Boomshine is a soothing-yet-frustrating time waster

boomshine
One click; just one single well-aimed click. That's all you get in Boomshine.

That single click triggers a chain reaction; circles start exploding, and other circles colliding with the shockwaves explode as well, creating their own shockwaves, which then catch other circles.

It's been done before, yes, but this one is a great iteration. The soundtrack is mellow, with lots of piano and some nice percussion (not electronic - it sounds like drums).

At each level you need to make a certain number of circles explode to go on to the next level. I got up to level 12, where you get 60 circles and need to make 55 of them explode. And then I kept trying and trying, but simply couldn't get it. I did get to 54 circles a couple of times, but as they say, you don't get points for trying.

There's no time limit, so you can carefully study the pattern of motion and place your click at the exact right place to create the best chain reaction. I've found that clicking near the middle of the screen works quite well, especially if the balls are slowly moving in that direction. By the time the first shockwave dies off, the oncoming balls usually hit it and the chain reaction continues.

What level did you reach? Screenshots please!

Boomshine is a soothing-yet-frustrating time waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/16/boomshine-is-a-soothing-yet-frustrating-time-waster/

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Google Retires 13-Year-Old ?Google Friends? Newsletter

'Google Friends' a charming thirteen year old newsletter that a few old-time techies still subscribe too has decided to shut down today, citing flat subscription numbers and the prominence of Twitter and the official Google blog as impetus for its retirement. Started by co-founder and current CEO Larry Page on April 29, 1998, the newsletter started while Google was on the Stanford servers and provided fans with incremental Google updates like " I created a new logo using Gimp (of course)." Seriously, run through the archives, its awesome.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Pbw3JVAiIQs/

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Michael Jackson's Legacy, Two Years Later, By the Numbers

Legendary singer's impact continues to blossom in the two years since his death; MTV News breaks down the figures.
By Gil Kaufman


Michael Jackson
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Like Elvis, Bob Marley, Notorious B.I.G. and Frank Sinatra before him, Michael Jackson's influence has continued, and grown, since his untimely death on June 25, 2009.

On the second anniversary of the King of Pop's passing, MTV News took a look at the enduring appeal of MJ's music, videos and imagery, which continue to fascinate and attract fans across the globe thanks to a series of posthumous albums, a movie, video games and two upcoming Cirque du Soleil live shows.

Where Were You Two Years Ago When You Heard the News? Tell Us on Facebook

$72 million: According to Box Office Mojo, Jackson's posthumous concert film, "This Is It," has grossed more than $72 million to date domestically and $189 million in foreign markets for a worldwide take over more than $261 million. It ranks as the #2 music documentary of all-time behind Justin Bieber's "Never Say Never." The film has also generated nearly $45 million in DVD sales in the U.S.

16: In May, Jackson lodged his first #1 on the Billboard magazine Dance/ Club Play Songs chart in 16 years with the latest single from his posthumous Michael album, "Hollywood Tonight."

2: Number of posthumous albums that have been released since Michael's death in June 2009. Last year's Michael has sold just over 510,000 copies to date, while the This Is It collection has moved nearly 1 million copies to date in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

15,000: The number of videos submitted by fans since March for the crowdsourced video for "Behind the Mask." After they were edited down by a five-person team over two months, the resulting clip used submissions from more than 1,600 participants from 103 countries.

3 million: The amount of copies sold of the Ubisoft "Michael Jackson: The Experience" video game worldwide.

$57 million: The reported cost of Cirque du Soleil's traveling MJ show, "The Immortal World Tour, which is slated to kick off on October 2.

$1 billion: That gaudy figure is the reported amount the Jackson estate had generated by last June on the first anniversary of the singer's death. According to Billboard, the revenue was generated by a combination of music sales ($429 million), film/TV revenue ($392 million), music publishing ($130 million), licensing ($35 million) and a $31 million recording contract. (A spokesperson for Jackson's estate declined to provide updated figures for this story.)

$310 million: The amount of gross earnings reported by the executors of the estate in a December 2010 court filing detailing the progress made in paying off the $400 million in debt run up by the spendthrift singer during his lifetime.

16.1 million: MJ was always a big singles artist. Yes, Thriller is one of the best-selling albums of all time, but even in death, fans can't resist cherry-picking some of Michael's best songs. That explains why he's sold more than 16 million digital tracks since June 28, 2009, the first sales week following his passing, according to Nielsen SoundScan. To put that in perspective, from the time Nielsen began counting digital tracks in 2004 until the week before Jackson's death, the singer had sold just over 8.1 million digital tracks, a figure that has doubled in just the past two years.

2013: The projected launch for a second, non-touring Cirque show celebrating Jackson. The yet-untitled show is slated to open in the spring of 2013 at a new theater being built at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

$25 million to $50 million: That's how much Jackson's estate takes in on an annual basis thanks to his stake in the half-million-song Sony/ATV catalog, which includes titles by Elvis, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Beyoncé and Bob Dylan.

Share your memories of Michael Jackson in the comments.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1666426/michael-jackson-anniversary.jhtml

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IDC: Nokia, LG see significant Q2 shipping decline, Apple continues to grow

Well, the numbers are in and Q2's proved to be a mixed bag for the mobile market. According to IDC, cellphone makers shipped a total of 365.4 million units last quarter, a year-over-year increase of 11.3 percent. Nokia, while still the world's largest handset maker, suffered a significant blow, with shipments dropping from 111.1 million in Q2 2010 to 88.5 million; the company's market share was similarly down, hitting 24.2 percent, compared to last year's 33.8 percent. LG Electronics was the only other manufacturer to see a loss, with shipments dropping to 24.8 million from 30.6 million in 2010. Apple managed to maintain its recently acquired number four spot, with iPhone shipments hitting 20.3 million, up year-over-year from 8.4 million. RIM was conspicuously missing from the top five lineup, while ZTE landed the number five position. In news that shouldn't surprise anyone with a pulse, the feature phone market saw a decline this year, surprisingly its first since Q3 2009. If you're jonesing for more market share and shipping stats, hop on past the break for the full PR.

Continue reading IDC: Nokia, LG see significant Q2 shipping decline, Apple continues to grow

IDC: Nokia, LG see significant Q2 shipping decline, Apple continues to grow originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/j5mZjGBtcO4/

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With 7M Users In His Pocket, Kevin Systrom Says The Biggest Opportunities For Instagram Are On Mobile

At today's Mobile First CrunchUp, Erick Schonfeld sat down with AdMob and Churn Labs founder Omar Hamoui, and Instagram founder Kevin Systrom to discuss how both founders approached mobile development vs. the web. Systrom, whose popular iOS photo sharing app just passed 7 million users, explained that the biggest opportunities for Instagram are on mobile, not the web. "I don't believe Instagram could have been a website and website only," Systrom explains. "The nature of the app is about sharing photographs in the moment." And the mobile phone is the optimal platform for this task.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/9ktuyI6uETA/

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MTV 30 Year Anniversary Top Moments

MTV 30 Year Anniversary Top Moments

How has it been 30 years already? It's hard to believe but on Monday, Aug. 1, MTV will turn three decades old! As the cable network plans to celebrate its milestone anniversary, iVillage looks back at our Top 10 most memorable moments from its history -- Britney, Michael Jackson and more!

1. On Aug. 1, 1981 at 12:01 a.m, MTV launches with this image of the Apollo 11, followed by a video for The Buggles song "Video Killed the Radio Star."

2. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video debuts at midnight on Dec.  2, 1983. The 14-minute video was so popular with viewers that for several days, MTV played it twice every hour.

3. In November 1993, Nirvana films a pared-down and soulful concert for MTV Unplugged. Six months later, when Kurt Cobain dies tragically at the age of 27, the network plays the special repeatedly.

4. On March 17, 1994, doofus cartoon characters Beavis and Butt-Head watch the Michael Bolton video for his 1989 hit "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You." They mistake it for a coffee commercial.

5. On Nov. 3, 1994, The Real World: San Francisco airs the season's penultimate episode, in which HIV-positive Pedro Zamora exchanges vows with Sean Sasser in a commitment ceremony in the loft. On Nov. 11, Zamora succumbs to AIDS.

6. The premiere episode of The Osbournes makes a loud, expletive-filled splash when it airs on March 5, 2002. In the show, Ozzy warns his teenage kids, Kelly and Jack, not to drink or take drugs and to use condoms if they have sex. 

7. Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica debuts on Aug. 19, 2003, and immortalizes Jessica Simpson asking then-husband Nick Lachey, "Is this chicken what I have or is this fish?" about chowing down on Chicken of the Sea tuna. 

8. The 2003 MTV Video Music Awards kicks off with a performance that features Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Madonna singing "Like a Virgin," with both younger starlets lip-locking with the Material Mom -- most famously, Britney and Madge's particularly long smooch.

9. During the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in September, Taylor Swift wins the award for best female video for "You Belong with Me." While accepting her Moonman trophy, she was interrupted on stage by Kanye West, who took the microphone and insisted that Beyonce's video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" was more deserving. The hip-hop star is still living that moment down.

10. GTL, baby! Love them or hate them, fist-pumping, tan-loving Snooki, The Situation, J-WOWW, Vinnie, Pauly D, Sammi, Ronnie and Angelina -- become instant stars when Jersey Shore premieres on Dec. 9, 2009.

What's your favorite moment from MTV's 30-year history? We want to know! Comment below!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/mtv-turns-30-top-10-moments-its-history/1-a-368736

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Amy Winehouse's Death: Family Suspects Alcohol Withdrawal

Unnamed family sources tell English tabloid The Sun that singer quit drinking cold turkey.
By Gil Kaufman


Amy Winehouse
Photo: Marc Broussely/ Redferns

There have been many conflicting reports of what caused Amy Winehouse's death on Saturday. While initial autopsy results were inconclusive and the outcome of further toxicology tests will not be available for several more weeks, a report out of England is raising new questions about what might have killed the troubled singer.

Winehouse, who famously struggled with drugs and alcohol during her rocket ride to fame in 2006-2007, was drug-free for the past three years, according to statements from her father, Mitch Winehouse. But the 27-year-old star appeared to still be struggling with alcohol, and unnamed family sources told English tabloid The Sun that it might have been Amy's cold-turkey approach to quitting drinking that did her in.

The sources said Winehouse's decision to give up drinking entirely for three weeks might have given a lethal "shock" to her system. "Abstinence gave her body such a fright they thought it was eventually the cause of her death," the source said.

Click for photos of Amy Winehouse's life and career.

"[Amy's father, Mitch] said doctors had told Amy to gradually reduce her intake of alcohol and to avoid bingeing at all costs. Amy told him she couldn't do that. It was all or nothing, and she gave up completely ... Mitch said the shock of giving up, after everything she had been through over a bad few years, was just too much for her to take."

The family has reportedly speculated that Winehouse died as a result of a seizure because her small frame could not withstand such a dramatic withdrawal. People magazine reported that it had confirmed the family's speculation about the cause of death.

On Sunday, the singer's U.K. representative, Chris Goodman, told TMZ that Winehouse was found alone in her bed by a bodyguard who had been hired to keep an eye on her. "She was in her bedroom after saying she wanted to sleep, and when he went to wake her he found she wasn't breathing," Goodman said. "He called the emergency services straight away. He was very shocked. At this stage no one knows how she died. She died alone in bed."

MTV News asked Dr. Sam Zakhari, director of the Division of Metabolism and Health Effects at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, if it's possible for someone to have this kind of reaction to stopping alcohol intake. Dr. Zakhari, who did not treat Winehouse and has no firsthand knowledge of her case, spoke in general terms about the scenario described by the unnamed source.

"People who drink heavily or who are alcoholics and stop all of a sudden may have withdrawal symptoms that range from agitation to intense anxiety to tremors, seizures, convulsions and delusions," said Dr. Zakhari. "In rare cases, it can affect the heart and cause cardiac standstill (heart stoppage), but that's in very rare cases."

Dr. Zakhari said it's difficult to say with any certainty if quitting cold turkey could cause a collapse, because there are many factors that play into that scenario. "You have to look at their nutritional status, family history of heart problems, whether they are using other medications that can interact with alcohol, whether they abuse other substances," he said. "The accurate answer is that we don't know if something like this is due to stopping drinking alcohol because the result depends on such a multitude of factors."

Dr. Dan Hall-Slavin, a psychiatrist and a consultant in addiction at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, agreed that it's possible, but not common for someone who quits drinking to have such drastic health effects. "There is a phenomenon called 'kindling,' where withdrawals from alcohol can get worse and worse over time," said Dr. Hall-Slavin, who also had no firsthand knowledge of the Winehouse case and was speaking in general terms.

"From a clinical standpoint, you never tell anyone who has been actively drinking to just stop until they get into a monitored setting because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and while some can stop and not experience problems, others with a previous history of alcohol withdrawal can experience very serious symptoms like seizures and a severe withdrawal called Delirium Tremens, where your temperature goes up, you become dehydrated, and you can die in that state."

Sometimes, people who suffer a seizure in private can aspirate the contents of their stomach and die, but different factors can also play in, such as other health issues that result from daily drinking at high volumes and the short and longer-term consequences to the cardiovascular system from use of stimulants such as cocaine.

"The other factor is that alcohol is more toxic for women at lower doses over a shorter period of time than for men," Hall-Slavin noted. "It's partly how alcohol is distributed and metabolized in the body."

Will You Remember Winehouse More For Her Music Or Troubles? Tell Us on Facebook.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1668182/amy-winehouse-alcohol-withdrawal.jhtml

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Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj And Ke$ha 'Till The World Ends' Remix Leaks

Reworked tune features an opening verse by Minaj as Ke$ha sings atop Spears' vocals throughout the song.
By James Dinh


Britney Spears' "Til The World Ends"
Photo: Jive

Britney Spears isn't the only pop titan dancing until the world ends: Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha have joined forces to add a new spin on an all-female remix of Femme Fatale's second single, "Till the World Ends."

The reworked dance anthem, which leaked online Friday (April 22), appears to have surfaced earlier than expected as noted by a series of countdowns on all three of the stars' websites.

Mixing the dance tune's original sonic swirls with heavier bass, Britney tourmate Minaj starts off the remix by throwing down an aggressive verse, in which she calls out a female hater: "A-A-A-A-A-AYE!/ Chimpanzees is hatin', but I take it all in stride/ Put her in a jungle with bananas on the side/ Told you they'd revive your career, but somebody lied/ I ain't talkin' poultry when I say this chicken's fried."

After Minaj spits a few introductory bars, Spears delivers the song's first verse before an introduction for the all-star trio. "It's Britney, bitch. I'm Nicki Minaj and that's Ke$ha!" the Young Money MC proclaims.

Ke$ha, who originally wrote the track for the pop princess, takes part in singing the club-ready track's chorus. Spears soon takes back control of the song as Ke$ha shadows the singer's lines toward the end of the second verse and bridge. Unlike the original version, the "Till the World Ends" remix also features a stuttering dubstep dance break.

News of a star-studded collaboration was hinted earlier this week when producer Dr. Luke tweeted, "@NICKIMINAJ killed it tonight!!!! thanks!!!"

Have you heard the all-star "Till The World Ends" remix? Share your reviews in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662570/britney-spears-kesha-nicki-minaj-til-the-world-ends-remix.jhtml

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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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