Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer

elephantquest
When someone tells me about a "platformer", my first thought is that it's probably a simple game that mainly revolves around running and jumping around, with a minimal plot. [Play a Zelda game! -Ed]

Elephant Quest is one platformer that managed to prove me completely wrong. Yes, you do run and jump around, and you also shoot at stuff. But the game has much, much more going for it.

Basically, as you run, jump and shoot, you gain experience points and level up. Hitting Space brings you into an interface where you can convert your experience points into Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Dexterity points. Once you've "specialized" your points, you then get to pick what exact skills you'd like to enhance in each field. For example, you could use your dexterity to enhance your weapons or increase your swiftness.

The game is played in a huge maze; you go through rooms using doors, and there's a large map. As the name implies, there are quests you can take, too. For example, one quest had me searching all over the place for ten balloons.

The bottom line is that this is a surprisingly deep game that just might ensnare you for a good bit longer than you intended to play. Beware!

Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/25/elephant-quest-is-an-addictive-deep-platformer/

NIKON NINTENDO NOKIA NVIDIA ORACLE

New Samsung Sensor Captures Both Light And Depth Data

res2Samsung, or rather Samsung's Advanced Institute of Technology, has created what they claim is the first CMOS sensor that can collect both visible light data (which you'd use for a normal digital image) and depth data (like a Kinect). It's accomplished by mixing in depth-sensing pixels with the RGB photosites normally found on such sensors. It was presented at ISSCC 2012 and reported by Tech-On. The technology could be extremely influential: a small sensor that is able, with one lens, to determine the distance and size of objects it sees — the applications are extremely diverse. It could power autofocus, track gestures or individuals, or help determine the device's position.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/oxH5H-smS5c/

SALESFORCE COM SAIC ROCKWELL AUTOMATION RF MICRO DEVICES RED HAT

Evoluce Win&I brings Kinect gesture controls to Windows 7

evoluce win&i windows 7 gesture control kinect
We've been looking at some pretty cool Kinect and Windows interactions for a while now, but we were hoping that the release of an official SDK would lead to even more coolness. Evoluce has stepped up, and is now offering Win&I -- a full-featured gesture control system for Windows 7.

The company claims that a range of up to four meters is supported, which should be perfect for just about any home theater setting. In the video embedded after the break, you can see an Evoluce demonstrator flip through a photo album, pan through a map, rearrange application windows, browse the Web, and control media playback. Two versions of Win&I are offered -- the home version goes for about 20 Euros, the business version for 40.

Anyone else having fun pretending his stance is a little "Iron Man"? We're tempted to put a repulsor on that hand.

Continue reading Evoluce Win&I brings Kinect gesture controls to Windows 7

Evoluce Win&I brings Kinect gesture controls to Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/evoluce-winandi-controls-windows-7-with-a-kinect-sensor/

MICROSOFT MICROSEMI MICROS SYSTEMS MICRON TECHNOLOGY MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY

The New Avengers Trailer Shows Even More Awesomeness [Trailers]

Any time you put together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk and Scarlett Johansson as a female superhero in a movie, well you got my attention. The Avengers just released its latest trailer and it shows even more explosions and awesomeness. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DNJxFxeLOXo/the-new-trailer-of-the-avengers-shows-even-more-awesomeness

RF MICRO DEVICES RED HAT RADISYS RACKABLE SYSTEMS QUEST SOFTWARE

Envia's GM-backed battery delivers huge energy density, lower costs, headaches for competitors

If you're one of those worried about the battery on your expensive EV running out, look away now. Envia has unveiled a new cell that boasts a record-breaking energy density of 400Wh/kg (most currently offer between 100 and 150). It's estimated that when commercialized, this could bring the cost of a 300-mile range EV down to as little as $20,000. The performance gains come from a special manganese-rich cathode and silicon-carbon nano-composite anode combination. The battery maker is also partly owned by GM, which unsurprisingly means we're likely to see these very cells in its EVs in the future. Perhaps with the right choice of upholstery, we might see even better savings? Want to know more? Tap the fully charged press release parked just after the break.

Continue reading Envia's GM-backed battery delivers huge energy density, lower costs, headaches for competitors

Envia's GM-backed battery delivers huge energy density, lower costs, headaches for competitors originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 02:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Autoblog Green  |  sourceEnvia Systems  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CJ_hHNRroG8/

ARROW ELECTRONICS ASML HOLDING ASUSTEK COMPUTER ATandT AUTODESK

NYC's WPIX resurrects Intellivision gaming segment for Morning News

WPIX
Those of you out there over the age of about 26 who live in the New York metro area might remember a popular call-in segment on WPIX. During day time children's programming, like the classic Magic Garden, viewers were encouraged to dial in and play a simple Intellivision game by shouting "PIX" to fire at falling blobs. Well, the TV station is bringing it back courtesy of a console direct from creator Keith Robinson. Only now, instead of calling, participants will be brought into the studio live to shout alongside the anchors. We're already trying to figure out how to get ourselves on the list. Check out a retro commercial promoting the segment after the break.

Continue reading NYC's WPIX resurrects Intellivision gaming segment for Morning News

NYC's WPIX resurrects Intellivision gaming segment for Morning News originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceFishbowlNY  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/nycs-wpix-resurrects-intellivision-gaming-segment-for-morning-n/

IRON MOUNTAIN INORATED IOMEGA INTUIT INTERSECTIONS INTERNATIONAL RECTIFIER

Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump

The good news is that Raspberry Pi's highly anticipated teeny-tiny Linux computers are on sale now, just barely making the promised February launch window (good thing it's a leap year). The better news, is that the $25 Model A version has gotten an upgrade from the planned 128Mb of RAM to 256Mb matching the Model B, which still throws in an extra USB port and an Ethernet hookup for $10 more. Unfortunately there is some bad news as well, while the Model A is going into production "immediately", cheapskates will have to hold off a little, as the Model B is the only one on sale right now. Built on a Broadcom BCM2835 700MHz ARM11 processor, they're intended as a cheap computing option that require only a keyboard and RCA or HDMI-connected display to give a full desktop experience including gaming and HD video playback . The team also announced it has secured manufacturing and distribution agreements that should guarantee a steady supply, without the previous limitation of 10,000 at a time batches. Need more technical details? Hit the FAQ page below, or put down a few Hamiltons -- they can be ordered directly from distributors Premier Farnell / Element 14 and RS Components -- and find out how it runs (Fedora, Debian and ArchLinux are currently supported) for yourself.

Update: It appears the servers of both retailers are completely crushed by traffic at the moment, and we're told RS will ship in the UK only. Good luck in your struggle with that most difficult of questions: Keep mashing F5, or get some sleep and try again in the morning? Raspberry Pi's Twitter account reports Farrell appears to have already sold out, so keep that in mind. A press release and video demo from the BBC follow after the break.

Continue reading Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump

Raspberry Pi credit-card sized Linux PCs are on sale now, $25 Model A gets a RAM bump originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAnnouncement, Element 14, @Raspberry_Pi (Twitter)  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/y1JgcalqmF4/

RESEARCH IN MOTION ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS SAIC SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES SES

Hands-on with the ASUS Transformer Pad 300

Android Central

Along with the Padfone and Transformer Pad Infinity, ASUS unveiled the Transformer Pad 300 at Mobile World Congress this week. The Transformer Pad 300 is best described as a budget version of the Transformer Prime -- if there is such a thing as a budget quad-core tablet. In any case, it's mainly the screen resolution and build that separates the Pad 300 from its higher-end (and likely more expensive) siblings.

The Pad 300 is constructed of plastic as opposed to aluminum, and the resolution is limited to 1280x800, compared to the Infinity's dizzying 1920x1200. But that's still nothing to sniff at, and the IPS displays used by ASUS look great, even at the lower resolution. And although it's chunkier, and made of plastic, the Pad 300 still feels good -- if a little bulkier -- in the hand. We should probably mention that laptop docking functionality is included too, just as you'd expect for a Transformer series device, and the business of docking the tablet is just as seamless as it's ever been.

The Transformer Pad 300 is loaded with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which flies along on NVIDIA's quad-core chip. ASUS has included its usual selection of widgets and subtle changes to stock Android, which will be familiar to current Transformer and Transformer Prime owners.

Join us after the break for our initial hands-on video of the ASUS Transformer Pad 300.

read more



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/6-D50_Cv-jQ/story01.htm

WESTERN DIGITAL VOLT INFORMATION SCIENCES VISHAY INTERTECHNOLOGY VIRGIN MEDIA VIEWSONIC

Pimp your Tool Belt with Skinth Cases

If you have always wanted to gear up like Batman, you’re going to love these belt cases from Skinth. Skinth offers a large selection of Cordura nylon sheathes that are designed to hold a variety of gear like your phone, multi-tools, flashlights, pens, notebooks, etc. In addition to quite a few color choices, there are many [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/02/26/pimp-your-tool-belt-with-skinth-cases/

SYNOPSYS SYNNEX SYMANTEC SYKES ENTERPRISES INORATED SYBASE

ViewSonic intros affordable ICS tablets at Mobile World Congress

ViewSonic E70

Just in case you haven't had enough Android hardware from Mobile Conference 2012, even little ol' ViewSonic had some stuff to show off. Along with demonstrating some of their stuff announced at CES, ViewSonic had a new tablet called the E100. Beyond its 9.1 mm profile and a decent 9.1-inch 1024 x 768 display, there's a single core 1 GHz processor under the hood. So, a bit underwhelming, yeah? Well, the Wi-Fi model will be retailing for $399, so it's got that much going for it. The E100 will be landing around late March, with a 3G version launching shortly thereafter. 

Following that, ViewSonic announced an even cheaper lower-end tablet called the E70. It's aiming for 150 Euros (which undercuts even the Kindle Fire and BlackBerry PlayBook) when it lands in Europe come Q2. The 7-inch device is also running Android 4.0 ICS on a modest single-core 1 GHz processor. ViewSonic implemented some light customizations on top of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but it doesn't look like much more than the SPB shell. It still supports 1080p video output through HDMI, despite the low-end specs. It includes both micro and mini USB slots, which is kind of neat. The mini slot can be used for USB host functions (like popping in a thumb drive if you've got an adapter). 

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/1y4ed-pd2i0/story01.htm

YAHOO YAHOO XILINX WESTERN DIGITAL VOLT INFORMATION SCIENCES

What Exactly Is a Year and How Is It Measured? [Video]

We all know that February 29th only exists every four years, but do you know what exactly a year is? Or how we came to that measurement? Minute Phsyics does, and they're happy to enlighten you in their latest video. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/_KmfiYMLuU4/what-exactly-is-a-year-and-how-is-it-measured

SYNTAXBRILLIAN SYNOPSYS SYNNEX SYMANTEC SYKES ENTERPRISES INORATED