OStatic

Life can't be all work, all the time. You need to make room for some fun and games. When you're ready to kick back, kill some aliens, or riff on a guitar, here are some really fun open source video games to check out.

Hedgewars - In this game, you control an army of hedgehogs bent on destroying all the other hedgehogs in your opponent's army. They get around via parachutes, ropes, or UFOs and have a huge trove of weapons at their disposal to off the enemy. Each play is timed so you don't overthink your next move, so just get out there and blow 'em up.

If you use iTunes to manage your music, then you know it's handy but has a few significant limitations. Fortunately, the open source community has come to the rescue with some great little apps designed to make using and working with iTunes a little easier and less frustrating.

Firefly Media Server - Here's a great little tool for sharing MP3s across your network with any computer running Linux, Windows, or Mac OS X. It has support for dynamic or static playlists and a Web-based administration dashboard for easy access from anywhere. In addition to working with iTunes, Firefly Media Server also integrates with the Roku Soundbridge to play music right through your stereo system.

?In case you missed any of our roundups of free, open source applications, platforms and tools, here are some of our most popular collections:

10 Open Source Ways to Improve Your Online Video Mojo

6 Ways to Get Much More Out of GIMP

8 Free, Open Source Tools for a Better Digital Music Experience

Over 45 Free, Essential Open Source Resources

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Open Source Media Center Apps Are Growing Up

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OStatic's Firefox Superguide

Late last year I broke down and picked up Rock Band for the resident game console, a Nintendo Wii. From this statement, astute readers can safely make the assumption that neither I, nor other members of my household, are big into gaming. I am, however, better with balance boards and nunchuks than I am any musical instrument, be it a stylized controller or the real deal.

Given the humbling experience Rock Band (continues) to be for me, I wasn't exactly eager to try out the open source rhythm game, Frets on Fire. However, the open source aspect and the advantages that brings to the game's genre, the Guitar Hero-esque focus on one instrument, and the project being chosen as SourceForge's March Project of the Month, I figured my ego might benefit from a slight bruising.

My fingertips aren't raw, but this confirms I won't be joining a band, real or virtual, any time soon. Frets on Fire on an easy setting makes me long for the simplicity of kernel recompiles and the soft whir of a rebooting system.

Few things are more heartbreaking than the notion of children without access to healthcare. While no one denies that there's a tremendous need for better healthcare options for American children, the U.S. provides for emergency care, vaccinations, and other basic needs. Children in many other countries aren't so lucky.

IntraHealth International works with nations across the globe to provide the training and infrastructure communities need to solve public health issues within their own country. One initiative, IntraHealth OPEN focuses on using open source technologies in impoverished areas because of its accessibility, adaptability, and versatility.

IntraHealth OPEN recently announced the launch of the OPEN Remix project, an intriguing new partnership with artists in the recording industry that it hopes will help put the latest open source technologies directly in the hands of health workers in Africa.