jumps

Rayman Jungle Run is an excellent single-touch control running game that keeps you on your toes as you try to collect all the coins (Lums) and attempt to complete perfect levels. Powered by the same UbiArt Framework engine that brought you Rayman Origins, Rayman Jungle Run features excellent graphics and a simplified control system for a great all-around game.

The controls couldn't be any easier. Simply touch to jump and touch-and-hold to fly for a short period of time. But even with such easy controls, Rayman Jungle Run is incredibly challenging. Rayman runs automatically once you start a level, … Read more

Temple Run 2 is the sequel to one of the most popular running games on iOS devices, and it has just enough new features to make it an excellent follow-up.

As in the original Temple Run, you use swipe controls to run, turn, and jump as you explore a floating temple. But in Temple Run 2, you're no longer limited to right-angle turns. The path you follow has dips and rises and jogs left and right to make the game more visually interesting than the original. You also get some new methods of transportation, with zip lines that you … Read more

Temple Run 2 is the sequel to one of the most popular running games for mobile devices, and it has just enough new features to make it an excellent follow-up.

As in the original Temple Run, you use swipe controls to run, turn, and jump as you explore a floating temple. But in Temple Run 2, you're no longer limited to right-angle turns. The path you follow has dips and rises and jogs left and right to make the game more visually interesting than the original. You also get some new methods of transportation, with zip lines that you … Read more

Despite the realistic 3D graphics of today's first-person shooters, RPGs, and other games, platform games continue to thrive on iOS. There's something about jumping through levels, solving puzzles, and collecting coins that keeps gamers entertained. Also, the capability to play through a single level while on the go makes platformers perfect for short bursts of play on your iOS device.

While a console controller is probably the ideal way to play these sometimes precise running and jumping games, iOS game developers have come up with unique ways to make them work.

This week's collection of iOS apps is all about modern platform games. The first is the most traditional platformer, but adds an interesting twist for passing levels. The second has an uncommon control system, but a unique art style and fun, varied gameplay make it a great option. The third is the most polished of the collection, with challenging puzzles and a somewhat grotesque storyline.

Note: There are no Android versions for any of these games.… Read more

The world turned in droves to YouTube to watch Felix Baumgartner's daring stratospheric skydive Sunday morning.

At peak viewership, the video-sharing site's live stream of the high-altitude jump attracted more than 8 million viewers. Interest was especially intense during the last stages of egress before Baumgartner jumped from approximately 128,000 feet.

Baumgartner was attempting to set four records: the fastest freefall (an unprecedented Mach 1), the longest sustained freefall, a free fall from the highest-ever starting point, and the highest ascent in a manned balloon.

Update October 14 at 12:22 p.m. PT: With Baumgartner back … Read more

When it comes to storage, you definitely don't want to risk getting stuck with a lemon. That's because, unlike other commodities like a car or a TV, when a storage device breaks down, chances are you lose a lot more than just the drive itself. It's a painful experience to see your invaluable data vanish. Take my word for it on this.

But you likely don't want to spend too much, either, and want your storage device to be easily accessible, especially on the go since there's not much use for your data if it always has to stay at home.

Bearing that in mind, compact and portable external hard drives are arguably the most popular form of storage. They have room to hold lots of data, often more than your laptop or ultrabook can, without being big or heavy. Following is the list of the top five portable USB 3.0-based drives that are the best among their peers, offering great performance, large storage space, compact design, and sometimes even the kind of toughness that will withstand drops and submersion in water. Most importantly, you can easily find them for less than $100. Have more to spend? You can get larger capacities that cost more.

Note that these drives also work with USB 2.0 (MacBook Air owners, you're included here) and they are all bus-powered, so you don't need a separate power adapter to use them.… Read more

Munch Time is a reasonably entertaining physics-based arcade puzzler starring (yet another) cute cartoon animal. While most of the gameplay is derivative of similar, earlier games, Munch Time does offer up a relatively interesting twist with its tongue-swinging shtick.

You play as Munch, a photogenic chameleon, as he searches for his lunch on a series of increasingly complex levels. Munch can move across the ground with a tap, but his preferred method of locomotion is with the looping swing of his adhesive tongue, lunging from flower to flower by tapping on them. This requires some timing and momentum management to … Read more

Paper Monsters is a polished traditional platformer with some added extras and winningly cute art and sound design.

Paper Monsters will instantly evoke other classic platformers, but in a good way: the play and interface are intuitive (a roaming virtual joystick on the left, a jump button on the right, which you tap twice to double-jump), and levels with collectible coins ("buttons"), warp pipes, enemies to jump upon, checkpoints, and lots of hidden pick-ups and paths to encourage repeat play. As the game progresses through its four chapters, with four levels each, the enemies and environments get more … Read more

This is not one of those typical thumbdrives being given out at social events. For one thing, the Lexar JumpDrive Triton may be the first device I've run into in a long, long time that doesn't bear the "Made in China" label. Instead, there's a message on its back that clearly reads "Product of USA." While it's unclear if the drive is actually made entirely in the States, one thing is for sure: it holds a lot more appeal than just patriotic sentiment.… Read more