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Valve has officially added an LGBTQ+ tag to Steam to help gamers discover games with LGBTQ+ themes. Valve has also added a new hub for games tagged as LGBTQ+, which should help indie developers get their titles noticed in a crowded market.
Steam is the marketplace for games used by the majority of PC gamers. There are thousands of games available on Steam, making it difficult for smaller developers to get their titles noticed. Which is what makes tags and tagging so useful.
Steam uses approved tags and non-approved tags. Approved tags can be added by developers, allowing Steam’s algorithms to surface and recommend games. Whereas non-approved tags let individual users sort their games without affecting discoverability.
Steam has never had an official, globally approved tag for the LGBTQ+ community. However, with indie developers increasingly catering to LGBTQ+ gamers, the lack of an official tag has prevented some solid games from finding a wider (but targeted) audience.
As first reported by Kotaku, an indie developer named Yitz raised this issue with Valve. And after a discussion where other developers expressed their (admittedly mixed) opinions on the matter, Valve added LGBTQ+ as a globally approved tag.
Steam finally adds official LGBTQ+ tag for games https://t.co/fAOzf9g7RG pic.twitter.com/bTc849VuSe
— Kotaku (@Kotaku) June 20, 2019
The new LGBTQ+ tag means there’s also an LGBTQ+ hub page allowing you to “browse the newest, top selling and discounted LGBTQ+ products on Steam”. This is currently pretty sparse, but that should change as more developers add the LGBTQ+ tag to their titles.
This tag gives games with LGBTQ+ themes their own space on Steam. Which is obviously good for gamers who want to be able to discover those games quickly and easily. And people who aren’t interested in LGBTQ+ games can just as easily ignore them.
Tech companies are slowly seeking to be more inclusive. And in the same way that adding your sexual orientation to Tinder can help you match with the right people, this new tag should help gamers identify games they’re interested (or not interested) in playing.
Image Credit: Hanna Sorensson/Flickr
Read the full article: Valve Adds an LGBTQ+ Tag to Steam Games
Microsoft has made plenty of mistakes over the years, but none greater than fudging its mobile strategy. This isn’t my opinion, but the opinion of Bill Gates, founder and former CEO and chairman of Microsoft. In other words, the person that should know.
Gates revealed his “greatest mistake ever” in an interview with venture capital firm Village Global. After being asked about his attitude to work/life balance, Gates opens up about how Microsoft missed the boat on the emerging mobile market, letting Android dominate.
He said:
“In the software world, particularly for platforms, these are winner-take-all markets. So the greatest mistake ever is whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is.”
“That is, Android is the standard phone platform; non-Apple phone platform. That was a natural thing for Microsoft to win. And it really is winner take all.”
“If you’re there with half as many apps or 90 percent as many apps, you’re on your way to complete doom. There’s room for exactly one non-Apple operating system and what’s that worth? $400 billion that would, you know, be transferred from company G to company M.”
There WAS room for three mobile operating systems, but Microsoft never recovered from that initial mistake. The company is now doing well under Satya Nadella, but as we all use our smartphones more and more, Microsoft’s mistake gets costlier every year.
Some are wondering why Gates is claiming personal responsibility for Microsoft’s failed mobile strategy. After all, Gates stepped down as CEO in 2000, years before iOS and Android battled for supremacy while Windows Mobile failed to gain traction.
Steve Ballmer was in charge of Microsoft at the time this was playing out, and he famously laughed at the iPhone for being overpriced and unattractive to businesses. So perhaps Gates actually regrets stepping down and handing Ballmer the reins when he did.
Gates shouldn’t be too hard on himself. He founded a company that has dominated the technology industry for decades, and made him richer than some countries. Still, with the end of Windows 10 Mobile, Gates is clearly reflecting on a genuine misstep.
Image Credit: Herkko Hietanen/Flickr
Read the full article: Bill Gates Reveals His “Greatest Mistake Ever”
Minecraft is one of the most popular and enduring games ever created. Thanks to the Minecraft Hour of Code, it’s also an excellent way for kids to learn the basics of programming.
Want to know more about how Minecraft Hour of Code tutorials can benefit young coders? Keep reading!
First introduced in 2011, Minecraft is a sandbox video game created and designed by Swedish game designer, Markus “Notch” Persson. Now published by the Microsoft-owned Mojang, the game allows players to build with a variety of 3D digital cubes to create a virtual world. In doing so, you can explore, gather resources, craft, combat, and more, both in single player and multiplayer modes.
In 2014, Microsoft acquired Mojang for $2.5 billion. By early 2018, over 176 million copies of Minecraft have been sold across all platforms. It’s the best-selling video game of all time!
Founded in 2013, Code.org is a non-profit organization that encourages students to learn computer science at school and at home. Through its website, the organization offers free coding sessions for anyone who has a desire to learn.
Code.org’s “Hour of Code Challenge” was first launched during Computer Science Education Week in 2013. It encourages students to complete short programming tutorials over the course of an hour. Since then, the number of one-hour coding tutorials has grown considerably.
The challenge has gone global, with tutorials available in over 63 languages and 180+ countries. Code.org has as focus on underrepresented demographics, with the majority of students either female or from a minority group.
Through a partnership between Microsoft and Code.org, a Minecraft Hour of Code was first introduced in 2015. Designed for kids aged six and older, the tutorial offers the basics of programming within the Minecraft platform. After that, gamers complete 14 challenges based on what they’ve have learned.
As Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella explained:
“A core part of our mission to empower every person on the planet is equipping youth with computational thinking and problem-solving skills to succeed in an increasingly digital world. With ‘Minecraft’ and Code.org, we aim to spark creativity in the next generation of innovators in a way that is natural, collaborative and fun.”
To date, there are four Minecraft Hour of Code tools for would-be coders:
With each tutorial, you learn the basics of computer science by programming a virtual character through a top-down view of the Minecraft world. For this, you use Blockly, a client-side JavaScript library for creating visual block programming languages.
Created by Google and released as open source under the Apache 2.0 license, Blockly uses linked blocks to write programs. As you drag and drop the boxes, you generate code in JavaScript, Python, PHP, or Dart. Blockly can also be customized to make the code in any textual computer language.
The first decision you make in your chosen Minecraft Hour of Code is selecting a character, Alex, or Steve. From there, the window splits into three parts.
Each lesson works in the same way and begins with an introductory video. Let’s find out more about each Minecraft Hour of Code tutorial.
The first collaboration between Microsoft and Code.org, Minecraft Adventurer is available via your web browser. You can also download a copy for offline use; it comes in various languages for both Windows and Mac.
The latter is ideal if you have slow internet or you wish to download and install it on multiple PCs.
To start coding in Minecraft Adventurers, drag the moveForward(); block to your workspace.
Next, click Run to allow your character to move forward one space on the Minecraft grid. From here, you can add more blocks to the program. As you do, your character will continue to move in a direction, depending on your command.
Stuck or confused? Minecraft Adventurers makes it simple to undo your changes. Use the Start Over button at the top-right corner of your workspace and begin again.
With Minecraft Designer, you program animals and other creatures in your own Minecraft sandpit. Unfortunately, the first thing you’ll notice is that the Minecraft world has stopped. As such, the sheep aren’t moving, the chickens stopped laying eggs, and zombies are just standing still.
Your job is to add code to make the Minecraft world work once again.
The screen is once again split into three main parts. On the left is the frozen Minecraft game that requires fixing. In the middle you’ll find the toolbox with commands for the chickens, sheep, and other Minecraft creatures. On the right side is the workspace, which is where you’ll build the program.
Minecraft Designer starts you off by programming a chicken. Once again, you’ll teach the character to move by dragging blocks and clicking run. To go further, drag another move forward block, and so on.
To redo the game, hit the Reset button and start again.
In this Minecraft Hour of Coding, Minecraft: Hero’s Journey, you find an agent at every level. You must program this agent to get your character past each of the 12 current levels.
Difficulty increases with each step; in the first level, you’re instructed to move the agent to a pressure plate. An iron door will open, so that the character can escape.
The latest Minecraft Hour of Coding puts your agent in charge of a fishing boat. Various challenges are presented, again largely based around movement and problem solving.
Tasks in this version include finding a boat, catching fish, and finding shipwrecked treasure. As ever, you’ll be able to improve your code by redoing challenges, and instructions can be expanded for clarity.
By the end, you should be able to create instructions to direct your agent with as few blocks as possible.
Though aimed at children aged six and older, Minecraft Hour of Coding is worthwhile for anyone who wants to code. It’s for this reason that each tutorial has been designed for use both in a classroom and for individual use.
Minecraft Adventurer might be the only one available for offline use, but they’re all accessible online, regardless of your platform. After you complete each Minecraft puzzle, go back and solve them in different ways. In doing so, you’ll uncover additional hours of playability.
In preparing to write this article, I went through and began each Minecraft Hour of Coding. Each was exciting, fun, and yes, worthwhile. It comes highly recommended, regardless of your age.
Are you looking for more ways to learn to code? Check out these best games for learning how to code.
Read the full article: Minecraft Hour of Code Teaches Kids the Basics of Programming
The United States of America has its fair share of great comedy shows, but the British take on the genre is an altogether different experience. If you want to indulge in the UK’s eccentricities, awkwardness, and wit, here are the best British comedies on Netflix.
After the success of The Office, a lot was resting on Ricky Gervais’ and Stephen Merchant’s next major venture. Could the comedians deliver a series that was the equal to the mockumentary that arguably changed the TV landscape?
Fortunately, Extras proved that they weren’t one-hit-wonders. In fact, some corners of the internet think Extras is even better than The Office.
Andy Millman tries to get fame and fortune, working his way up from being a supporting artist to getting his name in lights. Along the way, he mixes with the stars and discovers they’re not as brilliant as Hollywood paints them. It’s a who’s who of the big screen, with Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, David Tennant, Samuel L. Jackson, Daniel Radcliffe, and David Bowie all playing twisted versions of themselves.
This show is barmy. You may already know its leading man, Greg Davies, from his role as Mr Gilbert in The Inbetweeners. He’s the ideal choice for Ken Thompson, a man driven to the edge by his son-in-law, played in the first season by Saturday Night Live’s Andy Samberg.
When Thompson’s daughter, Rachel (Tamla Kari, then Esther Smith) returns from her gap year, she brings along her new husband, Dale, a loud, laissez-faire American who brings out the worst in the uptight family unit he finds himself in.
Cuckoo gained a lot of press for its second season after Samberg proved too busy to film more episodes. Twilight star Taylor Lautner subsequently replaced Samberg as Dale’s illegitimate son.
If you’re not a fan of medical procedure shows… then Green Wing is still for you!
Yes, it’s set in a hospital, but it doesn’t focus on gory storylines. It instead revolves around the lives of its core cast, which includes Tamsin Greig (Black Books), Olivia Colman (Broadchurch), Stephen Mangan (I’m Alan Partridge), and Sally Bretton (Not Going Out).
The series was born from the juxtaposing idea of making a sketch show with a more sitcom-like structure. Green Wing is a surreal show with a strong array of characters you’ll warm to.
Ever wonder what Brits think Hollywood is really like? Episodes takes that notion, adds in Friends star, Matt LeBlanc, and questions “the American dream”.
Greig and Mangan play married writing team, Bev and Sean, who dream of hitting the big time in the US. After their sitcom wins a BAFTA, they’re sent to America to remake it, albeit with LeBlanc unsuitably cast as the lead.
The whole cast is strong, but LeBlanc really makes this worthwhile. He’s very happy to tear down any idealized version of himself people may have, and instead poke fun, transforming his good nature into a hideous distortion.
If you’re searching for shows like Doc Martin—the ever-popular series that’s sadly now missing from Netflix—then Last Tango in Halifax is a strong contender.
It’s a much-loved show which beautifully treads the line between comedy and drama. We consider it one of the best comedies on Netflix you may have overlooked.
Celia (Anne Reid) and Alan (Derek Jacobi) are former childhood sweethearts whose lives went in very different directions. Now in their 70s, they get back in touch and discover that their love for each other is still there. They form the anchor for the narrative, which veers off to explore the experiences of their families, as mindsets clash and societal boundaries butt heads.
There are tonnes of great shows exclusive to the streaming service. There are even some cancelled Netflix Originals worth watching. After Life, though, hasn’t suffered the same fate as Daredevil, Sense8, or Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Its first season was such a success, a second was quickly commissioned.
It’s a typical Ricky Gervais premise: Tony’s world is sent upside-down by the death of his wife. This makes him look at life in a different way; he’s now determined to say and do whatever he feels like, regardless of it hurting others. In response to this, his family and friends attempt to turn him into a better person.
It’s a grim topic, but dealt with well through dry humor and an endearing, dissonant optimism.
And now for something completely different… If you really want to take a trip through the looking glass, Monty Python is for you.
You’ll probably have seen the franchise’s films, notably Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979). If so, you’ll know what you’re in for from the original TV series. Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin wonderfully satirize the British establishment through this surreal sketch show.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and remains a milestone in TV history.
Many classic sitcoms like Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, The Thin Blue Line, and Only Fools and Horses were broadcast on the BBC. And one of the reasons it’s such an important institution is its ability to make fun of itself. W1A is a prime example of that.
The series began as Twenty-Twelve, a tongue-in-cheek mockumentary about organizing the London 2012 Olympics. The spoof proved so popular, the BBC used the same strong cast—including Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Jessica Hynes (Spaced), and Jason Watkins (Nativity!)—to joke about its own branding, jargon, and high-profile disputes.
Narrated by Doctor Who’s David Tennant, W1A also features a number of celebrity cameos, including controversial novelist Salman Rushdie, actor Samuel West, and mathematics whiz Carol Vorderman.
If you’re searching for funny British shows on Netflix, there’s something here for everyone. Hopefully, you’ll invest in a few and use them as entry points for other great British comedies, such as Are You Being Served?, As Time Goes By, and Fawlty Towers.
Do you need even more in the way of British TV? Then check out our comparison of BritBox and Acorn TV, two British-centric streaming services.
Read the full article: 8 British Comedies All Americans Should Watch on Netflix
Looking for an online image editing suite with Photoshop-like tools, social media profile templates, and online collaborative features? And one that’s easy to use as well?
No, really, it exists! After looking at the new features launched by PicMonkey, we’re impressed with what’s on offer. Want to know more? Here’s what you can do with PicMonkey, which you can test out now with a free trial.
PicMonkey is a feature-packed collection of graphic design and photo editing tools. But don’t just take our word for it. PicMonkey’s features include:
With these tools, you’re set up to complete even the most complex graphic design tasks. Whether you want to create new images, edit photos, add Instagram stories, or pimp your Facebook page, PicMonkey has the tools you need.
Social network banners and profile pics are increasingly important. They’re also tricky to create without the right dimensions and a halfway competent art or graphic design package. Thankfully, PicMonkey has you covered.
The app has a collection of templates for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitch, Tumblr, Twitter, and YouTube available. These are all designed to perfectly fit as covers, profile images, and similar. In addition, PicMonkey provides templates for Pinterest, Etsy, and popular online ad formats.
It doesn’t end there; you’ll also find templates for Apple Books and Kindle book covers. Along with templates, you can also choose from blank canvasses, set to the correct size.
All this means that you can efficiently handle the sometimes-necessary artistic projects you encounter in online life. For example, when you need to whip up a Facebook banner, simply load the banner, drop the images you want to include, and manipulate them. When your banner is done, export it, then upload to Facebook.
What if you need to work on a design with a friend or colleague? Until now, you had to rely on old-fashioned email (and all of its file size limitations) or Dropbox, which is quick to let you know when you’ve already run out of space.
With PicMonkey Collaboration, there’s a better way. If you need inspiration fast and want input in real-time, these features are for you. It’s a bit like Google Docs for design: invite coworkers or contractors into your Share Space, and each of you can view, edit, and comment—all in real-time.
You can set different access levels (Editor, Viewer, etc.) just like Google Docs. And with PicMonkey’s unlimited cloud storage, you’ll never run out of room.
PicMonkey has recently introduced of a trio of collaborative features. These let you and your colleagues work even better together.
Throw in PicMonkey’s other features, and you’ve got an online graphic design package that can revolutionize the way you work. This is big.
One of PicMonkey’s greatest strengths is photo editing. You can upload photos from your device, drag them into the browser window, or import them from a cloud account.
You might, for example, simply plan to add some sort of Instagram-style filter effect to your photos. But PicMonkey can tweak a photo to take it from a near-disaster to a memorable moment. As you’ll see in this image, it packs tools to aid in fixing a wonky shot. You can do so by rotating the original and cropping to the subject.
Sharpen, burn, clone, and many more tools are available to repair and enhance your photographs in PicMonkey.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the tools at your fingertips. With so much on offer, the PicMonkey team has wisely provided resources to help you out. There’s no need to sit bewildered as you attempt your latest artistic endeavor; simply click the Learn link.
This opens a new tab, taking you to the Resource Center. Here, you’ll find various guides, such as PicMonkey 101, and tutorials for creating infographics and making a circle logo. Many more tutorials and tips are available as reference; you’ll find that a lot of these are accompanied by a corresponding YouTube video.
While the free trial is feature-packed, it only lasts for seven days. This should be enough time for you to evaluate the software. To use PicMonkey long-term, you’ll need to sign up for one of the subscription packages.
Three PicMonkey subscriptions are available:
All packages offer cloud storage (1GB for Basic, unlimited for the others), export JPG and PNG files (PDF files are also supported in Pro and Team), as well as top-tier fonts, effects, templates, touch-up tools, and access to all features via the mobile app.
Then there is the collaborative side. All subscription levels support creating folders to share, editing images in real-time with others, and commenting. Higher subscription options, meanwhile, deliver more features.
Pro packages get priority email support and the ability to upload your own fonts. Team subscriptions get all this, plus discounts for three or more users and permission management.
By now you should know enough about PicMonkey to decide if it’s the graphical tool for you. The obvious advantage of a browser-based tool means that you can use it on almost any device. Whether you use a traditional desktop, laptop, or Chromebook computer, you can create, edit, and collaborate on images with PicMonkey.
Its mobile app support lets you work from a phone or tablet, while the affordable packages suit all levels of use.
In short, PicMonkey is the online artistic collaboration tool that you’ve been looking for. Check it out today to sign up for a free trial and find out for yourself.
Read the full article: PicMonkey Offers Powerful Design and Photo Editing Tools for Everyone
Ravelry, a social networking site for knitting with ~829K MAUs, bans all posts supportive of the Trump administration, which it claims supports white supremacy — Ravelry, the leading social networking website for knitting activities, banned posts that are supportive of President Donald Trump and his administration.
Leaked Microsoft memo says Slack, AWS, Google Docs, PagerDuty, and even GitHub are prohibited or discouraged from internal use, primarily over security concerns — As Slack makes its stock market debut, there's a major company that won't be allowing its employees to use the business collaboration …
Researchers find Airbnb likely removed 31K homes from Canada's rental market in 2018, or 1.5% of residences built for the rental market — Short-term rental sites are ‘having rather large impacts on our housing markets,’ McGill researchers say in groundbreaking paper
IIHS: car makers including Tesla cause confusion by choosing names like Autopilot for automated systems, resulting in drivers overestimating cars' capabilities — Does the name “Autopilot” cause people to overestimate the abilities of Tesla's driver-assistance technology?
Report: Facebook plans to make employees of Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus transition to @fb.com email addresses, further integrating its family of apps — Facebook is attempting to unify its brand by making employees of Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus adopt new emails using the Facebook domain, Business Insider reports.
Desjardins, Canada's largest credit union, says a now-fired employee leaked personal data of ~2.9M members without authorization, including full names — Data for 2.9 million bank members was taken from the bank's system by a now-fired employee. — Today, Desjardins, Canada's largest credit union …
Sources: Ajit Pai's office has withheld documents from Democratic FCC commissioners on the FCC's probe into the unauthorized sale of Americans' geolocation data — Democratic commissioners at the FCC are still in the dark when it comes the agency's ongoing investigation into the unauthorized sale …
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