It’s so disappointing to see a great game come along that falls shorts because it keeps getting in its own way.

I don’t know what went wrong with Heaven’s Vault. Developer Inkle Studios has done enough strong work over the years for me to go into any of their games with confidence and curiosity. I still feel that way even now. But I’m disappointed with this latest game.

Let’s start with what works. There’s a great idea at the core, for oneHeaven’s Vault is a story-driven adventure game in which you play as fantasy space archaeologist Aliya Elasra as she researches a lost alien civilization and tries to decode its written language. Read more…

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While everyone else even remotely famous was at Coachella for April’s middle two weekends, Seattle-born legends Brandi Carlile and David Grohl took to the streets of their home city to busk. 

Their set in front of Pike Place Market on Saturday was live streamed. You can still watch their performance of The Beatles’ “Let It Be” and the Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These” on Carlile’s Facebook page. 

Carlile announced the surprise performance on Instagram just before arriving at the market. 

In a later post, she said she “got nostalgic and decided to swing by” her old busking spot. Read more…

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Gavin DeGraw took quite a tumble on Saturday after performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at an NHL game. The performance itself was generally well-received, but DeGraw’s wipeout went viral.

Fans attending the game between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars caught the fall from multiple angles, and while it doesn’t get much better, it does get funnier.

(The Stars won 5-3).

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There’s a core spiritual question for dogs who chase their tails: What, exactly, are they after?

Twitter user @omw2innisfree’s friend’s dog, Max, recently experienced something of a spiritual crisis after finally capturing his own tail.

Pay attention to the look on Max’s face after he finally holds onto it.

What exactly could Max be thinking? It’s like he landed on the emotional jackpot of a dog’s life — complete and total tail entrapment — and now he doesn’t know what to do with his riches.

Does he bite his tail? Squeeze his tail? Nuzzle his tail? What was the point of capturing his tail? Perhaps the whole tail-chasing thing was about the journey, not the end destination. Read more…

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It sure looks like Apple is moving closer and closer to its goal of merging its iOS and macOS ecosystems. 

Apple has plans to bring more iOS features, including Screen Time and Siri Shortcuts, to macOS later in 2019, according a new report from 9to5Mac. The update will likely be shown off at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June as part of macOS 10.15, according to the report.

With the update, Apple’s Screen Time features, which lets you set limits on how long you use certain apps, would be accessible from System Preferences on macOS. The feature is reported to work the same way on the Mac as it does on iOS — when you’ve reached your predetermined time limit, you’ll get a notification and the option to close the app.  Read more…

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At my college, 4/20 was marijuana Christmas. Every year at that time, people would go outside, put on their worst possible pants, turn up the jam band radio stations (String Cheese Incident, baby!!!), and smoke up.

As much as I loved seeing my fellow classmates roll down grassy hills, the 4/20 of 2019 has become more than a traditional stoner’s holiday. It’s also an incredible opportunity to advocate on behalf of legal marijuana, whether for medical or recreational purposes.

Want proof? Just browse through some of the material under the #Happy420 Twitter hashtag.

With multiple Democratic presidential candidates now pushing for the full or partial legalization of marijuana, 2019 has already been a banner year for the legal weed movement. Read more…

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If you’re one of the millions of people in America who don’t own a car and have to rely on terrible public transportation (points to self), SiriusXM is out-of-reach.

Recently, however, the company released a new plan called SiriusEssential that would give people access to SiriusXM on mobile or for listening at home. At just $8 a month, the plan gives people access to over 200 channels. 

Unfortunately for some listeners, the plan will not include premium channels including the NBA, the NHL, the NCAA, and Howard Stern. Listeners who want access to those channels would have to sign up for their Premium Subscription plan, which goes for $13 a month. Read more…

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Amazon is now using facial recognition to verify its delivery drivers’ identities. 

Specifically, the change applies to people who drive for Amazon Flex, the retail giant’s program that allows contract workers to deliver Amazon packages using their own cars. Now, Amazon will start verifying their identities using a combination of selfies and facial recognition.

The new development was reported by The Verge after the Amazon Flex app began notifying drivers they needed to start taking selfies in the app. Amazon has said the change is meant to reduce fraud and ensure only people authorized to deliver packages are able to access Amazon Flex. Read more…

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There is nothing more exciting in the world than getting a new puppy. Human babies are great, but puppies are … frankly a little better.

Take a look at how Twitter user @gillianrobles00’s dog responded after her family got a puppy. 

This is peak joy. I’m not sure it’s possible for any animal, including humans, to be happier than this. I just downed five absolutely incredible fresh-out-of-the-box Krispy Kremes and still — not this happy.

People on Twitter agree.

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Sony Santa Monica’s critically and commercially acclaimed 2018 hit God of War is going to be the subject of a “making of” documentary.

It’s a Sony production, so it’s reasonable to expect the rosiest possible picture. But this trailer for Raising Kratos hypes a feature-length documentary look at the intricate development process that fuels a modern-day video game blockbuster.

Best of all: it’s a no-cost deep dive into that process. There isn’t a release date, but Sony promises a PlayStation YouTube channel debut for Raising Kratos “soon.” Read more…

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