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This new ultra-simple deck of cards from designer Joe Doucet has simple geometric motifs for minimalists. But the back of each card is marked with a single diagonal line to ensure you don’t inadvertently show your hand.

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The National Rifle Association has launched NRA: Practice Range, an iOS app the organization calls its new “mobile nerve center.” The app features a 3-D target practice shooting game and provides resources for news and legislation updates around gun control and educational materials about gunholders’ rights. The NRA appears to be emphasizing safety and responsible ownership with this new app, which has an Apple App Store rating of 4+ (“no objectionable material”). The NRA says its built-in shooting game strikes “the right balance of gaming and safety education, allowing you to enjoy the most authentic experience possible.”

The National Rifle Association has launched NRA: Practice Range, an iOS app the organization calls its new “mobile nerve center.” The app features a 3-D target practice shooting game and provides resources for news and legislation updates around gun control and educational materials about gunholders’ rights.

The NRA appears to be emphasizing safety and responsible ownership with this new app, which has an Apple App Store rating of 4+ (“no objectionable material”). The NRA says its built-in shooting game strikes “the right balance of gaming and safety education, allowing you to enjoy the most authentic experience possible.”

At Rovio HQ in Espoo, Finland, we get a sneak peek at “Bad Piggies,” where the egg-gobbling (now likable) swine rule the roost and not an Angry Bird is in sight. “We consider this the launch of a new franchise,” Rovio’s Petri Jarvilehto tells Fast Company. The swine are stranded on a desert island and have to build vehicles and contraptions to make their way to the delicious eggs that they can’t seem to get enough of. Though there is a three-star mechanic at work, there are no birds in sight, and the pigs are bouncy, jovial, and downright likable—a far cry from the snorting, antagonizing characters from the Angry Birds installments. Exclusive Look At “Bad Piggies,” “Angry Birds” Maker Rovio’s Latest Addictive Game

At Rovio HQ in Espoo, Finland, we get a sneak peek at “Bad Piggies,” where the egg-gobbling (now likable) swine rule the roost and not an Angry Bird is in sight. “We consider this the launch of a new franchise,” Rovio’s Petri Jarvilehto tells Fast Company.

The swine are stranded on a desert island and have to build vehicles and contraptions to make their way to the delicious eggs that they can’t seem to get enough of. Though there is a three-star mechanic at work, there are no birds in sight, and the pigs are bouncy, jovial, and downright likable—a far cry from the snorting, antagonizing characters from the Angry Birds installments.

Exclusive Look At “Bad Piggies,” “Angry Birds” Maker Rovio’s Latest Addictive Game

Zynga, a publicly traded company, is trying to prove it spent hundreds of millions of dollars on more than just a blank piece of paper and a few digital crayons. Yesterday, the company’s advertising platform for Draw Something was unveiled for the first time—and, if not handled with some finesse, it’s a great potential example of forced brand interaction. Advertisers now have the option to purchase drawing terms related to their brands. When a user opens Draw Something, the game gives three options to choose from—say, tennis, pancake, or snowball—which players then doodle for a friend, who in turn has to guess what that user has drawn. Soon, however, users will start to see brands among the fun options typically available—imagine trying to draw Hewlett-Packard or Toyota—which could quickly turn the game into a mobile version of Brand Tags. The NHL is one of the earliest advertisers on the platform, hoping to promote the Stanley Cup playoffs. But not all brands are as player-friendly as the hockey league. Read more->

Zynga, a publicly traded company, is trying to prove it spent hundreds of millions of dollars on more than just a blank piece of paper and a few digital crayons. Yesterday, the company’s advertising platform for Draw Something was unveiled for the first time—and, if not handled with some finesse, it’s a great potential example of forced brand interaction.

Advertisers now have the option to purchase drawing terms related to their brands. When a user opens Draw Something, the game gives three options to choose from—say, tennis, pancake, or snowball—which players then doodle for a friend, who in turn has to guess what that user has drawn. Soon, however, users will start to see brands among the fun options typically available—imagine trying to draw Hewlett-Packard or Toyota—which could quickly turn the game into a mobile version of Brand Tags. The NHL is one of the earliest advertisers on the platform, hoping to promote the Stanley Cup playoffs. But not all brands are as player-friendly as the hockey league.

Read more->

Can’t get enough FarmVille? All that time at the computer probably isn’t great for your health. But what if you couldn’t proceed unless you had burned some calories? That’s the premise of a new gadget called Striiv. Read more ->

Can’t get enough FarmVille? All that time at the computer probably isn’t great for your health. But what if you couldn’t proceed unless you had burned some calories? That’s the premise of a new gadget called Striiv.

Read more ->

Great concept, though I think it would play better on Xbox Kinect. whereisthecoool: Angry Birds USB Slingshot Think Angry Birds should be a sport? So do these guys, and they’re creating real equipment to compete with. Their USB-powered slingshot mimics the action of playing on the touch screen to give you total control. The design is still in prototype, but check out the full specs here. (Via Surplus)

Great concept, though I think it would play better on Xbox Kinect.

whereisthecoool:

Angry Birds USB Slingshot

Think Angry Birds should be a sport? So do these guys, and they’re creating real equipment to compete with. Their USB-powered slingshot mimics the action of playing on the touch screen to give you total control. The design is still in prototype, but check out the full specs here.

(Via Surplus)

(Source: closedparty, via thenextweb)

WeTopia: What Would Happen If Zynga Made Games For Good? Instead of spending money to buy a fake online cow, players of WeTopia advance by buying a real cow for real farmers in the developing world.

WeTopia: What Would Happen If Zynga Made Games For Good?

Instead of spending money to buy a fake online cow, players of WeTopia advance by buying a real cow for real farmers in the developing world.