Wisconsin library loans iPads for at home e-reading

If you thought hitting up the local library was far too Web 1.0 for your avant-garde lifestyle, you may want to check out the Eau Claire public library in Wisconsin -- it's not only lending books, but also, iPads. Each one of the 44 available tablets will be stuffed to the digital gills with 1,000 books, ten audiobooks and various apps for your reading (or, not reading) pleasure. Although other houses of learning have launched similar programs, this is the first of note to go with Apple slates for its e-reading experiment. If you're the proud owner of a library card and have less than $10 in fines, you too can get in line for one of the loaners. We wonder, does the old saying "you break it, you buy it" apply here?

Wisconsin library loans iPads for at home e-reading originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge is a space-shooter in which you have no weapons

Space-shooters are usually a fairly fiery affair, with many types of guns, weapon upgrades, power-ups and more. Dodge does away with all of that, while keeping the very essence of a space shooter: Dark background, fast action, and stuff blowing up all over the place.

Your vector-looking spacecraft is the fastest thing on the screen, most of the time. And as the header implies, you have absolutely no weapons; you can't get any, either. All you have is agility and maneuverability.

Your opponents shoot heat-seeking missiles at you; the missiles lock on and start tracking you. The trick is to dodge the missiles while putting them in the path of one of your enemies, thus letting them have a taste of their own medicine.

There are three types of enemies, at least in the first few levels: "simple" spaceships which fire slow projectiles, "tanks" which seem to be more serious and take more hits to destroy, and "circles." The circles simply explode, spewing twenty or thirty very fast projectiles. This sounds dangerous, but is actually great once you learn to use them; they are very destructive for tanks, and can even blow up other circles.

The soundtrack is very techno, but it meshes very well with this type of game. Intense fun!

Dodge is a space-shooter in which you have no weapons originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EdgeStar Deluxe Mini Kegerator & Draft Beer Dispenser

We aren’t beer drinkers here at the Cloninger house, but this cute Deluxe Mini Kegerator and Draft Beer Dispenser from EdgeStar makes me wish Sprite Zero came in 5-liter mini kegs. �It may be small, but the Mini Kegerator uses�DraughtKeg? carbonator pressure technology so you’ll get a “pub-quality pour” every time. �It has precise temperature [...]

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The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:00PM ET!

Tim's back from Germany, and we've just finished another fun-filled episode of the Engadget Show. It's time to take a break, you say? Taking breaks is for suckers -- we've got a podcast to do. And this week we've got out very own Dana Wollman here to help us out.

Continue reading The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:00PM ET!

The Engadget Podcast, live at 5:00PM ET! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video)

Corel seems to be on a roll lately; after releasing WinZip System Utilities just last week, this morning the company announced VideoStudio Pro X4.

VideoStudio Pro is aimed at home users and small business professionals who want to create professional-looking videos, but without the hassle, steep learning curve and price of Adobe Premiere Pro and the likes.

This new version introduces several features:

• Stop motion animation: You can now capture still frames using a webcam, camcorder or DSLR and use them to produce an animation. Tools such as "onion skin view" let you compare the previous image in the sequence with the current one and make the animation as smooth as possible.
• Processor optimization: Corel says the app is optimized for Intel's new Sandy Bridge systems, and have shown us some graphs with very impressive numbers. We've been unable to test this particular point, but if you have a recent-generation Intel or AMD Fusion system, VideoStudio performance should be blazing. Even on our older test system performance was quite impressive.
• Customizable workspace: You can drag the video preview window to your secondary monitor (if you have one) and tweak just about any other element in the window layout. Once done, you can save your ideal workspace in one of three slots.
• Share-to-Web: VideoStudio Pro X4 hooks directly into YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Flickr, so you don't even have to launch a browser to upload your final product. Edit, produce and share from within the app itself.
• Smart Package: Video projects typically consist of many files; Smart Package lets you bundle all video assets for a given project into one ZIP file which you can password-protect and keep in a safe place once you're done editing.

I've had a chance to play around with a pre-release version for a few days, and have put it through its paces editing a short video for my day job. Overall, I've been impressed with how easy it was to create pro-looking results. If you do any sort of video editing but are leery of the investment other apps require (both in dollars and effort), VideoStudio Pro is well worth checking out. To see a bit of the interface itself and what the app can do, watch the video after the jump.

Note: We'll be running a give-away of ten VideoStudio Pro X4 licenses later today, each worth $100 USD. Keep your eyes peeled for the giveaway post!

Continue reading Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video)

Corel releases VideoStudio Pro X4, we go hands on (video) originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deal of the Day ? Dell Professional 24? 1080p LED-backlit LCD Monitor

Today?s LogicBUY Deal is a 15% discount on the brand new 24? Dell Professional P2412H LED-backlit LCD monitor for $254.15.� Features:� 1080p, height-adjustable stand, 3-year Advanced Exchange warranty. $299 ? 15% coupon = $254.15 with free shipping.� This is the current best deal for this monitor found by LogicBUY. This deal expires September 23, 2011 [...]

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Embryonic Stem Cells Enlisted to Combat Blindness [Science]

The first European embryonic stem cell therapy in humans is about to start in London. Surgeons will insert the controversial cells into the eyes of 12 patients suffering from Stargardt's macular dystrophy, a major cause of blindness in young people. More »

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