balls

Get your bounce on

Bounce On Lite is a fun, free, one-level preview of Bounce On, a cartoony platformer game in which you help a rolling, bouncing red ball navigate through a variety of obstacles on 2D levels. Bounce On makes intuitive use of the iPhone and iPod Touch's accelerometer, as you tilt your device left and right to roll. You tap the screen to jump--over gaps, up to platforms, and onto enemies--and the longer you hold your tap the higher you'll jump. You try to complete each level as quickly as possible, while collecting diamonds, extra lives, and power ups, and … Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week brings us an arcade platform for WiiWare and an adventure in Monster Land. WiiWare Niki - Rock 'n' Ball (Bplus, 500 Wii points): Niki - Rock 'n' Ball is a platforming game that approaches a classic game mechanic in a brand new way. Liberate villages by eliminating the enemies that have appeared. Virtual Console Wonder Boy in Monster Land (1988, Sega Master System, 500 Wii points): Weird box art aside, you'll take on the role of Wonder Boy as you battle fire-breathing dragons and other strange enemies. Use magic spells and weapons to make your quest a … Read more

Scottish I-Ball rolls to success

A new launchable, wireless projectile camera from Scotland gives troops 360-degree, high-quality, real-time video coverage whether in flight or rolling on the floor.

The I-Ball can be tossed into a room, fired from a grenade launcher or even a mortar, and its advanced image stabilization technology will still deliver a steady picture and easy to see "high-value" video, according to creator Edinburgh-based company Dreampact. The grenade-size, wireless camera will allow the redcoats to have a quick peek before entering a room or cresting a ridge--basically providing the services of a miniature unmanned vehicle, but without the noisy engine.… Read more

iPhone apps of the week

One of the first criticisms people had about the iPhone was that it was too hard to type effectively using the touch screen. It was all over the tech news sites and even here at CNET. Of course, as time went on and anyone who had the iPhone for a while figured out, you eventually got used it. Now, I can rattle off text messages and e-mails faster than I ever could using a regular mobile phone. But there are still some who find the keys on the touch screen too close together (or have large fingers) and no matter … Read more

iPhone apps of the week

As you know, I check out the iPhone app lists every day on my iPhone and at the iTunes Store. As I look for cool new apps, I find it interesting to see what moves to the top of the most popular lists every week and for what type of programs people are willing to pay money. One thing I've noticed is that programs (free or paid) continue to get more complex. As developers get more comfortable with the platform, we're starting to see games and apps that offer much more polish than the ones that came out … Read more

The 404 192: Where Sen. McCain canceled his appearance on The 404

When you start out by setting the bar low, you don't need high expectations. We kick off the show with a discussion of Pirates 2, sequel to the highest budget adult film of all time. In other news, MySpace finally enters the music biz, plastic surgeons ban unfeasibly large breasts, and Justin is an albatross.

Dan the Mantern here. Somehow today's banter turned to the topic of haggard Chinese dudes who play supporting roles in action movies. Despite their recognizable faces and remarkable performances, too often these evil henchman and characters used to advance a plot line are stripped of the accolades they so deserve. I'd like to take this opportunity to initiate a new tradition at The 404: The Supporting Actor Hall of Fame.

For the first installment, we'll remember the career of the late Victor Wong. Known for his quirky haircut and lazy eye, Wong's breakthrough role as Egg Shen in Big Trouble in Little China had us reeling. Wong went on to portray The Old Man in Eddie Murphy's The Golden Child, Fighter in Bloodsport, and Grandpa Mori Shintaro in 3 Ninjas, 3 Ninjas Kick Back, 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up, and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. Unfortunately, we lost this timeless actor in late 2001. Rest in peace, Victor Wong, we miss ya buddy.

EPISODE 192 Download today's podcast … Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week brings us a brand-new Mega Man game sticking true to its 8-bit roots and a classic Dodge Ball game from the NES era.

WiiWare Mega Man 9 (Capcom, 1,000 Wii points): Mega Man 9 is truly an homage to the original classic 8-bit series. Even though the game is brand new with unique stages and bosses, the game has the traditional graphics and gameplay from that of the NES classic franchise. PL?TTCHEN twist 'n' paint (Bplus, 1,000 Wii points): PL?TTCHEN twist 'n' paint is a self-described puzzle-shooter that requires you to paint certain tiles … Read more

The 404 157: Where we talk with a live goat

On today's show: Libe Goad from AOL's GameDaily.com--the life of a female gamer, sucky upcoming games, Wii Music, Resistance, Little Big Planet, and hating on the Madden series...ULTIMATE GAME DAY!

Now you might think that today's show would be a big snore-fest for me, but the fact that Libe Goad from AOL's GameDaily.com is table-poundingly hilarious totally makes up for it, and I'm almost tempted to say that today was one our funniest shows! Libe tells us what it's like to work with a bunch of nerdy dudes all day … Read more

Bouncing around with a ball-shaped camcorder

Another day, another ball-shaped device. But this time, it's not a digital still camera. It's a camcorder that's smaller than a ping-pong ball.

The DVR CamBall hails from Korea, and housed within the tiny physique are all the necessary components for capturing 320x240- or 640x480-pixel video clips. It has an SD memory slot to expand the capacity to 8GB.

All in all, it is a fully functional digital camcorder minus the LCD screen for framing or playback.

It doesn't help that we don't understand Hangul (the Korean writing system) and the page doesn't have … Read more