I love the Ubuntu Software Center. It’s  easy to use and not too complex for Linux beginners to figure out. It goes a long way toward making software in Linux as easy to manage as software on the iPad. It’s also not without its faults, however. It’s frequently slow and doesn’t quite integrate everything you might want to do with a package manager.

That’s not true of the Deepin Software Center, which is beautifully arranged and very quick. Sure, at times it can be a little confusing. There are also many things this piece of software does right compared to the alternative – it looks great, functions fast and is intuitive to explore in a way the Ubuntu Software Center isn’t. It’s worth checking out, if only to see how easy a Linux package manager can be.

Using Deepin Software Center

The start page of Deepin Software Center will look immediately familiar to anyone used to the App Store for Mac.

A few applications are highlighted at the top, with slick graphics for the job. Beneath are more recommended apps, broken down by category.

It’s easy to find something you like here, and you just might find something new and awesome. You can click the “Install” button to launch software immediately, or click the software’s name to see more information. There will be a write-up and screenshots, but be warned, the reviews will mainly be in Chinese.

Want to explore more software? Click the “Repository” button at the top. Here you can explore software offerings by category.

Again, click the “install” button to install and the software’s name to see more information. Perhaps the best thing about this software center is the ability to quickly sort the software offerings by rating, number of downloads or recommendations. It’s quick, and gives you new ways to explore.

Deepin Software Center can also handle updating software for you, if you want. This is found on the “Update” page. You can manually pick which packages to update, or update everything – it’s up to you.

By default, Deepin’s Software Center doesn’t blend nicely with Ubuntu. You can change this by picking a different theme. Sure, none of them are perfect, and standard GTK would be nice, but it’s a nice change of pace in some ways.

Change is instant. Sure, it’s a gimmick, but it’s fun.

Installing Deepin Software Center

Do you want to try this out? It’s easy to do, thanks to this Debian package. I tested this on Ubuntu 11.10 and it worked great. It should work on Linux Mint and other Ubuntu derivatives, so try it out.

Deepin Software Center won’t work on any Linux distro that doesn’t use the Debian package manager.

Conclusion

Is this the perfect software center? Probably not, but it’s nice in a lot of ways. I hope the Ubuntu team incorporates ideas from this to make the software center better.

Thanks to the OMG Ubuntu team for pointing out Deepin Software Center to me. Do you want to learn more about Deepin? Check out the Deepin Linux page on Distrowatch.

How do you guys like this software center? Leave your thoughts below, because I love hanging out with you and talking tech.

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

Arundel – Olive Caves

Genre: ambient, electronic, soundscapes, trip hop

From their Facebook page: “Arundel is the name encompassing many of the musical creations of Brisbane (Australia) resident Lucas Arundell. He plays the role of songwriter, composer, arranger and producer, creating a broad range of songs, grooves, soundscapes, remixes and instrumental pieces.”
Arundel is supported by the independent record label Paper Street Records. You can view the video for the title track A Deep Freeze here.

Olive Caves is a name your price download from Bandcamp. Donations to support the artist and his team are most appreciated.

Magic City – Little Bits EP

Genre: alternative, indie, dreampop, lo-fi, rock

Magic City is a lo-fi indie band from Chicago, Illinois. Their record label writes about the album: “Magic City is this kind of band as their music is a dreamy commentary about life, love, and the human condition. Releasing their E.P. Little Bits back in November, Magic City launched itself onto the Chicago music scene as butterflies dreaming of being people. This is not to say that their music is petty in any way as their E.P. is fantastic. The thing about Little Bits is that its sound and lyrics are draped in an ephemeral curtain of dreamscapes and distortions.
But behind these dreamscapes and distortions Lauren Whitacre meows about how hard it is sometimes to be a person. Her vocals are in a similar way to PJ Harvey’s but her lyrical messages are far more draped in blue than Harvey’s could ever be.”

Little Bits EP is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Spiral – The Traveler

Genre: progressive, rock, ambient, psychadelic rock, art rock

From the album page: “This is part 2 of a planned trilogy of records telling the story of Rip and his daughter Anomoly. To listen to part 1 “The Capital in Ruins” please follow this link: thespiral.bandcamp.com/album/the-capital-in-ruins And look forward to part 3, which is in the works.”
Spiral was previously featured on Sound Sunday with their albums Citizen, The Capital in Ruins, Machine, and Your Kindness Let a Monster In.

The Traveler is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Galway – Mria

Genre: indie, pop, chillwave, dreamgaze, dreampop

Galway are four young guys from Moscow, Russia. Mria contains some re-recordings of earlier material, embedded in a selection of new songs, which they recorded over the past couple of months. It is an album of indie pop melodies muffled in atmospheric sounds. Catchy guitar solos and energizing drums occasionally break through the soundscape, such as in my favorite song of the album Each Of Us Loves Space Tears.

Mria is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Glass Kites – Selftitled

Genre: alternative, progressive, ambient, experimental, dreampop, rock

From their Facebook page: “Wowing audiences with emotive progressions, hypnotic grooves, lush walls of sound, joyful lyricism, and unique progressive composition Glass Kites caters to the music fan yearning to be impacted and enveloped.”
The record was recorded at Vancouver’s Warehouse Studio.

The selftitled album Glass Kites is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Something Fiction – Botany

Genre: alternative, electronic, experimental, progressive, psychedelic

From their Last.fm page: “Something Fiction is an experimental music project formed by vocalist/instrumentalist/producer Matt Humble, guitarist Raul Rodriguez, and percussionist Nick Greder of San Antonio, Texas. The music combines electronic synth sounds with ethnic and acoustic instruments supported by a vibrato driven vocal performance.”

Botany is a free download from Bandcamp.

Mindthings – Resonance

Genre: ambient, electronic, chillout, chillwave, dreampop

Mindthings is the music project of Clément Peres, an event producer, illustrator, and music composer from Bordeaux, France. Resonance is his sixth album.

Resonance is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Giraffage – Comfort

Genre: indie, ambient, electronic, dreampop, hip hop

From Giraffage’s Last.fm page: “Giraffage is the creation of 21-year old multi-instrumentalist/producer Charlie Yin of San Francisco, California. The general sound of Giraffage is described as a weaver of refreshingly crisp electro dream pop tunes that thread their way through loose-knit grooves and tightly-toothed rhythms. Gaining inspiration from things as diverse as dreams or the weather, Giraffage evokes a woozy yet familiar mood that is sure to stimulate your eardrums and leave you feeling a sense of nostalgia and melancholy.”

Comfort is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Kleptonaut – The Golden Age Of Space Travel

Genre: ambient, electronic, downtempo

From the album page: “All music is built on the shoulders of the road traveled by giants and gnats. This music sometimes follows that road and tries to get some speed, and when it’s lucky, and you happen to be on board, it just might lift off and surprise you.
These 10 tracks were all made in the last year. Moogfest 2010 was a major recent inspiration. Michelle is a perpetual inspiration. This album was mostly for her as she has been my main audience of 1.
The album is free for the taking to any ears willing to lend themselves.
Any single person paying for the album, before or after downloading it, will encourage me greatly to make more music.”

The Golden Age Of Space Travel is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Symphony of Science – Symphony of Science Bundle v1?.?3

Genre: electronic, remix, symphony

From the project’s homepage: “The Symphony of Science is a musical project of John D Boswell, designed to deliver scientific knowledge and philosophy in musical form. The project owes its existence in large measure to the classic PBS Series Cosmos, by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steve Soter, as well as all the other featured figures and visuals. Continuation of the videos relies on generous support from fans and followers.”

Symphony of Science Bundle v1?.?3 is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.

Windows has managed to do a pretty good job of putting together the x64 version’s emulation mode (WoW64) and I’ve had no experiences where 32-bit software wouldn’t run as expected. Device drivers though, is a big one. Don’t you dare go putting x86 device drivers on your x64 machine. However, x86 64-bit systems often lack alternative software to those that are written specifically for 32-bit architectures. So here I am with three solutions that ought to put you on to some brand new, 64-bit compatible freeware goodies.

Just a note before jumping in: All three of these websites are very trustworthy and I have experiences with them all. Feel free to check their WoT ratings if you’d like a third-party opinion. However, I do not personally support downloading software from anywhere but the software’s original website. Too many websites wrap their downloads with garbage, and though these don’t I’d still recommend that you search up and navigate to the author’s site and download the programs from there. Just a safety practice!

Start64!

Start64! is one of the most trusted repositories for updated software compatible with 64-bit systems. Those of you who have been really laying it on me about now posting much about OSX will be pleased as Start64! has a whole section set aside for Apple fans.

The site is very easy to navigate, which is something I’ll always be a fan of. The listings are clear, large, and include a short summary of the software.

Each and every listing includes live screenshots and an easy-to-read recap of the program’s features. They make it very clear in just about every specific software’s listing that the software is 64-bit compatible and go as far as to list OS compatibilities overall. If you read my warning earlier (which I hope you did) then you don’t have to worry about Start64! because they send you directly to the website the software originates from for downloads instead of making you jump through hoops.

64x Software

64x Software is for both users and developers, so if any 64-bit coders have managed to slip upon this post then there’s a little added bonus for you.

This website can be a little confusing at first and I’m not crazy over the design and listing layout, but it’ll get the job done. The site is used best when checking their top software listings, or their categorical ones:

• CD/DVD
• Communication Software
• Developer Tools
• File Management
• Graphic Software
• Internet and Network Software
• Security Software

Software display pages are a little bit “meh” but again, gets the job done. Never been a fan of websites that allow open comments and a bleak rating system, but 64x Software does have a vast range of 64-bit compatible software.

X 64-bit Download

X 64-bit Download has that Download.com feel to it and I’d suggest it for the more novice user. My recommended landing pages would be at their featured and top pages (though I’m unsure of the difference). I’ve used both to find some of the better software listed here.

The site has a lot of information per software, and just as many ads. Gets a little annoying, but this is a safe website.

They’ve got software separated by category and from my experiences I do believe this is a website that features only Windows software. Sorry guys. Downloads are hosted on their servers so consider my warning earlier. Again, safe site but don’t mind me trying to condition you to be a paranoid downloader!

You can find some of the 64-bit architecture’s best software using these websites, but remember that dabbling in the world of 32-bit applications isn’t going to harm your system either. We’ve got a whole lot of articles that can help you find the software you’re looking for.

Leave a comment and let me know some of your favorite 64-bit compatible programs to use!

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

It’s All Happening – Home Sweet Home

Genre: pop, punk, rock

Four great dudes from the Midwest playing pop punk. It’s All Happening is presently touring somewhere in the US. Details can be caught on their Twitter.

Home Sweet Home is a free download from Bandcamp.

Biblical – Selftitled

Genre: heavy, rock, proto-metal

From their homepage: “Formed in the spring of 2010, BIBLICAL is the sound of mountains splitting and oceans parting. Uniting members of The Illuminati, The Bicycles and The Old Soul, BIBLICAL is a ferocious beast of a band that deftly reconciles Motorohead swagger with Bad Seeds dread. Their debut self-titled EP offers a thoroughly satisfying listen that will enthrall and delight any fan of guitar-based rock music with a filthy tone that moves between tense, fast paced burners and sludgey organ-drenched breakdowns.”

Biblical is a free download from Bandcamp.

Tyler Lyle – Notes From The Parade

Genre: folk, rock

From his homepage: “In a very honest and challenging presentation, Lyle fights his ghosts in the open- on stage- revealing his doubts and shortcomings, disarming the listener and preparing them a place in the caravan into the dark. “It’s a hallowed scene, but we don’t know what it means” says Lyle in “Pinewood Chests.” In another song he sings “go deep down brother, feel it all/ cause there’s peace at the bottom, if there’s peace at all.” This is what separates Lyle from his peers- he wants to take us on a journey- he says “I’m not happy unless there has been some sort of transformation between point A and point B. By the end of the song, I want the listener to be in a different place altogether than where she first entered.””

Notes From The Parade is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Brian Bergeron – Hourglass EP

Genre: acoustic, rock, folk, indie, pop

From his homepage: “Brian Bergeron is a folk-rock acoustic singer-songwriter currently residing in the Bay Area. His music is a blend of folk-rock and alt-country drawing on influences from many critical darlings and established commercial performers including: Tom Petty, Ryan Adams, Josh Ritter, Van Morrison, and The Rolling Stones. Brian performed over 125 shows in 2011 and released his newest EP, Hourglass, this past December.”

Hourglass EP is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Adios Nine – Sleepers And Dreamers EP

Genre: pop, avant garde

From the album page: “The songs in Sleepers And Dreamers are singing about sleeping in dreams, dreaming about sleeping, and the stories that revolves around it. From the moment you wake up, the way you mourn, the blessings of mournings, to the desire to travel with someone you love. It’s about the dreams that moves us and the sleep that helps us, it’s about the things we do to stay alive. We can’t live forever, but we believe the balance of both sleeping and dreaming can lead each and everyone of us to a better life.”

Sleepers And Dreamers EP is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

A Quiet End – Past Fragments

Genre: alternative, indie, instrumental, art, rock, post rock, ambient, minimalism

From the album page: “The Past Fragments EP is a collection of semi-improvised minimal piano works. Tiny pieces that were conceived around loose melodic ideas or vague notions of ‘character’ and then captured immediately as they were written with little attention paid to production or perfection, in some cases fully extemporized as they were laid down. Recorded over the course of a few days, they imbibed the essence of the moments they emerged from, and are presented here – lo-fi and sparkling – with all of their inherent fragility, ephemera and imperfections intact.”

Past Fragments is a free download from Bandcamp.

Natalie Imani – Passion Mark

Genre: pop, rhythm and blues, hip hop

From her homepage: “Natalie Imani says, “Music is the mark of my passion.” And when Natalie Imani hits the stage, all hearts listen!! (…) When she performs, her passion exudes from the stage. It’s no wonder her debut EP is entitled “Passion Mark”. Her musical style can be described as eclectic R&B as it covers a wide array of artistic expression and emotion. (…) Natalie’s conquest has landed her a myriad of gigs, tours, national contests and television air time. She has had the opportunity to work with some of the most prominent recording artists in the industry such as John Legend (Columbia), Shaggy, Ne-yo (Universal Def Jam), Jennifer Hudson (J records), Jazmine Sullivan (J records), Keri Hilson (Universal), and Nicki Minaj (Universal). (…) Although her life of experience says a great deal about her talent, Natalie Imani knows that this is just the beginning for her. Check out her debut EP entitled, “Passion Mark” for a taste of the sweetest voice. With her beautiful sophisticated style and her strong but sweet voice (…)”

Passion Mark is a free download from Bandcamp.

PUT THE RIFLE DOWN – New Dance

Genre: indie, pop, big beat, dance, electro, new wave

From their Bandcamp page: “Put The Rifle Down is an electronic dance band from Toronto, Canada. Since 2004, they have released three albums, played festivals like Pop Montreal, NXNE, SXSW, and CMW, alongside Crystal Castles, Kidstreet, POWERS, New Young Pony Club, and The Teenagers.”

New Dance is a free download from Bandcamp.

Various Artists – MIND EXTRACTION

Genre: break, beats, electronica, instrumental, hip hop

Mind Extraction is a mix tape of the Japanese DJs Henji Katafuta and Shinshock.

MIND EXTRACTION is a free download from Bandcamp.

Invisibles – The Law Of Mutual Exchange

Genre: alterantive, ambient, dance, pop

From their Facebook page: “Invisibles is an international collective conceived by JP Reid of Sucioperro and Marmaduke Duke. It is based on the idea that everyone is an artist and that there is magic to be found in the everyday. JP Reid has had previous commercial success as co-performer, co-writer and producer with Marmaduke Duke on the album Duke Pandemonium and the single Rubber Lover (14th Floor Records), both of which achieved a top 20 position in the UK singles and album charts. Sucioperro are currently signed to leading independent label Xtra Mile.”

The Law Of Mutual Exchange is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.

Before you dive into this edition, download the free song I Don’t Know What To Do from Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson.

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

The Slakadeliqs – The Other Side of Tomorrow

Genre: alternative, experimental, pop, new wave, funk, soul

From the album page: “The Other Side of Tomorrow by Slakah the Beatchild’s alter ego The Slakadeliqs is the result of four years writing, experimenting and exploring different groups of musical influences than most would expect. If you like it… Share the Good Vibrations. ”

The Other Side of Tomorrow is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

The Weeknd – Echoes Of Silence

Genre: rhythm and blues, soul

The two man band project from Toronto, Canada signed a deal with Drake’s label Young Money earlier last year. Echoes Of Silence is their third album since the debut release House Of Balloons, which was featured in a previous edition of Sound Sunday.

Echoes Of Silence is a free download from SoundCloud.

Rain Over Battle – These Rocks In Our Bodies

Genre: indie, punk, emo, post-rock

From their Bandcamp page: “We are just four kids who grew up together and love playing rock and roll. No gimmicks or explanations. We want to play your basements, your garages, your hometowns, your granny’s attic, whatever.” Don’t let the intro song to the album stir you away, this band rocks punk!

These Rocks In Our Bodies is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Lit on the Flash – Revolution Time

Genre: alternative, blues, folk, psychedelic, rock and roll

Lit On The Flash is the York, Maine based rock and roll band of Jake Roche, Kerry Ryan, and Matter Reignkin. Revolution Time is their 2011 debut album.

Revolution Time is a free download from Bandcamp.

Stone Throats – Darkest Days

Genre: hardcore, metal, doom, thrash

According to their Facebook page, they are loud, abrasive and discontent. What else would you expect from a metal band? The five guys from Indianapolis, Indiana deliver nothing less.

Darkest Days is a free download from Bandcamp.

Sacub & Co. – Opus 1

Genre: electronic, jazz, psychedelic

Opus 1 is a collaboration album that came together between April and August 2011. For artist links, please see commentary on the Jamendo album page.

Opus 1 is a free download from Jamendo.

Revolution Void – Thread Soul

Genre: instrumental, electronic, breakbeat, jazz

Revolution Void is the solo project of Seattle, Washington based producer and jazz pianist Jonah Dempcy. His 2006 album Thread Soul features guest performances by Lucas Pickford and Cochemea Gastelum.

Thread Soul is a free download from Jamendo.

Radioactive Sandwich – A World of Delights

Genre: electronic, dub, downtempo, chillout

From their SoundCloud page: “Radioactive Sandwich is proud to announce the release of their 5th album ‘A World of Delights’. The album is 10 tracks of driving electronic music that is sure to be enjoyed both in the club as well as in the comfort of your own home. Radioactive Sandwich has created a striking combination of organic sounds, world influences, and electronic trickery to create a modern soundscape of music. Their strong musical backgrounds, wide range of musical influences, and genre-busting composition style helped shape “A World of Delights” into a truly unique album.”

A World of Delights is a free download from SoundCloud.

Sublamp – In Our Hiding Voice

Genre: ambient, experimental, minimal

From the album page: “In Our Hiding Voice is centered around the kind of listening you might engage in whilst hiding from something or someone, perhaps hiding in empty buildings, underground tunnels or dark rooms in abandoned houses… The initial intention was to create an album based around warm and fuzzy guitar tones but it was after Connor had watched Tarkovsky’s ‘Stalker’, that he began to explore darker and scratchier territory. Connor kept returning to his imagined visuals of children playing hide and seek in a decayed world like that of ‘Stalker’ and it is through this inspiration that the murky textured drones on offer throughout this album were constructed.”

In Our Hiding Voice is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

DavesOn – BROKEN CURSES for the STREETS VOL. I

Genre: pop, gospel, r&b, soul, hip hop

From the album page: “This mixtape by DavesOn gives you the hype beats of the industry with even hyper lyrics and uplifting melodies
Purposefully pushing the Gospel R&B/Hip Hop envelope,
DavesOn is set on breaking the curses that are being fed to the youth of today, Not sparing any vulnerabilities or compromising the message of Jesus Christ, you can sense the passion and heart of his intent.”

BROKEN CURSES for the STREETS VOL. I is a free download from Bandcamp.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

Various Artists – Brassland Sampler for 2011

Genre: alternative, indie, rock, classical, postclassical, sampler

From Brassland’s homepage: “Brassland is an artist-operated label started in 2001 by writer Alec Hanley Bemis (LA Weekly, the New York Times, LA Times, the New Yorker, etc.) and twin brothers/musicians Aaron Dessner (The National) and Bryce Dessner (Clogs; The National). We encourage collaboration and creation among an evolving assortment of creative folks. Music is our current focus. We like music that transcends genre. At the same time we try not to make transcending genre a cliche by applying labels to what we do: funk-metal, progressive punk, Afro-Cuban jazz, underground hip-hop, intelligent dance music, whateva! We like musicians who play well and possess the elusive tonic of personality. Most of all we just like music.”

Brassland Sampler for 2011 is a free download from Bandcamp.

Pearse McGloughlin – Busy Whisper

Genre: alternative, pop, irish, folk

From his homepage: “The musicians that impress me operate at borders . . . cross them when they need to, stop short of them if they need to. It’s sometimes a difficult terrain to navigate. To date, Walkperson has served as the nom de guerre for my songs and the musicians who have played with me. I first played with a group called ‘Socialite’ in my hometown of Sligo. That was immense fun and I have very fond memories of it. Subsequently, I spent time in France and Montreal, learned French, got hooked on songwriting and recorded a short EP in cold Québec city. My next group was ‘Thy Swan Army’ in Galway. I took a lot from this band, recorded songs and played some really good gigs. People liked us. The group splintered eventually and members went to work on separate projects (Ghostwood Project, John Terrors). I next lived in London, played with more musicians and gigged the indie scene as Walkperson. Most of the songs I wrote during this period I’ve let go but there are several I’ve held on to, of which I’m still proud. Since coming back to Ireland I’ve recorded and released ‘Desired Effect EP’ with Andrew Deacon, Ales Bagart and James Yearn.”

Busy Whisper is a free download from Bandcamp.

Palmer and Grub Street Writer – On the Road to Crazy

Genre: alternative, folk, rock

Andy Palmer is the lead singer of Grub Street Writer, his band with Dan Kern. Dave Solzberg, and Carl Sorenson. From their Facebook page: “Grub Street Writer visits all sides of the human spirit, but maintains a positivism that keeps it from jumping off the cliff. It’s gritty and percussive, in turns rolling, thumping, bluesing, jamming. They lived. Perhaps a little too long — definitely a little too much.”

On the Road to Crazy is a free download from Bandcamp.

Jake Roche – Last Beams of the Old Setting Moon

Genre: acoustic, blues, folk, harmonica, psychedelic

When not recording solo albums, Jake Roche is singer and guitarist for the rock and roll band Lit On The Flash. From the album page: “Recorded as part of the RPM Challenge. The Challenge was to write and record an album in the month of February. Recorded with one microphone, in a living room overlooking Great Bay in Durham, NH.” The album was released on March 1st, 2011.

Last Beams of the Old Setting Moon is a free download from Bandcamp.

The Sparrowells – Acoustic Songs

Genre: experimental, acoustic, indie

The Sparrowells is a music project of Tristan Bohling. One his Facebook page he writes that he is a musician, artist, composer, writer, and a person. The vocals for the acoustic EP were provided by Morgan Topper.

Acoustic Songs is a free download from Bandcamp.

Fish Tank – Henry

Genre: alternative, indie, pop, rock

The three piece band from Kent, UK has a very brief bio: “Met at university, decided being in a band would be a lucrative and stable career choice…”

Henry is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Giraffage – Comfort

Genre: electronic, ambient, chill, dreampop

Giraffage is the music project of Charlie Yin from San Francisco.

Comfort is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Jonti – Sine & Moon

Genre: electronic, remix, pop

From the album page: “Last summer, while prepping his debut album Twirligig, Jonti put together the “Sine & Moon Mix” for the Stones Throw Podcast, a collection of earlier songs he’d recorded on 4-track. In the months since the mixtape, he’s been hit up with requests for the individual tracks, and so Sine & Moon (The Album) came about.”

“People liked the songs on the Sine And Moon podcast, so I wanted to get them out for free. So I turned it into an album with extra’s, new mixes and original Jeff Jank Artwork. I really love these songs and I hope you enjoy!” – Jonti

Sine & Moon is a free download from the Stones Throw Records Homepage.

Agent Whiskers – Stage 2: The Path Untaken

Genre: ambient, electronic, experimental, classical, pop

From the album page: “Agent Whiskers levels up! Stage 2: The Path Untaken is Agent Whiskers’ sophomore album, a sprawling electronic experience featuring 7 tracks that take you on a journey from the album’s mysterious and eerie beginning to its vengeful end. Stage 2 is an adventure that unravels with every track, offering a cohesive structure while setting an atmosphere and tone that lasts throughout the album.”

Stage 2: The Path Untaken is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Notebook Noise – Debonair Gear: Wit Instrumental

Genre: alternative, electronic, instrumental, hip hop

From their Facebook page: “The Notebook Noise core members: Johnasaurus Rex aka John Gray; and Thaddeus James aka Jeff Mroz got down to it on the Debonair Wit EP. Production was hands-on and as fast as lightening with John seeming to be in some other world to bring the songs to life. The basic idea would be thought of for about a minute, and then within a half hour the songs would be living, breathing, soul-seeking monsters; complete with bass-lines and synth breaks. It seemed that there was left over energy from ‘Snares’ still hovering in that smoky basement studio.”

Debonair Gear: Wit Instrumental is a free download from Bandcamp.

Tia London – Love Junkie

Genre: hip hop, soul

Tia London is a hip hop artist from Chicago via Los Angeles. Her debut album Love Junkie was produced by The Legendary Traxster.

Love Junkie is a free download from Traxster Inc.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.

Would-be Ubuntu users should check out this online demo of the user interface, but it can only show you so much. That’s why I’m glad Ubuntu put an entire catalogue of applications in the Ubuntu Software Center online for the world to browse. It’s simple, fast and perfect for exploring.

Even if you’re using Ubuntu, though, you might find this website to be faster than the actual Ubuntu Software Center on your computer. There are many ways to tweak the Ubuntu Software Center, but none can make it as speedy as this website. You can quickly browse or search for the package you want.

What It Does Now

You’ll find this online catalogue at apps.ubuntu.com/cat. Open the page and you’ll be presented with a simple user-interface:

You can click any of these categories to see some software and sub-categories:

Unlike the desktop version of Ubuntu Software Center, where programs can be sorted by rating, this online catalogue arranges things alphabetically. Still, it’s not hard to find what you’re looking for, even if it can be a little frustrating.

You can search for applications, though you might end up finding a number of sub-packages instead of what you’re looking for:

This could be improved, particularly for exact phrases, and I hope the team is on it.

You can read more about any program, and see screenshots from it, by browsing to that program’s page:

You’ll note that I’m told this program won’t work on my current operating system, and I’m encourage to download Ubuntu. This is a flaw, because it shows up even for programs you can use on other systems. More on that later.

You’ll find the reviews available in the Ubuntu Software Center here as well, along with ratings. These Amazon-style reviews give you notes from other users, allowing you to figure out what’s worth installing.

Overall, this is a speedy web-based version of the Ubuntu Software. I’ll be using it a bit when I’m away from my Ubuntu machine, so check it out.

What I’d Like To See

This isn’t to say this setup is perfect: there’s a lot of potential here. I can think of a few ways to improve this.

First of all: this site really shouldn’t tell people software isn’t available on their platform when it is. Many of the programs listed in this catalogue are available on other platforms, and no website should say otherwise.

Second: I’d love to be able to add a PPA to this online tool and be able to browse the additional packages. Some soft of sign-in will be needed for this, which is okay with me.

Finally: I’d love to be able to install packages in Ubuntu regardless of whether I’m using Ubuntu or not. This service could be tied to Ubuntu One, allowing my packages to be synced across multiple computers.

Think about it: you could visit this website, click “install” and have the software installed automatically on all computers connected to your Ubuntu One account. There’s no major desktop operating system out there offering anything like it, so this is a unique opportunity for Ubuntu. Of course, I bet Canonical and the Ubuntu community are already working on it. If not, though, please steal this idea, because I want it to exist.

Conclusion

I’m glad there’s an online place to browse the Ubuntu Repositories. This was possible before, of course, but not from an interface even nearly this nice. Ubuntu’s been on fire lately in terms of usability, and this website is just one small part of an overall vision.

What do you guys think? I’m sure you’ll let me know in the comments below, because that’s just how you roll. Still, I’d like to encourage any shy people out there to speak up and let me know what features you’d like to see added to this little online catalogue.

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

Jessie Frye – Fireworks Child

Genre: indie, pop, rock

From her Facebook profile: “Jessie Frye is 22 years old and based in Denton, TX. She started taking classical piano lessons at age 12, and always felt that music was not something you do, but something you are. She formed her band in early 2009 after receiving an invite to play an official showcase at the SXSW music festival in Austin, TX. “When I got the invitation, it was based off the CD (The Delve) itself, because I didn’t have a band and I didn’t have any press. I was like, holy shit, I better get a band together, you know?” Since then, Jessie and her band have showcased in 2010 as well as 2011.”

Fireworks Child is a free download from Bandcamp.

USONIA – Selftitled

Genre: alternative, indie, pop, rock

USONIA is a three man indie-pendent rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The 2010 Selftitled album USONIA is their debut. Rob van Alstyne from City Pages writes: “Their self-titled debut album is a sublime slice of headphone-friendly pop, confidently encompassing everything from jagged-nerve new wave to white-boy soul-rock with enough sass to make Hall & Oates burn with envy.”

USONIA is a free download from Bandcamp.

Lava Lava Love – A Bunch Of Love Songs And Zombies

Genre: pop

From their Tumblr Bio: “Lava Lava Love were formed in the summer of 2010, a bit accidentally, when Vittorio Pozzato (vocals, keyboards and guitar player in Fake P, House of All and Canadians) and Massimo Fiorio (bass player in Canadians) decided to visit producer Matteo Cantaluppi’s recording studio. He joins them, and the result of this collaboration is the creation of their first three songs: Keep on Falling, The Light is a Lie and In the Aeroplane over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel’s cover).”

A Bunch Of Love Songs And Zombies is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Fort Lean – Selftitled

Genre: alternative, rock

From their Facebook profile: “At Fort Lean, which is a place you can go, the weather is perfect all the time. Hot but not too sticky, and you can sleep in the park comfortably without getting hassled by the cops. Fort Lean is about getting too drunk at your own picnic. Fort Lean is about leaving the city. Fort Lean is a place where you can still see the skyline but you can’t hear any cars and you can put all your stolen wine in the stream to keep it cool and when the fire dies out you can see some stars and not too many airplanes.”

Fort Lean is a free download from Bandcamp.

Verbal Rocket – Convenience Store Mirrors

Genre: indie, garage, rock, punk, post-punk, post-rock, lo-fi, mixtape, compilation

Verbal Rocket is a UK based online indie fanzine. They regularly release mixtapes to promote bands from around the globe. From their Bandcamp page: “This is a DIY, Non-profit organisation which exists as a tool to promote and support what we consider quality independent music.”

Convenience Store Mirrors is a free download from Bandcamp.

Romantic Nobita Records – Japanese Pop Punk?/?Easycore Compilation 2011

Genre: pop, punk, easycore, hardcore, popcore, compilation

Romantic Nobita Records is a Japanese record label founded in March 2010.

Japanese Pop Punk?/?Easycore Compilation 2011 is a free download from Mediafire (see link below Bandcamp playlist).

Ste McCabe – Bubblegum Laser

Genre: punk, electro, indipop, queercore

From Ste’s Homepage: “I have put together a Bandcamp page with all of my releases on it. Probably the most important things to plug are my brand new free download EP “Bubblegum Laser Gun” which features fun remixes by Cassette Donkey and Tingle in The Netherlands!”

Bubblegum Laser Gum is a free download from Bandcamp.

Jordan Brown – Jordan Writes Short Stories

Genre: instrumental, bass

From Jordan’s homepage: “Jordan is a London – based bass player and producer. His love for Music and eclectic approach to the instrument together with his relaxed and positive attitude makes him the choice of many artists both in the studio and on the road. And he looks good on stage too.”

Jordan Writes Short Stories is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Kondor – Beyond The Clouds

Genre: indie, jazz, instrumental, hip hop

This wonderful jazzy instrumental hip hop album is the work of Konrad Gogosz from Jas?o, Poland.

Beyond The Clouds is a free download from Bandcamp.

Self Taught – 5 Year Journey

Genre: atmosphere, hip hop, rap

From Chamberlain Drive Records’ press kit: “Our label is proud to present Self Taught‘s sophomore album Five Year Journey.
In the last five years, Michael Jackson died, Mini-me made a sex tape, the pregnant man gave birth, a time traveler appeared in a Charlie Chaplin film and Self Taught made an album that will undoubtedly overshadow all of these things.
Heavily influenced by golden-era hip hop but relevant to today’s sound, Five YearJourney is being dubbed as a new-age throwback. The album includes 15 songs with features from Inkspill, K-Rec, Mike Decline, and Allan Rodger and is seamlessly woven together with transitional cuts from K-Rec, a producer/turntablist, who re-mixed “It’s Tricky” by Run-Dmc, which soon became the title track for the Electronic Arts video game SSX Tricky. The album is dedicated to the group’s longtime friend, Colin Van Dyk, who passed away unexpectedly in 2010.”
Self Taught were recently featured on Sound Sunday with their debut Arrival.

5 Year Journey is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.

While invite-only web is becoming a slight trend, I’m here to share three niche-specific and very reliable private sites that I use to get my complete media fix. Let’s get started.

PassThePopcorn

PTP has been around for quite a while, and through a legacy of staff drama and domain name changes, it still stands today as the best private torrent site for movies.

High-quality rips are added to PTP faster than almost anywhere else on the net, and speeds are generally top notch. PTP is at around 23,000 (of 25,000) users with a daily activity rate that hangs around 40%. Monthly, it’s at more than 90%. PTP is hanging right under the 100,000 total torrents mark. They’ve got over 53,000 individual movies, more than 80,000 subtitles, 533,000+ user ratings, 3.5 million total snatches, and a seeder/leecher ratio of 85.49. That’s impressive. The site is very smooth and easy to navigate, also.

As a little added bonus, PTP has some of the most active forums I’ve seen across private trackers. The community is very involved. This is where I go when I want movies. If you’re fortunate enough to be an active, invited member than you can tag along with me. My username there is Craig.

What.CD

What.CD is the premiere private tracker for music. Even their splash page is mysterious and makes you want to join up. Like PTP, What.CD has been going strong forever. The site has not changed much over the years, and that’s a good thing. It’s here to stay.

Here are the current stats that What.CD boasts:

• Maximum Users: 200,000
• Enabled Users: 147,441
• Users active today: 31,864 (21.61%)
• Users active this week: 75,651 (51.31%)
• Users active this month: 120,045 (81.42%)
• Torrents: 1,274,496
• Releases: 588,517
• Artists: 442,475
• “Perfect” FLACs: 298,750
• Requests: 158,012 (70.30% filled)
• Snatches: 66,631,197
• Peers: 8,836,049
• Seeders: 8,687,317
• Leechers: 148,732
• Seeder/Leecher Ratio: 58.40

Those numbers are completely insane! If you’re an audiophile and love your FLACs, this is the place to be. I’ve never gone to What.CD and left without finding what I wanted. I’m CSS over at that tracker.

TvTorrents.COM

TvT is the up-and-comer of this list. It’s much different from PTP and What.CD. It doesn’t run on Project Gazelle like those two, the tracker software that What.CD made famous. The invitation and credits system is completely different also.

Again, just like the others, this is absolutely at the top of its class. Sometimes shows are uploaded as briefly as 15 minutes after their live airing. They’ve even got sections of the website that shows recently aired episodes of the most popular TV series’, complete with the matching user-contributed torrents (if there).

These guys are really doing it right, and their approach is definitely changing the way a lot of people watch “TV”. No more sitting and waiting, you don’t even have to set the TiVo. TvTorrents.com has everything you want, from Dexter to the most obscure foreign sitcoms. I’m over there too, self-named.

Now how do you get an invite to these awesome trackers? That’s on you. Just know that they are out there and hold all of your cravings and desires! In the event that you do get invited, you’ll want one of these clients to speed up your downloads. Might also want to check this article out too, it could save you some worry.

Don’t Forget: The Free A-Z Torent Guide

If you know any other quality sites, get at me in the comments. No begging for invites, either!

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

Joe Mazz Electronic – Mad Times

Genre: electronic, beats, dub, instrumental, hip hop

From Joe’s website: “Joe Mazzarella is a music producer and recordist with experience in a variety of genres. Whether working with local singer-songwriters, crafting beats for rap artists, or creating lively recordings of rock bands, Joe produces professional quality tracks with sounds that stay true to an artist’s music.”
From the album intro: “I’m always torn between the jazz world and the world of funk and groove, so even though this album has a ton of beats and grooves I couldn’t help adding in some jazz elements, some piano solos, and guitar solos by the great Jimmy Morrell!”

Mad Times is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Moddi – Moddimiks 2010

Genre: alternative, indie, pop, post rock, acapella, compilation

From Moddi’s Facebook profile: “My name is Pål Moddi Knutsen, twenty-four years old as I write this. I come from an island called Senja in the far north of Norway. Whoever you are, and whatever reason you have for listening: thank you for lending me your time!”
Moddi was previously featured on Sound Sunday with his album Away From Home.

Moddimiks 2010 is a free download from Bandcamp.

Cloudbirds – Selftitled

Genre: folk

From their homepage: “Cloudbirds is the new roots-inspired venture of ex-The M’s bandmates Josh Chicoine, Joey King and Glenn Rischke. Using three-part harmonies and intertwining guitars, the Chicago trio moves effortlessly between heart-felt and down-home folk music.”

The selftitled album Cloudbirds is a free download from Bandcamp.

David Löhstana – Folk & Acoustic

Genre: acoustic, instrumental, folk

David Löhstana is an artist from France. Folk & Acoustic is an instrumental album where David demonstrates his guitar skills. The tunes are upbeat and relaxing.

Folk & Acoustic is a free download from Jamendo.

Epic Soul Factory – Volume One

Genre: orchestral, instrumental, soundtrack, film music

From their Jamendo profile: “¿Do you like movies? ¿Do you like trailer epic music movies? Then come here to listen some of our stuff. That’s exactly what we do. EPIC SOUL FACTORY it’s a group of four film music composers: Cesc Vilà, Fran Soto, Ysmer and Pela. Epic Soul Factory compose for trailer, cinema, tv, shortcuts…”

Epic Soul Factory’s Volume One is a free download from Jamendo.

Rusko – O.M.G.!

Genre: electronic, dubstep

From his Facebook page: (…) “Rusko brought a highly driven energy and fun approach to the dubstep massive, quickly coining his own take on the genre that infected . His sound appealed to many people outside of the dubstep world as his productions became more adventurous in formula, sound and energy. His huge hit “Cockney Thug” has been played by everyone from Pete Tong, Switch, Diplo and Santogold. And has been remixed by Buraka Som sistema, Diplo, Drop the Lime and the Scratch Perverts.”

O.M.G.! is a free download from Rusko’s Homepage.

Donae’o – Indigo Child

Genre: urban, club, dance, house

From his homepage: “A kingpin where all things UK dance are concerned, Donaeo (meaning Gift from God) has been a staple fixture on the underground since his anthemic debut ‘My Philosophy (Bounce)’, made when he was just 16, aired back in 2001. Regarded not just as a producer, his forays into singing, rapping and songwriting have gone on to shape the star that’s in many ways still yet to be fully revealed. (…) “Last year I feel like I found myself and it’s kind of like this; you can look at ADHD in two ways… You can take pills for it or be an Indigo Child. The only difference between me and someone else is that I’ve got a lot of excess energy but I’ve found a way to channel it. I’m about dance music and this album is definitely that.””

Indigo Child is a free download from Bandcamp.

SKYPILOT – Harold (You Sold Your Brother Down)

Genre: rock, stadium, art-rock

Technically, this two song single doesn’t qualify for Sound Sunday. However, great music always receives an exception. The title track is my favorite song of this edition. Also check out the song Light From A Dying Star.

From their Facebook page: “Locals of Brisbane, Australia, SKYPILOT have emerged to play a new kind of rock music that matches haunting soundscapes, untamed melodies and soaring vocals to create an elevating stadium rock experience. Their songs take you on an emotive journey from devastating lows to dizzying heights where you feel like you could defy the laws of gravity and levitate off the ground.”

Not to be missed is the little background story for each of their songs.

Harold (You Sold Your Brother Down) is a free download from Bandcamp.

We’re Doomed – Like A Machine

Genre: alternative, progressive rock

From their Facebook page: “We’re Doomed is an explosive culmination of tempered skill and intelligent song-writing. A groovy yet heavy assault on progressive rock, the 4-piece Halifax-based band draws inspiration from the impending apocalypse and the human condition. With heavy riffs, syncopated rhythms, dynamic vocals, and a general disregard for the genre barriers between rock, pop and metal, We’re Doomed will melt your face faster than a zombie outbreak would overrun civilization.”

Like A Machine is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Empty Lungs – Identity Lost

Genre: post-hardcore, punk, rock

From their Facebook page: “Empty Lungs (…) play passionate, angry and catchy music that draws influence from punk, folk, country and post-hardcore. The bands adrenaline laced live shows have gained them a reputation as a must see act and within a few months of playing shows around Ireland they had already received attention from local media and received airplay on BBC Radio 1. (…) 2012 will see Empty Lungs enter the studio to record an EP and after that the band intend to hit the road and do some heavy touring around Europe and the UK.”

Identity Lost is a free download from Bandcamp.

Stand for the Fallen – Look Where We Are

Genre: alternative, rock, metalcore, screamo, post-hardcore

From their MoshCam profile: “Stand for the Fallen is a 5 piece Post-Hardcore band from the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. Tearing up the scene, appearing at many shows around the Sydney area with their energetic live act, Stand for the Fallen are only going to move on to bigger and better things as 2010 comes to a climax.”

Look Where We Are is a name your price download from Bandcamp.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.