Month: February 2011

When looking for a good browser game, one asks only for a few characteristics: easy to control, addictive gameplay and quick fun – and Man in Gap includes all those features. This game won’t stand out for its graphics, that’s for sure. But it’s an addictive little pastime, perfect for a short break.

Man in Gap is, as you might expect, a descriptive title for the game. Each level presents a man trapped between a floor and a ceiling that close quite abruptly after just two or three seconds, crashing anything on their way. If you want to save your life – and move on to the next level – you must find one of the only two spots where the floor and the ceiling don’t interlock, therefore leaving some vital space for survivors.

So you see: no plot, no complicated gameplay and no weird keyboard combinations. It’s just a question of analysis and speed: the sooner you find the safe spot and move to it, the more chances you have to live!

Mozilla may not have even finished the final version of Firefox 4, but are clearly already hard at work on Firefox 5 judging by screenshots and mockups that have recently emerged.

Firefox 5 looks like its gone beyond a mere ‘chromification’ of the interface according to ConceivablyTech with a more responsive interface, bigger and better URL bar and a new way of handling tabs. This latter change is perhaps the most interesting as it will introduce “site-specific browsing” to tabs by dedicating them to handling specific sites. Effectively, this means that tabs will become the apps that they’re browsing. ConceivablyTech explain with a mock-up shot of how they expect it to work:

For example, a visit to Twitter would automatically integrate features such as new tweet, search or direct messages within the site tab. This is the first example where we see Mozilla attempting to deal with web applications, where it actually turns websites into apps, while the web browser remains the dominant access and visualization platform.

Clearly then, it looks like Mozilla are attempting to try and keep people using their browser to access and use web apps such as Twitter rather than a third party client. This is something that Mozilla have been working on for a while via the Prism Project. It sounds like an ambitious move and one that will surely increase even further Firefox’s CPU footprint.

Meanwhile, TechnologyToolz reports that Password Sync will be more actively promoted in Firefox 5:

And a more detailed Add-On Manager helps identify more clearly where Add-Ons came from:

For more mockups and screenshots from the Mozilla team, check out here and here.

If you’ve got kids, you’ll know that they’re as interested in your phone as you are. Not everything out there is suitable, though, and it can be hard to tell which apps will catch – and keep – their attention. Keep them happy when boredom strikes by installing a few of these kid-friendly apps.

Plants vs. Zombies (iPhone, iPad) is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Adults love it, so you won’t mind having it on your phone, and I’ve seen kids as young as 5 gets to grips with it immediately. It’s got great graphics, requires plenty of brain power and has some really funny dialog. Best of all, you can create as many player accounts as you need, so someone else’s badly-placed sunflower won’t destroy weeks of your zombie-fighting work!

Color Me (iPhone, iPad) is a great drawing app, and there are few kids out there who aren’t partial to a bit of coloring. There are lots of similar apps available these days for both iPhone and Android, but when it comes to getting the right one, it’s really worth paying for a full version. Your dollar will buy you a whole lot in usability and accessibility, especially for younger kids.

Talking Tom Cat (Android) is one of those apps that I just don’t get, but kids seem to love . It’s basically a digital pet cat that you can stroke, feed, play with and even talk to. You can also make him fall over if you tap him hard enough, but that’s probably not something you want to encourage the kids to do. You can make Talking Tom Cat say anything you want, and even record videos to play back later, guaranteeing minutes, if not quite hours, of fun.

Buka (Android) doesn’t score so highly on the educational front, but you can’t expect kids to be serious all thee time. This blob-exploding adventure focuses on getting Buka safely to The Happy Place, avoiding intruders as you go. The gameplay is leisurely and the graphics are mesmerizing, which makes it perfect for younger gamers, but the slow pace and childish baby-talk in between levels might not make Buka your game of choice.

Glow Puzzle (Android) is another one of those apps that at first glance looks like it’s all style and no substance, but a little bit of investigation reveals something that gives the brain a workout too. The aim here is to trace the shapes with your finger, but without lifting it from the screen. As you trace, the shapes light up in glowing fluorescents, and the shapes get harder as you go on. Every level shows you an encouraging message, and there’s help in case you can’t figure it out.

Trace (iPhone, iPad) is a fascinating games for everybody, adults and kids alike. This game sees you helping your character get from one side of the screen to the other, drawing to help him as he goes. It’s probably not great for very young kids, but the plinky plonk music and interactive nature of the game are sure to keep the older ones – and you – busy for a while.

Post updated 05-06-14