It’s a Space Thing charmingly recreates arcade shooter (review)

It’s a Space Thing takes players on a journey through the lenses of 80s era moon shades. Harkening back to the days of such classics as Space Invaders and Galaga, indie dev Brad Erkkila has struck a nice balance between nostalgia and present-day game mechanics.

With various game modes (Single/Multiplayer, Invaders and Boss Mode) along with character selection and achievements, gamers get to decide how to approach the galactic goodness offered up by IAST.

Blast Off

Getting going is just a matter of downloading from the Google Play Store, launching and connecting to your Google Play Games profile (should you choose to do so). You are then greeted with a cheeky sci-fi reference setting the tone immediately before being presented with game mode options.

Following your mode selection, it’s time to pick your character skin. Currently, there are eleven “things” to choose from to represent you on your retro-quest.

Straight Baller

The overall gameplay of IAST can be described as a quick-twitch shooter. While paying homage to its old-school brethren, it mirrors the same unyielding difficulty. But upon settling in, gamers will likely appreciate the opportunities for strategy in the forms of barricades and power-ups.

The goal is to simply dodge fire from an opposing enemy scrolling across the top while you maneuver below armed with forcefields and a blaster (both items must recharge after use). Besting your opponent ten times will trigger a boss attack. Bosses come in many shapes and sizes and offer their own unique enhanced challenge.

Another method of playing is by switching to “Invaders” mode. This style pits your character against three stationary motherships which launch projectiles including spacecraft and energy spheres. This mode increases in difficulty every round and players amass an overall score.

The 2-player setting of IAST is way more fun than it should be. With online multiplayer being the norm these days, there is just something refreshing about being able to sit opposite a friend or family member in the same room, on one smart device, with the sole goal of conquering and disintegrating one another (Ah, old-fashioned wholesome fun).

Additionally, there is a standalone boss mode. You will make your way through a host of enemies:

• Widowmaker
• Tri-Orb
• Turbo Tyrant
• Eliminator
• Destructor
• Marauder
• Goliath
• Crusher
• Spectre

Accomplishing every boss mission (achievements) will give players access to all bosses.

Hella Tight

When replicating 80s gaming, music and sound effects are as important to the experience as the product itself. IAST hits the mark with accurately pitched “pew-pews” and a throwback electronic soundtrack provided by PlayOnLoop. Sound effects and/or music can be disabled within the audio settings in the event you are a killjoy.

Awe Dang

Being that IAST is a free app, of course, there are ads. They are quite frequent, but not overly invasive. Currently, there does not seem to be a way to disable, so deploying an ad-free paid version would be ideal.

Super Dope

It’s a Space Thing succeeds on many levels while faithfully recreating a slice of gaming from a bygone era. Players will appreciate how each component of this mobile gem was given proper attention.

With a distinct visual and audio vibe propped up by engaging game modes, IAST makes for a nearly perfect mobile experience for retro gamers and enthusiasts alike.

You can grab It’s a Space Thing in the Google Play Store.

Mercedes has a luxury car subscription service, too

Last month, car brands fell over themselves announcing new luxury vehicle subscription services. Latest but not least, Mercedes has added its own part-rental, part-concierge service to the list. A pilot program will begin in Nashville and Philadelphia this June.

Compared to services announced by other brands, we don’t know much about Mercedes-Benz Collection, as the company is calling it. Subscribers will be able to choose between several tiers, though it’s unclear how they differ. They’ll be able to choose from a ‘broad array’ of the automaker’s vehicles, including the high-performance Mercedes-AMG models. Like with other services, customers will be able to swap between vehicles on a whim.

Mercedes-Benz neglected to mention how much its service will cost, though competing ones cost between $600 (for a Volvo) to $2,000-per-month for BMW and Porsche. Like its higher-end rivals, the Mercedes-Benz Collection lets customers engage concierge services through a dedicated mobile app to, for example, arrange for staff to deliver a new vehicle to the subscriber’s location. The monthly fee also covers insurance, 24/7 roadside assistance and maintenance costs.

Via: The Verge

Source: Business Wire

‘Fortnite’ is back online after a day-long blackout

The popular game Fortnite is finally playable across all platforms after a server outage and emergency update took it offline for almost a day. According to a Reddit post by a company employee, a “critical failure with one of [the] account service databases” made the login and matchmaking systems unstable. But for their trouble, Epic Games is giving players of both the game’s battle royale and tower defense modes free in-game loot.

The Battle Bus once again operational! Hop in and hop on 🙂 🚍🎉

— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) April 12, 2018

The problems came hours after the studio updated Fornite with the large 3.5 patch yesterday (it’s unclear at this time if or how the database crash derived from the update). Per Epic Games’ status website, the company first reported issues with account services after 4pm ET on April 11th, and worked through the night to get the servers supporting all its games back online. At around 3:30pm ET today, the Fortnite account tweeted the all-clear (above) signaling the game was back online for all platforms. The game is back up to over 264,000 viewers on Twitch as of this writing, but even while the game was down last night, it still managed to get 50,000 people watching streamers sit at essentially blank screens.

To make up for the delay, Epic is giving Battle Royale players a free Back Bling gift this weekend and a pack of Battle Stars next week; Those who still load up the game’s original Save The World mode get a Troll Stash Llama and seasonal gold. Unfortunately, the account service issues have pushed the Fortnite team to delay the debut of the new 50v50 v2 Limited Time mode until sometime next week.

Source: Fortnite (Twitter), Epic Games

iMovie for iOS Gains Support for iPhone X Display and Adopts Metal for Graphics Processing

iMovie for iOS was today updated to version 2.2.5, introducing long-awaited support for the full screen edge-to-edge display of the iPhone X.

Along with iPhone X display support, today’s update also adopts Metal for graphics processing, and it improves overall stability. Apple says installing the new version of iMovie requires iOS 11.2 or later.

What’s New
– Updated for Super Retina display on iPhone X
– Adopts Metal for graphics processing
– Improves localization for Simplified Chinese
– Improves overall stability

This version of iMovie requires iOS 11.2

Since the iPhone X launched in November, iMovie was one of the major Apple apps that had not been updated with support for the new display, forcing iMovie users to deal with black bars on their flagship devices.

Thankfully, with the update, the iMovie app now displays properly on the iPhone X. Several other Apple apps have yet to be updated with iPhone X support, including iTunes Connect, iTunes Remote, Beats Pill+, Music Memos, and AirPort Utility.

iMovie for iOS version 2.2.5 comes just a few days after Apple released an update for the Mac version of iMovie with support for iPhone X resolutions for app previews and a number of bug fixes.

Tag: iMovie
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You may need to pay extra if you want to buy a home with Bitcoin

NurPhoto/Getty Images

With the surge in popularity of cryptocurrency, it’s becoming more acceptable to pay for things with Bitcoin. However, given the volatility of cryptocurrency exchanges, accepting Bitcoin can result in a loss for the seller if the market takes a downturn. One enterprising individual is hoping to cover any possible losses, and likely secure a gain, demanding a premium for accepting Bitcoin.

Hedge fund manager Claio Guazzoni de Zanett is selling his Manhattan townhouse, and potential buyers can pay the $30 million listing price in cash, with a mortgage loan through a bank, or use cryptocurrency to fund the transaction. If you use cryptocurrency, though you’ll have to pay $45 million. That’s a whopping 50 percent premium over the traditional list price.

No foreigner to cryptocurrency exchanges, Zanett is the founder of the Zanett Cryptocurrency Group and has been an investor in cryptocurrency and blockchain since at least 2015, according to CCN. “I’m a true believer in these networks, but it’s very volatile,” Zanett said of cryptocurrency exchanges in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. “They could be down 60 percent in two weeks.”

Zanett says he will accept Bitcoin (BTC), ethereum (ETH), or Ripple (XRP) for the transaction. The townhouse is listed as a six-story property in New York City’s Upper East Side neighborhood.

While Zanett asking for a 50-percent premium from buyers wishing to pay with cryptocurrency, he wouldn’t be the first to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment for real estate. One buyer in Colorado purchased a home for Bitcoin, but in a hybrid transaction scheme. In that purchase, the buyer slowly liquidated his cryptocurrency portfolio, converting his holdings into cash, which he used for the purchase.

Cryptocurrency investors could of course work their way around Zanett’s premium by selling their cryptocurrency holdings and converting their investment into cash. The cash can then be used to finance the purchase of the $30 million property, rather than transferring the cryptocurrency funds directly to Zanett.

As cryptocurrency gains momentum, it’s unclear if other real estate sellers or vendors would demand such a hefty premium when Bitcoin or similar funds are used in a transaction. In addition to Zanett’s listing, there are five cities around the world where you can use Bitcoin to pay for real estate, including Miami, Dubai, New York, Lake Tahoe, Nevada and Bali, according to Coin Telegraph.

If you’re looking for a house to buy, be sure to check out some of the best real estate apps available on mobile.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Purse.io lets you nab steep discounts on Amazon if you pay with Bitcoin
• What is Litecoin? Here’s everything you need to know
• Everything you need to know about Samsung Pay
• What is a blockchain? Here’s everything you need to know
• Everything you need to know about Google Pay and Google Pay Send

Your Mac will now start warning you about your 32-bit apps

If you’re running the latest and greatest version of MacOS, High Sierra 10.13.4 — and you should be — then you’ll want to keep an eye out for a new notification that might pop up when you start an application. Simply put, Apple is going to start letting you know when an app isn’t based on 64-bit technology, meaning that at some point in the relatively near future means it won’t run on your MacOS hardware.

Apple

Apple has been planning for a switch to full 64-bit compatibility for a while now. The reason is that all modern Macs are built around 64-bit processors, which bring some significant performance advantages. An app that’s written for 64-bit compatibility is going to have access to more memory and its going to produce much faster system performance overall. And the newest Apple technologies, like its Metal graphics acceleration capability that lets the CPU and GPU cooperate for faster graphics and gaming performance, only work with 64-bit apps.

For now, you’ll be able to continue running 32-bit apps without any bad consequences. The warning is therefore intended to help you prepare for the day that MacOS will only run 64-bit software. For now, that date remains some unknown time in the future, because Apple hasn’t yet determined when MacOS will make a complete transition to 64-bit-only.

However, if you open an app and receive the notification, you’ll want to contact the developer and ask them when they’ll have their app optimized for 64-bit compatibility. If they don’t plan to make the switch, then you’ll want to start thinking about alternatives.

The easiest way to find out which apps aren’t already 64-bit compatible is to ask MacOS itself. Simply open the Apple menu, select “About This Mac,” and then click on “System Report.” In the resulting report, scroll to “Software,” and then click on “Applications.” You can then select an app and check the “64-bit (Intel)” field, which will indicate “Yes” for 64-bit and “No” for 32-bit.

Again, you still have some time before your 32-bit apps will simply stop working. The sooner you start preparing for the switch, though, the easier the transition will be — whenever it occurs.

What is the GDPR?

As soon as Facebook’s data abuse scandal broke, questions of legality and regulation quickly came into focus. Most notably, the scandal found itself at odds with a piece of legislation in the European Union (EU) called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which plenty of Americans were hearing about for the first time.

Even though Facebook is a company based in the U.S., due to the nature of the internet, regulations like GDPR have far-reaching consequences for individuals and companies all around the world. Facebook may have gone to D.C., but GDPR is what it should really be afraid of.

Based in the EU, active worldwide

The GDPR is a landmark piece of legislation in the EU that enshrines stronger data protection and digital privacy laws for EU citizens. Replacing the 1995 Data Protection Directive, the GDPR is an attempt to give internet users more of a say in how their data is used and mandates companies to adhere to strict guidelines on how it is collected, stored, and leveraged. Slated to come into law on May 25 2018, it stands to make a dramatic impact on a variety of international companies and services.

The GDPR is an attempt to give people a say in how their data is used and mandates strict guidelines on how companies collect, store, and leverage it.

Although the GDPR has had its critics, there’s no stopping it now. It was adopted in 2016 and is now set to be implemented and enforceable after a two-year transition period, most recently showing its teeth in the Facebook data abuse case. Even more important in the case of that social network though, is that its data-processing center is in Ireland, making anyone outside of the U.S. and Canada legally covered by the new legislation.

Facebook itself may go even further than that though. During a recent hearing with the House committee, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said (mostly) clearly that the plan was to extend all new rights under the GDPR to all Facebook users. That would include those within the U.S. and Canada too. That could mean data handling parity and additional privacy tools for American Facebook users.

In turn, that could mean big things for entities like Cambridge Analytica, which make a point of operating in international grey areas. The fact that similar organizations collect data through social networks using their own APIs, could leave those networks vulnerable to the new legislation in turn and may lead to a further crackdown on such practices.

Bill Clark/Getty Images

While all of this may seem a little complicated at first glance, the GDPR’s main purpose is to update international data protection laws for the 21st century. As it stands, countries are bound by laws created in the 1990s with individual EU countries all having their own privacy laws and mandates. Where the 1995 Data Protection Directive allowed for such nuance in different countries, the GDPR is a regulation, which means it is a hard law, not a minimum requirement. The GDPR will attempt to unify Europe’s digital data regulations under one banner to make operating within those countries as a data collector or processor more uniform.

Protections for the individual

Although the GDPR is likely to have the biggest day-to-day impact on the operations of corporations and online businesses, its main purpose is to protect internet users themselves. As part of the GDPR’s implementation, EU citizens will have a number of new powerful rights when it comes to their online information. That data can be as public as their name, or as personal as their medical information. If a company or other online entity collects it or processed that information in any capacity, they are bound to protect it and offer a number of services to the person that data is about.

If a company or other online entity collects it or processed that information in any capacity, they are bound to protect it and offer a number of services to the person that data is about.

The first of these new online rights for EU citizens is a right to be informed about what data is being collected, how it’s being used, and how long it will be retained for. That should mean sites like Facebook have far more in-depth privacy policies and will need to update them regularly as new data uses are employed. Companies may still be able to collect and store data, but not leverage it in any way.

Perhaps the most important power the GDPR gives EU internet users though, is related to the right to objection and “profiling.” Effectively, any website or service which uses personal data for direct marketing or for creating a “profile” of a person for other means, can be requested to cease such operations by the affected user.

In the case of companies like Google and Facebook, that could mean that users opt out of the very advertising profiling strategies which have made them such mega giants of online advertising. In theory, it could create real problems for their revenue streams — though it’s also possible it could cripple the competition and allow them to consolidate dominant positions.

The big caveat to all of these changes and improvements to online privacy, is that legally, they only extend to EU citizens. However, as with the case of Facebook, it may be that companies wanting to not get caught out by the legislation simply extend the additional rights to all users globally. There is no guarantee of that, but with Facebook leading the way, it’s certainly a possibility.

It is of real importance that organizations take these new regulations seriously, as there are severe sanctions in place should the GDPR be fallen afoul of. While there are low-level sanctions such as a written warning for first-offenses or non-intentional noncompliance, regular data protection audits can follow — and from there the repercussions become steep. Fines of between 20 million euros ($25 million) and four percent of a company’s annual worldwide turnover, whichever is higher are possible, though lesser fines of $10 million or two percent of annual turnover could be applied in other cases.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Your ISP can peep on your browsing, so Cloudflare is pulling down the shade
• While prepping for new Privacy Center, Facebook shares how data is handled
• Instagram could finally get a download tool in privacy-motivated move
• 9 things to know about Facebook privacy and Cambridge Analytica
• Facebook says it will demystify data collection with a privacy settings overhaul

Ransomware shifts focus from holding passwords hostage to hijacking your PC

A malicious website initially set up to extort visitors to pay a cryptocurrency ransom has changed its course. Instead of demanding payment via Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash or Litecoin in exchange for not leaking your password on the internet, the site now hijacks your computer’s processing power to mine cryptocurrency in the background.

Designed as a copy of the Have I Been Pwned attack, the site began by asking users to enter their emails to see if their password has been compromised. Unfortunately, if your password was breached, the site demanded a “donation” of $10 by cryptocurrency to not publish your password in plain text on the web.

Up to 1.4 billion passwords may have been breached, but it’s unclear how accurate that figure is. However, because it may be easier — and safer — to change your password than pay the ransom, as The Next Web noted, the site shifted its focus from demanding ransomware payments to taking over your PC’s processing power to mine for cryptocurrency in the background. The publication also confirmed that the malicious site did “have a database with legitimate passwords,” but that not all compromised passwords were stored in plain text.

The Next Web did not reveal the site’s address in its report, citing security reasons, but noted that it doesn’t appear that any user had made payment.

This is the latest ransomware in recent months that demand cryptocurrency as a form of payment. Prior to this incident, Thanatos encrypted files on a user’s PC by hijacking it using a brute force method. If you want to regain access to those files, you had to send payment via cryptocurrency to get a key to decrypt your files. However, at the time, there didn’t appear to be a proper decryption key even if you paid.

According to a recent Google report, extortionists made out with $25 million in just two years, and cryptocurrency was the preferred way to get paid. In fact, 95 percent of extortionists used BTC-e to cash out their earnings. The report cites that the European Union’s anti-money laundering directive and counter-terrorist financing legal frameworks can help to prevent the misuse of cryptocurrency.

Hackers are also changing the game when it comes to data theft. Rather than leaking the information to the dark markets, an IBM X-Force Intelligence Index report revealed that hackers prefer to hold files hostage in exchange for a ransom payment. This meant that in 2017, 25 percent fewer records were leaked than the previous year.

In the business world, ransomware cost corporations $8 billion worldwide in 2017, and many companies keep cryptocurrency on hand to reduce downtime.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best password managers for protecting your data online
• Beware of Thanatos, the latest cyber-extortion scam
• Researchers exploit flaws in two browsers installed on MacOS devices
• Hackers are now favoring ransomware over personal data theft
• How to reset your Apple ID password and gain control of your account

Razer Phone review, 4 months later: Gamers’ delight

Mobile games have never looked or sounded so good.

You have to commend Razer for going against the industry trends and making some really bold design choices for its first smartphone, the Razer Phone. Okay, I guess you don’t have to commend them — but I will.

Razer calls the Razer Phone the “smartphone for gamers” and also “the ultimate smartphone for mobile entertainment”. And I know that those are marketing buzzwords but damn if it hasn’t mostly lived up to those lofty claims. As the resident gaming guy around these parts and also a serial streamer of media on my phone, I was really eager to see what the Razer Phone brings to the table.

In spite of some of the obvious shortcomings as mentioned by Alex Dobie our main review — namely the pathetic camera performance and lack of water resistance — the Razer Phone’s strengths are impressive. In fact, they may have honestly changed the value I place on specific smartphone design and features — and that goes far beyond the buttery smoothness of the 120Hz UltraMotion display (although more of that, please).

But seriously, have you seen the specs on this thing?

It’s important to say right off the bat that the overall performance of the Razer Phone is simply outstanding thanks to Razer cramming as much top-end hardware into the chassis as possible.

The Snapdragon 835 chipset and 8GB of RAM allow you to play the most resource-heavy games, like Vainglory or PUBG Mobile, without any noticeable slowdown even in those moments when the screen is cluttered with enemies and action. This phone should be fairly futureproof for whichever direction mobile gaming decides to head in (excluding mobile VR) which at this point seems to be focused on porting over more PC and console experiences to mobile. With the Razer Phone in hand, I say bring it on!

Coupled with the massive 4,000mAh battery and that PC-quality display you get the best mobile experience for stream hours of Netflix or YouTube without reaching for your charging brick. When it is time to charge, this phone charges up real quick thanks to the support for the latest Qualcomm QuickCharge 4+ technology. Despite having never owned a Razer product in my life, I still feel like this phone was designed for someone like me with similar needs for streaming and gaming and I acknowledge and appreciate it.

• More: Razer Phone specs

Crazy good audio

Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I tend to use the built-in speakers on my phones as much as I use headphones or Bluetooth speakers. Whether I’m hanging out with friends and trying to share a hilarious YouTube video in a noisy space or wanting to resume watching Netflix while I go about cooking dinner in the kitchen, I’ve realized that I rely on my phone’s speakers for so much more than just notification blips.

In an era where smartphone companies are trying maximize the screen-to-body ratio on devices, Razer took off in the other direction an added a combined inch to the top and bottom of the display to create the best damn smartphone speakers I’ve ever experienced. Far from being a compromise, I’ve found the speaker layout (coupled with the Dolby Atmos audio support) delivers the best sound from a smartphone while also addressing the issue of your hand muffling the sound when using phones with bottom-firing speakers. Furthermore, the speakers also give you a bit of a buffer between your palms and the screen which helps cut down on accidental touches along the edge of the display.

In an era when companies are trying to maximize the screen-to-body ratio, Razer took off in the other direction and created the best damn smartphone speakers I’ve ever experienced.

Another common sticking point for newer phones is the removal of the headphone jack, but Razer managed to compensate for that by including a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter with a 24-bit THX certified DAC inside. I actually had to get some second opinions when I tested out the included dongle because I wasn’t sure if the audio was as impressive as I was imagining or what, but everyone I showed it to was just as blown away by it as I was. I’m also living a mostly Bluetooth life when it comes to speakers and headphones as it is, so while it certainly sucks to carry a dongle around for those times I want to use wired headphones It’s not as much of a deal breaker for me as it might have been just a few years ago.

No curves, no problems

Call me a contrarian but I’m one of those folks who constantly gripes about curved displays on smartphones. Ever since Samsung set the industry trend with the Samsung Galaxy S6, it’s all we typically see from flagship devices these days.

Sure, I’ll agree that they look really pretty in person and can feel smooth and nice in your hand, but it still a mostly cosmetic design choice. I don’t find that it adds anything substantial to the experience of using the smartphone beyond added anxiety about replacement costs if it slams against the ground.

I don’t mind bezels around the display if they’re used effectively as is the case here.

That’s why I really appreciate the decision Razer made to not follow those trends and deliver a different option for consumers. I don’t mind bezels around the display if they’re used effectively as is the case here. Because the screen doesn’t go edge-to-edge and is built around an aluminum frame, I’ve been less concerned about screen damage nor do I feel obligated to slap a case on the Razer Phone.

Like I mentioned above, the front-facing speakers sound great and also offer a bit of a buffer between your hands and the screen when playing a game in landscape mode. With bigger and better games coming out for Android these days, I want a phone that features more practical features rather than cosmetic ones to make the overall experience better, and I think Razer has gotten off to a good start here offering something different from its competitors.

Should you consider buying the Razer Phone in 2018?

The bottom line here is that the Razer is asking $700 for a phone that offers supreme performance in some areas while falling short in others. Depending on how you primarily use your phone will be key in determining whether a ridiculously smooth (but occasionally dim) display backed by top-end performance specs can outweigh a lackluster (but functional) camera setup. Whether fantastic, front-facing speakers offer more value to you than a seamless display with no bezels.

We’re also still waiting for the Razer Phone to get Android Oreo which should improve the overall experience, but we won’t know for sure until it arrives. Razer released a major software update in January that shows that Razer is committed to supporting the Razer Phone and improving the experience — yet it still has a ways to go to match the overall user experience.

Having said all that, I’m still really impressed by the Razer Phone, but that’s because I spend a good majority of my phone time playing games and consuming entertainment. I never realized how much I valued a higher refresh rate or proper front-facing speakers on a phone, and given my obsession for mobile gaming, I could see the phone specs holding up pretty well over the years.

It’s definitely a phone that you need to experience firsthand before deciding if it’s right for you. If the 120Hz refresh rate and booming audio features don’t instantly turn you on, then maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.

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