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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John Mayer Announces Spring Tour

His new album, Born and Raised, is also slated for the spring.
By Jocelyn Vena


John Mayer
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

John Mayer announced he needed vocal surgery last fall, and now he's back and ready to hit the road.

On Monday (February 27), the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter announced plans for a spring tour, his first outing in nearly two years. The 18-date trek will kick off April 9 in Bloomington, Indiana, before wrapping up May 6 in Phoenix. The tour will be in support of his forthcoming new album, Born and Raised, which will be released sometime around the outing. The album's lead single, "Shadow Days," hits radio Monday.

The tour will help raise funds and awareness for the Northern California Institute of Research and Education, which "provides veterans with a healthy reintegration into civilian life." Mayer will auction off tickets to the shows to help raise money for the organization.

Born and Raised will feature production from Don Was, and Mayer will get some vocal and instrumental help from singers David Crosby and Graham Nash, keyboardist/pianist Chuck Leavell, bassist Sean Hurley and drummer Aaron Sterling. On tour, Mayer will be joined by guitarist and vocalist David Ryan Harris, guitarist Doug Pettibone and percussionist Michito Sanchez.

Previously, Mayer described the album as having "organic cowboy guitar sounds," adding that he had this very romantic thought when it came to the album's vibe: "What would it sound like if I wrote an album of cowboy songs on this guitar under the stars?"

"Every new record I start, a new aesthetic comes in. I can't help it," he said about the project. "I think it's gonna be more organic, more natural lyrics and chords and artful simplicity."

Will you check out John Mayer on tour? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680059/john-mayer-tour.jhtml

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Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review

Android Music player
This morning, an updated version of the stock Android Music app was leaked along with a new version of Android Market. The new Music app, which is labeled 'version 3', is similar to the leaked build from December, but it has received a ton of polish -- and indeed, it looks almost ready for prime time.

If you don't have Android 2.3 -- or don't want to root your phone to install the leaked Music app -- take a look through our gallery, and then read on for our initial hands-on impressions.

Continue reading Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review

Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/leaked-android-music-app-hands-on/

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ELVIIS Volvo C30 EV charges from any standard outlet, bills the driver (hands-on)

The electric vehicle is still a fresh enough concept that the issue of redirecting the bill when filling up at a public outlet or a friend's house is of little concern. But once EVs gain more traction and the cost of electricity during that monthly dinner party starts to run upwards of 50 bucks, you'll definitely take notice. ELVIIS, a research collaboration between Ericsson and the Viktoria Institute in Sweden, may be the solution. Instead of pulling power from the grid blindly and billing the outlet's owner, the system provides driver and vehicle information to a server before charging begins, then redirects the cost for power consumed to whatever account you've registered with the vehicle, alleviating any concern about unexpected electricity bills. ELVIIS can theoretically serve other purposes, allowing you to select the least-expensive energy source, for example, or set the car to wait to charge until late-night, when rates are lower.

We jumped into the passenger seat of one of five existing ELVIIS cars -- built around an all-electric Volvo C30 -- and poked around the charging interface. The project isn't fully operational just yet, and was running in demo mode so there's no way to verify that it works as described, but it definitely appears to be solid, with Ericsson providing financial and development support. Eventually, it will use the car's GPS to identify nearby power outlets -- for now, you need to enter a specific outlet ID. There's also an Android app that allows you to monitor and reschedule charging, so if you programmed your car to be completely charged by 7AM but realized that you need to leave at 6, you can make sure you're covered without getting out of bed. But you don't need to go anywhere to see it in action -- just click on past the break.

Continue reading ELVIIS Volvo C30 EV charges from any standard outlet, bills the driver (hands-on)

ELVIIS Volvo C30 EV charges from any standard outlet, bills the driver (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/28/elviis-volvo-c30-ev-charges-from-any-standard-outlet-bills-the/

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Windows 8 App Store images leaked?

windows 8 app store
Windows 8 images continue to leak onto the Internet, despite Microsoft's wallpaper-based pleas to those with access to the early releases. Today's installment courtesy CNBeta shows the upcoming Windows App Store, which will likely feature prominently in Windows 8.

We've got our doubts about the authenticity of the image. In addition to showing several of the built-in games which already ship with Windows, Opera is listed -- and a competing browser seems like an odd inclusion this early on. Of course, with the browser ballot still in place in the EU for quite some time, Microsoft would probably need to include rivals like Opera and Firefox to stay out of trouble. We're also not sure why Clickgamer is shown beneath Angry Birds instead of Rovio -- the game's actual publisher.

It's still early, of course, so it's entirely possible that the Windows App Store image is genuine but merely using placeholder images and text for now. Anyone else thinking Windows Marketplace might be a more logical name? You know, to keep things consistent with Windows Phone and keep Apple's legal eagles at bay.

Windows 8 App Store images leaked? originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/11/windows-8-app-store-images-leaked/

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Sony Tablet P hitting AT&T shelves on March 4

Sony Tablet P

Nearly six months after being unveiled, the Sony Tablet P is finally getting a stateside release. The "4G"+ WiFi dual-screen tablet will hit AT&T shelves on March 4 for $399.99 on contract, and will surf on the carrier's HSPA+ network. Should you choose to commit to a contract, you'll have two plans to choose from: 3GB per month for $35, and 5GB for $50. Without a contract, you'll have the option to purchase 250MB data for $15, along with the 3GB and 5GB options as well.

It's been a while since we first met the tablet, so to refresh your memory, the Sony Tablet P comes equipped with two 5.5 inch screens each at 1024 x 480 resolution. Folded, the tablet will easily fit into your pocket; unfolded, the dual screens can act as one viewing area, or split into two different functionalities, such as a keyboard on the bottom and a typing area on top. Sony will offer dual-screen optimized apps through its "Select App", though any app will work just fine, albeit not optimized.

Other specs include a 1 Ghz Tegra 2 processor,  1 GB RAM, 4 GB internal storage, and support for microSD cards of up to 32 GB. It's got two camera, a 5 MP rear-shooter and a 0.3 MP front facer. It'll run Honeycomb 3.2 out of the box, though Sony says that there are plans for Ice Cream Sandwich sometime down the road. 

Certainly a niche device, the Sony Tablet P sounds interesting if nothing else. You can rest assured that we'll share our impressions as soon as we get our hands on one; until then, check out AT&T's presser after the break.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/W4sulOZYaE4/story01.htm

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BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game

battlepaint
In BattlePaint, you play a cube. In fact, you're not even a cube -- just a square. But boy, are you fast! And you can shoot in all directions. That's important, because there are baddies coming in from all over the place.

The "baddies" are swarms of other squares, in all sorts of pretty colors. They track you all over the screen, and you run around very quickly and just shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. If that doesn't sound very emotionally deep, it's because it isn't. But it's fun!

After you shoot a baddy, it splashes paint as it disappears. You need to skate across this blob of paint and "eat it up" to get points. This game is fast. It clocked in at around 60-70 FPS on my system, and was loads of fun to play. It does tend to insult you when you die, though, but don't be offended -- I don't think it's personal.

BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/09/battlepaint-is-an-addictive-geometric-shooter-game/

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Adele: March 2012 cover girl of Vogue

Adele

Adele posed for an elegantly put together Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott shot spread while talking about everything from ridding of the booze to her highly publicized vocal cord surgery. Highlights from Adele's interview are as follows.
On her 'loud' personality: ?I am quite loud and bolshie,? she says (British slang for unruly and clamorous). ?I?m a big personality. I walk into a room, big and tall and loud.? Indeed. There is no doubt when Adele is in the building. The rule of thumb for protecting one?s vocal cords, she tells me, is: If people are more than an arm?s length away, you shouldn?t talk to them. ?But I am like, Wah! Wah! Wah!,? she says, laughing. ?It?s really bad.?
On giving up drinking last May: ?Don?t like drinking anymore. I think I got it out of my system. D?yaknowhaImean??
On her vocal troubles: ?I?ve been singing properly every day since I was about fifteen or sixteen and I have never had any problems with my voice, ever. I?ve had a sore throat here and there, had a cold and sung through it, but that day it just went while I was onstage in Paris during a radio show. It was literally like someone had pulled a curtain over it.? She flew to London the next morning to see her doctor and was diagnosed with acute laryngitis. After a couple weeks? rest, she continued her European tour, came to America, and then her voice went again in May. ?That was a hemorrhage... a burst blood vessel on my vocal cord. That healed, I did a tour, and then it happened again at my best friend?s wedding on October 1.?
On getting support through her surgery from other artists: ?John Mayer had it done at the same time as I did and he really helped me be chilled out about it. Roger Daltrey?s had loads of stuff done; Steven Tyler reached out; Elton John. Lots of artists have had problems with their voices, but you don?t know about it. And they are still singing incredibly well in their 50s and 60s.?
On her six Grammy nominations: ?I burst into tears when I found out. And I would love, absolutely love, to win. This record is coming to an end, and that would be the final brick on it.? [gallery=821]

Source: http://www.celebritygossiphollywood.com/celebrities/adele-celebrities/adele-march-2012-cover-girl-of-vogue/

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'Star Trek 2' Cast 'Welcoming' To Benedict Cumberbatch

'It's a great thing to come into something that everybody's familiar with and knows each other very well,' new addition tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner


Benedict Cumberbatch
Photo: MTV News

With all the hullabaloo caused by the recently leaked photos from the "Star Trek 2" set, people are getting a wee bit distracted from the bigger picture surrounding the film: They're actually making the sequel, people! Let's be content with that happy news and the fact that all our favorite castmembers from the first film have returned, as well as a few very welcome additions, chief among them current actor-in-everything Benedict Cumberbatch.

MTV News recently caught up with the "Sherlock," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "War Horse" actor to find out how things are going on set and his thoughts about his castmates' very high praise for how the British actor has elevated their collective game.

"Well, it's very sweet to say," Cumberbatch told us at Elton John's Oscar viewing party in regards to Chris Pine's compliments. "I actually did a year at drama school, so I'm not that trained; I'm not that classical, but I'm flattered. I think they are brilliant on that show, and it's a real privilege to be on that set. There's a patter and a kind of knowledge of who they're playing and the other main characters, which I'm learning a lot from. It's just good fun. It's great to work with Chris. He's very professional. So is Zach [Quinto], who I've been working a lot with; I adore him, he's a brilliant, brilliant guy.

"I'm kinda getting busy with the film now," Cumberbatch teased of his villainous character's actions in and around deep space. "I've been away doing other things — 'The Hobbit,' which was fantastic. And so my part of the film is really sorta kicking in now. It's great fun, great, great fun. But what I'm trying to say is it's a great thing to come into something that everybody's familiar with and knows each other very well. So it's [in] a weird way a very easy thing to get up to speed with, because everybody is so welcoming and gets along with one another."

Check out everything we've got on "Star Trek 2."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1680100/star-trek-2-benedict-cumberbatch.jhtml

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