There are over 250,000 apps in the Android Market, ranging from free productivity programs to a ridiculous $200 for a vuvuzela horn effect. But chances are you don't have the vuvuzela app on your Android smartphones right now, but you are likely to have one of the ten most popular apps in the Android Market.
Last month, mobile application consultant Jonathan Stark unleashed his Starbucks Card to the public as an "experiment in social sharing of physical goods using digital currency on mobile phones." Basically, he purchased a Starbucks Card and registered it via the Starbucks Mobile App for iPhone (there's an Android one, too) which allows caffeine addicts to pay for coffee and baked goods with their mobile device. He then took a screenshot of the barcode and let anyone on the web download it for...
Need to pick up some furniture, but can't find any free time in your busy schedule? What if you're just too lazy to go pick up some cat food? How are you going to feed your pet without getting off the couch? Tired of waiting in lines at the post office to mail out some last minute package?
Kentucky Fried Chicken is one of those things that nearly everybody loves. But if your craving is strong and you want to make it yourself, think again – the Colonel’s not keen on parting with his top secret recipe. According to KFC’s official site, “one company blends a formulation that represents part of the recipe while another spice company blends the remainder. As a final safeguard, a computer processing system is used to standardize the blending of the products to ensure neither company ...
Mediocre free Flash game websites are all too common. Many of them thrive off peddling the same few popular games to fans who have slim cause to pick one over the other. They thrive off the indifference of casual gamers and an environment that does not have to stand out to survive, only appeal to the lowest common gaming denominator with tower defense clones and brightly colored Peggle knockoffs. In that context, what Nitrome is doing seems downright commendable.
Are you one of countless Facebook users who find the classic Thumbs Up symbol tiresomely sycophantic? You're not alone. Back in August of 2010, the widespread addition of an "official" Thumbs Down symbol to Facebook pages quickly revealed itself to be a scam, but only after countless users opted in.
When the iPad 2 was released earlier this month, as to be expected there was a whole lotta buzz. And for good reason—while the the newest version shares the same price tag as the old, it boasts some significant new features. In case you missed it, here's a quick overview:
'Tis the season for Christmas tree decorations and everybody's favorite board game— SCRABBLE! Okay, that was too ebullient on my part.
Does size matter? When it comes to optical illusions, it does. The size of a human brain's visual cortex determines how he or she sees the world, meaning not everybody observes optical illusions in the same way.
Everybody loves Oprah Winfrey. Maybe it's because of her philanthropy. Maybe it's her onscreen personality. Maybe it's the fact that it was a rags to riches story. Or maybe it's because she likes SCRABBLE...
Nowadays designer jeans cost anywhere between 100 and 200 bucks (or even more). Consumers have been converted to the concept that the fit and quality is just plain better. This is old news- everybody and their mother has joined the madness. However, what surprises me, is apparently you are not supposed to wash them.
Hey everybody, This feed is about the traditional three act structure when writing an action/adventure story or screenplay.
LAKE JACKSON, Texas – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul was endorsed today by the Hon. Jordan Mason, City Councilman, Ward 4 of Rapid City, South Dakota.
Back in 1962, a Zambian teacher vowed that his country would beat America as the first country to put a man on the moon, and then they would go on to Mars. Unfortunately, his dream never came to fruition. The Zambians worked hard though. His "astronauts" rolled down hills in barrels to get used to traveling through space. They practiced walking on their hands, as their leader - Edward Makuka Nkoloso - assured them that was the only way to get around on the moon. "My spacemen are ready, but we...
Silhouette photography is a wonderful way to add a hint of mystery and drama to your shots. For this week's Phone Snap Challenge, we want you to try creating some silhouette photography of your own. Post your image to the corkboard by Monday, January 9th at 11:59 pm PST for a chance to win a SuperHeadz Ultra Wide and Slim 35mm Camera.
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills.
Warning Don't torrent things that you do not have the rights to torrent. Everything I torrent, I have a physical copy of, and just want a copy on my computer without causing wear-and-tear on my DVD drive's laser. Piracy is naughty.
The Wall of Death is an adrenaline-junkie's dream—a gripping, precarious balancing act of motorcycles racing in rapid circles around the interior of a creaky wooden drum. In today's world, the act appears in touring side shows and carnivals across the US, India and Europe. The performances in India are particularly thrilling (mostly due to the seeming lack of safety regulation). But the death-defying New Delhi boys shown above didn't invent this insane tradition. It was created in the old US ...
Minecraft may seem like a game for just hardcore gamers and computer nerds, but it's totally not. It can hook anyone and everyone, from casual gamers to online addicts to total newbies—it can even turn its users into serial killers. And now, Notch and his Mojang crew have made it possible for more people in the world to become Minecraft addicts who'll never leave their servers. A console version for the Xbox 360 will be available this winter, but for now you can all enjoy the cubed sandbox wo...
Deepak Chopra is one of the last people you'd think to be associated with video games. He's a new age spiritual icon who's built an empire on self-help books and speaking tours, one of which my Marin County liberal parents deigned to drag me to in middle school. Recently, a new outlet for his teachings was announced—a video game project three years in the making, simply called Leela.
Card Hunter isn't the first indie game made by seasoned industry professionals driven from the world of AAA games by strictures and disappointments of corporate life. But never before have so many distinguished vets gone indie to work on the same exact game!
Game Developer Magazine is a prominent periodical for game industry folk to read up on their craft. For those who don't work in games, it can be a little dry, but every year they release a Game Career Guide devoted to welcoming other people into their world. Best of all, it's free! You can view the newest issue just released here in your browser, or download the PDF version.
Google+ isn't filled with just Google workers and tech-obsessed nerds. Many creative people are part of the community, and they're using Google+ to connect with their fans. Authors, especially, love talking to people about their work. We've rounded up the best published authors for you to follow on Google+. We've listed their best known works so that you can get an idea of the topics they write about.
Smartphones are impressive devices, to say the least. A smartphone user can consume TV, music & movies; communicate via streaming video; check the weather; record audio; take professional quality video footage; snap high quality photos… The list just continues to grow and grow. With all of these incredible capabilities, why not add surveillance?
Video games and movies have a history of interaction dogged by failure. Video game movies and movie video games both tend to be terrible. There has never been a good feature film based on a video game franchise. Even documentaries about games, which should be rife given the rapid rise of games on the cultural stage over the last thirty years, have been few and far between. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is by far the best, and for several years now has been the only really stirring f...
Remember Grindhouse, the Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez homage to B films? Well this game is just like that. It could literally pass off as the third feature in that movie. The action looks clunky, the acting is not the best, but it still looks like a fun ride. It comes out tomorrow (June 21st) and I'll have first impressions ready the next day.
Giveaway Tuesdays has officially ended! But don't sweat it, WonderHowTo has another World that's taken its place. Every Tuesday, Phone Snap! invites you to show off your cell phone photography skills.
For the hefty price of $200 and up, you can be the proud owner of the world's first 3D printed bikini. And not just the first bikini, but reportedly the first functional and affordable item of ready-to-wear 3D printed clothing on the market. Created by Continuum Fashion, the N12 3D printed bikini is revolutionary because it addresses the technical challenge of creating flexible "textiles" with 3D printed material. The bikini is made of a material called Nylon 12, which is entirely waterproof.
"Mind Your Step" is a gargantuan street illusion staged in Stockholm's most public square, Sergels torg. Created by artist Erik Johansson, the illusion will be up until June 12th, so swing by if you happen to be in Sweden. Erik has documented his entire creative process here, including this great little tutorial on how to create your own optical illusion.
Can't remember when to water the plants? Wish they could just tell you when they need watering—just call you on the phone or something? Or maybe text you, "Help I'm desiccating!" Telecommunications researcher Kate Harman has come up with the device of an absent-minded plant owner's dreams—Botanicalls. It hooks up to your plant and sends you a short text message when the plant is too dry. Each kit costs $99 and includes metal sensors connected to a microcontroller. Insert the sensors into the ...
Entrepreneur Jason Fried is co-founder of 37signals, a successful Chicago-based software and design firm that has doubled its sales every year for the past decade. Although Fried has a degree in finance, making money isn't a skill he picked up in the classroom or a book. Practice makes perfect, and Fried's experience has taught him that excelling at making money is separate from the product or services provided. Understanding the buyer and experimenting with price models are two of Fried's ke...
For the longest time, Dead Island seemed to be... well, dead. The intriguing zombie game was first revealed back in 2007 by its developer, Techland, with a subpar teaser trailer that compared it to already shelved games in the Resident Evil series and the upcoming Left 4 Dead. But since then, it's been a ghost, thought to be abandoned—until now.
For some of you out there, today may be a looooong Friday. But have no fear, if you've yet to furtively accomplish shaving off a few extra minutes from the office clock, there is an alternative for getting through the day: computer pharmaceuticals. Relax, moms, we're not talking illicit drugs. Computer pharmaceuticals (AKA: optical and audio illusions) are completely natural, harmless highs that promise to alter your perception and consciousness- without the risk of drugs or alcohol.
Aram Bartholl over at F.A.T. is pretty pissed because MoMA is discriminating against internet artists. As most New York-based working artists know, MoMA offers annual membership for only $35 (compared to the standard rate of $75) to artists who can provide "credentials" that prove legitimacy. Though the offer isn't publicized on the MoMA site, word on the street is "credentials" equates to "a letter from the gallery or an announcement for one of the artist's shows within the past two years" (...
I am not trying to ruin anyones hopes and dreams...BUT... Look, say you go to Graduate school in fine art. You graduate 3 years later, $100,000 in dept. You go into a workforce which is so over saturated, you can't get a job making copies at kinkos.
Want to be happy every day? here is some tips and techniques to help you keep the good mood using some Colors =).
Turkey's been consumed, you've awakened from the food coma, and you've escaped the madness of Black Friday. Isn't it about time you tackle a new project? We've got some great new projects for you to help illuminate the darkness of winter.
Remember Willy Wonka's magical gum? Wonka promised the flavors of tomato soup, roast beef, baked potato, blueberry pie and ice cream. As the avid gum lover Violet Beauregarde tested it out, she exclaimed: “It’s hot and creamy, I can actually feel? it running down my throat!” Um, yum... I think. Good news. Wonka's three course chewing gum is finally a reality-in-the-works. Scientists at the Institute of Food Research (IFR) have been developing recent advances in nanotechnology, which could pot...
What feature would we most like to see in the robots of tomorrow? Why, the ability to interact with human beings without crushing them to death, of course. Happily, thanks to a new pressure-sensitive synthetic skin technology, the dream is within reach:
Everybody loves a good fair ground ride and so why not give them something to panic about more than a few bloody pranks?