Aardman Studios, the animation studio behind Wallace & Gromit, have harnessed their impressive stop-motion skills to create a battle to the death between a walkman and hoover. Watch the fun little animated video above to see who wins.
[Via @kpereira]
A group of Swedes known as The Astonishing Tribe (or TAT) like to show of their future innovations time to time. Their latest challenge was to imagine what the future of screens will be like.
Screen technology is now taking the next leap and the coming years imagination is the only thing stopping us. We will soon have dual screens, malleable screens, screens built into wifi connected mirrors, desks or backside of gadgets clothed with e-ink screens, tactile feedback, color screens with great contrast in sunlight, holographics/stereoscopic screens, color e-ink touch screens, or screens actually knowing where they are in relation to other screens thanks to ultrasonic emitters and microphones.
As you can see in the video above many of the screen technologies they’ve imagined are already being implemented today but in more rudamentary (and certainly less flashy) ways. Sharing information across devices using Bluetooth and WiFi is already here (I’m thinking of Bump, the iPhone app that allows you to share contact information over Bluetooth by tapping two phones together). Checking local news and weather on your mirror while brushing your teeth? Yeah, that’s in the works (I hope!).
Freddie Wong is back with another out-of-this-world video. This time a futuristic version of Rock Band takes centerstage. Augmented reality meets rhythm gaming! Me likey a lot.
[Via Gizmodo]
YouTuber BlobVanDam used 3DS Max and Adobe After Effects to recreate the Mushroom Hill Zone level from the classic Sega Genesis game Sonic & Knuckles. Unfortunately for us this is simply a pre-rendered video; it is not a playable game. Still, doesn’t it look fantastic?! Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, a 2D side-scroller using pre-rendered 3D character models, is currently being developed by Sonic Team and is the closest we are going to get to something like BlobVanDam’s creation for now. The game is expected to hit all major consoles later this year.
[Via Joystiq]
This week at PAX 2010 2K Games announced that developer Gearbox Software (makers of Borderlands) is currently developing Duke Nukem Forever. Let’s begin with some background information for those of you not in the know. DNF is a game that was originally announced in April of 1997 as the sequel to 1996’s Duke Nukem 3D. Almost every year since 1997 then-developer 3DRealms teased promotional material from the game promising that a final version was on its way. 3DRealms took so long to come out with actual gameplay that publisher Take-Two Interactive sued them in 2009; since then a settlement has been reached. And now, 13 years after its originally announcement, DNF is very real thanks to a new development team backing the improved graphics engine. Publisher 2K Games (a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive) pegs a 2011 release for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC.
Still don’t believe that Duke is making his long-awaited comeback? To prove that he is no longer vaperware for the video games industry to make fun (though they likely always will), 2K Games offered 15 minute playable–I said playable–demo at PAX 2010 for those in attendance (17 years of age or older) in addition to a trailer. Head over to Joystiq to read their account of all things DNF; it includes screenshots from the game. 2k Games even issued a press release to provide further proof that Duke is well and alive. It’s sitting in full after the break, but here’s an excerpt that briefly details the first-person shooter:
Put on your sunglasses and prepare to step into the boots of Duke Nukem, whose legend has reached epic proportions in the years since his last adventure. The alien hordes are back and only Duke can save the world, again. Pig cops, alien shrink rays and enormous alien bosses won’t stop our hero from accomplishing his one and only goal: to save the world, save the babes and to be a bad-ass while doing it. The King of All Shooters is back with over-the-top weapons, massive aliens and unprecedented levels of interactivity. This game puts pedal to the metal and tongue firmly in cheek, among other places. Shoot hoops, lift weights, read adult magazines, draw crude messages on whiteboards or ogle one of the many beautiful women that populate Duke’s life; that is if you can pull yourself away long enough from kicking ass and taking names. Duke Nukem was and will forever be immortalized in gaming history, and this is his legend.
Fellow rock gods, the Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock setlist is here. Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Anberlin, Avenged Sevenfold, Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Children Of Bodom, Def Leppard, DragonForce, Foo Fighters, Foreigner, KISS, Megadeth, Muse, R.E.M., Rush, Styx, Third Eye Blind. And the list goes on and on. Check out the full 93 track setlist after the break. With Rock Band 3 and Guitar Hero (this is the sixth major game in the series) packing some amazing tracks, this holiday season promises to be the best one yet for music game lovers. Guitar Hero: WoR releases September 28 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.
[Via Joystiq] Continue reading Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock full 93 track setlist revealed
On September 2 Google celebrated Chrome’s second birthday by releasing version 6.0.472.53. The faster and more streamlined version of Chrome features an even more minimalist and stripped down user interface. “We combined Chrome’s two menus into one, revisited the location of the buttons, cleaned up the treatment of the URL and the Omnibox, and adjusted the color scheme of the browser to be easier on the eyes,” reads the Google Chrome Blog.
It’s hard to believe that so much has changed since Chrome was introduced in August 2008. Back then JavaScript was 10 times slower and HTML5 support was pretty much non-existent. In fact, Chrome’s JavaScript performance is three times faster than what it was in 2008. Google boasts all of the handy features they’ve introduced over the years: a more customizable New Tab page, browser themes, side-by-side view, password manager, better privacy controls, built-in Adobe Flash Player, Autofill, automatic translation, HTML5 capabilities and synchronization of various settings such as bookmarks, themes, extensions and browser preferences.
Wow, that was a mouthful. Go ahead and download the new version of Chrome here.
[Via GoogleChromeBlog]
The warring atmosphere between Apple (backer of HTML5) and Adobe (Flash) over the Internet video standard is about to heat up once again. Developer Skyfire submitted to the App Store the first mobile browser capable of running Flash content on Apple mobile devices. The Skyfire browser for Apple devices embeds the Safari browser, meaning that the browser will look and run similarly to the built-in mobile Sarari browser and it will incorporate new features from Skyfire. One major new feature is the ability to run Flash-based content within in the brower. Skyfire has done their homework:
Skyfire for iPhone was built in tight accordance to Apple guidelines, including the use of a WebKit browser core shared with Safari, and h.264 adaptive streaming. Skyfire’s famed cloud-computing technology translates Flash video on the fly from millions of web sites into HTML5 formats, and supports iOS devices via Apple’s HTTP live streaming standard. Skyfire also avoids the concerns raised in Steve Jobs’ recent essay regarding Flash on mobile devices. By optimizing Flash for iPhones and network conditions in the Cloud, Skyfire improves performance and maximizes battery life while playing video. The browser also avoids alternate runtime environments and other security vulnerabilities.
In other words, the Skyfire browser technically does not run Flash content; it “translates” the content in the cloud (it talks to Skyfire’s servers) from Flash to HTML5. And thanks to H.264 adaptive streaming, the browser will compress video data by an average of 75% so as not to create network congestion. Adaptive streaming also promises a reduction in buffer time and enhanced battery life. So cross your fingers and let’s hope Apple doesn’t destroy our dreams of watching more delicious content on our iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches. Check out the video sitting after the break to see an iPhone play an episode of The Daily Show (Flash video) without hiccup. Official PR is there, too.
[Via Engadget] Continue reading Skyfire attempting to bring Flash to the iPhone
Melissa Thompson of Salford, Greater Manchester has gone ahead and broke the world record for fastest text messager. Using a Samsung Galaxy S cell phone equipped with Swype input she texted the 160-character phrase the Guinness World Records uses for all text messaging records in 25.94 seconds. That time demolishes the previous record held by American Franklin Page’s 35.54 seconds (who used Swype input on a Samsung Omnia II). The phrase? “The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human.” Try beating this new record, I dare you.
*It is true that the Galaxy S device features a capacitive touchscreen and the Omnia II has a resistive touchscreen, so Thompson definitely had the advantage of using a more responsive display. But a world record is a world record nonetheless!
Early this morning (right past midnight eastern time) Kanye West dropped a new track off his upcoming yet-to-be-titled album. “Devil in a New Dress” features a background tune that is very reminicent of his old work (think The College Dropout and Late Registration). Though ‘Ye’s blood pressure doesn’t spike here (the song takes a detour from “Power“, the “Power” remix, and last week’s G.O.O.D. Friday track “Monster“), the Bink production grows on you after multiple listenings so give it a preview (and then download it) below. In a tweet Kanye described the track like this: “classic… instantly gave me a feel I’ve missed in music for so long.” At only 2 minutes and 52 seconds in length (plus there’s that abrupt ending) I have a feeling this is not the final version of the song.
Predictions for next week: Kanye still has “All of the Lights” up his sleeve (but I’m hearing that he’s waiting to perform it at the VMAs on September 12) and then there’s the Jay-Z collab EP waiting in the wings. Will the EP drop soon, or will we be handed individual tracks before it releases? Time will tell.
Download: Kanye West – “Devil in a New Dress”
[audio: Kanye West – Devil in a New Dress.mp3]Update: Kanye hinted at what’s to come next week. My predictions were a bit off this time. “We might drop 2 new Good joints next week!!!” he tweeted. “I got new joint with Pusha T and Big Sean… The Summer has to have this one …. I might drop it Tuesday if I finish my verse.”
Update 2: After releasing “Devil in a New Dress” Kanye West jumped onto Twitter to express all these thoughts that have clearly been bottled upside him for some time. Nearly one year after the Taylor Swift incident at the 2009 MTV VMAs, Kanye addresses a second apology to the country singer. Here are some choice quotes (erm, tweets) from his “stream of consciousness”:
“How deep is the scar… I bled hard.. cancelled tour with the number one pop star in the world [Lady Gaga] … closed the doors of my clothing office.” “Remember in Anchor Man when Ron Burgandy cursed on air and the entire city turned on him? But this wasn’t a joke. This was & is my real life.” “I wrote a song for Taylor Swift that’s so beautiful and I want her to have it. If she won’t take it then I’ll perform it for her.” (Possibly at the VMAs?) “She had nothing to do with my issues with award shows. She had no idea what hit her. She’s justa lil girl with dreams like the rest of us.” “She deserves the apology more than anyone. Thank you Biz Stone [Twitter creator] and Evan Williams [Twitter CEO] for creating a platform where we can communicate directly.” “I’m ready to get out of my own way. The ego is overdone… it’s like hoodies.” “With new found humility … who am I to run on stage? I would never ever again in a million years do that. Sorry to let you down.” “It is distasteful to cut people off as a general rule. What’s the point of dressing tastefully if I’m going to act the complete opposite?” “Yes I was that guy. A 32 year old child.” “When I woke up from the crazy nightmare I looked in the mirror and said GROW UP KANYE … I take the responsibility for my actions.” “Why was it made into such a race issue. Taylor loves rap music… I love country music.”
After all this Kanye speaks directly to his haters: “I’ve hurt, I’ve bled, I’ve learned. I only want to do good. I am passionate I am human I am real. I wish I could meet every hater. I wish I could talk to every hater face to face and change there a opinion of me one conversation at a time. I wish they all knew how much I really cared about music and pop culture and art and peoples feelings. I wish they could accept that I’ve grown and only want to do good for the world. I want to help as many people as I can. I want to help starting with the music and ending with the smile. I want to win there hearts back so I can continue to bring my take on culture to the masses with a clean opinion. It starts with this… [Drumroll, please] I’m sorry Taylor.”
Take what you will from this apology of sorts, but it looks to me that ‘Ye is finally turning the corner here. He’s not holding back the music and he’s publically expressing himself like never before. I welcome the “new” Kanye with open arms. And I am really looking forward to this year’s VMAs.
[Via KWBlog]
Cee-Lo’s uber-catchy single “F–K You” has finally landed. Watch it above and don’t forget to sing-along. The lyric video introduced us to the track, but the music video brings things to a whole new level–it features slick animations, children cursing, and backup dancers! Don’t forget, the song is filled with NSFW language (if you couldn’t guess from the title). Lady Killers, Cee-Lo’s third studio album, drops December 7.
