Google’s interactive Doodle today celebrates the life and accomplishments of video game pioneer Gerald “Jerry” Lawson on what would have been his 82nd birthday. The Doodle lets you play five retro pixel-art platformers in your browser — with two even letting you play as Lawson. The Doodles’ creators want to inspire young people to follow in his footsteps, and it includes a built-in level editor and creator to nudge them on that path.Lawson was known as the “father of the video game cartridge,” which he developed as Director of Engineering and Marketing at Fairchild Semiconductor. In 1976, the company released the Fairchild Channel F home console, with Lawson serving as lead developer. The Channel F (the “F” stood for “fun”) was the first system with interchangeable game cartridges, a novel concept in an era when games were permanently coded into hardware. Interchangeable ROM-based cartridges were a massive breakthrough that let users build entire libraries rather than playing one game ad nauseam.GoogleToday’s Doodle includes games from guest artists and game designers Davionne Gooden, Lauren Brown and Momo Pixel. “The concept starts with the player as a little Jerry Lawson,” explained Brown. “This takes us through anecdotes about Jerry’s life, parts of his journey that he went about to create the cartridge. Once you complete the level, you then get to create your own game with an editor that allows you to reimagine the level design and innovate like Jerry Lawson... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2022-12-01 18:15:43 UTC ]
Microsoft has a lot of news for Xbox owners and Game Pass fans this morning. In an announcement post, the company shared its plans to expand the Xbox app directly to Samsung smart TVs, opening up the streaming platform to players in Argentina and New Zealand. There are also some new... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2022-06-09 14:47:28 UTC ]
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We’ve said it many, many times before and we’ll say it many, many times again: libraries represent the best of America. Today’s entry: the New York Public Library will give away 500,000 books this summer to help kids, teens, and families build their at-home libraries. In addition to English,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-09 14:17:10 UTC ]
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Stats from 2020-21 reveal that the Pointless presenter’s The Thursday Murder Club is the biggest hit in UK librariesRichard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club was the most borrowed book from UK libraries in the year 2020-21, while the prolific bestseller James Patterson was the most borrowed... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-06-09 13:22:35 UTC ]
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The movement intends to "empty libraries of LGBTQ content aimed at kids" by checking out and hiding all LGBTQ books on library displays. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-06 13:35:02 UTC ]
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A group of Louisiana libraries block cultural displays, including Pride, Black and Woman's History Month, and others. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-02 22:08:33 UTC ]
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The NFL's rumored streaming service could debut in JulyDyson, the company that’s recently branched out into hair curlers, air-purifying headphones and not cars, has revealed it has an entire division secretly developing robot prototypes for household chores.The company didn't detail any of the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-05-26 11:15:21 UTC ]
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If you’re about to bite the bullet on a blazing-fast multi-gig internet deal, you might just have to upgrade your PC’s storage drive and CPU too. I know this because besides having to upgrade my networking hardware, which was too slow for my new Sonic 10Gb internet, I discovered that parts... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2022-05-18 10:45:00 UTC ]
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Available at indies bookstores and local libraries everywhere! * Phil Klay, Uncertain Ground (Penguin Press) “An introspective collection of essays … Klay’s reassuring voice offers truth, hope, and ways forward during a challenging, polarized period in America.” –Booklist Maggie Shipstead, You... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-05-17 13:43:51 UTC ]
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The Read Harder challenge, library style! These books will help you not just Read Harder, but discover more about libraries and librarians. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-05-16 10:30:00 UTC ]
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When it comes to retro portable gaming, even the better handhelds usually only emulate the original PlayStation and N64 era. But if you’re a fan of the GameCube or PS2 libraries (and you should be), the number of handhelds capable enough, well-made enough and reasonably priced enough is... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-05-13 11:15:33 UTC ]
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These were the most popular, in-demand books in US libraries from January to March 2022. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-05-10 14:19:48 UTC ]
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The DJ and writer on coming to terms with being a novelist, the appeal of middle-aged men and the book that broke her heartRadio 2 DJ Sara Cox has come a long way since the 1990s when Channel 4’s The Girlie Show made her one of the original ladettes. In 2019, her memoir Till the Cows Come Home:... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-05-07 17:00:05 UTC ]
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In Texas, where libraries are a political battleground, the Texas Library Association recently convened its annual convention in person for the first time since 2019—in the district of a state representative Matt Kraus eager to ban books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Last Thursday's Independent Book Publishers Association's “The Battle for Free Expression: Indie Publishers and Libraries in the Fight Against Censorship.” panel offered insights from digital media, public libraries, academic research, and online education on the rise in book banning. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In a move that has alarmed library leaders, Kentucky bill SB 167—which came back from the dead last week with a veto override—will empower local politicians to “appoint whomever they want to library boards and block major library spending.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A pandemic might close a library, but it can’t stop librarians. They were still finding new ways to remind us that libraries are about connections and experiences, writes Heidi LM Jacobs. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-04-17 08:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York Public Library made four banned books available nationwide on SimplyE, its free-reader app. The titles include Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi and Catcher in the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-04-13 23:48:05 UTC ]
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Writers for Democratic Action, an organization of some 2,600 authors, is mobilizing its membership in a campaign called Book the Vote. WDA will facilitate nonpartisan voter registration for the 2022 midterm election, working with authors, bookstores, and libraries to educate voters about their... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Nearly three years after it first announced a 90-day embargo to libraries on its newly published audio titles, Blackstone Publishing this week announced that it is changing course. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Because we can never resist adding another line item to the eternal ledger of what we owe libraries: Californians can now use their library cards to get free entry into state parks! The three-year pilot program will give libraries (including mobile libraries) at least three passes to California... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-04-08 15:54:11 UTC ]
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