Tag: 70%
The Sims 4 has reportedly reached 70 million players, announces new kits
In an announcement from EA (via BusinessWire), The Sims 4 has set a franchise record, having reportedly reached over 70 million players. That’s quite the feat, and also means that The Sims 4 has more players than there are people in the United Kingdom.
The Sims 4 launched just under a decade ago, in 2014. Recently, EA also revealed its upcoming Project Rene, which is the working title for what will, undoubtedly, be The Sims 5. That news is no dampener for The Sims 4, though, which has a committed community of Simmers who create impressive builds, tell engaging stories, and ultimately, have fun.
The announcement of The Sims 4 having reached 70 million players makes it the most-played game in The Sims 23-year franchise history. In addition to the news, the most recent expansion pack – Growing Together – has seen the most successful launch week of The Sims 4’s various expansions and kits.
This 120-inch portable projector just had its price slashed to $70
Deal: Save 70% on the award-winning Luminar Neo bundle
Catan creator Klaus Teuber has passed away at 70
Klaus Teuber, who created the board game sensation Settlers of Catan, has passed away at the age of 70. According to the official Catan website, Teuber died on April 1st after a “brief and severe illness.” He is survived by his wife Claudia and their two sons, Guido and Benny, all of which are involved with publisher Catan Studios.
It is hard to do justice to how important Catan was (and is) to the board game space. Teuber invented the multiplayer resource-trading game in 1995 and is one of the first European board games to achieve massive success throughout the rest of the world. As of 2020, over 32 million copies of Catan in 40 different languages have been sold globally.
It’s not just board games. The popularity of Catan has allowed for multiple digital versions available for smartphones, video game consoles and PCs. The game has also left quite a pop culture footprint, inspiring countless references in media properties like The Big Bang Theory, Parks and Recreation, Supergirl and South Park. It even inspired a short film in 2014, The Lord of Catan, starring Amy Acker. There have also been rumors of a forthcoming Sony-produced feature film floating around since 2015.
Teuber may be best known for creating Catan, but the designer also had his hand in many popular board games like Barbarossa, Wacky Wacky Wacky and more. All told, he won the Game of the Year award a whopping four times. Not bad for a former dental technician who didn’t even begin developing games seriously until the 1990s, when he was in his 40s.
“I developed games to escape,” he told The New Yorker in 2014. “This was my own world I created.”
It is with profound sadness that we at CATAN Studio acknowledge the passing of Klaus Teuber, legendary game designer and creator of the beloved board game CATAN. Our hearts go out to Klaus’ family during this incredibly difficult time. pic.twitter.com/gPPIVtleHJ
— CATAN – Official (@settlersofcatan) April 4, 2023
Teuber also founded publisher Catan Studios, which posted a memorial tweet today urging the title’s many fans to honor his impact on the world of gaming by “being kind to one another” and pursuing their dreams to the fullest.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/catan-creator-klaus-teuber-has-passed-away-at-70-163347610.html?src=rss
Star64 RISC-V Single-Board PC Launches April 4 for $70 and Up
Let me just quickly reiterate the Star64 features:
– Quad core 64bit RISC-V
– HDMI video output
– 4x DSI and 4x CSI lates
– i2c touch panel connector
– dual Gigabit Ethernet ports
– dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth
– 1x native USB3.0 port, 3x shared USB2.0 ports
– PCIe x1 open-ended slot and GPIO bus pins (i2c, SPI and UART).
– The board also features 128M QSPI flash and eMMC and microSD card slots.
The board will be available in two different RAM configurations — with 4GB and 8GB LPDDR4 memory for $69.99 and $89.99 respectively. The Star64 store page ought to already be live when you read this, but will be listed as out of stock until the 4th.
Liliputing offers this summary:
The Star64 is a single-board computer with a quad-core RISC-V processor, support for up to 8GB of RAM and up to 128GB of storage (as well as a microSD card reader). Developed by the folks at Pine64, it’s designed to be an affordable platform for developers and hobbyists looking to get started with RISC-V architecture. Pine64 first announced it was working on the Star64 last summer…
Meanwhile, PINE64’s Linux tablets, the PineTab2 and PineTab-V, will launch one week later on Tuesday, April 11th.
Other highlights from this month’s community update: there’s now a dedicated Debian with GNOME image with tailored settings for grayscale for their Linux-based “PineNote” e-ink tablets. (“Other OSes and desktop environments are being worked on too.”)
And the update also includes photos of one user’s cool 3D-printed replacement cases for their PinePhone featuring Tux the penguin.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The Series 8 is still $70 off, plus more of the best Apple Watch deals this week
UPDATE: Mar. 29, 2023, 1:30 p.m. EDT We’ve updated this post to reflect the most recent pricing and availability on Apple Watches.
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BEST OVERALL DEAL: The Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS) is the best upgrade choice if you also want standard fitness features — $329
$399at Amazon and Walmart (save $70) -
BEST LUXE DEAL: The Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS + cellular) with graphite stainless steel case comes with an extra fancy case and band — $429
$650at Walmart (save $220) -
BEST BUDGET PICK: The Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) is the watch to get if you’re looking for a basic experience that doesn’t break the bank — $239.99
$249at Amazon (save $9.01)
It’s been over seven years since the first generation Apple Watch began to grace people’s wrists. In that time, the Apple wearable has evolved in size and power, and naturally, because it’s Apple, price. If you’re into the idea of having a fitness tracker, an extension of your phone, and all the world’s conveniences (or, at least a few more than you’re used to) wrapped around your wrist, but aren’t into shelling out the max amount of cash, you’ve come to the right place. Every week, we’ll keep a watch out (too much?) and update this post with the best Apple Watch deals from across the internet.
Apple Watch Series 8 deals
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Our pick: Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS)
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Why we like it
The Series 8 discounts have been fluctuating these past few weeks, but with $70 off at Amazon and Walmart, now is the time to buy. While it’s not an essential upgrade for everyone, for those who like their health trackers and are on the last legs of an older watch, or investing in one for the first time, the Series 8 is a great pick, especially at this price.
More Apple Watch Series 8 deals
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Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm, GPS) — $329
$399at Amazon (save $70) -
Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm, GPS) — $359
$429at Amazon (save $70) -
Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm, GPS + cellular) — $459
$529at Amazon (save $70)
Apple Watch Series 7 deals
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Our pick: Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS + cellular)
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Why we like it
$300 for a watch that nearly resembles the Series 8 isn’t a bad deal. You’ll get your pick of colorways (which are more extensive than that of the newer gen), the same 18 hours of battery life as the Series 8, and the same CPU (aka you won’t notice a processing speed difference). The only reason we wouldn’t jump on this deal is if you’re not looking for a blood oxygen sensor or ECG monitoring, in which case you can get the experience you’re looking for in the second-gen SE for about $60 less.
More Apple Watch Series 7 deals
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Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm, GPS) — $329.99
$399at Target (save $69.01) -
Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm, GPS + cellular) with graphite stainless steel case — $429
$650at Walmart (save $220)
Apple Watch SE deals
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Our pick: Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS)
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Why we like it
Unless you’re into the blood oxygen and ECG sensors, we’re betting you won’t really notice the difference between the second-gen SE and the Series 8 (or the Series 7, tbh). The watch comes equipped with the same S8 chip, the same 18-hour battery life, and the same basic tracking features (steps, irregular heart rate notifications, etc) that got most people on the smartwatch train in the first place. Although $9 off isn’t bad, it’s not uncommon to see this watch drop to $30 off, so if you’re able to wait, we recommend being patient until a bigger price cut comes along.
More Apple Watch SE deals
Second generation
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Apple Watch SE (44mm, GPS) — $269.99
$279at Amazon (save $9.01)
First generation
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Apple Watch SE (40mm, GPS) — $199
$249at Walmart (save $50)
Apple Watch Ultra deals
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Apple Watch Ultra (49mm, GPS + cellular)
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Why we like it
We wouldn’t recommend this watch for everyone, but if you’re looking for a watch for the hardcore outdoor adventurer in your life, the Ultra is it. Its hefty price tag reflects an array of top-of-the-line features, including the largest watch face Apple’s ever made, built-in cellular, 36 hours of battery life, a titanium case, 100m water resistance, and a host of advanced fitness metrics. We know that $19 off is far from the best markdown we’ve seen for this watch, but it still beats paying full price.
You can save £70 on the excellent HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless gaming headset in Amazon’s Spring Sale
One last Amazon Spring Sale highlight from me today, readers, and I’m happy to say it’s a very personal recommendation. I’ve been using the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless almost every day since putting them on our best gaming headsets list – that was in June last year, and today, it’s a solid £70 off in the UK.