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Carnegie Mellon student shows that 64 pixels is enough for Mario (video)

There are 2,073,600 pixels in a 1080p TV, yet Carnegie Mellon student Chloe Fan has blown our minds by showing that you only need 64 of them to have a little fun with Super Mario Bros. She wired an Arduino to an 8 x 8 LED matrix through a breadboard, then scaled the first level of the game down to a resolution that makes the 160 x 144 resolution Game Boy look positively high def. The controls are similarly simplified: one button to move Mario (the slightly more orange dot) right, and a second to jump. She also wired up a separate board to play the game's theme song, as you can see in the embed below, but be aware: the video ends before the theme song does, meaning you'll be humming it to yourself all day long . Continue reading Carnegie Mellon student shows that 64 pixels is enough for Mario (video) Carnegie Mellon student shows that 64 pixels is enough for Mario (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Foursquare takes lead in where-am-I apps

One year ago, the founders of Foursquare stepped onstage before a tech-savvy crowd in Austin, Texas, to announce their concept: a smartphone app that lets you tell friends where you are.
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Eric Schmidt confirms Chrome OS is on schedule, on target

The last time we heard anything about the launch schedule for Google's Chrome OS it was summer of last year. At that time we were told a rather vague "second half of 2010" and, now that we're entering the second quarter of the year, forgive us if we were starting to get a bit doubtful about that timeline. But, Google's Eric Schmidt is here to assuage our fears, speaking at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit and indicating the little OS is still on track for that same, rather vague release window. That we're still not getting a more specific date makes us think we're probably looking at a release toward the end of the second half of this year, but just the same it seems like you shouldn't wipe that Chrome-powered netbook off your wishlist for this upcoming holiday season just yet. Eric Schmidt confirms Chrome OS is on schedule, on target originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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iPad pre-order is go — will you buy one?

After years of rumor and speculation, Apple's now taking orders for its iPad tablet. And now that cash money is involved we'll finally see if Apple has a success on its hands by filling the void between smartphones and netbooks/laptops -- something Microsoft and its hoard of vendors just haven't been able to muster. Today's order is delivered on April 3rd (in the US) for free and orders are limited to two per customer. But rather than wait for analysts and Apple's financial reports to tell the tale, let's get a jump on things with an informal poll: are you ordering the iPad? View Poll iPad pre-order is go -- will you buy one? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Nokia, Apple seek patent trial in 2 years

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Top phone makers Nokia and Apple will seek a U.S. court hearing in a key patent battle in mid-2012, a court filing showed, raising the specter of a prolonged legal struggle.
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Unreal Engine 3 adds extra dimension with NVIDIA 3D Vision

Epic Games has announced that its wildly popular Unreal Engine 3 has now added NVIDIA's 3D Vision to its list of supported technologies. We've already come across Batman: Arkham Asylum being played with NVIDIA's signature shutter glasses so this isn't a huge surprise per se, but it does put a stamp of compatibility on the vast catalog of games -- both current and future -- built upon Epic's graphics engine. Those include Borderlands , Mass Effect 1 and 2, Bioshock 1 and 2, and that all-time classic 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand . The Unreal Development Kit -- a freeware version of the Engine for non-commercial uses -- is also being upgraded to make the addition of stereoscopic 3D effects "easier than ever," while other small improvements (covered by Gamespot ) show that the Epic crew isn't standing still on its core product. Good news for all you mobile mavens wanting a taste of Unreality on your iPhones or Pres . Unreal Engine 3 adds extra dimension with NVIDIA 3D Vision originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Watch With Real Dinosaur Bone Fragments [Dinosaurs]

Some watch manufacturers think adding a sapphire crystal face, compass or having a diving depth of 1,000m is enough. Me? I won't consider strapping something to my wrist unless prehistoric animals have been set in the dial. More
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China warns Google as Internet row deal seen soon

BEIJING (Reuters) - China warned Google, the world's largest search engine, against flouting the country's laws on Friday, as expectations grow for a resolution to a public battle over censorship and cyber-security.
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Apple Store Down for iPad Pre-Orders [Apple]

Get ready, the iPad craze starts in two hours ? [ Apple ] More
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NPD: Xbox 360 wins US sales war in a downbeat February

The cosmos must clearly have approved of Microsoft's actions over this past month , as today we're hearing the Xbox 360 broke out of its competitive sales funk to claim the title of "month's best-selling console" ... for the first time in two years. Redmond's own Aaron Greenberg describes it as the best February in the console's history, with 422,000 units sold outshining the consistently popular Wii (397,900) and the resurgent PS3 (360,100 consoles shifted, which was a 30 percent improvement year-on-year). In spite of the happy campers in Redmond and Tokyo, the overall numbers for the games industry were down 15 percent on 2009's revenues, indicating our collective gaming appetite is starting to dry up. Good thing we've got all those motion-sensing accessories coming up to reignite our fire. NPD: Xbox 360 wins US sales war in a downbeat February originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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