Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look

mitoza
While not a game per se, I found Mitoza intriguing enough to spend quite some time with it. You start off with a seed, and are then presented with two choices: you can either click a flower pot, or click a cute little birdie.

If you click the flower pot, a flower pot appears and the seed is planted inside. You're then presented with two further choices -- a water can or a bottle of fertilizer. Each choice you make causes your creation to morph, and presents you with two other choices.

There's no winning or losing, really. Each "game" usually lasts around four or five choices, at which point the plant/animal dies in some creative (but not too gruesome) way. At this point you instantly start over with a new seed.

The graphics are captivating; the whole thing has a cinematic feel to it, with a bit of artificial camera shake added for style.

All in all, it's a fun, peaceful way to spend a few minutes, and it might even make you think a little bit while you're at it.

Mitoza is a fun, freaky Web toy with an artistic look originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/28/mitoza-is-a-fun-freaky-web-toy-with-an-artistic-look/

Edith Berner Lea Linden Kevin Fickenscher Amelie Schweizer

Where Do WebOS Devs Go From Here?

Reeling from the gap created in their lives by HP's announcement Thursday that it's ceasing work on webOS devices, webOS app developers have reportedly been swift to stagger into Microsoft's arms. At least 500 webOS app devs responded to a call put out by Brandon Watson, Microsoft's senior director of Windows Phone 7 development, within 22 hours, Watson tweeted Saturday.That's good news for Microsoft.

Source: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/73124.html

Annika Schäffer Edgar Betz Antonia Koppe Gertrud Hölzl

Huawei Sonic reappears at the FCC, ditches AWS 3G and NFC functionality

If this is the same "T-Mobile Sonic" we saw a month back, it's safe to assume Huawei took the Gingerbread slab back to the drawing board and away from a Magenta debut. Popping up, once again, over at the FCC, and bearing a different model number -- U8652 -- the new Sonic sports a similar rounded-edge design, although this current incarnation takes on a definite rectangular shape. Gone are both the formerly included NFC functionality and AWS bands, in favor of quadband GSM, UMTS 850 / 1900 / 2100 bands, 3.2 megapixel rear-facing camera, WiFi and Bluetooth. The handset's radios are tipping us in the direction of an AT&T destiny, but could also very likely indicate a bow on the networks to our north. Will this Sonic ever see the light of day, or will Huawei lob off more bands for an overseas-only birth? We'll keep an eye out for any new developments, but in the meantime, jump past the break for a closer look.

Continue reading Huawei Sonic reappears at the FCC, ditches AWS 3G and NFC functionality

Huawei Sonic reappears at the FCC, ditches AWS 3G and NFC functionality originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ZXQe-6imHRM/

Kevin Fickenscher Amelie Schweizer Elfriede Oltmanns Janine Hillenbrand

How Secure is My Password lets you know just that

howsecureismypassword
We've all heard it before; you need to select a lengthy password, one that's hard to guess. Not a dictionary word. And it has to have some capital letters in it too, and some digits, and a symbol or two won't hurt either.

That's a handy set of rules to keep in mind, but How Secure is My Password helps us understand why they're important.

It's basically like a full-screen version of one of those password-strength meters websites sometimes use. But instead of showing you a bar going from "weak" to "strong", it shows you an estimation of how long your password would take to crack. That's a much more visceral way to understand why your password is strong.

For example, when I entered "rabbit", it came back with "your password is one of the 500 most common passwords. It could be cracked almost instantly". "rabbit5" would take two hours, "$rabbit5" would take 38 days, and "$rabbitZ5" would take 237 years. It's quite enlightening to see what a difference three simple characters can make.

How Secure is My Password lets you know just that originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/05/how-secure-is-my-password-lets-you-know-just-that/

Heidemarie Frick Maike Beetz Fiona Henschel Joshua Heinlein

The Truth Behind the Syrian Cell Phone Charging Story [War]

Earlier this month PBS ran a story about an unorthodox method of phone charging that Syrian rebels were using. It sounded strange to us, so we tested it. It didn't hold water. Literally. So NewsHour followed up with the real story. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/wf7CwLD3WY4/the-truth-behind-the-syrian-cell-phone-charging-story

Annika Schäffer Edgar Betz Antonia Koppe Gertrud Hölzl

Embedded Serial Number Helps Photographer Find His Stolen Camera

photoequipmentsmallA photographer, John Heller, had $9,000 worth of gear stolen at a shoot in Hollywood. After giving up all hope of ever getting his Nikon D3 back, he checked with a site called GadgetTrak that scans Flickr and other image upload sites for photos matching the serial number of his DSLR. In a few seconds he had found shots with serial numbers matching his D3 belonging to a professional photographer. With the help of the police he got his gear back and now the tracking service is a recommend site for LAPD detectives on the hunt for fugitive cameras.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/nrhSH5LRM5c/

Anna-Lena Baumgärtel Sabine Kinzler Frieda Falkner Hans-Joachim Kammann

The Suitcase Drone Libyan Rebels Used to Help Win the War [Video]

The Libyan freedom fighters had some serious DIY brilliance, but at least one of their toys was store bought—the Scout micro UAV. The tiny three-pounder provided aerial recon on Qaddafi's men, and helped kick their asses to Tripoli. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/nO3ZQeakrTM/the-suitcase-drone-libyan-rebels-used-to-help-win-the-war

Sabine Kinzler Frieda Falkner Hans-Joachim Kammann Antonio Fellberg

Help Bob make money in Sticks, a fun physics game

sticks
Sticks is another one of those rare games where the intro is actually worth watching. It introduces you to office worker Bob, who is basically a wage slave fantasizing about a better existence.

Then, on his way back home from another grueling day at the office, he passes a huge sign which says "Sticks." This is where the game starts.

Each level has a number of coins hovering in mid-air, and your goal is to place sticks that lead those coins to Bob -- but you only have a limited amount of wood to play with. As soon as you're done placing your sticks strategically, hit the big Play button and let nature, or rather gravity, run its course. The coins will drop down, and if you place your sticks correctly, they will roll all the way to Bob.

The soundtrack is soothing and playful, and didn't get on my nerves even after playing for quite a while. All in all, a very cute game, especially for a day at the office.

Help Bob make money in Sticks, a fun physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/18/help-bob-make-money-in-sticks-a-fun-physics-game/

Siegrid Holstein Michael Vollmar Robin Jones Ingeburg Otte

A TV That Knows When The Gun You're Waving Around Is Causing a Panic [Surveillance]

The London Riots caused so much havoc that they continue to spook British officials. So much so that they're thinking of implementing so-called "Smart CCTV" that can track potential subjects and their behavior. Cue the requisite 1984/V for Vendetta comparisons. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/NysmnJ-hEMc/a-tv-that-knows-when-the-gun-youre-waving-around-is-causing-a-panic

Ingrid Schur Emily Trautmann Charlotte Kadelbach Hugo Ruß

Developer Spotlight: Boyd Timothy of Appigo

TiPb’s developer spotlights are like DVD/iTunes Extras for the App Store — a weekly look behind the scenes at the programers and designers that bring you the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games you love. This week Rene talks with Boyd Timothy of Appigo. What’s your name? Boyd... More →

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ytR7kHvYjCg/

Nicola Kohnen Laura Ungricht Edith Berner Lea Linden