Sunday, April 1, 2012

Google Maps 8-bit Quest Mode

Google Maps is exploring a brand new frontier with its next expansion: the Nintendo Entertainment System.

If you click on Quest it will turn Google Maps into an 8-bit, classic video game wonderland.

“Our engineering team in Japan understood the importance of maps on retro game systems,” writes Tatsuo Nomura, software engineer with Google Maps, at the application’s official blog. “With the power of Google’s immense data centers, and support from Nintendo and Square Enix, we were able to overcome the technical and design hurdles of developing 8-bit maps. Today, we’re excited to announce the result: a version of Google Maps for NES, with beautiful low-res graphics, simple and intuitive controls, and a timeless soundtrack.”

The maps pay homage to the classic NES role-playing game Dragon Warrior, which was known as Dragon Quest in Japan.

Users can even view landmarks in 8-bit form, including The Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument and Mount Rushmore. Fortunately, no Slimes were encountered during our journey.

Google has also posted a great video walkthrough on YouTube of the spoof application for NES, including troubleshooting tips such as “blowing on the cartridge.”

Testing

Equation Calculator & Solver -- Algebra.help


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Equation Calculator & Solver

Quick-Start Guide

When you enter an equation into the calculator, the calculator will begin by expanding (simplifying) the problem. Then it will attempt to solve the equation by using one or more of the following: addition, subtraction, division, taking the square root of each side, factoring, and completing the square.

Variables

Any lowercase letter may be used as a variable.

Exponents

Exponents are supported on variables using the ^ (caret) symbol. For example, to express x², enter x^2. Note: exponents must be positive integers, no negatives, decimals, or variables. Exponents may not currently be placed on numbers, brackets, or parentheses.

Parentheses and Brackets

Parentheses ( ) and brackets [ ] may be used to group terms as in a standard equation or expression.

Multiplication, Addition, and Subtraction

For addition and subtraction, use the standard + and - symbols respectively. For multiplication, use the * symbol. A * symbol is not necessiary when multiplying a number by a variable. For instance: 2 * x can also be entered as 2x. Similarly, 2 * (x + 5) can also be entered as 2(x + 5); 2x * (5) can be entered as 2x(5). The * is also optional when multiplying with parentheses, example: (x + 1)(x - 1).

Order of Operations

The calculator follows the standard order of operations taught by most algebra books - Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction. The only exception is that division is not currently supported; attempts to use the / symbol will result in an error.