Posts with «hobbies & personal activities» label

The Espresso Series 1 is the new crown jewel in Fellow's coffee gadget lineup

Fellow has been slowly growing its collection of coffee gadgets with its brewers, scale, grinders and more. But up until now, there's always been a big hole in its lineup. That changes today with the arrival of the company's first espresso machine: the Espresso Series 1.

When I got to try it out a couple weeks ago prior to launch, Fellow CEO Jake Miller said the goal was to make a device that "baristas would be excited to use and that they could actually afford." That said, at $1,500, it certainly isn't cheap. However, when you start comparing the Espresso Series 1 capabilities to competing machines, that price quickly begins to make a lot of sense. That's because unlike a lot of similarly priced rivals, Fellow's offering offers a ton of ways to customize and adjust the brewing process, which includes control over not just temperature, but also pressure, extraction time, steaming and the ability to create or download profiles for specific beans.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

When compared to other modern machines, competitors like the $1,350 Meticulous support custom profiles and pressure settings, but it doesn't have a built-in steamer for milk like the Series 1. And if you want a ton of control over everything, espresso enthusiasts often look to even more complex and expensive options like the Decent, which goes for well over $3,000. So while Fellow's latest product might seem pricey, it feels very reasonable in context.

Now, I will admit that when I saw the Series 1 in its cherry red hero color, I thought Fellow had departed from its previous design language. But after closer inspection, it’s clear the company still retains its focus on clean lines while still making the device easy-to-use. It just has a bit more character now thanks to elements like the polished stainless metal brewer and the wood accents on the included 58mm portafilter's handle. The Series 1's base kit comes with both a single-wall double-shot basket and a pressurized double-shot basket. Fellow even went out of its way to create a rear housing made from a single sheet of metal with curvy corners, because the company wanted the back to look just as good as the front.

Similar to the Aiden, the Series 1 features a circular screen, except this time it's slightly larger. And while you can adjust everything using the espresso machine's single control dial, for more complex tasks like creating custom profiles, it'll probably be easier to use Fellow's free companion app (iOS and Android) instead.

When it comes to brewing, I really appreciate that if you just want a cup of espresso, the Series 1 streamlines things and makes it easy to bust out a cup quickly. There are three rather self-explanatory buttons on top for espresso, steaming and dispensing hot water. Plus, there are a ton of small but handy features like a temperature-sensing wand (with auto-purge) that helps take a lot of the guesswork out of making perfectly frothy milk. Fellow even thought about stuff like someone's daily workflow, which is why there's a small rubberized mat on top of the machine for storing demitasse cups.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Of course, the proof is in espresso. The Series 1 produced a cup with a surprising amount of crema that highlighted the beans' fruity notes. It was rich and smooth and pretty much everything I want in a shot of java. It also made the brewing process very approachable, because for people who might not have a ton of experience, there are guided brew settings as well.

Normally, when I want espresso, I go out to a coffee shop because I've yet to find a machine that hits the right balance between modern styling and ease of use while still having the ability to adjust and tinker with settings. But with the Espresso Series 1, it feels like Fellow has made a machine that delivers on everything that all levels of enthusiasts can get into.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Espresso Series 1 will be available for $1,500 in three colors: cherry red, malted chocolate and black. However, Fellow says early buyers can get a special launch price of $1,200, which includes a $100 credit for the company's Drops program that offers a curated selection of coffee beans for purchase.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/the-espresso-series-1-is-the-new-crown-jewel-in-fellows-coffee-gadget-lineup-170008473.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day 2024: Everything we know about Amazon's sale in July

Amazon Prime Day 2024 is coming soon, and if history is any indication, it will bring a swath of discounts on everything from gadgets to clothes to household necessities. If you’re a Prime member, you’ll have access to all of the Amazon Prime Day deals, which is great in theory, but it will undoubtedly make Amazon's website overwhelming during the shopping event. Engadget will be surfacing all of the best tech deals we can find – both on Amazon and elsewhere – during Prime Day, but there are some important things to know ahead of time so you can get exactly what you want out of this year’s event. Here's everything we know so far about Amazon Prime Day 2024, and what to consider before it arrives.

When is Amazon Prime Day?

We do not have official dates for Prime Day 2024 yet, but we do know it’ll be back sometime in July. The shopping event focuses on exclusive deals for Prime members, which means you’ll have to be a Prime subscriber on Prime Day to take advantage of most of the savings. Amazon still offers a 30-day free trial to new Prime subscribers, so you can start your free trial closer to July and participate in the event.

If you don’t pay for Prime and have no intention of doing so, you should still check out Amazon on Prime Day for sales that are available to all shoppers — there are always a few of them. Plus, it’s very likely that other retailers like Target and Best Buy will have their own competing Prime Day sales during that time frame, too.

Speaking of competitors, Walmart just announced that its version of Prime Day, dubbed Walmart+ Week, will take place June 17 through June 23. Walmart+ Week offers exclusive deals for Walmart+ members, and the retail giant appears to be placing a lot of emphasis on gas and travel discounts this year. It's currently teasing 20 cents off every gallon of gas purchased at Exxon and Mobil stations, as well as 20 percent Walmart Cash back on travel accommodations purchased through Walmart+ Travel. However, that's not to say we won't see discounts on other items, including electronics, during Walmart's members-only shopping event.

Amazon Prime Day deals

Amazon Prime Day typically lasts two days, but for the past few years, the company has started pushing out deals well before the event actually kicks off. We anticipate the same happening this year, with early Prime Day deals kicking off possibly as soon as Amazon officially announces the dates of Prime Day 2024.

Be they early Prime Day deals or day-of sales, Amazon gadgets are almost guaranteed to be on sale for the event. You can safely bet on things like Echo speakers, Kindle e-readers and Fire TV devices to be at record-low prices for Prime Day, so if you’ve had your eye on one of those items, it’s worth waiting for those deals to drop. Prime Day is only matched by Black Friday in its discounts, so while that means you will likely have another chance to get that smart speaker for dirt cheap, it probably won’t be until the holiday shopping season.

Amazon gadgets will not be the only items discounted on Prime Day. You’ll find clothes, shoes, household items, appliances, accessories and more on sale, but here at Engadget, we’ll naturally be focusing on electronics. We expect this year’s Prime Day to be like last year’s, in that it will bring big discounts on headphones, earbuds, gaming accessories, SSDs and microSD cards, robot vacuums and more.

It’s also worth mentioning the types of deals you can expect to see on Prime Day. Some deals will be live for the entire event (which is usually two full days), while others will only last for 24 hours. Those are the hardest to predict, since Amazon usually does not give any indication how long a given sale will last. Our recommendation is to buy the things you’re most keen on as soon as you see them drop in price – that will ensure you get it while the discount is available, and while the item is still in stock.

You can also expect to see some “Lightning deals” happen during Prime Day. Thankfully, these are usually clearly labeled with the amount of time remaining to grab the deal noted on the product page. In our experience, only a handful of these flash sales are actually worth your money, but if you see something that’s been on your wishlist drop in price for only a few hours, it’s in your best interest to grab it immediately.

Engadget will be covering Amazon Prime Day in its entirety, so if you have a lot of tech on your to-buy list, be sure to check back here on Prime Day for the best tech sales we could find. We’ll be sure to include gadgets from across the board – from headphones to robot vacuums to gaming gear – plus the best “anti-Prime Day” deals you can find from other retailers. You can also follow the @EngadgetDeals Twitter account and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter to stay up to date on the latest discounts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-2024-everything-we-know-about-amazons-sale-in-july-110027335.html?src=rss

You can keep your favorite Disney/Pixar characters as virtual pets with the new Bitzee

The Bitzee virtual pet line is expanding to bring some familiar characters into the family, plus some all new ones. Spin Master, which introduced Bitzee to the US last summer, is now gearing up to release two new versions of the device later this year: Bitzee Disney and Bitzee Magicals. The former will feature 30 characters from the Disney/Pixar universe, including Stitch, Olaf, Nemo and Dory, Remy, Mike Wazowski and Sully, and Heihei. 

Unlike most digital pet toys, Bitzee doesn’t have a screen. Instead, it functions almost like a pettable hologram in a box, with movement-based controls and a flapping flexible display that allows the player to physically interact with the character. You can run your finger along the top of the display to pet the creature that’s being projected, for example, or rock the little box from side to side to put it to bed. There's also a small swipe bar that serves as a way to navigate the menu of activities. 

On top of mini-games and caretaking tasks, there will be a replayable animation representing a memorable movie moment for each of the characters featured in Bitzee Disney. (Dory from Finding Nemo greets you by speaking whale.) Bitzee Magicals, on the other hand, will introduce entirely new characters, including some adorable cryptid-inspired creatures like a Yeti, Nessie and two versions of a Jackalope. Bitzee Magicals also mixes things up a bit with the addition of a magic wand feature that might, say, temporarily turn your pet into a duck on a skateboard. It’s pretty cute. You’ll also be able to change your pets’ colors by collecting potions.

Spin Master

Bitzee is a pretty low-stakes virtual pet game; if you forget about your pets for a while or just don’t do a great job of taking care of them, they’re not going to die on you. This makes them particularly good for kids who might not be ready yet for a virtual pet as demanding as a Tamagotchi, but also for adults who just like to have something on their desk that they can fidget with here and there. Just close the box, and the pet will go into sleep mode. 

Bitzee Disney is available to pre-order for $35 on Amazon today, while pre-orders for Bitzee Magicals ($30) will open on July 1. Both are slated to ship in the fall.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-keep-your-favorite-disneypixar-characters-as-virtual-pets-with-the-new-bitzee-130042504.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day 2024: Everything to know about the big sale in July

Amazon Prime Day 2024 is coming soon, now's the time to start thinking about the things you’ll want to look for once the deals arrive. Everything from gadgets to clothes to household necessities will be on sale during the shopping event, and if you’re a Prime member, you’ll have access to all of the Amazon Prime Day deals. Engadget will be surfacing all of the best tech deals we can find – both on Amazon and elsewhere – but there are some important things to know ahead of time so you can get exactly what you want out of this year’s Prime Day.

When is Amazon Prime Day?

We do not have official dates for Prime Day 2024 yet, but we do know it’ll be back sometime in July. The shopping event focuses on exclusive deals for Prime members, which means you’ll have to be a Prime subscriber on Prime Day to take advantage of most of the savings. Amazon still offers a 30-day free trial to new Prime subscribers, so you can start your free trial closer to July and participate in the event.

If you don’t pay for Prime and have no intention of doing so, you should still check out Amazon on Prime Day for sales that are available to all shoppers — there are always a few of them. Plus, it’s very likely that other retailers like Target and Best Buy will have their own competing Prime Day sales during that time frame, too.

Speaking of competitors, Walmart just announced that its version of Prime Day, dubbed Walmart+ Week, will take place June 17 through June 23. Walmart+ Week offers exclusive deals for Walmart+ members, and the retail giant appears to be placing a lot of emphasis on gas and travel discounts this year. It's currently teasing 20 cents off every gallon of gas purchased at Exxon and Mobil stations, as well as 20 percent Walmart Cash back on travel accommodations purchased through Walmart+ Travel. However, that's not to say we won't see discounts on other items, including electronics, during Walmart's members-only shopping event.

Amazon Prime Day deals

Amazon Prime Day typically lasts two days, but for the past few years, the company has started pushing out deals well before the event actually kicks off. We anticipate the same happening this year, with early Prime Day deals kicking off possibly as soon as Amazon officially announces the dates of Prime Day 2024.

Be they early Prime Day deals or day-of sales, Amazon gadgets are almost guaranteed to be on sale for the event. You can safely bet on things like Echo speakers, Kindle e-readers and Fire TV devices to be at record-low prices for Prime Day, so if you’ve had your eye on one of those items, it’s worth waiting for those deals to drop. Prime Day is only matched by Black Friday in its discounts, so while that means you will likely have another chance to get that smart speaker for dirt cheap, it probably won’t be until the holiday shopping season.

Amazon gadgets will not be the only items discounted on Prime Day. You’ll find clothes, shoes, household items, appliances, accessories and more on sale, but here at Engadget, we’ll naturally be focusing on electronics. We expect this year’s Prime Day to be like last year’s, in that it will bring big discounts on headphones, earbuds, gaming accessories, SSDs and microSD cards, robot vacuums and more.

Engadget will be covering Amazon Prime Day in its entirety, so if you have a lot of tech on your to-buy list, be sure to check back here on Prime Day for the best tech sales we could find. We’ll be sure to include gadgets from across the board – from headphones to robot vacuums to gaming gear – plus the best “anti-Prime Day” deals you can find from other retailers. You can also follow the @EngadgetDeals Twitter account and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter to stay up to date on the latest discounts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-2024-everything-to-know-about-the-big-sale-in-july-110027328.html?src=rss

Amazon Prime Day 2024: Everything you need to know about the upcoming sale in July

Amazon Prime Day 2024 is coming soon, so it’s a good time to start thinking about the things you’ll want to look for once the deal wave hits. Everything from gadgets to clothes to household necessities will be on sale during the event, and if you’re a Prime member, you’ll have access to all of the Amazon Prime Day deals. Engadget will be surfacing all of the best tech deals we can find – both on Amazon and elsewhere – but there are some important things to know ahead of time so you can get exactly what you want out of this year’s Prime Day.

When is Amazon Prime Day?

We do not have official dates for Prime Day 2024 yet, but we do know it’ll be back sometime in July. The shopping event focuses on exclusive deals for Prime members, which means you’ll have to be a Prime subscriber on Prime Day to take advantage of most of the savings. Amazon still offers a 30-day free trial to new Prime subscribers, so you can start your free trial closer to July and participate in the event.

If you don’t pay for Prime and have no intention of doing so, you should still check out Amazon on Prime Day for sales that are available to all shoppers — there are always a few of them. Plus, it’s very likely that other retailers like Walmart and Target will have their own competing Prime Day sales during that time frame, too.

Amazon Prime Day deals

Amazon Prime Day typically lasts two days, but for the past few years, the company has started pushing out deals well before the event actually kicks off. We anticipate the same happening this year, with early Prime Day deals kicking off possibly as soon as Amazon officially announces the dates of Prime Day 2024.

Be they early Prime Day deals or day-of sales, Amazon gadgets are almost guaranteed to be on sale for the event. You can safely bet on things like Echo speakers, Kindle e-readers and Fire TV devices to be at record-low prices for Prime Day, so if you’ve had your eye on one of those items, it’s worth waiting for those deals to drop. Prime Day is only matched by Black Friday in its discounts, so while that means you will likely have another chance to get that smart speaker for dirt cheap, it probably won’t be until the holiday shopping season.

Amazon gadgets will not be the only items discounted on Prime Day. You’ll find clothes, shoes, household items, appliances, accessories and more on sale, but here at Engadget, we’ll naturally be focusing on electronics. We expect this year’s Prime Day to be like last year’s, in that it will bring big discounts on headphones, earbuds, gaming accessories, SSDs and microSD cards, robot vacuums and more.

Engadget will be covering Amazon Prime Day in its entirety, so if you have a lot of tech on your to-buy list, be sure to check back here on Prime Day for the best tech sales we could find. We’ll be sure to include gadgets from across the board – from headphones to robot vacuums to gaming gear – plus the best “anti-Prime Day” deals you can find from other retailers. You can also follow the @EngadgetDeals Twitter account and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter to stay up to date on the latest discounts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-2024-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-upcoming-sale-in-july-110027418.html?src=rss

Apple's 10th-gen iPad falls to an all-time low of $300

Apple's 10th-gen iPad has become a much better value after a permanent $100 price cut earlier this month, and now a new discount has made it even more affordable. The 10.9-inch tablet is on sale for $300 at Amazon, which is the lowest price we've seen to date. Just note that you'll need to clip an on-page coupon to see the full discount, and that the deal only applies to the blue and silver finishes as of this writing. For reference, Apple sells the slate for $349, though we previously saw it drop around $330 a couple weeks back. 

Be aware that this deal is for models with 64GB of storage; if you need more space, 256GB versions are also $49 off and down to a low of $450. Again, just clip the on-page coupon to get the final price. All of these offers are available at Costco as well, but only for subscribers to that retailer's membership plan. (Amazon's deals are likely price matches.) Costco's listing says the sale will run through May 31.

We gave the 10th-gen iPad a review score of 85 back in October 2022, and it's now the budget pick in our iPad buying guide. The latter is somewhat by default, since this is the only iPad available for less than $350. Still, it's a great tablet for the money. It has a similar design as the more expensive iPad Air, with a crisp display, a clean aluminum frame, thin bezels, a Touch ID reader and a USB-C port. Its battery life is about the same at 10-ish hours, and its A14 Bionic chip remains plenty fast for the things most people do with an iPad, be it streaming Netflix, playing the occasional game or doing basic work. Like Apple's pricier tablets, its front camera is located on its long edge, which is a more natural location for group FaceTime calls.

To be clear, if you can afford one of the new iPad Airs, we think it's worth it. Those are available in 11- and 13-inch sizes and include a host of upgrades that add up to a more pleasing experience. Those include a faster and more futureproof M2 chip, double the RAM and default storage and a laminated display (which means there's no visible "gap" between the front glass and the display itself). The Air is also compatible with better accessories, such as the new Pencil Pro stylus. Here, you're limited to the cheaper USB-C Pencil, which lacks pressure sensitivity, or the old first-gen Pencil, which requires a mess of adapters to charge. If you can find a last-gen iPad Air for cheap before it goes fully out of stock, that should remain a better value as well. Still, if you just want a tablet for the essentials and are looking to spend as little as possible, the entry-level model gets you the core iPad experience at a good price. This deal only furthers that.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-10th-gen-ipad-falls-to-an-all-time-low-of-300-141556793.html?src=rss

A popular Japanese digital pet with the weirdest mode of interaction is coming to the US

Japan’s hit virtual pet, Punirunes, will be released in the US this summer and I can almost guarantee most of you have never seen a toy quite like this before. A play on the Japanese mimetic word for “squishy” (punipuni), Punirunes has a design quirk that sets it apart from other gadgets of its ilk: a doughy button at the center of the device that serves to simulate physical contact with your pet. How do you get to that button? By sticking your finger into the quarter-sized hole in the side of the plastic shell.

It is undeniably a little weird. The device will even display an animation of your finger on the screen when you do this (you can choose from a variety of skin colors during setup). But once you get past the strangeness of the aforementioned act and really get into the things it allows you to do, Punirunes’ oddest feature actually makes for a pretty rich virtual pet experience. The squishy button feels like a joystick wrapped in mochi, which makes sense because the characters themselves are adorable, gummy-like creatures that start their lives as small blobs. You can pat them on the head to show them affection and bounce them to catch items; you can even drag them around to clean the virtual floor using their sticky bodies as a mop.

Spin Master/Takara Tomy

The device has a full-color, LCD display and the potential to raise 55 different characters. There are 6 built-in games, each of which make use of the squish mechanism, plus a food cooking activity in which you have to mix the ingredients yourself. To play the mini-games or visit the other locations — including the marketplace and the forest — you have to bounce your character through a window portal Super Mario 64-style. You can also accessorize your pet and change up the decor in its room. I've been playing around with Punirunes for a few days now, and I've got to say, I'm having a lot of fun with it. The characters are so cute it hurts. 

Spin Master/Takara Tomy

Anyone who follows the digital pet space closely has probably come across Punirunes at some point. The toys were first released in Asian markets from Takara Tomy in 2021 and have since grown to include multiple generations of the devices. They even inspired an anime series, which was released in the fall of 2022. I myself have had my eye on Punirunes for some time, but was hesitant to purchase the Japanese-language version because the gameplay seemed a bit more complex than something like a Tamagotchi.

Their expansion to the US comes through a partnership with Spin Master, the company behind Paw Patrol, Hatchimals and a slew of other popular kids’ brands. Punirunes will make its US debut in August and be available in the teal shell from all major retailers for $40.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-popular-japanese-digital-pet-with-the-weirdest-mode-of-interaction-is-coming-to-the-us-130050165.html?src=rss

It's a golden age of puzzle games, even for people who suck at puzzle games

I’m a big fan of the British comedy game show Taskmaster. Each season, five comedians compete against each other to complete ridiculous objectives. The competitors are often rewarded for lateral thinking, as long as they stick within each task's rules.

Every time I watch a player hilariously mess up, I often think “well, I could do better than that.” But sit me down in front of a puzzle game that demands adept use of logic or pushes me to think outside of the box, and l often get frustrated and give up quickly (unless I find a decent guide to help me out). That’s quite irritating, especially since we’re in a golden age of puzzle games.

After a busy day of work, I’m far more inclined to play something relatively mindless, like Overwatch 2 or Fortnite. I tend to bristle at anything that slows me down, such as turn-based games. But the more I push myself to stick with puzzle games, the more I appreciate them. There are three recently released options that I've been bouncing between recently in Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Animal Well and Paper Trail.

I had enormous expectations for Lorelei. The last offering from developer Simogo, Sayonara Wild Hearts, is easily in my top three games of all time. Lorelei is completely different and it's not like anything I’ve experienced before.

It opens with a woman named Lorelei standing next to her car. The vehicle won't start, but fortunately there's a hotel close by. As it turns out, that's where Lorelei is supposed to be to help an artist complete his magnum opus. This is a place where time is nebulous. It's 1963, but there are computers where you save your progress and a Game Boy-style system to use. The hotel is the only real constant, and even that is built out of puzzles.

The visuals are astonishing, even on the Nintendo Switch. Shocks of Giallo-esque reds and pinks frequently punch through the monochromatic environments. The design language is unusual yet meticulously crafted to guide you from one puzzle to the next until Lorelei's photographic memory is overflowing with conundrums to conquer.

There are all kinds of riddles to solve here, and they all feel intertwined. At first, you’ll have a few simple math problems to figure out. From there, you’ll be dealing with everything from mazes to pattern matching and spatial awareness puzzles. You’ll need a decent grasp of Roman numerals and the ability to pull together disparate scraps of information. Unfortunately for my scatterbrained self, plenty of logical thinking is required.

I’m nowhere close to finishing Lorelei. Even so, I already appreciate the way that Simogo slotted the intricately layered puzzles together. My only quibble in the early going is the over-reliance on padlocks and three-digit codes that secure document tubes.

My brain is not well tuned for logic-heavy puzzles, so I need to be in the right mindset before sitting down with Lorelei for an hour or two. I want to savor this one at my own pace over the coming weeks and months. I'll forego guides and try to figure out another of Simogo’s strange, intoxicating worlds by myself.

While Lorelei gives the player an in-game manual in the opening moments, Animal Well offers barely any guidance at all. You (as a squishy little meatball thing) emerge from a flower into a cave with a large, ghostly squirrel on one side. It's not clear which direction to move in, what the objective is, what your character is or why you're there. All you can do is explore and try to figure it all out.

This has been described as a Metroidvania, a format that sees players backtracking to unlock a new area once they acquire a certain skill or upgrade. It’s taking most folks between four and six hours to finish the main game. But Animal Well is really more of a puzzle platformer. If you know what to do and how to do it, it’s possible to beat the game in a few minutes.

That’s part of Animal Well’s charm and beauty. Solo developer Billy Basso has weaved an intricate web of secrets, many of which are hidden in the shadows of its gorgeous pixel art (the game feels great too, thanks to smart use of haptic feedback on the PS5's DualSense controller). Without spoiling anything, I appreciate that the puzzles, many of which are traversal-based, are often open-ended. There are ways to progress even if you don't use an intended item or route.

I don't find the puzzles here nearly as taxing as those in Lorelei. The answers are all there, you just have to poke around and try things to see what happens.

The same could be said for Paper Trail from Newfangled Games. The painterly art style caught my eye when this started showing up at game showcases a couple of years back. The core mechanic is fascinating too.

The aim is to guide protagonist Paige through a swathe of mazy environments toward her goal of attending school and becoming an astrophysicist. But there are many obstacles in her way. Fortunately, Paige (and the player) can bend reality. This means folding over the edges of the world, which has two plains — just like a piece of paper — to open up new paths.

Newfangled finds clever ways of building on the central idea and the difficulty curve is fair but challenging. Paper Trail has a nice hint system that shows what folds to make, but not how to move Paige or any objects around.

Although the controls can be finicky, even while playing it on mobile (where it's available for Netflix subscribers), it's perhaps the puzzle game I've found the easiest to engage with lately. I enjoy contorting the world around Paige and lining up some patterns to unlock a path. It's the kind of game that makes me feel smart and satisfied whenever I figure out a solution.

I wager that the more I play these games and ones like them, the better I’ll get. We’ve had some downright great puzzle-centric titles over the last few years. Unpacking, Tunic and Cocoon immediately spring to mind. So does Teardown and its wildly fun destructive heists. Planet of Lana, Venba, Viewfinder, Humanity and Jusant were all among my favorite 2023 games in general.

I wish I'd been able to get into The Case of the Golden Idol, but I at least appreciate what it was going for. I might also finally get around to checking out Chants of Sennaar now that it's on Game Pass.

The puzzle games keep coming, as a Zelda-style adventure called Isles of Sea and Sky just popped up and grabbed my attention. And then there’s Indika, which sounds both deeply strange and remarkably mature.

In any case, as in all great puzzle games, there's a bigger picture. All of these are merely practice for the ultimate test, because a VR version of Taskmaster is coming in June. I'll soon get to find out whether I'm better at lateral thinking than comedians after all.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/its-a-golden-age-of-puzzle-games-even-for-people-who-suck-at-puzzle-games-130024186.html?src=rss

The 'Doge' dog has died

The dog who inspired the famous meme coin Dogecoin has died, according to a post on Instagram by its owner. Kabosu, an adorable Shiba Inu, was likely around 18 years old, though owner Atsuko Sato doesn’t know the exact birthdate of the rescue pup.

“She quietly passed away as if asleep while I caressed her,” she wrote in a blog post published by The Guardian. “I think Kabo-chan was the happiest dog in the world. And I was the happiest owner.”

The Japanese dog not only inspired Dogecoin, but the iconic 2010 photo became the source of a vast collection of internet memes. Some have even called Kabosu the “Mona Lisa of the internet.” Sato snapped the photo two years after rescuing the dog from a puppy farm, in which she would have likely been put down. The image shows Kabosu with her paws on the sofa while giving the camera, well, a sort of grin. 

The Doge Meme dog, Kabosu has died.

She was 18 years old. pic.twitter.com/ScMhYn2kuF

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) May 24, 2024

The photo became an NFT digital artwork that sold for $4 million, back when NFTs were a thing that people paid money for. As for the memecoin, it started as a joke by two software engineers but has now risen to be the eighth-most valuable cryptocurrency with a market capitalization of $23 billion. The price has ticked up today, likely by news of Kabosu’s passing.

Dogecoin was most famously backed by Elon Musk, even becoming available as currency to buy certain Tesla products. Other famous backers include Snoop Dogg, Gene Simmons and Mark Cuban, to name just a few.

Dogecoin has also inspired a bunch of other memecoins, from the spin-off Shiba Inu coin to cryptocurrency coins based on cats, Elon Musk and, sigh, even Donald Trump. These coins are known to be highly volatile, so invest at your own risk. Dogecoin, however, has remained mostly stable for a while now.

Musk has long-been the primary cheerleader behind Dogecoin, even changing the Twitter icon to the image of the Shiba Inu, before he pivoted to X. He also single-handily wiped out most of the coin’s value during his disastrous SNL performance and has been accused of using it to defraud investors and create a pyramid scheme.

have u guys seen the kabosu statue pic.twitter.com/J3Tmz8gbUh

— the dog dot com V2.0 ♖ (@shibainucore) November 3, 2023

A statue of Kabosu was erected in Sakura, Japan in November of last year. Reporting indicates that it cost $100,000 to build. “In the last few years I’ve been able to connect the online version of Kabosu, all these unexpected things seen from a distance, with our real lives,” Sato wrote. She has used the virality of her beloved Shiba inu to donate large sums to charities, including more than $1 million to Save the Children. Godspeed, you adorable pup.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-doge-dog-has-died-162733508.html?src=rss

LG C4 OLED TVs are down to record-low prices ahead of Memorial Day

LG’s latest OLED smart TVs are on sale via Amazon. These are the C4 models and not the pricier G4 flagship displays, but they still boast plenty of bells and whistles for the discerning couch potato. The deals apply to just about every size, from 42-inches all the way up to 83-inches.

The best discount for most people, however, is for the 55-inch evo C4. This model is available for $1,697, which is 15 percent off. The 65-inch model is also 15 percent off, bringing the price down to $2,297.

No matter which size you choose, this is a lot of TV bang for your buck. The LG C4 evo series feature powerful Alpha Gen 7 chips, improved brightness when compared to previous generations and plenty of built-in AI for upscaling and the like. They also include gorgeous OLED panels.

The brightness levels on these panels hit nearly 1,000 nits, which is a fantastic metric for OLED screens. It’s not as bright as Mini LED TVs, but it’s getting there. In addition, these TVs support 144Hz refresh rates for gaming and compatibility for both G-Sync and AMD Freesync. These sets can even pair wirelessly with compatible LG soundbars, for a hassle-free way to experiment with surround sound.

As previously mentioned, all C4 sizes are discounted, but that doesn’t mean they are budget-friendly. Even with today’s discount, the 83-inch model clocks in at a whopping $5,000. The 77-inch model comes in at $3,297 and the diminutive 42-inch version costs $1,297.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lg-c4-oled-tvs-are-down-to-record-low-prices-ahead-of-memorial-day-160940240.html?src=rss