows 7 updates as we get more time to play work with it!

That took long enough: Windows 7 can burn ISO files originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

There's been a lot of talk over the last few days about new features that will be included in Windows 7. There will be a new taskbar, improved window behavior, and less annoying User Account Control prompts. But there are a few things that won't be included in Windows 7 that had been part of past versions of the operating system.

Microsoft will stop bundling Windows Movie Maker, Windows Mail, and Windows Photo Gallery with the operating system. Those applications will still be available as free downloads, but you won't have them out of the box. Instead they'll be part of the new Windows Live suite of desktop applications which we first looked at in October.

To be honest, it would probably make more sense to keep bundling these applications with Windows. After all, when you install OS X, or most Linux distributions you get a mail application and some sort of photo management software. But Apple and Linux distributors haven't faced the same kind of anti-trust pressures that Microsoft has in the past. While Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player will still be bundled with Windows 7, it's likely that the company is avoiding a whole batch of lawsuits by offering free downloads of other software.

via ZDNet

What's not in Windows 7? Windows Movie Maker, Windows Mail, etc originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Fun, Photo, Macintosh

Polaroid photos are a lot of fun, and they're a big part of the history of photography. When Polaroid film was discontinued, I thought I would never have as much making photos again. Maybe I won't, but Poladroid lets me get close. Drag and drop a photo, and Poladroid will spit out a Polaroid, complete with sound-effects and the experience of watching the image slowly develop.

Poladroid preferences include adding stripes to the image or the frame and changing the amount of rotation on the pics Poladroid creates. You can save Poladroid images either right-side-up or rotated. The only request I have to make Poladroid better is a plugin for Photo Booth, to let you shoot Polaroids with a webcam. Although this app is only available for Mac right now, a PC version is supposed to be coming in November.

Missing Polaroid pictures? Poladroid is the next-best thing. originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Productivity, Web services, Social Software, Web

If you've ever been in the situation of trying to make plans with a group of people who are all communicating via different methods (SMS, IM, email), then you know how much of a pain it is to keep track of what everyone is doing. Notifu tries to make it easier, with a web app that can send messages to your friends via email, IM or text message, and let you know when they've received them.

On Notifu, you can set up a contact list, complete with groups. You can also set up polls, so your friends can text back a single number to indicate what they prefer to do, and Notifu will count them up for you. Notifu's developers are also very savvy about web platforms, with an iPhone web app available and an OpenSocial app in the works.

Notifu: group messaging to help you make plans originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Windows, Microsoft, Beta

Certified reverse engineer and rather impressive hacker (in the good sort of way) Rafael Rivera, of Uxtheme patching fame, announced on TWiT that he discovered our sneaky friends over in Redmond actually did enable that cool new "superbar" version of the taskbar in the version of Windows 7 that was handed out to guests at PDC (you know, that one that Lee showed off). The superbar was demoed during the various Windows 7 presentations, but the general consensus was that the feature hadn't been completed by the time the PDC handout build was prepared.

However, Rafael simply couldn't take no for an answer, and dug down into the innards of the pre-release version of Windows 7 to find that some rather sneaky developers at Microsoft simply rigged it to only appear for certain users with computers on Microsoft domains. Upon flipping a bit, he discovered that the superbar (albeit a slightly lesser version than demoed) could be enabled on the pre-beta build. He posted a very simple walkthrough guide and helper application for those of you that are graced with the PDC build of Windows 7, but still longing the shiny bits shown off by Steven Sinofsky at the Windows 7 keynote.

"Superbar" unlocked in PDC build of Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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