More Americans get news online than from printed newspapers
Filed under: Internet
Just in case you had any doubt that the newspaper industry is in trouble (or needs to change the way it thinks about content and revenue), Pew has released a study showing that for the first time more Americans get their news from the internet than from traditional newspapers.To be fair, television still trumps them both. 70% of respondents said that they get most of their national and international news from TV, 40% cited the internet, and 35% said newspapers. The numbers add up to more than 100% because people were allowed to give more than one answer.
What may be the most interesting figure is the fact that 59% of people under 30 said they get most of their news online while an equal percentage said TV was a primary source of news. The kids these days are not as keen on newspapers, which got a response of 28%. Radio came in fourth, followed by magazines.
Now, this isn't all bad news for traditional media organizations. We've seen companies like CNN and the New York Times make some great strides in providing news online over the last few years. Part of the reason people are moving online for their news is because they can find trusted, reliable news sources on the internet. The question that remains to be seen is whether internet news can be profitable enough to fund the kind of in-depth journalism old-school papers like the New York Times have been doing for years.
[via CNET]
More Americans get news online than from printed newspapers originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 25 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsLivedrive provides unlimited online storage
Filed under: Internet, Security, Windows, Beta
- Unlimited file storage
- Integration with Windows Explorer
Thanks to the Windows Explorer integration, you could easily use LiveDrive as an offsite backup tool like Carbonite or Mozy. Just install your favorite file backup utility and point it to the L drive.
Livedrive is free while in beta, but I have a feeling the company will probably start charging a fee when the beta ends.
[via Lifehacker]
Livedrive provides unlimited online storage originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsWindows Pager creates Linux-like virtual desktops in Windows
Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Open Source
Windows Pager also creates 4 little icons in the Windows taskbar that indicate what's going on in each desktop. You can right click on the edge of any program window or on the taskbar icon for a program to move it from one desktop to another or to mark it as something that should be visible in each workspace.
The open source program can be run as an executable file (no installation necessary), which means you can throw it on a USB flash drive and use it on any computer. It also weighs in at just over 500KB, so it won't take up much space at all on that flash drive.
The download link for Windows Pager wasn't working when I tried it this afternoon, so you may want to download the app from Download.com instead.
[via TechnoSpot]
Windows Pager creates Linux-like virtual desktops in Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsCamino 2 beta 1 is available now
Filed under: Macintosh, Mozilla, Open Source, Browsers
Yesterday, the Camino team released the firs beta version of its Gecko-based web browser, Camino 2. Camino is a real treat for Mac users, because it combines Firefox's rendering engine with the native polish of Safari. The first alpha of Camino 2 was released in October, and the beta fixes a number of bugs, adds new features and offers better stability.The big change with Camino 2 is that it is now based on Gecko 1.9 - the same version that Firefox 3 uses. With the retirement of Firefox 2 and the end of security updates, the Camino teams seems to be working hard to get the next version out as soon as possible,
The new stuff in the beta:
- You can now rearrange tabs by dragging and dropping
- The nifty Tab Overview view has an optional toolbar icon
- You can block Flash animations on a site-by-site basis
- The "Downloads" stack will bounce in the dock when a download finishes
- Support for JavaScript 1.8
In the last day, I've found Camino 2 to be stable enough for high usage -- but as with all beta software, there are some bugs.
You can download the Camino 2 beta 1 here.
[via VentureBeat]
Camino 2 beta 1 is available now originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSiteLauncher adds a hotkey panel with visuals to Firefox
Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, Browsers
Sure, Firefox has built-in hotkey support, but sometimes it's nice to have a visual reminder. SiteLauncher is a new experiemtnal Firefox addon that does just that.
It's highly customizable - colors, font sizes, and transparency can all be changed. If you'd prefer a wide display, you can use up to eight columns. Don't like rounded corners? Square them off. Your list can also be ordered by hotkey or shortcut title, or you can arrange it manually. To display your list, just press ctrl+space (a la Launchy).
You can also choose to dispay SiteLauncher at startup instead of your home page.
The author has chosen to map ctrl+shift+s as the combo to quick-add your current page to the list, which will cause issues if you've got the Delicious addon installed - that's also the default combination for its bookmark search.
[ via gHacks ]
SiteLauncher adds a hotkey panel with visuals to Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsScrapplet: Drag and drop web page creator
Filed under: Design, Internet, web 2.0, Web
The way you put together web pages is also interesting. You can add elements like pictures, embedded YouTube videos, or even embedded web pages with just a few clicks. Then you can rearrange elements by dragging and dropping them. Or you can right click on an element to delete it or modify its properties.
Want to use some custom HTML code in the header? You can do that too.
But what really sets Scrapplet apart from other web page builders is that you can embed your entire Scrapplet page on another web site. For example, you could create a Scrapplet page that your local newspaper's front page, weather forecast, and stock news and then embed it in your Facebook profile.
To be honest, the number of options available is a bit overwhelming, and I found it hard to figure out how to do basic things like change the background color of various widgets. But if you're looking for a highly customizable way to build a Netvibes like personal start page or a GeoCities like web site, you might want to check out Scrapplet.
The service offers free accounts which are supported by an ad (which visitors can make go away by clicking). You can also create an ad-free page for $9.95 a month, but at that point you might want to think about paying for a more full featured web hosting plan.
Scrapplet: Drag and drop web page creator originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsNORAD tracks Santa and answers questions
Filed under: Fun, Kids, Google, Time-Wasters
The whole thing started in 1955 when Sears misprinted a phone number to call Santa and kids everywhere got connected to the Continental Defense Command hotline. Instead of being angry, CONAD workers gave kids updates of Santa's progress around the world and a tradition was born.
In the 50 years since then, a lot has changed. CONAD became the North American Aerospace Defense Command or NORAD for starters. Since 1998 kids no longer needed to call Santa, they could simply get hourly updates on the internet. And this year, you can even hear about Santa's progress on Twitter!
Because NORAD has teamed up with Google you can see Santa flying over highly detailed Google maps. It is easy to pick out landmarks if Santa flies over an area you are familiar with. You can even see photos of places Santa has flown past with Panoramio photos linked to the map.
You can download a special KML that will let you track Santa in 3D this year and the site has lots off answers to questions kids might have. You can even check out the snack counter to see how many cookies Santa has had so far today!
Check out what we've written before about the Santa Tracker and find out how Google and NORAD teamed up to give us so many Santa tracking options. .
NORAD tracks Santa and answers questions originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsRock out with Santa, Guitar Hero style - Time Waster
Filed under: Fun, Games, Internet, Time-Wasters, Web
Apparently in his downtime at the North Pole, Santa likes to relax by busting out his axe and working on his two-hand tapping. Santa Rockstar: Metal Xmas is, as you've probably guessed, yet another Guitar Hero spinoff created in Flash.
The game has both story and quick play modes, two options for controls (basic or with strumming), and adjustable difficulty and speed. The soundtrack by thebigdistraction is entitled "Christmas at the Devil's House: Christmas Music/Metal Madness 2," and will give your keyboard a good workout.
Story mode pits you against a rather grinchy-looking opponent. Do you have what it takes to rock his socks off?
If you're a fan of the genre and in the holiday spirit, grab your egg nog and try it out. It beats listening to Gomer Pyle crooning over the image of a fake fireplace on your tv.
Rock out with Santa, Guitar Hero style - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSun releases x64 Java browser plugin
Filed under: Linux, Beta, Browsers, Windows x64
Java SE 6 update 12 is now available through Sun's Early Access Program, and there are downloads for both Linux and Windows platforms. It's been a long time coming (as you can see in the screenshot), and the release is another welcome piece of news for users of 64-bit operating systems.
Interestingly enough, Sun's own Solaris OS won't be running the plugin until a 64-bit version of Firefox is available.
If you're still using a 32-bit browser as well, you'll still need the 32-bit version of the plugin installed.
[ via Phoronix ]
Sun releases x64 Java browser plugin originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsMedia Portal home theater PC app for Windows hits 1.0
Filed under: Audio, Video, Windows, Open Source
The application was initially based on the popular XBMC application designed to turn Xbox gaming consoles into media playback workhorses. But Media Portal quickly outgrew its beginnings as a Windows port of XBMC. Version 1.0 is a full featured application for accessing music, movies, pictures, weather, and other information from a full screen interface. If you have a TV tuner in your computer you can also use Media Portal to watch and record live TV.
I just installed Media Portal 1.0 on my netbook, and aside from the fact that I had to download and install Microsoft's .NET framework first, the process was pretty much a breeze. There's a one-click install option that lets you select common settings. Or more advanced users can configure the application to their heart's content.
The team is now turning its attention to Media Portal 2, which will be more modular and will may eventually incorporate new capabilities like the ability to stream media across a home network or over the internet to portable devices like cellphones. In the short run, Media Portal 2 will feature mostly backend improvements designed to make it easier to customize the application.
[via Geek Tonic]
Media Portal home theater PC app for Windows hits 1.0 originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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