Ars Cardboard: Codenames, the secret agent party game you’ve been seeking

(credit: Czech Games Edition)

Your team stares at you, looking for guidance.

On the table before them is a 5×5 grid of cards, and each card holds a single word. Their mission is to select only those words that belong to your team; choosing a word that belongs to the opposing team could give away points, while accidentally selecting the hidden assassin immediately ends the match. The only clue as to which cards are safe to select comes from you, the team’s spymaster, and it can only be a single word—followed by the number of cards to which it applies.

Codenames

Price

$20 (when in stock)

Author

Vlaada Chvátil

Publisher

Czech Games Editionp

Players

2-8+

Age

14+

Time

15 min

BGG rank

#1 party game

It sounds simple enough when you first look out over the board. According to the secret diagram viewable only by the two spymasters, you must get your team to select the words “star” and “fire.” You rack your brain for a single word that will suggest these other two words and eventually decide on “gas.” What are stars but burning balls of gas? And gas burns in the controlled fires we set every day on our stove tops. A perfect clue!

Read 20 remaining paragraphs | Comments

– Source

Ars Cardboard: Codenames, the secret agent party game you’ve been seeking

Pianist plays 'Imagine' cover at Paris memorial scene

In the wake of the Paris attacks that left at least 127 people dead and at least 99 people injured on Friday night, the city gathered to pay tribute to those lost

On Saturday morning, a pianist played John Lennon’s “Imagine” on a portable piano at a memorial close to the Bataclan concert hall where more than 100 people were killed.

See also: Live updates: Paris under attack

“Imagine” played on a mobile piano near the #Bataclan in Paris. People here are in chock#ParisAttacks #tv2newsdk pic.twitter.com/QMcbfuBR7c

— Rasmus Tantholdt TV2 (@RasmusTantholdt) November 14, 2015

Devant le Bataclan, un pianiste est venu rendre hommage aux victimes de l’attentat pic.twitter.com/AmISvyacKP

— Maud Vallereau (@maudvallereau) …

More about Watercooler, Us And World, and Paris Attacks – Source

Pianist plays 'Imagine' cover at Paris memorial scene

Apple’s App Store search becomes smarter with new algorithm

The update reboots the way apps are ranked based on keywords used while looking for apps in the Apple App Store.

– Source

Apple’s App Store search becomes smarter with new algorithm

IBM’s Design-Centered Strategy to Set Free the Squares

The tech stalwart has been hiring designers by the hundreds, all part of an accelerated approach to product development that is a major departure from the past.

– Source

IBM’s Design-Centered Strategy to Set Free the Squares

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge saves man's life during Paris terrorist attacks

The terrorist attacks in Paris that started late Friday in the city, killed as many as 153 people. If it wasn’t for the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge, the number of dead would have been 154. According to a French media site, a man name Sylvester was hanging around outside the Stade de France. Inside, an exhibition soccer match between France and Germany was taking place. The stadium was filled with 80,000 fans, French President Francois Hollande among them, when a series of explosions could be heard by fans, players and media watching the game.

Outside the stadium, a suicide bomber and a gunman … – Source

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge saves man's life during Paris terrorist attacks

International giveaway: win a honor 7 smartphone

Winning cool stuff is totally awesome – that’s certainly one thing we can all agree on. The feeling is even sweeter when it’s a fancy smartphone that you’ve just won. Would you like to know what that feels like? Then read carefully – there’s a very real possibility of having a brand new honor 7 handset arrive at your doorstep. For a chance of this happening, all you need to do is to participate in our honor 7 international giveaway contest. And to have luck on your side, of course.
A smartphone for digital natives
Now that we have your … – Source

International giveaway: win a honor 7 smartphone

T-Mobile soothes Wall Street by discussing rate hikes and rollover data cap

When T-Mobile introduced Binge On this past week, smartphone users were excited by the prospect of watching tons of streaming video without using up data from their monthly allowance. While T-Mobile customers, and soon to be customers, were applauding the carrier for coming up with the feature, there was one group that was not quite as impressed.

T-Mobile investors were worried after hearing about Binge On, because they could envision the plan putting a crimp into the carrier’s profitability. Lower profits usually means a lower stock price. Just days after announcing the new feature, T-Mobile’s … – Source

T-Mobile soothes Wall Street by discussing rate hikes and rollover data cap

HTC One X9 with 5.5-inch display and 5UP front camera passes through TENAA

The HTC One X9 smartphone – which has been the subject of some leaks and rumors lately – has now been certified by Chinese certification and regulatory authority TENAA, revealing some of its key specs.

The TENAA listing reportedly reveals that the device is powered by a 2.2 GHz octa-core processor, and sports a 5.5-inch (1920 × 1080 pixel resolution) IPS display. It has 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory (which can be expanded up to 1TB), and packs in a 3000mAh battery.

In terms of camera, the One X9 features a 13MP rear unit and a 5UP front shooter. It measures 153.2×75.9×7.99 mm, weighs in at 174 gms, and runs Android 5.0.2 out-of-the-box. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, USB, GPS, GSM, TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE, 4G LTE FDD, and WCDMA, while color options include silver…

– Source

HTC One X9 with 5.5-inch display and 5UP front camera passes through TENAA

T-Mobile to launch the Samsung Gear S2 on November 15th, Samsung Gear VR on November 27th

T-Mobile announced today that on November 27th, it will become the first wireless carrier to launch the Samsung Gear VR. On that date, the Virtual Reality device will be offered at participating T-Mobile stores, and at the carrier’s online store. The price for the device will be $99.99. The Gear VR is compatible with any Samsung Galaxy device offered by T-Mobile.

The Gear VR won’t launch via T-Mobile for two weeks. But on November 15th, this coming Sunday, the Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch will be available from participating T-Mobile stores and from T-Mobile.com. The cellular enabled version … – Source

T-Mobile to launch the Samsung Gear S2 on November 15th, Samsung Gear VR on November 27th

Startup funding deals at a high, but cheque size shrinks

Though there’s much hullabaloo about some startups retrenching employees and struggling to raise fresh rounds, data shows that many more funding deals are happening now than earlier this year or, indeed, in the previous year.

– Source

Startup funding deals at a high, but cheque size shrinks

Tim Cook orders retraining for all staff in the Australian Apple Store where six kids were tossed

The other day, we told you about an Apple Store in Australia where six black kids were told to leave after the staff feared that they might shoplift. Video of the incident was displayed over social media, and showed an Apple Store manager telling the teens that other staff members were worried that they might steal something. After the young men tried to present their side of the story, the manager cuts them off and has them leave.

Today, Apple CEO Tim Cook ordered that the entire staff of this particular Melbourne based Apple Store be retrained on “inclusion and customer engagement.” A … – Source

Tim Cook orders retraining for all staff in the Australian Apple Store where six kids were tossed

How Video Streaming Services Could Save The Music Industry

Record companies, advertising firms, film studios, and television networks are all being forced to change the way they think about doing business in the age of the internet. Read More

– Source

How Video Streaming Services Could Save The Music Industry

Tricorder-like tech could detect bombs, tumors

Taking on a challenge from DARPA, Stanford scientists create scanning technology similar to the piece of Star Trek gear that’s “the holy grail of detection devices.”

– Source

Tricorder-like tech could detect bombs, tumors

Philips handset with "Anti-Blue" display is certified by TENAA

Late last month, Philips introduced two new Android handsets with “Anti-Blue” displays. Using a technology called SoftBlue, the phones produce up to 86% less blue light from their displays, than an average smartphone. This results in less strain and fatigue on a smartphone user’s eyes. The two Anti-Blue models unveiled last month from Philips were the Philips Sapphire S616 and the Philips Sapphire Life V787.

While the Philips Sapphire S616 is already available in China, priced at the equivalent of $220 USD, the Philips V787 has just been certified by Chinese regulator TENAA. This model features … – Source

Philips handset with "Anti-Blue" display is certified by TENAA

Let’s Have A Chat About Virtual Reality

“Virtual reality” according to Wikipedia:

Virtual reality (VR), which can be referred to as immersive multimedia or computer-simulated life, replicates an environment that simulates physical presence in places in the real world or imagined worlds and lets the user interact in that world. Virtual realities artificially creates sensory experiences, which can include sight, hearing… Read More

– Source

Let’s Have A Chat About Virtual Reality