Filed under: Social Software, Microblogging

The folks over at Delicious have been fairly active recently. A month ago they added filtering and browsing features, and yesterday they released a couple of new changes. Well, one is not that new actually -- more of a comeback, but it's still cool (or hot, as the case may be).

The Hotlist has been lurking under a more confusing name for some time, and now it's back to being a "hotlist". It shows users what's going on right now, and which pages are getting bookmarked the most right this minute.

The People feature is actually new. Not much to say about it, but that it lets you "send" links to people via Delicious. I would've told you more about it, but to use it you actually need...friends.

One thing Lee here helped me figure out is that when you click a count next to a link ("how many people bookmarked") you get a list of all the people who bookmarked it, and then you can add them to your network and at least pretend they're your friends (or stalk them) and see what they're bookmarking. Neat!

Delicious brings back the Hotlist, adds "People" feature originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Delicious - Download Squad - Hotlist - Social Software - Social Networking

Filed under: Windows, Browsers

Now that the final version has been released and the public is happily playing with the new features and increased speed of Opera 10.50, it's time to update that portable version on your USB flash drive.

Fortunately, Opera@USB has just released an update. Both a standalone portable version of Opera 10.50 and an upgrader for users of Opera@USB's previous 10.X versions are available.

Teamed up with Opera's built in Link feature and the slick per-tab private browsing, this is a great way to make use of the zippy new browser when you're on-the-go. It's also a great way to check out the new browser if you're averse to installing things. When you're done playing around, just delete the folder it creates -- no annoying registry or file leftovers!

Portable Opera@USB updates, brings 10.50's speed to your flash drive originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opera - Web browser - Download Squad - Opera 10.50 - Microsoft Windows

Filed under: Business, Internet, Search

So Yahoo signed a deal with Twitter to provide real-time search functionality. Which is actually interesting, because Yahoo already has a deal with Microsoft to use Bing as a search provider, and Bing already has a deal with Twitter for real-time search.

So this begs the question: Why? It seems like Yahoo basically gained nothing but PR from this deal. The only possible reason I can think of is that the search volume is so great, that Twitter limits the number of API queries and so Yahoo need a separate agreement. But that's almost as dumb as the PR reason.

The Telegraph article says:

"... what is different to the Google and Microsoft deals with the microblogging service, is that Yahoo! has effectively made itself a Twitter client, as Yahoo! users will be able to tweet from multiple locations across Yahoo!'s products. It is unknown how this will be carried out at this stage. There is a possibility it could happen via widgets."

Personally, it sounds kind of far-fetched to me. I mean, sure, it could happen -- but why sign so early if that's what you're trying to do? It sounds mainly like a PR move meant to keep up with the other search engines.

Yahoo! signs Twitter real-time search deal, but why? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twitter - Microsoft - Yahoo - Google - search

Filed under: Fun, Photo, Windows

The official Windows 7 personalization gallery already has some pretty nice themes available. Whether you're into hot cars, animals, or abstractness, there's something for (almost) everyone.

Just added is a gorgeous new seasonal theme called Czech Spring which includes eight high-res springtime wallpapers. Flowers, a babbling brook, a pastoral landscape -- you can almost smell the nature-y goodness!

I've got several weeks to go before I'm seeing grass or flowers here in The Pas, so I may just leave this one installed on my desktop until something equivalent is available through my office window.

[via Into Windows]

Windows 7 Spring theme adds fresh, seasonal eye candy to your desktop originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows 7 - Microsoft Windows - Windows - Desktop Customization - Wallpaper

Filed under: Fun, Games, Kids, Time-Wasters, Web

I love the genre of physics-based puzzle games, but in particular I love the clever ones that really stand out.

Home Sheep Home is one of those standouts. In Home Sheep home, your goal is to get your three sheep, Shirley, Shaun, and Timmy, back to their barn. To do so, you must navigate them through 15 increasingly challenging levels.

You can only control one of your sheep at a time, and each is unique: Shirley is the biggest and slowest, and can't jump too high, but is heavy and strong. Shaun (hat tip to Aardman) is the middle one; he can leap high into the air, and is very fast. Timmy is the tiny one who can fit through tight spaces, but isn't particularly heavy or strong.

I liked this game so much that I was disappointed that there are only 15 levels. The game concept and execution could easily have supported double that.

You'll probably be able to complete Home Sheep Home in about 20 minutes, and I bet like me you'll be wishing there was more.

Home Sheep Home - a sheep-based physics puzzle Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Download Squad - Puzzle video game - Sheep Home - Physics - Aardman Animation

Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, Browsers

Hot on the heels of news that Flash is the most insecure and unstable element of the modern web browsing experience, the just-released Firefox 3.7 alpha 2 now loads plugins -- like Shockwave Flash -- into separate processes! Security and stability nerds rejoice!

It's not quite per-tab processes, nor have Firefox add-ons been shifted into their own processes, but... so what?! This is still a major advance and a great sign of what Mozilla has up its sleeve.

We shouldn't forget that this is actually a developer preview of Gecko 1.9.3, the rendering engine that'll be used in Firefox 3.7. This build not only included out-of-process plugins though: JavaScript and HTML5 performance has also been boosted. Some features aimed specifically at developers have also been pushed in, such as WebGL!

[FF 3.7a2: Windows download link / Mac download link]

Mozilla crash proofs latest Firefox 3.7 alpha with out-of-process plugins originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mozilla - Mozilla Firefox - WebGL - Gecko - Download Squad

Filed under: Internet, Security

Yes, details so super-secret that the White House has decided to declassify and disclose them!

The WSJ is reporting on the White House's new Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI), a program intended to shore up the U.S. Internet defenses. The main reason for declassification seems to be due to privacy concerns -- and as always with improved security, you're going to lose a little privacy. In this case, it's communication snooping (but that's nothing new)

The Initiative, codenamed Einstein, details a lot of changes and improvements, with stringent and omnipresent wire taps being just part of the program; scanning your emails is just one of the many new incoming changes. First up is the creation of a secure federal network with Trusted Internet Connections, and then they want to install intrusion detection sensors to make sure they catch breaches early.

Beyond the creation of a secure network, there will be better interoperation between government, public, and private sectors -- a lot of critical infrastructure isn't directly managed by the government, and they obviously think some things can be tidied up. It seems like the current American counter-intelligence system is split -- as part of the CNCI, they're going to try and bring all of the departments and agencies together.

Expanding cyber education efforts is also on the list. Education in new endeavors and fields of knowledge is, in my opinion, one of the most vital things a modern government must invest in.

Hopefully this isn't all too little too late. It's actually a little sad to be told, in plain English, just how loose and dilapidated the current American defences are.

Details of American super-secret cyber warfare defences known as 'Einstein' originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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United States - White House - Download Squad - Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative - Privacy

Filed under: Symbian, VoIP

While the Skype experience on Windows Mobile handsets was determined to be "unsatisfactory," phones running Nokia's SymbianOS (more than 200 million worldwide) now have access to the immensely popular VOIP app.

In an official blog posting, Skype's Peter Parks reports that the app is now available for download in Nokia's Ovi store and directly from Skype via this link. The app supports voice calling and SMS via wifi and 3G connections. Video calls aren't supported, however (not a big shocker).

You can also IM and share pictures and videos with your Skype contacts, and the app even supports importing contacts you have stored in your phone.

As the blog post points out, it's a great way to avoid roaming charges while you're on the road.

Only Nokia phones are officially supported at this point, but Skype says they'll be adding other brands -- like Sony Ericsson -- soon.

[via JKOntheRun]

After dissing WinMo, Skype snuggles up to Symbian originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skype - Nokia - Sony Ericsson - Symbian OS - Ovi

Filed under: Google, Browsers

Android-inspired theme for Google Chrome is pure robo-fun! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Chrome - Google - Download Squad - Web browser - Mozilla Firefox

Filed under: Photo, Utilities, web 2.0

Fortunately enough for our sensitivities the ooooh-it's-so-pretty-especially-the-reflections-but-what-does-it-do??? Web 2.0 craze has petered out. Only a couple of years ago you could hardly move for rounded corners and the godforsaken 'pop up dialog boxes'. Today, probably thanks to Google, sweet and simple websites are making a resurgence. But not over at Picmeleo, I'm afraid -- they're still into rounded corners, pop up boxes, reflections, drop shadows and the feedback tab on the left.

Picmeleo, if you're wondering, is an online photo editor. It's actually pretty good -- not world-changing, nor any better functionally than Picnik -- but it is embeddable. The Picmeleo site isn't actually for editing photos: it's for signing up. You then embed the editor on your own website, blog, or whatever -- and it works! It works well.

Some gripes about the editor though: no mouse scroll (I love mouse scroll in Google/Bing Maps!), no double click zoom (though page up/down and the arrows work OK), you can't drag the menus around, and most importantly, it's Flash -- Flash, in a rounded-corner pop-up box. Sorry... I just can't get over it.

Give it a go though -- the embeddability might be just what you're looking for.

Picmeleo: a very pretty, but not functionally fantastic, embeddable Web 2.0 photo editor originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google - Picnik - Graphics - Editing - Web 2.0