Should you buy Fortnite, or is the free version good enough?

Fortnite is the newest Battle Royale game, but it comes with another aspect that you have to pay for. Is the game worth the money?

Fortnite: Battle Royale has become a big hit this year, and most of the hype comes from it being free. However, Fortnite does have a paid version that is similar to the Battle Royale, but a different gameplay.

Is the full version of Fortnite worth buying, or could it just be a waste of your money? Take a look!

See at PlayStation Store

Battle Royale vs Save the World

Battle Royale is a fun PvP game you get for free when you download Fortnite, and it’s become a big hit across many platforms. Whether you play by yourself, with another player, or with three other people, you have to go against 100 people to become the Victory Royale. It’s very similar to PUBG with it’s own little twist: building forts to protect yourself from other players.

If you’re looking for another online game where you can just run around and take people down, then you’ll love the Battle Royale version of this game. However, if you’re just looking for a fun, PvE game, then Save the World is definitely for you.

Save the World, the paid version of Fortnite, puts you on a team with other players as you go through and kill the zombies that are terrorizing the survivors. You have to build forts to protect certain objects and people throughout the game, as well as craft your own guns and ammo. I also like that it gives you a back story to the Battle Royale version of the game, explaining the Storm and why it is there.

Basically, the paid version of the game gives you objectives and a story that can be fairly rewarding as you sink time into it. You’re also supporting the people who actually made the game by buying Save the World, but lets be honest the additional gameplay is the real hook here.

Is Save the World worth it?

Save the World is $40 so it’s a bit of a pricey game, and it’s still early access. There is room for improvement, but I believe the game is wonderful, especially taking into consideration that it’s not complete. If you’re looking for something that will be better than the Battle Royale mode, you won’t find it in this game, but it is just as good as good in my opinion.

The only downside I found to the Save the World mode is the fact that the controls are different than in Battle Royale. It’s strange to me that the controls are not universal, as they changed the way you can select materials or different guns. I find myself accidentally throwing a grenade when I just want to build a floor instead of a wall. It took some getting used to, and I hope it’s something they’ll fix when the game is fully released.

I’m glad I purchased it, because it is certainly a lot of fun, and it’s helped my performance in the Battle Royale mode quite a bit. It has a tutorial you can go through which can help when you’re building structures and trying to survive against other players. This game is definitely worth spending forty bucks on, and it’s fun to play alongside players as opposed to against them.

See at PlayStation Store

Will you be purchasing Fortnite?

Let us know in the comments below if you will be getting your hands on Fortnite: Save the World!

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QuietOn’s new noice-cancelling earbuds banish the sound of snoring

Does your significant other snore while they sleep, soundtracking your night with the sound of rocks falling down a mountain? Are you flirting with the idea of getting the lawyers in? Because Finnish company QuietOn is hoping to restore harmony in the bedroom with its latest invention, the QuietOn Sleep.

QuietOn made its name with a set of noise-cancelling earplugs, designed to drown out the sound you endure whilst on a plane. The gear does more than just block up your ear canal, too, since they pack active noise cancellation to really make things quiet. Consequently, they’ve also found a home in workplaces, noisy construction sites and anywhere else someone wants to concentrate.

The Sleep edition of the earplugs uses the same principle, albeit engineered to keep things quiet while you’re dozing. The hardware is significantly smaller in order to make it easier to wear for prolonged periods in bed. In addition, the set comes with pass-through mode, disabling the noise cancellation with a tap of the bud — letting you listen to your other half when they want a midnight chat.

One other change is that the final hardware will ship with a special cushioned sleeve that can wrap around the hardware component. That way, if you sleep on your side, you won’t have to worry about a hard lump of plastic making its presence felt inside your tragus.

Much like the original version of the set, the QuietOn Sleep will ship with an AirPod-esque charging case that you can slide them into when not in use. That won’t be every night, however, since the units will run for close to 20 hours on a single charge.

The company is raising funds through a pre-order campaign on Indiegogo, with early birds able to snag the gear for $109. If you’d prefer to get the technology in your nearest store, however, you can expect to pay $239 or so. But no matter how much cash you pony up, you won’t be able to look forward to silent, snore-free nights until October at the very earliest.

Source: QuietOn (Indiegogo)

YouTube extends its ‘Dark Theme’ to iOS

Sometimes the best features come when tech companies let their programmers and designers play around a bit. That’s certainly the case with YouTube’s “Dark theme,” which arrives today on the iOS version of the app. (The darker theme will come to Android “soon.”) The feature, which is already available on desktop but pretty well hidden, lets you change the regular bright white theme to a more cinematic, black and grey look. YouTube says Dark theme was one of the “top requested features on mobile.”

You have to jump through hoops to access the feature on desktop via the developer mode, but on mobile, things are a lot simpler. To access it, you simply head to your account icon, hitting settings, and look for a setting called “Dark theme.” You can then toggle it on or off, as shown in the GIF below. The feature is rolling out today, but as usual, it might not hit your neck of the woods right away.

Facebook’s daily news video section may arrive this summer

Facebook has only hinted at its upcoming news video section in Watch, but some more tangible details are starting to trickle out. Axios sources have claimed a daily news service should launch in the summer, with about 10 publishers (both conventional and digital-focused) currently testing partnerships. Any news clips in Watch would have to be at least 3 minutes long, the insiders said, and the feature would be available for “at least” one year while Facebook sees what works best.

It won’t be surprising if some of the details change, even after launch. Facebook has said it’s unsure how it will measure success, and there are a few months to go before things get started. However, there’s plenty of incentive for Facebook to add news to Watch. News stories provide a more steady stream of video than entertainment, and you’re more likely to comment on and share real-world events than a comedy or drama. And then there’s the question of tackling fake news. In theory, having trustworthy news videos could counter bogus and sensationalist material shared in your regular feed.

Source: Axios

‘Pit People’ makes turn-based strategy a party

In our world of ubiquitous broadband and online multiplayer, couch-based co-op gaming isn’t the first consideration for most development studios. For the folks behind Alien Hominid, Castle Crashers, Battleblock Theater and now Pit People, however, being able to play with other people on the same screen has always been a priority.

“Co-op memories are very strong with the right games and there’s all sorts of fun interactions going on, not only in the game, but for the players on the couch,” said Dan Paladin, co-founder, art director and designer on Pit People. “Whenever it makes enough sense, we’ll do our best to make sure it is always included! Our brains are firmly rooted in the old school stand-up arcade era.”

Pit People is a turn-based strategy game, with a cadre of odd fighters. You can level up in teams of five to explore the map, complete story quests, and fight other people online as well as locally. Launched earlier this month, it’s available now on Xbox One and PC via Steam.

Paladin realizes that co-op games are scarce, but refuses to kowtow to the current gaming fad. “There always seem to be some good co-op games to choose from, though it never seems like co-op games are in excess,” he said. “A lot of us wish there’d be a little more of that going on. Other genres are emerging, very successful genres, that happen to be adversarial in part or in full. Some of those are dictating where a lot of the interest is but we’ve never made choices based on that kind of thing and don’t plan to.”

Local multiplayer is the killer feature here, though. Not only can the second player shoot enemies on the large world map to stun and keep them from attacking, but you can enter battles together, giving you two teams of wacky heroes to take on the baddies. Gameplay is the same as in single player; there’s just two of you this time. Each player moves their own characters around the map and hits the “Ready” button; once that happens the heroes do their assigned tasks. It’s not split screen, either – everything happens on the same map. It’s a delightful way to play — you can either take on different clumps of bad guys at once or strategize and play together, taking out smaller groups of enemies in a combined show of force. It’s not all co-op, either; you can jump into the titular Pit and fight against your buddy on the sofa, as well, if you’re in the mood for a little rage-fueled couch session.

The turn-based strategy gameplay will remind you of games like XCOM, The Banner Saga and Mario + Rabbids; you need to know your character’s abilities and attack style, placing them appropriately near and around the enemy troops. There’s a big story single player campaign, too, involving a giant demon bear that’s crashed into the planet, raining down acidic blood upon the unsuspecting people below.

The bear, who also narrates the adventure with droll sarcasm, plays the villain to your main character, Horatio, whose son is killed in an early cutscene. Never fear, however, the violence is played for laughs. The Behemoth has never taken itself too seriously. “We joke about things which end up going right into the game, like the pooping animals, thanking Justin Bieber in the credits, singing about buckling our pants or having a man ride a balloon-tied giraffe with uzis in his hands,” said Paladin. “Those things are simply side conversations that we insist on immortalizing. Games are for you — for fun! The development team having fun making the game is important because it shines right through.”

While all of The Behemoth’s games have a similar visual style to them, the mechanics are typically very different. “So far we’ve always made a [game in a] new genre which makes sure we’re never all that comfortable or familiar,” said Paladin. “We generally don’t want it to be comfortable, though, as we want to solve strange problems and make new worlds for everyone to explore.”

The team has refined its approach over the last two decades, too. “Over time I’ve noticed we can get a little more bold and daring with our desire to reimagine an existing genre and put our own twists in there. We honestly have no idea what we’re doing, though we hold onto the shreds of what worked before.”

Each game has taught the team something different. “After seeing people come up with a trading [feature] within our systems in Castle Crashers, we made sure we included trading in BattleBlock Theater,” said Paladin. “When we noticed that people fought over whether they should be trading or progressing in the levels, we altered that system to be more of a vote type system while including a ‘Trade Only’ mode in Pit People going forward. There’s a lot of things like this but we don’t tend to go into the details. We’re secretive and stuff!”

Pit People was a little different in scope when it was first imagined. “The original hope was to have a smaller design, but sometimes you just have to follow the design where players want it to lead,” said Paladin. “We followed it until it had a big world with lots of things to explore and do, along with a main storyline that explains the world a lot more. It’s definitely evolved, especially after getting lots of feedback and data from trade shows and Early Access/Game Preview versions.”

Now launched, what were the chances of Castle Crashers coming to Switch or mobile? With games with local multiplayer like Mario Kart and Snipperclips on the Switch, a local co-op game could thrive on Nintendo’s platform. Paladin was understandably vague. “We would love to have our stuff on other platforms and hope to be able to tell you “yes” for some of those one day,” he told us.

Ultimately, Pit People brings local co-op play back to your living room. The genre itself is new to The Behemoth, too, making its take on the strategy game something worth checking out. I had a great time playing through the campaign itself, thanks to the combination of super funny cutscenes, wacky character design and deep strategic gameplay. Playing with my kids together on the same screen is a blast, both when trying to take on large groups of bad guys as well as fighting each other in the Pit. It’s a refreshing way to play a turn-based strategy game: with (or against) real people sitting right next to you.

Source: Pit People/Xbox One

Google Assistant gets a proper home on the iPad

This is the year every voice assistant adds native iPad support, it seems. Hot on the heels of Microsoft’s Cortana update, Google has released an iPad-friendly version of Assistant. The updated app takes full advantage of the tablet’s larger screen, of course, but that also includes multitasking support in iOS 11 — you can send commands to the AI companion while you’re chatting with a friend or planning your day. The app is available now in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portugese and Spanish.

The iPad comes soon after Google’s big Assistant push at CES and is arguably an extension of that strategy. Google wants its voice assistant available to be virtually ubiquitous, and that includes tablets running a competing platform. The more you use Assistant, the more likely you may be to immerse yourself in the rest of Google’s ecosystem.

Via: VentureBeat

Source: App Store, Google

Imgur’s Snapchat-style GIF collections come to Android

Imgur’s bid to bring Snapchat-like Stories to the GIF world is no loner confined to iOS. It’s releasing an updated Android app that brings Snacks and the Feed to a wider array of devices. Snacks, as before, lives under the search tab and gives you a curated Story-style gallery of GIFs you can sit back and watch when you’re looking to be entertained. The Feed, meanwhile, sits in your home section and lets you follow both Imgur users and tags to keep up with the latest GIF trends.

The addition will feel a little late given how long iOS users have had Snacks, but it’s an important part of Imgur’s strategy. Along with social features like chat, Imgur is giving you reasons to keep coming back to its app besides those occasional times you’re hoping to find the latest dank meme. It’s clearly not trying to become a full-fledged social network, but it’s betting that having enough similar features will make you feel more at home.

Source: Google Play

Apple’s 2018 WWDC keynote happens June 4th

Apple has announced the dates for its annual developer conference, WWDC. The event is scheduled for June 4th through 8th and like last year, it will take place in San Jose’s McEnery Convention Center. We’re sure to see previews of upcoming iOS, MacOS, WatchOS and tvOS versions and rumor has it we may even get to see some new hardware like possibly a long-overdue MacBook Air update and a new iPad.

Apple Developer Program and Apple Developer Enterprise Program members have until March 22nd to register through the WWDC website for a chance to buy tickets.

Source: Apple

Ear-worn thermometer makes it easier to care for sick kids

When little kids are ill, it’s one of the least pleasurable experiences that it’s possible to endure. After all, you’re often asked to monitor their temperature on an hourly basis to keep watch for things getting worse. But the kids themselves are often too young to understand why you’re shoving that big scary device in their ear.

It’s why so many companies have been looking for noninvasive ways to monitor a rugrat’s vital signs. The latest to try is Cosinuss, the fitness monitoring company, that has built an ear-worn thermometer. The device, called Degree, looks more like a hearing aid than a thermometer, but uses the same inner-ear IR sensor as a medical tool.

Rather than a bulky handle and a display, however, the system ‘s Bluetooth radio and battery simply sits behind the ear. From the data, your kid’s vital signs are continuously transmitted to a nearby smartphone. So whenever your little one starts to get sick, you pop this in their ear as a way to making their lives a little easier.

Should the wee one’s condition get worse, the phone will alert you, enabling you to consult with a doctor. But the system will also do its best to avoid panicking you, letting you know when their fever symptoms are within acceptable limits. The app will also offer up useful tips on how best to care for a toddler with a fever and make their time a little easier.

CEO and founder Greta Kreuzer conceived of the device when her daughter suffered from a febrile seizure. These seizures take place when a child’s body temperature is raised to high levels without any underlying condition. She wanted to create something that could somehow help prevent such an issue in the future.

While the idea of continuous temperature monitoring is certainly useful, we’re not — as yet — sold on the idea of this as a solution. After all, sick kids rarely want you to play around with their ears and would likely rip this out in seconds. But if they did tolerate the device, it would certainly help many parents avoid a sleepless night or two.

Should you want to try Degree out for yourself, you can pre-order it from Indiegogo right now, for €99 plus shipping. It’s hoped that the device will begin journeying to your doorstep by May, giving you plenty of practice time before the dreaded flu season.

Source: Degree (Indiegogo)