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Amazon adds a free Echo Dot to Xbox One purchases
Amazon's previously-announced combo offer to anyone in the market for an Xbox One is now available. Buy a brand new system, either the entry level S or 4K-capable X model, and get both NBA 2K19 and an Echo Dot for free. Both the game and the Dot retail for $60 and $50 respectively, giving you a $110 savings. As with many promotions this deal will only be available while supplies last. This deal comes after Microsoft announced new Xbox integrations with Alexa and Cortana. The features allow users to use Alexa to turn the console on and off, adjust volume, launch games and apps, start and stop Mixer broadcasts and capture screenshots all through voice. This isn't the only Xbox deal right now, however: GameStop is offering a generous trade-in deal for an Xbox One X State of Decay 2 bundle. Trading in the original Xbox One will net you $200 in trade-in credit, while the Xbox One S, PS4, and Switch will net you $250. The highest value comes from trading in a PS4 Pro, giving $300 in credit.
Verizon bundles Unlimited plans with six months of Apple Music
Verizon has added a new perk to its unlimited plans, and it's thankfully a straightforward one that won't make the carrier's rather complex choices and tiers even more confusing. Starting on August 16th, you'll get six months of free access to Apple Music with an unlimited plan. Even better, it doesn't sound like an add-on simply meant to attract new subscribers, because you can sign up for the freebie whether you apply for a new unlimited line or whether you already have one.
Realm Royale’s closed beta starts on consoles next week
After amassing thousands of viewers on Twitch.tv, and briefly cracking Steam's top five most-played games in its second week of release, Hi-Rez Studio's decision to bring its free-to-play fantasy shooter Realm Royale (formerly Paladins: Battlegrounds) to consoles could be a wise one, even if it has plenty of competition from the likes of H1Z1, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, and Fortnite: Battle Royale.
GarageBand lessons are now free for aspiring musicians
GarageBand has long been a useful tool to record music, podcasts and more. Even better, the app is free to download and use on your Mac or iOS devices, making it easy to try. Recent updates have brought enhancements like a portal for free sound packs and a better drum sequencer (on mobile), along with Touch Bar support and realistic-sounding drummers on the desktop. Now, Apple is upgrading its music creation suite yet again, offering it's previously $5 artist piano and guitar lessons for free, along with more additions to its drummers, loops and sound effects.
A first look at Spotify’s redesigned free mobile experience
As rumored, Spotify today unveiled a redesigned app that's geared toward users of its free music-streaming service at an event in New York City. The new mobile experience is all about personalized on-demand listening, with 15 playlists that are curated by Spotify based on your listening habits. That includes sets like the Daily Mix, which feature songs you've "hearted" (aka liked) and Discover Weekly, which is designed to help you expand your music taste with artists and tracks you may not be too familiar with. The Release Radar playlist, meanwhile, will let you keep up with all the new music popping up on the service. Spotify says that the more songs you "heart" or "hide," the smarter its playlists will get and others will begin to populate as a result.
The Predator is coming to Ubisoft's 'Ghost Recon Wildlands'
It's been 30 years since Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch headed into the jungles of Central America, only to find himself hunted by a stealth alien warrior nicknamed the Predator. Now players of Ghost Recon Wildlands, Ubisoft's open-world tactical shooter, will fall under the watchful eye of the Predator in an all new special event running from December 14th through early January.
'Mario + Rabbids' gets a free versus battle mode tomorrow
The Nintendo Switch is quickly becoming the go-to console for games with couch co-op and local multiplayer. Need more evidence? Ubisoft is adding a versus mode to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, one of the best Switch games available. "Each player has just three available actions per turn, and how you decide to invest them is a big part of the strategy here," a post on Ubiblog reads. "You may be accustomed to moving, attacking and using techniques for each of your heroes during every turn in campaign and co-op, but versus is a different story."
Amazon may be prepping a free ad-supported video service (updated)
Amazon Prime Video is a decent bargain when you're getting unlimited streaming video and a host of other perks, but it has some fresh competition: Roku, Vudu and others are starting to offer some content for free. How do you compete with that? By offering your own free service, naturally. Ad Age sources claim that Amazon is developing a free, ad-supported streaming service as a "complement" to Prime Video, reviving an idea that had surfaced back in 2014. It would reportedly give creators a lot of power and viewer data in exchange for content guarantees, although the material wouldn't compete with what Prime offers.
Amazon takes aim at Staples with two-day shipping on office supplies
Free shipping is a big reason many of us are Amazon Prime members. Now, businesses looking to save on shipping costs for office supplies will be able to do the same. The company just announced the launch of its new Business Prime Shipping service in the US and Germany. In the US, multiple users from a registered Amazon Business account can take advantage of free two-day shipping. There's a 30-day free trial if you want to try it out, too.
New York Times offers new subscribers a free Google Home (updated)
The New York Times has been upping its tech game recently in hopes to keep subscription numbers up in an age of free internet news. It made digital access free during the 2016 election, bundled free Spotify accounts this past February and bought a VR agency to help the Times create immersive news content. Now you can get a "free" Google Home smart speaker with a $17 per month All Access or $18 per month Home Delivery subscription.
'Resident Evil 7' DLC trailer offers the first look at Chris Redfield
Chris Redfield has had a long and storied career as the fictitious protagonist in many installments of Capcom's Resident Evil video game series. The Raccoon City policeman starred, along with partner Jill Valentine, in the original 1996 game, and has appeared as a major character in Resident Evil Code: Veronica, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: Revelations. He also has a cameo in the latest installment, Resident Evil 7: biohazard, and will show up in the free, downloadable expansion Not A Hero, this December 12th. A new gameplay trailer, just released at the Tokyo Game Show, shows off a bit more of his role in the upcoming release.
Twitch Prime brings ad-free streaming to Mexico
Amazon Prime debuted in Mexico earlier this year, and now the subscription service for the retailer's $970 million livestreaming platform is available as well. In case you forgot, Twitch Prime doles out free games, in-game items and other goodies via the platform in addition to offering an ad-free watching experience. It's free for anyone who has an Amazon Prime subscription, and recently started giving away collectibles for Madden '18's Ultimate Team mode.
Play 'Overwatch' for free yet again next weekend
Looking to play popular team-based shooter Overwatch but don't want to spring for the actual game? You're in luck next weekend, then, as Blizzard's cartoonish and charming FPS is coming to PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One from September 22nd through the 25th.
The Echo Dot was free on Amazon for a hot minute
The Echo Dot, Amazon's $50 in-home assistant, was briefly free on Amazon today, thanks to an "Audible" discount that got added at checkout. The discount applied to both black and white models, though it now appears people trying to score a free Echo Dot are being told the items are no longer in stock. We've reached out to Amazon for clarification on the sudden super-sale. Whatever the reason, happy random Prime Day, folks.
Kids can learn to code Xbox and PC games at Microsoft stores
There are a ton of initiatives to help kids (and adults) learn to code these days. Google has lessons for teens to code animates scenes starring Wonder Woman, Apple has the kid-friendly Swift Playgrounds and a partnership with Tynker, and even Facebook has a program that suggests learning gadgets and other resources to help encourage the next generation of coders. Microsoft has now launched a series of free Xbox and PC game development classes, held at its "flagship" stores in New York and Sydney. The classes will begin on August 20th and September 25th, respectively.
Seminal sci-fi magazine 'Galaxy' is now free online
The next time you watch a big blockbuster sci-fi film like Alien: Covenant, you can thank the original pulp magazines. The written form of the popular genre got its start in comic book-sized magazines like Amazing Stories, Astounding Science Fiction, Galaxy Science Fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. These publications, under the direction of influential editors like John W. Campbell, Jr., helped improve the genre from basic adventure stories to more thoughtful, well-written speculative fiction by authors like Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke. It's not an overstatement to say that these magazines created the current science fiction craze. Now, Galaxy Science Fiction, a magazine that published Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" and Alfred Bester's "The Demolished Man," is available for free online.
Dabble in the murderous world of 'Hitman' for free
Since it was announced that publisher Square Enix was selling off Hitman developer IO Interactive, the studio's fate has been uncertain. With last week's news that IO bought the Hitman license, things have been looking up, though. And now, in an effort to get more people playing (and purchasing) its fantastic back-to-basics reboot of the long-running stealth franchise, the newly independent studio is giving it away. Well, a portion of the murderous puzzle game, at least. Specifically, Hitman's the ICA Facility section of the first episode is available for free on Steam, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
DirecTV Now tempts potential subscribers with free Roku box
AT&T's DirectTV Now over-the-top streaming television service came on strong last fall. Launched against heavy competition from Sling TV and PlayStation Vue, AT&T decided to sweeten the deal for subscribers by giving away a free Apple TV, a year of HBO and a temporarily reduced introductory fee. Variety reports that the telecom giant is now giving customers a free Roku Premiere set-top box when they prepay for two months of DirecTV Now.
'Battleborn' is free, but you'll need money to make the most of it
We all had high hopes when Battleborn was shown off at E3 in 2015. The first game from the studio that brought us Borderlands mixed MOBA and FPS genres to create something that looked even more dynamic and fun than previous arena-based shooters like Team Fortress 2. Unfortunately, Blizzard's Overwatch eclipsed 2K's friendly shooter and left Battleborn far behind. Last year, the publisher offered a price cut and a new hero in hopes of attracting new players and encouraging game owners to return to the action. Today, in what might seem like a last stand for the arcade shooter, Battleborn is available as a free trial for new players on PS4, Xbox One and PC via Steam.
Get your free copy of 'StarCraft' ahead of its Remastered release
At the tail end of March Blizzard announced plans for StarCraft: Remastered, which is due later this year with updates including 4K graphics and modern online features. Buried within that release, it also mentioned that gamers could expect to see the original game and its Brood War expansion released for free along with the 1.18 update for the game. That day has come, and nostalgic gamers can dive back in as soon as their copy finishes downloading (PC here, OS X version here) like it's 1998 again and Gettin' Jiggy Wit It isn't just a dated reference.
