Amazon launches in-app buying for computer and online games

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

Those of you who play games from Amazon on your computer or over the Web will now be able to buy virtual items directly in the game.

Unveiled today, the new in-app purchasing service allows developers to set up their games so players can pay for virtual goods and currencies using their Amazon accounts. Previously, only Android and Kindle games in the Android Appstore were able to offer the in-app buying option. Now the feature extends to Amazon games for Windows PCs, Macs, and the Web.

Gamers wil find titles for the PC and Mac at Amazon's Digital Games store. They'll also discover a variety of games they can play online by linking their Amazon account.

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  by Lance Whitney via Gaming and Culture - The latest in the geek life - CNET News

Temple Run 2 downloaded 20M times in first four days

Temple Run 2

(Credit: Imangi Studios)

Temple Run 2 is off to a running start this weekend, logging more than 20 million downloads in its first four days of availability on Apple's App Store.

The sequel to the popular endless action video game became the top free app just eight hours after its release, according to developer Imangi Studios. The iOS game, in which runners try to escape a giant, evil monkey, is also the No. 3 top grossing app, thanks to in-app purchases that boost the character's skills and improve their chances of running a personal best distance.

"The response from fans has been overwhelming," Keith Shepherd, co-founder of Imangi, said in a statement today. "We are thrilled players want more of the Temple Run universe, and we hope to grow and expand the game over the coming months."

The original Temple Run was downloaded more than 170 million times on Apple's App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Marketplace, the company said.

An Android version of the sequel is due to be released on Thursday.

[Read more]





by Steven Musil via Gaming and Culture - The latest in the geek life - CNET News

Nintendo to combine handheld, console gaming divisions -- report

(Credit: Nintendo)

Nintendo's current corporate structure separating consoles and handhelds will be replaced, according to a new report.

Japan-based news outlet Nikkei is reporting today that Japan plans to combine its handheld and console divisions by February 16. The combined team will have 280 employees, made up of 130 employees from the console side and 150 from handhelds.

According to IGN, which was able to access the entire story behind a paywall, the team members will be organized by their specialties, including circuits, design, and others. Engadget claims to have spoken to a Nintendo spokesperson, which confirmed the news.

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  by Don Reisinger via Gaming and Culture - The latest in the geek life - CNET News

1 in 3 people have gone online to diagnose a health problem

A fair number of people are turning to the Internet to help them with medical problems.

Among 3,000 adults surveyed by Pew Internet, 35 percent say they've gone online at one time or another to diagnose a medical condition. Some were researching their own medical problems, while others were looking into problems suffered by people they know.

Dubbed "online diagnosers" by Pew, 46 percent of them said the information they found online made them think they needed the help of a doctor. Another 38 percent said they felt they could remedy the problem at home, and 11 percent said it was both or somewhere in between.

Did the online diagnosers find the information accurate?

NASA agrees to $17.8 million inflatable extension to ISS

A look at the Bigelow Aerospace BA 330.

(Credit: Bigelow Aerospace)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has awarded a small startup a lucrative contract on expanding the International Space Station.

NASA announced last week that Bigelow Aerospace has been awarded a $17.8 million contract to deliver to the agency an inflatable extension for the International Space Station. According to NASA, the extension, known as the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module "will demonstrate the benefits of this space habitat technology for future exploration and commercial space endeavors."

Inflatable space technology is nothing new. In fact, the first passive communications satellites -- Echo 1 and Echo 2 -- were both inflatable. NASA determined in 1958 that the satellites would be too big to fit into the Thor-Delta rocket, so scientists decided to allow the satellites to inflate when they got into space.

The idea of a self-contained inflatable habitat for space exploration has been in place for decades. However, due to NASA budget constraints, the so-called "Transit Habitat," which was to help get crews to Mars with inflatable technology, was cancelled in 2000.

Since its founding in 1998, Bigelow has been working on its own ... [Read more]





by Don Reisinger via Gaming and Culture - The latest in the geek life - CNET News

Sony's Hirai to Nvidia: Handheld gaming is 'not an easy business'

Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang unveils Nvidia Shield, a brand-new gaming device that leverages Android and the Tegra 4 quad-core processor.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Sony chief executive Kazuo Hirai has a warning for Nvidia as that company eyes the gaming space.

"It's not an easy business to get into," Hirai told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published yesterday. He went on to say that it's too early to tell if Nvidia can succeed in the hotly contested mobile-gaming space, adding that the industry is littered with the remains of companies that have tried and failed.

Nvidia earlier this week announced a new portable-gaming device, named "Shield," that runs on Android and its new quad-core Tegra 4 processor. The device, which could launch in the next few months, connects to the cloud to play Android games. TegraZone games and PC titles compatible with GeForce graphics are also supported.

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