pop

Bubble Blast 2 for Android

Bubble Blast 2 for Android is a free puzzle game that, yet again, pits players against poppable, monochromatic bubbles. Choose from two game modes: Puzzle and Arcade.

In Bubble Blast 2, each level is covered in a different configuration of bubbles, with some bubbles being more difficult to pop than others. In order to advance, you must set off chain reactions of bubble-poppage to clear each screen. The game is not only fun and addictive, it's also quite a brain teaser, as it forces you to weigh several different courses of action when attempting to clear each level.

If … Read more

The 404 808: Where we now have your credit card number (podcast)

Today we're joined by Robin Yang, a gamer that made her first CNET appearance on PreGame last year and will soon move to Seattle to work for PopCap Games, the creator of online casual games like Plants vs. Zombies, Bewjeweled, and Peggle. But before she heads out west, she's guest hosting today's show about the PlayStation hack fallout, a man arrested for singing Kung Fu fighting, the next "Terminator" film, and a Google survey about smartphones in the bathroom.

The 404 Digest for Episode 808

In the world of online gaming, the man without a credit card is king. Man arrested for singing "Kung Fu Fighting." Terminator is back, Justin Lin to direct. Google says 39% of smartphone owners use them in the bathroom. Follow Robin Yang on Twitter and Friendfeed.

Episode 808

Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

PopCap Games unveils 'experimental' game studio

PopCap Games has created a new development studio aimed at delivering fast-to-market titles, the company announced today.

Dubbed 4th & Battery, the new "experimental" studio is made up of current PopCap developers who want to "create smaller, simpler, and sometimes edgier games," the company said. PopCap pointed out that in traditional gaming development models, creating a title can take a long time. And in the process, fewer titles are actually released. With 4th & Battery, the company hopes to get more titles to the market far more quickly.

PopCap Games is no slouch in the gaming … Read more

Timbuk2 Pop-Up case fits both iPad and iPad 2

With a lot of people buying Apple's magnetic Smart Cover to go along with their new iPad 2's, many iPad accessory case makers are starting to tout the ability of their sleeve-style cases to accommodate the iPad 2 with that Smart Cover left on. The idea, of course, is that when you travel, you'll want a little more protection for your precious Apple tablet, and the sleeve is the perfect way to completely cover your iPad 2.

Timbuk2's upcoming Pop-Up case is kind of a hybrid sleeve/hard case, with a rigid front for added protection, … Read more

Apple saves SXSW, set to open pop-up store

Austin, Texas, is one of the most civilized cities in America. Except, I am told, when the South by Southwest Interactive Festival comes around. Then, youthful hubris mixed with inebriation can cause the odd ego-laden fracas.

Perhaps mindful of the need to maintain peace and harmony, Apple has, according to the Austin American-Statesman, decided to open a temporary pop-up store in downtown Austin.

SXSW Interactive, you see, part of the broader SXSW music and film event, starts tomorrow. That's precisely the day that the iPad 2 shows off its diminished weight and post-dietary sleekness.

So you can imagine what … Read more

Troubleshooting Mail passwords

Apple's Mail e-mail client is a fairly straightforward tool for accessing IMAP, POP, and Exchange accounts, and for the most part it works quite well, but it is not without its quirks. One of these is that at times Mail can start prompting users for their account passwords again and seem to not properly store them. When this happens the program may appear to stop interacting with the mail server for such functions as downloading new messages.

The first thing to do whenever there is a problem with Mail's connection with an e-mail server is to open the … Read more

Audi oddity

We've seen our fair share of ridiculous software--especially when it comes to desktop enhancements--but we're pretty sure that Audi Screenmate takes the cake. We can't imagine that even the most die-hard Audi fan would find anything useful about this program.

Audi Screenmate consists of a small animated graphic with some shooting lines and fog; every few seconds "A4" becomes visible through the haze. This is a reference to the Audi A4 sedan. This graphic is visible on your desktop but also stays on top when you're using other programs. Clicking on the graphic takes … Read more

Rumor suggests Mark Zuckerberg may crash 'SNL'

The last time we wrote about Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg making an appearance on "Saturday Night Live," it was an April Fool's Day joke. Now, according to a rumor posted in the New York Post, that wacky idea may come true.

Jesse Eisenberg, the actor who played Mark Zuckerberg in "The Social Network," an unflattering but acclaimed portrait of the young CEO, is scheduled to host "SNL" this Saturday. Eisenberg was just nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, so it's a high-profile "SNL" hosting appearance. According … Read more

Back to pop-ups

Links from Friday's episode of Loaded:

The Internet goes nearly silent in Egypt during widespread violent political protests

News Corp. announces plans to launch The Daily, its iPad-only publication

Gmail offers a new feature to give you a pop-up every time you get an e-mail or an instant message

The new version of Skype for Mac has a group chatting option

Hulu may be planning to rebrand itself as the Internet's cable channel

Apple may be prepping to launch a new lineup of MacBook Pros

LinkedIn has filed for an IPO

Digital City 95: AMD kills ATI, Apple event predictions, and video game pottery

We're down a man this week, as Joey calls in with back problems--but the rest of us are on hand to discuss this week's hot topics. The hottest of which may be Apple's upcoming September 1 press event, and we all weigh in with allegedly thoughtful predictions on what new iPods and other gadgets may show up.

Then it's time for a moment of silence as we mourn the death of the ATI brand, with its corporate parent reportedly planning to tag the company's future graphics cards with the AMD brand name instead.

Among the wackier technology antics we look at this week--a collection of pottery figures inspired by the hit casual game Plants vs. Zombies, and a quick visit to a Chicago coffee shop with a pretty sweet pop culture collectible--a full-size model Delorean car from the "Back to the Future" film series.