Sand Trap is one of those games that at first seem too hard to bother with, but when you try to stop playing it you discover you’re hooked.

The goal is to get as much sand as you possibly can out of the maze and into the bucket at the bottom of the screen. You need to rotate your maze every which way to get the sand rolling around it. You then try to direct the sand to one of the exits of the maze, and hopefully into the bucket. It took me several tries to actually get sand into the bucket, but that might be due to the fact that I didn’t even realize the bucket was there at first. Things improved significantly after that.

As you level up, the mazes get more complicated, with moving parts and other things making your life more difficult. Once you manage to get through all these obstacles and get enough sand into your bucket, you can move on.

As I mentioned, this is not an easy game, but it’s highly addictive. The graphics remind me of some long lost game from the 80s, but this just proves that you don’t need super graphics and crazy sound to make a game work. There’s a soothing guitar track playing in the background and that’s it, as far as I could hear, and you can enjoy it just as much with no sound at all.

If you like a fun physics challenge, don’t miss out on this one!

Sand Trap is a fun and difficult physics maze game originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/sand-trap-is-a-fun-physics-maze-game/

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Space-shooters are usually a fairly fiery affair, with many types of guns, weapon upgrades, power-ups and more. Dodge does away with all of that, while keeping the very essence of a space shooter: Dark background, fast action, and stuff blowing up all over the place.

Your vector-looking spacecraft is the fastest thing on the screen, most of the time. And as the header implies, you have absolutely no weapons; you can’t get any, either. All you have is agility and maneuverability.

Your opponents shoot heat-seeking missiles at you; the missiles lock on and start tracking you. The trick is to dodge the missiles while putting them in the path of one of your enemies, thus letting them have a taste of their own medicine.

There are three types of enemies, at least in the first few levels: “simple” spaceships which fire slow projectiles, “tanks” which seem to be more serious and take more hits to destroy, and “circles.” The circles simply explode, spewing twenty or thirty very fast projectiles. This sounds dangerous, but is actually great once you learn to use them; they are very destructive for tanks, and can even blow up other circles.

The soundtrack is very techno, but it meshes very well with this type of game. Intense fun!

Dodge is a space-shooter in which you have no weapons originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/01/dodge-is-a-space-shooter-in-which-you-have-no-weapons/

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Tripit easily is our favorite app for frequent travelers, and it's just gotten an pretty significant update for tablets as well as phones.

On the larger screens, there's a new layout that includes interactive maps and multiscreen views. Trips and points accounts all share space on the main screen. There also are larger (and scrollable!) widgets available if you're running Android 3.0 and up.

On the phone side, the points accounts section has been redesigned — your account details, status and activity all have their own collapsible sections — and the app refreshes faster while using less data.

All in all, a good update to an indispensable application for frequent travelers. We've got download links after the break if you need 'em.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/kfuwprzeFPc/story01.htm

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The BBC was the target of hack attacks earlier this month, according to comments made by BBC Director-General Mark Thompson in a wide-ranging speech to the Royal Television Society on Wednesday. There was a simultaneous attempt to jam two different satellite feeds of BBC Persian into Iran, and to disrupt BBC’s London telephone lines via multiple automatic calls, he said. There was also a sophisticated cyberattack on the news service.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/74645.html

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Hear that? That’s the sound of coins hitting the mental floor at a breakneck pace, and if PayPal’s meteoric success is any indication of how it’ll do in mobile… well, stockholders should be pleased. Nearly three years after first hearing of Jack Dorsey’s Square (formerly ‘Squirrel‘) project, the most hated division of eBay is coming out with a rival. President and CEO of eBay John Donahoe took the wraps off of the device at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco today, with an aim to bring PayPal to “merchants in the offline world.” The plastic triangle module plays a familiar role: pop it into an iPhone, load up an app and swipe until you just can’t sell anything else. We’re hearing that PayPal will charge merchants 2.7 percent (just 0.05 percent less than Square), but further details — and even the thing’s name — are still developing.

As much as we jest about PayPal‘s polarizing nature, we’ve been victim to one too many unjustified account freezes to become overly joyous here, but we won’t kvetch about a little competition. Here’s hoping we see rates and fees on the decline thanks to another major player stepping up to bat, but something tells us those kinds of dreams are dreamt only by fools. That aside, the fact that famed designer Yves Behar (profiled here on The Engadget Show) and Fuseproject were tapped to engineer it gets a major thumbs-up from us.

Update: Looks like it’ll go by the name Here. PayPal Here. Moreover, the hardware and app will be gratis, and shipments will begin to go out in the US, Canada, Hong Kong, and Australia today. Everyone else will need to sit tight for a few weeks, and we’re still digging for information on compatibility beyond the iPhone.

Update 2: Look like Android support will be here at launch, but iOS devices will need to run iOS 4.0 or higher.

Continue reading PayPal Here mobile card reader: it’s like Square, but with way more frozen accounts

PayPal Here mobile card reader: it’s like Square, but with way more frozen accounts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/awvoJ-ds4y8/

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We’ve seen power assist technology designed to help people walk, bike or just tote luggage around, and now we’ve for the Human Grasp Assist aka Robo-Glove. Under development from GM and NASA, the project takes inspiration from technology designed to give Robonaut 2 a hand capable of using tools designed for humans to embed actuators in the top of the glove that provide additional grip for the hands of meatbags. Once its pressure sensors detect the wearer is picking up a tool the synthetic tendons retract, holding them there until the sensor gives the signal to release. Current prototypes still weigh about two pounds and run off of a belt-mounted lithium-ion battery, although we still find the idea preferable to humanoid replacement like the impervious-to-baseball-bats DLR Hand System. By reducing the amount of force factory workers need to hold a tool from 15 to 20 pounds to just 5 to 10 pounds its expected to cut down the risk of repetitive motion injuries — we’ll wait for the fourth generation model to see what they can do for bloggers or Lee Evans. Until then, check after the break for a press release and quick demonstration video.

Continue reading NASA, GM working on a ‘Robo-Glove’ to assist astronauts and autoworkers alike

NASA, GM working on a ‘Robo-Glove’ to assist astronauts and autoworkers alike originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 07:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/oahBAhvQ0Fo/

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Official BlackBerry PlayBook Mini Keyboard coming on March 23rd for $120? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/eMZGTNYwt64/

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Y Combinator has just announced the newest partner to join the prestigious firm: Geoff Ralston. Ralston’s previous credentials include founding Four11, which was acquired by Yahoo back in 1997 for $96 million and served as the foundation for Yahoo Mail. Ralston spent eight years at Yahoo, eventually becoming Yahoo’s Chief Product Officer. Several years after leaving Yahoo he was named CEO of Lala, before it was acquired by Apple in 2009. Most recently he cofounded Imagine K12, a tech incubator for education-related startups, which presented at TechCrunch Disrupt SF (you can find the incubator’s first batch of companies here). 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TUFPdW6UGjI/

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One click; just one single well-aimed click. That’s all you get in Boomshine.

That single click triggers a chain reaction; circles start exploding, and other circles colliding with the shockwaves explode as well, creating their own shockwaves, which then catch other circles.

It’s been done before, yes, but this one is a great iteration. The soundtrack is mellow, with lots of piano and some nice percussion (not electronic – it sounds like drums).

At each level you need to make a certain number of circles explode to go on to the next level. I got up to level 12, where you get 60 circles and need to make 55 of them explode. And then I kept trying and trying, but simply couldn’t get it. I did get to 54 circles a couple of times, but as they say, you don’t get points for trying.

There’s no time limit, so you can carefully study the pattern of motion and place your click at the exact right place to create the best chain reaction. I’ve found that clicking near the middle of the screen works quite well, especially if the balls are slowly moving in that direction. By the time the first shockwave dies off, the oncoming balls usually hit it and the chain reaction continues.

What level did you reach? Screenshots please!

Boomshine is a soothing-yet-frustrating time waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/16/boomshine-is-a-soothing-yet-frustrating-time-waster/

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The Feds put the smackdown on Megaupload and its whole executive team last week, charging the them with criminal charges for copyright infringement and racketeering in addition to conspiracy to commit copyright infringement and money laundering. As a result, it appears that several other cloud locker companies have curbed their sharing ways to avoid similar DOJ entanglements. FileSonic and Fileserve have eliminated file sharing from their service menus, and Uploaded.to is no longer available to those of us in the US. Naturally, none of these companies have said that Megaupload’s legal problems are the reason for the changes, but the timing suggests it’s more than mere coincidence. Disagree? Feel free to speculate about the possibilities in the comments below, and let us know if any other online storage services have made similar moves while you’re at it.

In the wake of Megaupload crackdown, fear forces similar sites to shutter sharing services? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/PL5DWwq9-BQ/

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Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we’re using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

Continue reading IRL: The CES 2012 Edition, featuring AirDrop, a new MBP and Crumpler

IRL: The CES 2012 Edition, featuring AirDrop, a new MBP and Crumpler originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/20/irl-the-ces-2012-edition-featuring-airdrop-a-new-mbp-and-crum/

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I have a thing for full-screen text editing. I use WriteMonkey for my creative writing needs, and VIM in a full-screen PuTTY session for my Web development work. That being the case, I’m all over the monospace, dark-background, focused editing scene.

OmmWriter attempts to take that aesthetic and make it somehow more spiritual, with three picturesque backgrounds and ambient background audio tracks (there are seven of each in the paid version).

I’m of two minds about this app. On the one hand, yes, it’s beautiful. But if you want music as a background to your writing, why not pick your own soundtrack with Winamp or Foobar2000 running in the background?

OmmWriter also offers three keyboard-clicking sounds, which are kind of nice. None of these features are groundbreaking, really. OmmWriter could be seen as a way to gently ease into the world of distraction-free writing — in case something like WriteMonkey’s dark background is just too oppressive for you.

After the fold you can see a video showcasing several of OmmWriter’s features and creative soundscapes.

Continue reading OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows

OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/ommwriter-brings-its-clean-calm-writing-interface-to-windows/

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The Sportiiiis Heads Up Display boom from 4iiii Inovations attaches to almost any glasses and gives you a visual and audio feedback on critical performance criteria.  You use PC, Mac, or smartphone software to program the Sportiiiis to respond to data from your current ANT+ training devices.  With a tap of the Sportiiiis attachment point, [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/15/4iiii-innovations-releases-sportiiiis-the-worlds-first-heads-up-display-and-audio-feedback-system-for-athletes/

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Nortel, once one of the biggest telecoms company in the world but now in the death throes of bankruptcy, has selected Google’s $900 million bid for its patent portfolio as the stalking horse bid. This doesn’t mean that Google will automatically win Nortel’s massive array of telecoms patents, but it does mean that Google is the preferred buyer.

Google, which has a history of lobbying for patent law reform, has been the target of many patent litigation suits. Google’s relative infancy means that it has a lot less patents in the vault than big-hitters like Microsoft, Oracle and IBM, and buying Nortel’s portfolio of 6,000 patents could provide better protection against patent litigation in the future. It’s worth noting that both Apple and RIM have showed interested in the portfolio, too.

Mashable speculates that the patents — which are nearly all telecoms-related — will be used to defend against Oracle’s attacks on Android’s use of Java. We reckon that Google is simply looking to cover its future endeavors in the world of networking. In the absence of patent law reform, and continued threats to net neutrality, owning a bunch of telecoms patents sounds like a very sensible move.

Google bids $900 million for Nortel’s patents to protect against litigation trolls originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/google-bids-900-million-for-nortels-patents-to-protect-from-li/

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In BattlePaint, you play a cube. In fact, you’re not even a cube — just a square. But boy, are you fast! And you can shoot in all directions. That’s important, because there are baddies coming in from all over the place.

The “baddies” are swarms of other squares, in all sorts of pretty colors. They track you all over the screen, and you run around very quickly and just shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. If that doesn’t sound very emotionally deep, it’s because it isn’t. But it’s fun!

After you shoot a baddy, it splashes paint as it disappears. You need to skate across this blob of paint and “eat it up” to get points. This game is fast. It clocked in at around 60-70 FPS on my system, and was loads of fun to play. It does tend to insult you when you die, though, but don’t be offended — I don’t think it’s personal.

BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/09/battlepaint-is-an-addictive-geometric-shooter-game/

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Solarfocus will introduce the SolarKindle cover at the Consumer Electronics Show today. With a built in reserve battery (1500mah) that will charge via USB or via an optional built in solar panel the cover also includes a built in LED reading light (800 lux) that will last up to 50 hours without using the Kindle’s [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/09/solarfocus-solarkindle-cover-solar-powered-kindle/

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Gorilla Glass 2 is just as strong, tough and impressive as the original Gorilla Glass. Only difference? Gorilla Glass 2 is waaaaaaaay thinner at only .8mm compared to the original Gorilla Glass at 1mm. And at that size, 20% is a big freaking deal. Nothing currently has Gorilla Glass 2 but you can be sure even more anorexic thin gadgets are on their way. Thin is in, right? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/sjRVsRNVFLQ/watch-the-new-crazy-thin-gorilla-glass-2-somehow-survive-121-pounds-of-pressure

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Continue reading BBC launches news app for Sony connected TV, joins Samsung and Panasonic

BBC launches news app for Sony connected TV, joins Samsung and Panasonic originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/08/bbc-launches-news-app-for-sony-connected-tv-joins-samsung-and-p/

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While Toshiba's previous tablet efforts certainly didn't go unnoticed, they weren't exactly home runs for the company either. For CES 2012 though, Toshiba looks to be hoping to carve out their own portion of the tablet market by offering a cost effective device to masses.

Not a whole lot of specs have been revealed in the latest leak but from what has been gathered thus far we're looking at a 7-inch tablet with a a screen resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels powered by an Qualcomm Snapdragon processor — that differs from the NVIDA Tegra 2 found in other Toshiba tablets such as the Thrive.

Like other Toshiba tablets before it, this one will come loaded with microUSB, microSD and Bluetooth alongside a wireless LAN. There is a camera on the back as well but, we're not expecting much from it as Toshiba has left a LED flash out of the equation. Want to see more? Jump past the break for some more images to feast your eyes upon.

Source: Notebook Italia; Thanks, Marco!

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/qOcLsMFN9-c/story01.htm

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If you have an artistic temperament, but you weren’t blessed with steady hands or an eye for color, Konstruct might be the app for you. Not only does the iPhone app let you produce generative art using words, warbles and whistles, but it also uses augmented reality to bring your artistic creation to life.

To get started, you first need to print out the Konstruct marker and place it wherever you’d like to create your AR sculpture — it could be on your living room wall, or on the floor of your bathroom, it doesn’t matter. Open the app, point your iPhone at the marker, and start making some noises! Once you’re done, you can save your creation, or simply wipe the slate clean and start again.

The volume of your voice affects the size of the shapes that are drawn on the screen, and you can move your head around to alter the path of your ‘brush’ — but to change the shape of your brush or modify the color palette you have to use a menu. Without knowledge of the app’s internal workings, it’s hard to say what the actual difference between whistling, talking and singing is — and judging by the developer’s affinity for whistling in the demo video (after the break), the app probably doesn’t perform that much analysis on your input.

Still, Konstruct is just a prototype! A later version could do away with menus and rely entirely on the location, tonality, quality and amplitude of your voice — and judging by the the words of the developer, James Alliban, there is definitely more in store for Konstruct: “The idea of transforming entire cities into user generated virtual art galleries really appeals to me. I see Konstruct as an early prototype that will hopefully be realised in this form in the future.”

Download Konstruct for free from the App Store (iPhone 3GS and 4 only)

[Thanks to Richard for the tip!]

Continue reading Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/konstruct-for-ios-creates-generative-augmented-reality-art-with/

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