Mailplane 2.0: desktop Gmail client now supports Gmail video chat

If you use Gmail on a Mac, you should definitely know about Mailplane. It's basically a really fancy site-specific browser for Gmail, getting Gmail out of your browser tab and adding a lot of features you'd demand in a desktop email client. You can drag and drop attachments and sign in multiple accounts at once, just to name a couple. Plus, a release candidate for Mailplane 2.0 just came out, and it adds 37 new features.
You can do anything in Mailplane that you can do in Gmail, including the new video chat feature. The new gmail themes are also supported, and you can add your own custom stylesheet. It feels strange to use Gmail in a browser again after playing with Mailplane. Customizable keyboard shortcuts, dragging and dropping, and iPhoto integration are just a few of the handy features that make Mailplane a joy to use. It also supports one of my personal favorite things, Growl notifications
[Via: Download Squad ] [Tag: gmail, gmail-2.0, mailplane, video-chat ]

BitPim: Bluetooth syncing for CDMA phones

BitPim isn't a new app, but I've been using it for quite a while, and I thought I'd share. We write a fair amount about the iPhone here at Download Squad, but some of us are stuck with less-than-smart phones that are over a year old, on CDMA networks. Not that I'm bitter, or anything, but how are you supposed to get data like contacts and ringtones onto (and off of) these things? BitPim!
Bitpim is an an open source app that lets you access your phone's data via Bluetooth. I use it to get custom mp3 ringtones onto my junky Samsung dumbphone, and it works phenomenally well. There's a list of compatible phones on the Bitpim site, but chances are that yours will work. Be aware that Bitpim could potentially mess up your phone, although I haven't any issues with it personally.
[Via: Download Squad ] [Tag: bluetooth, CDMA, open-source, phone, ringtone, sync ]

5 disposable email services with RSS support

If you're looking for a little anonymity and security when signing up for download links or invite codes, a disposable email service is a good option. Instead of providing one of your working email addresses, just grab a meaningless temporary one from any of these sites and keep your identity hidden.
These five sites all provide RSS feeds for your address, which is handy. No need to return to the site after registration, just subcribe with your favorite newsreader.
MailCatch - Choose your own address or roll the dice. MailCatch also provides an iGoogle gadget and creates a subdomain (using your address) for quick access to your web inbox. MailCatch also provides temporary forwards, and they've got an FAQ and forums.
MyTrashMail - Offers password protected temporary accounts in addition to the traditional public variety. Note that the Firefox "toolbar" they offer requires you have the Google toolbar installed first. FAQ and about links are prominently displayed.

FilzMail - Sports a clean interface featuring puffy, web 2.0 images. Create your own address or generate a random one and messages are available for 24 hours (which can be extended).

Incognito Mail - The option for minimalists. Choose or generate your address, and it's valid for 60 minutes. No FAQ or TOS is posted. There are a number of other services that look very similar to Incognito Mail, offering different time limits.

DodgeIt - Ok, maybe this is the one for minimalists. You pick the address (no random generator), you check for messages - they're deleted after seven days.

Do you use a different service? Share it with us, but stay on topic - make sure it supports RSS!
[Via: Download Squad ] [Tag: anonymity, anonymous, disposable, mail, privacy ]

5 Fun, casual Steam games you can give for under $20

If you're a gamer, chances are good you've bought something from Steam - Valve's "Nexus of PC Gaming." If not, it's a great place to purchase some inexpensive and extremely fun games. Steam, of course, offers a gift purchase option, making it an ideal spot to find a nice, cheap gift for that special someone on your list.
Steam has tons of casual, fun games in its library - here's my list of five titles under $20 that are sure to provide some maddeningly addictive fun. Hardware requirements for these are fairly light, so they should run on just about anyone's desktop or laptop (provided they're running Windows).

World of Goo ($19.99). Sure, its cartoonish 2d graphics are cute, but this is one seriously smart physics puzzle game. Stack the little goo balls to build structures and reach the goal - it sounds easy, but World of Goo is as challenging as it is whimsical. Finessing your structures into doing what you want takes patience and requires some serious thinking at times. This one's a great choice for anyone who enjoys a good challenge.

Audiosurf ($9.99). This is one ridiculously cool racing game. Audiosurf dynamically creates courses based upon the music you're listening to while you're playing. There's definite cool factor in seeing your favorite tracks rendered as, well, tracks. Race to your favorite song, then see how your score measures up to other players online. The game includes the Orange Box soundtrack - which features Companion Cube's stirring rendition of Still Alive.

Eets ($9.99). An oldie but a goodie, this one gets referred to as a sort of Lemmings/Incredible Machine hybrid. Lead your Eets on the correct path to win levels and alter his mood (and reactions) by feeding him marshmallows. Like World of Goo, don't be deceived by the cuteness - Eets' puzzles get complex and can be extremely challenging. There are also 200 additional player-created levels to download to extend gameplay.

Mr. Robot ($9.99). HEL-9000, the computer brain in charge of the starship Eidolon, has gone evil, and it's up to Asimov to save the day. The game combines puzzle and RPG elements into a enjoyable but not frustratingly difficult package. Mr. Robot has received tons of praise for providing a simple, vintage-style gaming experience (think C64 and Atari) and stunning visuals. While it might not be overly complicated, it's 200-plus levels will provide plenty of game play.

Bookworm Adventures Deluxe ($9.99). Almost two years old, Bookworm is still a killer word game. In this edition, Lex is on a mythical journey and he can earn power ups to boost his word-powered attacks. It's a little bit of strategy and a lot of Boggle/Scrabble word building skill. Coping with time limits and still coming up with high-powered words can actually get very intense. There are three mini games and a survival mode to play as well.
Have another recomendation I missed? Share it with our readers in the comments!
[Via: Download Squad ] [Tag: games, gifts, hgg, holiday-gift-guide, steam ]

Melt Mail provides free, disposable email forwarding

We've looked at other disposable email services (like my list of 5 with RSS support) before. Melt Mail is a nice alternative to other disposable account services.
Many require you return to their site to check for messages, but Melt Mail lets you work with any real email address.
Melt Mail works with your existing email, setting up a temporary forward @meltmail.com. You've got four time periods to choose from - three, six, 12, or 24 hours. After that, your address expires and forwards from it to your real account cease.
Once your address has been created, you can choose to pop up a small reminder window that displays your address and an expiration countdown.
One source of concern I have with the service is the lack of a privacy statement. If you're going to use Melt Mail (or a service like this), check for one before signing up. Who's to say your real address won't end up on someone's mailing list.
Melt Mail is a slick service, I'll just stick to using it with my "registration" gMail account.
[Via: Download Squad ] [Tag: disposable, email, forward, privacy ]

Apple overtakes RIM in smartphone market

Apple is now the second largest smartphone vendor globally, according to figures from research firm Canalys. Being a newcomer to the market, the company managed to ship a total of 6.9 million iPhone devices, grabbing 17.3 percent of the market while vaulting past RIM and Motorola at the same time.

Nokia is still the leading vendor by a comfortable margin, holding 38.9 percent of the market – but that margin was even more comfortable last year at over 50 percent. Despite being pushed into second place, BlackBerry shipments still grew by over 80 per cent, with RIM claiming a 15.2 percent share of the market, while Motorola ended a distant fourth at 5.8 percent.

On the software side of things, Canalys predicts that Symbian will remain the dominant platform due to its close association with Nokia. Apple and RIM obviously saw strong gains in that department as well – their OS is proprietary and tied to their hardware – whereas Microsoft increased the number of Windows Mobile handsets shipped by 42 percent.
[Via: Jose Vilches ] [Tag: ]

The Google Android user interfaces that didn't make the cut

In case you haven't heard, the T-Mobile G1, or the first mobile phone to run the Google Android operating system, is now available. As we've discussed before, Android has an interesting user interface, that's something of a cross between the iPhone UI and a Windows desktop. But have you ever wondered what design choices Google rejected?
Software design team TAT, which helped create the Google Android interface has posted a page showing a bunch of concept designs that didn't make the final cut. Some of the designs, like "Asia Cute" were obviously a bit too niche to be considered seriously. Others, like "Windows Mobile Homescreen" just seem too busy to me. But the "Browser Concept" view for the web browser is pretty attractive, if not particularly useful. And the "History Lane" interface for the music player could have given Apple's CoverFlow a run for the money.
The nice thing about Google Android is that it's not locked down like the iPhone operating system. And that means there's nothing preventing third party developers from taking some of these design ideas and running with them. Or coming up with something else entirely. We've already seen third party skins for Windows Mobile, and that's a closed source OS. With an open source OS like Android, the sky's the limit.
We'll have more Google Android updates for you throughout the day.
[Via: Download Squad ] [Tag: ]