Real-Time Strategy Classic ‘StarCraft’ Becomes a Free Download for Mac

Blizzard Entertainment today made wildly popular real-time strategy game StarCraft a free download for Mac and PC, nearly two decades after its original release.

The RTS hit was universally acclaimed when it launched in 1998, and went on to become an e-sport phenomenon in South Korea, where big-prize tournaments and TV channels drew legions of fans to the game.

The free download is the game’s first in eight years and includes the Brood War expansion pack. The patch 1.18 download also sports a handful of new features, including windowed mode, a better online game search engine, and improved response times during multiplayer battles.

Blizzard’s decision to make the title freely available comes ahead of this summer’s Remastered edition of StarCraft, which promises enhanced 4K graphics, better audio, high-quality cinematics, and a redesigned matchmaking system.

Making vintage StarCraft free also offers a unique opportunity for getting in some practice before the new version is released: Blizzard says owners of the original game and the remastered edition will be able to play each other online. Nostalgic gamers can find the free download of the original StarCraft here.

Tag: Blizzard
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Explore the planet with Google Earth VR, now on Oculus Rift

Thanks to Google, you can spend Earth Day in 2017 by flying around the planet — in virtual reality.

Google Earth got a massive revamp today, but the search giant also brought its Google Earth VR app to the Oculus store. The experience has been available for the HTC Vive since the end of 2016, and bringing it to the Oculus Rift means a wider audience. We got a chance to travel to various countries in VR with the Rift at a Google event in New York City. Suffice to say it’s an experience that will have you coming back for more.

“It’s an experience that will have you coming back for more.

The Oculus version of the Earth VR app works just like the Vive experience, except you’ll be using Facebook’s new Touch controllers. You start out in space, but you can use the the analog stick on the right-hand controller to zoom in to anywhere on Earth; the secondary index trigger lets you rotate the camera horizontally. You don’t have to stick to a bird’s eye view either as there’s a 3D view that lets you look at stunningly-detailed content. Google said Maps is powered with satellite imagery as well as aerial photography — the latter often looks better and is prevalent in featured places, like Florence, Italy. Colombo, Sri Lanka only used satellite imagery, and while it still looked great, it wasn’t as impressive.

Speaking of featured content — pressing the Y button on the left-hand controller opens up menu overlay, which lets you scroll through featured places to visit. You can also browse through some cinematic Tours of select areas here, and these are gorgeous shots mixed with heart-warming music that may or may not make your eyes well up.

If you’re planning a trip and are scoping out things to see, what’s neat is you can save locations by holding the X button.

But the killer feature in Google Earth VR is the god-like ability to control the sun. Find the source of light, click and drag it past the horizon to mask the world in darkness — and you’ll then see a brilliant sky lit up with the Milky Way. It’s a jaw-dropping moment, and we can’t see it ever getting old.

If you have an Oculus Rift, you can check out the new free experience at the Oculus store now. Again, it’s been available for Vive users for some time now, but you can grab it here if you haven’t checked it out yet. Is it worth buying a VR-ready PC and VR headset for Google Earth VR? Maybe not, but it’s a must-try experience if you have one lying around. We’re hoping Google brings it to more accessible VR platforms like Daydream and Samsung’s Gear VR.

Apple just made iMovie and a bunch of other apps free for everyone

Why it matters to you

If you’re using an older Apple device and never bought any of the tech company’s compatible apps, you can now grab them for free.

Apple has just cut the cost of a number of its Mac and iOS apps to the princely sum of zero.

The free apps are iMovie, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and GarageBand, and each can be downloaded now from the Mac and iOS App Stores.

It’s worth noting that the software has been available for free to anyone who purchased a Mac computer or iOS mobile device after August, 2013. Therefore, the move to stop charging for it will particularly benefit anyone with an older piece of Apple kit who never purchased the software, which used to cost between $5 and $20 a piece.

Of course, if you’re a Mac and/or iOS user without any of these apps, you’ve probably been using alternatives for a while. But if you’re unhappy with any of them, now’s surely the time to try out Apple’s software.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, which used to cost $20 each, are Apple’s word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation offerings, respectively. GarageBand, meanwhile, is a music creation software aimed at musicians or even non-musicians who fancy tinkering about in their own digital studio.

However, with so many folks whipping out their smartphones to shoot video these days, it’s iMovie that may prove to be of most interest. Powerful though not so complex to befuddle everyday users, Apple’s consumer-level video editing software lets you select from your library of clips before adding studio-quality titles, music, and special effects. A fun feature is the ability to quickly create Hollywood-style movie trailers from a bunch of short sequences and images, with the software doing the brunt of the work, often to great effect.

And like all of Apple’s software, iMovie lets you work on the same project across multiple devices, so you can begin a project on your iPhone and continue with it on your iPad, “then take advantage of additional features on your Mac to add finishing touches like color correction, green-screen effects, and animated maps.”

If you own an older Apple device and never felt compelled to purchase any of the company’s software, now’s the time to take a closer look. You’ll find all of the offerings in Apple’s Mac and iOS App Stores.

Apple just made iMovie and a bunch of other apps free for everyone

Why it matters to you

If you’re using an older Apple device and never bought any of the tech company’s compatible apps, you can now grab them for free.

Apple has just cut the cost of a number of its Mac and iOS apps to the princely sum of zero.

The free apps are iMovie, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and GarageBand, and each can be downloaded now from the Mac and iOS App Stores.

It’s worth noting that the software has been available for free to anyone who purchased a Mac computer or iOS mobile device after August, 2013. Therefore, the move to stop charging for it will particularly benefit anyone with an older piece of Apple kit who never purchased the software, which used to cost between $5 and $20 a piece.

Of course, if you’re a Mac and/or iOS user without any of these apps, you’ve probably been using alternatives for a while. But if you’re unhappy with any of them, now’s surely the time to try out Apple’s software.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, which used to cost $20 each, are Apple’s word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation offerings, respectively. GarageBand, meanwhile, is a music creation software aimed at musicians or even non-musicians who fancy tinkering about in their own digital studio.

However, with so many folks whipping out their smartphones to shoot video these days, it’s iMovie that may prove to be of most interest. Powerful though not so complex to befuddle everyday users, Apple’s consumer-level video editing software lets you select from your library of clips before adding studio-quality titles, music, and special effects. A fun feature is the ability to quickly create Hollywood-style movie trailers from a bunch of short sequences and images, with the software doing the brunt of the work, often to great effect.

And like all of Apple’s software, iMovie lets you work on the same project across multiple devices, so you can begin a project on your iPhone and continue with it on your iPad, “then take advantage of additional features on your Mac to add finishing touches like color correction, green-screen effects, and animated maps.”

If you own an older Apple device and never felt compelled to purchase any of the company’s software, now’s the time to take a closer look. You’ll find all of the offerings in Apple’s Mac and iOS App Stores.

You can now browse Instagram even when you’re offline

Instagram gets an offline mode to better serve customers in emerging markets.

Instagram crossed 600 million users back in December, with a majority of its customers located outside the U.S. In a bid to make the app a more enticing option in emerging markets, Instagram is taking a leaf out of Facebook’s playbook by rolling out an offline mode.

Instagram’s Android app will now let you browse content that’s previously downloaded in your feed, giving you the ability to like, save, and comment on posts and unfollow users even while you’re offline. The changes will be synced to Instagram’s servers the next time you go online.

Profiles you’ve visited are also available in offline mode, as are cached versions of the Explore tab and your own profile. The functionality is designed to make Instagram easier to use in developing countries, where cellular data isn’t always reliable. For now, Instagram’s Stories feature needs an active internet connection, but with the company looking to add more functionality to offline mode in the coming months, we’ll be hearing more soon.

ZTE unveils Axon 7s with Snapdragon 821 chipset in China

ZTE rolls out new variants in the Axon 7 series in China.

ZTE has unveiled an upgraded variant of the Axon 7, dubbed the Axon 7s, with a Snapdragon 821 SoC in China. The press release doesn’t reveal a whole lot of details, but it looks like this particular model is designed for Chinese government use. ZTE is also rolling out the Axon 7 Max, which is powered by the Snapdragon 821 and has a huge 4100mAh battery.

Alongside the upgraded chipset, the Axon 7s sports a new speaker grill design that has more perforations when compared to the standard variant. The rest of the hardware is likely unchanged, which means we’re looking at a 5.5-inch QHD display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB storage, 20MP camera, 8MP front camera, and a 3250mAh battery.

It’s unlikely we’ll see the Axon 7s in other markets, but should that change, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, the standard Axon 7 is on sale for just $330.

Grab the 16GB Moto G4 Plus for just $159 at Best Buy and Amazon

One of last year’s best budget phones is on sale for $159.

The Moto G5 Plus is now available on Amazon for $229 for the variant with 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage, but if you’re looking for a phone in the $150 price range, last year’s Moto G4 Plus is a capable device. The phone is now on sale at Best Buy for $159 for the version with 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage. If you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber, you’ll be able to pick up the phone for $159 from the retailer.

The deal is valid on both the white and black color variants of the device. As a refresher, the Moto G4 Plus offers a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 617 SoC, 16MP camera, 5MP front camera, and a 3000mAh battery. The phone is compatible with both GSM and CDMA carriers, which means that it will work on AT&T and T-Mobile as well as Verizon and Sprint.

If you’re looking for a decent budget phone with a great camera, you can’t go wrong with the G4 Plus. There’s no mention of how long the deal will last, so if you’re interested, hit up the link below to get your hands on the phone.

See at Best Buy

Galaxy Note 8 could offer a dual-camera setup that’s ‘much better than that of iPhone 7 Plus’

Galaxy Note 8’s dual-camera setup said to be the ‘most important upgrade’ in the device.

Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has dished out a few details on the Galaxy Note 8. In a note released to investors obtained by 9to5Google, Kuo said that the phone will feature a dual-camera setup with a 12MP wide-angle lens and a 13MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Both imaging sensors will offer OIS and six-element lenses, with Kuo stating that the dual rear cameras will be the “most important upgrade” in the Note 8.

According to Kuo, Samsung’s implementation of the dual-camera setup will be “much better than that of iPhone 7 Plus, and likely match that of OLED iPhone.” It’s no secret that Samsung tested dual cameras on the Galaxy S8, but the company ditched the idea as it didn’t find “real value for it yet.” We’ve seen leaked prototypes of the phone with two rear cameras, and it looks like the company is saving the feature for the Note line.

Kuo also shared details on the early sales figures of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, stating that market feedback is “better than expected:”

According to our survey, market feedback to Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ (abbreviated as ‘S8’) has been better than expected since their unveiling. We attribute this to a better- than-expected selling point in the full-screen design. For this reason, we revise up our 2017F S8 shipments from 40-45mn units to 50-55mn units.

Post-launch market response a big thumbs up for full-screen design, offsetting our concerns. Although the full-screen design has not created any new applications, its form factor will be effective in attracting high-end users. This is why market feedback has exceeded our expectations.

Samsung netted over 1 million pre-orders for the flagships in its home market, and is set to kick off sales later this week in the U.S. For more on the Galaxy S8, be sure to check out our comprehensive review.

Apex Launcher is coming back in May with redesigned UI and new features

A new version of Apex Launcher is coming next month.

We haven’t hear much from Apex Launcher in a while, with the popular launcher picking up its last update on June 27, 2015. That’s all set to change soon, as the folks at Apex Launcher have announced that a new version of the app — designed for Nougat — will make its debut next month.

From Medium:

Things have been silent at Apex Launcher for a while, but that’s about to change. Apex Launcher is back in full force, supported by a brand new development and support team. We’re working on making Apex even more feature rich and fast on Android 7 Nougat and beyond.

Apex Launcher will release an update in May, to bring our current version up to date. More features are in the works now and will be released in the future updates after May.

Apex Launcher is known for its smorgasbord of customization options, and it’ll be interesting to see what’s included in the redesigned app. Who’s excited?

Get your free copy of ‘StarCraft’ ahead of its Remastered release

At the tail end of March Blizzard announced plans for StarCraft: Remastered, which is due later this year with updates including 4K graphics and modern online features. Buried within that release, it also mentioned that gamers could expect to see the original game and its Brood War expansion released for free along with the 1.18 update for the game. That day has come, and nostalgic gamers can dive back in as soon as their copy finishes downloading (PC here, OS X version here) like it’s 1998 again and Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It isn’t just a dated reference.

StarCraft is now FREE w/ Patch 1.18!

👉 https://t.co/wYDKCGDYzU pic.twitter.com/2vNaT2Fs6M

— StarCraft (@StarCraft) April 18, 2017

Source: Starcraft, PC, Mac