Kevin Purdy /

Recent stories by Kevin Purdy

1. Volumetric LED candle looks the same from any angle—and looks like amazing work

   Re-creating a candle's multi-angle glow requires a lot of small-scale soldering.

   Kevin Purdy – Dec 6, 2023 5:22 pm UTC

2. Beeper Mini for Android sends and receives iMessages, no Mac server required

   Co-founder says it's a security improvement for everyone and should be legal.

   Kevin Purdy – Dec 5, 2023 3:00 pm UTC

3. Grand Theft Auto VI trailer arrives early with a crime-crazy Florida

   First female protagonist and sun-soaked, satire-drenched tone on display.

   Kevin Purdy – Updated Dec 5, 2023 12:25 am UTC

4. Automatic bike transmission concept is wild and spiky—and could be a big shift

   Solo inventor says he's not out to replace gears, just offer an alternative.

   Kevin Purdy – Nov 30, 2023 10:13 pm UTC

5. BBC BASIC remains a remarkable learning tool, and now it’s available everywhere

   42 years later, there's still work to be done in spreading the BBC Micro gospel.

   Kevin Purdy – Nov 29, 2023 6:42 pm UTC

6. Baldur’s Gate 3 bug caused by game’s endless mulling of evil deeds

   "Unnoticed and eternally active acts of theft and violence" to be fixed soon.

   Kevin Purdy – Nov 28, 2023 6:07 pm UTC

7. DOS_deck offers free, all-timer DOS games in a browser, with controller support

   Playing Warcraft in a browser, using a controller, somehow feels… okay?

   Kevin Purdy – Nov 27, 2023 7:50 pm UTC

8. GameMaker throws shade at Unity, makes its 2D engine free or $100 for most

   For most games, a license is either free or the cost of a medium-nice dinner.

   Kevin Purdy – Nov 22, 2023 5:27 pm UTC

9. Infocom’s ingenious code-porting tools for Zork and other games have been found

   The Z-machine allowed porting from mainframes to TRS-80, Apple II, and others.

   Kevin Purdy – Nov 21, 2023 7:21 pm UTC

10. Cities: Skylines 2’s troubled launch, and why simulation games are freaking hard

    Elaborate parking booths, Q4 financials, game engines, and the nature of sims.

    Kevin Purdy – Updated Nov 19, 2023 12:00 pm UTC

11. Sonos has finally fixed the Dolby Atmos “pop of death” in its Arc soundbars

    The fix involves filtering out digital audio errors that were notably "audible."

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 16, 2023 10:00 pm UTC

12. No Bing, no Edge, no upselling: De-crufted Windows 11 coming to Europe soon

    Some changes will arrive for non-EU users, too, but not the easy removals.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 16, 2023 8:39 pm UTC

13. The “Windows App” for Mac, iOS, and browsers is a fancy remote desktop, for now

    Microsoft wants you in Windows, whether you're on iPad, Android, or Chrome OS.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 16, 2023 5:42 pm UTC

14. Qi2 wireless charging spec is here, offering speed boosts and magnets

    Many devices will get their first taste of MagSafe-like sticky alignment soon.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 15, 2023 8:30 pm UTC

15. KeeperFX keeps Dungeon Keeper alive by making it actually playable

    I remember not liking this game, until I played this passion project version.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 15, 2023 12:06 am UTC

16. Amazon Fire Tablets and other gear will reportedly switch away from Android

    TVs, Echo Show, and other gear could sport Amazon's in-house replacement soon.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 10, 2023 6:13 pm UTC

17. Owner of Tumblr confirms site’s shift from “surging” to “small and focused”

    CEO notes Tumblr has lost "well north of $100M" since acquisition.

    Kevin Purdy – Updated Nov 10, 2023 12:00 am UTC

18. The Steam Deck OLED looks as good as it can get, at least until the real sequel

    Bigger, brighter screen, sure, but lots of other little updates, too.

    Kevin Purdy – Updated Nov 9, 2023 8:57 pm UTC

19. Steam might let you hide those embarrassing games in your profile soon

    "Mark as Private" would let players of… certain games keep them off timelines.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 8, 2023 6:35 pm UTC

20. The Legend of Zelda is getting a live-action film from Nintendo and Sony

    Maze Runner director, Jurassic World writer, and no release date yet.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 7, 2023 11:26 pm UTC

21. PS5 “Slim” teardowns suggest same chip, not much shrinking, but nifty disc drive

    It's an improvement, but not like the notable gains of previous "slim" models.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 7, 2023 7:06 pm UTC

22. Leap seconds could become leap minutes, despite pushback from Russians, Vatican

    Already endangered, the leap second might have a practical successor soon.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 3, 2023 8:10 pm UTC

23. Apple slides from 2013 skewer Android as “a massive tracking device”

    But Apple also wanted to know what results users clicked on Google from iPhones.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 2, 2023 8:13 pm UTC

24. Google is moving Shopping List and other notes into one app to worry about, Keep

    It's technically a reversal of a bizarre, annoying move they made in 2017.

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 2, 2023 6:40 pm UTC

25. 14 big landlords used software to collude on rent prices, DC lawsuit says

    Suit claims employees were told pricing outside the algorithm was "unacceptable."

    Kevin Purdy – Nov 1, 2023 8:52 pm UTC

26. Windows CE, Microsoft’s stunted middle child, reaches end of support at 26 years

    From netbooks and PDAs to ATMs, voting kiosks, and ungainly presidential phones.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 30, 2023 9:46 pm UTC

27. Apple backs national right-to-repair bill, offering parts, manuals, and tools

    Repair advocates say Apple's move is beneficial, but also strategic.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 25, 2023 7:19 pm UTC

28. iOS 17.1, macOS 14.1, and other Apple updates arrive with a few new tricks

    France's iPhone 12 radiation concerns are also addressed in this release.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 25, 2023 5:22 pm UTC

29. Star Citizen’s Squadron 42 campaign is “feature complete” after 11 years

    Game is now in "polish phase," though Cloud Imperium Games has no release date.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 23, 2023 6:04 pm UTC

30. Space Wreck is a hardcore, combat-optional, break-the-game RPG that clicks

    It's a deep simulation, a retro throwback, and a funny few hours at a time.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 21, 2023 11:25 am UTC

31. Swytch DIY e-bike conversion kits: A very, very long-term review

    What it's like buying, installing, and riding an e-bike upgrade.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 20, 2023 2:19 pm UTC

32. Netflix raises prices up to 17% amid new contracts, licensing costs

    2023 subscription costs will pay for 2024's increased content and talent costs.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 19, 2023 5:13 pm UTC

33. Apple’s $130 Thunderbolt 4 cable could be worth it, as seen in X-ray CT scans

    It helps if you see what's deep inside $10, $5, and even $4 USB-C cables.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 18, 2023 9:51 pm UTC

34. Reddit’s blockchain-based “Community Points” tokens crash after sunsetting

    Tokens based on subreddit reputation saw dips over 85% after the announcement.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 18, 2023 6:41 pm UTC

35. Mazda’s DMCA takedown kills a hobbyist’s smart car API tool

    Financial risk too great for dev working "in my spare time to help others."

    Kevin Purdy – Updated Oct 17, 2023 7:47 pm UTC

36. Canada’s 84-year radio time check has stopped because of accuracy concerns

    A sound so iconic, it was embedded into The Empire Strikes Back.

    Kevin Purdy – Oct 16, 2023 7:18 pm UTC