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Filip Mares


technically me

Filed under: Hack

Console.fm: A Guide to Download the Tracks for Free

I recently came across Console.fm. A great little project to organize streams from Soundcloud into genres with a little social layer on top (chat). I was interested on how the site worked, so i dug a little deeper only to find out the tracks are widely available to download through a little hack.

Note: The following steps are written for Google Chrome, but it should work in other browsers with Inspector-like functionality (Firefox + Firebug, IE Dev Tools, etc.).

  1. Browser to Console.fm and login with your Twitter account. 
  2. Select a Genre.
  3. Right-click on a track in the list. Click 'Inspect Element'.
    0screen_shot_2011-07-12_at_10
  4. Once the Dev Tools console pops up from the bottom, you can clearly see the stream link from SoundCloud.
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  5. Right-click it and click 'Open Link in New Tab'. 
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    I 
  6. In the new tab, you'll be presented with an embedded audio file. Pause it. Right-click and click 'Save Video As'.
    Screen_shot_2011-07-12_at_10
  7. Name the MP3 whatever you'd like.
Voila! Not sure how long this trick will work for. Enjoy!

Filip

Install Apps from iTunes Store That Aren't Available in your Country

iTunes Apps Not Available

There are quite a few good apps in the iTunes App store that, unfortunately, aren’t available to international users.

Step 1: Launch the iTunes program and, if you are logged in, sign-out of your Apple iTunes account (Store –> Sign-out).

Step 2: Scroll down and click “Change Country” – select the United States flag.

Step 3: Now search for the name of the app that you are looking to install on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. For this example, let’s try installing Adobe Ideas or iBook (both apps are available for iPhone and iPad but limited to US customers).

Step 4: iTunes will now require you to sign-in with your AOL, MobileMe or Apple ID. Instead of logging-in with your your existing Apple ID, click the “Create New Account” button and accept the “Terms and Conditions.”

Step 5: Use an email address that’s different from the one that’s linked to main Apple account. Under Payment Methods, choose “none” for the Credit Card section, give some dummy address and you’ll then receive a verification email.

Step 6: Click the link in that verification email and you’re done. To recap, you have now created a US based iTunes account and this will let you you can download any free app from the iTunes store even if the app is not available in your country.

via labnol.org

This little hack works for FREE apps in the iTunes store. Anything that is paid requires a credit card with a billing address in the country. I used this trick recently to finally get the Last.fm app for the iPhone. Great music recommendation service that is available in Canada, yet the app is not. Very strange. Just a heads up Pandora and Hulu apps do not work as they check your current location.