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Michael Jackson's Funeral - the Online Version

Christina Clark — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:05:00 EST

If you aren't one of the thousands of fans who got passes to Michael Jackson's funeral at the Staples Center, you can still watch it via several media outlets. If you are at home, get comfy on the couch and tune in to any major news station and you'll find coverage but if a TV isn't available, there are places online you can find some coverage.

Keep in mind, news of MJ's death almost crashed the Internet itself so finding a site streaming the funeral doesn't guarantee you'll be able to see it but, here are some options to try. Some estimates are saying 70 million people will be watching online funeral coverage.

CNN has an entire Live page devoted to coverage of Michael Jackson's funeral events. Funeral coverage has already started. If you can't get in now, try for the replays at 4 pm and 7pm Eastern time.

CBS Evening News has all the news coverage of Jackson's death so far in one place and presumably will be posting up funeral coverage as it happens.

There are numerous videos available on Hulu of Michael Jackson remembrance shows, interviews with those going to the funeral, details of funeral plans and more. It's a good place to hang out if you need information but can't get through to live coverage. As soon as live coverage is up, Hulu will be a good place to look for it.

WebTVHub has 15 options of where to watch the funeral online and even has a cell phone viewing link.

You can find USA Today coverage on LiveStream, as well as some smaller news outlets. There's even an MJLive station, but so far, it is loading extremely slowly and it's only a view of Havenhurst Avenue in Encino where Michael lived at some point in his youth.

If you want to remember Michael Jackson, without watching the funeral - or just see something kinda funny - check out the Eternal Moonwalk, where fans all over the world show off Jackson's signature dance move.

If you've found a great place to watch, share it in the comments so everyone that wants a front row seat can have one.

Michael Jackson's Funeral - the Online Version originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Card Toss for really old school gaming - Time-Waster

Christina Clark — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters

If you fondly remember the days before video games when kids went outside to play with whatever was around, you might enjoy Card Toss. It's a well designed, easy to use virtual version of tossing cards into a hat.

You have to adjust for things like wind speed and direction and the distance of the hat from you is constantly changing. It's not extremely difficult, but it does take a few rounds to really master the technique. Once I had the flick or my virtual wrist down pat I enjoyed several rounds of the game.

It's quick and easy to play and good for when you need a break but you don't have time to get really involved in a game.

Thanks to TheLinx!

Card Toss for really old school gaming - Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bunny Invasion Easter Special - Time Waster

Christina Clark — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters

Just in time for your Friday afternoon boredom, we bring you the Bunny Invasion: Easter Special. If you're tired of seeing cute bunnies, fluffy baby chicks and all the normal Easter crap this game is going to make your day.

As Mr. Frost, it is up to you to save the motel from the bunnies. You have a variety of weapons to choose from once you earn enough money to pay for them and the game, though slow at first, is pretty entertaining.

All you have to do is stand on the roof of the motel and pick off the bunnies as the come to attack. For the first 10 levels or so, this seemed less than challenging since the bunnies were moving pretty slowly. I held on to the starter colt .45 pistol - with unlimited ammo - for most of those levels, saving up for guns, ammo and motel repairs later on.

Once you pass level 10, things begin moving a lot faster and you definitely need an automatic weapon because the bunnies, well, they multiply like rabbits and move pretty quickly. The further you get into the game, the more often the shooters swear at the bunnies. You might want to keep the volume pretty low if you're at the office.

Go kill the bunnies now and get all that annoyance with Easter out of your system before you have to admire all those Easter baskets on Sunday.

Thanks DN!

Bunny Invasion Easter Special - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Sumo is a fast finger shove match - Time Waster

Christina Clark — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Games, Time-Wasters

If you're quick with the arrow keys, Super Sumo will be a breeze to play. You simply use the directions to shove your rotund opponent out of the way.

The game is simple enough. Two sumo guys face off, and you use the arrow keys to push against the other sumo wrestler until you throw him out of the ring. Sushi gives you extra power and as your orange bar powers up you will get a little extra belly-bouncing power to use by way of the space bar.

Super Sumo can be really simple if you play it as a brute force game, or it can be more challenging - and you'll stay in the ring longer - if you dance around your opponent. Push against, move away, feint left, push against. You'll have twirling sumo guys around the ring, but you'll stay in longer if you can keep your fingers changing those directions.

Super Sumo is nothing I would spend hours perfecting, but it's a nice little break for a few minutes when you just can't read another memo.

Super Sumo is a fast finger shove match - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Totem Destroyer 2 will destroy an afternoon - Time Waster

Christina Clark — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Games, Time-Wasters

If you were the kind of kid who liked to build huge block towers and then knock them down, Totem Destroyer might be right up your alley. The action of the game comes from knocking down towers.

The challenge comes from trying to keep little golden statues off the ground and balanced on the black boxes while you are doing it. The first few levels, simple. After that, things get a bit more tricky and you have to plan ahead and click fast to get the results you want.

If you get stumped, the game developers have provided a complete video walk through of all levels from 1 to 50. Seems to take the challenge out of the game but, after trying one or two, it seems that even if you know which blocks to take out first, things don't always happen the way that you want them to.

The music gets a little repetitive after awhile, but you can mute with a quick hit to the M key. Other than that, I hope you have a comfortable chair and a cold beverage on hand, because you're going to be in that seat for awhile.

Totem Destroyer 2 will destroy an afternoon - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virtual Juggler is eye-crossing fun - Time-Waster

Christina Clark — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters

I have certainly attempted to juggle before and found myself to be less than coordinated enough. I am slightly better when playing Virtual Juggler but not by much.

The game plays like Breakout (and aside from the virtual bean bags, is nothing like real juggling), without the walls to break down and with three balls in the air at once. You use your mouse to move the paddle and catch the balls as they fall. It's as simple, or as difficult, as that.

After a few short seconds of playing my eyes got a bit wonky and things started merging together. I think it had something to do with the multicolored balls moving on the screen but it made it pretty difficult for me to focus. It didn't stop me from trying again and again to score an ever higher score.

You'll need a quick mouse hand and lots of time to master this one.

[Via Neatorama]

Virtual Juggler is eye-crossing fun - Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Youda Farmer is fun for a few minutes - Time-Waster

Christina Clark — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters

Youda Farmer is a nice little flash game. You have to grow products on your farm and deliver them into the village. Each level requires you to deliver more and to add on to your farm to offer more products. The more you do, the more the little village begins to prosper.

The first few levels are almost painfully easy. There is no growing involved really, all you have to do is click on products to put them into delivery crates, which then magically load into your pickup truck. Then into the village you go, where a series of clicks will deliver all the products and net you some cash. You then use the cash to buy farm improvements.

The higher levels get a bit more difficult as you go from needing to pick up 6 items to 30 or 40 items. Your little pickup truck just doesn't go all that fast. So, if you stick it out, it does get more challenging. Is it my new favorite game? No, but, I just played it for 20 minutes and will probably go back later today and try and get past some of the higher levels.

The music is rather annoying though, so I'd suggest you get ready to turn that part off. Not into farming? Try out Youda Camper where you build your own campground instead.

Youda Farmer is fun for a few minutes - Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NORAD tracks Santa and answers questions

Christina Clark — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Kids, Google, Time-Wasters

Maybe you've been using the NORAD Santa tracker every year for as long as you can remember, like me, or maybe you haven't heard of it before. It is a great way to have some fun on Christmas Eve and answer some of those questions about when Santa will be at your house.

The whole thing started in 1955 when Sears misprinted a phone number to call Santa and kids everywhere got connected to the Continental Defense Command hotline. Instead of being angry, CONAD workers gave kids updates of Santa's progress around the world and a tradition was born.

In the 50 years since then, a lot has changed. CONAD became the North American Aerospace Defense Command or NORAD for starters. Since 1998 kids no longer needed to call Santa, they could simply get hourly updates on the internet. And this year, you can even hear about Santa's progress on Twitter!

Because NORAD has teamed up with Google you can see Santa flying over highly detailed Google maps. It is easy to pick out landmarks if Santa flies over an area you are familiar with. You can even see photos of places Santa has flown past with Panoramio photos linked to the map.

You can download a special KML that will let you track Santa in 3D this year and the site has lots off answers to questions kids might have. You can even check out the snack counter to see how many cookies Santa has had so far today!

Check out what we've written before about the Santa Tracker and find out how Google and NORAD teamed up to give us so many Santa tracking options. .

NORAD tracks Santa and answers questions originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Travian makes empire building mobile - Time-Waster

Christina Clark — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Time-Wasters

If you like to rule the world, Travian might be the game for you. It's similar to Civilization or Empire Earth but it exists in your browser - so you can play it ~~at work~~ on the go. It might make the afternoon commute a great way to unwind if you're taking public transportation.

After registering for the game and choosing a server you have one week to build up your resources before you are open for attack. This is important because it takes time to build up wheat, wood, clay and iron production. It takes around 3 minutes to upgrade a wheat field in the early levels so to get your empire up and running takes more than just a few minutes.

It's one of those great games to keep running in the background so you can start a wheat field or building upgrade, and then move on to something else on your to-do list for a few minutes. In fact, as I write this there is a building being constructed in my village.

There are lots of good tips for beginners in the forums if you look for them as well as basic information in the game manual.

You can stick with one village or eventually expand your empire across the map, building palaces and residences for the King (or Queen) as you go. Remember though, after the first seven days you are vulnerable to attack. Of course, you can also send out your own raiding parties as well.

So far, I am enjoying Travian. I love building empires and it isn't sucking up system resources and taking up all of my attention the way Empire Earth might.

[Via Great Time Wasters on the Web]

Travian makes empire building mobile - Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry coming Dec. 30

Christina Clark — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: BlackBerry

If you have a SlingBox and a BlackBerry, get ready because on December 30th you'll be able to download SlingPlayer Mobile in a free public beta. The public beta supports BlackBerry Bold, Curve 8900, 8820, Curve 8320, Pearl Flip 8220 and Pearl 8120. Firmware must be version 4.5 or higher.

Some EDGE-only models will also work but due to slow video streaming and other versions it is not officially supported in the public beta. SlingPlayer Mobile is already available for PocketPC, Windows Smartphone,Palm OS and Symbian S60 and UIQ.

What does it all mean? You can carry a TV around in your pocket! The SlingBox set top box captures your home cable or satellite signal and allows you to watch it via the internet using the SlingPlayer software. I generally use mine while traveling - my parents don't have cable at all - so at their house I can snuggle up with my laptop and watch whatever is on at home.

I would think the BlackBerry would make for some tiny TV viewing, but it could certainly pass the time in airports and other places where you spend a lot of time waiting. And if you have one of those careers where you carry a BlackBerry because you need to know what is going on in the world, well, this would be the perfect way to be able to watch CNN and other news stations when you need information.

The public beta is free, beginning on December 30th. Other SlingPlayer Mobile players have a 30 day free trial before purchase is required. SlingPlayer Mobile is $29.99. You can expect the BlackBerry version to follow the same pattern after the initial public beta is over. You also need a SlingBox to make everything work and those start at $179.99.

SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry coming Dec. 30 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Need Christmas cards?

Christina Clark — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Time-Wasters

Do you need a quick solution for those Christmas cards you haven't sent yet? Grandma and Aunt Betty might not be ready for e-cards but I'm guessing a lot of people on your list will enjoy them. You can suggest you are being eco-friendly by saving paper if they complain.

The first important factor in e-cards is that they should be free. I am not interested in paying for them - for that I could send regular cards. Also required would be a distinct lack of hokey poetry and lame music. Here are some possibilities:

Card Funk turns your photos into dancing, animated cards. The only annoyance I found here was that I had to resize a lot of my photos to make them usable. Card Funk is not into working with big files and images have to be less than 500kb to be usable. You can really customize the characters and layout of the card as well as the text and music.
Phreetings (Photo + Greetings) is pretty basic and gives you a link to send for others to view the card you have created. Not quite as simple as a card arriving in the inbox but the photos available are pretty interesting and have a more international flair.
Some ecards for "when you care enough to hit send" with sentiments like "I'll never be the secret Santa you deserve" and "Thanks for giving me a gift I don't have to return." No sappy poetry and lame music here. The site offers Christmas and Hanukkah cards as well as New Year cards in case you can't get others out in time for Christmas.

Where are your holiday cards coming from this year?

Need Christmas cards? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barack Obama - President 2.0?

Christina Clark — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Internet, Photo

First the Obama campaign was sending out text messages to the masses and that whole thing came up about John McCain not using email. Obama was campaigning for those of us who are into the web. He appealed to our technology.

It appears he is going to keep it up. There are Presidential baby photos on the web. And, the President-elect is on flickr. He has released an entire set of election night photos of his family awaiting results in their hotel room. I wonder what will be next.

The Obamas certainly seem willing to let us have glimpses of their world. And they understand how to reach out on the web. No wonder someone took the time to make a flash game for Obama. Let's hope it continues. Maybe there will be a presidential blog.

[Via Lifehacker]

Barack Obama - President 2.0? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Write or Die keeps you on track

Christina Clark — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Productivity, Education

Write or Die from Dr. Wicked is quite an interesting application. You must keep typing or you will receive reminders to get back to work. Sometimes those reminders are quite unpleasant.

You can choose nice, gentle reminders, in the form of pop up boxes, the normal reminders which make the screen turn red and play music, or kamikaze reminders which start undoing what you have been typing if you stop. There are also Electric Shock reminders but, you can't always check that box.

This would be a perfect tool for anyone who needed to get a lot of words on paper in a specific amount of time. You can set word goals or time goals - or both. I gave myself a goal of 10 minutes and/or 20 words for writing this post. It is quite handy little tool for writers, bloggers or students who really need to get stuff done.

Plus, it's a lot of fun and the reminders are a good way to keep yourself on track if you have a tendency to stop working, stare off into space or get easily distracted. Or, if you're like me, having a word count goal and a timer makes me work that much harder to get all the words in before the timer goes off!

[Via The Renegade Writer Blog]

Write or Die keeps you on track originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AirMilf puts Palin in a helicopter - Time Waster

Christina Clark — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Time-Wasters

If you want to try out shooting wolves from a helicopter the way it is purported that Sarah Palin does, check out Airmilf from Comedy Central.

You fly through the air in a Vietnam-era helicopter, shooting wolves, and trying not to shoot the elk running alongside. I had a really fun time with this one. The early levels are easy, moving relatively slowly and making it easy to get head shots (to raise more for the campaign).

As the levels progress, things move a lot faster. It started to get a bit more challenging around levels 7 and 8 and by 9 and 10 the helicopter was racing by the wolves.

If you need just a little more election fun, check out this game. The only reason I stopped playing was so I would have time to write this post. As time-wasters go, this one is pretty good. Easy, fun and increasing levels of difficulty.

AirMilf puts Palin in a helicopter - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Presidential Street Fight - Time Waster

Christina Clark — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Time-Wasters

While McCain and Obama battle it out at the polls, you can create your own election results with the Presidential Street Fight.

You can play as either McCain or Obama and shoot it out in front of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Each candidate comes with a basketball launching gun and a pile of boxes to use for cover. Shoot up and over the boxes to hit the other candidate or shoot straight at them to knock out the protective boxes.

Items like bags of money, Uncle Sam style hats and one ton weights will pop up occasionally, if you can hit them they will become your ammunition. I tried playing as both candidates and they seem to have equal skills and abilities.

The faces both make while aiming and shooting are great and the music is okay, though it does get a bit tedious after awhile.

Presidential Street Fight - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Palin as President - Time Waster

Christina Clark — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Time-Wasters

If you, like many Americans, shudder to think of what the world might be like with Sarah Palin as president then this time waster will confirm some of your worst fears.

A simple photo of Palin in the Oval Office with lots of interactive bits give you a taste of what that reality might be like. You can click on a variety of everyday objects and listen to Palin name them - Joe the Chair, Joe the Six-Pack, etc. Or, watch her throw a dart to choose the name of her next child.

There are numerous opportunities to hear Palin say Maverick and you can watch a car drive off her bridge to nowhere. It won't waste a lot of time but it is good for a few laughs.

Of course if you're a Palin fan, this could give you a great visual for that dream of Palin in the Oval Office you've been having.

Palin as President - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Election Incrimination - Time Waster

Christina Clark — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Time-Wasters

If you're still making up your mind about who you should vote for, maybe Election Incrimination can give you some help. You can choose to be either Obama or McCain and race against the clock to hide incriminating evidence.

It's a race against the clock to hide everything before the press arrives in the Oval Office. McCain has such secrets as Viagra, a George W. Bush dart board, and an oil contract signed in blood. Obama has Sarah Palin, Michael Jackson and hip hop clothes to hide.

The game presents a lot of stereotypes and plain ugly items (a KKK member for one) so if you're easily offended, don't try it out. But, if you aren't, enjoy hiding items for both candidates, or setting up the one you didn't vote for to be outed by the press.

Election Incrimination - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PhotoFunia makes it easy to create funny photos

Christina Clark — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Photo, Time-Wasters

Looking for some good photos of McCain, Palin, Obama and Biden on this Election Day 2008? Thanks to PhotoFunia I was able to create something a little more interesting than what you will be seeing on CNN.

I have yet to master the skills in Photoshop to be able to make convincing fake photos. I usually fix colors, crop and reduce red eye but I rarely change any photos. PhotoFunia gave me the opportunity to make some pretty cool stuff today in just a few simple clicks. If you have a good head shot of anyone, you can make convincing photos.

Check out the gallery to see the variety of candidate photos I have assembled.

Gallery: PhotoFunia

[Via Lifehacker]

PhotoFunia makes it easy to create funny photos originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World Map geography tester

Christina Clark — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Kids, Time-Wasters, Education

I'm not entirely sure if I should call this a time waster or an educational tool. I guess it can be both. If you're stuck in 9th grade geography (or know someone who it) it could certainly help.

If you're past all that school stuff and want to see how much geography you remember, check out the World Map by Game Design. You are given a world map and the names of 20 countries. You have about 10 seconds to find each country on the map.

If you are lucky to get some of the bigger countries it's quite easy, but once you have a few small African nations things become much more challenging. I'm not going to share my score. It's too embarrassing!

If you're good at naming countries but not finding them you can try the 192 UN recognized states in 10 minutes. Basically, once you load the page a timer starts to count down. You have 10 minutes to name as many UN recognized countries as you can.

When you type in a correct answer it is added to the list. So if you type something in and it doesn't disappear, it's not right. My biggest challenge was spelling some of the country names. I got about 70 countries entered before I ran out of time and had about 10 that I just couldn't figure out how to spell properly.

So, DLS readers, how are your geography skills?

[Via Eco Worldly]

World Map geography tester originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halloween Clash and Pumpkin Simulator for fall fun - Time Waster

Christina Clark — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Kids, Time-Wasters

If you're looking for a little Halloween-themed time wasting, two simple options are Halloween Clash and Pumpkin Simulator. Neither one is on its' way to being game of the year but they are both good for a few minutes of fun.

Halloween Clash pits you against the pumpkin headed goblins trying to invade your house. I was hoping to see big splatters of pumpkin guts all over but instead, you play from an aerial view and see only pumpkin puddles when you kill one of the goblins. You point and click with your mouse to shoot and can play as the Easter Bunny, Cupid or Santa Claus. The graphics are pretty simplistic but they get the job done.

The first level seemed pretty lame as all I had to do was click on a pumpkin and boom, it was gone. In the second level the pumpkins moved in less predictable patterns and made things a bit more challenging (but only a little bit). The third level when the pumpkins were invisible and had only a shadow and they moved faster, well, that's where it started to be more interesting.

Pumpkin Simulator is simply an online pumpkin carving tool. You can carve up your pumpkin in any way you wish, and when you click done, your creation is lit with a candle inside. It might be a good way to try out some of the designs you have in mind for real pumpkins this year or just provide some silliness as you carve up outrageous faces and designs. It might even make a good way to use your computer screens in your Halloween decorating scheme.

Both sites are good for a few minutes and might be something to help get you into the mood of the season if the mini candy bars all over the place haven't done it yet.

Halloween Clash and Pumpkin Simulator for fall fun - Time Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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