Google Music being tested internally, beta soon?

One day soon, we may actually get to spend some hands-on time with the oft-delayed Google Music service.

According to CNET, Google is currently testing the service internally. Unfortunately for the rest of us, until Google works out all the licensing details with the major record labels, there's not really any chance of us being able to set up our own cloud-based music lockers on Google servers.

We know that's what the aim is -- thanks to the sync functionality in the leaked Android Music app -- but without label consent Google Music still has the whiff of vaporware.

It sure would be nice to see things finalized so that we can start synchronizing our iTunes libraries with Google Music in the cloud, though...

Google Music being tested internally, beta soon? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daily Crunch: Still Life With Pear Edition

Review: Razer Ferox Portable Speakers Acer?s Media Center Remote Is A Sleek, Touchable Slab Roxio Releases Toast 11 Titanium and Pro New Mobile Tech To Identify Origin Of Fruit Fearing iTunes-Like Domination, Hollywood Plots Netflix?s Downfall

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Put Some Joulies In Your Java

I’ll come right out and admit that I have an obsession with Kickstarter lately, and with the sorts of brilliant ideas that have been rolling out of there recently, it’s pretty obvious why. One of the more recent projects up for funding is Coffee Joulies.� What appear to be large, shiny coffee beans are in [...]

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CrunchGear Week In Review: The Angry Blues Edition

Video: Peter Vesterbacka Gives The Angry Birds Update. A Franchise Is Flourishing! Yes. These Pallet Coasters Are Industrial-Strength Awesome Gemini Introduces FirstMix, A USB DJ Controller For Noobs The Loog Three-Stringed Guitar: You Know, For Kids Necono: Cat-Shaped Digital Camera (Video)

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Daily Crunch: Augmented Reality Edition

Cute Pixelated Camera Decals For Your Wallz Your Daily Well-Designed Ceramic Stove Internet Explorer 9 Officially Released (Just Not For XP Users) Yeah, I Could Rock That: AMD?s 5�1 Eyefinity Setup Looks Sick Tech Companies Come Out In Force For Japan Relief

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Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game

I have a thing for physics games, and I've been known to post the occasional platformer or action game here and there. But Let it Slide is one of the brainiest games I've posted to date.

The idea is very simple, and far from original: You get a board with pieces arranged in a particular pattern; you have to slide those around until you get the special piece into its target location.

It's not even about finding out where the target location is - you can just hover over "dim tiles" and instantly see where you're supposed to bring the special piece. But getting it there is a whole different story.

There are five tutorial levels, which I strongly recommend you do. Then there are twenty "beginner" levels, but that's really a misnomer. If those are the beginner levels, I don't want to know what the intermediate and advanced levels look like!

Every time you finish a level you get a score based on how many clicks it took you - each level has a "par" (the minimum number of clicks it could be completed in), and your performance is compared to that gold standard. Because it's such a brainy game, getting it right is quite satisfying. I was downright proud of myself when I managed to finish a few levels. All in all, quite recommended, especially if you've got a few minutes of quiet. It might actually help you focus better later on.

Let it Slide is an engaging, difficult puzzle game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5

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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Balance is a challenging mouse-based physics game

Years of computer use have taught us that the mouse cursor is "above" the windows. It doesn't push anything around; at least not without you clicking anything.

Balance takes that ingrained bit of knowledge and cancels it out. Suddenly your cursor (a blue dot) is solid - and if it touches the blue block, it pushes it around.

Your job is to use your cursor to nudge the blue block over to the orange block. You will have to push it, lift it and even flip it on its side, and then balance it. It's a very tricky game - one I wouldn't recommend tackling with a laptop trackpad.

Still, if you have a mouse and a hankering for a little physics gameplay, this is a cute little game. I like how the blue block never stops smiling, it makes me feel better about the world.

Balance is a challenging mouse-based physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Pyramid: More Pics, More Specs Add Up to Great-Looking Phone [Unconfirmed]

Our first look at the HTC Pyramid showed us a glimpse of the exterior, but now a truckload of images have backed up at the XDA Developers forum. What can we learn? That this is, as we thought, one big ol' smartphone. A 4.3-inch 960�540 qHD display in front of a 1.2GHz processor, 768MB of RAM, an 8MP rear and 1.3MP front camera. And while we may not see Android 2.4, Pyramid should be built on Android 2.3.2 with a Sense 3.0 skin. More »

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ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and Eee Slate EP121 get official UK pricing

We've heard a fair amount of rumors and speculation about the impending release of ASUS' latest and, perhaps, craziest new slates, and now its giving us the real details -- for the UK at least. The wildly unique Eee Pad Transformer, the first of its kind rocking Honeycomb, is up for pre-order now, with an official release date of April 6th and a price of £379 for the 16GB version and £429 for the 32GB version, each on its lonesome -- you can get the 16GB iteration with the docking keyboard for £429 . Its less flashy companion, the Eee Slate EP121, sporting Windows 7 and an Intel Core i5 processor, hits Britain April 10th for £999, and is ready for pre-order exclusively through Amazon UK through May 1st. Unfortunately, we're still not sure when they'll cross the pond or how much they'll cost when they get here, but we're still fairly certain the Transformer's coming sometime next month.

ASUS Eee Pad Transformer and Eee Slate EP121 get official UK pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3DS - No Games, No Glory

Nintendo's latest gaming system went on sale on Sunday, promising to deliver a 3D gaming experience without the need for cumbersome 3D glasses. While the concept is great and the timing seems right considering the wider trend toward 3D, there is little reason to buy a 3DS today. The 3DS device itself is certainly exciting.

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Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5

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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The 4 Boxee Box Issues That Must Be Addressed ASAP

I've thrown big props towards the Boxee Box lately calling it the best media streamer for cutting the cord. It's a solid device that provides a memorable user experience. That's rare these days but the Boxee Box nails it, which is why I give it so much credit. But it's not perfect. I seriously believe that the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Still, there's room for improvement and I pray that Boxee addresses these four issues in the next update.

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How will we dispose of spent nuclear fuel rods for centuries to come? [Video]

How does humanity plan to permanently store high-level nuclear waste that can remain radioactive for several thousand years? The answer isn't as simple as digging a hole in the ground. No, geologically unique locations must first be scouted out. More »

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Dancing Molten Steel Looks Out of This World [Video]

This is a video captured in a Polish steel factory but I would totally believe you if you said they made light sabers or T-1000s there because that bright neon glow doesn't look like it's real. Or from this world. More »

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Internet Explorer 9 downloaded 2.3 million times in first day; Firefox 3 managed 8 million!

Internet Explorer 9, in its first 24 hours of availability, has racked up a grand total of 2.3 million downloads. An impressive number, until you compare it to the latest major releases from Mozilla: Firefox 3.5 was downloaded 5 million times in 24 hours -- and Firefox 3, back in 2008, holds the world record for any piece of software with over 8 million downloads in one day.

Of course it isn't an entirely fair comparison. The Internet is a different place today than it was back in 2008. For a start, Google Chrome burst onto the scene and has diluted IE's market share ever since. Then there's the fact that browsers are generally a lot better in 2011 than 2008. When Firefox 3 came out, the only other option was Internet Explorer 7! In contrast, Firefox 3.6, Internet Explorer 8 and Chrome are all good browsers -- in short, there's no compelling reason to upgrade to IE9.

More importantly, let's not forget that the Internet has grown massively in the last three years, gathering hundreds of millions of new users -- and all of those users need Web browsers! It's rather surprising, given the huge target audience, to see Internet Explorer 9 quite so far behind Firefox 3, and even Firefox 3.5. It's not like Microsoft hasn't spent an awful lot on marketing its new browser, and IE9 has received plenty of attention from the tech world, too.

Ultimately, I think, it comes down to the grass roots nature of the open source movement, and the zealous loyalty of Firefox users. Six years ago, millions of people celebrated the release of Firefox 1.0 with launch parties -- including me! -- but no matter how hard Microsoft encourages us to embrace the beauty of the web, I don't think any release of Internet Explorer will ever inspire people to gather in a bar and drink to the long and healthy life of the World Wide Web.

Internet Explorer 9 downloaded 2.3 million times in first day; Firefox 3 managed 8 million! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad 2 Official Launch Date Announced

It’s official, the iPad 2 will be available next week. Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed the iPad 2 on Wednesday in San Francisco and announced that it will go on sale beginning March 11, 2011 in the United States. With several new and updated features the next generation iPad will no doubt give Android tablet [...]

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Survival Lab is a fun pixelated game where dying doesn't matter

In most games, dying is a bad thing. You have to start all over again, or at least revert to the last save point and lose some progress. Not so in Survival Lab: in this pixelated gem you play as a lone individual pitted against ruthless weapons in a sealed chamber. You have to run, jump and duck, collecting little yellow things (I have no idea what they're called).

For each donut-like yellow thing you pick up, you gain a bit of experience. If you manage to collect several in a row without getting hit, this counts as a combo. You can see my mad combo skills in the screenshot, of course. Collecting combos is a good thing, because a ten-point combo gives you for more experience than just collecting ten dounts one by one (getting hit in-between).

Having experience is useful, because once you die, you get to a screen where you can upgrade your skills. You can learn to run faster, double-jump (and then double-jump higher), and duck. You can also gain more armour so that getting hit won't kill you so quickly.

What makes this simple game so addictive is that when you die, your experience doesn't reset. You just go back to the same level, or another level of your choosing, and keep accumulating more and more experience. Lots of fun, especially if you're into the whole retro-gaming thing.

Survival Lab is a fun pixelated game where dying doesn't matter originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive: Apple in talks to open an Apple store in Jerusalem (Israel)

Apple is known for its Apple stores, both for the location and the architecture of the stores. In 2008, Apple opened the first store in Israel. Apple is considering a second store and the leading location is Jerusalem. The location is in the new entrance to the city (see picture), next to a first of [...]

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Kindle Subscribers Will Be Able To Access NYTimes.com For Free

Amazon has just announced that Kindle users who subscribe to The New York Times on their device will receiving access to news site for free. The date in which this access will hit has not been determined, according to the release. As we reported last week, the New York Times announced its paywall, which allows for free access to a set amount of content across digital platforms. The Kindle subscription for the New York Times costs $19.99 per month, and these users will not have to pay for any content when accessing the NYTimes.com.

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DARPA's Urban Photonic Sandtable Display enables 3D battlefield planning without goofy glasses

You probably point and laugh at your friends when they have big, bulky 3D glasses perched on their noses in theaters. That kind of tomfoolery just won't do amongst the military brass, who frown at the slightest hint of snickering in the operations room. This new 3D system, called the Urban Photonic Sandtable Display (UPSD), should help. It's a DARPA project, a fully holographic table (no glasses required) that can be scaled up to six feet diagonally and allows visual depth of up to 12-inches. The technology comes courtesy of Zebra Imaging, which earlier wowed us with some insane 3D printouts, and the data will come from LIDAR systems like this ROAMS bot. No word on when the system will be deployed to the field, but it should allow grizzled commanders and uppity businessmen to find unobtanium deposits, even if they happen to be located right under a big 'ol tree.

Continue reading DARPA's Urban Photonic Sandtable Display enables 3D battlefield planning without goofy glasses

DARPA's Urban Photonic Sandtable Display enables 3D battlefield planning without goofy glasses originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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