Items by Compiler
Wired: Top Stories
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Facebook, Google Square Off Over Which One Owns Your Data
Posted: May 16th, 2008, 2:00pm EDT by Compiler
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Facebook has blocked Google's new Friend Connect service, ostensibly to protect its users' privacy. But the battle is really over which company gets to control all your personal information. Don't believe it? Read the terms of service.
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First Look: Mozilla Thunderbird Mail Adds Tabs, Better Mac Support
Posted: May 14th, 2008, 1:45pm EDT by Compiler
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Mozilla makes more than browsers. The next version of the organization's popular e-mail client, Thunderbird 3.0, is well on its way to becoming a full-featured desktop communications manager. We take a peek at the newest alpha release.
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Fusion 2 Ups the Ante for Mac Virtualization
Posted: May 6th, 2008, 1:50pm EDT by Compiler
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The latest release from VMWare improves the popular software package for running Windows programs on the Mac OS X desktop. Fusion 2 adds support for computers with multiple monitors and has some graphics-display enhancements for gamers.
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Note The Time: Facebook Chat Hacked
Posted: May 2nd, 2008, 9:54am EDT by Compiler
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Chat service aggregator Digsby has hacked Facebook's spanking-new chat service -- now they can stay logged on to the social network so you don't have to. Note to would-be IM innovators: we don't care about "features." We just want to talk to our friends. Dismissed.
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XP SP3: Now You See It, Now You Don't
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 9:45am EDT by Compiler
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Is it ready for prime time yet? Apparently not. Microsoft has pulled the XP SP3 update after announcing its availability earlier this week due to a last-minute glitch in Microsoft's Dynamic Retail Management System application. Yeah -- you would have noticed that.
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Long-Awaited Windows XP Update Adds Features From Vista
Posted: April 29th, 2008, 2:30pm EDT by Compiler
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Microsoft will release the much-anticipated Service Pack 3 for its Windows XP operating system Tuesday. The update brings over 1,000 fixes and improvements to the aging Windows XP, including a few enhancements from Windows Vista.
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Why Microsoft Won't Extend Windows XP's Lifespan
Posted: April 25th, 2008, 3:40pm EDT by Compiler
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While Redmond continues to hint that it will extend support for its popular Windows XP operating system if customers demand it, Microsoft is still counting some copies of XP installed by PC manufacturers as a sale of Vista, effectively obscuring consumer dissatisfaction with the newer operating system.
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Apple Eases Aggressive Software Update Tactics
Posted: April 18th, 2008, 3:20pm EDT by Compiler
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Responding to a user backlash, Apple has redesigned Mac OS X's Software Update system so that it no longer installs unwanted applications automatically. But some users have already ditched the auto-updater, a move which may affect future interoperability with Apple's consumer devices like the iPod and iPhone.
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Image Editor GIMP, the 'Free-Software Photoshop,' Gets New Look
Posted: April 15th, 2008, 10:00am EDT by Compiler
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The new developer release of the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) incorporates many requested features. The release isn't ready for everyday use, but it signals one of the most robust updates yet to this open source alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
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Google Says, 'Sorry, You Search Like a Bot'
Posted: April 9th, 2008, 10:50am EDT by Compiler
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One surfer is continually hit with 403 Forbidden error prompts on Google searches, prompting him to ask, "Whaddup with that?"
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Flickr Adds Video Sharing for 'Pro' Members
Posted: April 8th, 2008, 7:20pm EDT by Compiler
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Starting Tuesday, Yahoo's popular photo-sharing site is giving paid subscribers the ability to upload and share short, personal videos up to a minute and a half in length.
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Mozilla's Asa Dotzler on Firefox, Fighting Bloat and the Problem With Democracy
Posted: March 28th, 2008, 5:40pm EDT by Compiler
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As Mozilla prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary on Monday, March 31st, Wired.com spoke with one of the browser maker's longest-term employees. Community development director Asa Dotzler tells us how Firefox was born, how the tough decisions about adding features get made, and what Firefox 3 will bring to the table.
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Which Browser Is Best Equipped for the Web of the Future?
Posted: March 27th, 2008, 9:00pm EDT by Compiler
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When HTML 5 is adopted as the next revision of the web's standard language, which browser will lead the pack? Right now, Opera is best equipped to ride the web's bleeding edge, but Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari are running a tough race, too.
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Adobe Makes Photoshop Express Available Free Online
Posted: March 27th, 2008, 11:30am EDT by Compiler
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Adobe releases a stripped-down, web-based version of its Photoshop imaging editing software. The public beta release of Photoshop Express will be available for users to test for free on Thursday, the company says.
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FriendFeed Offers Developers the Key to Build Custom Social Apps
Posted: March 26th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT by Compiler
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FriendFeed paves the way for a new wave of custom social applications for websites, desktops and the iPhone with the release of a new application programming interface.
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The New Evernote Is Backup for Your Brain
Posted: March 14th, 2008, 7:30pm EDT by Compiler
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Truly useful software app Evernote, now available for Windows, Mac OS X and as a web service, lets you store digital clippings of your life in an instantly searchable, easily categorized database.
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New Tools From YouTube Turn Any Website Into a Video Sharing Hub
Posted: March 12th, 2008, 3:15pm EDT by Compiler
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The video sharing site YouTube is letting website developers use its video platform to create independent, branded sites for sharing clips. YouTube handles the video encoding and server traffic, while the developer controls everything else.
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PhotoShelter Protects Your Pics From Would-Be Flickr Thieves
Posted: March 4th, 2008, 4:20pm EST by Compiler
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New import and export tools from photo storage site PhotoShelter give photographers more control over how their images are sold or shared on the web. The release also makes it easier for photographers to use PhotoShelter and rival site Flickr simultaneously.
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Microsoft Backs Down: Internet Explorer 8 Will Embrace Web Standards
Posted: March 4th, 2008, 2:40pm EST by Compiler
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Relenting to pressure from web programmers, Microsoft will ship its forthcoming Internet Explorer 8 browser with default support for the latest web standards.
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Forumwarz: Hilarious NSFW Satire Skewers Web Culture
Posted: February 22nd, 2008, 2:45pm EST by Compiler
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The role-playing game Forumwarz takes an offensive but deadly funny approach to lampooning the poor grammar, childish humor and bad manners of the web's underbelly. Players accumulate points by wreaking havoc on a series of fake websites, insulting others as they go.
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Search for Hidden Treasures With Google's MyMaps Slideshow
Posted: February 14th, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Compiler
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Thanks to the success of its MyMaps tool, Google is currently hosting more than 9 million custom maps generated by its users. That's a lot of geodata, so Google has introduced a new slideshow tool to help you browse the publicly available user-created maps in its MyMaps database.
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New Mashup Turns Google Maps Into Location-Based Blogging Tool
Posted: February 11th, 2008, 7:35pm EST by Compiler
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A map-loving web programmer has turned one of Google Maps' standard features into a simple publishing tool. With a little help from Yahoo Pipes, Tony Hirst's My Maps mashup can generate blog posts with location data attached. Readers of your blog will not know what happened and when, nor where.
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Microsoft: Windows Vista Update Officially Arrives Mid-March
Posted: February 4th, 2008, 3:00pm EST by Compiler
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Software giant Microsoft confirmed Monday that the first update to its Windows Vista operating system will be available as an official download in mid-March. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will address various performance and stability issues and improve the desktop OS's hardware support.
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Flickr Rebellion Brews at Specter of MS Acquisition
Posted: February 1st, 2008, 2:30pm EST by Compiler
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A small but vocal minority on Flickr are already staging cyber-protests at the prospect of a Microsoft takeover of Flickr's owner, Yahoo. Flickr is one of several popular Web 2.0 sites owned by Yahoo that loyal users fear will suffer under Microsoft ownership.
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Netscape, the Browser That Started It All, Dies a Quiet Death
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 3:15pm EST by Compiler
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The Netscape Navigator browser, after years of lagging behind competitor Internet Explorer and siblings Mozilla and Firefox, will fade into history on Feb. 1. Parent company AOL will cease production on all Netscape-branded projects Friday, though the Netscape.com website will continue to exist as a web portal.
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Yahoo Opens Up to OpenID
Posted: January 31st, 2008, 3:00pm EST by Compiler
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Internet giant Yahoo launched its OpenID provider service Thursday, allowing its 248 million registered users to log into dozens of popular websites using the same login and password. Ironically, none of those websites where users can take advantage of their new, easy login management tools are run by Yahoo.
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MacHeist II a Smash Hit, Sets New Record for Shareware Sales
Posted: January 25th, 2008, 3:30pm EST by Compiler
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The shareware promoters known as MacHeist made a splash in 2007 by running the most successful shareware sale ever. This year, the crew sold over 40,000 low-priced bundles of new Macintosh shareware, breaking last year's record and raising half a million dollars for charity.
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They Shrunk My Firefox! Mozilla Shows Off Touch-Sensitive Mobile Mockups
Posted: January 25th, 2008, 12:00am EST by Compiler
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The open-source Firefox browser is headed to a mobile device near you. New mockups released by Mozilla show that mobile Firefox, due later this year, is being designed with the latest touch screen handhelds -- possibly including the iPhone -- in mind.
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Microsoft: Vista Earns High Marks for Security in Its First Year
Posted: January 24th, 2008, 4:30pm EST by Compiler
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A report penned by one of Microsoft's top security experts argues that Windows Vista had fewer known security flaws in its first year of release than other major industry operating systems. On the blogs, skeptics abound.
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Social News Gets Personal With Customizable 'Reddits'
Posted: January 23rd, 2008, 9:00pm EST by Compiler
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Social news portal Reddit.com is rolling out a new feature allowing users to create custom "subreddits" on the site. The private beta, set to launch Thursday, will allow Reddit members to comment and vote on submitted links privately with their friends.
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New HTML Specification Offers Peek at Web's Future
Posted: January 23rd, 2008, 8:00pm EST by Compiler
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The web's governing body has released a draft of the first major revision to HTML in over 10 years. The draft contains dozens of updates to the web's lingua franca, all of which reflect the impact multimedia, games and RSS have had on the common browser.
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First Windows Vista Upgrade Available to Public
Posted: January 14th, 2008, 2:30pm EST by Compiler
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The latest beta release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is available to the general public as a free download. Microsoft decided to release the update publicly several weeks earlier than planned, easing Vista early adopters' year-long wait for enhancements to the desktop operating system. -
Google Apps Embrace the iPhone With Mobile Makeover
Posted: January 14th, 2008, 2:00pm EST by Compiler
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Search giant Google has updated a wide range of its web based services, making them easier to use for mobile users. While many enhancements are iPhone specific, they also ready Google's apps for the arrival of Android, Google's own open-source mobile software platform. -
New KDE Makes Linux Look Lovely
Posted: January 11th, 2008, 3:00pm EST by Compiler
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The popular K Desktop Environment for Linux has been upgraded, enhancing the rich visual front end for the operating system and adding features that make the free software offering just as visually stunning as Vista and Leopard. -
Photoshop Replacement for Linux Is Dressed to Impress
Posted: January 9th, 2008, 4:45pm EST by Compiler
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Users of the Linux operating system have long lamented the absence of Adobe Photoshop on their platform. An application called Pixel fills in the gap nicely, and even stands up nicely to the free image-editing favorite, GIMP. -
Opera Browser Headed to the iPhone? Not Yet, Company Says
Posted: January 9th, 2008, 4:00pm EST by Compiler
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An Opera developer jumps the gun and tells a blogger the company is prepping a version of its browser for Apple's iPhone. Is it true? Opera says no, but the debacle underlines the anticipation surrounding the inevitable iPhone browser war to come. -
Is Yahoo Gearing Up to Embrace OpenID?
Posted: January 8th, 2008, 7:15pm EST by Compiler
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Recently uncovered code on the Flickr website hints at Yahoo's plans to support OpenID, the identity system which would allow users to manage their logins for all Yahoo properties -- as well as other services such as LinkedIn and MySpace -- from one central, secure location. -
Transmission BitTorrent Software Gets A Leopard Makeover
Posted: January 7th, 2008, 4:45pm EST by Compiler
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Version 1.0 of Transmission, one of the most popular file-trading clients for the Mac, has been released. Users sharing files over BitTorrent get a number of updates specific to Apple's latest operating system, Mac OS X 10.5, also known as Leopard. -
Newly Unveiled Wikia Search Leaves Much to Be Desired
Posted: January 7th, 2008, 4:00pm EST by Compiler
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The first public preview of Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales' new open-source search engine launched Monday. Even though the project is very young, it currently lacks many of the human-powered ranking and rating features that will enable it to emerge as a threat to current search leaders like Google.