The Download Blog - CNET

5 Chrome extensions for YouTube addicts

Nicole Cozma — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 23:07:14 GMT

(Credit: Screenshot by Nicole Cozma/CNET)

It's easy to get caught up in a personally curated YouTube video marathon. From a "G.I. Joe" PSA to sad cat diaries, there's no shortage of funny things to watch. Here's a collection of Chrome extensions that can do things like automatically crank up the quality of YouTube videos, or even pause them when you switch tabs.

AutoHD for YouTube YouTube has a setting that will choose the best quality for your connection and player size. The HD option can be forced to turn on for full screen, but doesn't apply to all regular-size videos. So instead of having to click the icon each time you open a video, try this extension that will shows videos only in 720p or 1080p, when available.

Turn Off the Lights When watching YouTube videos in anything but full screen, it can be hard to focus on actual video because of the related videos and ads that plague YouTube pages. This extension will dim out all the other junk and nicely frame the video you're watching, keeping your eyes from being so easily distracted.

... [Read more]

Parallels Desktop update adds support for OS X 10.9 Mavericks

Topher Kessler — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:14:51 GMT

OS X 10.9 Mavericks is still in development, with Apple only weeks into having released its first preview of the new operating system to its developer and testing communities.

For people who want to install and manage Mavericks in virtual machine environments, Parallels has a new update available that will support the installation of Mavericks in a virtual machine, allowing for testing of code and the new operating system's features without potentially compromising the main operating system installation.

The update is about 325MB in size and can be installed by choosing "Check for Updates" in the Parallels Desktop application menu. Once installed, it should allow you to create a new virtual machine of OS X Mountain Lion and then update it to Mavericks from the Mac App Store within the VM (currently the installation of Mavericks in a freshly created virtual machine is unsupported).

While this update is available for anyone with Parallels installed, you will need a valid developer ID to access the preview build of Mavericks from the Mac App Store.

Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or document.write('e-mail us'); ! Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the ... [Read more]

Aviary for Android jumps to 3.0, gets better photo enhancer

Jaymar Cabebe — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:10:38 GMT

(Credit: Aviary)
The just-released version 3.0 of Aviary for Android sports a redesigned interface and comes with some important new features for beautifying your photos.

The most notable of the app's additions is the improved Enhance tool. Previously a single-tap tool for smart, automatic adjustments, Enhance now comes with three different settings: Hi-Def, Illuminate, and Color Fix. Each setting has a way of manipulating settings like contrast, sharpness, and brightness, and they all should help bring the best colors out of your photos.

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Another addition that should be popular with users is the Woodland Effects Pack. This set of filters is designed to enhance outdoor photos and has been available for iOS for some time.

Aviary also added stickers (installable through an in-app store), an improved Focus tool, and Color Splash to version 3.0.

As for the changes to the interface, us... [Read more]


Yo! Bum rush the torrent, with a boost from Public Enemy

Seth Rosenblatt — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Public Enemy's latest single comes with a remix contest via BitTorrent Bundle.
(Credit: Public Enemy)
Way back in 2003, the rapper known as Chuck D got up in front of the U.S. Congress and told them exactly what "P2P" meant to him.
"P2P to me means power to the people," said the member of political rap superstars Public Enemy. The sentiment that peer-to-peer file-sharing can be good for musicians is still being debated, but at the time it was borderline revolutionary. Chuck D continued to say that he trusted "the consumer" far more than those "at the helm of these [record] companies."
Ten years and a consistent streak of publicly supporting file-sharing later, Chuck D and Public Enemy have put their money where their mouths are with a new Public Enemy BitTorrent Bundle (download) on Wednesday. The Bundle is a new tweak to existing torrent technology from BitTorrent that introduces the Holy Grail of missing torrent features: a torrent paywall.
Gary "G-Wiz" Rinaldo, Chuck D's manager and longtime producer who has worked with Public Enemy, Aerosmith, Run-DMC and other musicians, said that using BitTorrent technology was pre... [Read more]


Stardock releases WindowBlinds 8, exclusively on Download.com

Eddie Cho — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday Stardock announced an update to their Windows style and theme customization app, WindowBlinds. This update brings it to version 8 and comes with a handful of new changes, including a much more intuitive user interface, updated skin styles, and an improved preview window to see your adjustments before applying a new skin. WindowBlinds also comes with SkinStudio, a built-in tool that lets you customize specific parts of the Windows interface.

WindowBlinds is available at Download.com. Follow the link and grab the product here.
[Read more]


TripAdvisor gobbles up GateGuru for better flight, airport info

Don Reisinger — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:28:55 GMT

(Credit: GateGuru)
TripAdivsor has acquired a small mobile startup in the travel industry.

The travel company announced on Wednesday that it has acquired GateGuru, a mobile platform that provides a wide range of information for travelers, including details on itineraries, airports, and rental cars.

In a statement, TripAdvisor said that GateGuru will complement its other popular application, SeatGuru, which tells people the best spots to sit on a plane. TripAdvisor didn't announce the terms of its deal with GateGuru, but did say that the app maker will continue to operate its business out of its headquarters in New York City.
[Read more]


SMSAlarm locates your muted Android phone

Peter Butler — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:31:59 GMT

One of the great things about "smartphones" is that they are awfully hard to lose. In fact, there are countless apps that will help locate your phone from Timbuktu to Tippecanoe County. (And oh, how many times have I wished I could call my keys or wallet to find them?) However, if your ringer is on mute, finding it when it's wedged down in the couch cushions requires a keen ear for the buzz of vibrate mode.

Or, if you are a rational Android user, you will download and install the free Android app SMSAlarm, which offers the rudimentary yet essential option of texting your phone a secret message to elicit a loud alarm.
(Credit: nebkat)
The app is about as elementary as you can get, and that's how I like 'em. There are four options in the program: "Activation SMS" allows you to choose the specific code that will trigger the alarm when texted to your missing phone; "Vibrate" is a yes/no option that determines whether or not the phone will vibrate as well as ring when the SMS alarm is triggered (it will not override your Messaging settings); "Alarm duration" lets you set the length of the alarm, from five seconds to two minutes; and "Test" simply demonstrates what the alarm will sound like when activated.

There's no alarm customization, and it's pretty loud, but better too loud than too soft. I would expect any future version... [Read more]


Adobe beats profit expectations, mulls subscription changes

Stephen Shankland — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:32:04 GMT

Adobe Systems is trying to move its customers to its Creative Cloud subscription.
(Credit: Adobe Systems)
Adobe Systems beat analysts' profitability expectations by 3 cents per share in the second fiscal quarter, ratcheted its Creative Cloud subscriber total up 221,000 to 700,000, and is considering new measures to mollify those who don't like the subscriptions, the company said Tuesday.
For the company's fiscal second quarter, which ended May 31, the company reported net income of 36 cents per share on a non-GAAP basis that excludes various charges, a notch better than the 33 cents average expectation of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters. Using generally accepted accounting principles, the company's net income was 15 cents per share. Net income was $76.5 million on a GAAP basis and $182.9 million on a non-GAAP basis, Adobe said.
The company's revenue increased 11 percent year over year, from $1.02 billion to $1.01 billion, which was in line with analyst expectations and Adobe's guidance. In after-hours trading, Adobe shares jumped 4.5 percent, or $1.98, to $45.34.

Related stories

Ready or not, compulsory Creative Cloud cometh

... [Read more]


Ready or not, compulsory Creative Cloud cometh

Lori Grunin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:00:00 GMT

Photoshop CC adds the Camera Raw dialog as a filter you can apply after you've opened the file.
(Credit: Lori Grunin/CNET)
It's been a bumpy few weeks for Adobe since announcing its controversial decision to move all its "perpetual license" Creative Suite applications to a subscription-only plan -- almost 32,000 people have signed a petition against the move and our own survey with Jeffries indicates that "Creative Suite users loathe Adobe's subscriptions" -- but as of Monday night it's officially here.

If you've bought into or opt to buy into the plan, you'll get a host of interesting application updates, settings sync via the cloud, and access to all of Adobe's applications if you cough up enough dough. However, the decision to opt in goes beyond a simple cost/benefit analysis. This business model requires that you enter it with an exit plan and a reliable internet connection. Which applications can you buy to do what you need if price increases become onerous or freelance cash flow puts you under water? Which file types won't transition well if you need to swi... [Read more]


Ready or not, compulsory Creative Cloud cometh

Lori Grunin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:00:00 GMT

Photoshop CC adds the Camera Raw dialog as a filter you can apply after you've opened the file.
(Credit: Lori Grunin/CNET)
It's been a bumpy few weeks for Adobe since announcing its controversial decision to move all its "perpetual license" Creative Suite applications to a subscription-only plan -- almost 32,000 people have signed a petition against the move and our own survey with Jeffries indicates that "Creative Suite users loathe Adobe's subscriptions" -- but as of Monday night it's officially here.

If you've bought into or opt to buy into the plan, you'll get a host of interesting application updates, settings sync via the cloud, and access to all of Adobe's applications if you cough up enough dough. However, the decision to opt in goes beyond a simple cost/benefit analysis. This business model requires that you enter it with an exit plan and a reliable internet connection. Which applications can you buy to do what you need if price increases become onerous or freelance cash flow puts you under water? Which file types won't transition well if you need to swi... [Read more]


Star Apps: 'The Heat' director Paul Feig

Josh Rotter — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:10:28 GMT

The hilarious, new buddy movie "The Heat" stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as Special Agent Sarah Ashburn and Det. Shannon Mullins, respectively -- two fiercely independent crime fighters who must first forge their own connection and learn to respect and trust each other's abilities if they are ever to connect the dots on a major case.

Download.com caught up with the film's director, Paul Feig -- best known for directing the Oscar-nominated "Bridesmaids," co-producing the TV series "Freaks and Geeks," and playing science teacher Mr. Eugene Pool on "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" -- about the apps that literally flip the script and connect him to the important things in his life.

My two phones: Director Paul Feig shows off his Blackberry and iPhone
(Credit: Josh Rotter)
In "The Heat," other than the scene in the FBI office, where we see a poster for the FBI Child ID app and the scene where investigators are using Google's Street View, detectives rely less on software and more on pavement-pounding to solve the case than would be the case in reality. Is it funnier that way? Yeah, I always feel like the cell phone has ruined movies a little bit because it makes communication so easy, and to me, comedy is a lot abo... [Read more]


Action Movie FX adds 'Star Trek' effects, donates proceeds to 9/11 veterans

Rick Broida — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:41:37 GMT

The newly updated Action Movie FX includes five available effects from "Star Trek Into Darkness." And three of them are free!
(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)
One of my favorite apps of 2012, Bad Robot Interactive's Action Movie FX, just got even better.

Available for iOS, the app lets you add Hollywood-style special effects to videos you've shot with your iPhone or iPad.

What kinds of effects? Suppose you're making a movie that involves blowing up a car (as all good movies should). Action Movie FX includes a missile-attack sequence that ends with a gorgeous fiery explosion. All you do is record at least 5 seconds of video (in this case, footage of your car), then wait for the app to render the effect.

When it's done, you'll see that missile sequence overlaid on the clip you just shot. If the timing didn't work exactly right, you can adjust it in "postproduction." And you can save the clip to your Camera Roll for use elsewhere; it's not locked into Action Movie FX.

Want the Enterprise to fly through your scene... [Read more]


TweetDeck update brings new look to Mac

Don Reisinger — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:52:33 GMT

A look at the new TweetDeck.
(Credit: Twitter)
TweetDeck, the popular Twitter application for power users, has been updated with a completely new design for Mac users.

Twitter, which owns TweetDeck, revealed the changes on Friday. Version 3.0.2 of the software comes with the same column-based design users are accustomed to, but adds a new sidebar on the left for more quickly navigating across columns. The new version also includes drag-and-drop rearrangement for columns and the ability to translate tweets.

TweetDeck for Mac also includes improved filtering for mentions, retweets, and other features.

The new and improved TweetDeck is available now in Apple's Mac App Store. It's available for free.
[Read more]


Google sharpens ax for Chrome Frame

Seth Rosenblatt — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:42:46 GMT

Google's controversial Chrome Frame, a secure Internet Explorer plug-in that fought to bring the modern Web to legacy versions of Internet Explorer, will soon be going the way of Reader, Wave, and other Google projects not deemed worthy of a future.

Chrome Frame running Google Wave in Internet Explorer shows off a lot of legacy technology.
(Credit: Google)
Chrome engineer Robert Shield wrote in a blog post on Thursday that Chrome Frame had outlived its usefulness. Basically, it wasn't being used. Google said that its lack of appeal was because the use of browsers that support modern Web site technology has advanced far enough beyond where it was in 2009, when Chrome Frame launched.

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... [Read more]


Google+ for Android updates, notifications get synced

Jaymar Cabebe — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:27:57 GMT

(Credit: Google)
The big news today for Google+ is that the service is getting some notable improvements to its notifications system, the biggest of which is syncing across all devices. With this improvement, when you read or dismiss a notification on one device, the same action will be reflected across all of your devices, so you won't be bothered with repeat clicks and swipes.

Other updates include a new bell icon for notifications and an updated notifications tray, which separates new items from previously read items. According to Google's Vic Gundotra, the notifications improvements will be rolling out gradually starting with Android, then making their way to the Web and iOS. So, stay tuned.

What we do get today, though, is an updated Android app. Furthering the company's effort to create a more consistent experience across its apps, Google+ for Android today got an updated menu design. In addition, the app today got new features, including and option to delete photos from the Photos view, and the ability to see reshares when you tap a post.

The updated Google+ for Android is available now on Google Play.
[Read more]


Star Apps: eBay's Steve Yankovich

Josh Rotter — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:39:16 GMT

eBay's Steve Yankovich
(Credit: eBay)
When an Apple rep initially contacted eBay about developing a proprietary app back in 2008, the latter hadn't even heard of the iPhone or Objective-C. But seeing the potential of mobile software, a number of eBay employees believed that developing a mobile app would profit the global commerce and payments leader in the long run. In early 2009, they began raising funds for the formation of a mobile-specific group and commissioned an outside company to build the first eBay app.

Many software releases later, the app has helped the largest online marketplace blast off into mobile commerce, as eBay's mobile revenue has increased 33x from $600 million in 2009 to $13 billion in 2012--with a forecasted $20 billion in 2013.

Download.com recently chatted with Steve Yankovich, VP of Innovation and New Ventures at eBay Inc., who, as the VP of eBay mobile (2009-2012), played an integral role in the success of the original eBay app. Here he also discusses his other favorite shopping apps and whether the m-commerce leader would ever compete in the app marketplace with software of its own.

How has the eBay app changed shopping habits? The users who started using our mobile app are more active than users who don't. They love that we're letting them buy in the m... [Read more]


WhatsApp sets new record with 27 billion messages in a day

Don Reisinger — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:49:26 GMT

WhatsApp running on iOS.
(Credit: Screenshot by Steven Musil/CNET)
WhatsApp, the mobile service that has established itself as a free alternative to texting, has reached new heights.

The company announced on its Twitter page on Wednesday that in the previous 24-hour period, it had set a new one-day record of handling 27 billion messages. According to the company, its users sent over 10 billion messages during the period, and received 17 billion messages.

WhatsApp has been growing by leaps and bounds. On December 31, the company hit a new record for itself of handling 18 billion messages in a day.
[Read more]


Speed boost for Photosmith, a Lightroom-linked iPad app

Stephen Shankland — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:41:23 GMT

Photosmith 3 for iPad lets photographers view, tag, rate, and catalog photos and synchronize those changes with Lightroom.
(Credit: Apple App Store)
C2 Enterprises has improved the performance and abilities of Photosmith, its iPad app for screening, cataloging, and rating photos before they're handed off to Adobe Systems' Lightroom.
Photosmith 3 is a complete overhaul, developers said in a blog post: "Much of the core of the app has been rewritten or updated to provide more stability. Key areas have been optimized for speed." The software arrived on the App Store on Wednesday.

Version 3's reworked import process is much more flexible, they promised. Instead of storing photos in the iPad's camera roll, Photosmith 3 can store photos in its own catalog, and it can now import them from Eye-Fi wireless SD cards, FTP servers, and other sources.

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Microsoft patches critical vulnerability in Office 2011 for Mac

Topher Kessler — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:24:50 GMT

Microsoft has issued an update to Office 2011 for OS X, which closes a critical vulnerability that may allow remote code execution from an attacker.

With this vulnerability a maliciously crafted Word document or e-mail message in Outlook (with Word configured as the e-mail reader) could give an attacker the execution rights as the current user, allowing them to arbitrarily run code on the affected system.

Microsoft's AutoUpdate tool is the most convenient way to apply the update. (Click to enlarge image.)
(Credit: Screenshot by Topher Kessler/CNET)
While this update is a run-of-the-mill closure of identified vulnerabilities, be sure to keep your system fully updated. While there are undoubtedly other undocumented vulnerabilities in software, malware developers often use known and patched security holes in software, in hopes that they can hook someone who has not updated and secured their system.

Therefore, be sure to always keep your software fully updated.

In addition to security vulnerabilities, this update fixes an error with IMAP accounts in Outlook, where the flagged or starred state of messages is not properly retained.

The update is available through Microsoft's AutoUpdate ... [Read more]


Make animated GIFs from videos with GifCam

Peter Butler — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 05:16:30 GMT

When Yahoo acquired Tumblr for $1.1 billion ... was it because of the GIFs? In our media-saturated Internet landscape, the 5-second animated GIF may be the most essential entertainment currency. If a picture can paint a thousand words, the animated GIF can tell 10,000 stories in 10 frames or less. (Isn't Vine (for Android or iOS) mostly just video-based animated GIFs?)

Newbies who want to dip their toes in the GIF-creation waters no longer need fancy image-editing software like Adobe Photoshop--a freeware app called GifCam lets anyone easily produce animated GIFs from on-screen activity, i.e. streaming videos, flash games, or anything else that happens on your screen, and a new update to version 2.0 throws in custom text captions, a "nearest" color output, and the ability to open and edit existing animations.

Using GifCam is as simple as resizing and positioning the interface window to encompass the screen area you wish to capture, hitting the "Rec" button to start recording (at a default 10 frames per second), hitting "Stop" when your screen sequence is complete, then hitting "Save" to output the recording as a compressed GIF animation. See:

Once you'... [Read more]


Four things iOS 7 tells us about Apple's next iPhone

Jessica Dolcourt — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:15:59 GMT

iOS 7 has a few secrets to spill about the coming iPhone.

Apple has played the game long enough to keep its secrets heavily guarded, but a close look at some of iOS 7's lesser-known features hints at a few hardware changes we should count on (or not) for the next iPhone -- and maybe for the next iPads, too.

Camera enhancements It doesn't take an OS upgrade to guess that Apple will improve its camera's still-life and video capture hardware. That's a given.

Now here's a little evidence: iOS 7 supports 60fps video capture, while 30fsp is the smartphone standard.

That means that the next iPhone could capture twice the information in the same span of time; I'm thinking at a resolution of 1080p HD.

That would make videos even smoother and less jerky than before, especially when you're shooting moving objects or panning the camera. Videos captured at 60fps are also much more ideal for producing slow-motion videos.

Apple flashed slides of features included in iOS 7 that the company didn't highlight during WWDC, including 60fps video capture.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Beyond video capture, there are also implications for shooting burst mode at a rate of 60 frames for each second y... [Read more]


Five alternative apps to tide you over till iOS 7

Tuong Nguyen — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:43:41 GMT

Apple's WWDC announcement of the upcoming iOS 7 promised a slew of amazing, long-overdue updates. Unfortunately, however, if you are not a developer, you will have to wait until sometime in the fall for the official launch, like the rest of us. Owners of iOS 7-incompatible devices shouldn't fret, either. The good news is, you can get some of the functionality or at least similar features of iOS 7, in apps that currently exist on the App Store.

(Credit: Mailbox)
1. iOS Mail and Mailbox

The iOS Mail app is still the go-to place for e-mails among numerous users; with that said, many are heralding the upcoming changes that make checking e-mails quick and intuitive. If you're curious about what the interface will feel like, try out the Mailbox app. Its touch-friendly swipe gestures made Mailbox one of the more popular apps this year. Easy to control and packed full of useful features (such as the mail snooze option), Mailbox could potentially keep you loyal even after iOS 7 rolls out. The only downside is that it only supports Gmail.
(Credit: Screenshot by Tuong Nguyen/CNET)
2. Calendar App and Any.DO

It is stra... [Read more]


360 Protection on Windows and Android

Eddie Cho — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:48:23 GMT

On Tuesday, Qihoo launched two major security products: 360 Internet Security and 360 Mobile Security.

360 Internet Security (32-bit / 64-bit) is a light weight security program that provides real time scanning, automatic updates, and some basic tools to protect your PC from viruses, malware, and other potentially unwanted or suspicious applications.

360 Mobile Security is the younger Android cousin, designed to provide malware protection for your mobile device and comes with a slew of useful system management tools to give you control over what apps have access to your sensitive data. Grab them both over on Download for an exclusive look and take them out for a spin.
[Read more]


Mountain Lion Macs will run Mavericks -- report

Don Reisinger — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:17:27 GMT

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
If you're running a Mac with Mountain Lion on it, you shouldn't have any trouble running Apple's latest operating system.

All Macs that are currently capable of running Mountain Lion will be able to run OS X Mavericks, people who claim to have knowledge of the software told AppleInsider in a story published Tuesday. This means that iMacs from mid-2007 and later, MacBooks and MacBook Airs dating back to 2008, and MacBook Pros from 2007 will work just fine.

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It's important to note, however, that the i... [Read more]


'Activation lock' to tighten iOS security

Seth Rosenblatt — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 20:12:10 GMT

If your iPhone gets stolen and Find My Phone has been deactivated, Activation Lock will prevent it from being re-used by a different Apple account.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Apple may not be able to do anything to stop a mugger from stealing your iPhone, but changes in iOS 7 will prevent the thief from trying to sell the phone as new.

More from WWDC

Meet iTunes Radio, Apple's long-awaited streaming music service

Apple gives the iPhone a user interface face-lift with iOS 7

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Apple unveils new MacBook Air, gives Mac Pro sneak peek

Editors' Take: Apple updates MacBook Air

Editors' Take: A bold new look for the Mac Pro desktop ... [Read more]