Heading back to school can cost serious cash, especially in the textbook department, but if getting smart before classes start can save you money. Using online and digital tools can target the best deals, and with e-textbooks all the rage, you can lighten your backpack load without emptying your wallet. Here are a few top tech-savvy picks for back-to-school.
Just in case you somehow missed the hundreds of articles published today, Apple announced the iPad 2 will hit stores on March 11th. The upcoming model offers a bevy of new features – a slimmer build, two cameras and 3G capabilities. It also boasts a significant improvement to its hardware power thanks to a new dual-core processor – the A5.
What does this mean to gamers? Hopefully, better games. And if the device catches on (the original iPad sold over 15 million units in less than a year, so it’s probable), more of them.
Hit PC game “Minecraft” is a huge success despite the fact it’s still a work in progress.
The current ‘beta’ code of the Sweden-developed game was released in December, and according to online statistics over one million people have purchased the yet-to-be-completed version. Over three million people in total downloaded it.
So, what’s next for the completely out of left field game that merges building blocks and zombies? Mobile phones.
I’ve always been more of a dog person, but this video of Game for Cats on Apple’s iPad makes a strong counter-argument. As you can see, the cat happily paws at lasers and mice as they bounce around the screen. And really, how far off is that from splitting a six-pack of Red Bull with your feline pal and dominating some Halo? The dog, meanwhile, is all like, “Funk that noise.” Lame.
Remember yesterday, when Apple brought out a couple guys from Epic Games to show off some new hotness on the iPhone. Now you can see it up close. Epic Citadel the open-world portion of the demonstration at Apple’s mostly iPod-centric event, is available free for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
It’s clear that many developers view Apple’s iProducts as a viable market for video games. And why not? They allow for bite-size nuggets of handheld gaming that, while relatively simplistic in comparison to those on the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, are also dirt cheap. It’s hard to argue against buying Dragon’s Lair or Angry Birds for $0.99. Well, things just got a little bit tougher for those developers. Now, thanks to a video Touch Arcade found, they have to go toe-to-toe with the software library of the beloved Super NES in the fight for consumer attention. Good luck with that, guys.
Hit the jump for the video, and some caveats.
The iPad arcade cabinet has remained on our wish list ever since ThinkGeek teased us with the iCade, which was but a cruel April Fool’s joke. Hope sprang last month, when video of a do-it-yourself iPad arcade cabinet, housed in cardboard, surfaced, albeit without instructions. Now, there’s another video of the iPad cab in action, and it’s looking closer than ever to a finished product.
I’ll tell you what’s missing from most iPhone pinball games. No, it’s not the tactile pleasure you get from pressing buttons and flipping actual pins. It’s metal. Fortunately, there’s Slayer Pinball Rocks HD, available now for iPhone and iPad. The game includes music from Slayer’s latest album, World Painted Blood, voice recordings from bassist and vocalist Tom Araya, rhythm-based mini-games and, to quote Slayer’s website, “a pinball environment straight out of your worst nightmare.”
I just spent $30 on 100 business cards, and while I’m satisfied with how they turned out I can’t help but feel a twinge of regret after hearing about this free Space Invaders themed e-business card for the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad at Tiny Cartridge. Everyone seems to have at least one iSomething now, so it might be a good idea to download this anyway. The app is customizable, so you can have some fun crafting the perfect business card. And everyone likes bumping electronic devices together, so there’s that too. You can download the app here.
[via Tiny Cartridge]
