Apple : Apple Arcade release date, price, games and everything you need to know |
- Apple Arcade release date, price, games and everything you need to know
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- Best indie games on PC and consoles 2019
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| Apple Arcade release date, price, games and everything you need to know Posted: 11 Oct 2019 01:56 PM PDT Apple shed more light on its Apple Arcade service during its iPhone 11 launch, revealing it will cost just $4.99 / AU$7.99 / AED 19.99 / £4.99 a month and come out September 19. After their big annual operating system updates, the gaming service is finally live on iPhones, iPads, Macbook computers and even Apple TV. It's Apple's take on the whole "Netflix-for-gaming" approach – tying gamers into a monthly subscription that gives them access to highly-polished video gaming adventures that aren't available anywhere else. Apple Arcade has a good heritage behind it – Apple was arguably the first company to take mobile gaming seriously and make it financially viable, and as a result it's now got the backing of some of the most important names in mobile game development. [Update: Apple Arcade has released several games since its launch, adding to the 60-plus initial lineup and keeping good on its promise to expand its catalog on a regular basis.] It's also great news for Mac owners, who have always played second fiddle to PC gamers when it comes to finding top-notch game experiences on their platform. Apple Arcade claims that soon after launch it will have 100 unique (read 'indie') titles of varying exclusivity to Apple's devices, including Beyond a Steel Sky, a sequel to the classic adventure game Beneath a Steel Sky, with art by Watchman comic book legend Neil Gibbons. In addition, the collection of games available is set to be curated by experts, will be updated monthly, and will include original releases from renowned creators Hironobu Sakaguchi, Ken Wong, Will Wright and more. We've rounded up everything we know so far about the Apple Arcade subscription service including the price, release date and how it will work. Cut to the chase
Apple Arcade FAQ: quick questions answeredWill Apple Arcade have a controller? Apple hasn't announced a specific Apple Arcade controller, however wireless support for PS4 DualShock 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One controllers is coming to tvOS, iPadOS and iOS 13 on September 19 - the date of Apple Arcade's launch - so you'll be able to pair the gamepads with these devices. In addition, some games with support MFi Bluetooth controllers. How much does Apple Arcade cost? Apple Arcade costs $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99 / AED 19.99 a month. This is automatically a Family Sharing plan, allowing for up to six family members to share the same subscription for just one monthly fee. You can try it for free for a month. What games are on Apple Arcade? The service launched with around 60 games, which Apple claims will expand to around 100 titles including Frogger in Toy Town, The Bradwell Conspiracy and Rayman Mini. You can check out the full list of confirmed games further down.
Ann Thai, marketing manager for the App Store, unveiling Apple Arcade on stage. Apple Arcade release dateApple confirmed during the iPhone 11 launch event that Apple Arcade will launch on September 19. The service will launch in 150, with 100 exclusive new games to be added in the in the weeks ahead. However, the service is already live for some iPhone users – if you're using the iOS 13 beta on iPhone, you may see Apple Arcade in the App Store. TechRadar was able to sign up for Apple Arcade and begin to download and play games. Apple Arcade priceApple Arcade is going to buck the trend for Apple's usual pricing strategies. While Apple Arcade will offer a monthly family subscription plan in the vein of Apple News Plus, Apple Music, and Apple TV Plus, it will only cost only $4.99 / AED 19.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99 per month rather than the $9.99 cost of its sibling platforms. In addition, you get one-month free trial. That may reflect on the size of the library at launch (even though Apple is promising over 100 games on release), or just be Apple trying to find a competitive foothold in a pretty packed market – with the likes of Xbox Games Pass and PS Now already out there, and Google Stadia on the way, even Apple Arcade could have trouble becoming established. In addition, Apple Arcade's automatic Family Sharing plan allows for up to six family members to share the same subscription for just one monthly fee. Apple Arcade trailersApple revealed the Apple Arcade service during an Apple special event on March 25, 2019. You can check out the first trailer for the service below: Apple Arcade controllersAny good gaming platform needs a great controller – but Apple Arcade is in a rather unique position of having to work across multiple hardware platforms and input devices – be that over a touchscreen for iPad and iPhone, a keyboard and mouse for Mac, and a remote for Apple TV. When it comes to gaming, nothing beats a gamepad. While Apple hasn't announced a specific Apple Arcade controller, wireless support for PS4 DualShock 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One controllers is coming to tvOS, iPadOS and iOS 13 on September 19 - the date of Apple Arcade's launch - so you'll be able to pair the gamepads with these devices. In addition, some games with support MFi Bluetooth controllers.
Apple Arcade featuresKonami and Capcom on board New Arcade tab in App Store No ads, no ad-tracking and no additional purchases Over 100+ games According to Apple, "no game service has ever launched as many games at once". Games available offline Family sharing What's Apple Arcade available on?
Image credit: Apple Private and secure Push for indies Apple isn't just handpicking the games Here's what Phil Schiller has to say... “We are working with some of the most innovative game developers in the world to create over 100 new and exclusive games to play across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. "Apple Arcade games will be great for families, respect user privacy and will not have ads or require any additional purchases. We think players of all ages are going to love Apple Arcade.”
Apple Arcade news and rumorsiPhone 11 launch A competitor on the horizon? This new challenger is the Google Play Pass, which Google has teased in a tweet via the Google Play Twitter account. The tweet doesn't tell us much, other than the fact "Play Pass is coming soon", but we've actually already heard some information. Leaked screenshots from a private Play Pass beta showed the service will cost $4.99 per month in the US, and provides ad-free access to a curated list of games, with all in-app purchases unlocked.
Apple Arcade gamesThese are all the games that have been officially confirmed for Apple Arcade:
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| Nationals vs Cardinals live stream: how to watch NLCS 2019 baseball online from anywhere Posted: 11 Oct 2019 01:49 PM PDT The 2019 baseball World Series beckons and one of the St Louis Cardinals or Washington Nationals will be there. The former has a storied history of going to baseball's big one, while the latter has never even been there! To see who will prevail in the NLCS, follow our guide to getting a Nationals vs Cardinals live stream - no matter were on Earth you are. Both the Cardinals and the Nationals needed the full five games to dispatch their opponents in their respective division series. The Cards were particularly emphatic in their deciding game, destroying the Atlanta Braves 13-1. The box score from that game shows an evenly shared out contribution from the offence, but they'll be relying on their dual Pauls - Goldschmidt and DeJong - to go big at the Busch Stadium and beyond. The men from the capital had to overcome last year's losing finalists the LA Dodgers to take their next step towards the franchise's first ever World Series. After falling behind twice in the series, Howie Kendrick's heroics (4 RBIs in Game 5) saw them through earlier in the week. Whether you’re crackers for the Cardinals, a Nationals nut or just a fan of baseball, we’ll show you how to watch every game in the 2019 NLCS series online from anywhere in the world without resorting to some dodgy feed you find on Reddit. Keep reading and we’ll guide you through all of the Nationals vs Cardinals live stream options to watch the baseball on your TV, computer and even on your mobile devices.
How to watch the NLCS online from outside your countryLiving in the US, UK or Canada and want to catch the Cardinals vs Nationals? Scroll further down the page and we'll explain how to watch a baseball live stream, whether or not you have cable. But if you can't watch because you're not in your home country and so your coverage is geo-blocked then we can suggest a clever alternative (and no, it doesn’t involve finding some dodgy feed on Reddit). Using a VPN - or Virtual Private Network - you can change the IP address to one in a different state or country which does have the stream so that you can watch the series from anywhere in the world. The process is very straightforward…
How to watch Washington Nationals vs St Louis Cardinals in the USIf you live in the US and have a cable subscription, then watching this series is a pretty straightforward process. TBS is the official broadcaster for the series in the US and the network will be showing all seven games. If you have a subscription to MLB.tv, you can also stream it on MLB.tv so long as you get an authentication code from one of the cable providers. If you don't have a subscription to MLB's streaming service, now would be a great time to consider getting on board as you can watch every World Series game and even get ready for the 2019 season with MLB.TV's Postseason package for just $24.99. Not a cable subscriber? Don’t worry as we’ll explain all of the other ways you can watch the baseball online down below.
- Discover our pick of all the US's best sports streaming sites
How to stream Cardinals vs Nationals live in the UKUK baseball fans will be able to watch this season’s games on BT Sport which is included in BT’s TV bundles. If you aren’t a BT Sport subscriber, you can sign up for the BT Sport app for £10 a month with the first three months free or subscribe via Sky TV or TalkTalk TV for £29.99 a month. If BT Sport’s monthly prices are too high for you, remember that MLB.TV is also available in the UK.
How to watch the NLCS in CanadaThere are a number of ways to watch MLB in Canada. Baseball fans with a cable subscription will be able to watch games on Sportsnet, TVA Sports, TSN and RDS. Don’t want to pay for a premium cable subscription just to watch baseball, don’t worry as MLB.TV is available in Canada (with no blackouts).
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| Mark Zuckerberg says cloud computing is too expensive Posted: 11 Oct 2019 11:14 AM PDT During a recent discussion about bio sequencing, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg questioned why cloud computing costs have become so expensive. He specifically called out Amazon's cloud computing service, AWS and suggested it might be a good idea to call up Jeff Bezos to discuss the issue further. Back in 2015, Zuckerberg and his wife Pricilla Chan founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub with the aim of using technology to advance research into health, social and scientific issues. During a live chat on Facebook, which was moderated by Zuckerberg, the research center's co-presidents Dr. Joseph DeRisi and Dr. Stephen Quake made the point that scientific progress is often impeded by the high costs of cloud computing services.
Zuckerberg explained that the Biohub's high AWS bill is often discussed in its meetings, saying: "In our bio board meetings, one of the things we talk about is the cost of the compute, and our AWS bill, for example, is one of the specific points. Let's call up Jeff and talk about this. It's interesting, the bottleneck for progress, in medical research at this point, a lot of the cost for it, is on compute and the data side and not strictly on the wet labs or how long it takes to turn around experiments." Medical researchThe Biohub receives billions of dollars in funding from Facebook but LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is also a big contributor. Other organizations and research labs around the world aren't so lucky when it comes to investment though and Dr. Quake explained that the high costs of cloud computing services are often a barrier that many are unable to overcome, saying: "This is no more apparent than in the developing world or low-income resource settings. The cost of the sequencing and the lab work has gotten to the point where you can do this almost anywhere in the world. It's gotten that cheap. The compute to be able to analyse that data is unfortunately not available to the vast majority of the people that do that. It's very often the case that you'll go to one of these low-income resource settings, they'll have a sequencer but its collecting dust because they can't compute. Even if they can access the cloud, they can't afford it." Governments may need to eventually convince cloud providers to lower their costs if live-saving advancements in medicine and research are to continue.
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| Best indie games on PC and consoles 2019 Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:15 AM PDT The best PC games with cash to splash are quickly evolving, but so are the best indie games you may have never heard of. One of the great things about our best indie games list is that most of these more obscure titles, unlike AAA game publishers, don’t try to squeeze you out of every penny every chance they get. Free from corporate influence and constant badgering for your money, the best indie games give players the pure artistic vision of the developers – most ideally experienced on one of the best gaming PCs. In fact, many of them are among the best Steam games you can download in 2019. But, make no mistake: just because the best indie games don’t make a lot of money, doesn’t mean they can’t keep up with the latest AAA hits in scope and ambition. In fact, the opposite is true. The best indie games can easily rival mainstream games in both quality and scope. And, since they don’t have to rely on tired tropes just to sell millions of copies, like their AAA counterparts, they’re essentially artistic masterpieces and offer a more unique experience. If you want to dive into the best indie games, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of all the best indie games on the PC market today, from in vogue indies like Return of the Obra Dinn and Outward, to classic titles like Braid and Dwarf Fortress. If you’re looking for the next great indie title, keep reading. And, don’t worry, we’re going to keep this list updated with all the latest and greatest indie hits. Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place. Michelle Rae Uy, Bill Thomas, Joe Osborne, Kane Fulton and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article It’s not out yet, with Double Fine promising it’ll be out ‘soonish,’ but Ooblets is already on our radar. Being developed by first-time studio Glumberland, and backed by Double Fine, the game is described as some kind of combo between Pokemon, Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, capturing our attention – and probably yours, too. The game combines an art style oddly reminiscent of post-apocalyptic sensation, Adventure Time, with gameplay that revolves around gathering creatures called ooblets in the town of, uh, Oob. In the game, you’ll be able to train and battle your ooblets against other ooblet trainers. At the same time, you’ll have to balance your ooblet training with the real-world responsibilities of being a farmer. That’s right; drawing influence from the likes of Stardew Valley, you can cultivate, produce and decorate your house with various trimmings as well. You’ll also be able to join an Ooblet Club comprised of friends (NPCs) you’ll meet along the way. If you don’t know what to do just yet, you can just walk around aimlessly to discover new shops and buildings that suit your interest. Better yet, you can open up your own shop to sell produce that you’ve grown yourself on the farm, as well as items that you’ve scavenged throughout the world. And, you can feed the leftover crops to your ooblets to watch them level up and learn new techniques to be used in the turn-based, RPG-style battles. Expected: ‘Soonish’ Who knew an untitled game about a goose could be so fun? A bit of surprise hit, Untitled Goose Game quickly went viral after its brand of avian nuisance-making was unveiled to the world. Set in a dopey village in the English countryside, you play as a goose tasked with terrorizing your human neighbours: stealing their crops, locking them in closets, and honking all the way through. Inspired by the stealth action series Hitman, but with its own charm, Untitled Goose Game is a must-play game in 2019. You'll zip through the game in a handful of hours, but it's very much work the journey. At first, Jonathan Blow's masterpiece appears to be a simple pastiche of Super Mario Bros, with a middle-aged curmudgeon replacing the titular plumber, but still seeking to rescue a princess. But, the longer you spend in the game, the more that’s revealed to you, progressing from a series of time-bending puzzles to quiet reflective texts. That doesn’t stop it from being the smartest puzzle game since SpaceChem, however. Blow himself has subtly hinted that the ultimate story may revolve around the atomic bomb. First released as PC freeware by Japanese designer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya in 2004 after five years of 100% solo development, Cave Story predates this recent indie renaissance by a few years. Because of that, it's often been omitted in indie gaming discussions. However, this classic more than deserves to be on every best-of list, and not only for its loving homage to the classic action platforming games of the Super Nintendo era. It also boasts awesome music and a breathlessly vibrant world, not to mention, the hugely intuitive controls as well as gobs of secrets and weapons that are simply too fun to use. If you've yet to enjoy this one, you need to put it at the top of your list already. From family-owned and operated Studio MDHR, Cuphead has resonated with millions of people around the world, many of whom normally wouldn’t touch a run-and-gun platformer with a ten-foot pole. While its gameplay was inspired by classic games such as Mega Man and Contra, most gamers will likely compare it to a Fleischer Studios cartoon like Betty Boop. Because Cuphead uses a hand-drawn art style similar to a 1930s animation, it’s been universally praised for its gorgeous visuals. Cuphead is more than just its stunning visuals, however. It’s a series of 19 challenging and engaging bosses, with platforming bits interspersed between them. It already made our list of the best indie games, but then Studio MDHR has announced that the Cuphead: the Delicious Last Course DLC, slated for 2019, will include a new isle to explore, new bosses to conquer and, most importantly, a new character to master. This dark and moody action-adventure stealth game by Asobo Studio is hauntingly beautiful, already making our best indie games list even though it’s only been released in May 2019. Set in the 1340s during the Black Death pandemic in the French countryside, you’re Amicia, a young noble girl whose parents were killed by the Inquisition. You must now traverse battlefields and villages with her brother Hugo to find a cure for his mysterious ailment. Along the way, you must scare away ravenous rats as well as stun (or kill) guards and hostile villagers with your sling and special ammunition supplies. Despite the ghastliness and rawness of the Middle Ages and the Plague, A Plague Tale: Innocence is a complete stunner and a game who almost never want to end. Among the hardcore gamers we know, Spelunky is the go-to drug. Even today, several years after its release, some of them still play it consistently, despite having completed it many times over. That's because this ostensibly rogue-like platformer with a definite end is tough, varied and highly randomized. It also has more dark secrets than a presidential candidate, which means that there are a number of ways to finish it, and its daily challenges are a sure-fire way to public humiliation. Does humor belong in video games? Well, if the Stanley Parable has its way, it’s a resounding ‘yes’. This game is hilarious without being dumbed down. Players follow (or don’t) a very British narrator who changes the world around you, based on your choices. No choice is punished, and every playthrough will be fresh with new humor and weird goings-on. In fact, being trapped in the closet in The Stanley Parable is more moving and funny than the majority of other games, indie and otherwise. If you missed out on this ironic gem back when it first launched, you’ll be happy to know that the developer announced the Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe edition for 2019, touting fresh content, more endings and a console release. This Ultra Deluxe edition actually sounds pretty tempting, even for us – and we played it a whole lot when it first came out.
It took more than nine years to make, but Owlboy is certainly worth the wait. Originally designed for PCs and released in late 2016, this clever indie game masterpiece is now available to experience on Mac and Linux as well – and there’s even a Nintendo Switch version! Owlboy revolves around a race of owl-human hybrid characters called, aptly enough, Owls. Of them, you control Otis, an Owl who is censured by his mentor for his inept flying skills. The story sees Otis’ village destroyed by pirates who have conflict with the Owls. As a result, Otis has to work with an assortment of villagers in-game to take out enemies. Of course, before the boss battles arise, you’ll need to manage allies accordingly, as each character comes with their own set of unique skill sets to use in conjunction with one another. If you’ve ever played and enjoyed a Kid Icarus game, this is one’s for you. If not, well… play it anyway. Similar to The Stanley Parable, Gone Home falls into the unofficially christened ‘walking simulator’ genre. Where it diverts from the clever and philosophical Stanley Parable, however, is its focus on life’s difficult realities, as opposed to light humor. After coming home to your childhood house following an overseas visit, you play as 21-year-old Kaitlin Greenbriar who is greeted by an empty house. While gameplay is limited to scavenging through notes to find out where your family is, the compelling story is extremely emotional and gripping, as long as you keep an open mind. After all this time, Gone Home still stands out as one of the best indie games out there. Only SpaceChem has mixed learning with entertainment as successfully as The Kerbal Space Program. The game is simple - design and build a spacecraft to take the cutesy Kerbals to the Mun and beyond. Its intelligent use of real physics, however, means that you'll find yourself following NASA as you’re building multi-stage rockets and space stations as well as exploring the Kerbal's strange universe on EVAs, before bringing your discoveries back for research on the Kerbal planet - that's if you can get off the ground at all. It's a huge, complex, challenging and fun game that manages to be super smart without being preachy. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is the exact opposite of something like Kerbal Space Program – it’s an action roguelike par excellence. You play as a young boy forced to kill his damned siblings, mother and possibly the Devil, using only tears that he shoots from his eyes, naturally. This indie games is matched only by the equally visceral Nuclear Throne. With dozens of weird items to collect, endless procedurally-generated levels and many secrets, the Binding of Isaac is a very dark take on the exploratory model established by Spelunky. Don’t let its pixel art graphics put you off – Undertale isn’t a game that would have fit on the Super Nintendo. That’s because, in Undertale, the decisions you make have a huge impact on how the game ends and, more importantly, how it continues in New Game Plus. While playing Undertale, you’ll realize just how much freedom the game gives you. Despite its highly inspired and very intense boss matches, you’ll make it through the entire nine or so hours of Undertale as a total pacifist, if you choose to. Plus, when you go through the game a second time, you’ll bear the weight of the consequences from your previous run. What’s even better is that Undertale is out now on the Nintendo Switch, so you can take this masterpiece of game design wherever you go. From developer Playdead, Inside is very much like its predecessor, Limbo, in some ways, only with an added layer of depth that often inspires wonder. This is mostly a result of the unspoken narrative, which revolves around yet another nameless boy. In Inside, the boy is running away from a group of men who – if you fail to stay out of their sights – will try to mercilessly kill you. It isn't quite clear why the boy is running from these men or why you should even care since you don't know who he is, so Inside will leave you begging for answers. The bleak, lifeless setting of Inside is more than worth the price of admission. Its minimalist art style alone is avant-garde enough to feel right at home in a museum. Factor in the fact that this game is both fun to play and dripping with curiosity, and you won’t doubt that Inside is one of the best indie games money can buy. Developed single-handedly by Eric Barone, Stardew Valley is a technical feat for that little fact alone. If you’ve ever played a Harvest Moon game, you’re already familiar with its premise – you may just not know it yet. Stardew Valley is an addictive farming simulator, which lets you interact with townees to the point where you can literally marry them. Stardew Valley isn’t just farming, however – it’s a whole bunch of other things at the same time. You can go fishing, you can cook, you can craft stuff. You can even go explore procedurally-generated caves to mine for items and even fight slime-monster-things. You should keep in mind that your health and energy are finite however, so you'll want to keep your character rested and fed to avoid suffering from exhaustion. Pass out, and you’ll lose a considerable amount of money and items you’ve worked hard to attain. Stardew Valley will have you playing for hours on end, for better or worse. (Definitely better.) From Canadian game developer Alec Holowka, creator of the award-winning Aquaria (also featured on this list), and independent artist/animator Scott Benson, Night in the Woods is an unconventional side-scrolling adventure game that revolves around a 20-year-old protagonist named Mae who drops out of college and moves back in with her parents. Featuring a story largely based around dialog choices and mini games that put a spin on mundane tasks, like carrying boxes up the stairs and eating perogies, Night in the Woods is a timeless coming-of-age tale. Not only will you experience middle class America through the eyes of a personified cat, but virtually every interaction in-game will have you laughing aloud. And now that it’s available on the Nintendo Switch, you can now take it wherever you go. If you’re a fan of the recent wave of games inspired by Dark Souls, you’ll absolutely love Hollow Knight. You take control of the Hollow Knight, and lead them through the deceptively adorable landscape to take on bosses and other difficult challenges. Much like Dark Souls, it’s not immediately clear what you’re actually supposed to be doing as the narrative is intentionally obtuse. The Dark Souls inspirations don’t end there, either. It also embraces Dark Souls’s ‘tough but fair’ philosophy, and the game is only as hard as you make it. In fact, you can overcome anything as long as you have patience and learn from your mistakes. Hollow Knight takes these lessons from Dark Souls and injects them into a MetroidVania, with all the side-scrolling and upgrades you could possibly want. You can even play it on the Nintendo Switch now. If you’re looking for a game that’s as unforgiving as it is fun, look no further than Dead Cells. It takes gameplay inspiration from so many places – from roguelikes to MetroidVania. There’s even a hint of Dark Souls in there, creating a unique action game that will test your limits and skills. Each time you play this game, it will feel new. And, while you’ll lose some progress each time you die – and you will die a lot – the game will become even more rewarding as the complex and fluid combat becomes second nature. In the final release of the game, you get access to over 90 weapons, skills and abilities that will let you tailor your gameplay however you want. Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged if you fail. Get up and try again, as Dead Cells will only reward you in the end, which is why it has our vote for one of the best indie games in 2019. These days, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an RPG that will really push you to your limits. Luckily, Outward, with its focus on survival and tough combat, is here to satisfy that need. There isn’t much in the way of story, but you’re placed in the middle of the world of Aurai, where you’ll struggle to survive. You’re not a hero, however, just the everyman trying to survive in a harsh world. In many ways, Outward is like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. There’s a heavy emphasis on exploration, but you aren’t given quest arrows or any kind of waypoint. You have to rely on your own ability to use a map, along with any directions that are given to you by quest NPCs. If you’re looking for an RPG game that will challenge you, this is one of the best indie games you’ll ever play. Dwarf Fortress is its own genre and its own industry. This is a game that has to generate the entire geography, mythology and history of its massive world before you set foot in it. It then tracks every single one of the dwarfs you're managing down to the hairs on their legs, and the particular horrible elephant murder that they’ve witnessed and are now carving on an ornamental chair. Your task is simple: to keep the dwarves alive as they carve out their subterranean kingdom. Though given that insanity, monsters and starvation plague them at every stage, it isn’t easy. Plus, dwarves, always, always mine too deep. Run. Jump. Die. Repeat. That’s basically the gameplay loop of Super Meat Boy, a fiendishly addictive 2D platformer that’s also bloody hard, with an emphasis on bloody. Gallons of blood is spilled as the game’s eponymous meaty hero leaps over deadly drops, spinning saws and walking chainsaws in a bid to rescue his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr Foetus. Obviously. With solid controls, lots of humor and vibrant graphics, Super Meat Boy leapt onto the PS4, Vita, and Nintendo Switch in style. It might not be Playdead’s most recent game, but Limbo is eternal. Five years after its release, and the game’s haunting storyline still has an effect on us. You play the Boy, a child with glowing eyes who is cast into Limbo to find his sister. Making your way through a bleak and dangerous world full of hostile silhouettes, giant spiders and deadly gravitational fields, you’ll need to think on your feet and perfectly time your movements, if you were to survive. Limbo is much more than a simple platformer: it's an experience, and one that will have you pondering the very essence of life by the time you finish. Deep, profound and absorbing, it's among the best indie games that everybody should take time out to play. If you're looking for a retro-inspired multiplayer archery combat game (aren't we all?), TowerFall: Ascension is the pick of the lot. Fast, frenetic and teeth-gnashingly hard in hardcore mode, the game's mechanics are simple: fire arrows at your enemies or jump on their heads to stay alive until the round ends. Arrows that don't hit are embedded in walls, making for tense scenarios when you have to traverse the map while dodging enemies to retrieve them. As such, practicing until you achieve Robin Hood-esque levels of accuracy is key. Ascension is best experienced with friends in local multiplayer mode, which is reminiscent of Super Smash Bros' most manic moments. It’s not often that a platformer is able to balance challenging and engaging gameplay with an emotional and thought-provoking narrative. Celeste, however, pulls it off, making it one of our best indie games picks. From the developers of Towerfall, Celeste follows the story of Madeline, a young girl who decides to face her mental health issues by climbing to the top of the mysterious Celeste Mountain. In doing so, she learns more not only about the mountain, but about herself as well throughout the process. An inevitable classic, Celeste integrates the obvious jump, air-dash and climb controls into a brutal series of platforming challenges in upwards of 700 unique screens. If that’s too easy, you’ll unlock B-side chapters along the way, designed for only the most intrepid of hardcore players. You don’t even have to worry about waiting an eternity between each respawn, as Celeste brings you back from the grave in an instant, a welcome departure from the typically extensive load screens. Have you ever wanted to land on an alien planet, and build a factory? Yes, it’s an unusual premise, but we promise that it works in Satisfactory. You’ll land on one of three planets of varying difficulty, where you’ll be tasked with building and automating a factory to exploit the world around you. The premise sounds bland, but being able to roam these beautiful worlds in first person while scavenging materials and fighting off hostile wildlife makes it all that more exciting. Plus, is there anything better than sitting back and admiring something you worked hard on? Satisfactory is in early access right now, and exclusive to the Epic Games Store, but if you can get past all that, you’re sure to get hours of wholesome simulation out of it. After the raging success that was the original Nidhogg, it’s a shame to see the superior sequel get thrown under the bus. Nevertheless, despite its controversial art style, Nidhogg 2 packs a refined, stunning look that the first version, a cult-classic, wouldn’t dare compete with, which is one of the reasons why it’s on our best indie games list. In still frames, we can see how this could get misconstrued, but fortunately, it’s the fun and addictive local multiplayer gameplay that makes Nidhogg, well, Nidhogg. And it’s all there in Nidhogg 2. Additionally, every time you respawn, you get one of four unique weapons that only bolster the challenge. Esteemed indie designer Jon Blow's follow up to Braid may look like a wholly different adventure, being 3D and all. However, the two are more thematically alike than you might think. The Witness, at its core, is another puzzle game that tells an absorbing story through said puzzles. This puzzler takes place in an almost equally impressionist – albeit heavily Myst-inspired – world, but it's story is far more nuanced and mysterious than Blow's earlier work. At almost every corner of this island that you've simply woken up on (or beneath), there is a clue as to how you got onto this island and why you're here. Don’t get us wrong, we liked Bastion. Still, we can’t deny that Transistor was SuperGiant Games’ best work to date – not to mention, one of the best indie games to hit the streets today. Much of that has to do with the combination of action-based and turn-based RPG elements contained within its cyberpunk futurescape. Likewise, in classic SuperGiant fashion, those mechanics are complemented with a stunning art style and a music score so stunning it’ll make you want to buy the soundtrack. Leaving key gameplay beats up to the player, the story isn’t so variable. Transistor’s main character, Red, is a renowned singer in the city of Cloudbank. However, she’s been attacked by a group of vicious robots who call themselves the Process, operated by another group called the Camerata. In her journey, she finds the Transistor, a mysterious sword with the voice of a man. Soon enough, she’ll learn more about him and how he will shake up her world. It’s weird to think that Oxenfree came out before the first season of Stranger Things, and yet, the two coincidentally have a lot in common. The 80s-inspired heavy synth music composed by scntfc, for one, highlights some truly gripping sci-fi horror revolving around – you guessed it – a group of teenagers stuck on an island. The story involves a handful of uniquely written characters, namely the main character Alex, along with her stoner friend Ren, her newfound stepbrother Jonas, her dead brother Michael’s ex-girlfriend Clarissa and her best friend Nona, with whom Ren happens to be in love with. The plot is explained through branching speech dialogues, kind of like Life is Strange or modern-day Telltale games, and it offers five different endings depending on your choices. Exploring a surreal wilderness seems to be the trend these days – and not just in real life. Developer Campo Santo's debut, Firewatch, only serves to keep it going in gaming. Set in the wilderness of 1989 Wyoming, you're playing Henry, a fire lookout that's all alone in the woods after exploring something strange in the distance. That is, except for your partner on the other line of a walkie-talkie: Delilah. She's your only point of contact as you explore the wilderness. Will you make it back alive? Will the decisions you make help or harm the relationship with your only lifeline to the outside world, your boss? But don't worry about those questions just yet – as with any adventure in the Great Outdoors, take some time to appreciate those forestscapes first! Rust is one of the more successful indie titles – not to mention, one of the best indie games – of recent times. By the end of 2015, it had sold more than 3 million copies. That’s not too shabby considering it wasn’t even finished — the game has been on Steam's Early Access scheme since being released in December 2013. It seems people can't get enough of the Day Z-inspired survival sim. It sees you use your wits and bearings to survive its harsh open world, with nothing but a rock… at least, in the beginning. After gathering the resources you need to build a house and weapons to fend off attackers (other online players, in other words), Rust progressively becomes more intense as you defend your growing base — or attempt to breach others'. Fans of the original Overcooked will not be disappointed by its second installment in the chaotic couch co-op series from British indie game developer Team17. This time around, your mission is to defeat the 'Un-Bread' (zombie baked goods) that have taken over the Onion Kingdom, by battling through brand new recipes including sushi, pizza and burgers in increasingly chaotic kitchens with up to three other people. To add to the frenetic fun, you must deal with obstacles including random fires, collapsing floors and interfering passers by, all while getting your orders out to the pass in time. Things get complicated incredibly quickly. Relationships, friendships and family bonds will be tested as you work together to complete your recipes on time. Overcooked 2 is a fun and challenging couch co-op game that will make you truly understand the meaning of "too many cooks spoil the broth” and is well-deserving of its spot in our best indie games list. The natural progression of survival games, SCUM takes what predecessors like Rust and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds both succeeded at, only better by iterating in impressive ways. It offers a unique twist, combining the frenetic gameplay of battle royale games with the slow, thoughtful tactical of a survival sim. SCUM, unlike other similar games, is very heavy on the simulation side of things, however. You shouldn’t expect to run in guns blazing, as you’re going to get tired quickly (just as you would if you tried running outside in person with a ton of stuff in your backpack). But, if heavy statistic systems is something your into, this might be one of the best indie games for you. It’s like spreadsheets with a physics engine. Just don’t go in expecting a polished experience, not for now. However, developer Croteam promises to add more features over time, and as they’re backed by Devolver, you can trust that the game is going to shape up into something great. Every so often, there’s a game that perfectly balances aesthetic, gameplay and narrative – where everything feels like it just fits like puzzle pieces. The best indie games always excel at this, and Return of the Obra Dinn is the epitome of that. A mystery taking place on a derelict ship, your mission is to figure out how the crew of this lost ship died, disappeared or worse. The entire game has this old-school visual styling that, combining it with the simple controls and gameplay technique that make it feel like a nostalgic sort of adventure. Right from the settings menu, you’ll get to choose what kind of monitor you’d like to emulate – we picked an old school Macintosh option – that should give you an idea of the type of retro revivalism on offer here. Critical thinking, exploration and a ton of reading is essential in Return of the Obra Dinn. If that all sounds appealing to you, and you’re happy with retro aesthetics, you will love this game. In fact, it’s one of the best indie games in a season marked with AAA decadence. If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent hundreds of hours playing Roller Coaster Tycoon during your childhood. These days, while there have been plenty of amusement park simulators over the last few years, they’ve never quite hit that spot. That is, until Parkitect. Parkitect might just be the closest we have to those early aughts park simulators currently, and we’re absolutely in love. From the cartoonish art style to the realistic simulation and Steam Workshop integration, Parkitect is one of the best indie games 2019 has to offer. For years, thatgamecompany has been behind some of the best indie games on the market, but most of them had been exclusive to PlayStation. One such game was Flower. Serving as a kind of a precursor to the beloved Journey, Flower puts you in command of a flower petal, surfing through the wind. You’ll activate different colors of flower beds to affect the environment, which will also get you different colored petals, until you have an entire trail of color surfing the wind. It’s an incredibly relaxing and creative experience, which also gives you an insight on the industrial world we all find ourselves living in. Trust us, give it a shot as it’s one of the best – not to mention, most legendary – indie games ever. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Email marketers prefer Gmail, Microsoft and Verizon as their webmail clients Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:08 AM PDT New research from the cloud-based digital marketing provider Mapp has revealed that Gmail, Microsoft and Verizon are the most popular webmail clients used to open emails and newsletters in both the US and Europe. The firm analyzed over 170m emails and campaign mails from customers around the world to compile its Mapp Global Provider Report 2019 which showed that Gmail is the leading webmailer in the UK, US and Europe. The results of the report show that the big international players also dominated in the UK with Gmail (33%), Microsoft (23%), and Verizon (18%) taking the top spots followed by Virgin Media (6%), BT Internet (5%) and Apple (4%).
Things are a little different in the US where Gmail has an even bigger stake of the market at 50.1 percent followed by Verizon at 22.6 percent and Microsoft at 12.4 percent. Comcast (2%), Apple (1.6%) and AT&T (1.1%) also made it into the top six but were not nearly as popular. Homegrown ISPsMapp found that the situation in Europe is quite different than in the US or UK as homegrown ISPs are the most popular. For example, in Germany and France, domestic providers which operate primarily on a national level have significant market shares. In Germany, 1&1 Mail & Media leads with GMX and WEB.DE (39.9%), followed by Gmail (15.3%) and T-Online (11.9%) while in France, Orange (17.8%) ranks third behind Gmail (26.9%) and Microsoft (25.9%). According to Mapp, Gmail and Microsoft have become quite influential in determining the latest inbox trends. This means that sector initiatives such as AMP for email, Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), domain-based message authentication and reporting and conformance (DMARC) all strongly depend on the extent to which major ISPs and webmailers support and promote them. Mapp's CEO, Steve Warren provided further insight on the report's findings, saying: “The study shows that Gmail leads both in the UK and across Europe and the US. At the same time, however, it also reveals that there are significant differences in the services used in some European markets. Our Provider Report underscores the fact that international companies cannot only concentrate on a few providers but should also consider the specific circumstances of each country. Those who neglect this, risk their deliverability – and thus their revenue, to a certain extent.”
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| Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus è lo smartphone dell'anno per TechRadar Posted: 11 Oct 2019 10:00 AM PDT TechRadar ha dichiarato il Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus 'Smartphone dell'anno' alla cerimonia del Mobile Choice Consumer Awards 2019 di Londra. Lo smartphone top di Samsung ha così battuto una concorrenza agguerrita formata dai migliori modelli di Google, Huawei, Apple e OnePlus. I TechRadar Mobile Choice Consumer Awards prendono in considerazioni i migliori dispositivi hardware degli ultimi dodici mesi. I premi vengono attribuiti dai 34.000 lettori che hanno votato insieme a una giuria di esperti del settore e di giornalisti. Chi ha vinto di più?Samsung non ha vinto solo il premio di miglior smartphone ma anche quello di 'Miglior produttore di smartphone' e 'Miglior indossabile' per il Samsung Galaxy Watch. Il premio di 'Miglior Smartphone di fascia media' per i modelli da 250 a 600 euro è andato a Google Pixel 3a e Pixel 3a XL. Huawei ha invece avuto il riconoscimento di 'Miglior smartphone economico' (sotto i 250 euro) per Huawei P Smart 2019 e quello di 'Miglior Camera Phone' per Huawei P30 Pro. Apple ha invece vinto il premio come 'Miglior Gaming Phone' per iPhone XS Max e 'Miglior Assistenza' per Apple Care. Amazon ha vinto come 'Miglior store Online ' e 'Miglior accessorio per Smart Home ' con il Amazon Echo Dot Sky ha invece vinto come 'Miglior TV Provider' I premi sono stati consegnati al Cafe De Paris a Londra con la presenza dei rappresentanti dei principali produttori IT. Gareth Beavis, Editor in Chief di TechRadar e presentatore della serata ha dichiarato: "Venire al Cafe de Paris è stata una mossa brillante, vista l'accoglienza". This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best pet cameras: smart cameras to keep an eye on your furry friends Posted: 11 Oct 2019 09:56 AM PDT There’s no doubt about it: we love our pets, and many of us would do anything to look after our companions, whether you have a tabby, a golden retriever, a goldfish, or a boa constrictor. Pet cameras, though a relatively recent addition to the smart security camera market, are a great way to do this when we’re away from home, helping us to keep a watchful eye over our furry friends from the office, the gym, or on vacation. Not only do the best pet cameras let you watch your pet in real time on your smartphone or tablet, but many also feature nifty extras, like treat dispensers, remote toys, and two-way audio – so you can interact with your pet away from home. Choosing the right pet camera for your home, budget, and your pet can be tricky – that’s why we’ve put together this handy guide to the best pet cameras you can buy in 2019. Best pet cameras 2019 at a glance
The Petcube Bites 2 is the ultimate pet camera for anyone who wants to interact with their furry friend, as well as keep an eye on them. It’s undoubtedly pricey, but its impressive spec list and smooth operation makes it an attractive proposition for any animal lover. With a sleek, modern design, the Petcube Bites 2 lets you watch your pet live in 1080p HD video, which you can be zoomed in on up to four times via the PetCube app. The built-in camera gives you a 160-degree view of your room. You can either save videos and photos to your phone for free, or sign up to Petcube Care for the ability to watch up to 90 days of video history, all saved securely on the Cloud. Subscriptions start at $3.99 (around £3 / AU$5.80). Built-in sensors mean that you get alerts any time the Petcube detects movement or noise, so you’ll be the first to know if your dog is barking at an intruder or your cat is meowing for her dinner. Two-way audio is available via the app, so your pet can hear your voice via the PetCube’s built-in speaker, while a four-microphone array lets you hear everything your pup gets up to. Perhaps most exciting, is the addition of a treat dispenser that allows you to fling treats to your pet by swiping your finger in the app – you can control the amount of treats as well as the distance, making feeding a fun game for your pet (as well as yourself). If you want to stick to a regular feeding schedule, you can also set the PetCube Bites 2 to Autoplay mode. For smart home enthusiasts, there’s Alexa built-in, which means you can ask the camera to fling treats and even reorder more supplies, without the need for a separate Amazon Echo speaker.
The Petcube Play 2 is a great solution for cat owners, as it comes with a built-in laser toy that you can control through the Petcube app – all you have to do is swipe your finger to control where the laser points, letting you play with your cat while you’re away from home. Worried you’ll forget to play with your kitty? You can set the laser to autoplay, while motion and sound sensors will alert you anytime your cat needs attention. While it’s smaller than the PetCube Bites 2, the PetCube Play 2 has all the same smart features, including 1080p HD video, a 160-degree view, two-way audio, and Alexa built-in.
It may be called the Furbo Dog Camera, but this smart pet cam could be used for your cats too. It’s the most stylish camera on the list, with a sleek white body and wooden lid, with built-in LEDs that indicate its connectivity status. Like the Petcube models, the Furbo Dog Camera boasts HD video and gives you a 160-degree view of your room; the camera feed does have a slight lag, but it’s only a matter of seconds behind real-time. It also has night-vision, allowing you to see your pet in the dark – handy if you’re leaving your pet at home for a night out. The treat dispenser works in a similar way to the Petcube Bites 2, allowing you to fling treats towards your pet by swiping your finger in the Furbo app. Two-way audio lets you speak to your pets while out and about, while real-time barking alerts send notification to your smartphone or tablet any time the camera detects the sound of barking. There’s no smart home integration here, and you won’t find built-in support for voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, but this is still a feature-packed pet camera that should suit any dog owner looking for a stylish solution.
The Hive View is the latest camera from the smart home manufacturer behind the well-regarded range of heating control kits – and while it’s not exclusively marketed as a pet camera, it’s flexible design makes it ideal for keeping an eye on your best friend. Made in collaboration with designer Yves Béhar, the Hive View is one of the few security cameras we’ve ever seen that actually looks stylish, coming as it does in a choice of ‘champagne gold’ or black and ‘brushed copper’ finishes. Thankfully, as much effort has gone into the substance as the style, and the Hive View comes with some really cool features. Most notable is its detachable head, which allows you to temporarily move the camera – with its HD 180-degree field of vision – to anywhere you’d like in the house for as long as the on-board battery lasts, which is about an hour. The Hive View works as a standalone unit and with the wider Hive ecosystem, so if you’ve already got the Hive thermostat and sensors everything will work seamlessly together in the same app. Read our full review: Hive View
It may not be purely designed for watching your pets, but the intelligently-designed Nest Cam IQ’s ability to differentiate between humans and animals means it can double up as both a pet cam and an indoor security camera. Not only can it notify you if there’s movement in your home, but it can even identify if unfamiliar people should you ever have an intruder. The Nest Cam IQ also has the best image quality of any of the cameras we’ve tested, shooting in 4K and HDR (high dynamic range). The main drawback with the Nest Cam IQ is its price. Not only is it fairly expensive to start with, to use its full range of functions you’ll have to purchase a subscription to Nest Aware. But if you want the best quality, and are prepared to shell out for it, the Nest Cam IQ is probably the camera for you. Read our full Nest Cam IQ review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Using the Sega Dreamcast in 2019 Posted: 11 Oct 2019 09:54 AM PDT Cast your mind back to the year 1999. Ricky Martin was Livin La Vida Loca and the millennium was just around the corner. 1999 also gave birth to one of the most beloved and short-lived videogame consoles in history, the Sega Dreamcast, with its release acting as a bitter-sweet endeavor for Sega as a hardware developer. 20 years later and the Sega Dreamcast is still held in high regard by fans and retro enthusiasts alike, due to its innovative features and iconic library of games. So, for those of you who want to keep the dream alive, there's a lot to consider when it comes to what Sega's final console has to offer in 2019 - which starts with getting the little white box up and running. Finding the console of your dreams
You might be wondering where you'd even find a Dreamcast console in 2019, since they've been discontinued since 2001. Well, one might be closer to you than you think, with many people finding their original hardware stuffed into dusty boxes in attics or basements. If, however, you didn't have a Dreamcast back in the day or got rid of it, there are plenty of ways to obtain one using your hard-earned cash. When it comes to the second-hand market, eBay is where most people gravitate to first. Unfortunately, retro gaming hardware is extremely hard to find on the electronic marketplace at a low price, with Dreamcast prices averaging out at around $60 (£50/AU$90). That being said, it's worth keeping your eye on the ball when it comes to eBay, as clever bidding tactics can go a long way in achieving a bargain. Brick and mortar shops such as CEX in the UK and Gamestop in the US also price their stock at around this price, with the difference being the bonus of a warranty. If you're feeling especially thrifty, then your best bet is to put some graft into good old fashioned charity shopping, which means you can contribute to a good cause while feeding your money to the nostalgia monster. Hooking up the dream machine
For those of you who checked out our previous guide to playing the best retro games, you may be aware of the caveats involved when using retro consoles today. While some consoles can be extremely difficult to get working with modern TV's and monitors, the Dreamcast offers various solutions that stand the technological test of time. Out of the box, the Dreamcast comes armed with a standard composite cable (red, white and yellow phono connectors) which can easily be plugged into displays from the time. This type of cable offers a quick and easy way to get things up and running, with the main drawback being the muddy picture quality of a composite video signal. If your TV has a traditional scart socket, there are various cables available that will provide you with a high-quality video signal. These scart cables range from cheap and cheerful generic cables priced at around $10, to higher quality products from the likes of retrogamingcables.co.uk, starting at around $43 (£35/AU$63) - ouch.
Depending on how new your TV is, you might find that traditional sockets are completely absent, which is becoming the norm to make new displays slimmer. If this is the case then fear not, as third party companies such as Pound Technology offer cables that add HDMI functionality to the Dreamcast. Pound's HD Link cable enables the console to be simply connected to modern displays via an HDMI port, with no additional hardware required. The cable retails for around $29.99, making it far from the cheapest available option. Users may also experience incompatibility with certain Dreamcast games, which is due to the fact they don't support the high resolution the cable uses. The last method of connecting Sega's mighty little box up to a display is by using a VGA box, which essentially uses a classic VGA PC style of video connector. This is a great way to get a crystal clear image from the Dreamcast by using a traditional PC monitor set up, with many displays still featuring the interface. Just like its HDMI counterpart, however, it will also be subject to the same incompatibility issues with certain games. Speaking of games, let's move on to the most important part of the Dreamcast experience. A library to stand the test of time
The Dreamcast may have only been around for a mere two years, but it managed to build itself one of the most impressive gaming libraries in history. From innovative fighting games like Powerstone to beloved action-adventures like Shenmue, the Dreamcast's repertoire is one that gamers still crave to this very day. As retro gaming is becoming more and more expensive as time goes by, concerns over how much these legendary titles might cost are completely understandable. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can try to obtain the best of the Dreamcast library, but at a much cheaper price. As innovative as the Dreamcast may be, there's one thing Sega dropped the ball with when it comes to the console's design - region protection. This means that the Dreamcast can be easily manipulated to play any region by simply using a disk with specific software. If you're lucky, you'll occasionally find these disks paired with second-hand games on eBay, with the option of making your own by following a tutorial online.
You might still be wondering why you'd want to play games from outside of your region, especially when it comes to language barriers. Well, like most things in life, it boils down to money, with certain games being drastically cheaper than their counterparts in a different country. Of course, Japanese releases are usually always cheaper than their western equivalents, mainly due to the language and hassle of getting them working. Yet, it's worth mentioning that language issues don't actually apply to a huge chunk of the Dreamcast library and are negated by the cost savings. Take Street Fighter: Third Strike as an example, with a UK copy of the game costing upwards of £70, while its Japanese variant only costs around £20. This a huge saving to make considering fighting games aren't affected by the language difference. Coincidentally, titles like the Resident Evil games on the Dreamcast don't even use the Japanese language, despite being the Japanese versions, meaning it's possible to obtain the same game, while still saving money. A huge part of the fun of the 2019 Dreamcast experience is exploring titles that you might never have played back upon their release. The console's short lifespan meant that many gamers completely missed out on the Dreamcast experience, with various titles such as Sonic Adventure and Jet Set Radio only being known of due to their various re-releases. To add insult to injury, many gamers missed out on one of the most diverse hardware experiences in videogame history, with whole genres being born out of specific peripherals. Fishing rods, lightguns and maracas
One of the most lovable things about the Dreamcast is its ridiculous amount of peripherals, many of which offer a truly unique gaming experience. Look at even the likes of the VMU memory card - a tiny Gameboy-esque device that could display game-specific content on its microdisplay, with it even going as far as to function as a cyber-pet when used with games like Sonic Adventure. Having such a high tech memory card isn't the only mind-blowing innovation Sega had in its arsenal at the time - the Dreamcast was also one of the first consoles to feature proper online gaming. Sure, we're not talking Xbox Live levels of internet connectivity, but there was certainly a solid online experience for gamers to enjoy, especially considering it was still the early 2000's. Titles such as Phantasy Star Online act as monumental examples of how Sega pioneered the art of online gaming, progressing it past the simplicity of previous multiplayer experiences.
Everything seems far from mundane when it comes to the Dreamcast, with even the likes of the Dreamcast's Keyboard offering an unexpectedly better experience over a lightgun, with parody games such as Typing of the Dead, which has players blast zombies with the power of frantic spelling. Even the tranquil experience of fishing becomes an exhilarating arcade experience when using the likes of the Fishing Rod controller and a copy of Sega Bass Fishing. It would be a crime to talk about Dreamcast peripherals and not mention the legendary Samba de Amigo and its marvellous maracas, which are objectively the single best thing anyone could bring to a party. Samba de Amigo is a shining example of how the Dreamcast was able to bring almost any arcade experience into the home, which is something that consoles before and after didn't quite manage to achieve. In many ways, the Dreamcast is the dream console for anyone who wants to venture into the unknown of gaming. There's guaranteed to be something that will surprise and please even the most seasoned of gamers, especially now that gaming has moved on from many of the values that the Dreamcast posses. Nevertheless, if you have even the slightest interest in older videogame formats, your path is in no doubt going to cross with the Dreamcast, forever proving itself as one of the most unique pieces of videogame hardware ever.
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| iTunes for Windows exploit bypassed antivirus to deliver ransomware Posted: 11 Oct 2019 09:47 AM PDT A zero-day vulnerability in Apple’s iTunes (and iCloud) software for Windows PCs was leveraged by malicious parties to install ransomware on those machines, while bypassing any antivirus apps. This security hole – and subsequent particularly nasty attack – has now been patched following its disclosure to Apple by security company Morphisec. The exploit in question relied on an “unquoted path vulnerability” which isn’t often seen, Morphisec observes, although it has been found in high-profile software before now, including the Intel Management Engine and ExpressVPN (the latter as recently as July).
As the name suggests, this vulnerability is caused by a programmer assigning a variable with a path, but failing to surround that path with quotes. This particular security flaw is present in the Apple Software Update utility which is bundled with iTunes and iCloud, and used to deliver updates. Danger remainsThe danger of this exploit was heightened by the fact that when iTunes is uninstalled, Apple Software Update remains on the PC, and needs to be removed separately – but many folks don’t realise this, so were still vulnerable to this exploit even though they’d previously ditched iTunes. Morphisec noted: “We were surprised by the results of an investigation that showed Apple Software Update is installed on a large number of computers across different enterprises.” Needless to say, if you’re running iTunes or iCloud on Windows, you should ensure that you’ve updated the applications (the fix is applied in iTunes 12.10.1 for Windows and iCloud for Windows 7.14). Apple has, of course, shut down iTunes on the Mac, but the app lives on in Windows. Worryingly, as Ars Technica reports, Morphisec further observed that it found more vulnerabilities which have been reported to Apple, but the company hasn’t fixed them yet. Apple has only resolved this particular exploit thus far. Morphisec previously pinned the blame for this exploit on the Bonjour updater, but in an update today, noted the following: “During revalidation of the exploit, and as we continue to work with Apple on further vulnerabilities that have yet to be patched or announced, we observed that the abused vulnerability relates specifically to an Apple Software Update component that is not associated with Bonjour.”
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| Czech Republic vs England live stream: how to watch Euro 2020 qualifier football online Posted: 11 Oct 2019 09:29 AM PDT Currently sitting pretty at the top of group A, Gareth Southgate’s England side go into tonight's match against the Czech Republic six points clear of their opponents who currently sit in second place. This evening's match is free-to-air in the UK - although you'll need to keep scrolling to see how to live stream Czech Republic vs England wherever you are in the world. Having won 5-0 when the two sides met at Wembley earlier this year, a win tonight for the Three Lions would confirm their place in Euro 2020 next summer. England have a number of notable absentees going into the game with senior internationals such as Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Kyle Walker and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all left out of his squad. Meanwhile, Premier League stars Fabian Delph, John Stones and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all miss out through injury. England have been in free-scoring form throughout the qualifiers having hit the back of the net 19 times, but they have shown a tendency to leak the occasional goal at the back. While the Czech Republic have enjoyed wins in three of their four group matches since the heavy loss in London, the task ahead of Jaroslav Silhavy's side tonight is best illustrate by a single stat - the Czechs have never beaten England once in an international fixture. Read out guide below to find out how to watch a live stream of Czech Republic vs England Euro 2020 qualifying football from almost anywhere in the world.
How to live stream Czech Republic vs England from outside your countryIf you're in the UK, US or Australia today, then your viewing options are set out in simple black-and-white below. But it's not so straightforward if you try and watch the game from abroad, as you'll likely be faced with a very unhelpful geo-block.
How to stream the England game live in the UK
Live stream Czech Republic vs England in the US for FREE
How to live stream Czech Republic vs England in Australia
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| New law will give telcos easier access to apartment blocks Posted: 11 Oct 2019 09:20 AM PDT The government is introducing a new law that will make it easier for broadband operators to install and upgrade connections in blocks of flats. Under the present system, providers have to request permission to access the building to do their work, however 40 per cent of all applications receive no response. The only other course of action is to go through the courts, which can be a time consuming and expensive process. A cheaper and faster process will now be introduced in instances where landlords have failed to respond to a request for access. The timeframe would be reduced from months to just weeks.
Gigabit broadbandOperators have frequently complained about the situation and now the government, eager to ensure the vast majority of the UK has access to ultrafast broadband, has taken action. “We’re now making sure people living in blocks of flats and apartments are not left behind and can reap the huge benefits of the fastest and most resilient internet connections,” said Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan. The current government target for switching off the UK’s copper network is 2033, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants this brought forward to 2025. The industry has said such an ambitious goal isn’t out of the question – but only if regulations are favourable and government financial support is present. The government believes that up to 80 per cent of the country will be covered by commercial deployments from BT and others, but wants industry to go further. Some have placed the total cost of extending coverage nationwide – including rural areas – at £30 billion. A package of £5 billion was unveiled by the government earlier this month, but the industry wants more to be done, arguing red tape and other restrictions are limiting the capacity to invest. Making it easier to access properties is step in the right direction. It is claimed an extra 3,000 buildings will be connected to gigabit speeds a year as a result of the new legislation. “This new law is something Virgin Media has long called for – it breaks through a major broadband barrier as we invest to bring gigabit speeds to our entire, ever-growing network,” said Lutz Schüler, CEO of Virgin Media. “Giving broadband builders clear and efficient access rights will mean the many forgotten flats across the country can get the next-generation connectivity they deserve.”
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| Best premium WordPress themes of 2019 Posted: 11 Oct 2019 09:06 AM PDT While there are thousands of free WordPress themes available, these are mostly suitable for hobbyists and small-time websites. Whether you are a food lover looking to monetize your passion or a business owner who wants to raise your company's profile, WordPress can help. In this guide, you’ll discover five premium WordPress themes suitable for a wide range of professional users. By paying a few dollars, you’ll benefit from extra features such as displaying pictures in a slideshow or ecommerce compatibility.
X X is a paid WordPress theme suitable for all types of websites. The theme comes with four categories of built-in demos. Each of these themes cover a wide variety of potential projects. This means that no matter what you have in mind, X more than likely has a design suited to your needs. X comes with Cornerstone, one of the most popular WordPress web page builders. The drag and drop feature is easy to use. Users are able to see exactly what their page will look like live as they are building. This enables users to change and edit while building their site. There are a huge number of customization options, with which users can build a unique webpage. X comes with a feature called ‘the customizer’. This is a handy tool as many premium themes come with their own theme options page that are not entirely compatible with WordPress. ‘The Customizer’ is highly intuitive. It integrates seamlessly with WordPress. It will help you to customize the look and feel of your website. There is also Dynamic Content, which comes in handy when building out content throughout your site. The regular license for X is $39 (£31) which includes future updates and 6 months customer support. Users can opt to extend support to 12-months for an additional $10.13 (£8).
Divi Divi is a multi-purpose theme. It has website options for most users and is highly customizable. The theme comes with WooCommerce functionality. The drag and drop feature allows users to include pricing tables, video sliders, tabs and videos. A rating module is also available. Users can access a variety of pre-built layouts. These range from creating a sales page, multiple blog layouts and a variety of portfolio types. Divi is one of the few WordPress themes to include a front-end page builder tool with point and click editing. This gives users instant feedback on any editing that takes place. Users can upload logos, choose a new color palette, decide how many posts are displayed on a page and setup social media integrations amongst others. Newer users will find Divi particularly simple to use as you don’t need any coding skill or any former experience building websites. The user-friendly interface makes this process seamless. You can also optimize any page element to your liking with various CSS options. Divi allows you to use multiple rows, columns and content elements. All layouts are fully responsive. The theme comes with an impressive array of content elements which include audio player, bar counter, blog, number counter, shop, testimonial and contact form amongst others. Divi can also be translated into more than 30 languages such as Chinese, Arabic, Czech, Russian and Spanish. Users can try a demo version of Divi for free. Users can also purchase a one-year subscription to all of Elegant Themes’ products for $89 (£67.69). There is also a Lifetime option for $249 (£187.4).
Uncode Uncode is a multi-purpose theme suitable for most users. The theme offers users a huge variety of website demos. These include classic, portfolio, blog and ecommerce layouts. Uncode’s images are fully adaptive so that they adjust automatically to whatever screen size they are being viewed on. Users can edit their demos through the WPBakery Page Builder Plugin. They can also access to the handy drag and drop content editor. Uncode is compatible with most third-party plugins. The themes large media library makes it easier for users to embed any type of media to your WordPress site. Uncode has over 6 different menu types with advanced options. These include top right, justify, left, center, overlay, offcanvas and lateral. The theme is WPML certified and offers RTL (Right to Left) support. The premium themes included are VC Page Builder, VC Clipboard, VC Particles, LayerSlider, Slider Revolution and iLightBox. In the recent update, new features are available like animated headlines and highlighting effects, among other things. You can purchase for $59 (£44.87) and includes future updates and 6 months support. If you want to extend support to 12 months, an additional $17.63 (£13.3) is needed. Some online commentators have expressed frustration over difficulties with customization.
The Core The Core is a multi-purpose theme which requires no coding skills. The theme has been built on the Unyson network to aid with customization. Users have access to the fully featured page builder. This allows you to edit the demos that are included or create new layouts to suit your needs. The Core theme includes demo content install. Users can choose from three different sliders: Slider Revolution, Layers Slider and its own custom-built slider. The theme is retina ready and fully responsive. Users can edit the colors of their theme using simple color pickers. The Core is also fully compatible with the WooCommerce plugin. Users have access to Google’s free collection of fonts. You can also choose to use the sticky header to ensure your menu bar always remains visible no matter how far down you scroll. The Core is translation ready and is compatible with WPML. Support is available through live chat 24/7 or email. There are also over 100 support articles. Users can purchase the theme for $49 (£37.26). Online commentators have lamented the lack of a front-end page builder.
Foodie Pro Foodie Pro helps users to create a beautiful blog based around all sorts of culinary delights. It is created by the Genesis Framework. This means your website will have a solid combination of this Framework along with WordPress. The theme comes with a huge amount of typography and color options. Users can build their site using up to 3 homepage and 5 site wide widget areas. These can be customized to fit around your brand. The theme allows users to upload their own logo with one click. There is also full support for text-based logos. Foodie Pro’s ‘Theme Customizer’ allows users to customize the theme’s settings, colors and backgrounds images. The ‘Foodie Pro Theme’ can be purchased for $129.95 (£98.85) for one year. This includes the Genesis Framework, Foodie Pro Theme, instant access, unlimited updates, supports, sites and access to detailed tutorials. If this is not enough, users can avail of the ‘Pro Plus Membership’ for $499.95 (£380.22). This includes all the ‘Foodie Pro Theme’ has to offer plus access to every theme the company makes including future themes. Top Image Credit: The Core
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| The best gaming PC 2019: 10 of the top gaming desktops you can buy Posted: 11 Oct 2019 09:06 AM PDT Whatever games occupy your wishlist, investing in the best gaming PC you can afford is crucial. Getting one of the best gaming PCs as your main machine not only helps take your gaming experience to a new level, but also gives you many years of use. It might even win you a multiplayer games or two. With exciting new titles out there and on the way, like Doom Eternal and the Outer Worlds, it’s even more critical than ever to get one of the best gaming PCs that are equipped with the latest and greatest components. Now that Nvidia’s Super RTX graphic cards as well as AMD’s Navi cards and Ryzen 3rd generation chips are making their presence and power known in the computing world, there are even more options for you, regardless of whether you want to splurge or save. And, it doesn’t matter whether you favor Intel, AMD or Nvidia as most PC manufacturers will let you personalize and choose the best processors and best graphics card for your preferences and budget anyway. To help you out, we assembled the best gaming PCs available, all of which we tested and reviewed ourselves. From popular manufacturers like Alienware to more exotic brands like Origin, this list covers a wide gamut of use cases. These are the best gaming PCs money can buy right now. You'll definitely find one to match your gaming needs and budget. Luckily, with Black Friday rapidly approaching all the deals will coalesce right here. Best gaming PCs at a glance
The Corsair One has been among the best gaming PCs ever since it came on the scene a few years ago. The Corsair One has been among the best gaming PCs ever since it came on the scene a few years ago, and the Corsair One i160 only takes things to the next level with Nvidia Turing graphics and Intel Coffee Lake Refresh processors. This gaming PC can handle 4K gaming in a chassis that’s not much bigger than your average gaming console. It’s pricey – that much power kind of has to be – yet it’s certainly worth it if you’re looking for a small form factor machine without compromises. Read the full review: Corsair One i160
There's definitely something for everybody as far as HP Omen Desktop PC's configurations go. While the Decepticon look this gaming PC sports might only be for some, there’s definitely something for everybody as far as configurations go – whether you’re a casual gamer on a budget or a hardcore one willing to drop a lot of dough for a souped up rig. At less than $1,500 (about £1,180, AU$2,170), you’re getting more than enough power to get you through AAA games, albeit probably not on Ultra. At $2,335 (about £1,835, AU$3,235) or more, you’re getting a considerable amount of power and storage. Plus, HP Omen Desktop PC comes in a tool-less design, making it upgradeable. There isn’t any doubt that this one belongs on our best gaming PCs list. Read the full review: HP Omen Desktop PC
The Alienware Aurora R8 is a stunning gaming machine that gives you the latest and greatest inside. The Alienware Aurora R8 can cost a pretty penny, especially if you’re getting one of the souped up configurations. But this stunner of a gaming machine gives you the latest and greatest inside, delivering an excellent and immersive gaming experience in a cool-looking chassis with appealing RGB lighting. If you’re more than a casual gamer who needs a setup that can tackle 1440p and even a bit of 4K gaming, this is one of the best gaming PCs on the market today.
If you're looking for the best gaming PC under $1,000, the Intel Hades Canyon NUC may just be your dream machine. If you’re looking for the best gaming PC under $1,000, the Intel Hades Canyon NUC may just be your dream machine. This teeny gaming PC isn’t just cost-effective, but space-saving as well. In fact, it resembles a set-top box more than a gaming PC. Don’t let its size fool you, however – it houses all the power that the best gaming laptops should to handle the best laptop games, with an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and discrete AMD Radeon graphics. You’ll have to provide your own RAM, storage and your own OS, but if you have extra PC hardware lying around, there are still plenty of savings to be had. Read the full review: Intel Hades Canyon NUC
This rectangular monster is definitely worthy of its moniker as it boasts lots of power. This rectangular monster is definitely worthy of its moniker as it boasts lots of power… more than enough, in fact, for most gamers’ needs. When you’ve the funds for an upper-tier configuration, you’ll get a behemoth. Unfortunately, budget minded buyers will have to be satisfied with gameplay at medium settings, since the lower end models don’t pack the same firepower. Still, because of its high upgradability and tool-less design, such buyers are only an upgrade or two from the best gaming experience on Ultra or Max settings either. Plus, we’ve honestly seen more expensive machines for those specs. Read the full review: HP Omen Obelisk review
Because of its svelte design and flexible specs, you'll love the Origin Millennium. When you grab a new machine from Origin, it’s almost like you’ve built it yourself. But, you do have to be acquainted with PC components to decide for yourself what goes into the rig and how much money you’re willing to spend. So, our only real criticism of the Origin Millennium is that you can put together a similar gaming PC yourself and save hundreds of dollars. On the other hand, because of its svelte design and flexible specs – not to mention, the convenience, we bet you won’t even want to. Read the full review: Origin Millennium
The Area 51 Threadripper Edition pushes the boundaries of both technology and your bank account. In true Alienware fashion, the Area 51 Threadripper Edition pushes the boundaries of both technology and your bank account. It’s extremely powerful, distinctly boasting the latest AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X across all of its configurations. The Area 51’s triad-design hasn’t altered much since its release back in 2014, but the inside of this desktop is basically tool-less to upgrade, not that you would even need to consider it’s already one of the best gaming PCs of 2019. Read the full review: Alienware Area 51 Threadripper Edition
The small MSI Trident X PC doesn't pull any punches. It was only a matter of time before the best gaming PCs started rolling out with the newest Coffee Lake Refresh and Nvidia Turing parts, and the MSI Trident X was the one to lead the charge. This small chassis PC doesn’t pull any punches, and will absolutely demolish any game you throw at it, at any resolution. Just remember that the thin metal build is a little flimsy for travel, and its price tag is a bit hefty. However, if you’re seeking no-holds-barred power that will fit right in your living room, you can’t do much better than this. Read the full review: MSI Trident
The Corsair Vengeance 5185 will, without a doubt, get you back in the game. True to its name, the Corsair Vengeance 5185 will, without a doubt, get you back in the game, if your existing PC has been holding you back. This highly-customizable gaming PC is among the best gaming PCs out there with its powerful components, massive storage space and an effective cooling system that keeps that heat down. A fan of RGB lighting? This has no shortage of that, all wrapped in a tempered glass chassis that’s just the ticket for showing those innards off.
The Dell G5 boasts 9th-generation Intel chips as well as Nvidia's most powerful gaming GTX and RTX graphics cards. A unique chassis coupled with a price to beat, Dell’s latest in its G series gaming PCs is a solid contender in budget gaming. The Dell G5 boasts 9th-generation Intel chips as well as Nvidia’s most powerful gaming GTX and RTX graphics cards, starting with an i3 processor and the GTX 1650 to handle many powerful games without burning a whole in your pocket. Of course, if you’ve got more case to spare, it’s VR ready configurations are also on hand, though even those are absolutely affordable. Welcome to TechRadar's PC Gaming Week 2019. We're celebrating the most powerful gaming platform on Earth with in-depth articles, exclusive interviews and essential buying guides that showcase everything PC gaming has to offer. Visit our PC Gaming Week 2019 page to see all our coverage in one place. Bill Thomas, Gabe Carey and Michelle Rae Uy have also contributed to this article This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Get a Norton AntiVirus Plus annual membership for only $19.99 your first year Posted: 11 Oct 2019 09:00 AM PDT Future Publishing earns commissions from Norton LifeLock from buying links on this page.
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| Best e-commerce WordPress themes of 2019 Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:56 AM PDT WordPress is far more than a simple platform for blogging enthusiasts. Many WordPress themes are devoted to e-commerce, meaning that if you want to monetize your skills and/or start a small business, you can set up a payment processing site with little or no coding knowledge. Not all e-commerce platforms are created equal, though. Some may require advanced technical skills, or they might not display well on tablets and smartphones. In this guide, we’ve rounded up five of the very best e-commerce WordPress themes. These all represent a good balance between value for money and useful features such as being able to display product slideshows. Each of these themes also has a free demo, so feel free to test drive them before you buy.
Shopkeeper Shopkeeper is a user-friendly WordPress e-commerce platform. The homepage consists mainly of one large slider, designed to catch the eye of any potential clients. This is part of the Slider Revolution plugin which is included. Various optional plugins like "Shopkeeper Portfolio Addon" can also be installed. The theme integrates completely with WooCommerce, and translation is supported with the WPML plugin. Shopkeeper is Retina-ready and fully responsive, making it perfect to view on both tablets and smartphones as well as your desktop computer. The theme is easily customizable. Users do not need knowledge of complex codes in order to use it. There are a huge array of pre-built layouts to suit your needs, but failing this, users can create their own layout from scratch. Users can also upload their own logo, change fonts and colors. Visual Slider and Revolution Slider plugins are included with the Shopkeeper theme; these cost around $26 (£19.5) each. Shopkeeper itself sells at $69 (£52) for a regular license. Users can upgrade to 12-months support for a further $21.38 (£16). Some online commentators have noted that the huge amount of customizable settings contained within Shopkeeper can be overwhelming for newer users.
Bazar Shop Bazar Shop is a slightly more complex e-commerce platform. To be precise, it’s a multi-purpose theme which offers a variety of ways in which to build your website. The theme is fully responsive making it perfect to view on platforms other than a desktop PC. Users can choose from several different sliders and there are no restrictions to the number of sliders you can have on your page. There are two custom checkout pages to choose from. The ‘zoom’ effect is included in these so there is no need to bother with a third-party plugin. Users can also add multiple images of a product, similar to what you see on eBay and Amazon. The homepage includes social media sharing, email subscription forms, featured products and contact information. Bazar Shop has over 300 ready-to-use shortcodes, which are perfect for users who do not have any coding knowledge. Users can utilize the option panel to change layouts, edit headers and footers, create a sitemap, change the colors, turn on responsive, and customize blog pages. Bazar Shop costs $64 (£49) for a regular license and includes 6-months of support. Users can upgrade to 12-months support for a further $19.5 (£14.65). Online commentators have noted that it is inconvenient to be forced to pay for support after the initial half-year period.
Divi Divi is a multi-purpose theme featuring website options to cater for most users, plus it’s highly customizable. The theme comes with WooCommerce functionality. The drag and drop feature allows users to include pricing tables, video sliders, tabs and videos. A rating module is also available. Users can access a variety of pre-built layouts. These include creating a sales page, multiple blog layouts and a variety of portfolio types. Divi is one of the few WordPress themes to include a frontend page builder tool with point and click editing. This gives users instant feedback on any editing that takes place. Users can upload logos, choose a new color palette, decide how many posts are displayed on a page, set up social media integrations and more. Newer users will find Divi particularly handy as you don’t need any coding skills or any former experience building websites. The user-friendly interface makes the whole process seamless. Furthermore, with various CSS transform options, users can offset the position of any page element with ease. Divi allows you to use multiple rows, columns and content elements. All layouts are fully responsive. The theme comes with an impressive array of content elements which include an audio player, bar counter, blog, number counter, shop, testimonial and contact form amongst others. Divi can also be translated into more than 30 languages such as Chinese, Arabic, Czech, Russian and Spanish to name but a few. Users can try a demo version of Divi for free, and there’s the option to purchase a one-year subscription to all of Elegant Themes’ products for $89 (£68) or $249(£187) for a Lifetime access.
Halena Halena is the perfect choice for users with a minimalist philosophy, as its design is clean and simple, meaning that any web page you build will load almost immediately. Users can employ the custom-built product quick view mode to get a better view of their items, and the AJAX filtering tool makes inventory searches simple. Halena comes with a large variety of pre-built layouts. These include options for product display, shopping cart, checkout and customer accounts. The theme also includes WPBakery Page Builder, a drag and drop content editor. This can be used to customize templates as well as creating unique web pages. The Builder also come with its own selection of templates. Halena costs $49 (£36.8) for a regular license which includes 6-months of support, future updates and quality checks. Users can extend support for a further 12-months for $13.88 (£10.4).
Artemis Artemis is aimed at those wanting a stylish and classy look for their website. It’s a multi-purpose WordPress WooCommerce theme which includes a variety of online shop demos. All the demos are laid out on the Artemis homepage, making it easier for users to find the right one for them. Designs are easily imported onto your WordPress site. Artemis comes with Visual Composer included – a drag and drop page builder plugin which will save you time when building your site. Slider Revolution is also part of Artemis. Users have a large variety of number options to choose from, and even novice users will have no trouble creating their perfect website. The whole theme is built around WooCommerce. Users can choose to have a full width shop or add left or right sidebars to their web page. Artemis is fully responsive, making it perfect for viewing on tablets and smartphones. A regular license costs $59 (£45) with 6-months support and future updates included. Users can upgrade to 12-months support for a further $17.63 (£13.32). Many online commentators have praised the customer support provided. Top image credit: Donald Trung (Wikimedia Commons) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best free games 2019: the top free games to download on PC Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:32 AM PDT The best free games offer you the perfect escape from the stresses of your day-to-day, perhaps after nine long hours of work. And, that’s without you needing to spend a dime. Everyone loves free stuff, and that’s no different when it comes to the best PC games or even co-op PC games. The great news is that there’s a plethora of entertaining free games available right now on PC to choose from and play in your spare time or when you need to take a break. Since free-to-play games are a huge hit, you should be able to download the best free games that hit the streets in 2019 from Steam, GOG and even (brace yourself) EA’s Origin client. You can even get a few premium indie titles for zilch once every few weeks through the Epic Games Store app. From free-to-play Battle Royale games like Fortnite to online CCGs like Hearthstone, the best free games cover a wide range of genres and styles. We’ve put the most popular titles through their paces, and handpicked the best free games 2019 has on offer so you can try them on for size. If you're looking for the best PC games, check out our list of the best laptop games instead. Linux, Windows or Mac - which one is best for you? Watch our guide video below: Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article This extensive, immersive multiplayer role-playing game hailing from South Korea is among the most anticipated games to be launched in the West, fingers-crossed. Lost Ark delivers graphics that are an absolute stunner, an action-centric MMORPG game set in a gorgeous, unbelievably detailed world that you can explore, go on quests and even meet-and-greet other players. Sadly, it’s still not officially available in the Western market. On the upside, the CEO of Smilegate has already voiced the company’s interest in bringing it to the US, Canada and Europe. In fact, rumor has it that the South Korean developer might follow through this year, though when exactly this year, we have yet to find out. When it does, it would make it one of the best free games 2019 has to offer… at least, if it does happen. Things are looking promising though, as the beta is now available in Russia. Release date: Hopefully sometime in 2019 1. Fortnite Battle RoyaleThe Battle Royale is huge right now, and Epic Games has refined it to perfection with Fortnite Battle Royale. Originally designed as a kind of add-on for Fortnite, Battle Royale blew up in a way that nobody expected, fast becoming among the best free games 2019 has to offer. Fortnite Battle Royale is entirely based on a simple scenario: you’re dropped in a map with 99 other players in a free-for-all melee, and the last one left standing at the end wins. Because of its meteoric success, Epic Games is working hard to steadily integrate new game modes and fresh features. Take Playground mode, for example – it drops you in the map and lets you build up structures for a set amount of time before the floodgates open and the carnage begins. What’s particularly cool is that with Fortnite, you can actually play with your friends, regardless of which platform they’re on. Whether you’re on PC, Xbox One, iOS, Android or PS4, you’ll be able to match up against millions of other players from all these different platforms.
Dota 2 holds its own as one of the best free games of 2019. (Image Credit: Valve) 2. Dota 2The Dota universe may have evolved from a WarCraft 3 mod, but Dota 2 is very much its own entity, and holds its own as one of the best free games of 2019. This top-down arena battler is very dynamic, drawing in multimillion-dollar prize funds for serious tournament players. Yet, it’s not just for the most hardcore gamers. A brief tutorial now shows you how to play, with the Steam Community offering guides to the original MOBA. Don't expect a warm welcome or an easy learning curve from its complex gameplay mechanics. However, bring a few friends, and Dota 2 will have you hooked on one of the biggest crazes in PC history. 3. Planetside 2Two years prior to Destiny, we had Planetside 2, an all-out, epic first-person battle that’s so unbelievable, you’ll want to pinch yourself each time you boot it up just to remind yourself that a game this incredible is completely free. There are in-game purchases, naturally. However, you can still dive into the largest battlefield in gaming and still have a remarkable time with your starter equipment. There's simply nothing as thrilling as taking part in a mass assault on an enemy base and coming out on top, or existing in a world where an enemy convoy might materialize on the horizon at any second. Planetside 2 is proof that 'free' doesn't mean prosaic.
Path of Exile takes its time, more than your standard multiplayer game. (Image Credit: Grinding Gear Games) 4. Path of ExilePath of Exile is a free dungeon crawler that might remind you of Diablo III, and it’s rather different than most of the best free games available in 2019. It’s not just about fragging real-life people until they scream at you in shrill pubescent tones through their Skype headsets. Path of Exile takes its time, more than your standard multiplayer game. But, give it a chance, and you’ll find yourself obsessed. There are hidden mechanics and features to discover after playing for hours, as well as a huge skill tree to slowly progress through. It really is the best free game for former Diablo addicts. Even basic loot can be of use since there's always the possibility to enhance even the simplest weapon with magic. If you’re bored with the grind of Diablo III, it's a good one to check out. 5. League of LegendsPick your champion and charge into battle in this trailblazing free-to-play title from the folks that brought you the Warcraft III mod, Dota. League of Legends’ automated matchmaking, sundry cast of characters and exquisite maps have made it a multiplayer behemoth over these last few years, and one of the best free games 2019 has that will absolutely stand the test of time. It’s an aggressive gameplay experience to be sure, but one that rewards great teamwork and careful tactics. There is a bit of a learning curve as well, but you’ll be taken on a thrilling ride shortly after pressing play. Like Dota 2, League of Legends attracts many high-end players, and the top tournaments offer prize pools of over $1 million. The wacky world of esports, eh?
As a typical Blizzard offering, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft's truly impressive. Image Credit: Activision-Blizzard 6. Hearthstone: Heroes of WarcraftEver played Magic the Gathering? Hearthstone is Blizzard’s attempt at building an online version of it, for free. As a typical Blizzard offering, this one’s truly impressive. It’s instantly enticing, lacking the terrifying learning curve you would expect from an online fantasy card game. Hearthstone plays fast, has a very casual visual approach and benefits from a basic rule set, all of which add up to a very accessible card battler that offers you plenty of fun – especially if you’re a World of WarCraft fan. Not that it's not challenging as well, especially if you go against an opponent that plays their cards right, which is why it gets our vote for one of the best free games to date. 7. Star Wars: The Old RepublicTaking the Star Wars MMORPG mantle after Star Wars Galaxies ended its run (may it rest in peace), Star Wars: The Old Republic was not intended to be free at release. However, it has since, like so many MMORPGs before it, adopted the free to play model. If you want to satisfy your inner Sith, this is the best way to do that for free. Subscriptions are on hand for more in-game potential and end-game content, but in true best free games fashion, all the story missions are still accessible for free – it just might take a bit longer now. It’s worth your time just to experience the Star Wars universe from different sets of eyes, like the hyper-professional Imperial Agent and Bounty Hunter. If you want to go with the dull option and just have a generic Jedi Knight, though – you can totally do that as well.
Forza Motorsport 6 Apex consistently looks and feels incredible. (Image Credit: Microsoft) 8. Forza Motorsport 6 ApexWhen Xbox head Phil Spencer said he was going to bring the console's best franchises to the PC, he wasn't joking. Among these notable games is Forza Motorsport. Forza Motorsport 6 Apex in particular brought a complete Forza Motorsport game to PC gamers for the first time – before Forza Horizon 3 arrived in 2016. It’s not quite the full-fledged experience you get from full entries to the series. However, Forza Motorsport 6 Apex is the best free game that we could have asked for from Microsoft’s long-standing racing series. Shunned by petrol-heads and embraced by gamers, Forza Motorsport may seem like an arcade-y offshoot of its biggest rival on PlayStation, but it consistently looks and feels incredible, which is reason enough to add it to our best free games 2019 list. 9. DauntlessDauntless is a household name at this point, after becoming an overnight success on PC, thanks to Monster Hunter World. It offers a remarkably similar experience that’s free and easier on your PC. Drifting away from the clear environmentalist focus of Monster Hunter: World, where you’re trying to preserve the habitats, Dauntless simplifies things a little, just tasking you with slaying behemoths to protect a human colony. The gameplay itself is much more straightforward as well, free of some of the more obtuse gameplay systems that you either love or hate in the Monster Hunter series. The core DNA of the series, however, is there – hunt monsters, craft gear, hunt more monsters, making it one of the best free games to have right now.
World of Tanks is a different kind of MMO. (Image Credit: Wargaming) 10. World of TanksWorld of Tanks is a different kind of MMO, as you may have already guessed from the title. Team-based, massively multiplayer action with a wide array of war machines to drive into battle awaits, with new players able to jump into the fray right away. The upgrade system lets you personalize, while being surrounded by an entire army at all times to remind you that loners won’t make it on the battlefield. But be forewarned: get sucked in, and you may find yourself spending a hefty sum on great big chunks of virtual metal. Some premium tanks go for just a few dollars, while others require a bit more coin. You can see where maker Wargaming is earning some money from World of Tanks enthusiasts. Still, this doesn’t stop it from being one of the best free games right now. 11. Heroes of the StormIt was only a matter of time before Blizzard joined the fray in the MoBA phenomenon, and with Heroes of the Storm, we’re only left asking: what took it so long? It’s an astonishingly approachable esports title, sitting somewhere between League of Legends and DOTA 2 in terms of complexity, but with the added bonus of playing characters you know and love. You read that right: the roster is made up entirely of Blizzard characters from across its library of classic games. If you’ve ever wondered who would win in a fight between Thrall and Kerrigan, Heroes of the Storm can show you how that fight plays out on the battlefield. Blizzard knocked it out of the park here, making it one of the best free games that keeps getting better by the day.
Everquest is back with a vengeance. (Image Credit: Daybreak) 12. EverquestIts future was briefly in question after the sale of Sony's online entertainment division in February 2015, but Everquest is back with a vengeance, swaggering with new expansion packs and continued support by Daybreak Game Company. That’s one of the many reasons why it’s made our best free games 2019 list. The first of its kind to commercially succeed with a 3D game engine, Everquest was released in 1999 as an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) and has since been documented as one of the most important games in the medium's history. Featuring steadily released expansion packs (quite massive in scale, at least early on) with vast new areas, races and classes, Everquest brings to the table just about everything you could want or need from an MMO. Plus, it's notably better at handling co-op than its alternatives. 13. RiftInitially hailed as the game that would finally depose World of Warcraft, Rift had its moment – and is still going strong depending on who you ask. It brought innovation to a genre that was evolving very slowly, letting you change your class whenever the urge compelled you. The whole game is focused on separating giant boss battles and events that inhabit entire zones. It’s ambitious, thrilling, and monumental with dozens of interdimensional rifts that keeps things exciting and unique from other MMOs. And, even after Rift went free to play, Trion has stayed on top of things, bringing out regular expansions for everyone to enjoy. Plus, you can ride a landshark.
Runescape is one of the largest free-to-play MMOs available. (Image Credit: Jagex) 14. RunescapeRunescape is one of the largest free-to-play MMOs available, and now is a good time for a deeper look. In 2013, it entered its third reboot – this is actually 'Runescape 3', although just jumping in now, you may not even realize that it has been around in one form or another for more than 10 years. Despite the overhaul, it's definitely not the sparkliest MMO in the world, but hanging onto this many players shows it's doing something right. The big change introduced in Runescape 3 that made it appear a lot more updated was the ability to see much further. In Runescape 2, the horizon quickly gave way to fog… not so now. You can download the game for free or run it in your browser using Java, making it much more convenient than most other online role-players of this enormous scale. 15. MaplestoryIf you’ve grown tired of the dark fantasy aesthetic of most MMORPGs, you’ll love Maplestory’s creative and inspired flair. Described by Nexon as the original 2D side-scrolling MMO, Maplestory takes the classic Dungeons and Dragons-inspired genre, and makes it kawaii. The lighter tone and customization of Maplestory makes it feel more like Harvest Moon than World of Warcraft or Rift. And, it has more emphasis on improving aesthetics than many other MMOs, letting players a lot more personalization over how their characters look. Maplestory even has in-game weddings and dinosaurs that play guitar. Really, the only thing missing from Maplestory is an Oasis-inspired soundtrack.
Warframe is better looking than your usual free-to-play shooter. (Image Credit: Digital Extremes) 16. WarframeIf you're into third-person co-operative shooters, Warframe may be one of the best free games available. Players take control of members of the Tenno, an ancient race warring against enemies such as the Grineer, the Corpus, the Infested and the Sentients. Your Tenno soldier uses a Crysis-style Warframe armor equipped with guns or melee weapons to fight back. Better looking than your usual free-to-play shooter, there’s a lot of fun to be had in Warframe's player-vs-enemy raids – so much so that some gamers see it as, "The Destiny that never was.” High praise all around. 17. SmiteGods from every pantheon come together in Smite to duke it out in a free Dota/MOBA inspired clash. Even though Smite is pretty overt with its influences – it comes from the same developer that brought us the FPS smash Tribes Ascend, it’s still a completely different beast. The camera is behind the characters this time, which lets you a more direct connection to the action than simply ordering your lord around with a mouse. However, the idea will either be familiar if you've played its inspirations, or a way to get a feel for the style, if you haven't. Gods include Zeus, Thor, Kali, Artemis and... Cupid? Well, at least he has his own bow…
Lord of the Rings Online is one of those titles that most deserves another look. (Image Credit: Turbine) 18. Lord of the Rings OnlineThere are so many MMOs that have been released or re-released as free-to-play games. However, Lord of the Rings Online is one of those titles that most deserves another look. It’s already an incredible game in its own right, but it’s also one of the more mature MMOs on the market. Ultimately, you’ll have to pay to unlock adventure packs. However, there’s no subscription fee and no up-front cost, making it one of the best free games 2019 wants you to check out. If you missed it at launch, or even if you quit playing since then, it’s time to give it another chance. 19. The Awesome Adventures of Captain SpiritLife is Strange and its sequel are one of the best modern adventure games on PC. Lucky for us, there’s now a free way to experience this spectacular series. Unveiled back at E3 2018, the Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit puts you in the shoes of 9-year-old Chris as he, and his alter ego, Captain Spirit, go on a grand adventure. It’s a free-to-play single player adventure game without any kind of monetization – simply a nice prelude into Life is Strange 2. Just don’t go in anticipating the longest gameplay experience in the world, as you’ll likely finish it in just a couple of hours. That still doesn’t stop it from being one of the best free games, however.
Eve Online is unlike any game in its category due to the vast range of activities. (Image Credit: CCP Games) 20. Eve OnlineIn 2003, Icelandic developer CCP Games unleashed Eve Online, an immersive and in-depth “sci-fi experience” that would ultimately grab the attention of well over 500,000 players. Eve Online is unlike any game in its category due to the vast range of activities to participate in as well as its (appropriately) out of this world in-game economy. Unfortunately, the Eve Online player base has been shrinking since 2013. It shouldn’t be surprising that as time goes on, fewer and fewer gamers are interested in paying a subscription fee for a glorified space sim with a steep learning curve. However, since the Ascension Update, released back in November 2016, Eve Online has gone free to play – at least to some extent. The new ‘alpha clones’ system featured in Eve Online is like the “unlimited free trial” feature in World of Warcraft. You can still engage with other players in piracy, manufacturing, trading, mining, exploration and combat, but there are limitations such as certain skills that are off limits. If you don’t want to limit your access to some of the game’s most lumbering ships, you can always opt for the Omega subscription. Otherwise, the game won’t cost a penny, which is why it makes for one of the best free games to grace the gaming world. 21. Apex LegendsTo say that Battle Royale games are popular in 2019 would be a massive understatement. However, the level of success that Apex Legends has reached so quickly after launch speaks volumes. It’s certainly earned its spot on this list as one of the best free games. Not only is the game itself incredible, bringing unique mechanics from the awesome Titanfall games to a Battle Royale, but the game itself has reached over a stunning 25 million players after a week. Apex Legends places 60 players in the middle of a gigantic map, armed with a bunch of unique abilities that make both combat and traversal awfully addicting. It’s not exactly the chaos of 100 player battle royale titles like Fortnite or PUBG, but it feels balanced. If somehow you haven’t joined the Apex Legends bandwagon yet, you’re sorely missing out.
Hawken is a game about mechs, fast mechs. (Image Credit: 505 Games) 22. HawkenHawken is a game about mechs. Not just any mechs, but fast mechs. These aren’t your average slow, lumbering tanks of MechWarrior Online. These are more in line with the Exoskeletons of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Of course, being a free-to-play game, expect to spend some money for upgrades to your starter mech. However, economic players can still get a taste for Hawken without spending a dime. Plus, attach an Oculus Rift, and you can see first-hand what VR games have in store for you. Admit it, you've always wanted to know what it feels like to power a mech for yourself since Pacific Rim came out. 23. Evolve Stage 2After disappearing from the face of the Earth following its release then eventually being dropped from Steam, Turtle Rock re-released Evolve back into beta a year and a half later. It was then that Evolve was revealed as a free-to-play experience. It was even given a new name: Evolve Stage 2, and now it’s one of the best free games we’ve ever played. Despite going free-to-play, the game's core structure remains the same. It's a game of humans vs. zombies… err, monsters, a new twist on a beloved pastime. A team of four players, called hunters, is matched up against a single monster, with each hunter given their own class. Of course, with four players taking on one, there is a unique catch – hence the game's title. Monsters start out at a basic level then evolve over time by killing and consuming wildlife in nearby areas. Evolve cost $40 before, so rest assured you’re getting access to a game with a triple-A quality, even if much of the content is locked behind a paywall. Nevertheless, you can give it a shot for yourself for the initial cost of $0 on Steam.
You should take the time to give the classic The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall a try. (Image Credit: Bethesda Softworks) 24. The Elder Scrolls II: DaggerfallAs we wait eagerly on news about The Elder Scrolls VI, you should take the time to give the classic The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall a try. This 1990s RPG is a precursor to the iconic ones that came after, and is a bit of a classic in its own right. Its game world is many times the size of any of its sequels – indeed it’s the size of a continent, and is absolutely filled with atmosphere. It might look a little rough around the edges by today’s standards, but it’s worth diving into if you’re an Elder Scrolls fan. It's available direct from Bethesda. The publisher started offering it for free to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the game. As if we don't feel old enough already. 25. Starcraft IIAmong the most popular games to ever hit the PC/Mac landscape is Starcraft II, a competitive real-time strategy game whose Wings of Liberty installment is just one of three parts of the campaign. At one time, it was massive in South Korea, but the scene fizzled out a bit when MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2 hit the scene. Maybe that’s why Blizzard decided to transform Starcraft II to the free-to-play business model. As a result of its engrossing strategy game mechanics, combined with creatively designed environments and a gripping narrative that can only a video game can tell, Starcraft II is one of the most widely enjoyed eSports in the entire world, not to mention one of the best free games. Of course, being a Blizzard game, you’ll need a Battle.net account to access it. Other than that, both the campaign and the multiplayer are free to enjoy. Only certain characters need your prized coin.
Wolfenstein 3D is now free, and will teleport you to the year 1992. (Image Credit: Bethesda Softworks) 26. Wolfenstein 3DInterested in knowing what Wolfenstein was before The New Order? Wolfenstein 3D is now free, and will teleport you to the year 1992 when celebrity game developers John Carmack and John Romero paired up to make a shareware game like nothing before it. Wolfenstein 3D took concepts from Muse Software's Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein to create a three-dimensional first-person shooter that would later inspire the development of Doom. Keep in mind while playing that while Wolfenstein 3D was cutting edge for its time, it's perhaps not what you would expect from a first-person shooter of today's standards. Still, it's an easy and free way to experience game history in an old-school World War II game rich with narrative about, well, shooting Nazis in the face. Just don't expect to be blown away by the story in the same way as the Wolfenstein franchise's more recent entries. 27. Team Fortress 2It may be an old vet in gaming terms, but nothing offers such crazy fun as Team Fortress 2. Unlike most shooters of its age, players in this game are still there to have a good time instead of spitting insults at newcomers. And, there's no shortage of cool toys to have fun with. Infinitely silly and incredibly fresh, it's still one of the shooter genre's kings, free-to-play or not. Of course, it makes sense to add it to our best free games 2019 list. As you might have guessed, there are some micro-transactions included. You can buy additional items, often used to personalize your character. You can even create your own. It's fun, and gets you even more involved in TF2. Those cheeky devils at Valve obviously know what they're doing.
An injection of nostalgia is waiting for you in Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links. (Image Credit: Konami) 28. Yu-Gi-Oh Duel LinksIf you grew up in the ‘90s, you probably have a lot of memories of playing Yu-Gi-Oh, or maybe even watching the anime. Well, an injection of nostalgia is waiting for you in Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links, and it’s free to boot? In Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links, you won’t just have access to the titular card game competitively online. You’ll also get to play against AI opponents voiced by actors from the anime. There are a lot of microtransactions here – you can buy new cards – but it’s a CCG in 2019, so there’s no real way around that. Be prepared to spend some cash. 29. Magic DuelsMagic: The Gathering is fun, but what if you can play it from the comfort of your PC? Thanks to Magic Duels, you can. Whether this is your first time or you’re a 20-year vet, Duels will let you do everything the card game does and more. While over 300 new cards are advertised as being accessible throughout the game, there’s also a unique story mode that lets you experience Magic like never before. If narrative in your card games isn't your cup of tea, there's also a Battle Mode where you can go head to head with your friends, a four-player Two-Headed Giant battle and even an offline solo mode you can use to practice against AI.
DC Universe Online places characters like Superman and Batman into a massive (and shared) public world. (Image Credit: Daybreak Game Company) 30. DC Universe OnlineWhile it's yet another free-to-play MMO on this list, DC Universe Online places characters like Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and more into a massive (and shared) public world. Choose whether you want to be a member of the Hero or Villain faction, then personalize your character. Soon, you'll be thrust out into the world of DC Universe Online at the hands of Daybreak Game Company. After some initial training, the game assigns you a position, either a member of the Justice League or The Society, depending on your choice of hero or villain. Unlike other MMOs on this list and outside it, DC Universe Online is meant to be much more interactive while also keeping traditional MMORPG elements such as leveling, raiding, inventories and post-game progression. It's also easy using real-world currency too, which is why it has our best free games vote. 31. PaladinsIt’s not difficult to see why Paladins gets a lot of grief because its similarities to Overwatch. At the same time, the team-based shooter is also decidedly different from that of Blizzard’s. Abilities are upgraded based on a collectible card system, and can entirely change the way each character plays. What’s more, unlike Overwatch, Paladins is completely free-to-play. While cosmetic items are available to buy using real-world currency, everything else can be unlocked just by playing. For instance, you’ll start Paladins with a single deck of basic cards, and from there, unlock more dramatically impactful decks. Regardless of how you choose to play Paladins, you’ll get XP as you go. As long as you’re completing the daily quests and achievements featured in the game, you’ll be compensated with Radiant Chests and Gold, which can then be used to purchase more cards, costumes and weapon skins to make your characters more unique and skillful on the battlefield.
Pro Evolution Soccer – or PES – is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all-time for free. (Image Credit: Konami) 32. Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 LiteYou may be familiar with FIFA already, but Pro Evolution Soccer – or PES – is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all-time, not to mention one of the best free games 2019 has on offer. It doesn’t have all the flair (or licensing) of its EA Sports rival, but some would argue that it’s the better soccer game series, not to mention one of the better sports series overall. PES 2018, in particular, is only a slight improvement over its predecessor, but it does introduce better dribbling and tries to perfect the fan-favorite Master League mode. The ‘Lite’ version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 allows you access to the Online myClub and PES League Mode in addition to the Offline Exhibition Match and Training Mode, all for free. There are in-app purchases along the way, and you can always upgrade to the full version later should this one not satisfy. 33. SpelunkyYou can now grab Spelunky on a number of platforms – it's pretty high-profile for an indie title. However, it started its life as a PC-exclusive, and its original 'non HD' Classic version is still available for free today. The catch is that with each run through, the entire game is randomized to keep things interesting. In one game, you might stumble through screen after screen of spiked horrors and swarming monsters; in the next, the software will bend over backwards to give you gold and help you along your way. You learn how each randomized world ticks and which piece of equipment will give you a fighting chance. And you’ll die a ton. And scream. And restart. Again. Is this one of the best free games that has graced our screens, or what?
Neverwinter sets the bar high for itself as it's based on perhaps the most iconic role-playing game of all-time, Dungeons & Dragons. (Image Credit: Perfect World) 34. NeverwinterAs a free MMO, Neverwinter sets the bar high for itself as it's based on perhaps the most iconic role-playing game of all-time, Dungeons & Dragons. Like everything else in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, the game is set in the Forgotten Realms, specifically, as the name suggests, in Neverwinter. Touting eight character classes with groups of up to five players supported, Neverwinter is based on the fourth-edition rules of Dungeons & Dragons. However, the rules are somewhat different, as it allows players to heal their allies in addition to allowing for the use of special abilities in combat after racking up enough action points. 35. Doki Doki Literature ClubAn ostensibly charming visual novel on the surface, Doki Doki Literature Club is a game that’s best experienced blindly. It comes from Dan Salvato, a game developer most known for his work in the Super Smash Bros. Melee modding community, who says he developed Doki Doki Literature Club because of his indifference towards anime. It’s ironic, considering that the main character in Doki Doki Literature Club is consumed by anime and manga, and has minimal experience with the writings of more prestigious authors. As absorbing as the trio of female supporting characters appear to be in Doki Doki Literature Club, we would advise against getting too attached to them. Without spoiling the story, the first thing you see when you boot up Doki Doki Literature Club is a content warning, indicating that those with severe anxiety should consider NOT playing. It’s not entirely unfounded, as you’re certain to learn the hard way that Doki Doki Literature Club is more horror than generic fan service.
Dark Seas introduces factions and player-versus-player (PvP) combat in a way unique to the Steam release of Puzzle Pirates. (Image Credit: Grey Havens) 36. Puzzle Pirates: Dark SeasFor nearly 15 years now, Puzzle Pirates has been a household name for kids with unfettered access to the computer labs at school. It’s a massive, totally free-to-play multiplayer online role-playing game – among the best free games, in fact – originally created by the Sega-owned Three Rings Design. The objective is to join a crew and eventually become a captain by completing puzzles alongside other players. Puzzle Pirates: Dark Seas, on the other hand, is the Steam-exclusive version of Puzzle Pirates that includes an entirely new ocean known as Obsidian. Dark Seas introduces factions and player-versus-player (PvP) combat in a way unique to the Steam release of Puzzle Pirates. It also comes from a different developer, a nonprofit called Grey Havens, which was established by several former members of Three Rings Design. Before the advent of Dark Seas, you could only get the multiplayer portion of Puzzle Pirates on Steam. Now, the single-player mode can be downloaded and installed from Valve’s client as well. 37. Phantom DustDespite its development cycle being a disaster, the Phantom Dust remaster still succeeded. A new IP in the form of a Japanese budget card game for the original Xbox, it seemed too good to be true when Microsoft announced back at E3 2014 that a complete remake was in the works… and, as it turns out, it was. The remake was shelved in 2016, but Microsoft still wanted to revive the cult classic one-off. And turns out, the company did so with a remaster, instead of a remake. Luckily, the new version of Phantom Dust for Windows 10 (and Xbox One, for console-goers) is free to play unless you opt to purchase some of the in-game “multiplayer cards”.
Dwarf Fortress took simple text-based graphics and turned it into a reasonably modern, 2006 piece. (Image Credit: Bay 12 Games) 38. Dwarf FortressInspiring the creation of Minecraft was no small feat for 2D sandbox game Dwarf Fortress. Dubbed a construction and management simulator, Dwarf Fortress took simple text-based graphics and turned it into a reasonably modern, 2006 piece of software. It’s often deemed a cult classic, thanks to its open-ended nature, and serves as one of the most iconic examples of a procedurally generated roguelike. This means Dwarf Fortress both randomizes its environments and makes the game's permadeath system a much harder problem to avoid. This led to the unofficial motto for the game "Losing is fun," which was either ironic or an accurate description of what happens in the game. Hard to say either way. One thing's for sure. If you’d like to play an important part of gaming history, Dwarf Fortress is a solid start. It was even exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City back in 2013. Can't say that for a lot of free-to-play games, making this one of the best free games 2019 has on offer. 39. Fable FortuneSurviving a troubled development cycle, Fable Fortune is the collectible card game that you undoubtedly expected to never see the light of day. Either that, or you’ve never even heard of it. We can’t blame you. The team behind the Fable franchise – the illustrious group of individuals at Lionhead Studios – closed their doors two years ago. In the time following Lionhead’s closure, its parent company, Microsoft, licensed off Fable Fortune to a group of former Lionhead developers at a new company called Flaming Fowl Studios. It was there that Fable Fortune found private funding in spite of a failed Kickstarter campaign. The end result is a moderately competitive card game that’s absolutely free to play. Skeptics will be quick to compare Fable Fortune to Hearthstone. But other than the fact that they both make our best free games list, the two games differ quite a bit due to Fable Fortune’s more complex set of hero powers, less randomness and a morality system that rewards a grasp of its ‘good’ and ‘evil’ points.
Fallout Shelter doesn't feel that much different on PC, and that's a good thing. (Image Credit: Bethesda Softworks) 40. Fallout ShelterIf you prefer the property management systems of Fallout 4 rather than the great majority of the role-playing game's content, Fallout Shelter is an excellent place to start. Up until recently, the simulation game was only on the mobile Android and iOS platforms. However, with the introduction of Quests in version 1.6 of Fallout Shelter, Bethesda Softworks also decided to port the game to PC by way of the Bethesda.net client. All in all, Fallout Shelter doesn't feel that much different on PC, and that's a good thing. Mouse controls work well in lieu of a touchscreen, graphics look good even for low-end hardware and with windowed mode enabled by default, it's easy to find yourself caring after your vault residents during your downtime at work. With an unquestionably manageable price point (free), however with micro-purchases on hand, Fallout Shelter could very well become the next Solitaire in your office or at school. 41. BrawlhallaHave you been missing out on the action, just watching all your friends play Super Smash Bros Ultimate, because you don’t have a Nintendo Switch? Well, with Brawlhalla you’re in luck. Brawlhalla is a 2-8 player 2D brawler that pulls quite a bit of inspiration from Nintendo’s classic franchise. And, it pulls it off. It’s an exceedingly fun way to pass a few hours. With an esports league, you can rest assured that you'll always have people to throw down against. It might not quite be the same as playing some Smash on a friend’s couch, but it’s close enough to be worth your time. That’s why Brawlhalla makes it to our list of best free games.
There isn't much to separate this hero shooter from other free-to-play games on the market. (Image Credit: 2K Games) 42. BattlebornCEO and president of Gearbox Software Randy Pitchford will tell you differently, but Battleborn is free-to-play. Officially branded as a “free trial” on Steam, there isn’t much to separate this hero shooter from other free-to-play games on the market. You can play for as long as you want using six of the game’s 30 characters, rotated weekly to shake things up. Battleborn originally hit the market in May 2016, the same month as Overwatch. The main distinction is that Battleborn is influenced by MOBA games. Overwatch, on the other hand, is a more traditional PvP shooter with an eccentric cast of characters. Battleborn also has a single-player campaign, which can be purchased using real-world currency. 43. The Elder Scrolls: LegendsThere appears to be this never-ending arms race developers are caught in to put out the next Hearthstone. That is, an incredibly popular collectible card game (CCG) that’s “easy to learn but challenging to master.” Those are the words, verbatim, publisher Bethesda Softworks is using to describe The Elder Scrolls: Legends. A CCG that takes inspiration from the lore of the firm’s beloved RPG franchise, The Elder Scrolls: Legends distinguishes itself from the likes of competing virtual card games such as Hearthstone and The Witcher 3’s Gwent by using a two-lane system that keeps players on their toes when it comes to devising strategies. And, if you simply want more Skyrim, you’ll be pleased to learn that the Heroes of Skyrim expansion for The Elder Scrolls: Legends packs in 150 additional cards, some of which are familiar faces like Aela the Huntress, J’Zargo and Delphine. It’s no doubt this one’s earned its spot on our best free games list.
Robocraft is what you get when you take traditional vehicle combat and twist it into something completely new. (Image Credit: Freejam) 44. RobocraftWhether you loved or hated World of Tanks, you’ll be delighted to learn that Robocraft, a worthy addition to our list of best free games, is what you get when you take traditional vehicle combat and twist it into something completely new. From independent developer and publisher Freejam, Robocraft allows you to commandeer jet cars (not jets and cars, but jet cars), tanks, flying warships, helicopters and drones. In doing so, you’ll spend a lot of your time engaging in combat with other players online. Like a vehicle-based Fortnite, you’ll also play with different combinations of 250 preset blocks using a simple crafting interface, letting you equip the vehicle of your choosing with the weapons of your choosing as well. Likewise, Robocraft lets you create or join clans with up to 50 members. Within those clans, you can invite friends to ‘parties’ and play cooperatively in an effort to beat other teams. When everything is said and done, and you’re happy with your creations, you can showcase them at the virtualized Community Robot Factory to get likes and shares. 45. Total War Battles: KingdomReal-time Strategy (RTS) games don't get much grander than those in the Total War series, and the latest entrant, Battles KINGDOM, is free-to-play. Available to play on iOS and Android, as well as PC, you can pick up where you left off even when you're not at your main battle station. Total War Battles: Kingdom is set at the turn of the 10th Century and combines army management with kingdom building to deliver a bite-sized RTS game you can dive into and play anywhere, anytime. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Super Typhoon Hagibis: could new tech turn Japan’s super storms into 50 years of power? Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:30 AM PDT Japan is bracing itself for a super typhoon this weekend that some are calling the most powerful storm in the world. It’s causing havoc at the Rugby World Cup and Japanese Grand Prix despite not yet making land. A coming violent typhoon is a time for fear and anxiety, but from next year an event like Super Typhoon Hagibis could be a great opportunity. New technology is coming online that won’t deflect powerful typhoons, but instead milk their incredible energy. Could a new kind of ‘typhoon turbine’ be about to solve Japan’s energy crisis? What is Super Typhoon Hagibis?‘Typhoon’ and ’hurricane’ are simply local names for the same thing: tropical cyclones. Arriving in the wake of September’s Typhoon Faxai, which hit Tokyo and killed three people, Super Typhoon Hagibis is three times stronger and now a Category Five hurricane-force typhoon. It’s also bound for the capital. Expected to be the worst typhoon since Typhoon Ida, which left 1,269 dead in 1958, Typhoon Hagibis surprised meteorologists this week in taking only 18 hours to reach ‘super typhoon’ status, hence the name; hagibis means speed in Filipino. Heavy rain, gale-force winds, high waves, storm surges and flooding are likely from its 270 kmph/168 mph winds. You can follow its progress here.
Japan is bracing for a possible hit from a monstrous storm called Super Typhoon Hagibis Why do we need to capture energy from typhoons?Could a typhoon’s incredible energy be harnessed to power the homes of Japan’s 127 million people? It’s potentially a massive prize; in any one year tropical cyclones represent energy equivalent to about half the world-wide electrical generating capacity. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism estimates that the energy of one large typhoon is equivalent to about 50 years of Japan's total power generation. Cue Magnus VAWT, which from 2020 could begin to capture the energy from Japan’s frequent typhoons – even a Category Five typhoon like Hagibis. What is Magnus VAWT?The product of a Japanese start-up called Challenergy, technology called the Magnus Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) could make use of those damaging winds. Instead of the traditional propellers found on regular wind turbines, Magnus VAWT has a rotating cylinders that power a vertical-axis generator. It relies on the ‘Magnus effect’, a phenomenon that explains why air curves when passing by a spinning object. A Magnus VAWT turbine consequently has three vertical cylinders that rotate around a vertical axis to generate power. It’s already been tested in Nanjo City in Okinawa, Japan, where it withstood wind speeds of 225kph/140mph. Although they’re don’t appear to be as efficient as regular wind turbines, if Magnus VAWT turbines can capture even some of the kinetic energy from a typhoon, that won’t matter. What's wrong with traditional wind turbines?Regular wind turbines have propellers. They work fine in most scenarios, but during typhoons they can be dangerous and the propellers can break. Consequently, they’re often switched off when a typhoon is approaching. It’s one of the reasons why wind power hasn’t caught on in Japan, though the mountainous terrain is also a factor. While global wind power capacity is now more important than the nuclear power industry, Japan has very few wind turbines and the Japanese government is aiming for it to account for a mere 1.7% of electricity production by 2030.
GE wind turbines in Australia Can't we just make stronger wind turbines?GE Renewable Energy is working on stronger wind turbines specifically for the typhoon zone. However, its current product, the 4.2-117, can withstand 205 kmph/128 mph winds. That wouldn’t be enough to cope with Super Typhoon Hagibis. Why this innovation is timely in JapanMagnus VAWT is a timely innovation, and not just because of Japan’s ongoing typhoons. Ever since the Tōhoku earthquake and 15-metre tsunami in 2011 and the resulting accident at Fukushima, Japan has turned its back on nuclear power and dreams of a carbon-free hydrogen society. It’s possible that Magnus VAWT turbines could harness the energy of a typhoon to power the electrolysis of seawater, which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, thereby generating hydrogen gas. Such electrolysis using solar power was achieved earlier this year.
Challenergy's Magnus VORT turbines at the G20 meeting in Karuizawa, Japan, in June 2019 Could Magnus VAWT be used all over the globe?Japan, the Philippines and China are the most obvious places to begin with. They’re both regularly hit by tropical cyclones that form in the western Pacific Ocean between May and October. First up for Magnux VAWT turbines is the Philippines, where Challenergy will build its typhoon-proof turbines on some of the country’s 7,000 remote, energy-poor islands that often take direct hits from typhoons, so until now have held off on installing wind turbines. Like any wind turbine, the amount of energy a Magnus VORT turbine can produce depends on its size. With one eye on small, remote island communities to prove its technology, Challenergy intends to produce 50 small Magnus turbines, each with 10 kilowatts of capacity, in 2020. In its early years, the tech’s potential to bring power to non-electrified areas in emerging countries is at least as important as its typhoon-proof design; Magnus VAWT turbines will have to prove themselves at small scale before they can be used en masse in Japan.
Where tropical storms form on Earth However, if these new turbines catch on and begin to tap the energy of typhoons, there could be an issue with energy storage. Someone call Elon Musk… This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| OnePlus 7 Pro vs OnePlus 7T Pro Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:27 AM PDT OnePlus released its next-generation phones in the middle of the year, followed by an iterative upgrade towards the end. Fittingly, the OnePlus 7 Pro that came out in July has now been surpassed by the OnePlus 7T Pro. But how do they stack up, really? The OnePlus 7 Pro introduced some notable upgrades on the OnePlus 6T: a pop-up selfie camera that did away with the notch, a Samsung-style screen with curved edges and premium resolution, and a third ultra-wide rear camera. Those upgrades bumped up the price - not as high as Apple and Samsung’s flagships, but enough to tip it into budget flagship territory. The OnePlus 7T Pro builds on that legacy with a couple improvements that make it the best phone OnePlus has ever released. But given OnePlus’ strange release strategies, some regions won’t even get access to the OnePlus 7T Pro - for folks in those areas, this guide should show what you may be missing out on. For others with easier access to both phones, it’s a comparison guide to see whether it’s worth ponying up for the newer model or if the older should be sought at a discount. Price and availabilityThe OnePlus 7 Pro was released on May 17, 2019. At launch, it started at $669 / £649 / AED 2,849 for its entry-level configuration with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and went up to $749 / £799 / AED 3,249 for 256GB / 12GB of RAM. If you’re in the US, UK or Finland, you can also get the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G - which is otherwise identical in specs and features to the highest-tier 7 Pro but with added 5G connectivity. It’s also more expensive, by roughly $100 / £100. The OnePlus 7T Pro costs £699 (roughly $885). Unsurprisingly, it’s being released in the UK and broadly in Europe, as well as China, Hong Kong, and India. No luck in the US, though!
OnePlus 7 Pro Design and displayAs expected for a midyear upgrade, the OnePlus 7T Pro hasn’t improved much with the look and display of its predecessor. The OnePlus 7 Pro went for premium with its screen, with a huge 6.67-inch, 19.5:9 ratio AMOLED display. The large size is matched by the large QHD+ (1440 x 3120) resolution, producing some of the sharpest images we’ve seen on smartphones. It also bumped up the refresh rate to 90Hz, for a far more seamless and less juddery flow when navigating around the phone, than the typical 60Hz of most phones. To get a more premium appearance than the previous phones’ flat screens, OnePlus curved the sides of the display for a waterfall-style look. They also achieved an unblemished front free from notches by rearranging the front-facing camera to pop up from the top of the phone. The OnePlus 7T Pro inherited everything its predecessor and didn’t do much with it, which is fine - the design and display upgrades over the OnePlus 6T were notable enough when we saw them earlier this year that we don’t mind the lack of tweaks. CameraThe OnePlus 7 Pro brought the series much closer to competing with the best camera phones by adding a third ultrawide lens (16MP f/2.2, 117-degree field of view). But it also improved on its predecessor with a 48MP f/1.6 main lens and 8MP f/2.2 telephoto (3x optical). The result: warmer, more textured photos with less shadow for brighter images and a noted improvement in night photography. The OnePlus 7T Pro doesn’t change up any of the lenses - but it’s getting the next best thing with a few software updates. First up is the new Macro Mode. Now you can take photos very close - between 2.5cm and 8.5cm, or 0.9 inches to 3.3 inches - which means you’ll finally be able to take close shots of animals, nature, and so on. Other camera improvements include a new Hybrid Image Stablization for video that works surprisingly well in keeping your picture steady. Portrait Mode has also been extended to the wide angle lens, and you can zoom in and out of it while recording video. Some (if not all) of the above improvements will likely make it to the OnePlus 7 Pro, but they’re coming with the 7T Pro out of the box. As for selfies, the OnePlus 7T Pro keeps the same 16MP pop-up camera as its predecessor. Still cool, still curious if the mechanism will wear out before you’re done with the phone. Performance and softwareThe biggest difference between the two phones’ specs lies in its processor: the OnePlus 7 Pro launched with the Snapdragon 855 chipset, while the OnePlus 7T Pro will launch with the upgraded Snapdragon 855 Plus. While it’s not an enormous upgrade, we did notice some performance improvements. If you’re looking for a spec variety, go for the OnePlus 7 Pro, which launched with three options: 128GB storage with 6GB RAM, 256GB of space and 8GB RAM, or the top-tier 256GB along with 12GB RAM. We recommended the middle option, and it seems OnePlus agreed with us, as the OnePlus 7T Pro only comes in 256GB of storage with 8GB of RAM - which should be plenty for most needs. The other big divider lies in the OS: the OnePlus 7T Pro comes with the newest Android 10 preinstalled, an upgrade that hasn’t been released yet for the OnePlus 7 Pro. This update includes system-wide dark mode, the over-the-air security updates via Project Mainline, Live Caption feature for real-time captioning audio and video, and more. The 7T Pro also gets a few tricks like Reading Mode, which grayscales backgrounds behind text to make it easier to read, and some interface upgrades, like swiping from the sides to navigate (instead of corners). The distraction-eliminating Zen Mode has been expanded from 20 minute to now 30-, 40- and 60-minute options. We expect all of these upgrades to eventually make it back to the 7 Pro, but we can’t guess when.
BatteryThe OnePlus 7 Pro pumped the battery up to a 4,000mAh capacity, which enabled some truly impressive battery life... so long as the display settings are dialed down. Turns out the 90Hz refresh rate and expansive resolution drain the battery to last just over a day. The 7 Pro introduced the WarpCharge 30, a 30W wall block to recharge faster. In our tests, we were able to recharge a 7 Pro from 0% to 34% in just 15 minutes, then to 60% after 30 minutes, and we reached 100% in 1 hour and 23 minutes. It was easy for us to see it worked faster than Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charge tech. The OnePlus 7T Pro has only increased the battery a paltry amount - up to 4,085mAh. What has changed with the One Plus 7T Pro is the charger - or rather, the recharging tech inside the phone. TechRadar was the first to learn that the 7T Pro is getting WarpCharge 30T, tech that charges 23% faster than even the 7 Pro. It makes the great even better. ConclusionBoth phones are great phones for good value, and you wouldn't be doing yourself a disservice picking one over the other. At this point, the OnePlus 7 Pro might be discounted, and it introduced most of the top features you'll find on its successor anyway. It's a solid phone with a budget flagship pricetag that hopefully sees some discounts this long after launch. If you want the absolute best phone OnePlus has to offer, the OnePlus 7T Pro adds software tweaks - and, notably, Android 10 - that might not reach its predecessor for some time. The improved WarpCharge 30T battery recharging is also a marvel - bringing your phone back from the dead in the time it takes to finish a TV episode is pretty amazing. Whichever you choose will be a suitable pick - but it's helpful to know exactly which one suits you best. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best WordPress themes for blogs in 2019 Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:25 AM PDT If you have a passion for travel, food, gadgets, or simply enjoy ranting, you may already have discovered the benefits of blogging. Recording your forays into food or experimentation with radical communists allows you to share your news and views with the internet community. WordPress has thousands of templates to help you get started. In this guide, you’ll explore five of the very best themes specifically for hobbyists and bloggers. Some of these such as ‘Writing’ also incorporate SEO features meaning people searching online will be more likely to stumble across your blog. If you’re starting on a shoe-string budget, consider using one of the free themes we’ve listed here, such as Morning Time Lite.
TheBlogger TheBlogger is a WordPress theme suitable for storytelling and writing. It comes with a responsive design and multiple gallery features. TheBlogger also comes with a live customizer which helps you to tweak every part of your theme. It is Retina-ready and can be optimized for tablets and smartphones. Users can try the theme before buying. They can test drive the customizer to see if it meets their needs. There are a wide variety of widgets and sliders available to showcase your posts in image or video format. TheBlogger comes with helpful documentation that is straightforward and easy to follow. MailChimp for WordPress is also included. This allows you to send out newletters to blog subscribers. The theme integrates with Ninja Forms. Users can easily create and add forms with the drag and drop feature. A regular licence costs $59 (£44.58) which includes future updates and 6-months support. Users can upgrade to 12-months support for a further $17.63 (£13.32).
Foodie Pro Foodie Pro helps users to create a beautiful blog based around all sorts of culinary delights. It is created by the Genesis Framework. This means your website will have a solid combination of this Framework along with WordPress. The theme comes with a huge amount of typography and color options. Users can build their site using up to 3 homepage and 5 site wide widget areas. These can be customized to fit around your brand. The theme allows users to upload their own logo with one click. There is also full support for text-based logos. Foodie Pro’s ‘Theme Customizer’ allows users to customize the theme’s settings, colours and backgrounds images. The ‘Foodie Pro Theme’ can be purchased for $129.95 (£98.23) for one year. This includes the Genesis Framework, Foodie Pro Theme, instant access, unlimited updates, supports, sites and access to detailed tutorials. If this is not enough, users can avail of the ‘Pro Plus Membership’ for $499.95 (£377.81). This includes all the ‘Foodie Pro Theme’ has to offer plus access to every theme the company makes including future themes.
Soledad Soledad was created as a website builder for all skill types. It is geared towards users who want to run blogs or create magazines. The theme is highly customizable with multiple homepage layout models available. Users can also change the appearance of the ‘Category’, ‘Tag’, ‘Search’ and ‘Archive Layout’. Soledad is an SEO responsive WordPress multipurpose blog and magazine theme. It’s compatible with BBPress and BuddyPress. The theme is fully responsive and displays well on all screens. Soledad has over 4000 real homepage demos which can be installed with just one click. There are also a number of single post templates for different stories. The theme can be purchased for $59 (£44.58) which includes future updates and 6 months support which can be upgraded to 12-months for an extra $17.63 (£13.32). Some online commentators have lamented the lack of a search feature when it comes to support documentation.
Morning Time Morning Time is a highly functional WordPress theme suitable for journalists, family blogs or personal blogs. Users can purchase the theme directly or they can test the demo the site offers. The theme is highly responsive so adapts well to tablets and smartphones. Morning Time is fully compatible with Gutenberg. Users can create blocks to insert, rearrange and style multimedia content without needing to have a lot of technical knowledge. Users can create and customize different aspects of their site including portfolio and Google maps amongst others. Morning Time is compatible with WooCommerce allowing you to turn your blog into an online store if needed. Users can make their older posts available with the ‘Blog Archive Feature’. Older posts will not disappear as you create new blogs. Users can also download ‘Morning Time Lite’ for free or subscribe to their premium tiers. Morning Time has three paid packages available. Users can avail of the ‘Yearly Access’ package for $87 (£70.4) per year. This includes access to all themes, child themes, PSD, HTML files, Support, updates, theme documentation and multiple site usage. Alternatively, users can purchase the ‘Lifetime’ package for $247 (£200) which includes all the ‘Yearly Access’ has to offer but with a one-off payment.
Writing Writing is the perfect theme for those trying to create a minimalist effect. The theme uses 24 Social Share Icons along with Facebook Open Graph Tags and multiple Social Icon Widgets. It is WPML compatible. Writing can be translated into any language. RTL support is also available for Hebrew, Arabic and Japanese. Writing is retina ready and is fully responsive making it adaptable to screens of all size and resolution. The whole setup is easy and geared towards users of any skill level. The theme is built according to the most recent rules of Search Engines. This means using this theme will help boost your SEO results maximizing traffic to your blog. Users can purchase Writing for $39 (£29.47) which includes future updates and 6-months support. 12-months support can be bought for a further $10.13 (£7.65).
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| Philips unveils a new range of audio products ahead of the festive season Posted: 11 Oct 2019 08:16 AM PDT Philips Audio launched a range of audio products catering to personal listening as well as indoor uses. These include headphones, soundbars and Bluetooth speakers. Philips is a household name in the audio space. These new launches add more options across all categories, while bringing new features such as Google Assistant, Dolby Atmos tuning and 3D surround sound. Wireless Bluetooth headphones
Two new headphones were announced under the Philips Performance range, TAPH805 and TAPN505. The former are wireless over-ear headphones with Active Noise Cancellation, and have Google Assistant built-in to read notifications, make calls and manage playlists. It has a battery life of 30 hours and is priced at Rs 13,990. The TAPN805s are in-ear neckband earphones with support for Google Assistant and have a battery life of 14 hours. They will retail at Rs 11,990. Philips also brought the UpBeat True Wireless headphones that come with a charging case which can also be used as a power bank. These connect via Bluetooth 5.0 and have long-lasting battery life. Pricing for the Philips SHB2505 starts at Rs 7,999 and Rs 8,999 for the SHB2515. Soundbars
Two soundbars were added to Philips Audio range, viz. the HTL3320 and HTL3310, which emphasize on sound quality. They have a sleek profile and can be mounted on a wall or table-top and can be connected to TVs, gaming consoles, MP3 players and DVD players. These come equipped with twin tweeters and virtual surround sound technology which can simulate a 5.1 experience. These will be priced at Rs 20,990 and 18,990. Bluetooth speakers
Joining the fray, we had the Philips BT6620 Bluetooth speaker which has lights on the outside that play along the beats of the song. It is splash-proof and comes in black, red and blue colour variants and will be available at Rs 5,990.
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