Monday, June 8

SHOPPING

Fortnite’s black hole teases the future of entertainment
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VIDEO GAMES

Fortnite’s black hole teases the future of entertainment

As audiences have embraced on-demand video services, algorithmic feeds, and an ever-growing number of digital “things to do,” our collective attentions have become hyper-fragmented. Yet we know that audiences actually love shared live experiences. Jeopardy is more fun watched with others. Movies are funnier in a packed theater. It’s hard to enjoy sporting events that happened hours earlier The durability of this appeal spans generations: Boomers watched the moon landing together, Generation X witnessed the end of M*A*S*H, and millennials recently collectively viewed (and complained about) the ending to Game of Thrones. Each generation might prefer different content, but we all love to watch it together and live. There’s no better proof of these two points than the recent #FortniteBlackout...
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What you should know if your smart TV makes you feel dumb
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TECH

What you should know if your smart TV makes you feel dumb

If it seems as though televisions have gotten very complicated very fast, it’s not just you. Sometimes smart technology can make us feel, well, dumb. You must contend with a number of abbreviations — LCD, OLED, HDR, HDMI and more — and widely varying price points. What does it all mean, and why can’t we just go buy a TV? To break it down, we talked to technology experts, a deals guru and an interior design expert — because you shouldn’t need a degree in TV to binge-watch “Stranger Things.” LCD vs. OLED Despite the letters that swim before your eyes at the big-box stores, there are basically only two options for TVs: LCD (liquid crystal display) and OLED (organic light-emitting diode). LCDs (sometimes called “QLED” or “LED LCD”), which illuminate pixels using a central lamp, are generall...
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TECH

Black Friday just came early for the smart Instant Pot with Wi-Fi and Alexa

Well what do we have here, bargain hunters!? If you’ve been toying with the idea of getting an Instant Pot or you have an old model in desperate need of an upgrade, today is definitely your lucky day. The Instant Pot Smart Wifi 6 Quart Multi-use Electric Pressure Cooker is pretty much the cream of the crop, offering all the cooking modes you love as well as Wi-Fi connectivity so you can control it with an app on your smartphone or even with Alexa. It’s worth every penny and more at its normal price of $150, but it just got the biggest discount we’ve ever seen! Here’s the key info from the product page: REPLACES UP TO 8 KITCHEN APPLIANCES: Combines 8 kitchen appliances in 1 with 13 smart programs to save you space, including: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge cooker, yogurt ma...
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Xiaomi Black Shark 2 review: An affordable flagship gaming phone

Gaming phones are an ancient idea. Nokia released the N-Gage, which was like a phone built into a game controller, in 2003. And it didn’t do very well. But the concept has made a resurgence recently thanks to devices from Razer, Asus, and Xiaomi. Now, Xiaomi has launched its second-generation gaming phone called the Black Shark 2. The Black Shark 2 has a suite of features that make it a great way to play games on the go. It’s also affordable, starting at $420 for the version with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. But I’m less convinced than ever that anyone really needs a gaming phone even if this a great example of the form. What you’ll like Nice design for smartphone gaming I used the Black Shark 2 to play a variety of games, and it was comfortable relative to other smartphones. And a...
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What to look for in a wireless speaker
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What to look for in a wireless speaker

Wi-Fi speakers connect to your home network; they usually run on AC power, so they require an outlet. Bluetooth speakers are paired directly with a device like a phone or a laptop. Wireless speakers come in all shapes, sizes, styles and strengths. The trick is to muddle through the many product options and discern the right wireless speakers to purchase. First, however, is information regarding distinction between the wireless routes: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Consumer Reports explained the difference in its “Choosing the Best Wireless and Bluetooth Speaker” report: “Wi-Fi speakers connect to your home network; they usually run on AC power, so they require an outlet. Bluetooth speakers are paired directly with a device like a phone or a laptop.” Planetwifi.org in December offered Bluetooth sp...
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Fun new tabletop games for families, couples
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GAMES

Fun new tabletop games for families, couples

Five new tabletop games that are both fun and have a broad appeal to players of all ages and interests. Last century I made my living writing for and designing tabletop games, and Gen Con was the center of my professional life. As I moved into developing video games, I stopped going, so I haven’t been to the self-proclaimed “Best Four Days in Gaming” in over 20 years. Since then it’s moved from Milwaukee to Indianapolis and more than tripled in size. This year saw 70,000 gamers come together and play thousands upon thousands of games. It was a joyous sight to behold. Gen Con has become a prime stage for publishers to show off new and forthcoming games, and for players to demo them before they buy. I spent a lot of time in the First Exposure hall, where developers were playtesting ga...
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VIDEO GAMES

Spend the extra to go online with ‘Mario Maker 2’

The original “Super Mario Maker” was praised as one of the best games on Nintendo’s previous console, the late Wii U. The game was so interesting, it almost made me want to buy a Wii U myself, but like most people who play games, I didn’t. At last, more than two years later, “Super Mario Maker 2″ is here, and the tens of millions of us who skipped the Wii U (the Switch has already more than doubled its predecessor’s lifetime sales) have our chance to make our own “Mario” levels. It’s great! It’s also a lot! Creating your own levels and sharing them with your friends (and the world) is the core appeal for “Mario Maker 2,” which expands on the first game’s many features. If you’re the kind of player who wants to spend from 10 minutes to 10 or more hours crafting a bespoke platformer experie...
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GAMES

4 games to look forward to this year

Every year video game publishers come together in Los Angeles for the biggest press event in the industry: the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3. Well, it’s supposed to be the biggest. This year Sony and its PlayStation decided to skip the show, and in general there were fewer exhibitors and fewer exciting announcements than in previous years. The 2019 showcase offered some exciting games, but with new consoles coming from PlayStation and Xbox next year, I got the sense that a lot of the more interesting titles were held back for the next generation of these platforms. There are still at least four titles coming out this year that I’m excited for, most of which gave a good show at E3. ‒ For me the next six months of gaming begin and end with fast-paced, exciting and very gory shoote...
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Going to a wedding? Expect these techy touches
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TECH

Going to a wedding? Expect these techy touches

A current wedding trend is to go big or go home and uniqueness is key. Weddings in 21st century America are certainly about more than the “I do’s.” Money.cnn.com conveyed last January that $35,000 is the average amount spent on weddings. The report further stated that a current wedding trend is to go big or go home - uniqueness is key. Technology helps to achieve a distinct experience, especially for guests. Theknot.com’s “10 Wedding Tech Trends Straight From the Future” provides fun and practical guest enhancements, including: - Live-streaming for individuals who desire to “be there,” but are unable to attend. Streaming goes right to a smartphone or tablet. - Cellphone charging stations so guests will not run of juice to take photos and videos for saving, as well as sharing on social m...
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5 Reasons Why Mario Is So Popular
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VIDEO GAMES

5 Reasons Why Mario Is So Popular

As far as video games are concerned, one of the most popular characters is known as Mario. Over the 30-year-career of Nintendo, it introduced more than a hundred games for many genres and systems and enjoyed great success. Given below are 5 reasons why Mario Bros runs circles around other games. Read on. Revolutionary style In the gaming world, Mario offers a refreshing change. In each game, Nintendo guides you to a new, exciting adventure. Most of the fresh Mario titles follow the same format set for Super Mario Bros. As a matter of fact, a lot of other games are inspired by the style of Super Mario Bros. This is what this game makes one of the best out there. New format Actually, this product is iconic as it didn't pose the same challenges that other titles did. Throughout the game,...
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