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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Choiix Power Fort 5600 Review

The Choiix Power Fort 5600 is a rechargeable 5600 mAh brick a little smaller than a deck of cards or a pack of smokes, yet able to recharge your iPhone, iPod, Droid, GPS, flip phone, or just about anything else that you'd usually charge through your computer's USB port.

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/23/choiix-power-fort-5600-review/

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Cloud Girlfriend will use a swarm of females to satisfy men

The social network Cloud Girlfriend
Cloud Girlfriend, despite what it sounds like, doesn't really have anything to do with cloud computing. Rather, it uses a cloud of women to pose as your girlfriend on Facebook, or your favorite social network of choice. The service is scheduled to launch 'soon,' and there's no indication of how much it will cost.

With the tagline 'The easiest way to get a girlfriend is to already have one,' Cloud Girlfriend promises to be a very interesting startup indeed. The brains of the operation, David Fuhriman, speaking to CNET, says it's all about fulfilling Maslow's hierarchy of needs. "CloudGirlfriend.com can fulfill Maslow's higher needs, even though the users know that the interaction is virtual. They will interact with a real person and see real profile images of the girl with whom they interact. This interaction can build confidence and esteem as well as provide real training experiences in navigating a friendship and a relationship."

Our concern, of course, is that it's very nearly April 1. We're also worried by the fact that Fuhriman has a name that sounds ominously like a social subculture that we've grown strangely attracted to here in the Download Squad bunker.

Finally, just stop and think about it for a second. Because your cloud girlfriend will be entirely virtual, she could be based anywhere. She could be underage -- or overage -- or she might be someone who you know in real life. She could even be a relative of yours, and you'd never know.

Let's not forget this is the Internet we're talking about, folks. Worst case scenario, she could turn out to be a hairy, male truck driver from Texas. Such as... your dad, perhaps?

Cloud Girlfriend will use a swarm of females to satisfy men originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/cloud-girlfriend-will-use-an-army-of-females-to-please-lonely-me/

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Opera 11.10 includes improved power saving features

opera 11.10 battery power
Just recently, the Opera 11.10 release candidate was made available for download. It brought a handful of important feature additions -- like HTML5 File API support and IMAP enhancements -- and loads of bugfixes. Nestled in amongst the other details in the Opera team's announcement is one more interesting tidbit: Opera 11.10 offers improved battery optimizations.

The timing here is certainly interesting, what with Microsoft's recent report on how much power the top five Web browsers consume. In its findings, Opera 11 was fairly low in the standings. While we've not seen any new benchmarks yet, we're curious to know whether the Opera 11.10 RC offers any significant gains.

If you're running Opera 11.10 on a laptop, let us know if you're seeing an improvement in your battery life while browsing!

Opera 11.10 includes improved power saving features originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/07/opera-11-10-includes-improved-power-saving-features/

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YC Alum Curebit Raises $1.2 Million For Online Referral System

curebit-logo-200x200Y Combinator alum Curebit, an online customer referral platform that leverages social media for "word-of-mouth" advertising, has just raised $1.2 million in funding. The investors include 500 Startups, Karl Jacob, Auren Hoffman, Dharmesh Shah, Gordon Tucker, Alex Lloyd of Accelerator Ventures, and others. The funding will be used for continued product development and a slight expansion to the team involving three new hires (two developers, one designer) to the company's now five-person outfit.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0ntAsirpW2c/

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Your Logitech Revue is now a collector's item

Logitech Revue

The Logitech Revue never quite lived up to its potential as the first set-top box to sport Google TV. That much was made clear by Logitech in late 2011 when it was said to have "cost us dearly." And now the Revue has officially been put out to pasture.

Logitech posted its Q3 2012 (they're on a weird schedule) today and in doing so it repeated that sales figures were negatively impacted by the Revue -- and that it no longer has any units on hand. Here's the official word from Logitech:

A major factor in the 8 percent decline in the Americas sales compared to the prior year was Logitech Revue for GoogleTV. We began shipments of Logitech Revue in Q3 of the prior year and delivered sales of $22M that quarter. Sales of Logitech Revue this year were down by $15M due to the combination of a significant price reduction in Q2 of this fiscal year and our previously announced intention to exit the category. We are now sold out of all new Logitech Revue units.

So that's it, boys and girls. The Logitech Revue is done. Finished. Kaput. It is no more. But that's not entirely true, of course. A good many of us still have Revue units, and they still work relatively well, if a little underpowered, and they're actually running the latest version of the Google TV branch of Android. Treat them well. (Or at least try not to fear them too much.)

And as for Google TV, it's not done yet, either. We're already seeing the likes of Vizio coming out with new products, and we're willing to bet more are on the way. Sit back, relax, and get ready for Android to take over your TV.

Source: Logitech

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/gUFSScIETSc/story01.htm

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Amazon Appstore for Android Test Drive hands on: surprisingly cool, but still US-only

Amazon Appstore for Android Test Drive
When Amazon Appstore for Android launched last week, one of its primary features -- Test Drive -- was disabled just a few minutes after it opened. With no try-before-you-buy, no refund process, and 1-Click purchasing ready to strike at any moment, this caused some problems. Anyway, don't despair: Test Drive is now enabled.

Before you get your hopes up, Test Drive doesn't work with every app. The IMDb app works fine -- you can even watch movie trailers on it! -- but the Angry Birds games are sadly not enabled. Some games work surprisingly well, though, like Bubble Buster. There's very little latency, and the framerate is really rather good. The Test Drive experience is so true to life that you even get ads; how cool is that?

Continue reading Amazon Appstore for Android Test Drive hands on: surprisingly cool, but still US-only

Amazon Appstore for Android Test Drive hands on: surprisingly cool, but still US-only originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/28/amazon-appstore-for-android-test-drive-hands-on-surprisingly-co/

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One Good Earbud Might Be All You Need

Older readers may remember the precursor to modern earbuds. It was a single earbud that came in one color — medical-aid off-white — and had a stiff, weak cable ending in the familiar 3.5m jack. It was designed for use with battery-operated transistor radios, and was most often used by football-crazy men to listen furtively [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/01/one-good-earbud-might-be-all-you-need/

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Switch Modular Pocket Knife Review

The Switch Modular Pocket Knife from quirky could be a perfect gadget for Swiss Army knife fans it can be customized with your choice of 18 different tool attachments. Let’s see if this  multi-tool is worthy enough to add to your gear bag. Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view. [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/22/switch-modular-pocket-knife-review/

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Symantec Tells Customers to Pull the Plug on pcAnywhere Following Code Theft

Symantec is sounding the alarm for users of its pcAnywhere remote access software following threats from a hacker. In some cases, said the security software maker, they might want to turn off and disable the application entirely.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/74281.html

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