Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3

Firefox 4 racks up 25 million downloads in 3 days
If you've had your head under a rock for the last few days, here's this week's Firefox news in brief: Firefox 4 was finally released.

Yes, 13 months after the initial release of Firefox 3.7 alpha 1 and four more alpha builds, a renumbering to 4.0 and 12 beta releases, and finally a release candidate (or two), Firefox 4 has been released into the wild.

Just like every other Firefox release, initial reception for the new browser has been nothing short of insane. 7.1 million downloads were registered in the first 24 hours and the download rate continued to accelerate, clocking in more than 15 million downloads after two days. At the time of writing, three days in, Firefox 4 has been downloaded over 25 million times. In case you're wondering, the United States accounts for 7 million of those downloads, just beating out Germany's Firefox-downloads-per-capita.

But now that you've installed Firefox 4 (you have, right?), what do you do now? Well, obviously, in true Download Squad fashion, it's time to tweak Firefox 4 using add-ons and about:config hacks!

First up is an add-on called Stratiform that lets you change every aspect of the Firefox 4 browser chrome -- including the color of that orange button!

Continue reading Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3

Firefox 4 Friday: 25 million downloads, anti-aliasing, and how to make it look like Firefox 3 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/25/firefox-4-friday-25-million-downloads-anti-aliasing-and-how-t/

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Google completes buyout of Magnolia Broadband patents, puts a little extra protection under its belt

Google and MagnoliaMagnolia Broadband revealed that Google was buying some of its patents at the start of June, but to say that its confirmation was brief would be an understatement. It's being more verbose now that the transaction has been cleared: Google now owns over 50 patents for beamforming wireless signals. Magnolia characterizes the techniques as important to making the best use of cellular connections, which could well be helpful to a company that just bought Motorola. Having said this, we can't help but think that the various patent battles of Google's recent acquisition may play a part; obtaining cellular-specific patents would give potential attackers a reason to think twice.

Continue reading Google completes buyout of Magnolia Broadband patents, puts a little extra protection under its belt

Google completes buyout of Magnolia Broadband patents, puts a little extra protection under its belt originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/18/google-completes-buyout-of-magnolia-broadband-patents/

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Look Like an Expert Bartender With the Right Tools [Daily Desired]

You'll never be a badass bartender without the proper equipment. If you want to mix a perfect martini and impress your friends at your next party, you probably need a decent bartending kit. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/2x6x7xA9E7E/look-like-an-expert-bartender-with-the-right-tools

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Deal of the Day: Seidio CONVERT Combo for HTC EVO 4G LTE

Deal of the DayThe June 18 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Seidio CONVERT Combo for HTC EVO 4G LTE. This rugged style case features three combined layers of protection: A hard plastic SURFACE Case, rugged skin and skeleton, and the COVERT Holster. This case offers ultimate protection against drops, allows access to all ports, and keeps the screen elevated from surfaces.

The Seidio CONVERT Combo is available for just $29.95, 40% off today only. Grab yours today!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/P-2-LDCRbhE/story01.htm

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Microsoft's rumored tablet may be a Barnes & Noble collaboration with Xbox Live video streaming

Microsoft hearts Barnes and Noble

Rumors swirling around Microsoft's mystery event on Monday have repeatedly centered on a tablet, but if TechCrunch sources are right, Microsoft may only play a partial role in the project. The unveiling, according to the claims, may instead be a tablet, e-reader or a crossover of the two built in teamwork with Barnes & Noble -- a company that just recently established a vague partnership with Microsoft after many months of legal wrangling over Android and the Nook. The slate may not include Windows 8 RT at all, despite earlier assertions, but that's not to say that Microsoft wouldn't be breaking ground in other areas. One of the reported insiders believes it could be the first device without the Microsoft badge to get Xbox Live video streaming, which might explain Redmond's eagerness to turn Xbox into a general media brand at its E3 keynote. It's still very much unknown if there will be any hardware at all, although decisions to host the event in the media capital of Los Angeles and detach the invitation from any existing Microsoft division provide at least indirect support for the notion. Whatever happens, we'll be there tomorrow to give you the lowdown.

Microsoft's rumored tablet may be a Barnes & Noble collaboration with Xbox Live video streaming originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Jun 2012 18:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/saRPR8ryPqc/

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OPA: iOS And Android Level In U.S. Tablet Market, Penetration 47% By 2013, $2.6B Spent On Apps In 2012

new-ipadApple has captured mindshare in the tablet market with its iPad, but when it comes to actual usage, in the U.S. it is actually neck-and-neck with its chief rival, Android, according to a new study out (direct link here) from the Online Publishers Association. The group found that while iPad ownership outweighed that of Android tablets in 2011 -- 72 percent to 32 percent -- this year those shares have evened out, at 52 percent vs. 51 percent, with a large part of that Android boost coming from the Kindle Fire. The other striking detail in the study is that U.S. tablet usage is growing fast. Currently tablet owners use their devices for 13.9 hours per week on average, with 74 percent using it daily, and some effective business models developing around that in both paid content and advertising. The OPA predicts that penetration will likely approach a tipping point by the end of next year: by 2013, it says 47 percent of consumers will own a tablet, up from a mere 11 percent in 2011: that's pretty impressive growth considering that even with smartphones taking a massive leap forward with the iPhone in 2007 it's taken nearly five years for the majority of U.S. consumers to own a smartphone device.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/PlkTstlgqjk/

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Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro

windows 8 welcome screen
It's not really a secret the Microsoft had planned on bringing bits of Windows Phone 7's Metro UI to Windows 8, but we haven't seen a lot of really telling evidence. However, with the Windows 8 milestone 3 build now available to Microsoft Connect partners, it was really just a matter of time before we started to get a peek.

Thanks to Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott, we've now had a glimpse at what the Windows 8 welcome screen will look like. As you can see, the typography is very Metro indeed. Within Windows also mentions that the background image is customizable, and we're wondering if it might not pull from your current Windows 8 theme. This particular shot shows the CTRL + ALT + DELETE login option, but we imagine you'll still be able to log in by clicking your account picture tile as well.

Rivera and Thurrott also mention that the tablet version of the welcome screen will allow you to log in by swiping a pattern on the screen -- as you can on current Android devices.

Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/windows-8-welcome-screen-revealed-looks-very-metro/

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MacBook Air review (13-inch, mid 2012)

MacBook Air review 13inch, mid 2012

The last time we reviewed the MacBook Air, we didn't have a whole lot to compare it to. Sure, there was the original Samsung Series 9, but it was more expensive, at $1,649, and ran off a standard-voltage processor, often at the expense of battery life. Companies like Lenovo and Toshiba already had deep experience making ultraportables, but those notebooks generally weren't as light, or as skinny, as the Air. A year ago, too, Ultrabooks, as we now know them were little more than a concept as far as the computer-buying public was concerned.

Today, there are 110-plus Windows-based Ultrabooks on the horizon, leaving consumers with an overwhelming smorgasbord of thin, shockingly powerful laptops. Apple, for its part, has stuck with the same Air design we liked so much the first time around, though it's refreshed the lineup with speedier Ivy Bridge processors and traded those USB 2.0 ports for 3.0. Additionally, the Air can now be configured with more RAM and roomier storage. Oh, and the 13-inch version now starts at $1,200, down from $1,300. (The 11-inch version still goes for $999 and up.)

That sounds promising, making an already-excellent laptop faster and less expensive. Still, with so many comparable products on the Windows side, we have to wonder, does Apple really continue to define the category or have other companies narrowed the gap? Let's find out.

Continue reading MacBook Air review (13-inch, mid 2012)

MacBook Air review (13-inch, mid 2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/18/macbook-air-review/

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OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows

ommwriter
I have a thing for full-screen text editing. I use WriteMonkey for my creative writing needs, and VIM in a full-screen PuTTY session for my Web development work. That being the case, I'm all over the monospace, dark-background, focused editing scene.

OmmWriter attempts to take that aesthetic and make it somehow more spiritual, with three picturesque backgrounds and ambient background audio tracks (there are seven of each in the paid version).

I'm of two minds about this app. On the one hand, yes, it's beautiful. But if you want music as a background to your writing, why not pick your own soundtrack with Winamp or Foobar2000 running in the background?

OmmWriter also offers three keyboard-clicking sounds, which are kind of nice. None of these features are groundbreaking, really. OmmWriter could be seen as a way to gently ease into the world of distraction-free writing -- in case something like WriteMonkey's dark background is just too oppressive for you.

After the fold you can see a video showcasing several of OmmWriter's features and creative soundscapes.

Continue reading OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows

OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/ommwriter-brings-its-clean-calm-writing-interface-to-windows/

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On iOS 6 bugs, compatibility, and App Store reviews (or, please don't be a jerk)

iOS 6 is currently in closed beta, not general release. While Apple provides it to anyone with $99, and there will no doubt be all manner of leaks minor and major, there's something incredibly important to keep in mind -- please don't be a jerk about it.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/DdJz6StMGWA/story01.htm

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