Best Games of 2017

The first few months of 2017 have been bountiful, with game of the year contenders sprouting across every genre. There's still much more for us to review—including some games that are already out—as the recent years' boom in PC game releases continues with gusto. Videogames: there are a lot of them.

And a lot of them are good, and a few so far this year are great. Here are the highest review scores we've given out so far in 2017. We'll update this article as the year continues and our review catalog grows. 

Stellaris: Utopia

"If you want to build a giant Dyson sphere around a sun to steal all of its energy and make any planets that depended on it freeze to death, you can do that," wrote TJ in our review. And who doesn't? Stellaris' Utopia expansion overhauls politics, adds factions to your population, and introduces Tradition trees—which are how you might blot out the sun. The add-on gives Stellaris a big push in the right direction, filling out the previously light mid-game.

Our Verdict: "Paradox’s biggest expansion yet brings Stellaris closer to its original promise with a stellar rework of internal politics and new endgame goals."

The Signal From Tölva

Big Robot, which is headed by former PC Gamer contributor Jim Rossignol, brings us a sci-fi shooter mystery that's two parts exploration—hopping and stomping around—and one part "crisp, satisfying combat," as our review states. It's slow-paced, but smart, lean, and a step above the developer's previous game, Sir, You Are Being Hunted.

Verdict: "A fascinating setting and fizzing gunplay make for a lean, thoughtful exploration-led shooter."

Battle Brothers

Like XCOM with lower stakes and axes instead of guns, Battle Brothers is pure fun. Manage a band of mercenaries, earn money to expand your operation and reach more distant contracts on the wide-open map, and fret over decisions in turn-based battles. "I kept humming with the victory and despair I usually reserve for XCOM campaigns," wrote Ian in our review. "The archer who makes a wondrous 19% headshot; the swordsman who blocks and dodges his way out of certain death; the veteran soldier suddenly gutted, lost forever behind the veil of permadeath." (It's also surprisingly gory given its cute little big-headed character sprites.)

Verdict: "Don’t let some clunky inventories scare you off from this excellent strategy RPG."

Thimbleweed Park

A throwback to '90s adventure games, but not a nostalgia-driven rehash—Thimbleweed Park builds on the genre and is great on its own merits. It's funny, and full of smart puzzles that "rarely require the absurd leaps of logic that would have you dialling the LucasArts hint line in the '90s," as Andy put it in his review. 

Verdict: "A quality adventure game with challenging puzzles, oddball characters, and an intriguing, mystery-laden plot."

Rain World

If you aren't turned off by the obtuse introduction and constant, crushing challenge, Rain World rewards with unforgettable gloom. "The early hours are taxing, and in all honesty, it continues to be taxing," wrote Shaun in our review. "It’s not relaxing. It’s not a game to wash away your daily worries with. But the variety of the world’s barren landscapes will keep the determined pushing on, and the seemingly insurmountable challenges are, well, surmountable, but not thanks to 'tricks' per se. You just have to be smart about it. You have to learn—and then very vaguely know—how to survive."

But at least slugcat is cute!

Verdict: "Few will see the more remote corners of Rain World’s relentlessly dire stretch, but those who do are unlikely to forget the experience."

Best Cameras

1. Fujifilm X100S 

The Fujifilm X100 was a redefining camera for the point and shoot segment, but sadly, it shipped with many flaws. However, the X100s feels like a camera made by a company that listens to its customers. Not only does the new camera inherit no flaws from the X100, but it also brings with it a set of new features that are sure to win many over. But the price on the X100S can be a deterrent for a few along with its fixed focal length lens. But there�s a lot more to the story, so read on.

2. Sony India RX100

Sony India has today officially launched the RX100 II, a much awaited update to the already very popular RX100. The camera brings about a bucket full of changes, though they may not be so apparent on first glance.

The RX100 II has a 20.9 megapixel sensor, same as the RX100 with an effective resolution of 20.2 megapixels, same as the RX100. So may would be inclined to think that the sensor in the two cameras is the same, but Sony claims that is not the case. It is possible that the micro-lens array has received some tweaking, which does result in noticeable changes in image quality, especially with BSI-CMOS sensors.

3. Fujifilm FinePix X20

The X20 boasts to be a lot more than its predecessor claimed to be, packing a brand spankin' new BSI sensor and image processor. It addressed the many shortcomings the previous model had, including making that optical viewfinder useful by putting a digital information overlay in there. But does it seriously outperform its predecessor? But more importantly, does it justify spending the extra money over its competitors? We find out.

4. Canon PowerShot G1X 

At Rs. 47,995 it has a ridiculous pricing for a high end point and shoot camera. Taking the large sensor size into consideration, we just keep wondering how wonderful it would have been if the camera was an interchangeable-lens one. The PowerShot S100 is still a great camera for its price, although it comes with a smaller sensor. The Nikon V1 comes at Rs. 45,450 which is still quite high a price point but you get the option to change lenses. Canon G1X with its price clearly targets photography enthusiasts, who most likely own a DSLR or those who are comfortable with manual operational modes. 

Top Ten Ice Cream Flavors

Top 10 Ice Cream Flavors

1. Cookies N' Cream

2. Chocolate

3. Mint Chocolate Chip

4. Vanilla

5. Cookie Dough

6. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

7. Strawberry

8. Rocky Road

9. Mint

10. Coffee

Top 5 Best Singer In World

1. Michael Jackson

No one is giving MJ a sympathy vote... Are you crazy? Anyone saying something like that does not know what an amazing range he had, how he could control his voice, or what he could do with it. His vocal range was a 4 octave of a tenor, he had an amazing vibrato and sang across just about every genre of music... It is one of the things he is known for. It's sad that some just don't know enough yet comment or merely dismiss him because he was a fantastic dancer as well and somehow they forget what he was originally known for, which was singing from a very young age with the soul of an experienced adult. The emotion and passion he sang with was so authentic and palpable. I am tired of seeing some people discount him when he was both a fantastic singer as well as dancer. He was the complete package as an artist. 

2. Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury was born in Stone Town, Tanzania he later became a British singer, songwriter and record producer, known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Queen. He also became known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave vocal range. Before he became a singer he has been in 3 other bands (Ibex, Sour Milk Sea, and The Hectics). He died in 1991 from AIDS/HIV.

3. Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was a American musician and actor. Known as "The King" He was mostly known for his number 1 singles including "Heartbreak Hotel" "Hound Dog" "Jailhouse Rock" "Love me Tender" Elvis debuted in the movie "Love me Tender" and focused less on his music and continued that way.

4. Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer . With John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame with the rock band the Beatles, one of the most popular and influential groups in the history of pop and rock music .

5. Robert Plant

Robert Anthony Plant is an English musician, singer, and songwriter best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin.

Top Highest Paid IPL 2017 Players

The Indian Premier League is one of the most cash-rich leagues in the world. There were a total of 352 players who went under the hammer at the 2017 IPL auctions held in Bengaluru on February 20.  And like every year, the auction saw some expensive deals being made.England all-rounder Ben Stokes became the most expensive player this season with a deal worth Rs 14.5 crores. Before we welcome the tenth edition of the 8-team league, let us take a look at the 10 players who will be paid the most at the end of the tournament.

10. AB de Villiers – Rs 9.5 crore

One of the most influential and versatile batsmen in modern-day cricket, South Africa's AB de Villiers has built big innings and led unimaginable chases for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He has amassed 2,570 including a hundred and 15 fifties in his 104 IPL games so far. 

AB was retained for Rs 9.5 crore by Bangalore due to his batting prowess. This year, he will captain the side for a few games in the absence of an injured Virat Kohli.

9. Suresh Raina – 9.5 crore

This Indian middle-order specialist has been extremely important for Chennai Super Kings over the years. The batsman has scored 3,699 runs including a hundred and 25 fifties for Chennai in his 132 IPL matches so far. However, following the ban on Chennai, Gujarat Lions sought Raina’s services for Rs 12.5 crore. However, he will only receive Rs 9.5 crore as an actual salary.

8. Kieron Pollard – 9.7 crore

The West Indies all-rounder has been a vital cog for Mumbai Indians over the years. The big-hitter has scored 1,751 runs including eight fifties and has also taken 56 wickets in his 93 IPL matches so far. Pollard, for his all-round contributions in the past, was retained by Mumbai for Rs 9.7 crore.

7. Gautam Gambhir – 10 crore

The Kolkata Knight Riders captain, Gautam Gambhir witnessed a dip in his pay this season. The left-hander, who scored 3133 runs including 26 fifties in 117 IPL games so far, was retained by KKR for Rs 12.5 crore. But he will only get Rs 10 crore from the franchise as an actual salary. 

6. Rohit Sharma – 11.5 crore

The inconsistent performances by Rohit Sharma in international cricket have been under scrutiny for quite sometime now. But, when in the Mumbai Indians jersey, he is a different player altogether. The opener scored 3,385 runs including a hundred and 24 fifties in his 128 IPL games for Mumbai which is why the franchise retained him for Rs 11.5 crore.

5. Tymal Mills – 12 crore

Tymal Mills was the second English player to raise the heat at the 2017 auction. He was first spotted by franchises in the India vs. England T20 series, where he bagged some important wickets. Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab brought up Mills’ price to the region of 8 crores from a base price of Rs 50 lakhs. However, Royal Challengers Bangalore bagged the fast bowler at Rs 12 crore.

4. Shikhar Dhawan – 12.5 crore

Shikhar Dhawan’s powerful batting makes him a perfect fit for the Twenty20 format. The southpaw played for the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2008 and was their third-highest run-getter with 340 runs in 14 matches at an average of 37.77. For two seasons, he turned out for the Mumbai Indians before moving to the Deccan Chargers. He had a great 2012 season, tallying 569 runs from 15 matches. He did not enjoy a very great IPL last year when his side won the trophy, but will be looking to make a mark this year.

3. MS Dhoni – 12.5 crore

Dhoni, who was believed to be the most expensive player in the IPL, no longer remains the crown jewel of the league. One of the most experienced T20 players, Dhoni was the first pick for the Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL 2016 auctions. 

A batting powerhouse, Dhoni can destroy different bowling attacks on his own. The calm and composed wicket-keeper batsman does not only impress with his batting, but also with his captaincy skills which added much value to the Chennai Super Kings and won them the IPL title in 2010 and 2011. Dhoni was removed as the skipper of the RPSG earlier this year, the reasons for which are not yet known and Steve Smith was named as his replacement.

2. Ben Stokes – 14.5 crore

England player Ben Stokes was a part of the most exciting auction of all time in 2017. With a base price of Rs 2 crore, he was the centre of attention during the bidding process. The bid shot up to 4, 5, 7, and then 9 crores before finally settling on an amount. After a heated battle against all the other franchises, Rising Pune Supergiant bagged the Englishman a whopping Rs 14.5 crore. Stokes became the highest-paid foreign player in the history of the IPL.

1. Virat Kohli – 15 crore

India’s Test captain has made rapid strides in his career, to emerge as one of the world’s leading batsmen. He is the quintessential contemporary cricketer who plays his game aggressively and expresses all his emotions on the field. 

He can perform calmly and consistently under pressure, and has been a match-winner over the last few years. After putting him in charge of the team for a few games in 2012, RCB groomed him as their next captain, which he eventually became in the 2013 season. Virat continues to lead the side, but owing to the shoulder injury he sustained in Ranchi, Shane Watson has been named the stand-in-skipper for the first few games.

Bootstrap Grid

How to make columns same height

This is a classical problem. You have content boxes with different content but you want them to have the same height. A solution to this problem will be a smart usage of flexbox on the Bootstrap rows.

This approach consists of these steps:

1. Create a .row-flex and apply it to your content boxes' parent row.

2. Columns in the .row-flex row will have same height now.

3. Usually do not mix Bootstrap with my components and I have all the           backgrounds, padding, etc. of the content boxes declared in its child element -    .content. To make everything work, all you need to do is just to set a height: 100% to the .content boxes.

How to add vertical spacing to columns

To add some vertical spacing to your columns easily, use the following simple CSS rule that gives bottom margin of 30px to every Bootstrap column. 

How to use your own classes instead of columns and rows

Many people simply do not like the Bootstrap way of writing the code with columns and rows such as:

To achieve it, you will need to use Bootstrap {LESS} .make-row() and .make-*-column() mixins.

How to change ordering of columns on mobile

A quite useful feature of the Bootstrap grid is an ability to order columns differently on mobile devices and differently on desktops. 

All you need to do is to use .col-(breakpoint)-push-(number) and .col-(breakpoint)-pull-(number) classes to push or pull the columns on the specified breakpoint out of its original place.

I know it sounds a bit complicated and usually, it takes me some time to visualise the outcome but let's have a look at it in an example. In the following code, the first column will appear as a first item on mobiles but as a second item on tablets and desktops.

In the following code, the first column will appear as a first item on mobiles but as a second item on tablets and desktops.

How to show or hide elements on mobile

If you need to quickly and easily hide an element only on xs devices, there is a .hidden-xs class that you can use. 

Similarly, you can use a .hidden-(breakpoint) class for the rest of the breakpoints too and combine them together, i.e. use classes .hidden-lg, .hidden-md, .hidden-sm.

On the other hand, if you want to show an element only on certain devices, you can use .visible-(breakpoint)-(display) classes. Note a slight difference there - you have to use a display property there too. Possible values for the (display) part of the class name are block, inline-block and inline. So, if you need to display an element as a block on large devices, just add a .visible-lg-block class to it.

How to disable responsiveness

There can be situations when you would prefer your page to behave as a non-responsive. These could be when preparing your web page for print or generating output for PDF.

Basic steps to disable responsiveness:

Omit a

Set a fix width for your .container. E.g., .container {width: 1000px !important;}

India’s Top 100 IT Companies

Indian IT industry has reached at an inflection point where it is playing with a lot of trends and is not solely dependent on the US customers. Earlier the focus used to be only around Indian services companies, but the excitement around Indian startups coupled with domestic buying has caught many eyeballs of late. Dataquest, which is India’s leading IT magazine is back with its DQ Top 20 issue in which it has ranked India’s top 100 IT companies. The Top 100 companies have been ranked based on their revenue performance in FY. The list below will give you an ample insight into India’s IT industry landscape. While there are companies which have manifested significant growth, others have struggled to grow.

Rank	Company	Revenues (Rs Cr)	Growth%	Last Year Revenues (Rs Cr)
1	TCS	94,648	16	81,809
2	Cognizant Technology Solutions	65,779	18	55,894
3	Infosys Technologies	53,319	6	50,133
4	Wipro	47,318	8	43,763
5	Hewlett-Packard India	37,985	4	36,697
6	HCL Technologies	35,709	14	31,200
7	Tech Mahindra	22,621	20	18,831
8	IBM India	20,442	9	18,754
9	Ingram Micro India	15,823	12	14,128
10	Redington India	14,610	7	13,657
11	Dell India	13,984	30	10,757
12	Oracle India	12,440	9	11,437
13	SAP India	9,896	4	9,520
14	Cisco Systems India	9,740	9	8,902
15	Microsoft India	8,624	19	7,224
16	IGATE	7,879	17	6,734
17	APC by Schneider Electric India	6,848	12	6,114
18	Capgemini India	6,305	15	5,483
19	Intel India	6,292	-2	6,412
20	HCL Infosystems	6,270	-24	8,218
21	Lenovo India	6,020	5	5,740
22	Savex Computers	5,905	4	5,678
23	Mphasis	5,806	-3	5,986
24	Syntel	5,586	7	5,210
25	L&T Infotech	5,480	13	4,850
26	Samsung India	3,995	1	3,950
27	Acer India	3,692	2	3,602
28	Rolta India	3,679	18	3,114
29	Mindtree	3,547	17	3,032
30	Genpact	3,320	6	3,138
31	KPIT Technologies	2,990	11	2,694
32	Rashi Peripherals	2,984	36	2,197
33	CSC India	2,961	3	2,875
34	Vakrangee	2,775	41	1,965
35	Cyient	2,736	24	2,206
36	Hexaware Technologies	2,706	14	2,367
37	Tata Technologies	2,644	10	2,395
38	Zensar Technologies	2,628	13	2,316
39	Iris Computers	2,573	36	1,893
40	Apple India	2,560	40	1,823
41	CMC	2,513	13	2,231
42	EMC India	2,452	15	2,126
43	NIIT Technologies	2,373	3	2,305
44	Asus India	2,234	25	1,787
45	Compuage Infocom	2,129	-7	2,275
46	Texas Instruments India	2,110	9	1,936
47	Canon India	2,026	6	1,910
48	Lycos Internet	1,957	17	1,673
49	Supertron Electronics	1,948	24	1,575
50	Polaris Consulting & Services	1,894	NA	NA
51	Persistent Systems	1,882	12	1,669
52	Infinite Computer Solutions	1,737	0.3	1,733
53	Sonata Software	1,682	7	1,566
54	Ricoh India	1,637	56	1,048
55	Neoteric Infomatique	1,605	7	1,500
56	Symantec India	1,534	8	1,420
57	ITC Infotech India	1,458	14	1,277
58	NetApp India	1,438	12	1,284
59	SFO Technologies	1,370	14	1,200
60	3i Infotech	1,344	3	1,308
61	Sify Technologies	1,286	23	1,046
62	Seagate India	1,210	4	1,163
63	CSS Corp	1,198	11	1,080
64	Zicom Electronic Security Systems	1,108	20	926
65	Geometric	1,106	1	1,095
66	Epson India	1,078	23	880
67	Mastek	1,030	13	910
68	Xerox India	1,010	2	989
69	Birlasoft	995	6	939
70	NIIT Limited	957	1	951
71	eClerx	942	12	841
72	OnMobile Global	917	6	865
73	AGC Networks	888	14	776
74	Tata Elxsi	853	10	775
75	Intex Technologies	835	15	726
76	TAKE Solutions	799	-2	815
77	Adobe Systems India	796	15	690
78	Aurionpro	737	14	649
79	Juniper Networks India	679	-4	709
80	Cybage Software	670	15	582
81	R Systems International	663	6	627
82	VMware	650	NA	NA
83	CORE Education & Technologies	628	-51	1,272
84	D-Link	626	29	487
85	Fujitsu India	625	19	525
86	AMD India	610	16	526
87	Intellect Design Arena	605	14	533
88	Fortune Marketing	560	10	508
89	Trigyn Technologies	493	9	452
90	Accel Frontline	486	15	421
91	LG India	470	23	381
92	Team Computers	452	47	307
93	CA Technologies India	450	-18	550
94	RS Software	439	15	382
95	Sasken Communication Technology	428	-7	458
96	Zylog Systems	411	-75	1,668
97	Subex	361	5	344
98	Nucleus Software	353	2	346
99	Huawei India	224	32	170
100	SQS India BFSI	216	10	197