Roll It: Waste an afternoon playing virtual Skeeball on your computer with Chrome Experiments

What’s that? You didn’t want to get anything productive done today? Well then, have I got just the thing for you.

As part of Chrome Experiments, Google has released Roll It, an interactive site that lets you play Skeeball using your computer and your smartphone. “Witchcraft!” you cry! But trust me, it’s exactly as cool as it sounds, and probably easier than you imagine to use.

All you have to do is visit the Roll It site on your computer (http://chrome.com/campaigns/rollit), and the mobile version on your smartphone (http://g.co/rollit), preferably using the Chrome browser in both, but it may work using other browsers, too. Sync your mobile device using the code given to you on the computer, and you’re ready to go.

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Using motions similar to bowling on the Nintendo Wii, you aim using your smartphone screen, and then throw the ball by pulling your smartphone back and then moving it forward, as if you were throwing a real Skeeball (note: do not throw your phone. This will not improve your shot). You can play with up to three people. Here’s what it looks like in action:

While the Chrome team certainly came up with a fun time-waster, the reason for developing Roll It goes beyond making a game. It’s a proof-of-concept for how well accelerometer information can be transmitted from the phone and used, Geek.com says. Chrome Experiments are a way for the Chrome team and developers to play with the functionality currently available on the web and test out how they can be used, even if it isn’t for practical applications.

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One of the better known Chrome Experiments is Racer, showcased at the Google I/O press conference earlier this month. In the demo, four players placed their Android devices on a table, synced them, and were able to race miniature cars around a track, like the electric slot car race tracks you probably played with as a kid.

And in March, there was this neat Chrome Experiment where users could add their own subtitles to silent films in real time:

To see what other experiments have been cooked up, check out the Chrome Experiments home page.

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