Verizon and other internet providers are going to start rolling out 5G internet this year.
It will change how we get TV and internet in our homes.
Instead of drilling holes for cable everywhere, you’ll get a modem and a subscription to a streaming TV service.
This dexterous robot could put stunt doubles out of a job. Disney’s Imagineering Research and Development lab built a robotic stuntman that can perform daring flips 60 feet in the air. The robot uses a combination of lasers, accelerometers and gyroscopes to track and adjust its position in midair to mimic the actions of a real stuntman. Disney calls the technology “Stuntronics.”
Continue reading… “Disney invented a robotic stuntman that could put humans out of a job”
A HORRIFYING EXPERIENCE. On July 13, game developer Red Meat Games released its fifth virtual reality (VR) project, Bring to Light. It was particularly appropriate to release it on Friday the 13th, since the developers designed the VR horror game to quite literally push players to their terror limits with the help of a biometric sensor.
Continue reading… “This VR horror game is exactly as scary as your body can handle”
A new generation of celebrities is selling out concerts, starring in commercials, and amassing huge Instagram followings. But none of them exist—corporeally, anyway. In recent years, and starting in Japan, technology and social media have spawned a digital demimonde of computer-generated stars, ranging from fake musicians and models to company mascots who appear as holograms (like Betty Crocker, with AI). When they’re not entertaining you, they’re trying to convince you of their humanity, and even the more cartoonish among them have fleshed-out personalities. In a way, it’s the purest expression of celebrity, which has always been an elaborate illusion. CGI starlets, though, “are much easier to control,” says Ryan Detert, CEO of the branding firm Influential. Except when they misbehave.
Qualifiers start later this year, and anyone can participate.
Epic Games announced more details about its e-sports plans for Fortnite, revealing today during its live celebrity-streamer ProAm tournament in Los Angeles during E3 that the competitions will all be part of what’s called the Fortnite World Cup. The prize pool, first announced earlier this year, will be $100 million. It will be spread out over a number of different “organized events, online events, and major organized competitions all over the world,” reads the developer’s blog post.
One of the biggest trends in surfing over the past few years has been the adoption of hydrofoil surfboards by some of the sports biggest names. Adding a hydrofoil to the bottom of the board creates lift and more speed, turning even ordinary waves into something that is a lot more fun and interesting to ride. But a new surfboard could eliminate the need for waves altogether, thanks to an onboard electric motor that generates all the thrust riders need.
The Fliteboard looks a lot like other hydrofoil surfboards already on the market, with one important distinction. Attached to the bottom of the foil is a small propeller that is engaged when riders fire up the built-in electric motor. When turned on, the Fliteboard is capable of reaching speeds of nearly 25 mph, while the removable battery pack — dubbed the “Flite Cell” — can give the board a range of up to 15.5 miles on a single charge. The engineers who designed the Fliteboard say that the battery is so powerful that it can actually keep the board moving for as much as an hour, depending on water conditions and the weight of the surfer.
Continue reading… “You don’t even need waves to ride this electric hydrofoil surfboard”
There are no mosquitoes in The Most Magical Place on Earth. That’s right, Disney World is so dedicated to making sure you have the time of your life that they’ve made the bugs practically disappear. How do they pull that off? No, the answer isn’t magic. Vlogger Rob Plays delved into the answer in a video spotted by Neatorama.
It would be a feat to get rid of pesky mosquitoes anywhere, but Disney World is in Florida, a.k.a. swamp territory, where insects are more abundant than other places. Bugs are annoying, but they’re also dangerous if they’re carrying diseases like Zika, and Disney has a responsibility to protect its guests. In short, Disney gets rid of the pests by employing a comprehensive program that includes spraying insecticides and maintaining natural predators, and they do all of this with a level of vigilance that’s fearsome to behold.
Continue reading… “The fascinating reason why there are no mosquitoes at Disney World”
(CNN) — Watching as a video game ensnares their child, many a parent has grumbled about “digital heroin,” likening the flashing images to one of the world’s most addictive substances.
Now, they may have backup: The World Health Organization announced “gaming disorder” as a new mental health condition included in the 11th edition of its International Classification of Diseases, released Monday.
Continue reading… “WHO classifies ‘gaming disorder’ as mental health condition”
VRstudios is launching its virtual reality platform in 112 Dave & Buster’s entertainment restaurant locations with the new game Jurassic World VR Expedition. That makes it the largest deployment of commercial multiplayer VR to date, the partners said.
It took almost five years of work to make happen, according to Dave & Buster’s executive Kevin Bachus, who was the co-creator of the Xbox video game console. The VR game launches ahead of the film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which arrives in U.S. theaters on June 22, 2018.
Continue reading… “VRstudios launches Jurassic World VR attraction at Dave & Buster’s restaurants”
Generation Z shoppers share a love of real-world retail experiences, as long as they are augmented by technology.
Gen Z, also called the Instagram generation, lives by visuals and expects retailers to make experiences cool and aesthetic, show how products are used, and feature them in their best light. This requires their favorite brands to empower the use of mobile, the Web, and apps, according to “Gen Z Report,” from Criteo.
Continue reading… “Study: Gen Z craves ‘novelty’ and experience”
Race you to the “catamaran net.”
The designers behind the world’s newest cruise ship have never been on a cruise. But if this approach seems crazy, well, it’s all strategy. The group, dubbed the “Creative Collective” and led by the likes of Roman and Williams (The Boom Boom Room, Le Coucou, Ace Hotels), Concrete Amsterdam (citizenM hotels, W London), and Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio (Shoreditch House, Mondrian Hotels), are deep into designing Virgin’s cruise line with the aim of attracting travelers who normally wouldn’t touch the idea of taking a cruise with a ten foot pole. In fact, Rob Wagemans of Concrete Amsterdam joined the project under the condition that he wouldn’t have to go on any existing cruises at all.
Continue reading… “Virgin Voyages hope to appeal to virgin cruisers with its new line”
High-tech cycling platform creates a connected community.
At Peloton, Robin Arzon, vp, fitness programming, says classes are known as ‘shows’ and instructors as ‘talent.’
Until a month ago, I had never taken a spin class. While friends and colleagues made regular pilgrimages to boutique fitness studios like SoulCycle or Flywheel, the allure of sweating buckets and feverishly cycling en masse to the beat of Beyoncé as an all-too enthusiastic instructor shouts encouragement about “feeling the burn, baby!” eluded me.
Mostly, I prefer to exercise alone.
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.