Lego Minecraft available for pre-order, one block short of $35 (video)

Dwarves of Minecraft, here's your chance to recreate your beloved virtual pits and earth-scars beneath the skies (or ceilings) of the real world. The long-awaited, fan-driven Lego Minecraft set can now be pre-ordered via the source link below for the fathomless sum of $34.99. Yes, you're contributing to a blatant monetization scheme (as illustrated in the frenzied comedy after the break), and yes, your imagination will be limited to 480 pieces in muted colors, but that's how things are when you leave the matrix.

Continue reading Lego Minecraft available for pre-order, one block short of $35 (video)

Lego Minecraft available for pre-order, one block short of $35 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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OS X Mountain Lion: 5 Most Exciting New Features

Today, Apple unveiled a developer preview of its newest Mac OS, Mountain Lion. The OS introduces more than 100 new features to OS X, and we've teased out five of the most important, most innovative aspects of Cupertino's latest release.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/02/five-features-mountain-lion/

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OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows

ommwriter
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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Toyota pulls Cydia theme and ads to appease Apple

Apple asks Toyota to remove jailbreak Cydia theme
In news that will no doubt shake the very bedrock of your belief system, Apple has asked Toyota to remove its Scion theme and its advertising from ModMyi, a Cydia repository. The Scion theme has been available for weeks, but after it received a ton of press in the last couple of days, Apple finally lashed out.

It's not like we should be surprised, considering Apple has claimed in the past that jailbreaking is illegal -- but at the same time, did the Cupertino cronies hear about the ruling that made circumventing DRM, and thus jailbreaking, legal? Anyway, whether Toyota was supporting illegal, legal, or deliciously gray and ambiguous, activity, it doesn't matter: Apple asked Toyota to remove the theme, and Toyota graciously bent over and capitulated.

This story raises a much more interesting topic, though: this is the first time a multinational company has publicly acknowledged and embraced the jailbreak community. Considering jailbreaking is technically legal, and Cydia's creator, Jay Freeman, estimates that up to 9% of OS devices are jailbroken, it simply makes good, commercial sense to target jailbreakers with ads. Toyota was simply trying to make some money, for shame!

As long as Apple continues to throw around its increasingly-expansive mass, the legality of jailbreaking will continue to be inconsequential. It will be interesting to see if another big company dares embrace the jailbreak community after this, too.

Toyota pulls Cydia theme and ads to appease Apple originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 05:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/06/toyota-pulls-ios-jailbreak-theme-and-ads-to-appease-apple/

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WinZip comes to iOS, doesn't nag you to register

The days of ignoring WinZip's incessant nagging that you actually pay its registration fee may be long gone, but that isn't to say the file compressing firm hasn't learned from your failure to pony up. WinZip, the Windows user's go-to compression software since the early nineties, is now available on iOS -- free of charge. The mobile utility will let users open Zip attachments from email, browse compressed files and extract encrypted archives. Actual compression of an iOS device's files, however, will still need to be done on a desktop computer.

WinZip comes to iOS, doesn't nag you to register originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/17/winzip-comes-to-ios-doesnt-nag-you-to-register/

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Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game

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I have a thing for physics games, and I've been known to post the occasional platformer or action game here and there. But Let it Slide is one of the brainiest games I've posted to date.

The idea is very simple, and far from original: You get a board with pieces arranged in a particular pattern; you have to slide those around until you get the special piece into its target location.

It's not even about finding out where the target location is - you can just hover over "dim tiles" and instantly see where you're supposed to bring the special piece. But getting it there is a whole different story.

There are five tutorial levels, which I strongly recommend you do. Then there are twenty "beginner" levels, but that's really a misnomer. If those are the beginner levels, I don't want to know what the intermediate and advanced levels look like!

Every time you finish a level you get a score based on how many clicks it took you - each level has a "par" (the minimum number of clicks it could be completed in), and your performance is compared to that gold standard. Because it's such a brainy game, getting it right is quite satisfying. I was downright proud of myself when I managed to finish a few levels. All in all, quite recommended, especially if you've got a few minutes of quiet. It might actually help you focus better later on.

Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/23/let-it-slide-is-an-engaging-difficult-puzzle-game/

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Insert Coin: Alarm clock makes you enter a code to silence it, in another room (video)

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

We love the snooze button as much as everyone else. But we've all postponed exiting the comfort of our Tempur-Pedic one too many times. Enter the Ramos alarm clock, a rise-and-shine solution that integrates a Defuse Panel in order to silence your wake-up call. Don't expect to stay in bed to enter the code either, as the keypad can be wirelessly situated in another room to prevent further slumber. Two time keeping options, LED and Nixie models, await your minimum pledges of $160 and $350 before the April 1st deadline. The latter features a nixie tube display that will put any regular ol' alarm clock's digits to shame. You can spring for a long-range kit if you need to place your key panel more than 50 feet away from your nightstand. If you're feeling extra generous, a pledge of more than $800 will allow you to select the type of wood used for your Ramos. In need of a bit more convincing? Peep the video on the other side of the break for a closer look.

Continue reading Insert Coin: Alarm clock makes you enter a code to silence it, in another room (video)

Insert Coin: Alarm clock makes you enter a code to silence it, in another room (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/16/insert-coin-alarm-clock-makes-you-enter-a-code-to-silence-it-i/

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Brute Force Sandbags – Strength Training Sandbags for CrossFit, MMA, Military, and Fitness Enthusiasts

Unlike barbells, these Brute Force Sandbags let you strength-train with gear that feels more like something you might actually have to lift and carry.  Brute Force bags are powerful training tools for firemen and policemen, military personnel, crossfit athletes, MMA/combat athletes, and others.  The bags are made in the US with 1000D Cordura (used by [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/02/13/brute-force-sandbags-strength-training-sandbags-for-crossfit-mma-military-and-fitness-enthusiasts/

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