Stardock Releases v1.9 Update for Start10, The Popular Windows Start Menu Application Stardock released v1.9 for Start10, an easy-to-use program that returns the familiar Start menu to Windows 10, today. The update includes quality of life improvements, language updates, and more.  With Start10, users can select the familiar Windows 7 style menu or the Modern design as the foundation of a custom Start menu experience. Changing out colors, applying textures, and setting u...

Over the last several weeks, large and small businesses alike have been forced to shutter their doors amid the COVID-19 crisis. As more and more people are confined to the safety of their homes, one pastime in particular has surged to the forefront: gaming. It's been reported that Nintendo Switch consoles are in short supply as individuals with a suddenly large amount of free time rushed to acquire the systems, gaming usage is up 75% according to Verizon, and Steam has seen record numbers ...

As I mentioned in a previous blog , I recently backed a Kickstarter campaign for a board game called Marvel United. The combination of the board game’s designer, publisher, and Marvel theme (I love me some Avengers - who’s your favorite?) had me on ‘board’ (I won’t ask for an excuse for the pun) immediately. First off, let me just start by saying this: as a fellow individual in marketing, I applaud their marketing team. The way they ran this c...

Over the last few months, the Covid-19 Pandemic has changed the way of life for millions of people around the world. Recently in the United States, schools have been closing across the country, prompting educators to do their best to get resources up online so that all learning doesn’t stagnate.   As children and their parents adjust to this temporary new normal, teachers have been working on setting up remote classrooms and teleconference lessons. To help, Google and YouTu...

I know there’s an overall stereotype about gamers being solitary and reclusive by nature, and while it’s not altogether untrue, there are definitely outliers. I’m one of them, and the coming weeks of isolation are looming over my head like an ominous shadow - dramatic, sure, but that’s not exactly off brand for me. I am an extremely social person. I host dinners and game nights regularly, I go to the gym (albeit not nearly as often as I’d like to), I visit w...

Ah, Kickstarter: the land of hopes, dreams, and thousands of people with cash to burn. In its earliest days, Kickstarter was a platform that provided creators with a venue for funding projects they otherwise would never be able to do on their own (and for some, couldn’t do even with successful funding).   Nowadays, Kickstarter is still an effective way for indie developers and other small creators to get their projects funded and out in the public eye, but it’s...

Stardock Announces CursorFX 4: Customize the Windows Mouse Cursor NEW CursorFX 4 beta available for current Object Desktop Members Stardock announced the next-generation version of its Windows® cursor customization application, CursorFX 4, today. With CursorFX, Windows users can instantly change their default mouse cursor on their computer with animated and themed cursor designs. CursorFX makes it easy for Windows users to customize their mouse cursors by ...

Photo Credit: Nintendo In an effort to save its struggling business, GameStop has appointed 3 new members to its executive board, including games-industry legend Reggie Fils-Aimé. He will be joined by former Walmart US President Bill Simon, and PetSmart CEO J.K. Symncyk.  Fils-Aimé announced the news on his personal Twitter on Monday, saying that “The gaming industry needs a healthy and vibrant GameStop.” The former Nintendo President/CO...

Space is fascinating - and, admittedly, a little bit terrifying. While I’ve always had a sense of awe for space exploration and discovery, I wouldn’t say that it’s something that I ever paid particularly close attention to.  My best friend, Brian, however, absolutely loved space and everything associated with it. He followed space launches, read endless articles and content online, and had several space books strewn throughout his apartment. When Offworld Tr...

Last Friday, organizers for the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) announced the cancellation of their 2020 event in San Francisco amid growing concerns over the coronavirus. Over the past few weeks, multiple companies including Sony, Microsoft, Epic Games, Electronic Arts, Facebook, Kojima Productions, Amazon, and more announced that they would be withdrawing from the event due to safety concerns. “After close consultation with our partners in the game development industry an...

Ever stop and think to yourself, “Gee, I spend too much time gaming”? ...Yeah, me neither. Back in January, TrueAchievements.com debuted a tool for XBox users called MyDecadeonXBox that will let users see their stats (time logged, achievements earned, etc.) from the past 10 years. Now, since I don’t own an XBox, I’ve dodged this uncomfortable reality, but there are plenty of other things like this that certainly call attention to how much time I spe...

I love board games. No, seriously, it’s gotten out of hand in the last few years. This is part of what my basement looks like: Yeah, this is only half of it. And yeah, those two black cubbies down there are also full of games. Ahem. Anyway.  It’s honestly been really cool to watch the hobby evolve over the last 10 or so years. I went to my first GenCon in 2014. If you’re not familiar with the convention, it’s been around since ...

Sonic the Hedgehog Smashes Box Office Expectations, Holds Record for Highest Opening Weekend of Any Video Game Movie Ever Paramount Pictures surpassed expectations with Sonic the Hedgehog this weekend, which opened to high praise from audiences and a gross of over $70 million domestically.  Creators of the movie faced internet backlash last year when they revealed the initial design for the titular character. Director Jeff Fowler was quick to answer fans on Twitt...

Earlier this week, a single tweet signaled the upcoming conclusion of a partnership between TCL and BlackBerry . Due to continually slowing growth in the smartphone market, BlackBerry announced via Twitter on Monday that their 4-year partnership would conclude in August of this year.  “We do regret to share however that as of August 31, 2020, TCL Communication will no longer be selling BlackBerry-branded mobile devices,” said a statement on the company&rsq...

Stardock Announces SoundPackager 10: Customize the Windows Sound Scheme NEW SoundPackager 10 Beta available for current Object Desktop Members Stardock announced the next-generation version of its Windows sound scheme manager, SoundPackager 10 today. SoundPackager allows Windows users to instantly change the default sounds on their computer with themed sound schemes called sound packages.  SoundPackager 10 adds cloud access to thousands of different sounds along wit...