Scrabble Helper helps you improve your Words With Friends gameplay

scrabblehelper
If you play Scrabble (or a scrabble-like game) from time to time, you may want to check out Scrabble Helper. This simple website is a godsend when you're at a loss for words. Simply enter whatever letters you have, and the word you'd like to connect with. Scrabble helper comes up with a whole bunch of suggestions sorted by score.

The site lets you select one of five dictionaries - Scrabble International/US, Lexulous International/US, and Words With Friends. Some people might say this constitutes cheating -- I think if the other side knows you're doing it, it's definitely not cheating. And it doesn't take the challenge out of the game, because implementing Scrabble Helper's suggestions and deciding which words you'd like to connect with still takes a fair bit of thought.

Very handy, though perhaps not one for the Scrabble puritans in the crowd.

Scrabble Helper helps you improve your Words With Friends gameplay originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/14/scrabble-helper-helps-you-improve-your-words-with-friends-gamepl/

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Flickr adds to sharing options, now easier to share photos across the Web

flickr
It sure is nice to see some new developer action over at Flickr. The relatively slow-moving photo-sharing service has just announced a new sharing update, which consists of several new and easy ways to embed or link to your photos:
  • Share from Photo page: There's a new sharing option on each and every photo page. When logged off, the button shows only Facebook and Twitter options. But once you log on, you get Tumblr and Blogger too, and can configure other sharing venues as well.
  • Share non-public content on Facebook: This doesn't sound like a great idea, but you now can share private photos on Facebook if you're so inclined (and if you trust your privacy settings).
That's the gist of the update; it makes it easier to show off your pretty pictures in a plethora of places.

Flickr adds to sharing options, now easier to share photos across the Web originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/flickr-adds-to-sharing-options-now-easier-to-share-photos-acros/

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The Engadget Podcast is live tonight at 5PM!

Tim's still MIA, but don't worry, we've got a ringer. Brian and Dana will be joined by TechCrunch's Jordan Crook. Follow along with all the fun just after the break.

Continue reading The Engadget Podcast is live tonight at 5PM!

The Engadget Podcast is live tonight at 5PM! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/04/the-engadget-podcast-is-live-tonight-at-5pm/

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GNOME 3 released, ushers in an interesting amalgam of iOS and OS X

GNOME 3 desktop manager
GNOME 3, after more than two years of development, has been released into the wild. GNOME 3 is not merely the logical successor of GNOME 2: it is an entirely new project, started from scratch, to create a "completely new, modern desktop designed for today's users and technologies."

The best way to check out GNOME 3's new features -- and it has lots of new features -- is to run a live version of openSUSE or Fedora, or simply head over to the GNOME 3 website and watch the (rather pretty) introductory videos. If you want a synopsis, though, here it is: GNOME 3 looks a lot like Mac OS X, with a healthy dollop of iOSesqueness for good measure, but yet it still somehow retains an underlying feel of Linux.

The overall aesthetic is very simple, very elegant, and despite being slightly out of fashion, there are plenty of rounded corners, too. The main addition, workflow-wise, is the addition of an app-launcher-cum-alt-tab screen, where you can launch apps, or flip through your open windows. For a complete list of the new features and changes, check the GNOME 3 release notes.

Despite GNOME 3 being officially launched, there aren't actually any releases for existing, stable Linux distros -- it's the live CD/USB images, or Ubuntu users will have to wait for the launch of 11.04 for a GNOME 3 PPA, but it will break Unity in the process. Fedora users will have to wait for for the May 24 release of Fedora 15. Of course, if you're feeling crazy, you can always build GNOME 3 from source.

GNOME 3 released, ushers in an interesting amalgam of iOS and OS X originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 06:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/07/gnome-3-released-ushers-in-an-interesting-amalgam-of-ios-and-os/

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Barnes & Noble and Microsoft complete Nook Media LLC partnership

Barnes & Noble and Microsoft's mutual appreciation is getting a lot more real. The duo issued a joint announcement today, marking the completion of Nook Media LLC, a "strategic partnership" made up of the bookseller's digital and college wings. The news comes after a $300 million investment in the pairing. Further plans for Nook Media are vague at the moment, as the companies note, "There can be no assurance that the review will result in a strategic separation or the creation of a stand-alone public company." Until such key things are decided, B&N for one doesn't plan on elaborating. You can find a bit more, however, in the press release after the break.

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Barnes & Noble and Microsoft complete Nook Media LLC partnership originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vaja Samsung Galaxy S3 Cases Review

To case, or not to case, that is the question. I have fallen on both sides of this question, but before I even had my Samsung Galaxy S3, I was looking for a case. Specifically  I was looking at Vaja. At the time, they only showed the Grip, but I was still excited. The first Vaja case I ever owned was for the Palm V. I read the review here, and went and ordered it. It was far and away my favorite case. And for the record, I got it with the embossed graffiti chart. I bought another Vaja when I moved to the Sony Clie (can’t remember if it was 7xx or 6xx) and liked it as well. When I moved to the Sony TH55, I didn’t care for some of the design decisions, so I went with another case. I always regretted that decision. Since then, almost as punishment, Vaja has not made a case for my phone of choice. Before I even ordered my SGS3, I checked the Vaja site and was excited to see that they had a case for the SGS3.

I asked Julie if we ever got Vaja cases to review anymore, and when she checked with them, they agreed to send one for review. Well, actually, they wanted to send all 3 models available at the time. How I suffer for your reading pleasure. So, would these be as good as I remember, or would I be brought down to earth? Let’s find out.

The Arrival

I was very exited to see a box on my doorstep. Inside there were three separate boxes. Inside the boxes,  I had one of each model case. I tried to pick different leathers and colors for variety. I was amused at what constituted variety for me. I ordered from left to right, the Agenda in Floater Black with Caterina Rosso interior; the Leger Pouch in Caterina Blue Night exterior and Friar Brown Interior; and the Grip in Floater Dark Blue with Caterina Birch interior. The first impressions were very positive. There is something nice about quality leather cases. The nice thing about the selection is we get an opportunity to look at the simple pouch, a back only case and a full case. Let’s take a look at them one at a time.

Leger Pouch

Well, actually it is Lèger Pouch, but I just don’t feel like inserting the grave mark on each e. It is a basic pouch. It was the only one of the three cases that came in a Caterina exterior, so I chose that style. It is a very soft, smooth leather. The phone is held in place by a simple elastic strap colored the same as the internal leather. There is a little leather tab on top and a metal logo in the middle front of the strap. On the back, they have a small metal grill for the speaker to make sure your phone ring or alert is not muffled. This is a very well built pouch, and the leather quality is noticeable. It also provides excellent protection. It is not the style I care for though, so I gave it to my wife for her Galaxy Nexus. Obviously the speaker grill is not where the Nexus’ speaker is, but she likes the case. The one thing we have noticed is that the leather initially leaves a residue  on the screen. You can see the Vaja logo on the screen before you wipe it off. It’s very minor, and does not concern me (it happens with the Agenda as well).

The Grip

The grip is a clip-on back cover for the SGS3. The leather is around a core of ABS plastic. It goes on easily, stays on firmly, and is easy to remove. There is a cut out on the back for the flash, camera and speaker. The slight added thickness to the back helps keep the lens off the table. There is a nice tasteful logo on the left, and the feel is great. The leather for this and the Agenda is called Floater. It has a larger pebble texture than the Caterina. From the front, you can see that not much is added to the width. The phone is firmly in the Grip, and I had no concern for it falling out. This is a far cry from my first case for my PalmPilot Personal, The Wrap, that was attached via Velcro to the back of my PalmPilot. The cut-out on the right provides easy access to the power button. On the other side is the volume cut-out.

The build quality is apparent around both of these openings. I like the Grip. It is well-named, as it provides a nice grip to the SGS3. It does not add much thickness to a ridiculously thin phone, and allows you to see the notification light. It does not provide any cover or protection to the front, however.

Agenda

Truth be told, this was the case I wanted. So I looked at it last. It is essentially the Grip with a cover. The cover has a nice little logo on the front. The back has the same cut-out for flash, camera, and speaker, and a tab wraps around and connects magnetically to hold the case closed. Just like the grip, the opening for the USB connector has a metal clip with logo. The power button has the same cut-out, you can see a little flash of the red lining. On the Agenda, most of the left edge is open when the cover is folded back. The Volume is accessible here. I really like this case. It is easy to insert and remove the from the case. With the cover secured by the magnetic flap, the only opening left is the USB connector at the bottom. With the case closed, the width is not much different than the Grip. The thickness of the cover is about the same as the edge on the sides of the phone. The SGS3 starts out so thin, I honestly have not for a moment thought of my phone as thick with this case on. The feel and quality of the leather is great. And the workmanship leaves nothing to be desired. The only minor negatives for me are that the cover blocks the LED notification, and the slight residue it initially leaves behind on the screen. It is not a big deal, a quick wipe removes it, and as time goes on I am noticing it leaving less and less behind.

Other Models

Since they sent me these three cases, they have added two new models. Fortunately for you, they are just variations on the Agenda Case. The Top LP adds a second front color, and $20 to the cost, while the Matelasse adds a quilted cover for $55 more than the Agenda and comes in Caterina finish rather than Floater.

Conclusions

These cases easily met and exceeded my expectations. I like the range of options, but as I mentioned, the Agenda is the one for me. I realize not everyone is a fan of cases, but I love the feeling of security the Agenda gives me, and the phone still easily fits in my shirt pocket, or front pocket. If you are looking to splurge a little on a wonderful case, you can’t go wrong with these options.

You can order from a number of options online, customizing your color selections. I miss the options like embossing your name, or a belt clip, but not sure I would like a belt clip for this phone.  Keep in mind that they are built to order, therefore it may take a little while for your new case to arrive. When I ordered them initiallythey wer quoting 20 days. As of today they are quoting 30, so it appears they do update the expected time based on workload. Obviously, I think they are worth the wait.

In fact, I liked my case so much I needed to go the extra mile and make a wallpaper for my phone to have Vaja inside as well as out. So here it is, a custom red wallpaper for your SGS3.

Product Information

Price:$70, $90, $96 for Pouch, Grip, and Agenda
Manufacturer:Vaja
Pros:
  • Quality Leather Case
  • Excellent Fit
  • Many Options
Cons:
  • Notification LED blocked on Agenda and Pouch
  • May have to wait for shipment

Filed in categories: Android related, Cases and Covers, Reviews

Tagged: ,

Vaja Samsung Galaxy S3 Cases Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 2, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Gladinet maps Amazon Cloud Drive to your Windows desktop

amazon cloud drive
Amazon's recently-introduced Cloud Drive is a great place to store your files online. It offers 5 gigs of totally free space, and U.S. users also get access to the handy Cloud Player app (for Web and Android!) which streams music you upload to your Cloud Drive.

The service could be a little easier to use, however. Until Amazon releases a desktop client, Windows users might want to take another look at Gladinet. The multi-service cloud connector has now added Amazon Cloud Drive support and will let you map a network drive letter to your account with minimal fuss.

Once you've added your credentials to Gladinet, just pick the letter you want to assign to the drive and you're good to go. You can then copy files to and from your Cloud Drive, rename items, and manage folders like you would any local hard drive in your system.

The only downside is that the free version of Gladinet gives you a limited number of cloud interactions. Once you use those up, you'll need to upgrade to the paid version, which costs $49.99. If you work with a number of cloud-based storage providers, however, it could be well worth the price tag.

Gladinet maps Amazon Cloud Drive to your Windows desktop originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/map-amazon-cloud-drive-to-windows-local/

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Better Place founder Shai Agassi steps down from CEO post

Better Place founder Shai Agassi steps down from CEO post

Shai Agassi has guided Better Place's vision of swap-and-go battery stations for electric cars since it was founded five years ago, but now he's stepped down as the firm's CEO. Evan Thornley, who helmed the organization's Australian efforts, has taken up the mantle of global chief executive officer, while Agassi will continue his role as a board member. As the Wall Street Journal notes, the changing of the guard comes at a time when the company has been spending cash faster than it's generating revenue thanks to the construction of battery swap stations. Idan Ofer, Chairman of the Better Place Board of Directors sees this as "a natural point in the company's evolution to realign for its second chapter and for the challenges and opportunities ahead." Something tells us they wouldn't mind if future chapters are filled with more swappable batteries than Superchargers.

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Better Place founder Shai Agassi steps down from CEO post originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 23:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/03/better-place-ceo-shai-agassi-steps-down/

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Pioneer cues up DDJ-SX Serato controller, adds performance pads to the mix (video)

Pioneer cues up DDJSX Serato controller, adds performance pads to the mix

Pioneer's had a little bit of a new-product spree of late, and it isn't over yet. The latest slab-o-buttons? The DDJ-SX. For those of you familiar with the firm's naming convention, this means it's a software controller with a Serato flavor. As such, integration with the popular DJ application is tight, and includes dual deck, slip mode, FX mode and hot cue functionality. The four-channel mixer section can be used with external hardware, which you can hook up via a pair of phono inputs, and, as usual, the DDJ-SX can be used as a MIDI controller with other software should you so desire. As for outputs, you've the choice between XLR and RCA, as well as a separate output for the DJ booth, and as it has its own audio interface, there's no need to bring anything else in there with you. The DDJ-SX will be ready to play in November for a bass-heavy $1,199, but if you're quick to the game, the first 10,000 buyers can snag a free license for the Serato Video plug-in. Nice. Bewildered by all those pots and faders? Then shuffle past the break for the official tour.

Continue reading Pioneer cues up DDJ-SX Serato controller, adds performance pads to the mix (video)

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Pioneer cues up DDJ-SX Serato controller, adds performance pads to the mix (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/6Jx8OfSo12M/

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