Personal Activity Monitor tracks time you spend using desktop apps

Up until a couple of years ago, I used to turn to RescueTime to figure out how I spend my time online. Then it got too complex, and I stopped using it. Personal Activity Monitor is like a vastly dumbed-down version of RescueTime, and I mean that as a compliment. It's free and bare-bones -- all it does is track what applications you're using and for how long.

A big drawback at this point is that it doesn't integrate with Web browsers to help you analyze how you spend your time on the Web. Still, if your work doesn't require constant Web app use, knowing how long you've used a browser overall might be enough to help you manage your time.

This is far from the only application in this space -- alternatives such as Slife and Chrometa are full-featured and impressive -- but PAM is good option for those who want a nice, simple tracker.

Personal Activity Monitor tracks time you spend using desktop apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/05/personal-activity-monitor-lets-you-quickly-see-what-you-spend-ti/

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Panasonic GF3 reviewed: aging 12 MP sensor, good upgrade for current compact users

When the Lumix GF1 was released less than a year after Micro Four Thirds first made its debut, it made a huge splash for its size, image quality, and versatility. Problem is, Panasonic set the bar very high for future GF-series models, and has sadly come up short with its latest update, positioning the GF3 ($600 with 14-42mm kit lens) as an upgrade for compact camera owners while leaving enthusiasts longing for much more. DPReview took the GF3 to task, publishing a very comprehensive review while finding that while Panasonic's latest ILC is a good fit for some photographers, more advanced users will likely be disappointed -- especially if they're expecting a rangefinder-like successor to the GF1. We spent a few hours with a pre-production GF3 earlier this summer, and weren't blown away by its performance. When testing against the class-leading Sony NEX-C3, we found the Sony camera to offer faster focusing, better high-ISO performance, more accurate white balance, and better image quality overall. So unless you're really gunning to save 50 bucks on an ILC with a kit zoom (or you already have a collection of Micro Four Thirds lenses), the $650 C3 is definitely the better bet.

Panasonic GF3 reviewed: aging 12 MP sensor, good upgrade for current compact users originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/12/panasonic-gf3-reviewed-aging-12-mp-sensor-good-upgrade-for-cur/

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Google Chrome and Chromium add protection against malicious downloads

Google Chrome already sports a number of security-minded features, from Incognito mode to a software sandbox which makes exploiting the browser a Herculean task. Now, Google has announced additional protection for Chromium and Chrome users.

Built upon the Safe Browsing API, the new feature introduces protection against malicious downloads. If a download link appears in the Safe Browsing blacklist, Chrome and Chromium will warn users against downloading -- a save button is still presented, of course, in case you're convinced a file is perfectly safe to download.

We'd like to see something a bit more eye-catching than the red warning icon -- like perhaps painting the entire bar red. Many of the people a feature like this aims to protect probably won't notice the icon or change in wording as they'll be focused on clicking the save button.

Google is initially making download protection available to Chrome dev channel users, and you'll likely see it in Canary and Chromium snapshot builds as well. After thorough testing, beta and stable users will be next in line.

Google Chrome and Chromium add protection against malicious downloads originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/google-chrome-and-chromium-add-protection-against-malicious-down/

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Chinese Woman Transforms into a Sludge Monster to Prevent Tanning [Image Cache]

You know how it's fun to make fun of crispy orange tanning bed junkies? Yeah, turns out the opposite is actually funnier. This is a Chinese woman avoiding direct sunlight by using "high-tech" anti-tanning swimwear, or in common parlance, a latex gimp suit. [MicGadget] More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/H-AXyl2lCz8/chinese-woman-transforms-into-a-sludge-monster-to-prevent-tanning

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Sifteo Cubes Are Building Blocks for Geeks

LEGOs and Lincoln Logs are for Luddites. Sifteo cubes are the new building blocks.
Each cube has a 128-pixel color LCD screen, wireless connectivity, a 32-bit ARM microprocessor, and an accelerometer that responds to tilting and stacking. You can arrange them to create everything from vocabulary puzzles to building challenges, all of which can be enjoyed [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/08/sifteo-cubes-blocks-toys/

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People Look At Google+ And Facebook The Same Way [Social Networks]

An eye tracking study of 54 users under the age of 34 shows that Facebook users and Google+ users read their homepage in the same way. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/m9t5-ecSCE0/people-look-at-google%252B-and-facebook-the-same-way

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Nokia still ahead of Apple in smartphone sales, according to Gartner

Whoa there, Apple, we know you're starting to feel pretty darn good about besting Nokia and Samsung for the title of world's largest smartphone manufacturer, but hold on for just one minute. Gartner has a different idea of how the numbers game really works, and its interpretation makes all the difference in determining who earns the title. Rather than measuring the number of units each manufacturer ships out to the distributors (as IDC, ABI Research and Strategy Analytics do), Gartner gauges its numbers by how many devices were actually sold to end users instead. Thus, Nokia still keeps its title -- for one more quarter, anyways. The firm is confident Espoo won't be the top smartphone contender for much longer, thanks to the company's grim Q3 outlook as it continues to await the transition to Windows Phone. But hey, there's always Q4, right? Right? Check out the full press release after the break.

Continue reading Nokia still ahead of Apple in smartphone sales, according to Gartner

Nokia still ahead of Apple in smartphone sales, according to Gartner originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/11/nokia-still-ahead-of-apple-in-smartphone-sales-according-to-gar/

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Altaro Hyper-V Backup beta launched, only 250 places available

This one's for the sysadmins in the audience: Altaro, makers of our favorite "time machine for Windows" back solution, OopsBackup, have just announced a new product entering beta called Hyper-V Backup.

It's a backup solution for virtual machines running on Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization solution. If that sentence just seemed like a bunch of buzzwords crammed together, Hyper-V backup is not for you. But, if you actually use Hyper-V and are hankering for a good backup solution, Altaro might be worth checking out.

The beta run is limited - Altaro are looking for just 250 testers. All participants will get a free license key to the final, production version. So if you're interested in helping test Hyper-V Backup, get yourself over to Altaro now and join the beta.

Altaro Hyper-V Backup beta launched, only 250 places available originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/02/altaro-hyper-v-backup-beta-launched-only-250-places-available/

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iPod-Controlled Roaches Dance to Lady GaGa [Science]

The Cooper Union is a private college in Manhattan that offers an internship for students interested in science. This summer the teens studied neuroscience by experimenting with Central American cockroaches. Sounds like fun. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ps1OHY2G-10/ipod+controlled-roaches-dance-to-lady-gaga

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Daily Crunch: Landscape Portrait Edition

Meet The Robostir, A Robotic Soup Stirrer Must-Have For Minecraft Fans: Grass Block Mousepad Review: ThinkGeek iCADE iPad Arcade Game Bowers & Wilkins Announce The Tiny PM1 Audiophile-Class Compact Loudspeaker Do Not Swallow: Olympus Releases Tiny E-PL Promotional Cameras

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/06/15/daily-crunch-landscape-portrait/

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Nokia still ahead of Apple in smartphone sales, according to Gartner

Whoa there, Apple, we know you're starting to feel pretty darn good about besting Nokia and Samsung for the title of world's largest smartphone manufacturer, but hold on for just one minute. Gartner has a different idea of how the numbers game really works, and its interpretation makes all the difference in determining who earns the title. Rather than measuring the number of units each manufacturer ships out to the distributors (as IDC, ABI Research and Strategy Analytics do), Gartner gauges its numbers by how many devices were actually sold to end users instead. Thus, Nokia still keeps its title -- for one more quarter, anyways. The firm is confident Espoo won't be the top smartphone contender for much longer, thanks to the company's grim Q3 outlook as it continues to await the transition to Windows Phone. But hey, there's always Q4, right? Right? Check out the full press release after the break.

Continue reading Nokia still ahead of Apple in smartphone sales, according to Gartner

Nokia still ahead of Apple in smartphone sales, according to Gartner originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ZVmdZ0_WrYk/

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Gladinet maps Amazon Cloud Drive to your Windows desktop

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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FCC details plans to bring texting, photos and video to 911 service

The FCC started talking about its intention to allow for 911 texting (and even photos and videos) last year, and now Chairman Julius Genachowski is out with a detailed plan for a "next generation" 911 service. The standout feature of it is just that -- the ability to send a text, photo or video in the event of an emergency -- but that also brings with it a complete overhaul of the backend of the service, and a switch to an IP-based architecture from the current circuit-switched system. That, the FCC says, should provide more flexibility and resiliency, and the agency has a number of other improvements in mind as well, including increased accessibility for people with disabilities, and new measures to improve the accuracy of location gathering (including new rules for wireless carriers). Of course, it all still is just a plan at the moment, but the FCC says it will consider a move to accelerate adoption of the plan next month.

FCC details plans to bring texting, photos and video to 911 service originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/aF7AXMoka04/

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