A glimpse of multi-player combat.

Frozen Synapse is a turn-based tactical shooter, featuring pseudo-randomly generated spaces, asychronous multiplayer matchups, and a frenetic pace. It's received considerable critical acclaim since its release last year, and has earned nominations for two awards at the Independent Games Festival. There's also an iPad version, and DLC on the way. We had a chat with Mode 7 to learn more.

Game On: Who are you, and how did you get into game developing?

Paul Taylor: I co-own an indie game development studio with my business partner Ian Hardingham, who is our Lead Designer and Programmer.

I got into indie games through writing music for our first title Determinance. After that we decided to join forces and form a proper company.

Game On: What is Frozen Synapse?

Paul Taylor: We call Frozen Synapse a "simultaneous turn-based" title. Two players face off against each other with a small squad of units. Each player must decide what his units will do in the next five seconds. Once both have made their decisions, they then watch the outcome and see who came out on top!

Ian came up with the idea after playing a lot of an old PC game called Laser Squad Nemesis. He wanted to make a more modern, exciting, instantly-playable version of it that foregrounded the interesting decisions.

Your readers should play it because it's got insanely good reviews and it's brilliantly unique!

Also, we're incredibly humble!

See the rest here:
Getting Personal With Mode 7 and Frozen Synapse

Motorcycles are parked on the pavement blocking people from walking past a street corner in downtown Hanoi on January 6, 2012. Vietnam's big cities such as Hanoi are facing serious urban problems like a lack of parking for both motorcycles and cars.

Viet Nam News/Asia News Network Tuesday, Mar 06, 2012

HANOI - While the number of personal vehicles in Ha Noi is increasing rapidly, the capital is still fumbling with solutions to tackle the dire shortage of parking facilities.

Figures from the municipal Transport Department show that there are about 300,000 cars and over 3.8 million motorbikes of various kinds in the city at present, excluding the number of vehicles owned by people commuting from other provinces to work and study.

The number of personal vehicles is increasing by 15 per cent each year, but there are only 1,178 licensed parking lots in the city, meeting just 10 per cent of demand.

Funding for parking facilities is supposed to account for 3 per cent of the traffic development budget, but in Ha Noi, it is just one-tenth of that, according to Vice Chairman of the Ha Noi Planning and Development Association Dao Ngoc Nghiem.

The remaining 90 per cent of vehicle users in the capital use parking lots in apartment blocks, urban areas, agencies, schools, hospitals, roadsides and alleys.

This lack of parking facilities has led to the development of dozens of illegal parking lots on pavements and in vacant public places throughout the city.

With increasing demand and insufficient facilities, municipal authorities had allowed certain pavements, roadsides and alleys to be used for parking as a temporary measure, said deputy head of the Urban Research and Infrastructure Development Institute Luu Duc Hai.

"However, many of our roads were not designed for this use, and parking on them obstructs traffic and adds to congestion," he said.

Excerpt from:
Hanoi faces parking crunch

European regulators have expressed concern over a report that apps are being developed for Google Android with the purpose of mining personal data and passing it on to advertisers.

Around a quarter of all mobile users in the UK use devices running Android, and around 100m apps were downloaded in January alone.

People typically give apps permission to access other parts of their handset when they download them, but a Channel 4 News report yesterday claimed that many developers are 'handing on' these permissions to advertisers.

MWR Infosecurity, which was commissioned by Channel 4 to investigate the development of 'rogue' apps, found that many popular free services were engaged in the practice.

"We found that a lot of the free applications in the top 50 apps list are using advertising inside the applications and that the permission that you grant to these applications is also granted to the advertiser," said an MWR Infosecurity spokesperson.

"If users knew about this I think they would be concerned about it but at the moment I don't think they are aware of the situation and how widely their information can be used."

The code found by MWR Infosecurity gave advertising networks access to contacts, calendar and location. It allegedly came from a large US ad network called MobClix, although the firm has not yet responded to the report.

Channel 4 took the findings to Viviane Reding, the vice president of the European Commission, who is currently trying to push through EU-wide reforms to data protection policies.

"This really concerns me, and this is against the law because nobody has the right to get your personal data without you agreeing to this," said Reding of the report.

"Maybe you want somebody to get this data and agree and it's fine. You're an adult and you can do whatever you want. But normally you have no idea what others are doing with your data."

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Android apps 'handing personal data to advertisers'

PwC kicks off first-ever Personal Brand Week in Canada

TORONTO, March 5, 2012 /CNW/ - The millennial generation (born between 1980-2000) are entering employment in great numbers and will form 50% of the global workforce by 2020 according to a recent PwC report, Millennials at work - Reshaping the workplace. To help university and college students stand out from a sea of graduates looking to land their first job, PwC Canada launched its inaugural Personal Brand Week today with the hopes of helping students build their personal brand for professional success.

A personal brand is the 'X' factor that differentiates a person from other job candidates. It begins with being self aware of one's achievements, knowledge, skills and outlook on goals. Presentation is key and with the current techno-savvy generation, it's about the interactions and presence job candidates have in person as well as online.

"It's important for students to accurately portray themselves online as they would in-person," says Mr. Davidson, Talent Acquisition Manager, Campus, at PwC Canada. "Having a profile you wouldn't be ashamed to show your parents on all of the major social networksLinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google Profilesis the first step in managing your online reputation."

Indeed, one of the defining characteristics of the millennial age group is their affinity with the digital world. The millennial report indicated that 41% of millennials prefer to communicate electronically at work than face-to-face.

Likewise, candidates can view companies' social media tools to learn more about an organization. "A company website, blog, Facebook or LinkedIn page can help applicants discover more about its corporate values, work environment, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices," says Mr. Davidson.

Millennials are a diverse group made up of individuals from different ethnic, educational and socio-economic backgrounds. Organizations must recognize and accommodate this diversity within the work environment.

According to the millennial report in 2008, 88% of respondents questioned said they were looking for an employer with CSR values that reflected their own. The brands that appeal to young people as consumers include those that stress their environment and social record, are the same brands that appeal to them as employers.

Networking like it's your job

While some millennials (72%) have made compromises to get into work during the economic downturn, networking has become an essential tool to connect students to the right professional contacts in this uncertain climate.

Read the original:
Personal branding - The golden ticket for grads aiming to land their first job

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Real Software, creator of object-oriented, cross-platform software development tools for Mac OS X, Windows, Linux and the web, today announced its Apps for Income campaign to provide 20,000 free Real Studio Personal licenses to unemployed workers worldwide. App development has created 466,000 jobs in the United States since 2007,according to a recent report released by technology trade group TechNet. Real Softwares flagship product, Real Studio, allows people with little or no software development expertise to easily create a wide range of applications that have proven to be primary or supplemental income sources for thousands of Real Software users.

Under the terms of the Apps for Income program, people need only provide Real Software proof of unemployment and some basic background information to receive a complimentary license for Real Studio Personal Edition. These users will receive full access to Real Softwares online customer service tools, which include email with support specialists, training videos and user forums.

With the global economy remaining sluggish, we feel that offering Real Studio for free is a great way to give people struggling to find work the chance to create their own opportunities, said Geoff Perlman, Real Software founder and CEO. After hearing so many wonderful success stories over the years of our users who developed apps that became their careers, we are striving to encourage innovation from people who have great ideas but dont know how to make them a reality.

Apps for Income Program Details:

About Real Studio

Real Studio is a full-featured cross-platform software development tool suited to creating a wide range of applications. Real Studio Personal Edition for Windows, Linux or Mac OS X is geared for hobbyists and students. Real Studio Professional Edition is required for cross-platform (Mac OS X, Windows and Linux) compilation. Real Studio Web Edition is the fastest and easiest way to create and deploy web applications.

About Real Software

Real Software provides Real Studio, a cross-platform web, desktop, and console development tool. Real Software was founded in 1996 and is based in Austin, Texas. For more information visit http://www.realsoftware.com or call 866.825.2114.

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Real Software Provides 20,000 Free Development Licenses to the Unemployed Worldwide

John Spencer Ellis and Jairek Robbins Offer Free Rapid Results Video Training for Achieving Fitness and Life Goals

In a free new video training, John Spencer Ellis and Jairek Robbins offer secrets for rapid goal achievement. The online training helps people take action on their dreams.

Anyone interested in rapid results for achieving business or life goals can benefit from a free online training video, 6 Steps for Your Rapid Results in Business and Life. The free online video was developed by personal development and fitness guru John Spencer Ellis and Jairek Robbins, the worlds foremost authority at developing creative solutions for achieving results; it is now available online at John Spencer Ellis website.

The six steps are designed to help people achieve their goals more efficiently and effectively. They include: know exactly what you want, know why this goal is an absolute must and add to it every day, create an extensive action plan, measure and fine-tune your plan, and more. The video offers a six-pronged plan for goal achievement and ideas for tackling each step in the process.

This is a full-length training, mentoring and coaching lesson that can truly enhance your life and your ability to realize your dreams, said Ellis, founder of John Spencer Ellis Enterprises, a personal development and fitness solutions company. We offer a surefire personal development plan that will allow you to quickly take action and live the life youve dreamed about.

In addition, the free training discusses the four main obstacles people need to overcome in achieving their goals and ways to overcome each of these: Not knowing what you want or where you are going; Knowing what to do, but failing to consistently do what you know; Failure to communicate goals, vision and life purpose; The ongoing battle between the head and the heart.

My goal is to assist people in the process of rapidly achieving their goals, so they are able to live the life of their dreams. My hope is that they will eventually pay it forward and help those that they care about the most do the same, Robbins added.

About John Spencer Ellis Enterprises and the Rapid Results Video Training John Spencer Ellis Enterprises is a solutions provider for fitness and coaching professionals around the world, providing education, turn-key business programs, coaching and resources for new and advanced fitness and coaching professionals. For more information about John Spencer Ellis Enterprises or the Rapid Results Video Training, please visit http://johnspencerellis.com/jairek-robbins-and-john-spencer-ellis-6-steps-for-your-rapid-results-in-business-and-life/

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John Spencer Ellis and Jairek Robbins Offer Free Rapid Results Video Training for Achieving Fitness and Life Goals

Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University in Tainan successfully flew a pilotless aircraft powered by a turbojet engine Thursday, with the school saying the technology could lead to the ground-breaking development of personal flying vehicles.

The aircraft, named Sky Fortress-III, was the first university project in the world to combine a turbojet engine with a pilotless plane, according to Lai Wei-hsiang, professor of the southern school's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering.

The department has been devoted to the development of pilotless planes for more than ten years. Previous pilotless vehicles built by the university were all powered by propellers.

During the trial flight Thursday morning, the speed of the 7.5-kilogram turbojet aircraft, which carried objects weighing nine kilograms, reached 150 kilometers per hour.

The research team, led by Lai, estimated that Sky Fortress-III, over 3 meters in length and with a wingspan of 3 meters, could carry up to 20 kgs and had the potential to reach a speed of 300 kph.

Lai said that weight capacity and speed were the main focuses of pilotless plane development. The new planes could even be equipped with other technologies, like sensor devices or photography equipment, to detect and monitor a typhoon's course and internal structure, Lai added.

(CNA)

Copyright 2012 Asia Pulse Pty LimitedAll Rights Reserved

Link:
Taiwan University successfully flies pilotless turbojet plane

Students from Taiwan's National Cheng Kung University in Tainan flew a pilotless aircraft powered by a turbojet engine Thursday.

The school said this could lead to the ground-breaking development of personal flying vehicles, according to a report by Taiwan's Central News Agency.

During Thursday's trial flight, the 7.5-kilo turbojet aircraft was able to carry items weighing nine kilos - and travel at 150 kph, the report said.

Lai Wei-hsiang, professor of the southern school's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering, said the plane named the "Sky Fortress-III" was the first university project in the world to combine a turbojet engine with a pilotless plane.

The department has been devoted to the development of pilotless planes for more than 10 years. Previous pilotless vehicles built by the university were all powered by propellers.

A research team led by Lai estimated "Sky Fortress-III," over 3 meters in length and with a wingspan of three meters, could carry up to 20 kilos.

It also has the potential to reach a speed of 300 kph.

Lai said weight capacity and speed were the main focuses of pilotless plane development.

Also, Lai said the new planes could even be equipped with other technologies, like sensor devices or photography equipment, to detect and monitor a typhoon's course and internal structure. TJD, GMA News

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Pilotless turbojet plane flown by Taiwan university students

US Outlook You have to admire the chutzpah of Jeffrey Sachs, campaigning to be the next president of the World Bank through the op-ed pages of The New York Times and The Washington Post.

The famed economist says it is time to stop appointing superannuated American bankers and politicians to the post, and put in an expert on tackling poverty and promoting sustainable development the ultimate goals of the World Bank's lending mission.

His pitch under the not-too-subtle title, How I Would Lead The World Bank, in the Post yesterday is perfectly timed. The Obama administration is loath to give up the tradition of having an American in the top job at the bank (part of the founding compact at Bretton Woods, which reserved the leadership of the International Monetary Fund to a European). Yet it is sensitive to the charge that the tradition is anachronistic in the modern, multi-polar world, and that to be sensitive to the needs of developing nations, developing nation candidates should be considered for the presidency.

Through his Earth Institute at Columbia University, and as an adviser to the United Nations on its Millennium Development Goals, Professor Sachs is indeed one of the foremost experts on tackling poverty in a globalised world and he has calculated that he is sufficiently different from candidates past to mollify emerging countries despite being American.

Which isn't the same thing as saying he would be the best candidate. He remains an experimentalist and a controversial figure. His proscriptions for meeting the UN's development goals through village-by-village aid, by going in and helping improve crop yields and offering micro-finance and a host of other teachings, may prove no more effective than less costly interventions. People also shouldn't forget his recommendation of "shock therapy" for the Russian economy after the fall of Communism, which resulted in iniquitous privatisations and untold human suffering. Such are the debates over the best way to intervene to promote economic development.

But I'll sign on to a campaign in favour of Jeffrey Sachs. The World Bank is more than a taxpayer-funded aid agency; it is a political creature and it is a bank and there should be no shame in appointing a politician or a banker, from the US or elsewhere. But Jeffrey Sachs for chief economist of the World Bank that might fly.

See the rest here:
Stephen Foley: Why I'm backing Sachs for World Bank president

Attacks arent personal

Perhaps the core of the story recounted in "Personal attack makes developer reconsider" has been lost?

The issue surrounding Mr. Frank Haimbachs pending application is not whether he is wealthy or a member of the Board of Adjustment; it is whether anyone can guarantee that the plan is safe? The other question that lingers is whether this is another "Watchung/Marlboro Inn" development, albeit on a smaller scale?

As a member of the board, could he honestly be shocked by the frustration of his "neighbors" who knew nothing about his plans? This is far from a story about mean neighbors not wanting folks to retire comfortably. That is indeed a laughable angle.

Our friendly (really) neighborhood is unique. While worthy of a fight on the sustainable development issue alone, serious safety concerns attach specifically and uniquely to the parcel of land at issue, which has no direct public access. These concerns are heightened by the sheer size of the 4,500-square-foot home to be built on a wooded lot that slopes down to a creek and is home to owls, hawks and other wildlife.

Can anyone explain the effectively three business days notice of the hearing right before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend? Or why families that live literally 6 feet from the proposed house apparently knew nothing of it?

If the board deems that the variances are warranted and substantially outweigh any public and environmental detriment, and that is clearly its right, then let this serve as a public record that we will hold it responsible should a fire break out, our homes or families be harmed, and the green space that Montclair has committed to preserving via "Certified Sustainable Jersey" is lost due to overdevelopment.

Thank you for airing both sides publicly.

Anne Caldas

Montclair

Originally posted here:
Letter to the Editor: Attacks on developer aren't personal, they're about safety