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Last week, I headed to Los Angeles to attend The Game Awards. While the show itself was sorely lacking when it came to actually honouring the game developers themselves, all of the mixers surrounding the event were enjoyable.

In particular, I loved getting to see some new indie games. Every year, Psychonauts developer Double Fine and media and merchandising company iam8bit put on Day of the Devs, a wonderful indie-focused showcase held alongside The Game Awards. There, I got to see five impressive and varied titles. Outside of that, companies also held their own L.A.-based previews, one of which I took part in for a JRPG (more on that below).

Overall, there were so many games to see in LA that I naturally only got a small taste. Even still, there was much to be excited for, so with that in mind, here are my impressions of the six promising indies I checked out.

Arco

Image credit: Panic

Developers: Antonio Uribe, Franek Nowotniak, José Ramón García, Max Cahill
Publisher: Panic
Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: TBA 2024

I was first drawn to Arco thanks to its quaint pixellated aesthetic, but I ended up really digging the whole experience. In the game, you control four unlikely heroes as they seek vengeance against the Red Company gang in a fantastic land. What struck me about the storytelling is the computer role-playing games (CPRG) style narration ("You spot a strange rock near a toad -- what will you do?") and humour (one NPC dramatically says "It's a long story... I got lost").

The "simultaneous turn-based combat" -- in which you and the enemies act concurrently -- also adds a neat layer of strategy. That's to say nothing of healing abilities, area-of-effect attacks, defensive spells and knowing when to spend a turn to evade, which all come together to offer quite an engaging experience.

Crow Country

Image credit: SFB Games

Developer/Publisher: SFB Games
Platform: PlayStation 4/5, PC (Steam)
Release date: TBA 2024

I have a lot of nostalgia for original PlayStation-style graphics, which Crow Country lovingly recreates in its Resident Evil-inspired horror experience. Set in 1990, you play as a mysterious young woman named Mara who has to investigate an abandoned amusement park to find out what happened to the owner. What I most appreciated here is that it takes the slow-moving style of the original Resident Evil titles but adds some welcome modernity.

Right off the bat, you can choose a 'survival horror' mode for a more traditional experience or "Exploration Mode" to remove enemies and emphasize puzzles and atmosphere. Further, Crow Country eschews Resident Evil's inventory management and offers the option to use full 360-degree movement via the analogue stick and the D-pad for classic "tank controls." All in all, it seems like a clever and approachable take on old-school survival horror.

A free demo is now available on PlayStation 4/5 and Steam.

Despelote

Image credit: Panic

Developer: Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena
Publisher: Panic
Platform: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox consoles, PC (Steam)
Release date: TBA 2024

One of my favourite things about indie games is when developers draw from their own backgrounds to tell deeply personal stories, like Hindsight (about a Japanese-American child) and Toronto-made Venba (focused on a Tamil-Canadian mother). Despelote looks to offer that same sort of wonderful representation for Latino communities. Loosely based on developer Julián Cordero's childhood experiences, Despelote tells the story of a young boy growing up in Quito, Ecuador in 2001.

To add authenticity to the setting, Cordero and artist Sebastian Valbuena captured real photos and audio of Quito, which have been inserted into Despelote through stylized, grainy backgrounds. Through Spanish audio (with localized subtitles), you'll get to play soccer with friends and see how the game affects a country recovering from a financial crisis. You can also get up to all kinds of mischief on the playground, including, amusingly, stealing someone else's ball and running away frantically. Good times.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

Image credit: Rabbit and Bear Studios

Developer: Rabbit and Bear Studios
Publisher: 505 Games
Platform: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch, PC (Epic Games Store/Steam)
Release date: April 23rd, 2024

I'd always heard good things about the Suikoden JRPGs, but I've never gotten around to them. The Eiyuden Chronicle series, which started with last year's action-RPG prequel, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, is the next closest thing. It's a spiritual successor directed and produced by Suikoden's Yoshitaka Murayama, which certainly gives it a lot of clout, and based on a one-hour demo, I've definitely seen potential. While I don't yet know what to expect from the story and characters, I really appreciated Hundred Heroes' gameplay flow.

Like Suikoden, it features parties of six, unlike the three or four seen in many other turn-based JRPGs. On top of that, you select every character's commands in a single turn, so you have to strategize accordingly. While this does make some of these early standard encounters feel a little dry (I often ended up using 'Auto-Battle'), this system truly comes alive during boss fights, as you have to consider party positioning, enemy attack patterns and more. Throw in a stunning Octopath Traveler-esque HD-2D visual style (but with more detailed sprites) and impressively cinematic presentation (wherein the camera zigs and zags to capture characters' attacks) and there's a lot of promise here.

Last Time I Saw You

Image credit: Chorus Worldwide

Developer: Maboroshi Artworks
Publisher: Chorus Worldwide Games
Platform: PC (Steam)
Release date: TBA 2024

In the marketing for Last Time I Saw You, the words "Studio Ghibli-inspired" are thrown around a lot. I will admit, however, that I didn't really see any parallels between this game and the iconic films besides a general anime aesthetic. Looking past that, though, Last Time I Saw You seems like exactly the sort of narrative-driven indie experience I tend to like.

While the larger "mysterious girl haunts adolescent boy's dreams" hook doesn't seem all too interesting or novel at first, the larger, mythology-based coming-of-age story set in 1980s Japan feels much more unique and appealing. Little moments like awkwardly reciting a prayer to a shrine to bring good fortune to your town or playing baseball with a friend while talking about girls are thoroughly charming. Oh, and you can pet the shiba -- 'nuff said.

Resistor

Image credit: PQube

Developer: Long Way Home
Publisher: PQube
Platform: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
Release date: TBA

I'm not normally into racers, but Resistor mixes the high-octane thrills of the genre with a Mad Max meets Borderlands world. After governments around the globe have collapsed, corporate-owned city-states host annual death races to give the winners permanent citizenship. That's where you come in. Create your custom racer and vehicle from a surprisingly robust suite of tools and get to zipping across the wastelands.

The handling of the car itself is quite arcadey, but that's generally how I prefer it, especially when you're boosting off ramps, 360-degree spinning to destroy incoming vehicles and gliding through the air Mario Kart-style. Best of all, the demo ended with a little hub area in which you can walk around on foot, suggesting a nice social-driven reprieve from the core driving. Assuming the story is there, this could be a real gem.

Honourable mention: I didn't get to check it out myself, but MobileSyrup contributor Steve Vegvari, who was also at Day of the Devs, came away impressed with Crowsworn, a Hollow Knight-inspired Metroidvania from London, Ontario's Mongoose Rodeo.

https://twitter.com/SVegvari/status/1733271787990143229

For other promising indie games, check out the official Day of the Devs -- Game Awards Edition digital showcase.

Image credit: SFB Games

CBC has revealed the full list of movies and shows that are landing on its CBC Gem streaming service in March 2022.

See below for the full breakdown of what's hitting CBC Gem in March:

March 1st

• Spreadsheet

March 3rd

• Alma's Not Normal

March 4th

• Dramaworld: Season 2
• Ripper Street: Season 5

March 11th

• Detention Adventure: Season 3 -- CBC Original
• People Just Do Nothing: Season 3

March 15th

• The Incredible Vanishing Sisters

March 17th

• Evil By Design -- CBC Original

March 18th

• The Big Sex Talk
• Real Blackity Talk
• The Secret
• Friday Night Dinner: Seasons 1-2
• The Honourable Woman

March 21st

• Miss S: Season 1

March 22nd

• The Last Guide

March 25th

• Hello (Again) -- CBC Original
• Frick, I Love Nature -- CBC Original
• Homeschooled -- CBC Original
• Raufikat's Better Bake Along
• Uytae Lee's Stories About Here
• Something Undone: Season 2 -- CBC Original
• Ladhood: Season 2

March 29th

• The New Wave of Standup: Season 2
• The Photographer

March 31st

• Revenge of the Black Best Friend
• Topline

CBC Gem offers free streaming with ads or a $4.99 per month subscription for ad-free viewing. The service is available on platforms like iOS, Android, the web, tvOS, Fire TV and Android TV.

Find out what hit CBC Gem in February here.

Screen sharing or screen mirroring apps available out there aren’t that good. Even though most of the dedicated options are only available for Windows/Mac, you may have a tough time finding an open-source solution for Linux.

With such an app, you can share your screen with any device connected to your network.

If you have a multi-monitor setup, you realise the advantages of having multiple screens. And, with Deskreen, you can turn any device into your secondary screen, how exciting!

Deskreen: Turn Any Device into Secondary Screen for Your Linux System

Deskreen is a free and open-source application that lets you use any device with a web browser to use as a secondary screen for your computer.

It also supports multiple devices to connect if you want.

Deskreen is easy to use and works fine when all your devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Let us take a look at the features and how it works.

Features of Deskreen

Deskreen features the essentials that include:

• Ability to share the entire screen
• Choose a specific application window to stream
• Flip Mode to use your screen as a teleprompter
• Supports multiple devices
• Advanced video quality settings
• Offers end-to-end encryption
• Minimal system requirements
• Dark mode

You do not have a lengthy list of features here, but it should be enough for most users.

How to Use Deskreen App?

The Deskreen app works in three simple steps, let me highlight them for you to get started:

First, when you launch the app, it will display a QR code and an IP address to help you connect other devices with a web browser to stream your screen.

You can go for anything you like to set up connection with the help of your web browser on your secondary device.

Once you scan the QR code or enter the IP address in your browser’s address bar, you will get a prompt on Deskreen app to allow or deny the connection. Unless it is something that you do not recognize, go ahead to allow it.

Next, you will be asked to select what do you want to stream (your entire screen or a specific application window):

You can choose to stream the entire screen or select the window that you want to stream. However, not every application window may be detected.

In my quick test, I did not get Rocket.Chat app window but it did seem to detect Slack application window, Deskscreen window, and the terminal as well.

You just have to select the source and confirm, that’s it. You should notice it streaming on your secondary screen (mobile/desktop).

This is how it’ll look when it is done:

Deskreen also gives you the ability to manage connected devices. So, if you need to disconnect any session or all of them, you can do it from the settings.

Install Deskreen in Linux

You get a DEB package and AppImage file for Linux machines. In case you did not know, go through our guides on install DEB packages and using AppImage files to get it installed.

You can download it from the official website or explore more about it from its GitHub page.

Closing Thoughts

Considering it works using the Wi-Fi network, there is absolutely no issue with the streaming. This is a fantastic way to share your screen with someone else to watch or just stream it to a secondary device for any purpose.

Of course, it doesn’t replace the advantages of a second monitor for your computer, but you may not need a second screen for a few use-cases.

Now, I would like to ask you something. What practical use case you can think of that could take advantage of deskreen app here?

Meet the executives who burn millions daily and enrich themselves while creating no real value.

Microsoft Excel just got an update that could streamline your workday by allowing you to automate repetitive tasks, without the need for VBA Macros. Office Scripts are a new way for users to record their actions inside an Excel workbook (such as converting a freshly imported spreadsheet into a presentation for daily meetings) and save it as a script to be used later or shared with others.

This anticipated feature for the spreadsheet software has now entered general availability for anyone with a commercial or education version of Microsoft 365, after being announced back in November 2019. You can find the Office Scripts feature in the Automate tab on the upper taskbar/ribbon.

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• We've built a list of the best office software on the market

On its blog overview for the new update, Microsoft states "as an example, say you start your workday by opening a .csv file from an accounting site in Excel. You then spend several minutes deleting unnecessary columns, formatting a table, adding formulas, and creating a PivotTable in a new worksheet. Those actions you repeat daily can be recorded once with the Action Recorder.

From then on, running the script will take care of your entire .csv conversion. You'll not only remove the risk of forgetting steps, but be able to share your process with others without having to teach them anything."

Making life easier

You can even set a specific time to run a script on a schedule using Power Automate, formerly known as Microsoft Flow, allowing you to trigger a set of actions to react to a specific event, even outside of other applications and services. This can also be set to just respond to a timer to create hourly reports or declutter ongoing downloads. 

Microsoft has provided a list of script samples and scenarios for you to use right off the bat, as well as instructional video tutorials to guide you through creating your own.

In essence, if part of your job involves running the same daily tasks, this will be a blessing, saving you time to get on with other less mundane tasks by allowing you to action your usual daily process with just the press of a button. You can learn more about this new feature on the Dev update page, including troubleshooting for any issues you may encounter trying to use Office Scripts or Power Automate. 

• Here's our list of the best accounting software around

Via MSPowerUser

In case there was any doubt, the Pablo Escobar-branded foldable smartphone is just a Samsung Galaxy Fold with a sticker on it.

If you missed out on all the Escobar phone nonsense, here’s the story. Infamous drug kingpin Pablo Escobar’s brother, Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria, launched a website dubbed ‘Escobar Inc.’ where last year, it began selling the ‘Escobar Fold 1’ foldable smartphone for the unreasonably low price of $350 USD.

Of course, the phone was clearly a scam — the images of it were obvious rebrands of the Royole FlexPai phone. Unsurprisingly, no one who ordered an Escobar Fold 1 received the phone.

In February, Roberto and Escobar Inc. returned with the Escobar Fold 2, a rebranded Samsung Galaxy Fold, this time priced at $400 USD (about $549.92 CAD). It’s a significantly lower price than the $2,600 cost of the Fold in Canada.

Thankfully, YouTubers Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) and ‘Mrwhosetheboss‘ managed to get their hands on Escobar Fold 2 devices and revealed what was actually going on. In MKBHD’s video, he uses a knife to peel off the gold sticker applied to the device, confirming the phone is just a Galaxy Fold.

Further, it’s clear the phone is running Samsung’s OneUI Android skin with the only real difference being the Escobar Fold 2 sports the creepy, infamous Pablo Escobar mugshot as the wallpaper.

Mrwhosetheboss notes in his video that Escobar Inc.’s CEO, Olof Gustafsson, claims the company ordered a bunch of Galaxy Fold devices that didn’t meet Samsung’s quality control standards, as well as returned units and overstock from retailers that ordered more Galaxy Folds than they could sell. Supposedly, Escobar Inc. is rebranding these devices with the gold stickers and then selling them to customers for much cheaper than a proper Galaxy Fold.

Further, that lines up with the press release Escobar Inc. release alongside the Fold 2, which states the company’s goal is to become the “overstock kingpin of electronical [sic] devices.”

Ultimately, both YouTubers came to the conclusion that they likely received their orders from the dubious company because of their sizable followings. As for regular customers, there’s a good chance they will never receive one of these if they place an order. Consequently, we can’t stress enough that you should not order one of these phones.

Unless you’re a big-name YouTuber with a massive following — or a YouTuber seemingly promoting the Escobar Fold 2 — you’re probably never going to get one of these phones.

Source: MKBHD, Mrwhosetheboss Via: Gizmodo

The post Big surprise: ‘Escobar Fold 2’ phone is just a Galaxy Fold with a gold sticker on it appeared first on MobileSyrup.

An earthquake seismologist says people shouldn't worry about the burst in seismic activity off Vancouver Island.

The post Dealing With Repair Houses In Russia appeared first on English Russia.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says he knows now that his decision to dress up in brownface and a turban for a gala at a private school where he worked 18 years ago was a racist thing to do and he is now "deeply sorry."

A Syrian refugee who spent seven months in limbo at a Malaysian airport before being granted asylum in Canada is working to help bring more than 200 refugees to his new home country. Nadia Stewart reports.

Fifteen-foot stone turrets are staffed by men whose green uniforms belong to no official force. Beyond them, a statue of an avocado bears the inscription "avocado capital of the world." And beyond the statue is Tancítaro, an island of safety and stability amid the most violent period in Mexico's history.

BC NDP leader John Horgan talks about the upcoming election and his chances of winning, and whether or not he is a household name yet in the province.

BC NDP leader John Horgan on what problems are important to B.C. voters in the upcoming election and what his party will focus on to ensure a successful campaign.

BC NDP leader John Horgan discusses why he should be the next premier of British Columbia and what plans he has for the future of the province.

BC NDP leader John Horgan explains his stance on the controversial Kinder Morgan pipeline and how he would move forward while maintaining a good relationship with Rachel Notley’s government in Alberta.

15 photos

Montreal Canadiens legend Jean Béliveau has passed away at the age of 83, the NHL team announced Tuesday night.

A CN Rail train carrying liquefied petroleum gas and crude oil has derailed and exploded west of Edmonton, prompting an evacuation in the tiny community of Gainford.

Pixelmator is an amazingly tight piece of code that's extremely fast, functional, and beautiful...

Clearing out hard drive space is never fun, so it should at least be a quick and painless task. WizTree is a free and tiny utility that scans NTFS volumes at blazing speeds, making it possible to home in on the largest files and folders in no time at all. It's available in a portable version, too, so you can carry it around on your USB stick to help out friends and colleagues in need.

Unlike SpaceSniffer and WinDirStat, WizTree doesn't represent occupied space using a treemap. In other words, rather than get a graphical display in which each folder is a proportionately-sized rectangle, you simply get an ordered list with the largest files and folders on top. It's a simple format, but it's not as intuitive as a treemap. On the plus side, it's extremelyfast: WizTree took 1.4 seconds to scan my 256GB SSD, and 7.45 seconds to scan my 2TB magnetic drive.

The simple display makes it easy to dig into folders to figure out what exactly is taking up so much space within the folder. The initial scan doesn't just cover the top level: It recurses through the entire drive, so there are no delays as you drill down the folder hierarchy. Subfolders (and sub-sub-subfolders) are instantly displayed with clear percentage bars. The contents of each subfolder is sorted by size, although you can manually sort by name, number of items, number of files, number of folders, or modification time.

Next to the tree view tab, there's a second tab showing the 1,000 largest files on the drive. That's useful for finding individual files that are hogging lots of space, like VM images, HD videos, and archives you may not need anymore.

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Cloud storage isn't just for files and photos. With the right tools and services, you can do much more: organize data, or automate uploads and downloads. Synchronize, of course. Score extra space without paying an extra cent. Run a basic Web site from a cloud service, manage media, or even fax.

Best of all, most of the following cloud secrets have a similar price tag: zero. Read on to learn how to leverage online storage services in ways you never dreamed possible.

ORGANIZE AND AUTOMATE

1. IFTTT is your cloud-data gofer

The amazing trigger service If This Then That was practically designed with cloud storage in mind. Like your own virtual gofer, you can set it to fetch and carry cloud-based data from one service to another. For example, it has a prewritten “recipe” that will automatically upload to SkyDrive any Facebook photos you’ve been tagged in. It has another that archives Gmail messages to your Box account. You can even save all your Instagram photos to Dropbox. Of course, those are just the recipes others have created. IFTTT also lets you cook up your own for just about any action/reaction you can imagine.

2. One cloud service to rule them all

It’s not uncommon to have different files spread across different cloud services. The hassle, of course, is finding the file you’re after. Otixo makes this easier by giving you access to Amazon S3, Box, Dropbox, SugarSync, and other services under one roof. You can search across all your accounts, preview and share documents and photos, and even move or copy files from one cloud to another. Otixo costs $4.99 per month, or $47.90 annually.

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Sometimes the coolest part of a piece of software isn't even advertised.