Hands-On With iMessage Beta on the Desktop: A Good Start, With Beta Bugs

iMessage on the desktop went from a wish to (beta) reality in just four months. It's now on the Mac OS X desktop as part of Apple's Mountain Lion update, and our friends at Ars Technica have taken it for a spin.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/02/osx-imessage-beta-hands-on/

NANYA TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES (IBM) VOLT INFORMATION SCIENCES IBASIS LIBERTY GLOBAL FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS SONIC AUTOMOTIVE

Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment?

askdls
The mobile app marketplace is exploding; there are now hundreds of thousands of apps on the iOS, Android and BlackBerry app markets. Heck, even Windows Phone 7 just crossed the 10,000 mark!

But alas, not all apps are created equal; some are way, way better than others. Which leads me to today's Ask DLS question: What is your favorite mobile app at the moment?

We don't necessarily mean the latest craze; we'd like to hear about apps that have stood the test of time on your device, apps that are among the first you install on a new smartphones, apps that have earned their place on your home screen and in your heart.

So, what are some of these apps? Bonus points for links to screenshots in the comments!

Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/17/ask-dls-whats-your-favorite-mobile-app-at-the-moment/

TRIDENT MICROSYSTEMS VIRGIN MEDIA LAWSON SOFTWARE MCAFEE MICROSEMI UNISYS TAKETWO INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE

Dodge is a space-shooter in which you have no weapons

dodge
Space-shooters are usually a fairly fiery affair, with many types of guns, weapon upgrades, power-ups and more. Dodge does away with all of that, while keeping the very essence of a space shooter: Dark background, fast action, and stuff blowing up all over the place.

Your vector-looking spacecraft is the fastest thing on the screen, most of the time. And as the header implies, you have absolutely no weapons; you can't get any, either. All you have is agility and maneuverability.

Your opponents shoot heat-seeking missiles at you; the missiles lock on and start tracking you. The trick is to dodge the missiles while putting them in the path of one of your enemies, thus letting them have a taste of their own medicine.

There are three types of enemies, at least in the first few levels: "simple" spaceships which fire slow projectiles, "tanks" which seem to be more serious and take more hits to destroy, and "circles." The circles simply explode, spewing twenty or thirty very fast projectiles. This sounds dangerous, but is actually great once you learn to use them; they are very destructive for tanks, and can even blow up other circles.

The soundtrack is very techno, but it meshes very well with this type of game. Intense fun!

Dodge is a space-shooter in which you have no weapons originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/01/dodge-is-a-space-shooter-in-which-you-have-no-weapons/

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK APPLIANCE DIEBOLD SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY ACCENTURE ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING

Ask DLS: Cross-platform multiplayer games that work on Android and iOS

askdls
Here's one for our knowledgeable commenters: I recently bought my girlfriend an iPad. I, on the other hand, own an Android device. And now we're looking for games we can play using both devices.

There's no dearth of multiplayer games either for Android or for iOS. But finding multiplayer games that can cross the platform boundary is an entirely different matter.

Jay recently posted Words with Friends which is one such game. It's actually an ideal example, because it's turn-based so you don't necessarily both have to be next to your device at the same time (great for long-distance gaming).

But what other examples are there? What multiplayer games are there that let iOS users play with Android users?

[Why am I now humming 'Ebony and Ivory'? -Ed]

Ask DLS: Cross-platform multiplayer games that work on Android and iOS originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/02/ask-dls-cross-platform-multiplayer-games-that-work-on-android-and-ios/

NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS MANTECH INTERNATIONAL L1 IDENTITY SOLUTIONS LOGITECH INTERNATIONAL INFOSYS TECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH IN MOTION

Drivable R2-D2 Could Be the Awesomest Make-A-Wish Ever Granted [Video]

The Make-A-Wish Foundation does some pretty awesome things for kids with life-threatening conditions, but of all the wishes I've seen granted over the years, this giant drivable R2-D2 ranks pretty close to being the most amazing. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/RKckXElTBzE/drivable-r2+d2-could-be-the-awesomest-make+a+wish-ever-granted

INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER MICROSOFT ECLIPSYS APPLE COMPUTER GRUPO IUSACELL ALLTEL KLATENCOR

Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style

For what seems like an eternity, Download Squad readers have reacted to news of security exploits targeting Adobe Reader with a common sentiment: why doesn't Microsoft build its own secure PDF reader into Windows? Apparently the Windows 8 team agrees, and they're working away at an application called Modern Reader which is exactly that.

From the handful of screenshots Paul Thurrott has shared, it's clear that Modern Reader has been built with Metro in mind. You can see the Reader back button in the top-left corner of the yellow image and the minimal page navigation bar on the right. We've posted some larger images we managed to scrape from Google's cache after the break.

Thurrott also mentions that Modern Reader is the first program spotted which is built using AppX -- a packaging technology that may allow developers to roll a single build to both Windows 8 desktops and Windows Phone 8 mobile devices.

Continue reading Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style

Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/windows-8-getting-a-built-in-pdf-reader-finally/

SAIC TERADATA QUANTUM SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES IMATION IKON OFFICE SOLUTIONS HEWLETTPACKARD

OS X Mountain Lion to be download-only, USB stick going the way of the dodo

OS X Mountain Lion to be Mac App Store exclusive, USB stick going the way of the dodo
Last time around, Apple was cognizant not everyone has broadband to download a 4GB OS, offering solace to those with slow internet with a (pricey $69) USB stick alternative. Times change though, as Cupertino's confirmed to Pocket-lint that the recently unveiled OS X Mountain Lion won't be offered with a physical counterpart. Apple's reasoning? "It was an interesting test, but it turns out the App Store was just fine for getting the new OS." So there's that. High time you took the plunge and upgraded to broadband apparently, or contemplated moving within the vicinity of an Apple Retail Store's willing WiFi. That or you could just buy a new machine. Your call.

OS X Mountain Lion to be download-only, USB stick going the way of the dodo originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmodo  |  sourcePocket-lint  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/os-x-mountain-lion-to-be-download-only/

COSMOTE MOBILE TELECOM ELPIDA MEMORY SYMANTEC INVENTEC QUEST SOFTWARE JDA SOFTWARE GROUP OPENWAVE SYSTEMS

Oh My God Just Shut Up and Click on the Link I Sent You [User Manual]

You're about to send someone a link. Good! You put a lot of thought into it, and you're genuinely excited to share it and see the reaction. Let's just hope your friend doesn't do the most annoying possible internet thing. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ODYGBBtrnJQ/oh-my-god-just-shut-up-and-click-on-the-link-i-sent-you

GOOGLE QLOGIC EARTHLINK NETGEAR MISCROSOFT OFFICE NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR NCR

Arnova launches 8b G2 slate, hopes to keep it cheap

Arnova launches 8b G2 slate, hopes to keep it cheap
Arnova isn't exactly a newcomer when it comes to dealing with budget-friendly tabs, already having produced the 9 and 10 G2s. The outfit's newest addition to its tablet lineup is simply dubbed 8b G2, honoring its 8-inch, 800 x 600, TFT display. Coming in what some could consider "last year's specs," the slate's packing a 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, a front-facing shooter, microSD slot for extra storage (4 or 8GB built-in) and a predictably outdated piece of Gingerbread. Presumably price will be its best asset -- Arnova hasn't given us a figure but, if it's predecessor is a telling sign, we can't imagine you'd part ways with more than 200 bucks.

Arnova launches 8b G2 slate, hopes to keep it cheap originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Liliputing  |  sourceArnova  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/gMUmJ2xcL0o/

ORACLE ZORAN XILINX NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS MANTECH INTERNATIONAL L1 IDENTITY SOLUTIONS

ACTA Action, Part 1

With SOPA and PIPA on the back burner, ACTA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, has become the world's eminent piece of online piracy legislation. A slew of countries, including the U.S., have signed the agreement, but skepticism rages on. There have been protests throughout Europe, threats from Anonymous and resentment from Web users the world over.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/74449.html

STANDARD MICROSYSTEMS DIRECTV GROUP INFORMATICA AMERICA MOVIL ROCKWELL AUTOMATION YAHOO SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS