Z-Type is a fun way to learn to touch type

If you're a skilled touch-typist, this time-waster isn't for you. But if you're just learning to touch-type (or have recently switched to a superior layout), Z-Type might prove a nice way to practice your typing skills while having a bit of fun.

It's a basic shooter game: Spaceships come at you from the top, and you need to shoot and destroy them before they hit the bottom and destroy you. You do the shooting by typing the words associated with the baddies: Each spaceship has one word, and every letter sends a shot aimed at it. Once you finish typing the word, the ship explodes.

The graphics are very nice, and when you're done with the game it shows you your score and accuracy. The only thing I didn't like about this game is that it wouldn't let me set the speed, and it seems to be aimed at novice typists. If I could just select the level of difficulty before starting to play, I suspect it would have been much more engaging.

Still, for novice typists it's a great little way to practice!

[This was the Community Choice winner in the Mozilla Labs Game On 2010 competition! -Ed]

Z-Type is a fun way to learn to touch type originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/12/z-type-is-a-fun-way-to-learn-to-touch-type/

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Download every Sports Illustrated 2011 Swimsuit photo with a simple Perl script

After the runaway success of last year's Sports Illustrated Perl downloader, Download Squad reader and cameltoe connoisseur, Sparticus, has produced the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Downloader 2011. It's a simple Perl script that you can run on Windows, Mac and Linux -- and before you know it, your computer will be positively overflowing with bikini-clad babes.

Like last year, the script doesn't only download the final, glossy-magazine-destined photos. There's tons of behind-the-scenes stuff, and lots of shots that simply didn't make the final cut. Last year there were around 1200 photos to download -- we're still running this year's downloader, but it looks like there could be even more!

Linux users, you'll be able to simply download the script, chmod +x, and run. Windows users will need a copy of wget and a Perl distro, such as ActivePerl. Mac users can use the Xcode Developer Tools.

Alternatively, be a cool kid and run Ubuntu in VirtualBox!

Download every Sports Illustrated 2011 Swimsuit photo with a simple Perl script originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 06:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/16/download-every-sports-illustrated-2011-swimsuit-photo-with-perl/

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MSI Dual Pad concept eyes-on (video)

Complementing the integrated projector concept introduced at CES last month, MSI brought a new not-for-sale hottie to its CeBIT booth this week in the form of the Dual Pad, which is... well, literally two WindPads placed on top of one another. The idea is that the pads can be taken apart and used as two completely independent Windows 7 tablets when necessary -- "you and your girlfriend on a trip" was the example given to us during the press conference -- but when you piece them together, they become one mega-tablet capable of operating essentially as a single dual-screen netbook (a hingeless, permanently-open one). Again, it's a pure concept; there are no plans for commercialization that we could eke out, but we can't imagine it'd be cheap since you'd effectively be buying two complete tablets. Follow the break for video!

Gallery: MSI Dual Pad concept eyes-on

Continue reading MSI Dual Pad concept eyes-on (video)

MSI Dual Pad concept eyes-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/GkBbYAij1t8/

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How to change the screen time-out on Android

This week's tips series was all about Android, highlighting some the operating system's built-in utilities, and better ways of getting stuff done. For other technology tips, check our Tips index.

Earlier today, I was helping my brother set up his new Motorola Defy. While the phone itself was quite nice (and tough), the screen kept turning off after just a few seconds of idle time. It was starting to drive us crazy, but after quickly poking through the settings we fixed it. Here's how:

1) Go to Settings > Display

2) Tap Screen timeout

3) Tap the timeout value you wish to use

Of course there's a trade-off between convenience and battery life - having the screen time out after two whole minutes can be nice, but your battery may not last very long. And while you're here, you can also easily adjust your display's brightness.

This tip wraps up this week's Tips series. What would you like to see next week? Let me know in the comments!

How to change the screen time-out on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/01/28/how-to-change-the-screen-time-out-on-android/

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Weekly Links ? Did you miss anything on The Gadgeteer this week?

If you don’t subscribe to our daily email newsletter or our RSS feed, you might have missed one of our reviews or news items. Don’t worry, you can catch up fast by checking out this handy list of everything we posted this past week. Reviews Samson Zoom H1 Handy Recorder Review Roku XD|S Media Player [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/02/26/weekly-links-%e2%80%93-did-you-miss-anything-on-the-gadgeteer-this-week-2/

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Bendable Graphene Batteries Take a Page from Gumby [Batteries]

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) may be on the cusp of creating something special: Bendable batteries that could have better performance than their stiff, inflexible cousins. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ASHZL8fItyI/bendable-graphene-batteries-take-a-page-from-gumby

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Why Didn't the New 13-inch MacBook Pro Get a Higher Resolution Screen? [Question]

There's no question that the new MacBook Pros are blazingly awesome. The whole line has been rejuvenated with Sandy Bridge processors, better graphics and a lightning fast Thunderbolt I/O port. But one thing has been bothering us about the update, or rather, lack of update: The 13-inch MacBook Pro still has a lower resolution screen. There's not even an option for a higher-res screen, like the 15-inch Pro. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/-thOtpiwsMI/why-didnt-the-new-13+inch-macbook-pro-get-a-higher-resolution-screen

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Mac OS X Lion: the multi-touch offspring of Windows 7 and iOS

Yesterday, Apple released the developer preview of Mac OS X Lion, the first major update to OS X since August 2009. Two major things have uprooted the computing world since then: the launch of Windows 7 in October 2009, and the iPad in 2010.

It's no surprise, then, that OS X Lion looks like the lovechild of Windows 7 and iOS. White box-thumping purists will claim, somehow, that this is revolutionary, world-changing, pivotal. Realists will acknowledge that, for the first time in at least a decade, Apple might be following Microsoft's lead.

Hyperbole aside, though, we should be excited: more than anything, OS X Lion is a glimpse of the future of tablet computing.

Continue reading Mac OS X Lion: the multi-touch offspring of Windows 7 and iOS

Mac OS X Lion: the multi-touch offspring of Windows 7 and iOS originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/25/mac-os-x-lion-the-multi-touch-offspring-of-windows-7-and-ios/

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AdvanceTC's 4.8-inch tabletphone runs Windows 7 on a 1.6GHz Atom CPU

It may not sound like the most practical combination, but we've got to hand it to AdvanceTC -- it's shoehorned telephony into a Windows 7 tablet, fulfilling our dark desire for a spiritual successor to the xpPhone. Yes, that's not Windows Phone 7 you're looking at above, but rather full desktop Windows running on a sizable quad-band GSM brick, whose insides hold a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD, a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and a chunky 3200mAh battery to power the whole thing. Calls are handled via AdvanceTC's custom UI layer and there's some software trickery to keep that battery in check, as the device can automatically wake from sleep when it detects an incoming call or text message. We doubt we'd much enjoy navigating Windows 7 on a screen that small, but AdvanceTC also gives the Atrix a nod, claiming that the device can act like a full nettop PC when connected to an HDMI dock. We'll let you know if the company gives us a price, release date, or any indication that it will actually hit retail at all.

Gallery: AdvanceTC Magic W3 press shots

AdvanceTC's 4.8-inch tabletphone runs Windows 7 on a 1.6GHz Atom CPU originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/28/advancetcs-4-8-inch-tabletphone-runs-windows-7-on-a-1-6ghz-atom/

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I Never Knew Indigo Smoke Bombs Could Be So Mesmerizing [Video]

The video description says it's a 60 second experiment with the color Indigo but that's sort of underselling the beauty of it. There is indigo, yes, but also beautiful smoke, dyed colors and sparks! I don't know why but I've watched it 10 times already. [Paul Octavious via Mappeal] More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Mt5krUn4MO0/i-never-knew-indigo-smoke-bombs-could-be-so-mesmerizing

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