Insidia is a dark-yet-forgiving platformer -- Time Waster

So you're an alien, tooling around in free space in your little spaceship... when suddenly, disaster strikes! Your craft is hit by a meteor, and you're forced to crash-land on an unfamiliar, dark planet.

That's where Insidia starts off. Now that you're on the planet, you have to navigate its complex maze of rooms and corridors in search of repair kits for your craft. Once you find all ten repair kits, you'd be able to leave the planet (and win the game).

Unlike many other platformers, Insidia is not linear. As you progress through the game, you reveal more and more passages and rooms, but you also go through some places more than once. When you hit M you get a nice map that shows everywhere you've been so far and gives you a sense of how much is still to be explored.

As you walk around, you find items that improve your abilities (a double-jump power-up, for example). And when something kills you, you just respawn at the last "save point", with all of your items and abilities intact. I love that, because it means dying is not a big deal - it's just a part of the game, and it doesn't make you feel like you're failing.

All in all, this is a platformer I could certainly spend some time with.

Insidia is a dark-yet-forgiving platformer -- Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPad 2 News ? Apple Calls On More Suppliers

Last April when Apple released the original iPad to the market you had to wait in line in some cases to get your hands on the exciting new tablet device. Many orders were put on hold and some countries even had to wait for the iPad to become available. This April, when the dazzling new [...]

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The winners of the 2010 Engadget Awards -- Editors' Choice

The results are in, and well over 100,000 of you voted in the 2010 Engadget Awards. The Readers' Choice picks were just the tip of the iceberg, friends, That's right, the editors of Engadget have opinions, too, and here they are. Join us after the break for the year that was 2010 in gadgets.

Continue reading The winners of the 2010 Engadget Awards -- Editors' Choice

The winners of the 2010 Engadget Awards -- Editors' Choice originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game

Shot Shot Pirate is very satisfying, because each level is short and to the point. You know what you have to do and you just do it.

As you may have gathered from the name, you're cast in the role of a pirate. Your goal is to shoot at a diamond and make it fall off a tower of bricks. The height of the tower changes as you progress through the levels. It's not enough to just make the diamond fall off the tower of bricks - it has to fall below a certain line (drawn on the screen) for the level to be completed.

There are also different kinds of bricks, with some heavier than others, and different kinds of ammo. You only get a certain amount of ammo for each level, and when it's gone, you lose. But don't worry! If you don't make it on the first try, it's very easy to restart the level and just give it another shot (or three).

All in all it's a cute game. I've seen similar games with better graphics and music, but the game delivers on its main promise - a few minutes of pure time wasting!

Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Motorola Xoom Spills Its Guts [Guts]

Beauty, as they say, is only skin deep. So let's take a look at the Motorola Xoom's hypetastic insides, shall we? There aren't too many surprises in iFixit's tablet teardown, but if you want an up close look at that sweet Tegra 2—and a cheat to bump it up to 4G hotness right away—head on over there now. [iFixit] More »

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How to install non-Market applications on Android

This week's tips series is all about Android, highlighting some the operating system's built-in utilities, and better ways of getting stuff done. For other technology tips, check our Tips index.

When an Android user wants to install a new application, they usually just fire up the Market app, search for it, and install it with a couple of well-aimed button taps.

There are times, however, when you may want to load a non-Market application. For example, a perfectly good application may get banned from the market, but still be available from its original publisher.

By default, Android doesn't let you install non-Market apps due to the security risks involved (not to imply that the Market is entirely devoid of malicious apps...). To tell Android you're a big boy (or girl) and can take care of yourself, do this:

1) Go to Settings > Applications
2) Check the box next to Unknown sources
3) Confirm that you understand the risks

That's it! You are now free to install any application, even if it didn't come from the market. Just be careful!

How to install non-Market applications on Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Unlimited YouTube Streaming Service Launching in Europe First [Google]

Google's streaming service for YouTube will be launching in Europe first, the NY Post is claiming today. Last we'd heard, the service would charge for each individual stream, but the latest whispers are saying it'll be an unlimited subscription, similar to Netflix. More »

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