5 Steam games under $15 that make perfect Christmas gifts

It's that time again, folks: Christmas! 'tis the season to be jolly -- and how better to jollify than to give the gift of game?

Steam, as always, is obscenely overloaded with fantastic indie games that are just gagging to be gifted to your nearest and dearest. At these prices, you'd be forgiven for buying a copy of each game for yourself, too!

It's also worth noting that Steam usually has a massive Christmas sale towards the end of December, where some games have their price cut by up to 90%. Steam games are all digitally-purchased and delivered instantly, so if you want to pick up some last-minute Christmas deals, check Steam around December 23.

I've tried to pick out something for everyone -- so don't give up if the first game doesn't tickle your fancy!

Continue reading 5 Steam games under $15 that make perfect Christmas gifts

5 Steam games under $15 that make perfect Christmas gifts originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/10/5-steam-games-under-15-that-make-perfect-christmas-gifts/

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The Open Internet teaches net neutrality to everyone

I feel strongly about net neutrality -- and you may have some solid opinions about it, too. But what about your mother or your grandfather? Do they care enough about net neutrality to make a stand, or even understand what the fuss is all about?

The Open Internet is a nice little website that strives to explain the topic with very little text, and lovely vector graphics. It flows from top to bottom, with two main illustrations. The first illustration shows how things are today, with the ISP providing access to a raw "stream" of Internet goodness. The second one shows what things might be like if net neutrality is not guaranteed, with "special packages" offering "premium access" to email, Facebook, YouTube or other services many of us spend significant amounts of time browsing.

The site goes on to explain that ISPs would even be able to block access to certain services entirely so they could offer their own competing services -- a frightening scenario. All in all, it's a very quick and enlightening read and it sure beats having to explain the subject over and over again...

The Open Internet teaches net neutrality to everyone originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/23/the-open-internet-teaches-net-neutrality-to-everyone/

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Daily Crunch: Safe Edition

Staying Safe Online This Holiday Season Video: Fan-Made Lego Black Ops Is Exactly What It Sounds Like 12 Days Of Christmas: Digital Storm Black OPS Assassin PC Gaming Rig The iGrill Turns Your iPhone Into The World?s Flashiest Meat Thermometer Tips For The Winter Bicyclist

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/12/14/daily-crunch-safe-edition/

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Google Places blocked by TripAdvisor, but no one knows why

In an interesting and slightly inexplicable move, TripAdvisor has blocked Google Places from using its massive wealth of hotel and resort reviews. Now, when you search for hotels on Google, and browse around Google Maps, you will no longer see snippets from TripAdvisor.

Given Google's recent spate of Places updates, this is either a very bold or very brash move from TripAdvisor. Hotel owners will no doubt be upset at the loss of traffic -- and I'm still not quite sure what TripAdvisor gains from blocking Google. We'll update you with more information, if any emerges.

Google Places blocked by TripAdvisor, but no one knows why originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/09/google-places-blocked-by-tripadvisor-but-no-one-knows-why/

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Google And NORAD Team Up Once Again To Track Santa

Needed any more sign that Christmas is upon us? The annual Google and North American Aerospace Defense partnership to track Jolly Saint Nick is back in action starting tomorrow at 2:00 am. Apparently NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955, hilariously because a telephone misprint in a Sears catalogue misdirected Santa hotline callers to a NORAD higher ups phone line. Google got in on the Santa tracking game in 2004 and partnered up with NORAD in 2007, bringing Google services like Maps, Earth and YouTube into the mix.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ijIP9qs1gqI/

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We Need YOU to Help Us Decide Who Should Win a Chrome OS Notebook [Promotion]

We had hundreds of entries for our latest Chrome OS notebook contest and we really need you to help us pick a winner from all these hilariously awkward holiday photos. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/M1QJPq_pAxM/we-need-you-to-help-us-decide-who-should-win-a-chrome-os-notebook

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Deals of the Day [Dealzmodo]

Short deals post before the holiday weekend. We've got deals on a 47" 3D HDTV bundle, a 17" Core i7 laptop, a free copy of Ashampoo Burning Studio, and more. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ZQTjwede1fs/deals-of-the-day

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Maxthon browser for Android now available -- and it's good

Android users already have a number of capable mobile browsers to choose from: Dolphin HD and Mini, Opera Mobile, Firefox, Skyfire, and even the stock browser are all quite good. Now there's a new challenger: Maxthon. The Chinese makers of the popular-even-though-most-of-the-west-has-never-heard-of-it desktop browser has released a version for Android, and it's a very nice app.

Out of the box, be prepared for Maxthon's geographical lean. The default speed dial pages and start page are in Chinese, and the default search engine is set to Baidu (Google and Bing are available -- and familiar to Western users). You'll also want to jump in to the browser options and go through the default settings: Maxthon's default browser box is checked by default, and you'll likely want to untick that until you've had some time to play with it.

Maxthon packs an array of handy features, including a tabbed interface, cloud sync, orientation lock, speed dial, gesture support, and a download manager. Tapping the overlapping windows icon will display a thumbnail strip which allows you to flick through your open tabs -- just tap one to switch to it. Maxthon also detects RSS feeds, which you can add to the app's built-in reader. While the feed reader displays titles and snippets, tapping an entry will load their URL in a new browser tab (rather than displaying in the reader itself). Tapping the back button on your phone eventually causes the reader window to disappear altogether -- forcing you to tap your Maxthon icon again to re-open the browser. The reader is also pre-populated with feeds: tap and hold to display the context menu to remove them.

Apart from the back button annoyance with Maxthon's reader, I did experience some other glitches while browsing. Some elements -- like Flash embeds -- had a tendency to bleed over the browser toolbar at the bottom of the screen. Locking screen orientation to landscape sometimes caused the page to rotate 180° before actually locking. At times, scrolling could be a bit choppy. The biggest miss with Maxthon is its lack of pinch-to-zoom support. Tapping works, but it's not nearly as flexible as multitouch control.

Overall, however, Maxthon performed quite nicely on my HTC Incredible and the browser itself is very solid -- the RSS reader just isn't for me. Check out the gallery after the break for a closer look, and scan the QR Code to try Maxthon out on your Android device.

Continue reading Maxthon browser for Android now available -- and it's good

Maxthon browser for Android now available -- and it's good originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/16/maxthon-browser-for-android-now-available-and-its-good/

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WebGL has arrived in Google Chrome Beta; get your gaming hardware ready!

Okay, so we're not quite at the point where you're going to be playing the next Crysis sequel in your browser, but still -- the arrival of WebGL in Chrome's beta channel is kind of a big deal. Apart from being able to play around with cool demos like the ones offered up by Google in its official announcement, WebGL is another important step in bringing more desktop-like functionality to the Web.

In addition to cloud-y 3D support, hardware acceleration support is due to arrive at some point -- presumably before Chrome 9 gets pushed to the stable channel. Whether or not that will happen remains to be seen, but we'll know soon enough thanks to the six-week release cycle.

Check your Chrome wrench icon for the update notification, or hit About Google Chrome to force a check.

Anyone else up for some WebGL Quake action?

WebGL has arrived in Google Chrome Beta; get your gaming hardware ready! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/16/webgl-has-arrived-in-google-chrome-beta-get-your-gaming-hardwar/

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Robot Unicorn Attack Heavy Metal is an awesome Time Waster

A couple of months ago, our friends over at TUAW wrote about Robot Unicorn Attack Heavy Metal for iOS. And I'm here today to tell you this momentous game is now available as a Time Waster for the rest of us -- and it's free! In terms of gameplay, what can I say? You're a robot unicorn and you attack while grooving to heavy metal, which is probably why the game is called Robot Unicorn Attack Heavy Metal!

To be a tad more clinical about it, the game can be described as a platformer, but each run is fairly short-lived. You launch from the left side of the screen, hitting Z to leap into the air. Once you gain a bit of speed, you can hit X to dash forward. You can also hit Z to double-jump (i.e, jump up while still airborne). With a clever combination of Z and X, you might not touch the ground for quite a while.

However, not touching the ground isn't enough to win: the level changes, and there are cliffs and all sorts of tricky topography. Run into a wall, and you die. The goal is to continue moving for as long as possible. If you're into heavy metal and unicorns, you owe it to yourself to try this game.

Robot Unicorn Attack Heavy Metal is an awesome Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/17/robot-unicorn-attack-heavy-metal-is-an-awesome-time-waster/

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Dell Streak 7 television ad slides leak out

That Dell tablet that just got its WiFi certification?  It looks like it will be the new Dell Streak 7, and be showing up on your television in a series of commercials.  Engadget got hold of the slides for the commercial script, along with a little Easter egg -- one of them shows a Netflix app, which we knew was coming eventually.  There's a full set of slides at the source link, and they're worth a look.

It's nice to see Dell sticking to the Streak brand, even if this one's going to end up confusing consumers about the OS with the inclusion of a big fat 7 at the end of the name.  Something tells me we'll know more come CES, and in between cold beers we'll find time to tell you.  So Dude, are you getting a Dell? [Engadget]

Dell Streak 7 television ad slides leak out posted originally by Android Central

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/de8pp-meg6k/dell-streak-7-television-ad-slides-leak-out

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The Santa Chronicles: A Look into the Shady Life of the Man in Red [History]

You probably don't give Santa a second look when you see him in a department store or on a street corner every December...but maybe you should. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/KeIkR9bwwZs/the-santa-chronicles-a-look-into-the-shady-life-of-the-man-in-red

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Cyberduck brings FTP, WebDAV, S3, and Google Docs transfers to Windows

Cyberduck has long been a favorite app of Mac owners, and with good reason. The free, open source app is a powerful way to transfer files between your desktop and the cloud, supporting FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Google Docs, Windows Azure, and more. Now, Cyberduck has finally arrived on Windows.

The release of version 4.0 beta packs the same great features as the Mac version, including SCP, multiple encryption types and full-featured SSH support. Cyberduck can also remotely expand files that have been compressed using TAR or ZIP. If that's not enough, how about bookmark support, synchronization, transfer previews, a built-in file previewer, and Growl support? Want to edit a file in your Google Docs using Word on your laptop? Right click it in Cyberduck, open it with Word, save, close, and Cyberduck automatically uploads your changes.

Be prepared for a bit of a lengthy install, however. Cyberduck requires the .NET 4.0 Framework, and it also loads Bonjour during setup. Still, if you do a lot of work with files on a wide variety of remote servers, Cyberduck is an excellent application for managing your upload and download chores.

Even if you don't do a lot of cloud files transfers, it's almost worth installing Cyberduck so that you can pin the jolly little duck to your taskbar. Rubber ducky, you're the one... You make cloud uploads so much fun...

Download Cyberduck 4.0 beta for Windows

Cyberduck brings FTP, WebDAV, S3, and Google Docs transfers to Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/12/14/cyberduck-brings-ftp-webdav-s3-and-google-docs-transfers-to-windows/

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Deals of the Day [Dealzmodo]

Today's deals include a 32" LCD HDTV, a 24" Asus monitor, and a free 7 day trial ($10 MP3 music credit) at eMusic. You still may have time to purchase those last minute gifts at Amazon. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DQ7QpciAKxQ/deals-of-the-day

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