A Google-a-Day Puzzle for Saturday, Oct. 29

Google's daily brainteaser helps hone your search skills.

Source: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/10/agad1029/

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Are Stars the Origin of Organic Life? [Space]

Our Sun's energy is the source of all life on the planet, sure. But what if it was also the source of the first organic compounds that gave rise to life itself? A team of Hong Kong researchers believe they've proved just that. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/x9xBbL-N3QY/are-stars-the-origins-of-organic-life

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How Klout Got Klout.com

While everyone is making up their minds about whether Klout is an utterly meaningless service or the divine "standard for influence" the world has been clamoring for, I had an interesting chat with Klout co-founder and CEO Joe Fernandez the other day at the F.ounders conference in Dublin, Ireland. When I informed him that, if anything, I think that the name of the company was well chosen, he told me the story of how he obtained the domain name klout.com. Since I have a huge interest in that type of small behind-the-scenes story - and in domain names - I loved it and found it interesting enough to be worth sharing here.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/g8hqItlFiCY/

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Daily Crunch: Finish Line Edition

Thanko Sells Underwater Video Camera Goggles The Pringle’s Can Antenna Is Now 10 This Wood Bike Looks Like It Came Out Of Minecraft – In A Good Way Laser Research Company TeraDiode Starting Humble, But Hopes To Make Ray Guns Soon Card-Case Speaker Is A Speaker Like A Card Case

Source: http://www.crunchgear.com/2011/07/06/daily-crunch-finish-line/

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GeekDad Giveaway: Battlefield 3 Origin PC Token Giveaway

Here we are with another GeekDad giveaway! Battlefield 3 fans, prepare yourselves for combat duty! We’re giving away an Origin PC token on GeekDad to one lucky reader! Please note that for Battlefield 3 on the PC you will need the latest version of Origin, which you can download here.
Please send your contest entries by [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/10/geekdad-giveaway-battlefield-3-origin-pc-token-giveaway/

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Daily Desired: Cool Your Bubbly in this Cylinder From a Hot Engine [Desired]

Happy people are always celebrating. Your laptop battery is charged! You actually put on pants today! But everyone really needs to find cause to keep a classy bottle icy now that Porsche has unleashed this bottle cooler on the universe. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lMMZOXdlGug/daily-desired-cool-your-bubbly-in-this-cylinder-from-a-hot-engine

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Google Talk Guru answers questions via your IM app

Bots -- like the kind which automate IRC rooms and Google Wave -- are a good thing to know about. There are plenty of useful bots worth knowing about, too, including the Google Talk Guru.

Just add guru@googlelabs.com to your GTalk buddies, and you can start firing off questions. Lifehacker suggests that the same types of queries supported by Google SMS will work, though we didn't have any luck getting a response out of the Guru with phrases like "score detroit red wings" or "sushi R3N 1Y1."

Still, Guru does answer a good variety of questions and it works right within your favorite IM app. It's well worth adding to your friend list, especially for getting answers on the go on your mobile device of choice.

Google Talk Guru answers questions via your IM app originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/google-talk-guru-answers-questions-via-your-im-app/

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GNOME 3 released, ushers in an interesting amalgam of iOS and OS X

GNOME 3, after more than two years of development, has been released into the wild. GNOME 3 is not merely the logical successor of GNOME 2: it is an entirely new project, started from scratch, to create a "completely new, modern desktop designed for today's users and technologies."

The best way to check out GNOME 3's new features -- and it has lots of new features -- is to run a live version of openSUSE or Fedora, or simply head over to the GNOME 3 website and watch the (rather pretty) introductory videos. If you want a synopsis, though, here it is: GNOME 3 looks a lot like Mac OS X, with a healthy dollop of iOSesqueness for good measure, but yet it still somehow retains an underlying feel of Linux.

The overall aesthetic is very simple, very elegant, and despite being slightly out of fashion, there are plenty of rounded corners, too. The main addition, workflow-wise, is the addition of an app-launcher-cum-alt-tab screen, where you can launch apps, or flip through your open windows. For a complete list of the new features and changes, check the GNOME 3 release notes.

Despite GNOME 3 being officially launched, there aren't actually any releases for existing, stable Linux distros -- it's the live CD/USB images, or Ubuntu users will have to wait for the launch of 11.04 for a GNOME 3 PPA, but it will break Unity in the process. Fedora users will have to wait for for the May 24 release of Fedora 15. Of course, if you're feeling crazy, you can always build GNOME 3 from source.

GNOME 3 released, ushers in an interesting amalgam of iOS and OS X originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 06:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/07/gnome-3-released-ushers-in-an-interesting-amalgam-of-ios-and-os/

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Do You Think This New Urban Camo Will Fool Anyone? [Camouflage]

It goes without saying Western soldiers haven't seen a lot of jungle and woodland shooting these days. The arid climes of the Middle East—and their urban centers—have been warfare hotspots. So how about some crazy new urban camouflage? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/N-fwIh1p5Ls/do-you-think-this-new-urban-camo-will-fool-anyone

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Rotisserie Grill In Aluminum Briefcase for Secret Agents’ Cookouts

What could be better than rocking up to a picnic carry this sleek aluminum briefcase in one hand and a parcel of delicious raw meat in the other, and then flipping the case open to reveal… A rotisserie grill?
Nothing, that’s what (as long as somebody remembered to bring the beer). The Carson Portable Rotisserie Grill [...]

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/10/rotisserie-grill-in-aluminum-briefcase-for-secret-agents-cookouts/

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OmmWriter brings its clean, calm writing interface to Windows

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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6Waves Lolapps Acquires Chinese Social Gaming Company Smartron5

Social and mobile game developer 6waves Lolapps has acquired Beijing-based social gaming company Smartron5. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Smartron5, which is backed by Origo Partners, has been developing social games with deeper game play experiences for Asian and international social networks. Smartron5’s CEO, Gage Galinger will become 6waves Lolapps’ Vice President of Content Development and will head up operations for the company in China.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/tzCg3M6mySo/

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Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser

Back when I was a kid, I used to love crafting ornate puzzle boxes out of Lego. There would be just one way to open the box, by carefully shifting and rotating a bunch of pieces. Well, either that, or breaking the box in frustration.

Interlocked takes that spirit and turns it into a beautiful Flash game. It's a good thing the soundtrack is soothing, because the game itself can get pretty frustrating.

At the start of each level, you're presented with a box built out of blocks in different colors. You can click and drag the mouse to rotate the box any which way. Once you decide you want to shift a part of the box, hit SPACE to switch into "move" mode. You can then click any part of the box and drag it. Of course, you can only move a part as long as nothing is in its way. So it becomes a matter of understanding how the box is built, and what parts you need to move around so you could eventually take the box apart.

It's a tricky, difficult game, but it's a great brain teaser -- and definitely a keeper.

Interlocked is a three-dimensional brain teaser originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/29/interlocked-is-a-three-dimensional-brain-teaser/

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Ask DLS: Cross-platform multiplayer games that work on Android and iOS

Here's one for our knowledgeable commenters: I recently bought my girlfriend an iPad. I, on the other hand, own an Android device. And now we're looking for games we can play using both devices.

There's no dearth of multiplayer games either for Android or for iOS. But finding multiplayer games that can cross the platform boundary is an entirely different matter.

Jay recently posted Words with Friends which is one such game. It's actually an ideal example, because it's turn-based so you don't necessarily both have to be next to your device at the same time (great for long-distance gaming).

But what other examples are there? What multiplayer games are there that let iOS users play with Android users?

[Why am I now humming 'Ebony and Ivory'? -Ed]

Ask DLS: Cross-platform multiplayer games that work on Android and iOS originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/02/ask-dls-cross-platform-multiplayer-games-that-work-on-android-and-ios/

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Levenger Circa Leverage Punch Review

No matter how much I use my gadgets, I could never give up my paper and writing implements.  I’ve always loved school and office supplies, and I was in heaven when I discovered Levenger and their beautiful notebooks, rich papers, and beautiful pens.  Levenger’s Circa system notebooks are perhaps best described as the best of [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/10/26/levenger-circa-leverage-punch-review/

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Renting a Movie from Redbox Will Cost More Than a Dollar [Redbox]

Redbox, the easiest way to rent a movie for a buck a day, is getting a price hike. And it's a 20% increase! Which makes the price of a Redbox DVD rental a more inconvenient $1.20. Bye, bye dollar days. It's something to do with debit card fees. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/cxtvluqd8hA/renting-a-movie-from-redbox-will-cost-more-than-a-dollar

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Nokia Devises U.S. Strategy, But Can They Pull It Off?

Nokia's new Windows Phones won't hit our shores for at least a few more months, but Nokia's top brass is already hard at work devising their strategy for cracking the U.S. market. According to Digits, Weber and Nokia are looking to attract first-time smartphone users who feel overwhelmed by other options on the market, and don't want to pay a princely sum for a new device.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/qnLA2DwBiwE/

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Google TV 2.0: Android Honeycomb. Apps. Awesome. [Video]

When Google TV arrived last year, it possessed promise and potential that was never quite realized. Now Google TV 2.0 is here, armed with apps and a new content discovery system. And the search giant thinks they've got it right this time. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/c6z0Ou5mRHY/google-tv-20-android-honeycomb-apps-awesome

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