ProxMate Unblocks Hulu, YouTube And Grooveshark Geographic Restrictions

ProxMate is an extension for Firefox and Google Chrome that is able to bypass geographic restrictions on a number of popular video and music streaming websites.

Need access to Hulu.com but live outside the US? Tired of country restrictions like GEMA’s blocking of YouTube/Grooveshark music in Germany?

ProxMate is an open source extension that acts as a proxy server in the US to unblock music and videos from the following sites:

-  Hulu

-  YouTube

-  YouTube Search

-  YouTube Channels

-  Grooveshark

You can also set it to use your own proxy server if you prefer.

Proxy Server?

ProxMate’s US proxy server acts as an intermediary for your requests (from outside the US) to view music/videos on these sites.

It routes your request as if you were browsing from the US and therefore you are able to view content like Hulu or content which is currently blocked in your own country e.g. YouTube music videos blocked within Germany etc.

[Techie Note: TOR is a popular free proxy service but it can be difficult to set up to use a specific country as an exit node and the bundled browser does not include plugins and addons like Flash Player, required to view videos. There are ways around this but TOR traffic is generally too slow to stream video anyway.]

Download

ProxMate for Chrome is available from Chrome Web Store here.

ProxMate for Firefox is available from Mozilla Add-Ons but the old 1.2 version does not support Hulu. For the latest Firefox version with Hulu support and other features/fixes, download Version 1.3.1 here (not yet tested by Mozilla which is why it is not on the main ProxMate page).

Using ProxMate On Hulu

If you are outside the US, when you browse to a video on Hulu and try to play it, you will see a message stating that the video can only be streamed within the US.

To unblock this restriction using ProxMate:

Browse to a video of your choice (not just the thumbnail, the actual video)Click the “i  details” button under the videoA button saying “Unblock this Video” should pop upClick it and wait a few secondsThe video gets unblocked and should start playing (most display video adverts first)

ProxMate Options

Open ProxMate options if you want to configure your own proxy server (for advanced users with a specific requirement) or change site specific settings as shown below:

ProxMate Options

If you choose ‘Use own proxy’ you will need to provide a ‘Proxy URL’ and a ‘Proxy Port’.

Common Queries About ProxMate

To save time asking, it does not work the other way round e.g. people in the US can’t use it to view YouTube content which is restricted to the UK – because the proxy is in the US, same as you!

Likewise, if an uploader has blocked their YouTube video in the US but made it available in the UK, ProxMate can’t unblock it.

In both cases you could configure ProxMate to use a custom proxy server e.g. one based in the UK where the content was not blocked. [Don’t ask me for details of free proxy servers, there are too many to list and they are easily found on Google].

Security Note

On any proxy server (not just ProxMate) your web traffic, including any passwords submitted, could in theory be captured and analyzed by the proxy operator(s). For this reason, passwords to online services (such as webmail) should always be exchanged over a secured connection, such as SSL, when using a proxy.

For best security, don’t log onto websites requiring a password when using an unknown proxy – ProxMate has a simple on/off button so you can easily disable it (which reverts you back to normal safe browsing) when you have finished using the supported websites.

For added peace of mind and to help ensure there are no hidden aspects to the code, ProxMate is open source free software – the source code is publicly available at GitHub.

Conclusion

ProxMate does an excellent job of removing geographic restrictions from several popular video and music sites – for those people browsing from outside the US.

Unlike many proxy services it requires no technical knowledge to use and it appears to give very good performance i.e. no buffering of video on a decent broadband connection.

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Posted in: Geographic,Grooveshark,ProxMate,Restrictions,Unblocks,YouTube

Acer Aspire One AO722 Review – 11.6 Inch Windows 7 Netbook

I recently bought a new 11.6 inch screen netbook – the Acer Aspire One AO722. It’s not a brand new model but prices have dropped in the last few months to make it more of a bargain.

As I noted yesterday, netbook sales dropped 34% in the last year, primarily due to a lack of innovation in the netbook market and stubbornly high prices – so many netbooks have been hamstrung by the same weaknesses: a poor Windows 7 Starter Edition, insufficient RAM and a restrictive 10.1 inch screen.

However, there is still a market for a good quality netbook which overcomes those problems – if you’re interested in whether a netbook can still be an excellent buy and, most importantly, provide the usability and features expected, read on.

Acer Aspire One AO722 Review

A quick summary is at the bottom of this article.

Price:

The Acer Aspire One AO722 costs around $320 in the US for the 4GB model (or £250 in UK for the 2GB version).

This is an average price for a netbook but, unlike the average, it has a far better 11.6? screen (not 10.1?), 4GB of RAM (not 1GB) and W7 Home Premium 64bit (not W7 Starter 32bit).

These features make it very good value compared to most standard netbooks.

Screen:

The screen is a good quality 11.6? display with a resolution of 1366×768 (the same as a standard laptop). This is much higher than the 1024×600 resolution of most 10.1? netbooks and makes Windows less ‘cramped’ and therefore more usable.

The display is true 16:9 widescreen, LED backlit with exceptionally good viewing angles – it’s also very thin which helps reduce the overall netbook size to just 1 inch thick.

11.6? screens are more commonly seen on ultrabooks costing 3-4 times the price.

Design:

Looks good and well finished. The battery fits flush into the chassis so there are no bulging bits – the Acer AO722 is very slim and lightweight (about 3 pounds) yet feels solid enough.

Undo just one screw and you can slide off the entire bottom panel to reveal the (single) memory slot and hard drive – this makes upgrading very simple.

The glossy lid features a unique “water ripples” pattern which looks stylish although, like all glossy covers, it’s a fingerprint magnet:

Operating System:

Crucially it comes with the proper Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit edition – the same as found on consumer PCs and laptops.

Most rivals are still stuck with the poor W7 Starter Edition – no Aero Glass, no Media Center, no multi-monitor support, no remote media streaming and no easy way to change desktop wallpaper, themes or visual styles…

Processor (CPU) and Graphics:

CPU – AMD Dual Core C-60 1Ghz
Graphics – Radeon HD 6290 with 256MB dedicated system memory

The CPU in a netbook is always going to be low powered compared to a PC/laptop. However, the combination of the new C-60 with high RAM and more powerful graphics means that the AO722 has been super smooth at everything I have tried to date.

[Geek Corner - this new dual core AMD C-60 scores 565 at CPUBenchmark.net – faster than popular Intel Atoms like the N455 (scores 320) but slower than the 723 score of the Atom N2800]

Video quality and playback is spot on – full HD, YouTube HD video and Skype video etc are all very responsive with no lag.

Windows 7 Experience Index (WEI) figures are 3.3 for the CPU, 4.1 for Graphics and 4.3 for Gaming Graphics which are very respectable.

Note that a netbook is not designed as a gaming powerhouse and the AO722 is no exception, however it can play online games like Cut The Rope very smoothly (much better than my test Vista laptop with 1GB RAM which grinds to a halt).

Memory (RAM):

The AO722 comes with 4GB (or 2GB in some models) of DDR3 RAM, a big improvement on the 1GB common in netbooks. WEI score is a creditable 5.2

Note that there is only 1 RAM slot (and it is already used) which can take a maximum of 4GB 8GB (thanks to our reader Greggory for the update). 4GB should be enough for most people and is a fair compromise between price, performance and hassle but 8GB could be handy if you are upgrading to an SSD and plan to run serious apps – or just feel the need for speed

If you have a 2GB version you could upgrade by replacing the existing 2GB stick with a new 4GB or 8GB stick – you can’t just add a second stick.

[For RAM upgrades - you can install either a DDR3 1333 MHz or a DDR3 1066 MHz stick but the memory controller limits the speed to 1066 MHz anyway - so you may as well just buy whichever speed is the cheaper.]

I tested startup times using BootRacer to accurately test whether having 2 or 4GB would make any difference. Both from new and after optimizing, the total startup times were basically the same for 2GB or 4GB of RAM regardless – just under a minute from new and about 35 seconds once fully optimized.

However, the 4GB (or 8GB) of RAM would certainly be of more benefit during demanding use with multiple programs open or if playing online games.

Hard Drive:

Standard 320GB hard drive. WEI score is good at 5.5

Although this is typical for netbooks, it’s a missed opportunity. Standard hard drive prices are still very high – so much so that a 120GB SSD (Solid State Drive) is a similar retail price and would be so much quicker – even with a relatively slow processor an SSD could help it outperform most laptops costing twice as much. But then Acer might not sell as many laptops…

Connectivity:

Ticks all the right boxes:

1 x HDMI, 1 x Multi Media Card Reader, 3 x USB ports, 1 x VGA, 1 x Ethernet, 1 x headphone, 1 x mic, 1 x Kensington lock.

The HDMI socket lets you quickly connect to an HDTV allowing pictures and HD video to be displayed on a large screen – this works very well and you could use the netbook as a temporary media center computer.

Battery:

6 cell Li-ion battery – claimed up to 7 hours. In the real world it’s good enough to last about 4 to 6 hours depending on your usage.

Camera:

0.3 Megapixel, integrated into top bezel.

Won’t win awards but the quality is good enough for Skype and produces a clear picture with decent tracking of movement – best with good lighting.

Keyboard:

The keyboard is 100% full size with large flat keys ideal for typing – the only slight let down is that nearby keys on the keyboard ‘flex’ as you type.

This may be because a full size keyboard has less support overall but the effect is a little disconcerting at first – after a while you get used to it and the key action itself is good – typing is certainly easier than on most netbooks where you need smaller fingers.

Size and Weight:

3.21 pounds (1.46 Kg).

H 1? x W 11.2? x D 8.0?

Good size and weight for an 11.6 inch netbook.

Summary

Good

Well priced
11.6? screen with high resolution
W7 Home Premium 64bit
4GB (or 2GB) of RAM
Good processor and graphics (for a netbook)
Full sized keyboard for easier typing
Good battery life
Solid build quality
Light weight
Good wireless/connectivity

Bad

Some keyboard flex when typing
Glossy lid looks good – when clean…
Speakers ok but, as usual, lacking in bass
No integrated 3G or Bluetooth
No SSD hard drive although, to be fair, other netbooks don’t offer this yet either

Acer Aspire One AO722-0825 4GB Version in US

Acer Aspire One AO722 2GB Version in UK

Conclusion

The Acer Aspire AO722 netbook is a competitively priced netbook that offers far more than traditional rivals stuck with 10.1? screens, low RAM and W7 Starter.

It has very few bad points and these are more a reflection of price than quality.

The only major thing lacking is a small but fast SSD drive instead of the standard (larger capacity) hard drive – sadly this is also true of other netbooks. Switching to an SSD could give those thinking of buying an expensive 11.6? ultrabook a lot to think about…

The AO722 seems to have covered most of the bases – if all netbooks offered the same features I don’t believe their sales would have decreased so quickly in the last couple of years.

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Posted in: AO722,Aspire,Netbook,Review,Windows

LibreOffice 3.5.4 Released With Significant Performance Improvements

LibreOffice is a full office suite which includes Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Presentation programs that can also (mostly) read and write the file formats used by MS Office.

I reviewed version 3.4 last November and concluded that it was a marked improvement on the outdated OpenOffice it replaced.

However, last month saw the resurrection of OpenOffice with a new version 3.4 released under the aegis of Apache.

Perhaps it was that renewed competition that had the developers at LibreOffice burning the midnight oil – for whatever reason they have now released LibreOffice 3.5.4 – just a month after the last version.

LibreOffice 3.5.4

This version is claimed to offer significant performance improvements – the combined result of code optimization and bug fixes.

As a result, it makes opening large files up to twice as quick (depending on operating system, hardware configuration and file contents).

A full list of changes (very technical) is available in two parts: RC1 and RC2.

Download

LibreOffice 3.5.4 is available for download direct from the developers here.

As usual the download is in 2 parts – the main installer and a small help file. The default download is for Windows and English (US) language – click ‘Change System, Version or Language’ to select a different operating system and/or language.

Conclusion

LibreOffice 3.5.4 is a worthwhile upgrade – this rapid release keeps a few steps ahead of OpenOffice development. By concentrating on improved performance rather than new features it should keep users happy without change for change’s sake.

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Posted in: Improvements,LibreOffice,Performance,Released,Significant

Windows 8 Release Preview Available To Download

Skill Level: Advanced

The Windows 8 Release Preview is available to download from Microsoft, giving us the chance to have a final look at Windows 8 and assess its new features. Note that the Release Preview is still a beta version of Windows 8 so it may contain bugs and it may be further modified before the official launch – currently pencilled in for Q4 this year.

It is best to install this Preview on a test computer because, if you decide to go back to your previous operating system, you’ll need to reinstall it from scratch.

Download Location

The download location varies depending on whether you wish to direct download the Preview as an ISO image file and burn it to DVD/bootable flash drive yourself, or if you want to let Microsoft decide the right download for you and offer a compatibility report and upgrade assistance:

ISO file download – here (several different language versions and 64bit/32bit available)

Assisted Setup download – here.

A video showcasing the main new features in this Windows 8 Release Preview is below:

Is Windows 8 Any Good?

People are rushing to judge this Preview but, as it is not necessarily the finished article, it is too early to either praise or write off Windows 8. We need to see how it develops over the coming months to get a better idea – some features in the current version may not make it into the final release.

All I will say at this stage is that whilst the new ‘Metro’ tiled interface looks great on tablets (which is what it was designed for) Microsoft may be in serious danger of alienating potential desktop and laptop buyers by putting all their eggs in the touch screen basket.

Already, articles are circulating showing how to shut down Windows 8, how to add back a Start button/Start menu and how to disable the Metro tiled interface (via a registry tweak) in favor of a traditional desktop display.

The fact that such articles (which should be basic, but aren’t) are even needed indicates just how focused Windows 8 is on touch screen displays – and how difficult a transition users of non-tablet computers may face.

However, there is plenty of time yet for Microsoft to change Windows 8 before it is finally released for sale – no doubt they will be looking very closely at the feedback from this Release Preview over the coming months and, I assume, will take special notice of opinions from large corporate buyers looking for a reason to upgrade PCs and laptops from Windows 7 (or even XP!)

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Posted in: Available,Download,Preview,Release,Windows

Get Coupons As You Shop – And Best Prices Via Mobile Apps

Last Christmas I reviewed PriceBlink, a simple web browser add-on to notify you if the product you are viewing is available at a lower price from another retailer.

Whilst it is very useful, it lacks a mobile app to easily give you the best deals whilst you’re out and about.

CouponCabin fills that gap in the market with mobile apps – and also offers a similar web browser toolbar add-on.

What Is CouponCabin?

CouponCabin is a coupon and price comparison website which offers both an integrated web browser add-on and mobile apps for Android and Apple’s iOS:

The CouponDetector browser add-on is a free plug-in available for Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari web browsers – for Windows or Mac systems.The Mobile apps are free and available for Android or iOS (iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch).Note: Coupons and price comparisons are available for US Retailers only.

Web Browser Add-on Features

Coupons: provides discreet notifications to let you know when coupons are detected for a website you’re shopping on. The CouponDetector will only display online coupons that are available on CouponCabin for the store you’re shopping on.

    E.g. if you’re shopping on Sears.com, you’ll see a small bar at the top of your screen notifying you that Sears coupons are available.

Database: more than 100,000 coupons across 3,500+ storesNotifications: can be hidden with a single click and reopened at the time of check-outFree, easy and safe installation: No registration is required and there are no hidden add-onsOptional: if you sign up to the CouponCabin website before downloading you earn 50 Reward Points and can earn more points for qualifying purchases. This is optional – you do not have to sign up to use the browser add-on.Download: and more info from the website here. It should recognize your browser and automatically offer you the right download.

Mobile Apps Features

Replaces six single-purpose coupon appsFind the best deals at restaurants, stores and other local businessesSave at the pump by searching gas prices on a mapGet savings with major retailers in-store or onlineSearch the vast database of grocery couponsGet free stuff and exciting daily deals

Download

Download the Android app from Google Play here or the iPhone/iPad app from iTunes here – both have very high user ratings.

To see the CouponCabin Mobile app in action, check out the demo video below:

Conclusion

The reviews for each mobile app speak for themselves: iPhone app 4.5 stars out of 5 and Android app 4.7 stars out of 5.

The website itself claims that in the last 90 days, shoppers have saved over $21 million by using the site.

CouponCabin is for US shoppers only but has already gained excellent reviews and, according to the reviewers, saved many people money – in these tough times, the more the merrier!

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Posted in: Coupons,Mobile,Prices

Jelly Wars v1.60 APK [Full]

Get Jelly Wars and become a soldier in an ancient war!
Star Arcade is the number one social mobile gaming community where gamers from all over the world can meet and play against each other. Join Star Arcade social gaming community and continue the ancient war, Jelly War. Registration is free!
In Jelly Wars your objective is to destroy your opponent either by shooting exploding jelly shots at them or the bar below them causing the bar to fall. Aim carefully! The closer you shoot, the more energy you take from your opponent. You can change your position by jumping or if your opponent is somewhere you can’t reach, you can shoot sticky green jelly shots to the bars.
This is an age-old story of a treasure that caused a war, a war that you can now continue.Since the beginning of the planet Jelly, two tribes, red and blue, had lived in opposite sides of the mountain. They lived peacefully, hardly even knowing of the other tribe.
Then one day, long time ago, they noticed a bright light in the sky. It grew bigger and brighter, so big that it lit up the whole sky. Finally the source of the light, a massive meteorite, hit the mountain, causing a huge light pillar. Both tribes sent their bravest soldier to find out what was causing the amazing glow. When the soldiers reached the top of the mountain, first the only thing they noticed was amazing, glowing treasure. Both soldiers declared that the treasure belonged to their tribe. The fight over the treasure turned into a war.
Years and generations passed and the war kept raging. Now you can take part!
What's in this version:
- New maps with graphical enhancements
- One round match system
- Random spawn position
- Boot camp
- New weapons, virtual items and themes
- In-game chat
- Player following system
- Rematch system
- Guest play (no registration needed)
- Enhanced Facebook login
- Achievements
- Totally renewed Star Arcade Social Lounge
- In-app shop
By chathu_ac
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Posted in: Jelly

Shine Runner v1.1 APK [Full]

Throw your flat-bottomed fanboat into high gear and slip and slide through the muddy waters of the backwoods bayou. Smash and crash through a destructible world filled with rickety swamp shacks, fishin’ boats, chicken coops, gators, and more.
Pack your cargo hold to the brim with moonshine, tobacky, snake oil and other contraband and then sell ‘em to the highest bidder in a rampagin’ 10-day race for profit and glory.
Just make sure you keep an eye out for Smokey–the more notorious you get, the more cops will come gunnin’ for you.
From the same team that brought you critically acclaimed jet ski racer Riptide GP!
---------
FEATURES:
---------
AMAZING BOAT PHYSICS
Power slide through twisting rivers with the most realistic boat physics ever seen on mobile.
COMPLETELY DESTRUCTIBLE ENVIRONMENTS
Crash through docks stacked high with barrels. Demolish shacks and outhouses. Punt gators and chickens. If you can see it, you can smash it!
SMUGGLE YOUR WAY TO RICHES!
Buy and sell contraband goods like Moonshine and Tobacky, smuggling them from one colorful locale to the next in a race for maximum profit.
ENHANCED FOR TEGRA 3!
Shine Runner sprays on the awesome-sauce thanks to the quad core goodness of NVIDIA's Tegra 3 superchip: Super-detailed water and on-camera splash effects, exclusively for Tegra 3 devices!
GORGEOUS HD VISUALS
Explore a colorful southern world filled with high-detail boats, animated characters, beautiful bayou, marsh, and mountain environments, all running at a silky smooth framerate on your smartphone or tablet – or on your HDTV with HDMI out.
GAMEPAD SUPPORT
In addition to tilt/touch controls, you can play using your Bluetooth/USB gamepad or XPeria Play slide-out controller.
OPENFEINT™ SUPPORTED
Make your name in the Shine Runner Hall of Fame leaderboards or show off your skills with some of the wackiest, most inventive Achievements around.
Download
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Posted in: Runner,Shine