Hard Lines iPhone Review

Hard Lines iPhone Review

Posted on 26th Jun 2011 at 10:44 by David Hing with 9 comments

Back when mobile phones were still thought of as a new idea, Nokia's 3210 was highly sought after in many circles for its built in version of the highly addictive game Snake. Fast forward a decade, and Hard Lines is attempting to be a worthy successor to that classic title.

The mechanics of Hard Lines are simple. With simple directional strokes of your finger, you steer a line around the screen towards randomly spawning markers, accruing points while avoiding other lines that enter from the sides of the screen.

Slick and neatly designed, Hard Lines is clearly influenced by the Light Cycles from Tron, yet it doesn't limit itself to that one style of play; there are several variations. In some modes, you gain points by getting opposing lines to crash into you or the walls; in others you race against the clock, or just try to last for as long as possible. There are also some good bonuses, such as the occasional power up that enables you to crash through any other competing lines without killing yourself.


The gameplay is occasionally made overly complicated, however, via the addition of dialogue that bikes may utter in the middle of a match. This appears as a single line of text and, while it's often funny, it's usually just a distraction that obscures your view.

Aside from this, though, the balancing is beautiful and the game manages to be both punishing and forgiving at once. Each line is only a single pixel wide, for example, but you only need to pass near an item on the screen to collect it, avoiding any frustrating situations where you might end up circling it forever. Not only this, but the very narrow nature of your line means the game can afford to throw a lot of competing lines at you at any one time. In particular, the Gauntlet mode continually spawns large numbers of other lines rapidly, resulting in an intense session that's highly satisfying when it goes your way.

Verdict: Hard Lines is a well designed, easily controlled, multifaceted version of Snake with enough new material and creativity behind it to stop it being called a straightforward clone.

Hard Lines is available from the AppStore for 59p / 99c.

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AliPay brings mobile wallet technology to China

AliPay, Alibaba?s online payment platform, has updated its mobile app to bring the ?mobile wallet? technology to China, allowing customers to make transactions via the AliPay mobile app, even on non-NFC enabled phones, reports Penn-Olson.

AliPay just released an update to its iPhone, Android and Nokia apps today that enables a new mobile barcode payment system. The app creates a unique, disposable barcode where the transaction details and user?s account information are encrypted. This can then be used to make payments that are either deductible from a user?s AliPay funds, or from debit/credit cards associated with one?s account.

Retailers can accept payments by scanning the barcode generated on the customer?s phone in two ways: first is using the camera?s smartphone via the AliPay app, or with the traditional barcode scanning gun attached to their cash register.

With a claim of more than more than 550 million registered AliPay users as of the end of 2010, and over 800 million mobile phones in China, Alibaba reiterates how their technology can potentially shape the industry, as retailers don?t need any fancy, new equipment to accept the new AliPay mobile payments ? all they need is their mobile phone, and an Internet access.

At the moment, AliPay is aiming this at small shops that only need to register an AliPay account, free of charge, to take advantage of the new payment scheme.

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Source: http://thenextweb.com/asia/2011/07/01/alipay-brings-mobile-wallet-technology-to-china/

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U.S. Will Widen 2 C.I.A. Inquiries Into Jail Deaths

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said that a two-year review by a specially appointed prosecutor, John H. Durham, had determined that any further investigation into that large group of cases ?is not warranted.? The inquiry into the two deaths, though, could result in criminal charges against Central Intelligence Agency officers or contractors.

Intelligence officials saw the announcement as a vindication of sorts.

?I welcome the news that the broader inquiries are behind us,? Leon E. Panetta, director of the C.I.A., said in his last day in office before being sworn in Friday as defense secretary. ?We are now finally about to close this chapter of our agency?s history.?

Still, the renewed attention to the volatile issue of C.I.A. interrogations ? after the controversy had all but disappeared from public debate ? is sure to set off a range of legal and political challenges for the Justice Department, the White House and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

The Justice Department has faced years of criticism from the left for inaction on accusations of abuse by C.I.A. interrogators, while defenders of the C.I.A. have warned that any prosecutions would be deeply damaging to the agency. It will be left to Gen. David H. Petraeus, who was confirmed Thursday as C.I.A. director, to lead the agency through any turmoil from the criminal investigation.

The Justice Department did not identify the two detainees at the center of the criminal investigation. But government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the continuing review, said the first case involved the well-publicized death of Manadel al-Jamadi, who died in C.I.A. custody in 2003 at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. He became publicly known as the Iceman after his body was photographed packed in ice and wrapped in plastic.

The second case involves the death of Gul Rahman, suspected of being a militant, who died in 2002 after being shackled to a concrete wall in a secret C.I.A. prison in Afghanistan known as the Salt Pit, the officials said.

Beginning in 2002, Justice Department lawyers wrote a series of then-secret legal opinions authorizing intelligence officers to use increasingly harsh interrogation methods like sleep deprivation, slapping and waterboarding on dozens of terrorism suspects in an effort to elicit information about Al Qaeda.

Mr. Holder stressed Thursday in his statement, as he has before, that any intelligence officials who acted ?in good faith? within the scope of the Justice Department?s legal guidance at the time would not face prosecution. The review that led to the full criminal investigations focused primarily on whether ?unauthorized interrogation techniques were used by C.I.A. interrogators? and, if so, whether they amounted to criminal violations of statutes against torture or other measures, he said.

In a nod to the tensions surrounding the issue, Mr. Holder was careful to emphasize the ?incredibly important service to our nation? that intelligence officials provide. ?They deserve our respect and gratitude for the work that they do,? he said.

Civil rights leaders said Thursday that they were disappointed that Mr. Holder had not set a broader target for the current investigation by looking at the legality of the interrogation policies approved by senior lawyers and intelligence officials.

?With the approval of the Bush administration?s most senior officials, the C.I.A. operated an interrogation program that subjected prisoners to unimaginable cruelty and violated both international and domestic law,? said Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union. ?The narrow investigation that Attorney General Holder announced today is not proportionate to the scale and scope of the wrongdoing.?

But Representative Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who leads the House Intelligence Committee, said the Justice Department?s decision to close the book on all but two of the remaining cases ?has finally substantially lifted an undeserved cloud of doubt and suspicion from all of our intelligence professionals.?

President Obama signaled soon after his inauguration in January 2009 that he was reluctant to re-examine some of the most controversial counterterrorism tactics of the George W. Bush administration, including the treatment of prisoners and the use of harsh interrogation tactics.

Before Mr. Obama took office, though, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey appointed Mr. Durham, a longtime organized-crime prosecutor from Connecticut, to examine evidence that the C.I.A. had improperly destroyed videotapes of interrogations in possible violation of court orders. The Justice Department declined to bring charges over the tapes? destruction, but Mr. Holder, in 2009, expanded Mr. Durham?s inquiries to include possible mistreatment of prisoners.

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Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=b58bc63a658f5d6bbe0737fabcd003d4

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Breaches and Security, By the Numbers

How is companies' data being stolen? Attacks often employ multiple methods?but remotely hacking a computer isn't always one of them. Sometimes employees are involved, and some attackers physically break in. The numbers in the chart below total more than 100 percent because more than one method can be used in an attack.

Source: Verizon's 2011 Data Breach Investigations Report, which analyzed 761 breaches

Given all the ways data breaches can occur, companies need to employ multiple methods of defense. This chart shows the main steps they are taking. Nearly half, for example, are removing data from the network rather than risk having it stolen. Companies often pursue several protective strategies, which is why the percentages total more than 100.

Source: Survey of more than 1,000 senior IT executives worldwide for Underground Economies, a 2011 report by McAfee and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)


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Source: http://feeds.technologyreview.com/click.phdo?i=f9ec8496cf4851b2cf3cf75fb658eaee

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Amazon significantly lowers prices on Web Services products

Amazon is lowering the cost of Amazon Web Services Data Transfer from July 1st, the company announced to customers via email today.

Inbound data transfer currently costs $0.10 per gigabyte, and will cost absolutely nothing after the changes kick in. For outgoing data, the tiers have been slashed considerably. They now range from $0.120 per gigabyte to $0.050 per gigabyte, with the cost decreasing over that scale as more data is transfered over the month.

Amazon says that a customer transferring 10 TB a month both in and out will save 52% with the new pricing, a fairly significant chunk of change. Amazon is affordable amongst its peers, but can still cost web companies a pretty penny. These changes are sure to make a lot of people happy.

The changes come after a controversial move to end the Amazon Associates Program in California in protest to a sales tax bill that was passed yesterday, though I wouldn?t be quick to say that this is some sort of appeasement after the company ended what is for some people a very significant income source.

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Source: http://thenextweb.com/industry/2011/07/01/amazon-significantly-lowers-prices-on-web-services-products/

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AMD to phase out Athlon II, Phenom II by early 2012

Having officially unveiled its Llano APUs only a few short hours ago (check out our performance review here), AMD seems pretty darn eager to flush its dated silicon. DigiTimes has it on good authority that the company plans to phase out most of its older-generation processors by the second half of this year, with approximately 30 AM3-based Athlon II and Phenom II parts marked for execution in the third and fourth quarters.

If everything plays out as expected, Athlon II chips will drop from 70% of AMD's total processor shipments in the second quarter to 40% in the third. That figure will dwindle to below 30% in the fourth quarter and the series will cease to exist by the first quarter of 2012. Phenom II CPUs will suffer the same fate, dropping from 3% in the second quarter to less than 1% in the third. Death will ensue by the fourth quarter.

DigiTimes says AMD will stop taking orders for the Athlon II X2 series including 255 and 270, Athlon II X3 450, Athlon II X4 650/640, Phenom II X4 970/965 and Phenom II X2 565/560 by the end of the third quarter. The Athlon II X4 620e, Phenom II X4 910e, Phenom II X4 980/975 and Phenom II X6 1100T/1090T will be nixed in the fourth quarter. Some chips, including the Athlon II X4 610e, will be cancelled in July.

By the time 2012 kicks off, AMD's entry-level E series APUs (those inside netbooks and other compact systems) will represent some 20% of its total processor shipments, while high-end AM3+ FX series parts (Bulldozer, a new 32nm desktop architecture due in the third quarter of 2011) will account for another 20%. Most of the remaining cut will be held by the company's new mainstream FM1-based A series APUs.

DigiTimes' report follows one day after iSuppli's first quarter CPU standings, and things aren't looking so hot for AMD. The company represented 10.1% of the global processor revenue, down 1.7% from a year ago. Although its revenue share is shrinking, the company seems to be shipping a similar number of processors, suggesting that its profit margins have taken a hit (and we don't expect Llano to help matters).

Intel's revenue share grew 2% to 82.6% during the same period -- despite the Cougar Point fiasco. "Intel moved quickly to identify and correct the Sandy Bridge chipset issue during the first quarter," said analyst Matthew Wilkins. "Intel?s handling of the issue on both the public relations and business fronts stands in stark contrast to other recent examples of big companies facing major product quality challenges."

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Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/44496-amd-to-phase-out-athlon-ii-phenom-ii-by-early-2012.html

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Show me the money! Check out this ATM receipt with a $100 MILLION available balance.

Here?s one way to invoke your inner rageface: stumble upon an ATM receipt that shows a $100,000,000 balance on your innocent evening walk. I would have liked to have seen the look on the face of the individual who found this.

The receipt, Dealbreaker has found, actually belongs to hedge fund manager David Tepper, whose company brought in $7 billion in profit last year.

I?d like to invite Tepper to put that card in my custom-made ATM. Don?t worry, it?s safe.

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Source: http://thenextweb.com/shareables/2011/07/01/show-me-the-money-check-out-this-atm-receipt-with-a-100-million-available-balance/

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Obama Moves Near ?Greater Equality? on Gay Marriage

But if his personal evolution is complete, Mr. Obama, who has previously opposed same-sex marriage, is not saying so.

?I think what you?re seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers, and that they?ve got to be treated like every other American,? Mr. Obama said at a news conference. ?And I think that principle will win out.?

The president went on: ?I think we?re moving in a direction of greater equality and ? and I think that?s a good thing.?

Mr. Obama used those same words ? ?a good thing? ? to describe the debate that led to last week?s passage of a law making same-sex marriage legal in New York.

But when asked if he personally supported such marriages, the president demurred. ?I?m not going to make news on that today,? he said.

Mr. Obama later held a Gay Pride reception at the White House on Wednesday evening, where he did not address the issue directly. Dan Savage, a columnist who arrived with his husband, wore a button that said ?evolve already.?

Mr. Obama has been under pressure from gay rights advocates to clarify his position in the wake of the vote in Albany and his own comments at a Manhattan fund-raiser last week, in which he suggested the marriage question should be left to the states.

The remarks infuriated some close allies, who said Mr. Obama, a former constitutional law professor and the child of an interracial marriage, was invoking arguments once used to defend segregation. On Wednesday, reaction to the news conference was mixed.

Some faulted the president for remaining ?in the closet,? as The Christian Science Monitor said. Richard Socarides, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton on gay rights, said he sensed Mr. Obama?s ?evolution is complete ? only the announcement awaits.?

But Mr. Obama himself made clear that there would be no announcements.

?I think this has been asked and answered,? he said when pressed for a second time to state his personal views. ?I?ll keep on giving you the same answer until I give you a different one, all right??

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Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=05e382b1f98c670592fd5848fbe0dd06

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Obama Moves Near ?Greater Equality? on Gay Marriage

But if his personal evolution is complete, Mr. Obama, who has previously opposed same-sex marriage, is not saying so.

?I think what you?re seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers, and that they?ve got to be treated like every other American,? Mr. Obama said at a news conference. ?And I think that principle will win out.?

The president went on: ?I think we?re moving in a direction of greater equality and ? and I think that?s a good thing.?

Mr. Obama used those same words ? ?a good thing? ? to describe the debate that led to last week?s passage of a law making same-sex marriage legal in New York.

But when asked if he personally supported such marriages, the president demurred. ?I?m not going to make news on that today,? he said.

Mr. Obama later held a Gay Pride reception at the White House on Wednesday evening, where he did not address the issue directly. Dan Savage, a columnist who arrived with his husband, wore a button that said ?evolve already.?

Mr. Obama has been under pressure from gay rights advocates to clarify his position in the wake of the vote in Albany and his own comments at a Manhattan fund-raiser last week, in which he suggested the marriage question should be left to the states.

The remarks infuriated some close allies, who said Mr. Obama, a former constitutional law professor and the child of an interracial marriage, was invoking arguments once used to defend segregation. On Wednesday, reaction to the news conference was mixed.

Some faulted the president for remaining ?in the closet,? as The Christian Science Monitor said. Richard Socarides, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton on gay rights, said he sensed Mr. Obama?s ?evolution is complete ? only the announcement awaits.?

But Mr. Obama himself made clear that there would be no announcements.

?I think this has been asked and answered,? he said when pressed for a second time to state his personal views. ?I?ll keep on giving you the same answer until I give you a different one, all right??

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Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=05e382b1f98c670592fd5848fbe0dd06

freddie mitchell simon chipmunk lebron james twitter jimmer fredette thomas tew rum issaquah school district the game tv show lasso of truth terrence j most popular thanksgiving side dish

Obama Moves Near ?Greater Equality? on Gay Marriage

But if his personal evolution is complete, Mr. Obama, who has previously opposed same-sex marriage, is not saying so.

?I think what you?re seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers, and that they?ve got to be treated like every other American,? Mr. Obama said at a news conference. ?And I think that principle will win out.?

The president went on: ?I think we?re moving in a direction of greater equality and ? and I think that?s a good thing.?

Mr. Obama used those same words ? ?a good thing? ? to describe the debate that led to last week?s passage of a law making same-sex marriage legal in New York.

But when asked if he personally supported such marriages, the president demurred. ?I?m not going to make news on that today,? he said.

Mr. Obama later held a Gay Pride reception at the White House on Wednesday evening, where he did not address the issue directly. Dan Savage, a columnist who arrived with his husband, wore a button that said ?evolve already.?

Mr. Obama has been under pressure from gay rights advocates to clarify his position in the wake of the vote in Albany and his own comments at a Manhattan fund-raiser last week, in which he suggested the marriage question should be left to the states.

The remarks infuriated some close allies, who said Mr. Obama, a former constitutional law professor and the child of an interracial marriage, was invoking arguments once used to defend segregation. On Wednesday, reaction to the news conference was mixed.

Some faulted the president for remaining ?in the closet,? as The Christian Science Monitor said. Richard Socarides, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton on gay rights, said he sensed Mr. Obama?s ?evolution is complete ? only the announcement awaits.?

But Mr. Obama himself made clear that there would be no announcements.

?I think this has been asked and answered,? he said when pressed for a second time to state his personal views. ?I?ll keep on giving you the same answer until I give you a different one, all right??

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Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=05e382b1f98c670592fd5848fbe0dd06

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