Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5

torus
As far as Tetris goes, most variations look quite similar. You're usually looking at a "wall" of bricks directly from the front. Torus takes that notion and throws it away; as you might have guessed from the name (or screenshot), this Tetris clone is played on a ring-like 3D surface.

You rotate the ring itself with the arrow keys, while a Tetris-like piece slowly (excruciatingly slowly, in fact) descends from the top. As soon as you make a solid line, it disappears.

Not all pieces are Tetris-like; some of them wouldn't really work with a regular Tetris game but are a good fit for Torus' 3D format.

Torus is ideal for playing at the office, because it has absolutely no soundtrack. The game is dead-quiet. It's also very very slow (slow enough for me to mention it twice in one post) so you can safely look away for a moment and then keep playing. Also, as soon as the game loses focus, it automatically pauses.

Bottom line: It's an impressive demo of the power of HTML5; if it were a bit faster, it would have some serious addictive potential.

Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/17/torus-is-an-impressive-3d-tetris-game-powered-by-html5/

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BBC News: We've Been Hacked by the Iranians [Hacking]

BBC News' outlet BBC Persia was reportedly hacked by Iranian authorities this evening. The news group claims that the cyber-attack is part of an expanding effort by the regime to stifle coverage within the country. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/UWAYeo14POw/bbc-news-weve-been-hacked-by-the-iranians

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HTC details micro arc oxidation, says your One S will be strong enough to forgo the case (video)

Happen to recall the gorgeous metal HTC's using on its upcoming One S to surround its Ice Cream Sandwich-loaded core? To refresh your memory, the ceramic look and feel of its metal unibody shell is created using a process known as micro arc oxidation -- and HTC's highlighting how the magic happens in its latest YouTube video. According to the company, the shell (made from aircraft-grade aluminium) gets slammed with a whopping "10,000 volts of energy," causing a reaction that quickly leads to the black color and smooth texture. Notably, HTC points out that this is actually a treatment to the metal, rather than a finish on top of it. That's not all -- the metal also ends up being nearly five-times stronger as a result. Want to see the zapping for yourself? You'll find the clip and more details in the flick just after the break.

Continue reading HTC details micro arc oxidation, says your One S will be strong enough to forgo the case (video)

HTC details micro arc oxidation, says your One S will be strong enough to forgo the case (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/13/htc-details-micro-arc-oxidation-says-your-one-s-will-be-strong/

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These Guys Want to Build an Arena for Mech Death Matches [Video]

Robot fights have evolved beyond the crudely-built spectacles from the turn of the century. A group of tinkerers are looking to host Battletech-style "robotic combat competitions" with guns and flamethrowers. Eat your heart out Constrictor. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/2JhtdmMO2Xw/these-guys-want-to-build-an-arena-for-mech-death-matches

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HBO in talks to relax iCloud ban on Universal, Fox movies for Apple TV

Remember when it was revealed that Fox and Universal's movie libraries wouldn't be able to stream via iCloud to your Apple TV? The reason was that both studios were locked into an exclusive window with HBO. Fortunately, the cable channel is already entering into negotiations with the studios to relax that rule for people who have already bought their movies -- having already done so for stablemate Warner Bros. A settlement is expected to be forthcoming in the next few weeks, at which point we can get back to the important things in life: the second series of Game of Thrones.

Continue reading HBO in talks to relax iCloud ban on Universal, Fox movies for Apple TV

HBO in talks to relax iCloud ban on Universal, Fox movies for Apple TV originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/13/hbo-relax-icloud-window/

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Google IO 2012 registration to start March 27

Google IO

Registration for this year's Google IO developer conference in San Francisco will begin at 7 a.m. PDT March 27. And you'd better set your alarm -- the 2011 conference sold out in less than an hour. Here's the pricing breakdown:

  • General attendee: $900 -- up significantly from 2011.
  • Academia (student, faculty): $300

Google's got a few rules to follow, too -- only one ticket can be purchased per person, and it's up to Google to approve any ticket transfers. You'll also need access to Google+ and Google Wallet to register.

It's worth a reminder that you'll undoubtedly be hearing about the hardware Google likes to give away at its developer conferences -- last year it was a Samsung Verizon LTE Mifi and a special-edition Galaxy Tab 10.1 -- but graft is the absolutely wrong reason to go to IO. The giant wall of candy and robots and the big official party and the hours and hours of information from the people that make all this happen? Now that's the reason to go.

The 2012 Google IO conference has expanded to three days and runs from June 27-29 at Moscone West in SOMA. And you can bet your bippy we'll be there for the whole thing.

Be sure to check out our complete coverage of Google IO 2011 for a taste of what we might see this year.

More: Google IO registration

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/FsqpDk7vzmk/story01.htm

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iPad: What's in a Name?

Apple finally drew the curtain on its next-generation iPad, revealing a device that looks a whole lot like last year's model but is definitely packing some heavier guts. First of all the screen is now a super-sharp Retina display, so named because theoretically you shouldn't be able to spot the individual pixels with a naked eye.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/74607.html

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Sony Tablet P Review: A Whole Lotta Terrible in Your Pocket [Video]

Wouldn't it be great if your full-sized tablet could fit in your pocket? It would! You'd have that big-screened wonder with you everywhere. Cool, so to accomplish that, we're going to cut that tablet in half and leave a fat bezel in the middle. Wait, what? More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ps4MJBB3JEE/sony-tablet-p-review-a-whole-lotta-terrible-in-your-pocket

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Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct generative augmented reality art for iOS
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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Nintendo 3DS Review

Julie asked the Gadgeteer Kid and me if we would like to do a joint review of the Nintendo 3DS portable gaming system. As many of you may know, the 3DS is Nintendo‘s latest and greatest handheld gaming device. Not being a video game player at all, I agreed with a bit of hesitation hoping [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/03/09/nintendo-3ds-review/

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