First off, the long twisty path you create doesn’t have to start out by turning 90 degrees, zigzagging back and forth as tightly as possible. In this case you’re taking advantage of the fact that even the cheapest turrets will hit planes while still allowing you to wind a path back and forth later. Guns are so cheap, just think of it as the zerg rush of tower defense.

I love a good rant, especially when it’s well justified. The carriers want to rip you off. When it comes to paying for tethering on top of your data plan, Mike Elgan hits the nail on the head telling you how it is.

Get to the android market and download those apps. There’s some good stuff available right now. Games, utilities, launchers, etc. And if you buy something and you don’t like it, simply refund your money within the trial time period and you’ve lost nothing!

You put a quarter in at the top, and it falls onto a tray that pushes a pile of coins toward you. Any coins that fall off the front of the machine are yours to keep. Sometimes you’ll find other prizes interspersed among the coins.

If you like simcity-like urban management games, give My Country a spin. Here’s a few tips for those of you starting out…

When you carry a smartphone such as an iPhone or Android phone, you’re accepting the fact that you may be giving up a certain level of privacy. Most people are completely ignorant of this, and many others choose to ignore the whole situation. Data mining doesn’t just look at one data set in order to analyse a subject, it looks at a multitude of factors. Phones have turned from simple calling devices to full blown portable computers. The avenues of attack on privacy have increased exponentially.

An unlucky victim had her iphone erased by mistake. This was made possible because she had an application that allows her to sync with a Microsoft Exchange Server. Even though this was her own person phone, an Exchange admin was able to wipe out her data. Keep backups of your data, limit access controls, and be mindful anytime you install or update an application.

It’s in beta right now, and you’ll need to apply with your gmail account before you can use it, but it looks like a great learning tool that may lure many young minds into the world of software development. As the tools get more powerful in the future, the quality of apps created using Google App Inventor should grow.

The idea that you can take a picture in an emergency situation and have it instantly uploaded is handy. If you were attacked by a mugger or witness some type of assault or accident, the pictures are instantly backed up online. But what about privacy issues? Putting your media online creates the potential for problems that are outside of your control.

Is the recent acquisition of Bumptop going to make its way to Android in some shape or form anytime soon? This week is your last chance to pick up a copy of BumpTop, the 3-D Desktop for Mac and Windows.