fun

Goby is a new search engine designed to answer the age old question, "what is there to do for fun around here?"

Goby.com is designed specifically to help people find things to do in their leisure time ranging from hiking to biking to finding a good restaurant or bed and breakfast.

Goby CEO Mark Watkins talked with Larry Magid about why his search engine is a better fun finder than general search tools like Google and Bing.

For years, Will Wright has been just about the biggest name in video game development. It's hardly necessary to recite his resume, but just in case you haven't been paying attention, he's the creator of SimCity and its many direct spinoffs, The Sims franchise--which long ago surpassed 100 million units sold--and most, recently, Spore.

But last spring, not long after Spore's much-anticipated release, Wright announced he was leaving Electronic Arts, the game's publisher, for the greener pastures of a start-up called Stupid Fun Club. Though the new venture is backed by EA, it is … Read more

Note: Gifsoup, as it turns out, is a violation of YouTube's terms of service, which state that user-submitted videos cannot be downloaded unless the author has allowed it and the download is taking place on YouTube.com, and not via its API.

In my book, animated GIFs are one step above glitter graphics in terms of junk trends of the Internet, but I'm a big fan of any tool that makes creating them easy and fun. Gifsoup is no exception--you just point it towards any YouTube video and it turns it into an animated GIF.

To do this, … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Most of the new ventures launching at the TechCrunch50 conference are standalone Web sites, but not all. In years past there have been the few hardware launches, and this year is no different. Here are two new bits of hardware, and a new hardware platform that are gunning to make their way into your living room and office in the coming months.

iTwin is a two-piece bit of USB hardware that acts as a "cableless cable" allowing two computers to connect and share files as long as they have an Internet connection. There's nothing to set up, since both halves of the device are paired together and stay constantly connected. Users just plug it in, and can begin dropping files large and small into a shared folder.

The product will be available beginning early next year for $99, and comes with two paired sides that interlock when not in use. If users lose one of the two sides, they can lock down their account with an SMS message, or by disconnecting the other piece. They can also purchase an additional side, which can be re-paired.

ToyBots is a new gaming platform that lets toy manufacturers plug in their toys to an online network. Much like the Pleo, the personality of the toy can be altered by firmware upgrades, which are directly connected to the Web. Users can then play games and get feedback from their toy, as well as purchase and download new personalities and applications.

The company is hoping to get toy manufacturers on board as partners, and get them to start using the standard firmware profile across their entire line of toys. This would do two big things: let users re-use firmware or applications they've purchased for one toy, onto another, as well as keep money coming in even after a consumer has purchased a toy. … Read more

This week marks the latest release in the Rock Band series (see our hands-on). It features one of the biggest names in music--The Beatles. It also features pack-in instruments that continue to look more and more like their real-life counterparts.

Rock Band was definitely not the first video game to necessitate special hardware, nor will it be the last. Below we've put together a list of some of the most innovative peripherals and hardware that have helped change the way we play games. Some went on to become big, while others failed or were martyrs to future incarnations that … Read more

FunPhotor offers to take users' photos and put them somewhere hilarious. Whether on the face of a dollar bill, the Mona Lisa or elsewhere, this program's simplicity ensures success nearly every time.

This program's interface is very simple, thanks to its layout. Using a five-step wizard and large, intuitive icons, users will be up and running in no time. In addition, a Help file and a video tutorial are available for anyone needing a little more assistance. Users simply input a photo into a selection of silly templates, from a gorilla's face, to a spot on Mount … Read more

Bouncing Balls is a basic game in which users eliminate groups of balls by shooting balls of the same color at them. It's a fun game, although we've seen similar games that are a little more interesting.

The program's interface is basic. A wall of different colored balls moves toward the bottom of the screen, while a shooter provides users with a supply of balls to fire at it. Shoot a red ball at a group of two or more red balls, for example, and they fall, taking with them any balls that are attached. The object … Read more

Championship Checkers All-Stars allows users of all skill levels to play checkers against a computer simulator. With a variety of play styles and innovative additions, this program is a fun choice for game fans.

Users will not need to visit the Help file, thanks to the program's professional, though cartoonish, interface filled with intuitive navigation. From selecting the style of gameplay to actually battling opponents on the checkerboard, users will be able to follow onscreen prompts to click their way through. Users must first choose which style of checkers to play, from American, Spanish, Suicide, Customized, and more. Gameplay … Read more

Cribbage is a British card game dating back to the 17th century, so it must be doing something right to turn up in its current incarnation as a 21st century computer game. This version of cribbage stays true to the original concept of the game while adding some more modern touches.

The game's interface is not particularly attractive--it could stand to be a little more sleek--but it is well-organized. While the rules of cribbage are not at all intuitive, this interface is, with easily-navigated menus and icons. The built-in Help file contains a well-written explanation of cribbage's history … Read more