Games and entertainment

Lazy eye? Playing video games might help

Those with a condition commonly referred to as lazy eye may soon be assigned video game therapy, thanks to results of a new study published in the August issue of the journal PLoS Biology.

Participants in the UC Berkeley study who spent at least 40 hours playing off-the-shelf video games throughout the course of the study enjoyed better visual acuity and 3D depth perception scores than prior to playing the games. (Don't get too excited; these improvements have not been seen in people with normal vision.)

"This study is the first to show that video game play is … Read more

Hulu officially launches streaming service in Japan

Just a few weeks after announcing its decision to expand its streaming service to Japan, Hulu has made good on its promise.

Folks in Japan can now stream a host of movies from the service, including "Men in Black," "Troy," and "As Good As It Gets." On the television side, users will have access to "24," "Lost," and "Prison Break," among other shows. Like in the U.S., all the content will be available online, as well as on connected televisions, tablets, and smartphones, Hulu said. Support for … Read more

The Sims Social is EA's top Facebook game

Electronic Arts is having unprecedented success on Facebook, thanks to the Sims.

According to The Sims Social Facebook page, the game now has more than 22 million monthly active users. In a tweet today, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said that by reaching that milestone, the game is now "EA's most successful Facebook game."

Reaching the top wasn't all that difficult. EA has a host of Facebook games, but none can match the popularity of The Sims Social. Madden NFL Superstars, for example, has less than 600,000 monthly active users. Monopoly Millionaires has a little less than 3 million monthly active users, while Restaurant City 4.7 million monthly active users.

The Sims Social, which launched on Facebook earlier this year, allows users to create their own Sims and basically live their lives for them. In a press release announcing the game in June, EA said the title lets users "engage with every aspect of their Sims social lives from the intense emotion of a first kiss to the flawless execution of a hilarious prank."

Although The Sims Social is becoming quite popular, it has a long way to go to catch up to Facebook favorites FarmVille and CityVille. FarmVille currently has more than 34 million monthly active users, while CityVille has nearly 76 million monthly active users.… Read more

Zynga delaying IPO?

Social-gaming site Zynga may delay its initial public offering until November as a result of the current turmoil in the stock market, according to the New York Post.

Zynga was looking to raise up to $1 billion by going public as early as September. But citing sources "with knowledge of Zynga's plans," the Post said the company has been concerned by the stock market's recent up-and-down ride, prompting it to back off on its IPO for now.

Launched in 2007, Zynga has turned into a force for online social gaming with such popular titles as FarmVille, … Read more

Gojee: Even the Web can be delicious

There's something about cookbooks that has always amazed me ever since I was a child. Cookbooks have a story-telling quality where the pictures hold as much influence as their complementary textual directions. Have you ever caught yourself staring at a photogenic plate, struggling to imagine what it might taste like or if it was something in your realm of cooking skills? Like a great children's story, visual cookbooks capture the imagination of taste and encourages us recreate what the cook/artist shares before us, without information overload.

Gojee is a Web app that sets out to … Read more

Hulu Plus lands on Vizio tablet

Vizio's 8-inch tablet will now support Hulu Plus, the company announced today.

According to Chief Technology Officer Matt McRae, Vizio's tablet has become "one of the first Android-powered tablets to support Hulu Plus."

Vizio launched its 8-inch tablet earlier this month. The device comes with Wi-Fi connectivity and the ability for users to control their home entertainment devices with the built-in universal remote. The tablet also comes with an HDMI port, allowing users to push content to their HDTVs in high-definition.

Google among firms bidding up to $2 billion for Hulu?

Video streaming service Hulu is accepting initial acquisition bids starting on Wednesday, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Journal reported today that Google, Yahoo, Amazon.com, and DirecTV are among the companies interested in acquiring the video service. Although none of the companies has made an offer yet, the Journal's sources said the bids are expected to range from $500 million to $2 billion.

Talks of Hulu being acquired began in June when reports claimed Yahoo had approached the company to inquire about a possible buy. Soon after, Hulu's … Read more

The best defense is a good symphony

Talk about a flashback to the early 2000s. Tower defense (TD) games are still kicking strong, and just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Symphonic Tower Defense rolls around.

Symphonic Tower Defense is a rhythmic tower defense game by FrozenFire and JonSandness and is currently featured on Newgrounds as one of the top most played games on the site. In true Plants vs. Zombies style, Symphonic takes a linear, multilane, music-driven approach to the tower defense genre.

The title draws its inspiration from the once-popular Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) series. Those who recall the golden … Read more

Google begins rollout of games on Google+

Google's not-so-secret gaming ambitions for its new social network are no longer under wraps.

Google today announced a gaming element for Google+, the social network the company launched at the end of June. The new offering lets Google+ users play games from within the social network, including some that can be played with other Google+ users.

Some of the launch games include Rovio's Angry Birds, PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz, and Zynga's Poker. It's a tiny collection compared to what's offered on Facebook, which has made a booming business by offering social games that players can … Read more

Amuse shelter cats with online remote-control toys

I'm writing this article with a large rescue cat draped across my keyboard (yes, it's hard to type). Not every feline is as fortunate to have a home.

Animal shelters have tried out kitty Webcams to boost adoption rates. AprioriControl is raising the bar with iPet Companion, interactive online kitten playrooms that put viewers in control of feathery, flighty, and fluffy cat toys.

The kitty playrooms are currently up and running at shelters in Idaho, Iowa, and Oregon. I stopped off at the site for the Clinton Humane Society in Iowa where kittens named Dori, Nemo, Marlin, and Bruce rolled, tumbled, and attacked the remote-control toys.

Each shelter determines certain play hours. You may end up in a short queue when you drop by to play with the furry critters. The toys are attached to motors. Push the button on your browser to make them dance and whirl.

When it's your turn, you also control the direction of the Webcam. A live chat box lets you join in all the ooing and cooing from other users. You'll see gems like: "they r sooo cute lookit the kittys look it look it." It's easy to turn into a pile of text-speak mush when you're watching kittens play.… Read more