Tech review: The best apps for 'Game of Thrones' fans
Game of Thrones: Conquest is the official app game based on the series. The goal is to defeat your enemies and ascend to the Iron Throne. Credit: Warner Bros. International
Winter has come. “Game of Thrones” begins its much-awaited eighth and final season Sunday on HBO. These apps will help you watch GoT live, keep tabs on all the characters and plot twists or even become part of the action yourself.
HBO Go
(iOS, Android; free)
Oh no! You subscribe to HBO but you’ll be out of the house when the new season of GoT premieres. With HBO Go, you can access HBO from anywhere and stream content to a mobile device, laptop or desktop computer. You sign in using the credentials you use for your cable or satellite provider. No HBO subscription? Consider HBO Now, which will let you stream HBO for $15 a month.
Game of Thrones: Conquest
(iOS, Android; free)
This official game based on the TV series puts you in the middle of all the action in Westeros and beyond. In this role-playing / adventure game, there are dragons to ride, great houses to build and armies to conquer. Like the show itself, a sound strategy is necessary to defeat your enemies as you attempt to ascend to the Iron Throne.
Reigns: Game of Thrones
(iOS, Android; $3.99)
A spinoff of the highly popular Reigns card-playing game (a 2016 Game of the Year pick by both Apple and Google), Reigns: Game of Thrones brings its clever gameplay and cheeky attitude to the land of Westeros. But while the game may be in the quiet card-playing genre, don’t fall asleep: You have to be ruthless to win. A nice add-on: The game has a soundtrack with music from the TV show.
Game of Thrones Map
(iOS, Android; free)
With all its characters and locations, “Game of Thrones” can be confusing, especially for new viewers. But this well-done app offers beautifully rendered maps with more than 600 locations and places, including regions, cities and castles. Best of all, you can get information on about 500 characters from the show. Another nice feature: Recaps of previous episodes, as well as a tie-in to the original books by George R.R. Martin.
A more taxing tax season
Income tax deadline day is Monday, and hackers are working overtime. IBM warns of a rise in tax-themed malware, led by emails that look like they come from payroll processors Paychex and ADP. The emails have the word “taxes” in the subject line and contain Excel files infected with TrickBot malware. If you download these attachments, TrickBot is unleashed on your computer, where it steals banking credentials.
— PETER KING
Down stream
Apple’s newly announced TV streaming service will join a crowded field of about 300 other services that is dominated by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Hulu. But consumers may be reaching their limit. A study from Deloitte found that 47 percent of consumers were suffering from “subscription fatigue” because of the number of services they need to buy to watch everything they want.
— PETER KING
New buds are blooming
Amazon is working on wireless earbuds with built-in Alexa access. The earbuds will look similar to Apple’s popular AirPods, but they will let wearers use their voice to order goods, access music, weather and other information. The product is said to be one of Amazon’s most important hardware projects. Apple charges $159 to $199 for AirPods. Amazon hardware typically undercuts the competition.
— BLOOMBERG NEWS
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SARRA SOUNDS OFF: The shortage of game officials on LI On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Gregg Sarra talks to young people who are turning to game officiating as a new career path.
