What started out as a mission to gather sediment from an Antarctic ice shelf ended in a bit of a surprise when researchers discovered an array of strange creatures on the footage when they began to review it. Back in 2016, a team of scientists from around the world sought to learn more about the mysterious ecosystems under Antarctica's vast ice shelves - specifically, the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. The trip turned into a disaster, with the research team drilling through half a mile of ice o...

Stardock has been around for a long time - for more years, in fact, than the age of our youngest employee (I’m writing it this way because I like to make the long-timers feel old. ). I’ve been around for a little over five years now, and sometimes I have fun diving back into history and looking at things we’ve done in the past. I’ve mapped the history of WindowBlinds , dove deep into the evolution of PC icons , taken an ‘over the years’ look at th...

If you're the kind of person who can't wait to get your hands on the newest gaming systems when they release, then you're no stranger to holiday shortages and online scalpers. Big name systems are almost always released a month or two before the holiday season, prompting rushes to buy them up as presents for loved ones.  This past holiday season was no exception, but not for the usual reasons. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused supply issues for many industries: auto, mobile phones...

It's already been an exciting year for Stardock software - and it's only February! We are working on DeskScapes 11 still (you can see some  previews and walkthroughs) , but today I’d like to focus on our newly released beta for Tiles - what’s already there, and also what new things are coming to the app with the latest version. If you’re unfamiliar with the software, Tiles is a program that lets you create multiple desktops of related programs, fil...

Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation Massive v3.0 Update is Now Available Game rebalances, updated benchmarks/visual effects, performance optimizations, and much more For a detailed list of updates, view the changelog here . v3.0 is a complete overhaul of the game’s balance! Nothing is left untouched - this includes units, buildings, orbital abilities, and more . Our major focus during this update was to improve game balance and optimize performance. New maps, camp...

This week, in "science is cool," we have a new rocket launch from aerospace firm bluShift . Founded in 2014, this Brunswick, Maine based start-up company has devoted its research and development to creating a unique line of rockets powered by bio-derived fuels. Their goal has been to integrate multiple innovative technologies into a single motor for the first time ever, and also to use a sustainably farmed fuel that increases performance and mitigates impact on the environment. In additio...

I don’t know about you, but I play a lot of video games. Sure, what I’m playing ends up being cyclic - right now I’m on a huge Phasmophobia kick with my friends - but eventually, I always break out into something different. While I certainly have my favorite genres and styles, I try not to limit myself to only that and make sure that I break out into trying something out of my norm once in a while. I die a lot in Phasmophobia. I take solace in carrying arou...

Not to get super heavy or anything, but let me ask you: have you ever wished for just one more conversation with a loved one who's passed on? I think it's fairly safe to say that most people would answer yes to this question in some capacity - I know I sure would. I have said good-bye to many wonderful people in my life, and although when times get tough I can still hear them in my head and in my heart enough to imagine a pep talk from them, it's no substitute for having them here, in the fle...

Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation Massive v3.0 Update Coming Soon Game rebalances, updated benchmarks and visual effects, performance optimizations, and more Stardock has announced that a major v3.0 update will release on February 4th for its massive-scale RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation. This update is an overhaul of the game’s balance, with nothing left untouched - this includes units, buildings, orbital abilities, and more. “Game balance ...

One of Object Desktop’s greatest additions last year, Curtains lets you add new “modes” to Windows 10. With Curtains, you can customize the Start button, title bar buttons, and title bar, plus adjust hundreds of other small elements in Windows. You can be as specific and detailed as you want to be, or you can make broader, more subtle changes, whichever suits your preference best! One of the things you can do with Curtains is create and share your own styles. I’m de...

CES was alive and active this year, even if the format was just a little bit different. Completely virtual for 2021, the Consumer Electronics Show lived up to its name by showcasing many of the top names in tech - not to mention more than a few startups! - and playing host to plenty of exciting product launch announcements. There's obviously so much for me to cover here so that I'll barely scratch the surface, but let's take a look at some of the things I thought were pretty cool that popped ...

Are you a Microsoft Surface user? Whether you have an older Surface Pro or are up-to-date with the most recent model, take a moment to read on about a snazzy little app called TouchTasks. What is TouchTasks? TouchTasks is a touchscreen app for Windows that creates “zones” on your device so that you can easily access apps and tasks.The zones are conveniently located on the edge of the screen and will work in both portrait and landscape modes. You can customize each zone b...

Have you ever tried Augmented Reality before? To some extent, I think we've all had some exposure to it whether we've realized it or not; things like Pokemon Go, online vehicle demos, online store tours, and so much more, augmented reality has begun to permeate many different parts of our daily lives. Still, as active as we are as consumers, the market for higher tech AR seems to be in enterprise. This week is the annual CES conference, an influential tech event where companies tend to ann...

Happy New Year! Here’s hoping that 2021 is significantly kinder to us than 2020 was. To get back into the swing of things (I’ve just enjoyed a 2-week vacation and I need to find my groove again), let’s take another look at DeskScapes 11! I gave a little preview of the upcoming version of Deskscapes just before our holiday break, but today I want to focus on something a little more specific within the app: designing your own backgrounds (Dreams).  There are...

Happy 2021, everyone! Now that the holidays are over, it's back to accidentally writing the wrong year on everything for at least two weeks before everything starts to normalize and feel like routine again. Anyone have any major New Years resolutions? This is a little delayed, since it came out about a week ago, but I just couldn't stand the thought of people missing out on some dancing robots to ring in 2021. Boston Dynamics , who have become known over the last several years for their r...