downloads

Android app tells you if Carrier IQ is on your phone--kinda

All the controversy surrounding Carrier IQ has prompted a developer to create an application that helps Android device owners determine whether their handset is running the software.

Dubbed Voodoo Carrier IQ detector, the application, which is available in the Android Market, helps "you find out as easily as possible if your Android device hosts CarrierIQ rootkit or not." The free application is open source, and its developer, "supercurio," says he's willing to work with others "for collaboration and contributions."

But before you download the program, beware that it might not be so accurate. … Read more

How to get more work done in Google Docs

Not many people use only one computer. In fact, most of us hop from machine to machine in the course of a workday.

The best way to make sure you can access your important files from any of the various machines in your digital life is to store the files online. If you use Google Docs as your online file repository, these tips will help shorten your workday.

Send a zipped copy of all your Google Docs files to your hard drive Most PC users back up their important files by copying them to an optical disc or USB storage … Read more

RIAA demands ReDigi stop selling used downloads

LOS ANGELES--The Recording Industry Association of America has sent a cease and desist letter to ReDigi, which could be the first shot fired in a copyright battle over the sale of used downloads.

Multiple music industry sources told CNET that ReDigi, which bills itself as "the world's first online marketplace for used digital music," launched a test version of the service last month (Update: an RIAA spokesman confirmed that the trade group representing the four largest record companies sent the letter ).

Jaclyn Inglis, a ReDigi spokeswoman, said this afternoon that the company had yet to receive the … Read more

Managing and installing applications distributed with DMG files

When you purchase an application or download it from a the Internet, often it will download as a .dmg file instead of the application itself. The file will likely be named similarly to the application, and some people may be a bit confused about how to properly use what they have downloaded.

MacFixIt reader Mary wrote in with a question about this:

"How do you use these DMG files properly when downloading applications? Sometimes when I download apps a DMG file opens and there are instructions to install the program when I open it. At other times when I … Read more

On the road with the Verizon iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S on Verizon offered a good balance between call quality and data speeds during travels in California.

Question: Which is more important, call quality or data speeds? Let me state my bias up front: The Web running on 3G is really important to me. On any device. Whether it's a MacBook connected to a MiFi hot spot, a 3G iPad 2, or an iPhone. That said, is it important enough to justify sacrificing voice call quality?

This week I spent a lot of my time obsessing about the Web performance of my new Verizon iPhone 4S during … Read more

Download batches of images with Any Image Downloader

If you frequently find yourself saving large batches of images from the Internet, you've likely already figured out that there's a better way to do it than right-clicking on each one individually and saving it to your hard drive. Programs like Any Image Downloader can automatically save numerous images in just a few seconds. Although we found Any Image Downloader easy to use, it didn't quite live up to what it promised.

According to the developer's description, Any Image Downloader can be accessed via the context menu in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, or Internet Explorer. In … Read more

Google Music download service looking more and more real

Google Music appears to be well on its way to adding a download service.

Just yesterday, Android phone users who tried to access Google Music from their device's browser were shown a splash page that noted the service's users could not only upload their "personal music collection," but would also be able to "shop millions of songs in Android Market." A description of the offering under that tagline said that users can "get songs from your favorite artists in Android Market, including hundreds of free tracks."

Talk of a Google Music MP3 … Read more

Fetch those files

Fetch is one of the oldest and most well-loved FTP clients, whose cute fetching-dog animation has been running--literally--on Macs since 1989. Fetch can handle all your basic FTP needs, including SFTP and FTP with TLS/SSL, along with support for AppleScript and one-click remote file editing (with any kind of file and any kind of application). In addition to a fairly minimal and intuitive visual interface, Fetch saves you time with extras like Quick Look previews (optimized for OS X), easy drag and drop (including droplet shortcuts that save you from having to retype connection information), progress-tracking Dashboard widgets (shaped … Read more

Google planning music download store 'with a twist'

Google is planning to launch a music download service to complement its music locker, the company's Android chief Andy Rubin said today at the All Things Digital AsiaD conference in Hong Kong.

Responding to a question on his company's plans for a music service, Rubin said that Google is "close" to launching an offering that would allow customers to download music. And to distinguish it from rivals, he said, Google's offering will "have a little twist--it will have a little Google in it."

Google launched its music locker service, Music Beta, earlier this … Read more