TechSource: 5 Upcoming Linux Games You Should Be Excited About

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5 Upcoming Linux Games You Should Be Excited About Posted: 28 Jul 2014 07:52 PM PDT Steam's release followed by the announcement of Steam OS was an unexpected boon for the slow growth of gaming on Linux. Both the developments were major milestones when it comes to Linux's recognition as a commercially viable gaming platform. Be it Left 4 Dead or Portal, Linux is no longer the operating system for nerds. It has truly gone mainstream. Steam is now on the Ubuntu Software Center and more and more games being added to the catalog every week. As good as it sounds, only a few AAA titles are being released on Linux. This means that if you are a Call of Duty, Assassins Creed, or a Battlefield lover, Linux isn't ready yet for turning your PC into a full-blown gaming machine. But don't worry; there are signs that this might change. In fact, there are some upcoming games that might actually make you excited about building a new Linux-based gaming rig. So, without much ado, here are 5 exciting games soon to be available for Linux: Metro 2033: Metro Last Light was probably one of the biggest titles to arrive on Linux. After all, it was a game with 80+ Metacritic rating, stunning graphics, and a highly engaging storyline. The prequel to the title, called Metro 2033, will also be available on Linux. Metro 2033 Redux is already listed for pre-order on Linux and will be available for purchase in Summer 2014. The game is a survival-horror title based on a popular novel by Dmitry Glukhovsky. Developed by 4A games, the plot moves from the perspective of Artyom who has to survive in the post-apocalyptic metro stations of Moscow. The game heavily relies on darkness to make the gaming experience even more immersive. Moral choices at important plot points determine the endings of the game. Total War: Rome II Rome II is a strategy game that was the eighth title in the ever-popular Total War series. Released in 2013, this game has received heavy critical acclaim for its engaging battles and realistic graphics. With 76/100 score on Metacritic, Total War: Rome is probably one of the biggest titles to arrive on Linux. Whether or not the port will be good that's another question, but this game for sure might make the penguinland an exciting arena for game developers. Unreal Tournament Series Probably one of the most popular FPS games of all times, Unreal Tournament is known for its fast-paced action and competitive deathmatches. Developed by Epic Games, this title is probably one of the biggest games to come to Linux. According to recent reports, the next installment of Unreal Tournament will be free and will also be available on Linux. The popular title is an arena FPS with head-to-head multiplayer deathmatches being its typical specialty. There are five other type of matches you can play with your friends online or on a LAN network making this game dangerously addictive. Age of Wonders 3 Age of Wonders 3 is an amazing turn-based strategy game that was recently released on Windows. Developed by Triumph Studios, this game involves the player taking up the role of a leader who sets out to explore the world interacting with other races and kingdoms in order to expand his empire. According to a recent discussion on Steam forums, the developers have hinted at a possible port of the title on Linux. While the possibility of this happening seems highly positive, a lot of waiting might be needed to actually get your hands on this title.  Portal 2 While the game is still in beta, this is another big title that's coming to Linux. What's great about Portal 2 is that it is an evergreen game that just never refuses to grow old. For those living under a cave, Portal 2 is a puzzle-based strategy game that is a follow-up to the ever-popular title Portal. The game has superb pacing along with some hilarious dialogues that keep you engaged in an exciting gaming experience. Since being in beta, it won't take a lot of waiting till you get your hands on this one. For science!

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TechSource: Best Android Apps for Disney Fans

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Best Android Apps for Disney Fans Posted: 24 Jul 2014 07:14 PM PDT Disney movies have the uncanny ability to make us laugh, cry, and dance with joy at the same time. Whether you are a young kid or an adult, these films have a special place in many people's hearts. Apart from winning many Oscars, these movies have garnered fans across all generations. From overbearing grandmas to unapologetically brash kids, Disney movies are so irresistible that they can make anyone laugh or cry. That's why today we have for you a list of some of the best Android apps out there that are made for Disney fans. Nemo's Reef Nemo's Reef is a great application for fans of the movie Finding Nemo. The aim of the game is to help Nemo and his dad build the coolest reef out there. For building that home, you'll need to collect some awesome decorations, plants, and fish. In this journey toward building a better home, you get to meet Nemo and his friends including Dory, Gill, Bloat, and Bubbles. Overall, it's a fun game wherein you get to build something really cool.  DOWNLOAD HERE Where's My Water? Where's My Water is a hugely popular Disney game that is played even by people who are not a part of the horde of Disney fans. The game features challenging, physics-based puzzles that keep you engaged for hours. With over 4 unique storylines featuring Swampy, Allie, Cranky and Mystery Duck, Where's My Water is a game that provides an innovative new gaming experience for kids as well as adults. The basic premise of this game is simple, Swampy the Alligator lives in the sewers under the city, but unlike other alligators, this one simply loves taking a nice long shower after a hard day at work. However, the recent trouble with the pipes has forced Swampy to ask for your help in getting him his shower back. Overall, it is a fun game that you can play for hours no matter how old you are.  DOWNLOAD HERE Disney Memories HD If you missed out on your Disney World trip, this next app is just what you need. Once installed, it allows you to pose with your favorite Disney stars without paying a lot of money for the plane tickets and entrance fee. Be it Mickey Mouse or Goofy, instead of indulging yourself in pointless selfies, this app lets you create a perfect Disney World experience right from the smartphone. Simply snap a pic of yours and add the filters you need to create a complete magical moment. Once you are done, you can share the pic on Twitter or Facebook. DOWNLOAD HERE Where's my Mickey? Where's My Mickey? is a physics-based game where you help Mickey Mouse find water to open his own lemonade stand. The game comes with 5 unique episodes that use realistic weather effects to simulate rain, wind, and clouds. With over 100 levels to play from, the game is free but requires you to pay an additional fee for some extra features. Overall, this is a well-done game by Disney that engages the player at every level. DOWNLOAD HERE Disney Hidden World For the die-hard Disney fans, this one is a treat. The purpose of this title is to make you find hidden objects from popular Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, Aladdin, Brave, The Little Mermaid, and more. As you keep playing the game, the difficulty keeps increasing making it harder to find the objects. However, if you have watched a lot of Disney movies, you won't have any trouble spotting them.  DOWNLOAD HERE Toy Story: Smash It! With 15 levels of puzzle-based gameplay, this next title is a great experience for Toy Story fans. The game has 70 challenging levels and comes with 5 episodes, which you can enjoy for hours at a stretch. After each level, much like in Angry Birds, you get a star rating, thus allowing you to replay each level till you get good at it. Overall, it is a fun, imaginative adventure even for those who haven't seen the movie. DOWNLOAD HERE Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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TechSource: 7 Mac OS X Yosemite Features Canonical Needs to Steal to Make Ubuntu Even Better

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7 Mac OS X Yosemite Features Canonical Needs to Steal to Make Ubuntu Even Better Posted: 21 Jul 2014 10:21 PM PDT While we maybe living in a post-PC era, there is no denying the fact that the desktop OS still matters. Mac OS X is an operating system that is still ahead of Ubuntu when it comes to the race towards the number one desktop. Apple knows that, and that is why they seem to have put a lot of work in making Mac OS X 10.10 "Yosemite"  as good as their mobile operating system, which is iOS. The goal here is convergence. Apple wants to build an ecosystem in which the desktop, the mobile, and the wearable operating systems work seamlessly together in harmony. This is the same thing Microsoft is aiming for and so is Google. And yes, Shuttleworth's brainchild Ubuntu is shooting for the same thing by working really hard on the next iteration of the open-source OS. But, with all these efforts, can Canonical match up with its competition? Well, it can if it takes some of the great things its competitors are doing. Both Apple and Google are known for "borrowing" each other's ideas. If Canonical does a bit of that, its desktop might be able to reach a whole new level. So, if you are an Ubuntu fan wanting some of the best things from Apple's latest Yosemite on your desktop, here is a list of few things Canonical can steal or copy from Cupertino right away. 1. Improved Search While there are many speculations as to whether Apple copied the latest Spotlight search feature from Ubuntu's Dash, it is still a feature that will take desktop search to a whole new level. Searching on Ubuntu works like a charm. You enter in the query and results show up from both online as well as offline sources. Having said that, it lacks the same intuitiveness as Spotlight. Search is sometimes erroneous and the Dash taking over the whole screen to search feels a bit "heavy". We hope Canonical refines Ubuntu's search even further so that it matches the quality offered by Spotlight both in terms of speed as well as the accuracy of results. 2. Airdrop-like File Transfer Airdrop is an amazing feature that lets users transfer files between your computer and other devices in the same network. The feature is further tweaked and polished in Yosemite, making it even better. Ubuntu currently lacks a user-friendly way of transferring data between two computers. We hope Canonical takes some ideas from Apple and comes up with a nice way of connecting devices in the same network. 3. Powerful File Explorer In Yosemite, Apple updated finder with features like tags to help users find their content better. While Ubuntu doesn't need an exact replica of Finder, it does need a better and more organized Nautilus. Ubuntu's default file explorer is simple and gets the job done pretty well. However, with the humongous amounts of files on our desktop, a little more organization is the need of the hour. What Nautilus needs is a blend of Windows Explorer and Finder's best features. Maybe a set of libraries that can be created by users according to specific search criteria. 4. Improved Notifications The notifications in Ubuntu are really pretty, in fact, much prettier than those on Windows. However, they barely measure up to what Apple's offering in Yosemite. They are not distracting, provide the information you just need, and pull up vital data from the applications you are using already. If somehow Canonical manages to improve the existing notifications, we'd have a superb desktop. 5. Smartphone Integration While Ubuntu for Android seemed like an ambitious endeavor when it was announced, we're yet to hear any developments in this arena. Apple, and even Google, are aiming for convergence and have almost already achieved it. Apple with Continuity has managed to bridge the gap between smartphone and desktop even further. Lazy Ubuntu users like us are dying for something similar to that, which helps them connect their phones to their desktops. This will at least, eliminate the need to get up and pick up the phone all the time. 6. Better Mail While Thunderbird pretty much does the job on Ubuntu, it is still lacking in many areas. Canonical can take cue from Apple and come up with a better and more integrated mail application that blends in well with the rest of the desktop. 7. Dedicated Calendar Application Yosemite features a gorgeous-looking calendar application that helps you keep up with your day's appointments. It is about time Ubuntu users got a dedicated calendar application that possibly ties up with Google Calendar as well. Conclusion While Ubuntu doesn't necessarily need to "steal" features from Apple, but it does need to look at what its competitors are doing. Taking a few ideas from the Cupertino might help Canonical take its desktop to a whole new level. "Ultimately it comes down to taste. It comes down to trying to expose yourself to the best things that humans have done and then try to bring those things in to what you're doing. I mean Picasso had a saying he said good artists copy great artists steal. And we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas." -- Steve Jobs Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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TechSource: Best Fitness Apps for Google Chrome and Chrome OS

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Best Fitness Apps for Google Chrome and Chrome OS Posted: 18 Jul 2014 12:14 AM PDT Having to keep track of your daily eating habits is quite a task. Oh, and there is those tedious workouts that you have to do. Being healthy is such a bore, isn't it? Don't worry, even the healthiest of people hate getting out of bed and going to the gym. Yep, that's true. Fitness isn't a pleasant experience, it's hard work and yes, hard work for some people is boring. As prolonged tech junkies, we are used to having shortcuts or little apps here and there that help us cut our job in half, in other words, keep us lazy. We have apps for self-diagnosing, for reserving our table at a restaurant, and even ordering the menu. Just press a button and your job is done. In this world of 'click-and-buy,' it is understandable how hard it is to not be lazy. So, if you are someone who wants to get fit and wants to do it the quick way, what to do? Well, there is actually an easy way! Thanks to many apps and extensions that are out there you can keep track of your fitness right from your Chrome desktop or your Chrome browser. Bodbot Bodbot is an application that serves as your own personal assistant. Designed specially for people who either can't afford a gym or don't have to join one, Bodbot helps you personalize your exercise as well as nutrition. Once installed, Bodbot will get to know your goals very well. So whether you want to lose fat or gain some muscle, Bodbot will create personalized plans for you depending on what your needs are. From the weight of your dumbbells to the amount of sodium in your diet, it is amazing how detailed this app is. If you are a Chromebook user and a fitness freak, Bodbot should be your first choice as far as fitness apps go.  DOWNLOAD HERE Bloody Weight Bloody Weight is a simple app that lets you record your body weight and keep a track of it on a daily basis. Nothing fancy in the UI or in the features department, this little app is great for getting a bird's eye view of your weight-loss progress. If a neat calendar and a graph is all you need to keep track of your fitness, Bloody Weight is a perfect solution for you.  DOWNLOAD HERE Diet Diary Fitness is not just about going to the gym and working out for hours. It's also about keeping track of what you eat and how much you eat. If you are lacking some focus in the latter part, Diet Diary is just the app you need. Once installed, Diet Diary will help you log the foods you eat, the exercises you do, and the water you take in order to create your complete fitness profile. The app shows you charts for daily, weekly, and monthly averages for weight, water consumed, calories consumed and exercise minutes. Overall, the app comes with four trackers: Food tracker, Exercise tracker, Weight tracker, and Water tracker. If you are someone who is looking for a free app that helps take complete control of your fitness then Diet Diary should be your best bet. DOWNLOAD HERE Lose It! Lose It! is a free Chrome application that helps you create a personalized plan to track your food, exercise, and weight loss. With a built-in calorie tracker, Lose It! serves as a fabulous tool to help you get an idea of how many calories you take and how many you burn. One of the distinct features about this app is that it also lets you add sport activities so that you can subtract the number of burned calories from your chart. If you are using the app on mobile, it will also let you scan barcodes so that you won't miss out on tracking the foods you just bought from the supermarket. It is a great app to go for if you are calorie conscious.  DOWNLOAD HERE Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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TechSource: 5 Games You Can Play from Your Linux Command Line

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5 Games You Can Play from Your Linux Command Line Posted: 13 Jul 2014 07:55 PM PDT When it comes to gaming, Linux has taken major steps forward. What once was a deserted island for gamers has now become a growing arena for both gaming fans as well as game developers. With each passing week, we see more and more gaming franchises debuting on this platform. Thanks to the massive investment of Steam in Linux, you can now have a full-fledged gaming experience without booting up your Windows installation. That said, Linux was once, and still is, the ultimate playground for geeks. While many are busy fighting wars in the latest Call of Duty game, a true Linux fan can be seen having as much fun, if not more, playing an old-school command-line title. For the fans who lean towards the latter category, we have a list of some of the finest command-line games out there for Linux. If you are not a geek, though, don't worry. We have included instructions for you to start playing these games right away. To get started, open the terminal by searching for it in the Dash or by using the combination (Ctrl + Alt + T) if you are using the Ubuntu desktop. 1. Worm Ever had an old-school Nokia phone? I'm sure most of you have had one. If yes, then you might remember those good old days when you spent hours playing the legendary game Snake. What a game that was. With the growth of smartphones, sadly, those days are over. Now you have Temple Run, Angry Birds, Flappy Bird and many other titles. However, if you are a true Snake fan, you know nothing comes even close to that game. If we have made you mildly nostalgic, don't worry, because the first game in this list is the closest you'll get to playing Snake. Worm is a fantastic command-line game that will keep you hooked for hours. Just type in or paste the following command in your terminal to install the game: sudo apt-get install bsdgames Then, type the command "worm" in your terminal and enjoy! 2. Tetris   Oh! The beloved Tetris! One of the most popular games of the 80's and 90's was tetris. Those brick-sized video games were capable of keeping kids and adults hooked for hours. Released in 1984, this Russian tile-matching puzzle game has sold more than 170 million copies worldwide and ranks second in IGN's list of 100 Greatest Video Games of All Time. With this awesome game, you can't help but keep yourself addicted for hours. To install Tetris in your command-line, use the following command: sudo apt-get install bsdgames Then launch the game by typing the command "tetris" without the quotes and enjoy. 3. Space Invaders Save the space from aliens in this ever-popular game. Released in 1978, Space Invaders was a phenomenon back then, and probably still is. The aim of this title is to defeat waves of aliens with a laser cannon to earn as many points as possible. To install the game on your computer, simply type in the following command: sudo apt-get install ninvaders Then launch the game by typing in "ninvaders" in your command line. 4. Backgammon One of the oldest two-player board games out there, Backgammon has been played for as long as 5000 years. Unlike Chess, though, this game does rely on luck quite a lot. However, if you have the right strategy, you might win against the luckiest of opponents. Playing Backgammon in your terminal isn't as fancy as the real thing, but it still got all the features for you to enjoy a full-fledged competitive play. To install Backgammon in your terminal, type in or paste the following command: sudo apt-get install bsdgames To open the game, you have to type "backgammon" without the quotes.  5. Arithmetic Last, but not the least, this simple math game will help you improve your brain function every time you take a break. Simply load up the game and try your best to remember everything you'd learned in math class. Go easy on yourself though, it's just a game. We all suffer from poor math skills every once in a while. To install the game, type in or paste the following command: sudo apt-get install bsdgames Then type "arithmetic" without the quotes and enjoy. Note: Most games can be controlled either by using the arrow keys or the J, K, L keys. To exit a game, press Ctrl + C.

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