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We originally reported on SPDY way back in November 2009, when Google introduced it as yet another experiment in making the Web faster, like Go, Native Client and speculative pre-connections. Over the last 18 months, though, SPDY support has found its way into the stable build of Chrome.

SPDY is basically a streamlined and more efficient version of HTTP. At its most basic, SPDY introduces parallel, multiplexed streams over a single TCP connection — but at the same time, SPDY allows for prioritization, so that vital content (HTML) can be sent before periphery content (JavaScript, video). All in all, the SPDY protocol can halve page load times, which is obviously rather significant.

The best bit, though, is that SPDY is an open-source project. HTTP 1.1 is a lumbering beast that needs to be replaced before low-latency real-time computing really becomes a reality, and SPDY is one of the best options currently on the table. To be honest, we’re not sure why SPDY hasn’t received more coverage — it’s awesome in every way. At the moment, though, the only way to help speed up SPDY’s proliferation, is with an experimental Apache mod.

As far as actually ‘trying it out,’ your best bet is downloading Chrome, hitting up some Google sites, and then checking chrome://net-internals to see your active SPDY sessions. SPDY is a transparent replacement for HTTP, though, and as such it’s rather hard to see its effects. Google’s sites definitely feel fast in Chrome, but there are more technologies than just SPDY at work.

Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did you get a bunch of new gear today? Got some questions about how to use it? More »

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In the U.S., we get boring elevator music piano players in mall atriums. In Japan, they get an awesome robotic Santa. Someone is getting the short end of the stick here, and her name is America. Too bad your own presents won’t come alive as sinister Santas tomorrow morning. Or will they? More »

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I have a thing for physics games, and I’ve been known to post the occasional platformer or action game here and there. But Let it Slide is one of the brainiest games I’ve posted to date.

The idea is very simple, and far from original: You get a board with pieces arranged in a particular pattern; you have to slide those around until you get the special piece into its target location.

It’s not even about finding out where the target location is – you can just hover over “dim tiles” and instantly see where you’re supposed to bring the special piece. But getting it there is a whole different story.

There are five tutorial levels, which I strongly recommend you do. Then there are twenty “beginner” levels, but that’s really a misnomer. If those are the beginner levels, I don’t want to know what the intermediate and advanced levels look like!

Every time you finish a level you get a score based on how many clicks it took you – each level has a “par” (the minimum number of clicks it could be completed in), and your performance is compared to that gold standard. Because it’s such a brainy game, getting it right is quite satisfying. I was downright proud of myself when I managed to finish a few levels. All in all, quite recommended, especially if you’ve got a few minutes of quiet. It might actually help you focus better later on.

Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is one of those posts that could probably be condensed into a tweet: Apple has released the second Preview of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. If you’re running Preview 1, it looks like you’ll first receive a small update via Software Update, and then you can download Preview 2 from the Mac App Store.

There has been some speculation that Apple is getting close to a release or Golden Master build, but judging by 9to5 Mac’s initial findings there’s definitely some way to go. The Golden Master will probably appear at, or just before, the Apple WWDC in June.

So far, it’s looking like the only changes in Preview 2 are the leather bound iCal skin that you can see above, and the main iChat window now combines your AIM, Bonjour and Jabber contacts, like Adium. We’re sure that more details will emerge throughout the day, though, and there’s bound to be lots of invisible changes, too. We’ll update this post when we find out more.

Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s not really a secret the Microsoft had planned on bringing bits of Windows Phone 7′s Metro UI to Windows 8, but we haven’t seen a lot of really telling evidence. However, with the Windows 8 milestone 3 build now available to Microsoft Connect partners, it was really just a matter of time before we started to get a peek.

Thanks to Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott, we’ve now had a glimpse at what the Windows 8 welcome screen will look like. As you can see, the typography is very Metro indeed. Within Windows also mentions that the background image is customizable, and we’re wondering if it might not pull from your current Windows 8 theme. This particular shot shows the CTRL + ALT + DELETE login option, but we imagine you’ll still be able to log in by clicking your account picture tile as well.

Rivera and Thurrott also mention that the tablet version of the welcome screen will allow you to log in by swiping a pattern on the screen — as you can on current Android devices.

Windows 8 welcome screen revealed, looks very Metro originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The first is a full-featured proxy API, which will, for example, allow users to set different proxy servers for normal browsing and Incognito mode. Proxy auto-config scripts are also supported by the API.

The second — Web Navigation Extension — is a bit more expansive. This API will allow devs to build everything from more powerful safe browsing extensions — like Traffic Light — to data analysis and reporting extensions.

Both APIs are currently experimental, so you’ll need to enable them on the about:flags page to try out any relevant extensions. Apart from a proxy example built by Google and shipped with the Chromium source, we’re not aware of any examples just yet, however. We’ll let you know when we spot any slick, new extensions which do surface.

Chrome 11 beta adds new experimental APIs for proxies, Web navigation originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Because it’s the holidays and people will sue anything and everything is horrible, a California Instagram user has filed a class action lawsuit over that terms of service kerfuffle last week. Needless to say, this is dumb. More »

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Over the last few days, a mass SQL injection attack has been quickly gathering speed. Just three days ago only 28,000 URLs were affected, but at the time of writing, there could be up to 3.8 million infected URLs.

Websense has a complete write up the attack, dubbed ‘LizaMoon,’ but here’s the basic gist: it looks like someone is exploiting a vulnerabilty (or vulnerabilities) in hundreds of thousands of websites running on Microsoft SQL Server 2003 and 2005. It’s not yet known whether this is a vulnerability in SQL Server, or simply a case of outdated, unmaintained, and easily-exploitable CMSes.

The attack takes the form of an SQL injection, which then inserts a link to a JavaScript file hosted on the attacker’s server. This is repeated over and over until every Web page in the SQL database has been infected — and considering 3.8 million URLs have been infected, you can see that this is a very easy, and automated, attack.

Fortunately, the JavaScript isn’t particularly malicious: it pops up a rogue AV program called Windows Stability Center, but that’s it. Better yet, the rogue antivirus is already recognized by a bunch of real antivirus suites, including Avast, Panda and Microsoft Security Essentials.

The real problem with SQL injection attacks is that there’s nothing we surfers can do about them. There will always be old and unmaintained websites, and thus SQL injections will remain one of the easiest and most lucrative tools of hackers and spammers alike. All you can do is keep your antivirus and anti-malware software up to date, and pray.

Gargantuan SQL injection infects 3.8 million URLs, installs rogue antivirus originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After witnessing the fall of the DS, DSi, 3DS and PlayStation Vita, it’s no surprise to hear that the Neo Geo X has succumbed to the talents of the homebrew community, but it is a little shocking how easy the handheld was to conquer. Upon cracking the device open, enthusiasts were surprised to find no copy protection to speak of — just a lightly glued MicroSD card. The folks on the Neo Geo forum wasted no time experimenting, and soon found that the handheld’s Bios and game ROMs can be successfully swapped for new games or custom loaders. Substitute files need to retain the name of the file they replace, and swapped games remain mislabeled in the Neo Geo X menu, but the trick has already allowed some users to install the popular AES Unibios. The community hopes that the discovery will eventually allow them to tweak the handheld’s TV-out resolution and enable manual switching between AES / MVS game modes. It’s hardly a “hack,” considering the SD card is completely unprotected, but it’s a good start. Check out the source link below to peer at the device’s insides, or just to watch the community in action.

Filed under: Gaming

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Via: Kotaku

Source: Neo Geo

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Christmas is right around the corner, and for all of you procrastinators out there, we recently shared our handy guide to last-minute gifts that can be whipped up in the 11th hour. We also have some great suggestions for non-consumerist gifts of time and if you’re crafty, don’t forget to check out our DIY guide for cool make-it-yourself gift ideas like these useful texting gloves and this curiously strong solar charger upcycled from an old Altoids tin. For a fun activity to do with the whole family, check out our homemade holiday greeting card and DIY Christmas cracker tutorials, and before putting your gifts under the tree, don’t miss our guide to eco-friendly gift wrap alternatives.

Continue reading Inhabitat’s Week in Green: invisibility cloak, a Hobbit House and a portable washing machine

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Software testers don’t have it easy these days. While it’s been possible for ages to record keyboard and mouse commands as macros, quality assurance teams sometimes can’t have any tracking software running — a real pain when trying to recreate a bug in an online RPG or other input-heavy apps. Emukey’s proposed EK1 box could save testers from manual troubleshooting by running those macros from hardware. By taking scripts pushed out from a host Windows PC, the EK1 can run pre-recorded keyboard and mouse instructions on a slave PC without any software interference. The script-based approach makes it easy to reproduce a glitch on other machines by sharing files, and the use of PS/2 peripherals (with USB adapters if needed) prevents lag from skewing the results.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Emukey EK1 runs mouse, keyboard macros purely from hardware (video)

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Source: Emukey (Indiegogo)

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While we’ve still yet to see anything truly Earth-shattering, the tandem of Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott continues to churn out insight about interesting new features they’ve discovered in Windows 8 milestone 3. The latest discovery is that Aero in Windows 8 will be able to automatically adapt itself to match your current wallpaper image. It’s a bit like what Windows 7 already does with your taskbar icons: if a program alert needs your attention, the icon will glow using the predominant color (e.g. Firefox should glow orange).

And yes, you can already make Windows 7 behave this way if you like. Over at CodePlex, there’s a little program called Aura that parks itself in your system tray and automatically adjusts your window borders to compliment your wallpaper images. The effect is quite nice, and you can try it out by minimizing your windows and cycling through your theme’s wallpapers (right click on your desktop and choose next desktop background).

Windows 8 to feature adaptive Aero colorization, get it now on Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s that special time of year between the holiday sales and the pre-CES hype that presents an opportunity to consider some of the most innovative devices of the year. Switched On is proud to present the Saluting Wares Improving Technology’s Contribution to Humanity awards, also known as The Switchies. This year marks the seventh annual Switchies, which are decided based on a rigorous examination of the opinion of me, and do not reflect the opinion of Engadget or its editors. For that latter honor, nominees will need to win an Engadget Award.

This week’s Switched On will cover many of the major award categories while next week’s will cover some of the more obscure ones. Let’s roll out the red carpet then.

Continue reading Switched On: The 2012 Switchies, Part 1

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Face it, Santa is pretty antiquated. I mean, what kind of crazy elf-powered factory must he have up there in the North pole in order to be churning out iPhones and laptops and Wii Us? Ridiculous as it is, you don’t want him to get hip, because he’d turn into this. He’d keep his list in the cloud. He’d order all his gifts on Amazon Prime like the rest of us. God only knows what he’d do with Snapchat. Maybe some things are best left outdated. [Reddit] More »

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iPhone is a powerful name. It conjures up a the vision of a meticulously crafted phone, something that’s a pleasure to hold and pleasant to look at. Most of all it makes you think of an Apple device. Well in Brazil, that’s not necessarily the case. The “iphone” that came out there this week rocks Android 2.3. More »

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Chances are, you know a Doctor Who fan. Greg Kumparak, formerly of Tech Crunch is also a (pretty big) Doctor Who fan, and decided to get a little crafty and build his own TARDIS. As explained in the video above, a TARDIS is a vehicle to drive you through space and time, that just happens to look like a 1960s era British police call box. Greg's looks pretty authentic after a nice paint job.

But here's the thing about a TARDIS. They are bigger on the inside. While that is easy enough to accomplish with the magic of television, it took a different kind of magic to make it happen in the real world. That's where Android comes in. Using augmented reality, Greg can open the TARDIS door and point his Nexus camera at a freaky black and white pattern. Thanks to the Qualcomm augmented reality framework, Greg built an app to interpret that pattern, and display the interior of his TARDIS as it should be on his screen. Very cool.

This just might be the best use of augmented reality ever. Be sure to watch the video, and hit the source link to read a little about how it was constructed.

Source: GK's blog

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Robin, who wants to help the older generation get online. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“Hi Engadget, I’m looking for a desktop for my parents, and since they rarely play any 3D games, I think a nettop might be ideal. Anything that has an HDMI output would work, so what do you recommend? Thanks very much”

Lenovo’s latest Q190 arrives in January, will set you back $350 and comes with Windows 8, while the eco-friendly (but less-powerful) ASUS EeeBox EB1030 is $370, but should do a similarly decent job with your parents early adventures in tweeting. But how about you out there? Can you suggest a nettop that’s even more desirable? Now that the world hasn’t ended (at least when the Mayans said it would) you can share your knowledge in the comments below.

Filed under: Desktops, HD

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We’ve seen Christmas trees built out of spare car parts, discarded SCSI drives, OLED panels, and quadrocopter stacked boxes, but Germany? Their taking the old tannenbaum back to its roots — and tweaking its genetic code. With the aide of a government grant, scientists in Germany are trying to develop a method of tree cloning suited to Nordmann Fir. The native pine is popular for yuletide trimmings, but can be difficult to grow — as much as 40 percent of trees grown for the season wind up the wrong shade of green or have their growth stunted by frost. Plant biologists hope to have a healthy stock of cloned trees ready by 2016, assuming nothing goes terribly wrong. Perfectly cultivated clones or not, we still prefer ‘ol Chuck Brown’s charming twig.

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Source: PhysOrg

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Now, however, the Chevron WP7 team’s Chris Walshie has delivered a handy little utility that will allow you to update any Windows Phone 7 device — regardless of your carrier.

1. Download and install the Windows Phone Support Tool (x86 or x64) and the ChevronWP7 Updater (x86 or x64)
2. Launch ChevronWP7 Updater and select your language. If your language isn’t listed, stop and do not update.
3. If were running WP7 build 7004 (you can verify in Zune) then run the updater twice.

Once the process completes, you should be able to copy and paste to your heart’s content. Let’s just hope all this update foolishness gets sorted out before we’re supposed to receive Mango.

Install the Windows Phone 7 NoDo update regardless of your carrier originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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