Games: OpenTESArena, OpenTTD, Merchant of the Skies

• OpenTESArena - a modern game engine for The Elder Scrolls: Arena has a new release

  Now available free, The Elder Scrolls: Arena is something of a classic and it continues to live on with thanks to the free and open source game engine OpenTESArena. Bethesda Softworks actually made The Elder Scrolls: Arena free to download some years ago as part of the 10th anniversary which has certainly helped. Still in early development, with gameplay not really there yet, it's very promising and a big new release went up a few days ago further expanding what it's able to do with the original game data. OpenTESArena 0.11.0 adds in quite a lot including: original entity loading (static NPCs, creatures, trees, furniture, palace rulers, etc.), lights, water and lava rendering, fading voxels, translucent entity rendering, Ray Cast selection with pixel-perfect option and more.

• Transport Tycoon Deluxe inspired 'OpenTTD' has a massive new release out

  Transport Tycoon Deluxe is a classic and OpenTTD is an excellent open source game engine directly inspired by it, with a huge new stable release out now. Saying it's inspired by it is perhaps not entirely accurate, it's a full replacement for it! With many new and advanced features, to make building a sprawling transportation network feel good on modern systems. It can use Transport Tycoon Deluxe data files or you can stick with the open graphics which still look good.

• Relaxing strategic sky trading sim 'Merchant of the Skies' leaving Early Access on April 17

  Originally entering Early Access back in July last year for Linux, macOS and Windows it's had a lot of updates since release and it has become a much bigger game. In Merchant of the Skies you start off with a small ship and not much else, then progress through trade and quest completion. As you accumulate more wealth, purchase islands and establish your company you gradually go through more advanced resource chains and continue expanding. There's also something involving you needing to feed a massive fish-god. See the new release date trailer below:

Programming: Java, Compilers and Python/Django

• You should know the comparison between Java 8 & Java 9

  Java language is based on an Object-Oriented Programming algorithm. Oracle is currently maintaining Java. Being licensed under General Public License GNU, Java 8 was released on 14th January 2014 whereas Java 9 on 27th July 2017. The latest version is Java 13, which was released on 17th September 2019. If you’re applying for a job position as a Java Developer, you might want to read some Java 8 interview questions and also clarify differences between Java 8 and Java 9. The 8th version of Java included important updates. The basic purpose of Java 8 was to provide enhancements, bug fixes and improve the efficiency of coding compared to its predecessor. Java 9 included updates to enhance industry-wide development through a new platform module system. Java 9’s accessibility and improved modularity help developers to easily assemble and maintain sophisticated applications. It also helps in making Java scale down on smaller devices while improving security and performance.

• LLVM Plumbs Support For Intel Golden Cove's New SERIALIZE Instruction

  Yesterday we noted Intel's programming reference manual being updated with new Golden Cove instructions for Sapphire Rapids and Alder Lake and with that Intel's open-source developers have begun pushing their changes to the compilers. The latest updates add TSXLDTRK, a new HYBRID bit for Core+Atom hybrd CPUs, and a new SERIALIZE instruction. After GCC was receiving the patch attention yesterday, LLVM is getting its attention today.

• Reuven Lerner: Reminder: My free “Python for non-programmers” course continues tomorrow!

  If you’ve never programmed a computer before — or if you tried, and found it frustrating and difficult — then you’re welcome to join my “Python for non-programmers” course, which takes place on Thursdays at 10 a.m. Eastern. The class is 100% free of charge, and open to anyone who wants. Just register at https://PythonForNonProgrammers.com/. Registering gets you weekly reminders, recordings of previous sessions, and invites to the private forum, where you can chat about the lessons with other students.

• Django changes its governance

  The Django web framework has come a long way since it was first released as open source in 2005. It started with a benevolent dictator for life (BDFL) governance model, like the language it is implemented in, Python, but switched to a different model in 2014. When Python switched away from the BDFL model in 2018, it followed Django's lead to some extent. But now Django is changing yet again, moving from governance based around a "core team" to one that is more inclusive and better reflects the way the project is operating now. Django actually started out with co-BDFLs; Adrian Holovaty and Jacob Kaplan-Moss filled that role until they retired in early 2014, which motivated the change to the core-team model. By 2018, some problems with that new model were being felt, so James Bennett spearheaded an effort to change it, which resulted in Django enhancement proposal (DEP) 10 ("New governance for the Django project")—adopted on March 12. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some of the problems identified for Django are sometimes heard in Python circles as well; the changes for Django could be a harbinger of Python's governance down the road.

Android Leftovers

• WHO to launch coronavirus app for iPhone and Android

• Yes, you can use AirPods with your Android phone

• Best free workout apps on Android and iOS

• Best weather apps of 2020

• Trouble Streaming (Mirroring) video from Android to Smart TV - Android OS

• LineageOS ROM releases first builds based on Android 10 (Update: Builds are back)

• Android 10 and One UI 2.1 hit Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G as well

• Samsung Galaxy Fold & Xiaomi Redmi K30 Pro Android 10 kernel source code goes live; Asus ROG Phone 2 gets LineageOS 17.1 support