If you haven’t checked it out yet, the Windows Live Messenger 2009 Beta is now available for download. Yes, it’s the same horrid installer. It has obviously undergone some changes, though, and isn’t quite as bad as the previous version. My apps downloaded and installed on the first try, a stark contrast to my numerous failures with the last Live Installer. Live Messenger’s UI has received a lot of attention, including a much improved chat window. Display pictures and the chat toolbar slide in and out of view, and the conversation styling is clean and readable. I’d like to see tabbed (Read the full post about ‘Live Messenger 2009 Beta Looking Good’…)

Watch carefully.. I’m about to talk like a pirate. Arrh. Avast. Shiver me.. oh forget it. It’s officially “Talk Like a Pirate Day” the world over. Talking like a pirate is kinda lame. It’s been done. It’s so 2004. Since we’ve had it up to here with co-workers and their clever attempts to recreate a pirate past that never was a cute or cuddly as the fantasy pirates of today, we decided to go a different direction. Welcome to Download Squad’s “Download Like a Pirate Day”. It’s just like that other day except, well, lot’s and lots better. We’ll keep you fat and happy throughout the day with ways (Read the full post about ‘Download Like a Pirate Day’…)

Web applications that function like familiar desktop apps are all the rage these days. Web apps already have the advantage of being accessible from everywhere, but add in a UI that works like something users already know, and you’ve got something pretty cool. Cappuccino is an up-and-coming way of getting this done, and the code is now all open-source. It’s a framework for building apps like this using some tools that are already pretty standard on the web, like Javascript, combined with what’s basically a port of Apple’s Cocoa APIs, and tying it all together with a language called (Read the full post about ‘Cappuccino and Objective-J make for a tasty open-source web app framework’…)

WinZip is sort of the Xerox/Kleenex of the compression world. While many geeks prefer alternate file compression utilities like 7-zip, TUGZip, or WinRar, you’re more likely to find WinZip installed on any given office computer. And with the launch of WinZip 12, the developers have shown that they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.Probably the biggest changes in WinZip 12 have to do with its handling of image files. WinZip now has the ability to compress JPEG files by up to 25% without any quality loss. There’s also a new Zip from Camera Wizard that makes it easier to grab files (Read the full post about ‘WinZip 12 supports lossless JPG compression’…)

AOL’s MapQuest is branching out and adding local content to its online map service. The idea is that MapQuest already lets you figure out how to get from one place to another. MapQuest Local lets you know what you might want to do when you get there. You can access MapQuest Local via a the Local button at hte top of any MapQuest page. If you’ve never visited the page before, MapQuest will try to guess your location based on your IP address but you can adjust the location if it’s wrong. You’ll then see a whole slew of local infomration including local news, weather forecasts, restaurant (Read the full post about ‘MapQuest Local has weather, movie times, food and oh yeah, maps’…)

The developers behind ScummVM, the open source tool that lets you run classic DOS games like The Secret of Monkey Island and Sam & Max Hit the Road are back with version 0.12.0. The update brings support for 5 new games including additional games in the Legend of Kyrandia series. The new version also adds support for new platforms including the Nintendo GameCube and Wii and the PlayStation2 version is now up to date after a period of stalled development. ScummVM is available for Windows, Linux, OS X, iPhone, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Solaris, BeOS, AmigaOS 4, and a bunch of game (Read the full post about ‘ScummVM 0.12.0: Now with GameCube and Wii support’…)

Here’s a gallery of the highlights: basic pages, Options, menus, and a few Google services all running smoothly. The key: speed. We haven’t seen speeds like these… ever! Be sure to check out Jason’s full review in the post below this one.Gallery: Google Chrome first impressionsSource: feeds.downloadsquad.com

If you’re in the mood for a little mindless fun, Strategic Billiards might be right up your alley.Don’t go thinking this is a traditional game of pool - it’s anything but. Developer Igor Galochkin has dispensed with annoying rules like having to strike the cue ball or sink balls in a particular order.He’s also done away with those annoying middle pockets.They’ve been replaced with the ability to pause and set up a fan, tilt the table, teleport your ball, accelerate your ball, hit the table with a hammer, and more. Lead off your turn by making the balls spontaneously scatter if you (Read the full post about ‘Strategic Billiards : Pool Without Rules, Laws of Physics - Time Waster’…)

With the number of laptops I reinstall Windows on every day constantly on the rise, I’ve been looking for applications that might help boost my pitiful short-term memory - for some reason, my boss frowns upon me playing Brain Age at work.And since 6AM isn’t the best time to be shouting at something in my house (toddler, wife, etc.), I need something a bit more quiet to help me practice. Speed Read may be just the app for the job.The idea is very simple: display the number of words you choose at a specified interval to improve your ability to recall groups of words and maintain attention to (Read the full post about ‘Speed Read : Improve Your Reading and Retention Skills’…)

Image sharing site Flickr has allowed users to view attractive slideshows of search results or image sets for a while now. But for some reason, up until now you had to rely on a third party service if you wanted to embed that slideshow on your own web page. Or you could create an iFrame and figure out how to create the code yourself. But who wants to go through the trouble?This week, Flickr finally added the ability to share a slideshow with other users. Just click the Share link when viewing any slideshow on Flickr. You get two options: a URL that links to the slideshow you’re viewing (Read the full post about ‘Flickr finally launches embeddable slideshow widget’…)