strategy posts

Filed under: Fun, Productivity, Web services, web 2.0

RunPee.com tells you when it's safe to duck out of the theatre

by Lee Mathews May 22nd 2009

You're sitting comfortably in your plush chair at the multiplex, when suddenly you feel a twinge in the back of your neck. A quick glance down at your 136-ounce cola and you instantly realize that nature is calling, and it's urgent.

You don't have time to wait this time, but next time you can plan ahead for your restroom breaks with RunPee.com.

The site lists spots in the movie when it's safe to disappear for a minute or two. Better still, it will scramble the spoiler if you only want to know when to duck out and how long you've got. If you want to know what you missed, just unscramble the text upon your return.

There are also loads of additional features on RunPee, like reminders and the Pee Times - a bit of reading material you can print and enjoy whilst one your break.

Tags: movies, potty-break, strategy

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

Mine asteroids, defend your turf in Space Game - Time Waster

by Lee Mathews Feb 19th 2009

Space Game is a fun, addictive RTS where your goal is to extract minerals from asteroids while fending off attacks from nasty space pirates.

There's quite a bit of depth to this one compared some Time Wasters we've shared so I recommend reading up on keyboard shortcuts and enemy ship weaknesses.

Set up your network of mining and power equipment and build up defenses - you'll need them once the red alerts start. Basic lasers and missile launchers provide your firepower, just make sure you've got them strategically placed so you're ready for pirate attacks from any direction.

With nine missions and two addition play modes, you could easily blow the rest of your day playing Space Game. If you'd rather not be totally unproductive, the early levels set on slow speed are easy to play whilst tabbing back-and-forth to applications you use to get real work done.

Not that any of us would do that at work.

Tags: flash-game, mining, rts, space-game, strategy

Filed under: Business, Web services, Microsoft

Guy Kawasaki to speak online at the Microsoft Small Business Summit

by David Chartier Mar 12th 2007

Small business owners and hopefuls have a full schedule ahead of them next week, as the Microsoft Small Business Summit kicks off Monday with online and in-person sessions at Microsoft's Redmond, WA campus. Among the speaking lineup that includes Kevin Turner (Microsoft's own COO) is the venerable Guy Kawasaki, a venture capitalist, author on and evangelist of all things technology and small business that our own sister site TUAW had a chance to interview back in January.

This Small Business Summit appears to cover the gamut of topics on a small business' table, and we aren't just talking about which version of Vista is best for your garage full of Mountain Dew-infused employees. Guy's session is titled The Art of Innovation, while other speakers will cover everything from the importance of branding to whether you need a server and even how to build a solid marketing strategy.

If these topics haven't caught the attention of the small business owner in you, there has to be something else in the 5 days of sessions that can tickle your bottom line. Besides, every session, whether online or in person, is powered by the best word of all in the business world: free.

Tags: business, innovation, marketing, microsoft, small business summit, SmallBusinessSummit, strategy

Filed under: Fun, Games, Hardware, News, Windows, Macintosh, Windows Mobile, Apple, Microsoft

Microsoft Zune

by Ryan Carter Jul 24th 2006

By now you've probably heard about Zune, the new Microsoft iPod killer reportedly out later this year. Possibly you saw this on Engadget, or this on Microsoft-Watch, maybe somewhere else. But what does it all mean?

First, Microsoft is way behind the eight ball. Apple has such a lead in this market that, at this point, it really isn't funny anymore. This may be a classic "tortoise and the hare" story if Apple sits on their laurels and Microsoft comes up with a killer device. In my not so humble opinion, however, neither of these two things will happen. Microsoft's device may have some advantages to Apple's little white player, but there is no way that it will completely uproot the iPod Universe. Apple has done a good job of embedding the iPod into our popular culture, and it's clear that the company doesn't make a habit out of doing nothing. Apple's agile business strategy, led by some of the brightest minds of our time, is on the offensive.

Ultimately, it will be interesting to see what Apple shakes the grape vine with next. I am a little worried for Apple in the gaming department, since Apple isn't a major player at this point, and it's one place Microsoft has a clear advantage. What is going to help the next iPod stay ahead of Microsoft's Zune initiative?

Tags: apple, business, DRM, game, games, gaming, ipod, microsoft, music, service, strategy, zune

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Time-Wasters

Dicewars - Today's Time Waster

by Jordan Running Jul 14th 2006

I can't decide whether I love Dicewars or hate it, but either way I can't stop playing it. It's a simple-but-diabolical turn-based Flash strategy game. The game board looks reminiscent of some tabletop strategy games. You and your enemies are represented by colored dice occupying a territory. If you have more than one die occupying a territory, you may attack an adjacent territory. The winner of a roll of all the dice in your territory against the dice on your opponent's territory determines who wins the territory. If you attack and lose, all but one of your attacking dice are eliminated. If you win, all but one of the attacking dice will move to the newly-conquered territory. In this way, you can push your way across the map. Up to seven computer-controlled opponents play by the same rules against you, and they are cunning. The trick, of course, is to expand your forces without leaving territories vulnerable to attack. You may make as many attacks in a turn as you wish, and at the end of the turn a number of dice equal to opponents' dice you eliminated are added to your territories, so sometimes sitting back and fortifying is preferable to exhausting all available attacks. Dicewars is a much deeper game than it appears at first glance, and the element of chance makes it occasionally frustrating, but also extremely satisfying when you win.

[Thanks, Carl!]

Tags: dice, dicewars, flash, fun, game, strategy, turnbased

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Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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