Tech review: Apps to celebrate Batman's 80th
This DC Comics portal offers access to thousands of comic books going back as far as the 1930s. Credit: DC Entertainment
Happy 80th anniversary, Batman. The Caped Crusader, whose first appearance was March 30, 1939, is the subject of a yearlong celebration from DC Entertainment, Batman’s longtime home. These apps will help you relive the Dark Knight’s adventures or create some new ones.
DC Comics
(iOS, Android; free)
This portal to the DC publications universe has access to thousands of comic books going back as far as the 1930s. You can read the latest adventures of Batman, Superman and other superheroes or go back to when it all began. Nice bonus: Download a free copy of Detective Comics May 1939 for the first appearance of a crime fighter then known as "The Bat-Man."
Batman: The Enemy Within
(iOS, Android; free)
Part one of a five-part graphic adventure series, The Enemy Within lets you play as both Batman and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne, and both characters have very different tasks to complete. The game is more of a puzzle solver than an action shooter, so there’s a lot of thought behind each of your moves. The other four parts of The Enemy Within are available for in-app purchases of $5 each.
DC Legends: Battle for Justice
(iOS, Android; free)
Sometimes even a solitary Dark Knight needs friends. Battle for Justice lets you put together a super team of DC superheroes, including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and the Flash. And because the forces of evil know no bounds, you can add super villains such as the Joker to your team. In this multiplayer online battle game, your goal is to defeat other players around the world.
LEGO DC Mighty Micros
(iOS, Android; free)
“The LEGO Batman Movie” was a major hit, and this free and complete game (no ads or in-app purchases) will delight kids ages 5-12. LEGO DC Mighty Micros is a frenetic racing game in which kids can play as LEGO Batman, LEGO Wonder Woman or LEGO Superman. Think the Batmobile looks cool in the movies? Wait until you see the LEGO version.
Uneasy riders
Americans are becoming more fearful of self-driving cars. The latest AAA automated vehicle survey found 71 percent of people say they “are afraid to ride” in fully self-driving vehicles, up from 63 percent last year. AAA attributes the anxiety to recent “high-profile automated vehicle incidents.” But 53 percent said they felt comfortable riding in low-speed, self-driving “people movers” at airports or theme parks.
— PETER KING
Gogh now
Saturday marked the 166th birthday of Vincent van Gogh, but if you’re a fan of the Dutch master, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has a gift for you — actually, more than 1,000. The museum has digitized the artist’s paintings and drawings and they are free to download. The quality is magnificent, allowing you to see each brush stroke. Go to https://bit.ly/2u7fyrx.
— PETER KING
University pulls plug on Netflix
Faced with Wi-Fi that slowed to a crawl, Purdue University has banned Netflix along with other bandwidth-eating sites Hulu and HBO. The move comes after faculty complained the network was so slow that academic applications were unusable during class. Purdue is one of the first colleges to resort to this kind of technological barrier, although it’s common in secondary schools and corporate offices.
— CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Updated 40 minutes ago Gilgo-related search for remains expands ... Congestion pricing target date ... Suffolk air quality ... A dog's bucket list
Updated 40 minutes ago Gilgo-related search for remains expands ... Congestion pricing target date ... Suffolk air quality ... A dog's bucket list
