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Just like game cabinets of old

Buganoids is a free arcade game with 8-bit graphics, old-school sound and gameplay, and a circular range of movement reminiscent of classic stand-up tube-shooters like Tempest and Gyruss.

Buganoids' schtick is simple and addictive: you move clockwise or counterclockwise around the "surface" of a planet, shooting into the interior to take out advancing enemy bad guys--in this case, menacing little bees, birds, turtles, and centipede-type creatures, which emerge from holes in the planet's surface. The game's interface is explicitly styled after a stand-up arcade game: under the main screen, you press photo-realistic buttons to rotate left … Read more

Car Tech Live 187: Distracted driving, what's the real story? (podcast)

Distracted driving: what's the real story? Jaguar looks into an exotic sort of hybrid; BMW slaps an iPad behind your head; new app lets you slap lousy drivers upside the head, and we drive the 2010 Scion xD.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 187 SHOW NOTES

• Distracted driving deaths fall 6% in the U.S.

• Chevy shows off Cruze EV

• BMW first with factory iPad mount?

• Modern electronics for vintage Porsches

• Take a ride in the 2010 Scion xD

Classic PC game site GOG.com back from dead

Classic PC gaming fans were thrown for a loop last week when the GOG.com Web site was replaced with a terse message about changing market conditions and the promise of a forthcoming further announcement. The digital distribution service also known as Good Old Games was known for offering officially licensed versions of older PC games, all packaged as DRM-free executable files, suitable for modern operating systems. But with the site down, members could no longer re-download games they had purchased (an important selling point for customers), and the future of this DRM-free experiment seemed shaky at best.

It turns … Read more

Classic Porsches getting OEM navigation option

If you're the owner and regular driver of a classic Porsche vehicle, chances are that cabin tech doesn't rank very high on your list of must-have features. However, those who would like a little high technology in their low-tech chariots traditionally have had to make do without or hack together aftermarket navigation and stereo systems that just cramp their old-school style. For these faithful few owners, Porsche is making available the Porsche Classic Radio Navigation System (Part No. 911 645 910 00).

The unit features modern guts--including a GPS navigation system, presumably upgraded audio sources and amplification, and … Read more

Apple simplifies troubleshooting with Express Lane

In an attempt to put more troubleshooting know-how in the hands of its customers, Apple has created Express Lane, a simple to use resource for locating issues and solutions to common problems with all of Apple's products.

The site is incredibly easy to navigate, using a simple three-column approach to determine the general scope of the issue you are having. Once you've narrowed down the topic, you can select one of the thousands of helpful articles available directly from Apple about nearly any documented problem--including information for many older Macs and previous generation iPhones and iPods.

But Express … Read more

iPod upgrading--Jasmine's Tech Dos and Don'ts

You may have noticed that this column enjoyed a hiatus last week. You may have also taken note of a little announcement from Apple about some new iPods. That was no coincidence; I spent the first several days of September up to my neck in the related iTunes 10 news.

Still, the new MP3 players didn't escape my attention, mainly because I'm eager to replace my essentially ruined second-gen iPod Touch. But more importantly, should you upgrade to one of the new iPods? To answer just that question, I spent some time with all three players.

The first … Read more

iPod 160GB Classic: Not dead yet

Yesterday, there were jitters at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts for Apple's media event that the company would discontinue the iPod Classic ($249) without providing a direct replacement. No worries, however, as the seventh-generation 160GB machine remains in the line, unchanged--and that's a good thing. It sounds awfully nice, for a portable device.

I can tell you this: The 160GB Classic smokes my reliable, but ancient, 15GB third-generation iPod. Loaded with identical files, the 160GB has better defined, deeper bass and it has a clearer overall sound with my Monster Turbine Copper in-ear headphones.

Better, much … Read more

The 404 656: Where we vote yes on virtual girlfriends (podcast)

It's not too late to enter the JetBlue All You Can Jet Giveaway! You only have until 12 p.m. PDT to tweet out this message:

Follow @the404 and RT this for a chance to win 1 of 2 #AllYouCanJet @JetBlue passes. Rules: http://bit.ly/dodRKs #AYCJ

Don't forget that you have to be at least 18 years old and a resident of the United States to enter. We'll tweet a congratulatory message at 3 p.m. EDT today to announce the winners. Good luck!

Apple's yearly iPod and iTunes event goes down tomorrow and we've got plenty of predictions (and dreams) for what Apple will show off. We'll likely see a "Retina display" and a forward-facing camera come to the iPod Touch devices, but Wilson's hoping for a revamped Apple TV that could bring iOS 4, an A4 chip, 1080p playback, 16GB of storage, and a $99 "impulse" price tag.

Check out our Crave poll, submit your own predictions, and don't forget to check back with us tomorrow for official news!

This summer, a hot-springs resort in Atami, Japan, became a vacation destination for men who just can't stand being single. For almost two months, the resort offered players of the dating sim Love Plus Plus a physical location to bring their virtual girlfriends.

Once there, the players visited romantic locations and took pictures next to black-and-white markers on the ground that acted as triggers for the corresponding augmented-reality smartphone app. In real life, it looks like the men posed by themselves, but the app inserted a picture of their virtual girlfriends to simulate companionship. As the only single dude on the show, it's apparently my job to investigate this matter in greater detail, so see you in Japan!

What's with everyone just throwing away animals? First there was the security camera clip of a British woman trashing a cat, and now LiveLinks just posted a video of a young girl chucking puppy after adorable puppy into a river! Luckily, we can rely on the vigilante justice of 4Chan's /b/ thread to come to the rescue in both cases.

The infamous message board is on the hunt to reveal the identity of said puppy-chucker, and they've already narrowed down the location of the river to a city in Croatia; they even found two potential Facebook profiles that match her description, although it could be anyone. She's around 5 feet 7 inches tall, blond, and Caucasian...nevertheless, we're confident that they'll bring the culprit to justice. Just don't hurt us!

Again, there's only one hour left to add us on Twitter (add Jeff, Wilson, and Justin while you're at it) and tweet out the bolded message up there for your chance to win one of two All You Can Jet prizes, courtesy of JetBlue! Good luck to everyone entering. We can't wait to see where you go!

Episode 656 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more