Android apps and games that are free for a short time include Evertale, Defense Zone 3 Ultra HD, Sphaze, Last Plant on Earth, Rooftop Snipers, Dino Rush, and Out There Chronicles - Ep. 2.
The best PC games of 2024 include:
- Duck Detective: The Secret Salami: Players solve the mystery of a stolen salami in a quirky office environment, combining humor and intrigue with a captivating design and storytelling.
- Turnip Boy Robs a Bank: A sequel featuring a mischievous vegetable engaging in a heist, noted for its engaging art style and witty writing.
- The Crush House: A game blending reality TV and social commentary, exploring entertainment pressures and social media impacts with humor and engaging gameplay.
- Conscript: A portrayal of the psychological toll of war, offering a raw narrative crafted by Australian developer Jordan Mochi.
- Sumerian Six: A strategic turn-based adventure combining history and fantasy, encouraging thoughtful tactics and creativity.
- The Rise of the Golden Idol: A successor to The Case of the Golden Idol, featuring fresh aesthetics and intricate puzzles that promote critical thinking.
- Neva: Known for its emotional storytelling and stunning art direction, creating an immersive experience.
- Harold Halibut: Reflects on life’s purpose through a handcrafted aesthetic and engaging narrative.
- The Plucky Squire: Blends 2D and 3D environments, showcasing innovative mechanics and captivating visuals.
- The Sims 4 Life and Death: An expansion pack introducing themes of mortality, enhancing the gameplay experience with new elements like funerals and a Reaper career.
The text discusses the appeal of classic video games and their modern counterparts, highlighting several notable titles.
- Dig Dug (1982) is an arcade classic known for its simple yet challenging gameplay, where players clear dirt and drop rocks on monsters.
- Mr. Driller DrillLand (2002) is a modern twist on the Dig Dug experience, featuring puzzle-solving and whimsical aesthetics, originally a GameCube exclusive now available on Steam.
- Thief (1998) offers a first-person stealth experience in a detailed steampunk universe, focusing on exploration and heists.
- Wing Commander (1990) combines space combat with a narrative that evolves based on player choices.
- Strahd’s Possession is an RPG inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, featuring an innovative automap system for exploration in a gothic fantasy setting.
- Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 (2004) provides engaging character development and loot collection, compatible with modern platforms.
- The Castlevania Dominus Collection includes classic titles like Haunted Castle (1987) and Dawn of Sorrow (2005), showcasing the potential for redemption through redesign.
- Alone in the Dark (1992) is recognized as a pioneer of the survival horror genre, known for its puzzle design and atmospheric tension.
- Skald: Against the Black Priory (2024) captures retro aesthetics with modern gameplay mechanics, reminiscent of classic Commodore 64 adventures.
- Devil Blade Reboot (2024) channels '90s arcade shooters with vibrant pixel art and fast-paced action.
STRAFTAT is a first-person shooter game that features frenetic 1v1 battles, reminiscent of classic arcade-style duels. The gameplay is hypercompetitive, with a mantra of "two players enter, one player leaves," and includes a variety of whimsical level designs, such as navigating mazes or sliding down icy slopes. The game incorporates satisfying weapon mechanics and a quirky art style, creating a unique atmosphere that balances absurdity with skillful gameplay. It offers over 70 diverse maps, fostering a social environment akin to a modern LAN party. The game's slapstick humor and chaotic moments enhance the experience, although the competitive nature may pose a challenge for new players. STRAFTAT emphasizes immediate fun over traditional progression systems, appealing to both nostalgic fans and new players in the FPS genre.
Bushiroad Games, in collaboration with Frontwing, will release the visual novel "Perennial Dusk: Kinsenka" for PC in 2025, supporting English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese. The narrative, crafted by Yukito Urushibara and illustrated by Saine, follows young characters in a world of perpetual twilight as they face trauma and cruelty. The protagonist, Tachibana Sai, cannot feel emotional pain and seeks to protect his sister while becoming involved with Benio Matsuri, a girl from a family of Maledict Exorcists. The story unfolds in an apartment building called Maison sans Nom, featuring various characters, including Kanbara Tatsuki, Tsukahara Ao, Ando Meme, Kirishima Tsuyu, Kandori Yozora, and others, each with their own struggles. The main staff includes Yukito Urushibara for planning and story, Saine for character design and art, and Fuminori Matsumoto and Hitoshi Fujima for background music. The theme song is titled “Anata no Kioku no Naka de” (“In Your Memories”), performed by Mao Uesugi.
Eyeblossom flowers in Minecraft come in two variants: Open and Closed. Closed Eyeblossoms appear gray and upright during the day, while at night they bloom to reveal a glowing orange eye. Players can craft suspicious stews from these flowers, with the Open variant producing a stew that causes Blindness and the Closed variant causing Nausea. Eyeblossoms can also be used to create dyes: Open Eyeblossoms yield Orange dye and Closed Eyeblossoms yield Gray dye. Additionally, Eyeblossoms can communicate with each other when within a 3-block radius, sending out orange particles to signal blooming or closing. In bee-friendly environments, Open Eyeblossoms attract bees at night, which become poisoned upon contact for 1.25 seconds, although they can still pollinate the flowers.
The native File Explorer in Windows 11 is perceived by users as lacking in speed and functionality, prompting interest in alternative file management applications. Notable alternatives include:
- Files app: Features a modern design with Mica and Acrylic materials, dual-pane view for file transfers, and a compact overlay mode.
- Total Commander: Offers a dual-pane view by default, customizable interface, FTP support, and file compression capabilities.
- FreeCommander XE: Combines a dual-pane interface with enhanced readability, customizable menus, and additional tools for screenshots and file compression.
- OneCommander: Balances modern design with functionality, featuring a dual-pane view, preview pane, color-coded file labels, and batch processing capabilities.
- Directory Opus: Highly regarded for its efficiency, dual-pane layout, navigation tree, and extensive features including image conversion and customizable themes.
These applications can potentially replace File Explorer and serve as default file managers, enhancing user productivity and file management experiences.
Users are exploring alternatives to the default File Explorer in Windows 11, with OneCommander being a popular choice among enthusiasts. Various recommendations from the community include Total Commander and Directory Opus. A user experienced burn-in on their QD-OLED monitor after using a static image for a year but found relief by switching to dynamic wallpaper. They appreciate QD-OLED technology and plan to upgrade to a newer generation panel. The Linux ecosystem features numerous distributions, with the user rotating between NixOS, Pop_OS!, Debian, and Q4OS based on their needs. A user transformed an outdated dual-Xeon CPU and motherboard into a home lab and budget gaming system, highlighting its versatility. Despite being a professional writer, the user relies on four fingers for typing and feels retraining could hinder productivity. Their first laptop was a Dell Inspiron 8500, which sparked their interest in technology. Microsoft’s OneDrive integration in Windows 11 has mixed reviews, with some users disabling automatic backups for a cleaner workspace. The gradual rollout of Windows 11 version 24H2 has not introduced significant changes, leading some users to wait for broader adoption. A Discord server dedicated to co-working has helped one user maintain productivity while working from home. The challenge of non-repairable tech is noted, with companies like Framework promoting sustainability through repairable products. Opinions on drive partitioning vary, with some advocating for multiple partitions while others prefer a single partition for simplicity. Casual gaming with Vampire Survivors has become a favorite for low-stress gameplay. The need for RAM in gaming PCs is increasing, with 16GB being standard and 32GB ideal for many users. The user was motivated to build their first PC for better gaming performance, inspired by the original Titanfall game. They transformed an old PC into a smart home hub using Home Assistant, enhancing device management. Obsidian is being explored for running tabletop RPGs, showcasing its versatility. The user transitioned from the unreliable Snipping Tool to Greenshot for capturing screenshots. Odd-length M.2 drives are noted as scarce in consumer markets despite the rise of smaller NVMe SSDs. The user is exploring alternative browsers like Floorp and Vivaldi after years of using Chrome.
Liad Shnell, the Chief Technology Officer at Rakuten Viber, discussed key factors organizations should consider when selecting secure messaging applications. Important features include end-to-end encryption, global accessibility, integration capabilities, AI-driven extensibility, and privacy standards like SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR compliance. To mitigate phishing and malware risks, users should exercise caution with links and verify sender identities. Leading platforms like Viber implement security measures, such as filtering messages from unknown senders and using algorithms to block suspicious activities. The SANS 2024 Security Awareness Report indicates that 89% of respondents view social engineering attacks as a primary concern, emphasizing the need for security awareness programs, clear communication policies, and AI-driven detection tools. Balancing usability and security is essential, with a focus on user experience through AI-driven automation and zero trust principles. Emerging trends include post-quantum cryptography and enhanced AI detection capabilities to maintain authenticity in conversations as technology evolves.
The HP OmniStudio X AIO is priced at ,979.99 and features an Intel AI CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4050 GPU, with a 31.5-inch 4K UHD display. A budget-friendly 27-inch FHD option starts at ,479.99. The package includes a monitor with an adjustable stand, USB-C and power cables, a keyboard and mouse, a cable tidy clip, four AAA batteries, and setup instructions. The design is elegant and robust, allowing for tool-less assembly in under five minutes. Performance is solid for general use, with a peak temperature of 103°F during stress tests and low fan noise. The built-in 5MP IR camera offers clear imagery, and the speakers provide impressive sound quality. The HP OmniStudio X competes well against alternatives like the Lenovo Yoga AiO 9i and Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 5i. It has received various ratings: value 4/5, design 5/5, software & apps 5/5, display 5/5, performance 4/5, keyboard and mouse 4/5, and camera, mic, and audio 5/5, resulting in a total score of 4.5/5.
