Civilization VI: Rise & Fall Expansion Adds Golden Ages, Dark Ages, Loyalty, More

· · Cool Stuff Found

Aspyr has released the Rise & Fall expansion for Civilization VI on Mac and Linux. It’s a substantial expansion and refinement of the game including Golden Ages (along with Dark Ages), city Loyalty, Emergency Situations, and a lot more. There are also Historic Moments (a sort of visual history of your Civilization that ties into Golden and Dark Ages), as well as new leaders and civilizations. I’ve been playing Poundmaker of the Cree, a First Nations tribe in what is now Canada. Plus, new Wonders, including new units you only get a Wonder, and plenty of interface enhancements. For instance, there is now an animated element showing Religious pressure, and for the new Loyalty system. In the image below, two NPC declared an Emergency Situation against me after I took a capital. Against capable opponents it adds a time-pressure element to the game. There’s definitely a lot going on in this update. Civilization VI: Rise & Fall is $29.99 through Steam and as an in-app purchase in the Mac App Store. You’ll have to update Civ VI from the Mac App Store to see the in-app purchase.

Civilization VI: Rise & Fall Expansion Adds Golden Ages, Dark Ages, Loyalty, More

Azio Mechanical Keyboard Marries Retro Looks and Backlit Keys [Update on Mac Support]

· · Cool Stuff Found

I spotted the Azio mechanical keyboard as a sponsored post in my Instagram feed last night, and I thought it was super cool. Originally funded on Indiegogo for more than $388,000, the Azio keyboard is shipping now. The one shown in the image below is the Azio Retro Classic BT (for Bluetooth), with a USB version available, too. It’s not quite steampunk, but it’s close, and there are several other styles, too. There are also also different color options for each model.  There are also models with modern key shapes, and some much cheaper entry-level models, but I love this typewriter feel on the Retro Classic. It’s priced at $189 for USB and $219 for Bluetooth. The video is from the original Indiegogo campaign. [2nd Update: Azio told me that the Bluetooth version supports the Mac and comes with replaceable keys. The USB version is Windows only. – Bryan] [3rd Update: I’ve now published an Azio Retro Classic BT Mac review].

Azio Mechanical Keyboard Marries Retro Looks and Backlit Keys [Update on Mac Support]

Earth 3D for Mac on Sale for $1

· · Cool Stuff Found

Earth 3D for Mac is on sale for a buck (thanks to John Kheit for the heads up). It’s a gorgeous app—if you have a solid video card—that shows you our planet. It includes thousands of geographic features, more than 500 wonders, a day/night view, a screensaver mode, support for multi-monitors, and it’s just amazing. As I mentioned, you need a good video card for it to work, but at a $1, it’s worth the risk if you aren’t sure (or are getting a new Mac!). It has a 4.5 Star rating on the App Store.

Earth 3D for Mac on Sale for $1