Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[PodShifter speeds up spoken-word podcasts]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/26/podshifter-speeds-up-spoken-word-podcasts/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/26/podshifter-speeds-up-spoken-word-podcasts/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/26/podshifter-speeds-up-spoken-word-podcasts/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

PodShifterI listen to a lot of podcasts, and my queue of things to listen seems to be growing constantly; I can never catch up. What's frustrating about this is that most people talk too slowly on podcasts. To be fair, they are speaking at a reasonable conversational pace, but when you are simply listening to a conversation rather than taking part in it, you can take it all in at a much faster pace.

While iPods have been able to speed up audio books for some time, the latest 3.0 iPhone / iPod Touch release has added the ability to speed up (and slow down) podcasts as well as audiobooks. That's the good news. The bad news is that whatever the algorithm is that is being used to speed up the audio ends up sounding quite rough.

For podcast listeners that are not using an iPhone or iPod Touch, there are not many options for speeding up podcasts, short of doing it yourself manually with a program like Audacity.

Luckily, there's a new site that is looking to take care of this problem for us. PodShifter is a site that will allow you to enter the RSS feed for a given podcast, and it will spit out a new feed URL that will deliver podcasts that are sped up to exactly the speed you prefer. You can choose from slowing down your feed to 0.6 times its original speed, all the way up to 3.0 times the original speed, in increments of 0.2. Based on the demo MP3s on PodShifter's homepage, the sped-up audio is quite smooth.

Unfortunately, in my testing PodShifter has generated new podcast RSS URLs, but when I put them into iTunes, the audio files that I get are exactly the same speed as the originals. I was surprised that they downloaded at all to begin with, so I'm hopeful that there is processing going on in the background and a new version of the podcast will arrive that actually is sped up.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that it is quite likely that some podcast publishers will not be thrilled about a republishing service such as this. Larger podcasts that rely on download statistics for determining advertising rates could potentially lose track of the subscribers that sit behind a republishing service like PodShifter. And unfortunately PodShifter's site is not particularly forthcoming with information, so it's hard to determine whether they offer publishers some manner of tracking statistics properly.

In any event, the service that PodShifter provides is a very useful one, and one I hope will succeed. Now excuse me while I go refresh my podcasts to see if any of my PodShifter subscriptions have delivered on its promise.

[via Lifehacker]

PodShifter speeds up spoken-word podcasts originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audio booksaudio-booksAudioBooksiphoneipodspodcastpodcastspodshifterspeedFri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Phone.io: free conference calls, voicemail and podcasting from Drop.io]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/01/phone-io-free-conference-calls-voicemail-and-podcasting-from-d/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/01/phone-io-free-conference-calls-voicemail-and-podcasting-from-d/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/01/phone-io-free-conference-calls-voicemail-and-podcasting-from-d/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Phony-o? It sounds like an April Fools' Day joke, but it's not. The drop.io team is actually releasing new services at an amazing rate, and the latest is a conference calling, voicemail recording, podcast ready app called Phone.io. It works like any other Drop.io drop, in that you can set it up in a couple of clicks by just naming it and giving it a password.

Your phone.io drop has phone numbers you can use for voicemails or conference calls, and you can save the records as mp3s. Where phone.io really gets cool is in the number of ways you can share your stuff in very few steps. You can embed your audio in other sites, download it, or push it out to RSS or iTunes. If you're into social networks, you can also share it via Facebook or Twitter, and of course, you can share the Drop.io drop itself. Phone.io scores points for both features and ease of use, and it's definitely worth a look if you need to deal with over-the-phone audio.

Phone.io: free conference calls, voicemail and podcasting from Drop.io originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audioconference-calldrop.iophonephone.iopodcastrecordingvoicemailWed, 01 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pantscast: a better breed of iPhone fart app]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/11/pantscast-a-better-breed-of-iphone-fart-app/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/11/pantscast-a-better-breed-of-iphone-fart-app/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/11/pantscast-a-better-breed-of-iphone-fart-app/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Much has been made of the amazing number of fart noise apps in the iTunes App Store. Sure, they can be amusing, but if you've heard one iPhone fart, you've heard them all. Or have you? Pantscast is a much more refined fart machine that injects flatulent sound effects into any podcast you choose, automatically timed for maximum hilarity.

Pantscast comes preloaded with some podcasts that could use a good farting-up, like NPR's Fresh Air (pun probably intended) and a Yoga Meditation podcast. It's a great sample of the humor Pantscast is capable of, but the best part is the ability to Pantscast any podcast by entering its URL. My only complaint is that, due to the lack of cut and paste, it's kind of tedious to manually put in longer addresses, and Pantscast can't access the podcasts on your iPhone or directly through the iTunes store. If these iPhone limitations can someday be overcome, we may truly achieve fart app enlightenment.

Pantscast: a better breed of iPhone fart app originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fartfunnyiphonepantscastpodcastWed, 11 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Playlist.io: store music in the cloud with Drop.io]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/10/playlist-io-store-music-in-the-cloud-with-drop-io/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/10/playlist-io-store-music-in-the-cloud-with-drop-io/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/10/playlist-io-store-music-in-the-cloud-with-drop-io/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Drop.io is known for having one of the best, most simple file storage interfaces out there. They've already expanded into file sending (usend.io) and tweeting (tweet.io), and music playlists are the next thing on the hit list. Enter playlist.io. It gives you 102mb of space to upload audio files into a playlist that you can play or redownload from anywhere.

Once your music is uploaded, you can customize the look of your playlist, or subscribe to it in RSS. Possibly the coolest feature is Dropcast, which lets you subscribe to your playlist as a podcast in iTunes. Forget turning Playlist.io into the next Megaupload or Rapidshare, though. It's not searchable, and they have a one-click takedown policy.

Playlist.io: store music in the cloud with Drop.io originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>clouddrop.iomusicplaylistplaylist.iostorageTue, 10 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[HuffDuffer: like the Tumblr of podcasting]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/28/huffduffer-like-the-tumblr-of-podcasting/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/28/huffduffer-like-the-tumblr-of-podcasting/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/28/huffduffer-like-the-tumblr-of-podcasting/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Making a podcast can be a pain in the butt. Most of them are distributed via RSS or Atom, to make it as easy as possible for listeners to get new episodes. What if you want to save a bunch of audio as a podcast, but lack the technical expertise or the patience to make an RSS feed for it? Or what if you know how, but you just don't want to bother? Well, that's why there's Huffduffer.

Huffduffer will stitch audio files into a podcast for you, and put them into an RSS feed automatically. You can add your own styff, or throw together some of the great "inspiration" that's already on Huffduffer. They've linked some of the best free content on the web, like TED talks and This American Life. To make things even easier, there's a browser bookmarklet you can save, to easily Huffduff any interesting audio you run across. I'm already thinking of Huffduffer as the Tumblr of podcasting: good concept, great ease of use, definitely worth checking out.

HuffDuffer: like the Tumblr of podcasting originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audioHuffdufferpodcastpodcastingTue, 28 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jason's Favorite Windows apps: FeedDemon]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/07/jasons-favorite-windows-apps-feeddemon/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/07/jasons-favorite-windows-apps-feeddemon/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/07/jasons-favorite-windows-apps-feeddemon/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

FeedDemonFeedDemon has been the best RSS news reading application on the Windows platform for a long time. The folks at NewsGator certainly thought so, and instead of building their own standalone news aggregator for Windows, they bought FeedDemon. The best news is that though FeedDemon was at one time a commercial product (and worth every penny), it's now available for free.

Even when it was a standalone application FeedDemon got news reading right. The user interface is easy to interact with, and the application is solid. But now that it is a client for NewsGator's web application, it has gained another whole level of usefulness. FeedDemon synchronizes with your NewsGator account giving you the ability to keep your feeds in sync between it, your NewsGator web account, and any other clients you choose to use from NewsGator, including ones for most mobile phones, and even Macs.

Jason's Favorite Windows apps: FeedDemon originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>FeedDemonNewsGatorRSSsynchronizationTue, 07 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Keep up with election coverage via podcast - Download Pod]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/01/keep-up-with-election-coverage-via-podcast-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/01/keep-up-with-election-coverage-via-podcast-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/01/keep-up-with-election-coverage-via-podcast-download-pod/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you're as busy as rest of us, you may not have time to catch all the latest presidential election details on the evening news. Fortunately, you can still keep up by listening to a few really excellent podcasts while you're commuting or working out. [Note: All links open in iTunes.]

Listen to selected speeches from the Democratic National Convention in a podcast series put together by the DNC. It's got all the usual suspects like Barack Obama and Joe Biden, but you can also catch speeches given by Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, and some of the governors in attendance.

The Republican National Convention will also have speeches available as the event gets underway today in Minnesota.

For a general overview of what's happening with the election, have a listen to National Public Radio's "It's All Politics," a weekly podcast covering news and events in the presidential race. If it's political punditry you're after, choose from Bill Maher, Dan Carlin, Bill Moyers, and others.

Download Pod is an occasional series about our favorite podcasts. If you have suggestions for podcasts you think we should check out, let us know in the comments or via our tips page.

Keep up with election coverage via podcast - Download Pod originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>democratitunespodcastpodcast-rounduppodcastspoliticalpoliticsrepublicanMon, 01 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BlogAmp - podcasting made easy?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/23/blogamp-podcasting-made-easy/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/23/blogamp-podcasting-made-easy/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/23/blogamp-podcasting-made-easy/#commentsFiled under: , ,

BlogAmp is a service that generates embeddable podcasts for your blog. BlogAmp calls them audiocasts, to include both streaming and downloadable 'casts, but we'll stick with "podcasts." Those were streaming too, last we heard. BlogAmp basically handles the generation of your podcast from start to finish: uploading, creating an embedded player, and creating an RSS feed.

BlogAmp's business model seems to be based on selling storage space. For a fee, you can upload your mp3 files -- support for other formats would be a plus! -- and avoid the need for other hosting. If you've already got plenty of storage space on another server (the server that hosts your blog, for example), you can use BlogAmp's other features for free. Some of these are cool: you can reskin the player a little bit and add download links for the individual mp3s in your list. Some of them are a little bit obnoxious: do we really want to make it easier to add "e-commerce" links to a podcast player?

If you know how to put together a podcast, but you're having trouble creating an RSS feed or finding a way to play it from your blog, BlogAmp could be a useful tool. For veterans of audio on the web, there's probably nothing here you can't already do yourself and customize more carefully.

BlogAmp - podcasting made easy? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 23 May 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audioaudiocastblogampmusicpodcaststreamingweb 2.0Web2.0Fri, 23 May 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Escape Pod - Download Pod]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/08/escape-pod-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/08/escape-pod-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/08/escape-pod-download-pod/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Escape PodLast time we told you about a science podcast that was all about getting to the truth, now let's look at a podcast that covers the other side of science. Escape Pod is a weekly short story podcast hosted by Stephen Eley released every Thursday. The three-year-old podcast will stretch your mind with all types of sci-fi including space, time, technology, hard science, and even weird psychological science fiction. Each episode features some of the best science fiction from the present and the past with some stories from the great digests being read as well as this years Hugo nominees.

All stories come with an introduction that helps guide the listener into the work and gives fair warning to parents about the content of the work. Each episode even carries a rating similar to movies (G to R) to help determine whether you want your kids to listen. This week's PG episode features a 2008 Hugo nominee that was published in Asimov's Science Fiction short story magazine last year. The story took our minds on an Outer Limits type journey that included a main character living out the end of his life and discovering someone who may have been the reincarnation of someone very close to him.

Escape Pod is part of a network of short story podcasts including the horror podcast, Pseudopod, and the fantasy podcast, PodCastle.

Download Pod is an occasional series about our favorite podcasts. If you have suggestions for podcasts you think we should check out, let us know in the comments or via our tips page.

Escape Pod - Download Pod originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>download podDownloadPodescape podEscapePodhugopodcastrecommendationsciencescience fictionscience-fictionScienceFictionshort storyShortStorystoryThu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe - Download Pod]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/30/the-skeptics-guide-to-the-universe-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/30/the-skeptics-guide-to-the-universe-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/30/the-skeptics-guide-to-the-universe-download-pod/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Skeptics Logo. We'd never, ever turn down a good ghost story. Aliens, even the abducting kind (especially the abducting kind!) are incredibly cool. Still, we are pretty sure that T. Rex existed and didn't use those huge incisors for gnashing hellaciously into cantaloupes and mangoes. And we have enough acquaintances who act a little too similarly to lower primates to believe Darwin was too terribly far off.

We really dig people who can talk about the Drake Equation. We dig people who can speak articulately about science, sound extra intelligent, and still be accessible enough that we are able to follow along.

Feel the same? Check out The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe. The weekly podcast is produced by the New England Skeptical Society and the James Randi Educational Foundation. Each week the panel takes on news from fringe science and takes a scientific look at controversial issues from a number of scientific fields.

Scientific podcasts are a funny thing. There are many out there that remind us way too much of our college days when we sat for two or three hours in a hot lecture hall listening to a professor full of even hotter air drone on about weather patterns. But there are gems like The Skeptic's Guide, which feel much more like you're sitting a table in a restaurant having a conversation with your smartest friends.

And these guys (and girls!) are smart. The host, Dr. Stephen Novella, is a neurologist teaching at Yale Medical School. Rebecca Watson is the resident Skepchick on the panel, and has the unique claim to fame that there's an asteroid named after her. Jay and Robert Novella are regular contributors and leaders in the New England Skeptical Society. And the weekly guest, James Randi, is the most interesting of the bunch: He's a magician. He's a world famous escape artist. And he's ready to expose, explain, and share with the layman the very scientific explanations for the magical things that go on in the paranormal and pseudoscientific world.

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe is available from their site, or through iTunes.

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe - Download Pod originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audiodownload-poditunesNew England Skeptical SocietyNewEnglandSkepticalSocietypodcastscienceskepticSkeptics Guide to the UniverseSkepticsGuideToTheUniverseWed, 30 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[NPR Intelligence Squared - Download Pod]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/22/npr-intelligence-squared-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/22/npr-intelligence-squared-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/22/npr-intelligence-squared-download-pod/#commentsFiled under: ,

NPR IQ2USThe NPR Intelligence Squared US (IQ2US) audio podcast is a series of recordings of public debates held in New York focusing on hot-button issues (most specific to the U.S.) like immigration, affirmative action, and global warming. The debates are held in the Oxford-style meaning there are one motion (topic), one moderator, three speakers for the motion, and three speakers against the motion.

Prior to the start of the debate, visitors cast their votes for or against the motion. During the debate, the results of the initial vote are shown, and the visitors vote again at the end of the debate to decide which side "won."

The debates move quickly, and it's nice to learn things in the car on the way to work instead of listening to drunk 30-somethings talk about "news."

The IQ2US series holds five debates in the spring, and five debates in the fall, and is available from the iTunes Store or the NPR website.

NPR Intelligence Squared - Download Pod originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>debatedebatesdownload-podissuesnprTue, 22 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Get your Buffy fix via podcast - Download Pod]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/18/get-your-buffy-fix-via-podcast-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/18/get-your-buffy-fix-via-podcast-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/18/get-your-buffy-fix-via-podcast-download-pod/#commentsFiled under: ,

Vampire Killing KitIf you named your dog Spike, dream of vacationing in Sunnydale, and never quite got over what happened to Jenny Calendar, then you'll love the gem of a podcast we've uncovered for you. Buffy Between the Lines is original fan fic written and produced by a group of volunteers who probably know more about Xander, Willow, and Buffy than Joss Whedon himself.

Season One is, as they say, already in the can and all the episodes are available for download right from the site. All the usual suspects are featured, including some special appearances by Angel and his crew. The dialogue is snappy and spot-on, right down to the barbs Spike trades with, well, everyone.

Hurry up and get caught up with Season One. The cast is getting ready to start taping the second season and it should be available soon.

Get your Buffy fix via podcast - Download Pod originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buffy-between-the-linesbuffy-the-vampire-slayerbuffysummersdownload-podpodcaststvsquadvampires-love-podcastsFri, 18 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Introducing an occasional series - Download Pod]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/18/introducing-an-occasional-series-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/18/introducing-an-occasional-series-download-pod/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/18/introducing-an-occasional-series-download-pod/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Juice
We spend a lot of time in front of our computers. But when we finally step away, you know what we like to do? Relax with a good book. No, just kidding! We download digital media from our computers and enjoy it on the go. With that in mind, today we're starting an occasional series bringing you reviews of some of our favorite audio and video podcasts.

We're going to try to avoid the big names at the top of the iTunes charts and bring you some of the more obscure podcasts we think are worth listening to. But that doesn't mean we won't don't love us some Science Friday from NPR or Diggnation. It just means that you're probably already well aware of them. We'd rather tell you about the Naked Scientists, Digital Planet, and Love & Radio.

If you have suggestions for podcasts you think we should check out, let us know in the comments. And stay tuned for our first irregularly scheduled review.

Introducing an occasional series - Download Pod originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diggnationdigital-planetdownload-podpodcastsradioscience-fridayFri, 18 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Odeo launches private beta, shiny new interface]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/17/odeo-launches-private-beta-shiny-new-interface/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/17/odeo-launches-private-beta-shiny-new-interface/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/17/odeo-launches-private-beta-shiny-new-interface/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Odeo beta
Podcast aggregator and search engine Odeo is beta testing a new web site, and from what we've seen so far, it's a vast improvement over Odeo's existing page. The first thing you'll notice (if you're invited to join the beta after signing up for an invite), is a new, cleaner look that makes it easier to find featured podcasts and browse by categories. But much more impressive is the new search feature. We didn't realize how poor the old search feature was until we tried searching for podcasts using the new search box and actually got accurate results immediately.

Here are a few other features of the new site:
  • Users can rate and comment on shows
  • Users can now submit feeds for podcasts that aren't included in the Odeo library
  • There's a pretty new Flash player
The beta page is still a work in progress and not every feature is available. For example, in order to get embed code for placing podcasts on your web site you have to click through to Odeo classic. But we're pretty excited at the direction Odeo is taking.

Odeo launches private beta, shiny new interface originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>odeoodeo-betapodcastsThu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Comcast shuts down Winer]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/16/comcast-shuts-down-winer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/16/comcast-shuts-down-winer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/16/comcast-shuts-down-winer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Thanks to the recent BitTorrent debacle, Comcast has been far from Comcastic for many of its customers. Throttling customers for using technologies they deem too data intensive is pretty nasty, and the company has had to acquiesce and change its practices, but what happens when they disconnect your service (and threaten to keep you shut-down for 12-months) for "excessive usage" -- yet refuse to issue that threat in writing or tell you what "excessive usage" really means?

Well, that is exactly the situation Dave Winer, tech analyst, pioneer and RSS God, has found himself in. Comcast has restored his service, but still says they will shut him down for up to 12 months if he doesn't alter his usage patterns. The kicker? They won't tell him what level he needs to adjust his usage patterns to in order to stay compliant.

Can they do this? Especially without issuing the warning in writing? And what exactly defines, "excessive" in Comcast's terms? Many of us here at Download Squad use Comcast and we DO love to download, so this issue bothers us both on principle and for practicality. Although Comcast has been more receptive via their @Comcastcares Twitter account than they were via phone, this whole situation makes us very, very uncomfortable.

We spoke to Dave earlier today (the podcast of our conversation is here) and this is what he had to say:

"I thought it was an outage and they said I had to call a special number and that I had been disconnected as a matter of policy."

Continue reading Comcast shuts down Winer

Comcast shuts down Winer originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>broadbandcable modemCableModemcomcastcomcasticdave winerDaveWinerdenial of serviceDenialOfServicetweet-thisWed, 16 Apr 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[ShellRunAs V1.0: add "Run as Different User" option to right-click menu]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/02/28/shellrunas-v1-0-add-run-as-different-user-option-to-right-cli/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/02/28/shellrunas-v1-0-add-run-as-different-user-option-to-right-cli/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/02/28/shellrunas-v1-0-add-run-as-different-user-option-to-right-cli/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

shellrunas
ShellRunAs adds a "Run as Different User" option to the right-click context menu. This allows users, who prefer a GUI interface, from having to resort to using the command-line utility Runas, which accomplishes the same thing.

The program is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Vista.

Aside from its practical uses, we should really think about how this software can best be used: framing pranks. Run a program (like a pr0n game) under someone else's account and then accuse them of running that program and show the records to whoever you wish to prove that they did it. Hilarious, I know, but on a more serious note, please be responsible.

Please.

[via ActiveWin]

ShellRunAs V1.0: add "Run as Different User" option to right-click menu originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>different userDifferentUserright clickRightClickrunasshellrunasThu, 28 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ScreenFlow: Screencast for the Mac with style]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/02/14/screenflow-screencast-for-the-mac-with-style/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/02/14/screenflow-screencast-for-the-mac-with-style/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/02/14/screenflow-screencast-for-the-mac-with-style/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Although there are a lot of different screencasting options out there for the Mac, in our opinion, none has had the power and features of Camtasia Studio (a Windows only app); until now.

ScreenFlow from Vara Software is, quite frankly, the best screencasting application for the Mac that we have seen to date -- and trust us, we've tried them all. Taking advantage of Core Animation (making this a Leopard only application), Quartz Composer and a custom 64-bit enabled compression system, ScreenFlow can capture DVD playback (see our screencast below for a demo), 3-D game playback and can also simultaneously capture from your screen and your iSight or DV camera -- meaning you can create a screencast that can show you as you speak.

ScreenFlow's recording algorithms are great, truly, but what really made us excited were all the built-in post capture editing tools. It is very, very easy to add animations to a screen capture, highlighting one window, zooming in on part of the screen, isolating the mouse pointer (and adjusting the opacity of the non-isolated area), and more. Editing is where Camtasia absolutely owns any other screencasting application (regardless of platform), and while ScreenFlow might not be as advanced as Camtasia at this point in time -- it's only at version 1, and it already does the really big stuff.

ScreenFlow is $99.99 and a full functioning demo is available here, you can use all the features, your videos will just have a watermark on the top.

[via TUAW]

ScreenFlow: Screencast for the Mac with style originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camtasiamacscreen captureScreenCapturescreencastscreenflowtweet-thisThu, 14 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wordpress.com gets influx of VC money, launches video publishing tool]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/23/wordpress-com-gets-influx-of-vc-money-launches-video-publishing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/23/wordpress-com-gets-influx-of-vc-money-launches-video-publishing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/23/wordpress-com-gets-influx-of-vc-money-launches-video-publishing/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

WordPressThe company behind the popular WordPress blogging platform and WordPress.com, Automattic, has received a large influx of cash from investors. The company has drawn $29.5 million in financing from four companies, including the New York Times Company. After last weeks' news of MySQL being acquired by Sun Microsystems, it appears if you have a great idea and a good business structure, open source is a viable business model.

Matt Mullenweg, the man behind Automattic, has said the company will use the money to build infrastructure, expand product offerings such as Gravatar and spam protection service Akismet, and offer new hosted solutions.

Looking at some of the new traffic metrics, WordPress.com will need to strengthen it's infrastructure. According to GigaOm, In the last 30 days Quantcast reports that Wordpress.com attracted 42 million unique U.S. page views, 114 million global uniques, and 492 million page views overall. WordPress.com is a very attractive option for individuals and organizations who want a blog but don't want to stress about the necessary infrastructure required.



Continue reading Wordpress.com gets influx of VC money, launches video publishing tool

Wordpress.com gets influx of VC money, launches video publishing tool originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bloggingwordpressWed, 23 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Five smart sex podcasts]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/21/five-smart-sex-podcasts/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/21/five-smart-sex-podcasts/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/21/five-smart-sex-podcasts/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Like podcasting? Like sex? Like not being spoken to as if you're slightly more intelligent than a paramecium? If you answered "yes" to all three of those questions, here are some podcasts you might enjoy.

(Warning to readers. This column both acknowledges the existence of sex, and explores the ways sex and sexuality relate to and are enhanced by the internet. If you're offended by such content, don't take the jump.)

Continue reading Five smart sex podcasts

Five smart sex podcasts originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>audioLiveGirlReviewMidwestTeenSexShowOpenSourceSexpodcastingpodcastsPolyamoryWeeklySex2.0SexIsFunsexualityvideoMon, 21 Jan 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CuePrompter - Your Online Teleprompter]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/20/cueprompter-your-online-teleprompter/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/20/cueprompter-your-online-teleprompter/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/20/cueprompter-your-online-teleprompter/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Whether you're recording a podcast, a Squadcast, or anything in between it can sometimes be difficult to remember what you were trying to say once a video camera starts rolling. CuePrompter is free online teleprompter service that allows you to turn your computers web browser into a teleprompter of sorts and keep yourself on track while you're recording your next masterpiece.

Using CuePrompter is pretty easy: all you need to do is copy and paste your script in a box on the site and then "Start Prompter." CuePrompter then launches in a new window with you text and you're a play button away from teleprompter bliss. You can customize CuePrompter for your needs by choosing between a small screen size (good if you're using your computers webcam) or a big screen size (good if you've got a camcorder set up across the room) as well as a small or big font size depending on your situation and eyesight capabilities. The prompter has nine different speeds, can be made full-screen, viewed in normal or mirrored mode, and can be played backwards.

Each prompter session is limited to 2000 characters and requires you to be running MS Internet Explorer 5.0 or above and MS Windows XP, 2000, or 2003 to work properly. We tested it out using Firefox on a Mac and only ran into problems using the mirror and full-screen mode. CuePrompter also seemed to have some minor issue translating apostrophes. One thing that definitely makes CuePrompter different than regular prompters however is you have no way to really control the prompter once its started beyond simple starting and stopping, so once you start CuePrompter you better be ready to go.

[via EmilyChang]

CuePrompter - Your Online Teleprompter originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>podcastprompterscriptstelepromptervideoSun, 20 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST