Elephant Quest is an addictive, deep platformer

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.

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

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Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game

Yes, that's right, I said adorable. Because Cueboy Quest really is!

You play an 8-bit cowboy whose goal on each level is to get to the door (and thus to the next level), but the door is often locked. To get it to open, you must shoot at one or more targets, and those targets aren't always in your line of sight. For example, on one level the the target is a balloon which is stuck all the way at the other end of the screen. You must first nudge it free, and then watch it float up and try to shoot it before it floats clear off the screen. Your bullets are chunky pixels that have some weight - the have arcing trajectories, so you don't always hit exactly where you aim.

There's another level where you must jump on the balloon as it floats up, use it as a platform to get to the other end of the screen, and then turn to shoot it very quickly before it flies away. Each level is very short, and most of them are quite easy. And not only are the graphics 8-bit blocky, but they're large too. Simply beautiful!

Cueboy Quest is an adorable 8-bit style physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/22/cueboy-quest-is-an-adorable-8-bit-style-physics-game/

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Amazon launches 69-cent MP3 store for chart-toppers

Those with more obscure tastes may not find much to their liking, but we're guessing Amazon's latest move to sway customers from a certain other music store will please plenty of folks. The company's just launched a new $0.69 section on its website, which offers best-selling tracks for (you guessed it) 69 cents apiece. That's down from $0.89 before, which already had iTunes handily beat in terms of pricing -- Apple is still asking $1.29 for many of the same songs. Hit up the source link below to check out the current chart-topping singles available.

Amazon launches 69-cent MP3 store for chart-toppers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/29/amazon-launches-69-cent-mp3-store-for-chart-toppers/

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Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style

For what seems like an eternity, Download Squad readers have reacted to news of security exploits targeting Adobe Reader with a common sentiment: why doesn't Microsoft build its own secure PDF reader into Windows? Apparently the Windows 8 team agrees, and they're working away at an application called Modern Reader which is exactly that.

From the handful of screenshots Paul Thurrott has shared, it's clear that Modern Reader has been built with Metro in mind. You can see the Reader back button in the top-left corner of the yellow image and the minimal page navigation bar on the right. We've posted some larger images we managed to scrape from Google's cache after the break.

Thurrott also mentions that Modern Reader is the first program spotted which is built using AppX -- a packaging technology that may allow developers to roll a single build to both Windows 8 desktops and Windows Phone 8 mobile devices.

Continue reading Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style

Windows 8 getting a built-in PDF reader, Metro-style originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/windows-8-getting-a-built-in-pdf-reader-finally/

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Computer scientists tackle the hard, long-lasting question of 'that's what she said'

Humor: it's what separates humans from machines, GlaDOS from HAL 9000, and even a good boss from a great boss. For millennia humor was seemingly unlearnable -- either you had it or you didn't -- but two University of Washington computer scientists have cracked part of the comedy code. They've developed an algorithm to find potential innuendos in everyday speech: a "that's what she said" detector. Their approach, dubbed "Double Entendre via Noun Transfer" (DeviaNT), uses a "sexiness" rating for nouns, adjectives, and verbs, while also analyzing the likelihood of similar combinations occurring in erotic literature. Higher values signal higher TWSS potential, and the researchers have successfully tested their program with user-generated content from websites like TWSSStories. Why is this useful, you ask? It's one more advance in natural-language processing, helping researchers codify the subtle workings of human language. Just think: one day, a softball like "I think this meat is too big for my buns" might receive the same "clever" response from your computer as from your juvenile friends.

[Image via Insley Unruh]

Computer scientists tackle the hard, long-lasting question of 'that's what she said' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/29/computer-scientists-tackle-the-hard-long-lasting-question-of-t/

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Tarzan Ball is a tricky hook-and-pull physics game

So, you're a ball. A Tarzan Ball, to be precise. You've earned the nickname thanks to your astonishing ability to shoot out a lengthy 'vine' (I hope it's a vine) at objects, and then pull yourself towards those objects.

That's a handy ability to have, especially since you've got no legs, no arms, and no other means of transportation. In Tarzan Ball, the rope is everything. But you don't just swing around the screen aimlessly - that wouldn't be much of a game now, would it?

Instead, your goal in life is to collect "targets". Each level has one of these "targets" hidden away somewhere on the screen, usually behind some kind of barrier. Once you navigate close enough to the target, you can shoot your rope at it and just reel it in. That's when you pass the level.

You can't die in this game, but it can still be very frustrating. It's actually one of the tougher games I've posted recently. Still, if you enjoy physics games, this one is quite nicely made.

[This is actually the sequel to IQ Ball, which we covered last year! -Ed]

Tarzan Ball is a tricky hook-and-pull physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/21/tarzan-ball-is-a-tricky-hook-and-pull-physics-game/

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Engadget Podcast 237 - 04.29.2011

As Darren traipses WiFi-free across the Grand Canyon, Myriam and Brian join Tim to bring a previously unheard-of amalgamation of Engadget Podcasters to the fold. As an added bonus, If you don't watch out, this Engadget Podcast will also wormhole its way into your credit card, find out your PIN, and email your parents a list of locations where you used it for the past 6 months. Just sayin'.

Host: Tim Stevens
Guests: Myriam Joire, Brian Heater
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Boom

02:25 - The Engadget Show - 020: RIM's Ryan Bidan, GDGT's Peter Rojas, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, lots of tablets, Shredder test-drive
02:48 - Samsung Galaxy S II review
13:50 - Sony provides PSN update, confirms a 'compromise of personal information' (updated)
16:55 - Sony update on PSN / Qriocity outage: 'some services up and running within a week' (updated)
18:30 - PlayStation Network outage caused by 'external intrusion,' continues for third day
22:00 - Apple officially answers questions on location tracking, says it doesn't do it
24:24 - TomTom user data sold to Dutch police, used to determine ideal locations for speed traps
28:30 - White iPhone 4 releases tomorrow, finally (update: Phil Schiller explains the delay)
32:10 - Sony S1 and S2 dual-screen Honeycomb tablets get official (video)
40:04 - Notion Ink Adam review
47:04 - Hulu Plus on Xbox 360 launches tomorrow, all members get a free week thanks to beef jerky
47:53 - Apple's cloud streaming service to be called iCloud?
48:26 - Apple signs Warner Music to its cloud-based music service
52:31 - Verizon's LTE network takes the night off, leaves a bunch of Thunderbolt users bewildered
53:15 - Verizon says its LTE network is back 'up and running'
53:43 - B&N Nook Color update released, brings Froyo, apps, and Flash, we go hands-on (video)







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Filed under: Podcasts

Engadget Podcast 237 - 04.29.2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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Zwapp Puts A Social Layer Over Your iPhone Apps

Sharing what mobile apps you have in a social network has been tried various ways. Appsfire hit on the idea of socialising apps. Zwapp is coming at it from a slightly different angle. Its iPhone app (iTunes link) auto-discovers what apps you have on your iPhone and connects up your contacts, Facebook and Twitter friends. You then follow people who's opinion's you respect when it comes to apps. It even has a live feed where you can see what apps your friends are using and downloading (privacy is now most definitely over it would seem).

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Snqhz29nNQk/

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Computer scientists tackle the hard, long-lasting question of 'that's what she said'

Humor: it's what separates humans from machines, GlaDOS from HAL 9000, and even a good boss from a great boss. For millennia humor was seemingly unlearnable -- either you had it or you didn't -- but two University of Washington computer scientists have cracked part of the comedy code. They've developed an algorithm to find potential innuendos in everyday speech: a "that's what she said" detector. Their approach, dubbed "Double Entendre via Noun Transfer" (DeviaNT), uses a "sexiness" rating for nouns, adjectives, and verbs, while also analyzing the likelihood of similar combinations occurring in erotic literature. Higher values signal higher TWSS potential, and the researchers have successfully tested their program with user-generated content from websites like TWSSStories. Why is this useful, you ask? It's one more advance in natural-language processing, helping researchers codify the subtle workings of human language. Just think: one day, a softball like "I think this meat is too big for my buns" might receive the same "clever" response from your computer as from your juvenile friends.

[Image via Insley Unruh]

Computer scientists tackle the hard, long-lasting question of 'that's what she said' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 21:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Techworld Australia  |  University of Washington  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/gC70WIY4E1A/

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With A New Suite Of Games, Arkadium Lets Gamers Play Right On Their Facebook Walls

Arkadium, the casual and social game developer, is announcing today the release of the Arkadium Stadium, a suite of 12 Flash-based games that users can post and play right from their Facebook walls. Now you don't have to deal with the hassle of playing the game in-app. I joke, but this functionality is very cool, as it allows you to quickly publish the game app to your profile, or your friends' profiles and play right there. No fuss, no muss. Arkadium Co-founder and President Jessica Rovello told me that few gaming companies have yet explored this method of "wall play", so through the Arkadium Stadium, the company hopes to begin setting the groundwork for people to be able to enjoy and share games like they would videos, photos, and links.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/6m5E9kDrY4s/

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NPD credits Verizon iPhone with stemming the Android tide in Q1 smartphone sales

As much as we were hoping to get some definitive statements from AT&T and Verizon's Q1 2011 financials about the Verizon iPhone's impact on the smartphone market, none were really forthcoming. It's left to analyst outfits like the NPD, therefore, to try and parse the data for us and read between the official lines. The latest numbers from the NPD Group's Mobile Phone Tracker indicate that Apple's share of US smartphones sales jumped from 19 percent in Q4 2010 to 28 percent in the first quarter of this year, which helped stymie Android's prodigious expansion. The Google OS went from being on 53 percent of all smartphones sold to a flat 50 percent in the quarter. Also intriguing about the period is that, for the first time, smartphones accounted for more than half of all mobile phones sold in the US, at 54 percent. The top five best-selling cellphones also happened to be smartphones, with Apple and HTC providing two each; the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, Droid X, EVO 4G, and the Droid Incredible took home the NPD commendations.

[Thanks, Matt]

Disclaimer: NPD's Ross Rubin is a contributor to Engadget.

NPD credits Verizon iPhone with stemming the Android tide in Q1 smartphone sales originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/LFkr9G12Yxs/

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HBO Go mobile app hands-on

HBO Go has been live on the iTunes App Store and Android Market for just a few short hours, but we've already put it through the paces, poking and prodding on our iPad and iPhone, to see what all the hubbub's about. We're pleased with the hefty amount of video that HBO's offering up here, and the interface is pretty intuitive as well. Still, browsing through the myriad content on the iPad's larger screen is definitely a bit more leisurely than on the iPhone's 3.5-inch counterpart. Both apps sport the same feature set, so searching for content, saving things to watch later, and blasting updates to Facebook and Twitter will work well on whichever device you choose. To make the deal even sweeter, it's free for current subscribers, so there's really no reason to not check it out for yourself -- unless you don't have HBO, in which case we have a video walkthrough embedded after the break.

Gallery: HBO Go hands-on

Continue reading HBO Go mobile app hands-on

HBO Go mobile app hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/fo3ubR8FQK0/

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