Month: October 2012

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PopCap And American Dental Association Offer Plants vs. Zombies For Free [Updates]

By Matt Smith, MakeUseOf – October 07, 2012 at 05:30PM

A video game company and the American Dental Association seem like strange partners, but they’ve joined up to offer something every gamer is interested in – a free game.

The promotion, which goes by the name “Stop Zombie Mouth,” is meant as an alternative to sugary treats this Halloween season. Anyone wishing to give away PopCap’s tower defense hit Plants vs. Zombies instead of sweets can head to the promotion’s website and download a sheet of free game coupons. And you can pick one up for yourself, of course.

The coupons are available immediately but they cannot be redeemed until October 30th or after November 10th. There’s no limit on the number of copies that will be given away.  Only the PC and Mac versions of the game are eligible, however – mobile ports aren’t part of this promotion.

There are a few other Plants vs. Zombies freebies on the site including coloring pages, desktop wallpapers and Halloween masks. You’ll also find a link to a local dentist search tool and some tips on how to keep your teeth clean.

Do you think a free game is likely to be an accepted alternative to standard Halloween treats or would you rather grab a fistful of candy corn? Let us know in the comments.

Source: CNET

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Steve Jobs in motion: five videos to watch this weekend

By Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica – October 06, 2012 at 02:00PM

Apple cofounder and former CEO Steve Jobs passed away one year ago. Apple has posted a tribute to Jobs on its home page, which contains a video montage of some of Jobs’ more memorable moments in addition to a letter from current CEO Tim Cook. But there are plenty of other Jobs videos out there that inspire head-scratches, laughs, introspection, or all of the above. Here, we put together five Steve Jobs videos to check out that highlight different parts of his personality.

1984 Ghostbusters parody

Blue Busters

This video was produced internally by Apple to be shown during a staff meeting in 1984. Jobs and a number of other Apple employees (including Steve Wozniak) participated in the parody. The video largely targets “Big Blue,” or IBM, which was Apple’s main focus back in the early 1980s. This one is amusing just for the sheer absurdity of the video, but it shows how Apple’s cavalier and ambitious Apple’s culture was in the early days.

Jobs as Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Jobs as FDR

Also shown at the same 1984 staff meeting was a video portraying Jobs as FDR. Michael Markman posted an account on his blog earlier this year about how this video came about, but it was apparently no problem to convince Jobs to play the part. There are more details about the video’s history at NetworkWorld as well.

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Is It Ever a Good Idea to Rent a Modem? [Ask Lifehacker]

By Thorin Klosowski, Lifehacker – October 05, 2012 at 01:00PM

Is It Ever a Good Idea to Rent a Modem?Dear Lifehacker,
With the new Time Warner modem rental fee, I’m debating between renting my current modem, or just buying one outright. But I’m not sure I’m willing to deal with a bought modem if something goes wrong. What do you think?

Sincerely,
Renters Request

Dear RR,

The pros and cons of renting versus owning are incredibly dependent on what your living situation is, how tech-savvy you are, and how long you expect to stay on your internet service providers contract. So, which you choose really depends on what your plans for the future are.

When It’s Best to Buy a Modem

Is It Ever a Good Idea to Rent a Modem?As far as long term investments go, you’ll always save money when you purchase a modem provided you plan on staying with the same ISP for an extended period of time. Most ISP’s charge between $4 and $8 a month to rent a modem, and you can typically purchase a modem for about $50-$100. That means you’ll have paid for a modem within one to two years.

However, before you run out to buy a modem you should do your research. Most ISPs support a select number of modems, which you can usually find on their website (Time Warner, Comcast, Cox, AT&T) or by calling them directly. It’s also worth calling to see if your ISP plans on upgrading its services anytime soon, so you can purchase a modem that will last you a long time.

Once you figure that out, owning your own modem is the cheapest option in the long term provided you plan on staying with the same ISP. It also means they won’t be able to help you much with tech support though, so make sure you’re ready to troubleshoot problems on your own. Photo by Luis Ventura.

When It’s Best to Rent a Modem

Is It Ever a Good Idea to Rent a Modem?While renting a modem isn’t going to save you money, it is a better option in a few different circumstances.

First off, renting a modem means you get full repair services directly from your ISP. This means that if you’re not very tech literate, or you simply don’t like to futz about fixing things, a rented modem is a better option.

Also, if you don’t plan on staying in your current house or apartment, renting a modem can be beneficial. Since not all homes are wired the same, and since not every ISP covers every district, renting means you don’t have to worry if you move and want to change providers. It also future-proofs you a little if you decide to upgrade to a higher speed when it’s offered in your area. Photo by Richard Masoner.

What About the Router?

Is It Ever a Good Idea to Rent a Modem?A lot of times, an ISP will also want to throw in a wireless router, or a router/modem combination. This is almost always a bad idea. It’s true you’ll get tech support when you rent a router through your ISP, but it’s not usually worth the extra cost because the routers don’t have a lot of features. You also don’t get control over your network. If you choose your router yourself, you can do all sorts of amazing things with it, and it’s easy to do.

Most problems with a router are simple to troubleshoot, and many problems can be fixed with a simple reset (this is the case for a lot of modems too).

Additionally, it’s really easy to turn a cheap $60 router into a super-router. This gives it all types of bells and whistles like advanced settings, usage tracking, and more.

Routers are also pretty universal. If you buy one, it’s going to work with every service, no matter where you are. Unlike modems, they’re not tied down with compatibility issues. Photo by Tim Walker.

Of course, whichever you choose really depends on how much hassle you want to deal with. If you’d rather have the tech support, renting is a good option, but if don’t mind troubleshooting your router or modem—or better yet—hacking it to make it more awesome, buying is better in the long run.

Sincerely,
Lifehacker

Title photo remixed from Tom.

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