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Gaming

Should Fantasy Sports Be Classed As Gambling?

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What Fantasy Sports Are PlayedOnline fantasy sport games are becoming increasingly popular in the modern era, with more and more variations on traditional fantasy games. There are now fantasy games for most sports, including but not limited to American football, soccer and rugby union. In particular, companies have latched onto major sporting competitions and offer fantasy games for those events. Most recently, there have been plenty of fantasy games created for the Rugby World Cup, which took place in England and Wales throughout September and October a few years ago.

Traditionally, fantasy sport games have been created purely for entertainment reasons. However, in recent years, a number of fantasy games have been created that require people to pay in order to enter the leagues. DraftKings is perhaps the most famous and widely advertised, and they offer DAILY fantasy leagues on a number of sports, mainly baseball, American football and ice hockey. To enter these fantasy leagues, you need an account and can stake money in order to win funds, which you can in turn choose to withdraw or restake.

It’s a little confusing for the fantasy novice and even more so for those who have been playing old-school free fantasy games for decades. But this new system appears to work, although the amount of skill and ability needed certainly makes it close to gambling. For example, you need skill to play online casino games like Blackjack by 32Red. This is widely recognized as gambling, so why should it be any different simply because it’s linked to an online fantasy game? Many people believe it shouldn’t. Both take up a reasonable level of talent to play, and require funds – in a way, they are incredibly similar.

Furthermore, quite a few people have compared staking money on fantasy football to placing a bet on players to score in real-life sporting events. For example, you can place wagers on Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on DraftKings but you can also stake money on Hopkins to score a touchdown, rack up ‘x’ amount of receiving yards and other markets at a range of both online and offline bookmakers.

However, many fantasy games are free to enter and don’t require additional funds. The NFL fantasy football game allows players to play free of charge, and users are able to compete in either NFL-managed leagues or custom-made leagues with friends and family members. For American football fans, this is the perfect fantasy game for those players who are more concerned about the enjoyment and having fun rather than winning money – even the NFL teams understand the need for the public to play. It’s a relatively simple website and they also have a downloadable app that can send reminders for changing and setting your line-up.

Most importantly, you don’t have to pay anything. You say have because there is the option to open a league with a prize fund. However, that is a season-long thing and certainly shouldn’t be considered as gambling. There aren’t any fantasy options at websites like 32Red, blackjackballroom, or caesarscasino but you can stake money on real-life American football matches and build accumulators. Fantasy football is an incredibly popular game across the world and free versions will always be welcomed by those who aren’t too concerned about winning money and those who play purely for the enjoyment and excitement of competing against others.

Moreover, soccer fans can access the Premier League’s official fantasy game free of charge, too. Football is one of the greatest sports on the planet and millions of people keep up to date with all of the latest injury news and transfers in the sporting world. The Premier League version could branch out to allow those wanting to stake funds the opportunity to do so, but for now it remains a free game for the masses. As soccer is so universally followed, many have called for the Premier League’s fantasy football game to offer a paid version and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see this in the future.

Are paid fantasy games gambling? Well, it depends on a number of key variables and external factors. If you’re staking on a daily basis, playing more because you’re addicted and focused on winning money than for the sheer enjoyment of fantasy sports, then that’s a worry. However, the majority of fantasy users aren’t like that and enjoy placing simple stakes, quite like many of the same people who enjoy playing online casino games such as Blackjack and Roulette. For the time being, there isn’t a huge need to classify fantasy sports as gambling but that could change if fantasy games adopt a similar stance as DraftKings and they all become ‘pay-to-play’ games in the future.


Gaming

Fast Track To The Future With Virtual Reality

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Occulus Rift Xray ImageThe implications of what Virtual Reality can achieve are vast, and it is predicted that VR will seep into every area of our lives in the very near future. VR is not just a concept that excites the entertainment business, but has a very real presence in some of the world’s most essential industries. However, many people remain skeptical about the impact virtual reality will actually have and suggest that it is only an attractive concept for gamers. Although it is true that VR is a fantastic way to improve online gaming, it has already been used in the medical and manufacturing industries, proving that virtual reality is not just a tool for play. Others fear VR could replace physical social interaction and they are therefore reluctant to consider the many benefits it actually presents. By taking a selection of real-life situations in which virtual reality is already used, we can assess its impact and perhaps decide whether it is to be embraced or discarded.

Surgery

It may not surprise you to know that the health sector is one of the biggest users and advocates of virtual reality. VR is of exceptional benefit in surgical training, improving student skills whilst minimizing risk to potential patients. This type of training can improve confidence and allow students to explore surgical procedures and options that would otherwise be inaccessible to them during the initial stages of their training. Virtual reality is already used by surgical staff, trainee nurses, dentists, and in numerous other health settings, world wide, allowing students to quickly gain skills without putting themselves or other individuals at risk.

Therapy

The authentic nature of VR allows therapists to assist patients with certain phobias. VR promotes controlled environments which can quickly be changed or eradicated during a course of therapy. For example, a person suffering from arachnophobia would perhaps find it more helpful and less daunting to experience holding a spider via VR rather than in a real life situation, and of course, a virtual reality headset can be turned off immediately should the situation require it. Other phobias and aversions could be tackled through the use of VR, including water aversion, acrophobia (fear of extreme heights) or aviophobia (fear of flying).

Occulus Rift Hot Babe VR PornEntertainment

For some people, the online world is their only connection to society and if virtual reality gaming can help them continue to connect, then this can only be perceived as a positive thing. There is no denying that virtual reality is an amazingly entertaining concept and, when done well, is an excellent way to experience online gaming. Being fully immersed in a game is a highly attractive idea: whether it be one that takes you to a battlefield, or a game that allows you to feel as if you are actually being dealt cards at a plush casino in Vegas. Currently, gamers can connect with people from all over the world, or play slots in the comfort of their own home by visiting a site such as  www.luckynuggetcasino.com yet imagine the thrill of full immersion through the power of virtual reality.

Transport and Training

Again, we touch upon the benefits virtual reality provides to many aspects of training and, in this particular situation, to the world of transport. For years the aviation industry has been using simulations to help train pilots and virtual reality is a welcome advance in such training. VR flight training presents minimal risk to both the pilot and passengers whilst allowing pilots to experience the difficulties that may arise whilst being in control of the aircraft. The most spectacular example of virtual reality based vehicle training is perhaps that used by NASA to train its astronauts. The training includes various simulations including that of an astronaut having to perform repairs during zero-gravity conditions, as well as a simulated detachment from the shuttle with the astronaut having to use a powered backpack to return. NASA has even managed to use VR in space, keeping astronauts up to date with training whilst on a mission and it has been suggested that VR will be used to entertain astronauts in space in the future. Just imagine, you could soon be sharing your virtual poker table with the astronauts of tomorrow!

Supplemental- Gamers are talking about the Oculus Rift and the Playstation VR but the HTC Vive looks pretty sweet too!

A Musical Journey for Robots and their masters~ CLICK ME
A Musical Journey for Robots and their masters~ CLICK ME
Sci-Tech

Gaming Music Production And Sound Design Focusing On 3D 360 Spatiality

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Zylia, the Poland-based manufacturer of audio recording technologies, will host a workshop on 3D/360 music production and sound design during GameSoundCon 2018, today and tomorrow at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Zylia co-founder and CTO Tomasz Żernicki will lead the workshop, focusing on the use of third-order Ambisonics spherical microphone arrays, such as that in the innovative new ZYLIA ZM-1, to capture a 3D full-sphere audio scene for gaming or ambient sound production.

“Use of a spherical microphone array to enable single-device capture of a full sound scene with high spatial resolution is a recent and significant advance in audio recording technology — and one that opens the door to 3D audio production opportunities for both professionals and amateurs,” said Żernicki. “We’re excited to be sharing this technology with GameSoundCon 2018 attendees and to be providing them with useful techniques for capturing 3D sound in Ambisonics format and for working with live sound in VR applications.”

During the Zylia GameSoundCon workshop, Żernicki will demonstrate how just one spherical microphone array can record an entire 3D sound scene and then separate the recording’s individual sound sources for multitrack editing in post production. The numerous physical microphone capsules within the spherical array effectively enable users to work with software-controlled virtual microphones with adjustable direction and spatial characteristics. By isolating particular sounds, cutting out interesting areas of the sound space, and zooming in on particular sound objects, this kind of sound representation allows for soundscape modification in post production and simplifies ambient or Foley sound preparation.5 speaker binaural audio setup

Żernicki will explain how sound recorded by third-order Ambisonics spherical microphone array can be converted into the Ambisonics format and used in 360-degree movies — particularly virtual reality content on Facebook 360, YouTube 360, or game engines — in which listeners can rotate the whole sound scene. He also will discuss usage of 360 sound with the combination of binaural or surround loudspeaker reproduction.

As an audio expert, Żernicki focuses his professional interest on 360/VR music production, spatial sound processing, and recording. He holds doctorates in electrical and electronic engineering, and he takes an active role in the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standardization committee. He also has made significant contributions to audio compression standards such as MPEG-D USAC and MPEG-H 3D Audio.AES Conference for Augmented Reality Audio

GameSoundCon is dedicated to game music, sound design, and virtual reality audio. Throughout the conference, Żernicki and other Zylia experts will be on hand to discuss 3D/360 sound applications, as well as the company’s ZYLIA ZM-1 spherical microphone array, ZYLIA Studio PRO VST/AU plugin, and ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter.

Supplemental- Mark Mothersbaugh (DEVO) on making music for games.

Gaming

Halo Fireteam Raven Arcade Game Launched In Australia

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Thursday, 26 July, 2018 (Sydney, Macquarie Shopping Centre) –  Timezone Australia was excited today to introduce the first arcade edition of the Xbox cult favourite videogame Halo to Australia. Halo: Fireteam Raven blew arcade gamer’s minds when Timezone Macquarie Centre became the first Australian venue to boast this state-of-the-art multiplayer gaming experience. Timezone stores in Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Perth will follow hot on Macquarie’s heels, with the game debuting there next month in August.

Timezone also offered  fans the chance to participate in an online social media challenge Halo as part of this Australian first gaming launch. The winner, Trent John Webb (age 23) from NSW’s Central Coast, won a years worth of Timezone Power Play credit for his online entry.

“I am so happy about this incredible experience. I have been a big fan of Halo since i was young and to see if brought to the arcade has been really exciting. My girlfriend and I are ecstatic to come back to Timezone each week to play this game!” – Trent says.

The largest Australian Halo cosplay community 405th Australian Regiment joined in on the celebrations, showcasing unique and realistic costume designs spanning from different chapters in the Halo multiverse.

“Bringing the arcade game version of Halo to Timezone Macquarie Centre gives the game’s dedicated fan base a chance to play like never before. Timezone is thrilled to introduce this first-in-Australia experience to fans as part of Timezone’s 40th birthday celebrations,” says Kane Fong, General Manager of Timezone Australia.

Halo’s console-based playing experience is now brought to life in an immersive multiplayer platform, which enables four players to either play cooperatively, or compete against each other. It’s Halo, but more: this latest installment’s physical structure boasts a colossal 130-inch widescreen, 4K game play and 5.1 surround sound. It adds a tangible element to the much-loved franchise, allowing individuals the opportunity to play right alongside Master Chief in the battle to ward off the enemy forces of the Covenant and the Flood infestation. For the Silo, Adrian Falk.

Halo: Fireteam Raven was created and fine-tuned by 343 Industries over several years and is set in the timeframe of 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved game. Players will take on the roles of the Fireteam Raven – an elite group of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers.

You’ll not only able to battle it out with your friends, competing against them for the highest score – you can scan a QRC code with your phone to upload your stats and progress to your Halo Waypoint account. Exactly what you’d expect from a true 2018 arcade game experience!

Featured image- Halo Fireteam Raven 405th

Gaming

Fortnite Is Wake-Up Call For Companies On Verge Of Video Game Ad Buy

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Pong, Mario, Doom, The Sims, Minecraft and … Fortnite? The hallowed halls of video game history are packed with products that became a cultural phenomenon – and it’s looking like Fortnite will soon be able to stake such a claim. The co-op survival game that takes place in a “sandbox” universe recorded a record 3.4 million concurrent users in February 2018.  [ If you’re one of the 3.4 million and want to leave us a video comment or video of your Fortnite character please use our Video Uplink button at the end of this article.] The game, which is free to play, also allows users to purchase a semi-annual “Battle Pass” that runs less than $10 and provides access to additional items. This low-cost approach is apparently working, as reports show Epic Games earned nearly $300 million in April 2018 alone. Further, in-game “microtransactions” that allows players to use minimal amounts of real-world money for in-game goodies is helping add to Epic’s well, epic payday.

So, let’s recap: A game that’s free to play plus $10 usd occasional optional investment and microtransactions gives us hundreds of millions of dollars each month. You know what else makes that kind of money? Hollywood movies, major league sporting events and social media platforms – and those things are plastered with advertisements. According to Ken Wisnefski, CEO of digital marketing firm WebiMax, advertisers who want to get ahead of the coming eSports curve and start reaching gamers where they reside need to start paying attention to the preferences of this sector.

“Fortnite has really taken the world by storm. I think the new microtransaction process is a concept that shows how high volume and low cost can have a huge impact. It’s growth and notoriety is amazing,” said Wisnefski. “A few years ago, Pokemon Go was all the rage; I am curious to see if Fortnite continues to show this sort of traction.”

Want to make money through Fortnite? Here’s what Wisnefski has to tell companies on the verge of investing in video game ad buy.

‘Go’ along for the ride: According to Wisnefski, we haven’t seen a video game with such mass appeal since 2016’s “Pokemon Go,” which drew 10 million people to download the app in one week. An advertising analysis also notes that some businesses were given the opportunity to turn their stores into a “Pokestop” and, of course, increase foot traffic and hopefully sales as a result.

Shadow of a doubt: Still skeptical about sinking money into video game advertising efforts? Then take one look at “Ninja,” a 26-year-old Fortnite player who is reportedly raking in $500,000 per month for streaming his live game feed on the “Twitch” website. Wisnefski says it merely makes sense for relevant brands to jump on an opportunity to get their product in front of potential customers – namely as a “medium rectangle” or 15-second spot before one of Ninja’s streams.

Risk and Reward: Soft drink and snack food companies – we’re looking at you, Mountain Dew and Doritos – have for years pandered to gamers. As well they should, says Wisnefski, noting that some sectors are “very viable for this sort of opportunity.” If you’re a small to medium-sized company, however, guidance from a digital marketing company may be in order. “Big companies have the ability to absorb some losses to see larger gains; smaller companies can’t afford to take that sort of risk,” said Wisnefski.

[vidrack align=”center” ext_id=”345″ desc=”some description”]

Gaming

Powerful Mac Gamer External Graphics Solution

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Sonnet Technologies recently announced the eGFX Breakaway™ Box 650, the latest and most capable model in the company’s series of Thunderbolt™ 3 to PCI Express® (PCIe®) eGPU expansion chassis for professional graphics and gaming applications.

Sonnet eGFX Breakaway graphics card box

The Breakaway Box 650 is designed and qualified specifically for large, power-hungry video graphics processing unit (GPU) cards, including the AMD Radeon™ RX Vega 64 and overclocked NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 10 series-based cards. The AMD-approved Breakaway Box 650 is equipped with a 650-watt power supply, which provides ample power for GPU cards with high transient peak power requirements.

“With the introduction of AMD’s Radeon Pro and RX Vega Series cards, we have experienced a high demand for an eGPU chassis capable of supporting the higher standards of these GPU cards,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. “The eGFX Breakaway Box 650 meets the demand, enabling users to tap the compute power of even the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 and Radeon Pro WX 9100 cards while still providing up to 87 watts of upstream Power Delivery to support popular notebook computers.”

 

The eGFX Breakaway Box 650 provides a single slot for connecting any size Thunderbolt-compatible GPU card, and features enough room for many high-performance water-cooled cards — making it ideal for professionals and gamers who need to run bandwidth-intensive graphics applications on their eGFX-compatible notebook, all-in-one, or other small-form-factor computers. The unit is equipped with a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 port that enables data transfers up to 2750 MB/s, and supports all Thunderbolt-compatible GPU cards — such as AMD Radeon R9, RX, RX Vega, and Pro WX models; and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 9 and 10 series, Titan X and Xp, V, and Quadro® models. In addition, the Breakaway Box 650 includes two eight-pin auxiliary power connectors and provides 87 watts of upstream power (Power Delivery), useful for powering and charging a connected notebook computer that supports Thunderbolt 3 charging.

The eGFX Breakaway Box 650 (part number GPU-650W-TB3) is available now from Sonnet Technologies and its dealers at an MSRP of $449 usd.        Featured image via egpu.io 

About Sonnet Technologies

Sonnet Technologies Inc. is a leading provider of Thunderbolt™ 3 to PCIe® card expansion systems; external graphics (eGFX) solutions for pro users and gamers; pro media readers; docks and adapters; and network, storage, and other interface cards for pro users in the audio, video, and broadcast industries. Sonnet’s Thunderbolt expansion products enable the use of pro audio I/O and DSP cards, pro video capture and transcoding cards, GPU cards, network and storage interface cards, and other high-performance PCIe cards with Thunderbolt technology-enabled computers. For 30 years Sonnet has pioneered and brought to market innovative and award-winning products that enhance the performance and connectivity of Mac®, Windows®, and other industry-standard computers. 

Sci-Tech

Dual HDMI Adapter Supports Two 4K UHD Monitors

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Sonnet Technologies recently announced its latest Thunderbolt™ 3 product, the Thunderbolt 3 to Dual HDMI™ 2.0 Adapter. This compact bus-powered device enables users to connect up to two 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) HDMI monitors with just one Thunderbolt 3 port on their computers.

Many desktop computer users enjoy dual-display or multi-display setups: with the added screen space, a main work window can be expanded to fill one screen, while tool bars and palettes, plus other applications, occupy the second screen.

If you are using 2 monitors for “split screen” viewing- remember to consider the thickness of the monitor frame.

With Sonnet’s Thunderbolt 3 to Dual HDMI 2.0 Adapter plugged in, users of notebook and all-in-one computers with limited available ports may also easily connect two displays while using only one Thunderbolt 3 port. The Sonnet adapter is a plug-and-play solution for adding dual HDMI port connectivity to computers with Thunderbolt 3 ports. Users simply plug the Thunderbolt adapter into their computers, connect the monitors with standard HDMI cables (sold separately), and then configure the displays through the operating system.

The Sonnet Thunderbolt 3 to Dual HDMI 2.0 Adapter supports up to two 4K HDMI monitors at 60 hertz, but it also can support monitors with lower resolutions, such as full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) and 1920 x 1200, making it well suited for different home and office work space applications. Plus, the Sonnet adapter’s built-in audio support ensures that there’s no need to connect additional cables to hear sound from the monitors.

The Sonnet Thunderbolt 3 to Dual HDMI 2.0 Adapter (part number TB3-DHDMI) is available now with an MSRP of $89.90 USD. For the Silo, Elisabetta Fernandez.

Gaming

Its Called The PGS And Its A Smartphone That Runs Almost All PC Games

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PGS – It’s the first “smartphone/portable game console/UMPC” hybrid ever created in the world. With comprehensive support for the Steam game library, this device is a game changer and is now available in for pre-ordering through the official website.

The device runs Windows 10, as well as Android in the Dualboot mode, simultaneously. Highly efficient mobile SoC Intel Atom X7 Z8750 is at the core of the Windows part of the device, while the versatile MediaTek Helio X2X chip is responsible for the Android part. The hybrid console will be released in two versions, Hardcore and Lite. The Lite version will come out a little later. Hardcore will be equipped with 8GB RAM for Windows and 3GB RAM for Android. External storages are supported thanks to a Micro-SD slot. Performance level of the device is more than enough to provide smooth operation of most PC games in HD-resolution.

PGS has an innovative side slider which houses the gaming control surfaces. Very, very slick. One of the key features of the device is two high-resolution displays with 5.9″ and 5.5″ diagonal for the main and for the auxiliary displays respectively. The battery, which capacity is 6800mAh, provides around 5 hours of work for demanding games. Among other features of the device are: LTE module, high-quality audio speakers, front and rear cameras, wireless charging, Smart Active Cooling System (allows the chips to work at maximum frequencies). For the Silo, Alexander Arjannikov.

Culture

Original Cast And Creator Bring Futurama Comedy Cartoon To Mobile Gaming

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GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! TinyCo, a Jam City Company, and Fox Interactive have announced the development of Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow, a new game coming soon for mobile devices. The game features original content from Futurama creator and Executive Producer Matt Groening, Executive Producer David X. Cohen, and much of the team behind the beloved TV series. TinyCo is also working with Rough Draft Studios – Futurama’s original animators – to bring the show’s trademark humor, signature visual style, and ensemble comedic adventure to mobile players everywhere.

I love this game because it feels just like Futurama,” said Matt Groening, creator and Executive Producer of Futurama and The Simpsons. Except now you get to jab the characters in the face.

FUTURAMA focuses on the life of PHILIP J. FRY (Billy West), a 25-year-old pizza delivery boy who accidentally freezes himself on December 31, 1999 and wakes up 1,000 years later with a fresh start at life at Planet Express, an intergalactic delivery company. There, he meets a cast of characters, including love interest LEELA (Katey Sagal), a sexy cyclops with anger management issues, best friend BENDER (John DiMaggio), a beer-powered kleptomaniac robot, PROFESSOR FARNSWORTH (Billy West), a brilliant yet forgetful scientist and intrepid inventor, HERMES (Phil LaMarr), the company’s detail-oriented bureaucrat, AMY (Lauren Tom), an intern who is as cute as she is klutzy, and ZOIDBERG (Billy West), a lobster-like, self-proclaimed expert on humans.

Throughout their adventures, the team encounters MOM (Tress MacNeille), the foul-mouthed owner of MomCorp, ZAPP BRANNIGAN (Billy West), the vain, self- absorbed captain of the starship Nimbus, and many others.

Just as it is today, life in the future is a complex mix of the wonderful and horrible, where things are still laughable no matter how wild and crazy they get. Fry’s introduction to life in New New York includes a visit to The Head Museum, where the heads of humanity’s most renowned and influential people live on. Against a backdrop of pesky aliens, exasperating robots, and malfunctioning gadgets, Fry finds that people still struggle with the same daily anxieties of life and love.

FUTURAMA, the Emmy Award-winning series created by Matt Groening, is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television in association with The Curiosity Company, with animation produced by Rough Draft Studios, Inc. Groening, David X. Cohen, and Ken Keeler serve as executive producers. FUTURAMA is distributed by 20th Century Fox Television Distribution.

The game is being produced in partnership with Fox Interactive, Twentieth Century Fox’s interactive division, and Matt Groening’s Curiosity Company. This partnership continues the strong teamwork that Fox Interactive and TinyCo established with Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff, a mobile game based on the hit Fox animated TV series Family Guy. Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff has attracted tens of millions of players while winning multiple awards, and Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow looks to continue in this tradition.

“Futurama is back, bigger and better than ever! Or possibly smaller and equally good. But either way, it’s back!” said David X. Cohen, co-developer with Matt Groening and Executive Producer of Futurama. “We’ve got completely new stories from the original writers, cast, and animators. This is the real Futurama deal.”

Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow is coming soon for mobile devices via the App Store, Google Play, and the Amazon Appstore. More information on the game will be released in the near future. For more details on Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow as they are revealed, and to connect with the Futurama fans who will create and play the game, go to www.fb.com/playfuturama, www.twitter.com/playfuturama, and www.tinyco.com and by sending an email to contentproducer@thesilo.ca  Additionally, pre-register on Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tinyco.futurama or visit www.youwillplayfuturama.com to be notified when the game is released.  For the Silo, Kjell Vistad & Cindy Lum.


About TinyCo

Founded in 2009, TinyCo has developed more than a dozen successful games for the App Store, Google Play Store and Amazon App store with titles such as MARVEL Avengers Academy and FAMILY GUY: The Quest for Stuff. The company’s mission is to make people happy five minutes at a time through incredible, fun and original mobile entertainment. For more information about TinyCo, please visit http://www.tinyco.com.
About JamCity

Jam City is a Los Angeles-based mobile game maker with global reach. Created in 2010 by former MySpace co-founders Chris DeWolfe and Aber Whitcomb, and former 20th Century Fox executive Josh Yguado, Jam City is the creator of 6 of the Top 100 highest grossing games across Apple’s and Google’s US app stores. Its portfolio of titles–which includes Cookie Jam, Panda Pop, Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff and Marvel Avengers Academy–has been downloaded more than 800 million times and is regularly played by nearly 50 million people monthly. Jam City has studios in Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego and Buenos Aires.
About Fox Interactive

Fox Interactive, a division of the newly-formed FoxNext group, produces award- winning games and apps based on Twentieth Century Fox’s globally-recognized film and television properties. Fox Interactive’s products bring triple-A quality and enjoyment to millions of players every day with games including ALIEN™ ISOLATION, ANGRY BIRDS™ RIO, THE SIMPSONS™ TAPPED OUT, FAMILY GUY: THE QUEST FOR STUFF, FUTURAMA: GAME OF DRONES, SUGAR SMASH: THE BOOK OF LIFE and many more.


About Rough Draft Studios

Established in 1991, Rough Draft Studios, Inc. is an award-winning animation studio specializing in traditional character animation, computer animation, and the blend of both mediums. Supervising Director Peter Avanzino, Producer/Partner Claudia Katz, and the rest of the Rough Draft gang are thrilled to be lending a hand on TinyCo’s Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow.

Gaming

World’s Best Street Fighter V Players Battled Head-to-Head at ESL One New York

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COSTA MESA, Calif. — ZOWIE, BenQ’s eSports brand, was the official tournament eSports monitor of The Brooklyn Beatdown, recently held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Held alongside the ESL One New York Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) tournament, the Street Fighter V event featured the RL Series console monitors as 256 competitors battled for a $75,000USD prize pool. The ZOWIE RL Series armed competitors with experience-enhancing features such as head-to-combat, lag-free technology, instant response and adjustable stand.

“The Brooklyn Beatdown was an intense weekend full of epic battles between the world’s best SFV players,” said Ronald Kim, eSports marketing at BenQ America Corp. “We’ve been looking forward to watching the pros compete head-to-head on our RL2460 monitor.”

The Brooklyn Beatdown streamed matches utilized the RL2460 monitor’s exclusive head-to-head feature, which allows multiple monitors to connect to the console system without any additional lag and eliminating split screen sharing.

brooklyn beatdown poster

About BenQ Corporation
Founded on the corporate vision of “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers’ lives. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to people today — lifestyle, business, healthcare and education — with the hope of providing people with the means to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier and enhance learning. Such means include a delightful broad portfolio of people-driven products and embedded technologies spanning digital projectors, monitors, interactive large-format displays, audio products, cloud consumer products, mobile communications and lifestyle lighting. Because it matters.

PR Link: www.ingearpr.com/BenQ/160928BenQ-ZOWIE.docx

Gaming

Updated XSplit Broadcasting Connects Entire eSports And Gaming Communities

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When we launched XSplit almost six years ago, we set out on a mission to make live streaming and recording simple. In that time, both broadcasting and gaming changed dramatically, with the advent of new live streaming services, the birth of the Twitch Streamer, and the explosion of eSports capturing the imagination of players across the globe.

XSplit Broadcaster ScreenShot

Fast forward to 2016 and the world’s top gaming personalities, eSports teams, game developers, publishers and millions of people worldwide are using XSplit to create innovative, hilarious, entertaining and meaningful content that has impacted audiences of all ages. Live streaming has helped bring people together from all walks of life, and with hundreds of thousands of new users joining us every month, that number is set to grow higher still.

Yet this is still only the beginning. Our aspirations for the future are much bigger, as we envision a world where players can seamlessly connect to one another in a dedicated space, share and create content, compete with one another and grow their own communities. To turn this dream into a reality though, we knew we needed the right expertise, technology and people to make this happen.

This is where social discovery platform, Player.me, and tournament management service, Challonge come in. Between these two services we see the potential to create a platform that connects the entire gaming community and serves the needs of all players in their daily lives.

Henrik Levring
Henrik Levring

We’re going to shake things up a bit over the coming months by combining the Player.me community and discovery engine with Challonge’s tournament bracket technology to create a future where players, content creators, eSports entrepreneurs and event organizers, can connect with one another seamlessly and beautifully.

Both Sean Fee (CEO of Player.me) and David Cornelius (CEO of Challonge), two top entrepreneurs and leaders in their field share this vision to build a connected experience, and we cannot wait to show you what’s coming in the near future. On a final note, we would like to thank our community, our partners and of course you – our users for being with us on this adventure. For the Silo, Henrik Levring, CEO of SplitmediaLabs.

Sci-Tech

Portable LED Bluetooth Projector Is Game Changer- Has Short Throw Lens

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BenQ America Corp., the No.1 DLP® projector brand worldwide, today introduced the Colorific™ i500, a completely new way to enjoy immersive entertainment in small spaces. A compact device that combines wireless streaming, short-throw LED projection and rich integrated audio, BenQ’s i500 instantly delivers big-screen entertainment designed for today’s modern, tech-friendly lifestyles. With access to the most popular apps, the i500 opens unlimited possibilities for thousands of movies, shows, apps, games and even live broadcast — all without cables, set-top boxes or streaming dongles.

Cute as a button right? It's only about 20cm x 9cm or 8" x 3"
Cute as a button right? It’s only about 20cm x 9cm or 8″ x 3″

“The i500 smart projector is an entertainment game-changer,” said J.Y. Hu, vice president at BenQ America Corp. “At just 3.3 pounds and 3 inches tall just about the size of today’s tablets, the i500 is a powerful and versatile device for even the tightest spaces. Simply turn on the i500 and you’re ready to stream videos and music wirelessly for the ultimate big-screen experience anywhere.”

Thanks to its short-throw lens, the i500 projects images up to 80 inches from as close as 3 feet from the wall or screen, enabling supersized movies, shows, apps and games in WXGA (1280 x 800) native resolution. Supporting a variety of streaming content, the i500’s Colorific technology features a long-life LED light source rated for 20,000 hours without lamp replacement and is capable of projecting high-definition videos with supreme clarity and sharpness. Its vertical keystone correction means the projector can be placed at an indirect angle without any distortion — perfect for placement on a coffee table. With its contemporary gold finish, it blends in seamlessly with existing décor.

On the other side of the dual-sided device users will find a pair of 5W fine-mesh-covered chambered speakers specially tuned to produce clear voices and rich sound quality without external audio connections. When the i500 is not projecting, it can double as a powerful, portable Bluetooth® speaker system.

The i500 comes out-of-box-ready and maintains its flawless performance with the latest software and streaming apps via over-the-air live updates to provide years of unlimited hassle-free entertainment. It is preloaded with popular streaming services and apps such as YouTube, Spotify, Vimeo, Netflix, Hulu and many others. Also, with available game pad and controllers, the i500 unleashes a universe of heart-pounding games including action/adventure, strategy, role-playing and even first-person shooter games.

The i500 does all of this via wireless LAN with no other connections required, and it can play video or music content from a USB stick or display Excel, Word, or PowerPoint documents without a PC. For even more convenience and versatility, the projector offers a selection of the latest inputs, including HDMI x 1, USB 2.0 x1, USB 3.0 x 1, audio I/O as well as a mic in.

The BenQ i500 is now shipping in North America at a retail price of U.S. $749.

Supplemental: Did we mention this beauty is also 3-D compatible?

 

Reviews

BenQ’s Flagship Home Theater Projector Delivers Breathtaking Picture

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COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions, today announced its new professional-grade home theater projector, the HT6050. The Colorific™ HT6050 leverages the Rec. 709 HDTV standard to deliver best-in-class color accuracy at native full HD resolution — right out of the box — to give movie enthusiasts and discerning videophiles a stunning entertainment experience.

Rec. 709 is the international HDTV standard that guarantees the accurate reproduction of HD cinematic color as the director intended. With a 6X speed RGBRGB color wheel, the HT6050 is calibrated for cinematic quality to deliver refined colors that are the truest possible reproduction of the original video palette. Generating industry-leading levels of contrast ratio performance, the HT6050 produces deep, true blacks and its high native contrast clearly resolves subtle layers and fine details in dark scenes for a truly awe-inspiring visual experience. Furthermore, BenQ has taken extreme measures to guard against stray light leakage from the light tunnel affecting contrast and obscuring fine details with a special black paint that seals the projector’s light engine to boost contrast and render all dark scene details superbly. Featuring class-leading high fill factor, the HT6050 shines more light into each pixel, improving definition for small text and fine details, while eliminating the “screen door effect” for stunning image realism.

Pass the Popcorn!
                                                   Pass the Popcorn!

“The new HT6050 projector uses the latest DLP DarkChip3 technology and a unique color wheel design to deliver HD cinematic color right out of the box,” said J.Y. Hu, vice president at BenQ America Corp. “Customers no longer have to settle for a less-than-cinema-grade experience and can enjoy excellent video quality and accurate colors just as the director intended — right in the comfort of their own home and at an affordable price point compared to models that cost two to three times more.”

Along with HD cinematic color quality, the HT6050 uses BenQ’s exclusive CinemaMaster™ advanced audio and video processing suite to enhance video content with smoother motion, more true-to-life color saturation, sharper pixel detail and improved flesh tones. It boasts stunning 1080p resolution with 2,000 ANSI lumens and a 5000:1 contrast ratio. It’s equipped with five optional big zoom lenses from 0.77:1 to 5:1 with -20~60% vertical and ± 5% horizontal lens-shifting. Along with its flexible placement design, integrators have more image-adjustment settings for faster setup.

Featuring a newly designed cooling system, the HT6050 delivers whisper-quiet operation without distracting fan noise interrupting the viewer’s movie-going experience. Its dual HDMI connectivity (HDMIx1, HDMI/MHLx1) means one cable can stream video and audio to the HT6050 without multiple wires cluttering the space. Customers also have even more content options. With a simple MHL cable or dongle, customers can directly stream full HD content from any MHL-enabled smartphone or tablet to the big screen. Its auto power on/off with HDMI-CEC option helps customers save power by allowing them to turn off a Blu-ray player through the HT6050 remote.

The HT6050 is ISFccc-certified by the Imaging Science Foundation® (ISF®), enabling viewers to enjoy a professionally calibrated picture with two optimized modes — ISF Day and ISF Night. The projector also features BenQ’s renowned SmartEco™ energy-saving technology to automatically adjust lamp brightness based on content to project richer blacks and increase contrast for tiny text and subtle details. The HT6050’s full HD 1080p optical system uses only the highest-grade glass for superior light penetration and realistic image quality. Proprietary low-dispersion lens coatings minimize chromatic aberration, so viewers can enjoy their favorite HD content in brilliant clarity.

NetflixSuperHDStream1080The HT6050 also offers an optional full HD wireless kit, which is a perfect add-on to stream uncompressed 1080p content, including 3D from a central location to the projector. Easy setup pairs with the projector automatically, while zero latency performance gives viewers smooth video and gaming with virtually no lag. Four powerful antennas provide up to 100 feet of wireless coverage and Dynamic Frequency Selection switches channels for smooth, sharp streaming, even through walls.

The HT6050 home theater projector is now available via BenQ Integrators’ Choice distribution partners and retails for $3,799 USD. More information about BenQ’s full line of professional projectors is available at www.BenQ.us.

 

About BenQ America Corp.
 The BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, enjoyment with productivity and aesthetic design with purpose-built engineering. It is this mantra that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling projector brand powered by TI DLP® technology in The Americas(1). BenQ America Corp. offers an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the very latest technologies. The company delivers a broad range of Colorific™ projectors, ZOWIE eSports monitors and gear, monitors featuring Eye-Care technologies, interactive large-format displays, mobile audio products, cloud consumer products and lifestyle lighting for any application and market — home, gaming, eSports, education, enterprise, government, house of worship, digital signage, A/V and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive projectors or flat panels for classrooms, full HD 3D projectors for home theaters, short-throw projectors for boardrooms, digital signage in retail spaces or LED backlit monitors for eSports, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers and retailers. More information is available at www.BenQ.us. (1) Based upon 2016Q1 data from the Quarterly Projector Shipment and Forecast Report from PMA ResearchAbout BenQ Corporation
Founded on the corporate vision of “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers’ lives. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to people today — lifestyle, business, healthcare and education — with the hope of providing people with the means to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier and enhance learning. Such means include a delightful broad portfolio of people-driven products and embedded technologies spanning digital projectors, monitors, interactive large-format displays, audio products, cloud consumer products, mobile communications and lifestyle lighting. Because it matters.About BenQ Group
 The BenQ Group is a $22+ billion powerhouse comprised of nearly 20 independent companies operating in over 30 countries across numerous industries with a combined workforce of over 100,000 employees. Each Group member is a recognized leader in its own field, contributing to the BenQ Group’s vast resources, broad R&D and distinct strategic strengths. By leveraging each company’s vertical specialization to create true scale across horizontal markets, the BenQ Group controls a highly efficient value chain with the unrivaled ability to deliver critical components and world-class solutions in the following industries: TFT-LCD, green energy, fine chemicals and advanced materials, lighting, IC design, precision components, system integration, branded business and service. The Group is committed to profitable and sustainable businesses that share its long-standing vision of Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life. The BenQ Group companies are: BenQ Corporation, AU Optronics Corporation (world’s top manufacturer of large-size TFT-LCD panels), Qisda Corporation, Darfon Electronics Corporation, BenQ ESCO Corp., BenQ Materials Corp., BenQ Guru Corp., BenQ Medical Center, BenQ Medical Technology Corp., BenQ AB DentCare Corp., Daxin Materials Corp., Dazzo Technology Corp., Forhouse Corp., Lextar Electronics Corp., LILY Medical Corp. and Raydium Semiconductor Corp.
Gaming

DreamHack Austin 2016 Featured ZOWIE Official eSports Monitors

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COSTA MESA, Calif. — May, 2016 — BenQ America Corp., a globally renowned LED and gaming monitor expert, recently announced that ZOWIE, the company’s eSports brand, would be the official monitor sponsor of DreamHack Austin 2016. Making its first-ever stop in North America as part of the DreamHack ZOWIE Open World Tour, the event took place May 6-8 at the Austin Convention Center. Pro gamers competed using the XL Series eSports monitors for all PC gaming tournaments. Additionally, ZOWIE extended its partnership to supply its RL eSports console monitors for the Capcom Pro Tour’s Street Fighter V and Pokkén Tournament matches.

The North American eSports market has seen phenomenal growth, attracting millions of gamers and online viewers. Committed to eSports, ZOWIE is pleased to partner with DreamHack to deliver the ultimate pro gaming experience with its XL and RL monitor lines.

“BenQ ZOWIE is created for eSports and only eSports. We believe that gaming is all about the experience, whether it’s PC or console eSports. Our relentless pursuit to provide the most professional experience drives us to craft eSports products, including the XL and RL monitors, that are based on a deep understanding of the sport and fine-tuned to meet the pros’ specific usage scenarios,” said Lars Yoder, president of BenQ America. “With our XL and RL monitors, professional players will have the high performance they expect for competition.”

ZOWIE EC2-eVo Gaming Mouse
ZOWIE EC2-eVo Gaming Mouse

DreamHack Austin 2016 attendees were able to test-drive the full range of ZOWIE products at booth 135. The complete ZOWIE lineup includes the XL and RL series monitors, SR and TF mousepads, as well as the EC, ZA, FK, and newly released FK1+ mice series. ZOWIE mice fit every particular gaming style with options for right- and left-handed players in addition to ambidextrous ones. As a sneak peek, visitors also had an opportunity to experience the soon-to-be-released ZOWIE VITAL audio system, an intuitive, driverless device that provides convenient adjustments to improve both sound and audio communication for games.

ZOWIE also conducted its own Counter-Strike: Global Offensive death match tournament at its booth three times per day each day — noon, 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. — to give players a chance to win a custom ZOWIE G-SR mousepad.

Follow @DreamHackOpen and @DreamHack on Twitter and stay tuned to @ZOWIEbyBenQ for other deals.

About ZOWIE
Introduced in late 2008, ZOWIE is a brand dedicated to the development of the best competitive gaming products to improve eSports athletes’ combat performance. In 2015, the ZOWIE brand was acquired by BenQ Corp. to aggressively lead the company’s eSports product line with products that deliver true competitive advantages. More information is available at ZOWIE.BenQ.com/.

About BenQ America Corp.
The BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, enjoyment with productivity and aesthetic design with purpose-built engineering. It is this mantra that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling projector brand powered by TI DLP® technology in The Americas(1). BenQ America Corp. offers an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the very latest technologies. The company delivers a broad range of Colorific™ projectors, ZOWIE eSports gear and monitors, interactive large-format displays, mobile audio products, cloud consumer products and lifestyle lighting for any application and market — education, home, gaming, enterprise, government, house of worship, digital signage, A/V and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive digital whiteboards for classrooms, full HD 3D projectors for home theaters, short-throw projectors for boardrooms, interactive flat-panel displays for digital signage or LED backlight monitors for professional gaming, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers and retailers.

More information is available at www.BenQ.us.

(1) Based upon Q1’15 – Q3’15 data from the Quarterly Projector Shipment and Forecast Report from PMA Research

About BenQ Corporation
Founded on the corporate vision of “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers’ lives. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to people today — lifestyle, business, healthcare and education — with the hope of providing people with the means to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier and enhance learning. Such means include a delightful broad portfolio of people-driven products and embedded technologies spanning digital projectors, monitors, interactive large-format displays, audio products, cloud consumer products, mobile communications and lifestyle lighting. Because it matters.

Gaming

Bandai Namco & Behaviour releasing WARHAMMER 40K on New Gen Systems

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Lyon, FRANCE – January, 2015 – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe and Canadian developer Behaviour announced today that Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade will be available for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC starting summer 2016.  For the first time, Warhammer 40,000 fans will join their favorite factions in the fiercest and most authentic Warhammer 40,000 battles ever realized in a massive online shooter.

Warhammer Eternal Crusade 1

Based on the multimillion-selling and extensive universe of Warhammer 40,000, Eternal Crusade will take gamers into a vicious battle between four factions of the 41st millennium in order to control a persistent world at war. Whether it is PvP (Player versus Player) or PvE (Player versus Environment) squads will have to work together and engage in massive battles and exterminate the other factions! To do so; fans can choose from twenty different sub-factions, earn hundreds of weapons, customization options and accessories drawn from 29 years of Warhammer 40,000 lore to create their perfect warriors!

 

 “It’s an honor to work on a Warhammer 40,000 game that’s already getting great community feedback on our pre-alpha. We can’t wait to share what we’ve built with a wider audience.” – Stephen Mulrooney, SVP Behaviour Digital

 

“We are delighted to start a new kind of collaboration with Behaviour Interactive. Thanks to our prevailing distribution network and structure, customers from almost 100 countries will have access to Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade! Last but not least; our team here at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe is excited to work on the legendary Warhammer license.” Alberto Gonzalez Lorca, Vice-President of 3rd Parties and Southern Europe.

Bandai Namco Entertainment Logo

“We are really happy to have BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment on board as a partner to complement our collaboration with Games Workshop.”  Rémi Racine, founder and CEO, Behaviour

 

Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade will be available for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC Digital starting summer 2016.

 

 

For more information:

 

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2016.  Eternal Crusade, the Eternal Crusade logo, GW, Games Workshop, Space Marine, 40K, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, 40,000, the ‘Aquila’ Double-headed Eagle logo, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likeness thereof, are either ® or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under license. All rights reserved.

 

About BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S., part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles and PC, with marketing and sales operations in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia.  The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including PAC-MAN™, Tekken™, SOULCALIBUR™, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA™, RIDGE RACER™ and ACE COMBAT™.

 

About Behaviour:

 

Founded in 1992, Behaviour Interactive is Canada’s largest independent game developer, employing 325 talented people in Montreal (Quebec) and Santiago (Chile). The studio’s objective is to deliver high-quality and commercially successful games, while staying on the cutting-edge of the industry trends in the digital markets, and exploring fresh ideas and connected experiences to keep players entertained. Our studios work with the industry’s top publishers and licensors, including Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Cloud Imperium, Disney, Dreamworks, EA, Games Workshop, Majesco, Microsoft, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Pixar, Sony, Starbreeze, Ubisoft and Warner.  For more information, please visit: bhvr.com. Eternal Crusade is produced by Behaviour Digital. Behaviour Digital Inc. is a subsidiary of Behaviour Interactive Inc whose mission is to “Create remarkable games we would play, our way.”

 

About Games Workshop:

Games Workshop® Group PLC (LSE:GAW.L) is based in Nottingham, UK. Games Workshop designs, manufactures, retails, and distributes its range of Warhammer® and Warhammer® 40,000® games, miniature soldiers, novels and model kits through more than 400 of its own Hobby centres, the Internet and independent retail channels in more than 50 countries worldwide. More information about Games Workshop can be found at www.games-workshop.com and further details about all of Games Workshop’s licensees and their products are at licensing.games-workshop.com

Gaming

BenQ releases Curved 35-Inch Immersive Gaming Display

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COSTA MESA, Calif.  — BenQ America Corp., an internationally renowned digital lifestyle solutions provider and professional gaming monitor pioneer, today introduced the company’s all-new XR3501 curved gaming display. Designed to provide a more immersive gaming experience, the 35-inch panel brings gamers a dramatic 2,000R curvature — the highest of any LCD monitor — as well as a lightning-fast 144-Hz refresh rate, ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio, and BenQ’s RevolutionEyes™ technology — allowing gamers to experience enhanced visual comfort, a larger viewing area, and seamless peripheral views for a more authentic sense of engagement with today’s dynamic content.

35-Inch PC Display Featuring 2,000R Curvature and 144-Hz Refresh Rate Adds a New Level of Entertainment.
35-Inch PC Display Featuring 2,000R Curvature and 144-Hz Refresh Rate Adds a New Level of Entertainment.

“BenQ’s new XR3501 monitor is set to transform gaming into a faster, wider, and more engaging all-around experience,” said J.Y. Hu, Vice President, Business Line Management at BenQ America Corp. “Featuring a 2-meter curvature, a fast-action refresh rate, and a 2560×1080 resolution, the panel provides breathtaking visuals that surround users with edge-to-edge excitement. Players will experience their favorite games in an entirely new way while features such as Black eQualizer, RevolutionEyes technology, and PIP will definitely put them ahead of the pack.”

BenQ’s XR3501 monitor has been designed for casual gamers looking for a more enveloping gaming experience. With over 20 options for color vibrance, the VA panel provides higher color reproduction with better viewing angles, which proves vital when using such a large curved screen by adding an extra layer of color optimization. Users can also adjust color levels directly via OSD or DisplayPilot for complete color control. Using Black eQualizer, the panel brightens darker scenes within games without over-exposing white levels — giving gamers the advantage of seeing details more clearly than their competitors, while picture in picture allows multiple sources to be connected and viewed on the monitor. 

With a focus on “Eye-Care” and visual comfort, the XR3501 is equipped with BenQ’s RevolutionEyes technology. Featuring ZeroFlicker™, the monitor eliminates flickering at all brightness levels, reducing visual strain to provide a more comfortable viewing experience. When combined with the device’s built-in Low Blue Light modes, the monitor also successfully filters the exposure of emitted blue spectrum light — effectively reducing eye fatigue and elevating gaming performance to provide exceptional visual comfort, even during long hours of gaming or dynamic content viewing.

BenQ’s curved XR3501 monitor is now shipping across North America at an MSRP of USD$999. Details on BenQ’s full line of gaming monitors can be found at http://gaming.benq.com.

 

About BenQ America Corp. 
The BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment ‘N’ Quality to Life,” fusing lifestyle with technology, enjoyment with productivity, and aesthetic design with purpose-built engineering. It is this mantra that has made BenQ the No. 1-selling projector brand powered by TI DLP® technology in The Americas(1). BenQ America Corp. offers an extensive line of visual display and presentation solutions that incorporate the very latest technologies. The company delivers a broad range of Colorific™ projectors, RevolutionEyes™ monitors, interactive large-format displays, mobile audio products, cloud consumer products, and lifestyle lighting for any application and market — education, home, gaming, enterprise, government, house of worship, digital signage, A/V, and IT — with cutting-edge models that lead the industry in performance, reliability, environmental sustainability, and aesthetics. Whether it’s interactive digital whiteboards for classrooms, full HD 3D projectors for home theaters, short-throw projectors for boardrooms, interactive flat-panel displays for digital signage, or LED-backlight monitors for professional gaming, BenQ continues to defy the limits of digital displays. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers, and retailers. 

 

(1) Based upon Q1’15 Quarterly Projector Shipment and Forecast Report from PMA Research

About BenQ Corporation
Founded on the corporate vision of “Bringing Enjoyment ‘N’ Quality to Life”, BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers’ lives. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to people today — lifestyle, business, healthcare, and education — with the hope of providing people with the means to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier, and enhance learning.

Click to view on I-tunes
Click to view on I-tunes

Such means include a delightful broad portfolio of people-driven products and embedded technologies spanning digital projectors, monitors, interactive large-format displays, audio products, cloud consumer products, mobile communications, and lifestyle lighting. Because it matters. 

About BenQ Group
The BenQ Group is a $22+ billion powerhouse comprised of nearly 20 independent companies operating in over 30 countries across numerous industries with a combined workforce of over 100,000 employees. Each Group member is a recognized leader in its own field, contributing to the BenQ Group’s vast resources, broad R&D, and distinct strategic strengths. By leveraging each company’s vertical specialization to create true scale across horizontal markets, the BenQ Group controls a highly efficient value chain with the unrivaled ability to deliver critical components and world-class solutions in the following industries: TFT-LCD, green energy, fine chemicals and advanced materials, lighting, IC design, precision components, system integration, branded business, and service. The Group is committed to profitable and sustainable businesses that share its long-standing vision of Bringing Enjoyment ‘N’ Quality to Life. The BenQ Group companies are: BenQ Corporation, AU Optronics Corporation (world’s top manufacturer of large-size TFT-LCD panels), Qisda Corporation, Darfon Electronics Corporation, BenQ ESCO Corp., BenQ Materials Corp., BenQ Guru Corp., BenQ Medical Center, BenQ Medical Technology Corp., BenQ AB DentCare Corp., Daxin Materials Corp., Dazzo Technology Corp., Forhouse Corp., Lextar Electronics Corp., LILY Medical Corp., and Raydium Semiconductor Corp.

All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

Gaming

Hashtag Roundup App reaching 100,000,000 Twitter “Hashtag gamers” weekly

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Have you been playing hashtag games on Twitter? Hashtag games are fun and free word games where Twitter users contribute funny or clever responses around a common theme, like #RejectedPrezCampaignSlogans or like #Things20SomethingsSay.
Rejected Prez Campaign Slogans Hillary
Hashtag games can often be found in the “what’s trending” area of Twitter but to discover all of them there’s a new app called Hashtag Roundup (www.hashtagroundup.com) that creates and hosts its own creative games, recruits comedians and Twitter celebrities to host live games, and aggregates the best trending games, making Twitter easy and accesible for everyone.

 The Hashtag Roundup app, now available for Apple and Android, provides game alerts, peer-to-peer awards, and exclusive leader boards to serve the rapidly expanding global hashtag gaming community. Hashtag Roundup is the leading creator, promoter, and aggregator of hashtag games in the US, Canada, and UK, with a cumulative weekly reach now exceeding 100 million Twitter users.

We ( @thesiloteam) had fun with a recent game called #MakeAFilmSkeptical
We ( @thesiloteam) had fun with a recent game called #MakeAFilmSkeptical

Hashtag games are word games where Twitter users contribute often clever or funny responses to a common theme. For example, a recent game promoted by Hashtag Roundup was #4BestWordsEver, and contributions included tweets like “Open bar, free food” (@2p2TrollCat), “School is finally out” (@trjx1d), “Mom got us pizza” (@Broganza16), and “You’re the best mommy” @darksidedeb).

Brands get in the game as well, with submissions like “We’re going to Universal” @UniversalORL), “No soup for you!” @Seinfeldtv) and “a dozen original glazed” @krispykreme). The “winners” are the ones with the most retweets and favorites. Hashtag games provide a fun diversion and creative outlet for individuals and a marketing channel for big brands.

Hashtag Roundup recruits comedians and Twitter celebrities to host and create games. Users download the app in order to see what games are running and what the best responses are. Hashtag Roundup shares both original games and trending games on Twitter.

Scott Fischler Cofounder HashtagGameHashtag Roundup is a joint venture of @TheHashtagGame and @absrdNEWS. In February 2012, @theHashtagGame was launched by Scott Fischler (@fastlaugh) and quickly established itself as the leading 24/7 hub of hashtag gaming. Meanwhile, @absrdNEWS and absrdCOMEDY.com were launched in February 2014 by Jeff Dwoskin (@bigmacher), immediately gaining recognition and followers for its sharp news parody and frequent, funny Top Ten Lists. Fischler and Dwoskin, both comedians, joined forces in 2014 to jointly develop the Hashtag Roundup app for iOS and Android. Hashtag Roundup delivers a consistently great Twitter experience, with engaging hashtag games and hosts.

“We love watching the hilarious and creative answers our fellow Twitter users come up with in hashtag games, but as hashtag addicts ourselves, we struggled to keep track of all the games, and all the responses,” said Jeff Dwoskin, founder of absrdCOMEDY.com.

“Hashtag gaming is rapidly becoming a significant marketing vehicle for brands, celebrities, major league sports teams… even political candidates. All are now frequently playing our games, and recognizing the massive positive exposure to new audiences that hashtag gaming provides,” said Scott Fischler, founder of @TheHashtagGame.

App  Download links

iPhone/iPad https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hashtag-roundup/id985741893?ls=1&mt=8
Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.touchtitans.hashtag_roundup

Click to view on I-tunes
Click to view on I-tunes
Gaming

UK’s “ICE Totally Gaming” A Must Visit In The Gaming And Technology Sector

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ICE TweetThe ICE Totally Gaming exhibition returns to London in the UK next month, but it’s a huge event for the industry worldwide where innovation comes to the fore and the future is literally paraded in front of our eyes. The three-day event offers conferences, seminars, networking and much more from companies around the world, and, of course, Canada is represented.

 

There’s a reason why the reach of Totally Gaming is so vast, as it encompasses online casinos, sports betting, social gaming and street gaming amongst other areas, bringing together the best minds and freshest technology into one place. Last year there were 23,506 attendees from 156 countries, and although Canadians represented just 0.93% of that, the fact that 218 of us (yes, I did the math) were willing to make that trip shows just how important it is to the industry, even over 6,000km away.

But why is that trip worthwhile, and will 2015 be value for money if you’ve got vested interests in gaming, technology and the business behind it? With the amount of knowledge on offer for the ticket price, I’d have to say yes.

ICE Totally Gaming 2014 Recap
This year’s seminars – which are all free to attend – include information on emerging and growing markets such as Bitcoins and Cryptocurrencies, expert knowledge from the likes of the International Masters of Gaming, and informative start-up workshops which can help build networks with mentors and even open business-to-business dialogue. You can pitch your own business to ICE to get some floor time, and there are heads of industry there that make it a must for anybody with an idea or a business plan, or even just a desire to make it in the field.

One of the seminars sure to be a big hit is the aforementioned Bitcoins and Cryptocurrencies offering, with notable industry figures taking to the podium for various sessions. As the world of money online is constantly changing, arming yourself with knowledge is one of the best weapons. Jon Matonis, board director of the Bitcoin Foundation, will open things up and delve into why cryptocurrencies have been so well adopted. Further to that, you can learn about risk management, boosting business, regulation and more. Having all this information in one place would be invaluable.

The Bright Group's Raif Oymen
The Bright Group’s Raif Oymen

It’s not the only one sure to instill potentially revolutionary ideas on the attendees, however. The workshops and mentorship for start-ups feature some successful names already well embedded in the gaming industry, who will be dispensing advise on getting your business of the ground and, more importantly, keeping it afloat.  Martyn Evans of Unboxed Consulting talks lean start-ups, Phil Smith of Joelson Wilson will discuss the merits of London for a new business, and there are more workshops for crowdsourcing, licencing and finances. For more details on all of these information-packed seminars, you can look here.

Leading companies like IGT choose the event as a premiere for their freshest ideas, and the big internationals make sure it’s a part of their calendar. “ICE is a really good opportunity,” said The Bright Group’s Raif Oymen, who will be exhibiting after travelling all the way from Australia.

If you have to be at the forefront of emerging technology and know where the cutting edge of the gaming markets is then it should be a key date in your calendar. Even more importantly, if your career aspirations or business future relies on the gaming sector then there won’t be a bigger, more beneficial way to spend three days in the whole year.

Supplemental- Mapping the Future of Gaming

Gaming

World’s First Hybrid Gaming Monitor

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XL2420G Pushes the Limits of Competitive Play
XL2420G Pushes the Limits of Competitive Play

BenQ America, an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions and a gaming monitor pioneer, today announced the availability of its revolutionary XL2420G monitor. Featuring NVIDIA’s G-SYNC technology, the newest force in gaming allows players to entirely eliminate performance issues related to image tearing, stuttering, and latency — providing gamers with the ultimate in smooth, fast-action play. Unlike any other G-SYNC monitor, the XL2420G gives users the freedom to switch between BenQ’s proprietary Classic Mode and G-SYNC Mode to create a customizable solution that’s made to conquer opponents in any gaming situation.

“Giving players the ability to select between gameplay modes offers customization advantages that are currently unequaled in the marketplace,” said Bob Wudeck, Associate Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for BenQ America Corp. “When paired with BenQ’s RevolutionEyes technology, the XL2420G provides a hybrid experience which is both blazingly fast and incredibly comfortable. With the launch of this long-awaited innovation, BenQ is proud to be behind one of the most significant advancements in the history of competitive gaming technology.”

Benq Hybrid Monitor Blue Light Feature

Equipped with an innovative hybrid engine, BenQ’s XL2420G is the new apex of virtual gaming. Featuring a wide 24-inch screen, amazingly fast 1ms GTG response time, and crisp LED display, the advanced monitor allows users to select between two new gaming modes: G-SYNC Mode, which ensures that images appear instantly the moment they are rendered, and BenQ’s proprietary Classic Mode for added versatility during gaming settings unsupported by G-SYNC. Users simply switch their input cables to match their gaming requirements — elevating gameplay to an entirely new level.

To increase visual comfort, the XL2420G features BenQ’s RevolutionEyes™ technology. Using ZeroFlicker™ capabilities, the monitor eliminates traditional LED flicker issues and supports eSports enthusiasts in longer gaming sessions by providing more comfort during competitive action. The RevolutionEyes monitor also features BenQ’s Black eQualizer, which enables total gaming visibility by allowing players to adjust brightness without over-exposing white levels, revealing critical combat details with improved visibility in darkened areas. In addition, the monitor brings an ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rate for faster pixel rates to give players complete control over any gaming experience.

For even more gaming comfort, BenQ’s latest innovation is equipped with Low Blue Light technology. Designed to manage the exposure of blue spectrum light, the monitor helps to protect players’ eyes during extended periods by providing several adjustable low blue light levels that automatically adjust emission without affecting picture quality. For setup flexibility, the monitors are fully height-adjustable and feature an intuitive on-screen user interface and controller, allowing gamers to save and quickly access their gaming preferences.

Now shipping, the XL2420G retails at US$649. More information on the full line of BenQ products is available at www.BenQ.us.

Culture

Thirty Five Million Dollar Star Trek Themed Mansion

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'Star Trek Mansion,' Featuring Acoustic Innovations' Most Celebrated Home Theater Design, Now on Market for $35M Featuring Award-Winning Theater Modeled on Bridge of Starship Enterprise, Home is Most Expensive Ever to Hit Boca Raton Market. Photograph: Andy Frame
‘Star Trek Mansion,’ Featuring Acoustic Innovations’ Most Celebrated Home Theater Design, Now on Market for $35M Featuring Award-Winning Theater Modeled on Bridge of Starship Enterprise, Home is Most Expensive Ever to Hit Boca Raton Market. Photograph: Andy Frame

BOCA RATON, Fla.– May 2014 — The “Star Trek Mansion” in Boca Raton, Florida, is now on the market for a cool $35 million, featuring a much-buzzed-about home theater designed by Acoustic Innovations. Created to model the bridge of the Star Ship Enterprise, the theater is the focal point of the 27,000-square-foot home owned by Marc Bell, managing partner of Marc Bell Capital Partners LLC in Boca Raton. Last year, Acoustic Innovations designed a smaller theater in the home to resemble a military encampment, creating the mood for game enthusiasts to play “Call of Duty” and other Xbox games.

“Acoustic Innovations and Jay Miller did a fantastic job of taking our Star Trek theater vision and turning it into reality. If you can dream it, Jay can build it,” said Bell. “Acoustic Innovations’ attention to detail for every aspect of the project — from the advanced A/V technology to the quality and comfort of the chairs — meant that we were able to create a home theater experience that exceeds anything you’ll find in  a commercial movie theater. We’re looking forward to working with Jay and his team on the Star Trek theater and home 2.0, wherever that may
be.”

Classic THX Ultra2 Plus -Digitally Mastered -Avatar Intro (After Credits) –

Winner of a Gold award and Best Architecture award from the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) in 2007, the
1,400-square-foot Star Trek entertainment space includes the theater, a bar, and a “ready room” filled with Bell’s collection of props, models,
and drawings from the Star Trek television series, as well as Star Trek and Star Wars movies. Modeled to recreate the bridge from the Enterprise, circa “Star Trek: Next Generation,” the theater even includes motion-activated air-lock doors that “whoosh” when opening and closing.

When the theater was originally completed in 2007, it featured the most advanced high-definition cinema A/V system available. Since then it has undergone three major technology upgrades to keep it on the leading edge, including 3D projection capabilities. In addition to the functional and aesthetic design and d-cor, Acoustic Innovations designed the acoustics both inside and outside the theater, as well as for the “Call of Duty” video game room.

The "Call of Duty" video game room. Get some!
The “Call of Duty” video game room. Get some!

“It’s incredibly exciting to work with Marc on a project, because he is always open to an interesting idea,” said Jay Miller, president, Acoustic Innovations. “A collaborative effort is extremely important on every job we do, and for this project Marc and I clicked very early on how to execute the Star Trek bridge. Now that the house is up for sale, it’s amazing and gratifying to see how the theater has gone viral in the online press; in fact, I’ve not seen anything like it in my 23 years as a specialty theater designer.”

For more on this incredible home that has grabbed international attention, visit:
The Palm Beach Post: http://bit.ly/1qGRuG5
-Forbes: http://onforb.es/1k6o8M4
-Star Trek: http://bit.ly/1sxUS1q
-CBS12: http://bit.ly/1ovgKNx
-Business Insider: http://read.bi/1mZlXxq
-Engadget: http://engt.co/1nPTARZ
-Douglas Elliman Real Estate: http://bit.ly/1oUTuG2

For two decades Acoustic Innovations has been the source for personal theaters, theater seating, fiberoptic ceilings, acoustical panels, and residential noise control solutions. Over this time we have pioneered many of the materials and design specifications used today. Our staff has completed thousands of personal theaters throughout the world and has developed processes to ensure delivery of the ultimate client satisfaction. At every level of cost we blend the science of acoustics with the art of aesthetics. More information is available at http://www.acousticinnovations.com.

Sci-Tech

BenQ Gaming Monitors revolutionized Boston’s PAX East 2014

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The Boston Convention Centre will be showcasing BenQ's fantastic new gamin monitors including their latest "BumbleBee" monitor. It all begins April 11th. CP
The Boston Convention Centre will be showcasing BenQ’s fantastic new gamin monitors including their latest “BumbleBee” monitor. It all begins April 11th. CP

COSTA MESA, Calif. – BenQ America Corp., a globally renowned LED and gaming monitor expert, today announced its participation at PAX East 2014. The gaming event, which was sold out weeks ahead of opening, was  held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) from
April 11 to 13. The annual convention attracts more than 60,000 attendees and brings together vendors, pros, developers, and enthusiasts from all over the world to experience the latest in video game technology. BenQ sponsored two major gaming areas, as well as display a host of its highly acclaimed gaming monitors, featuring RevolutionEyes(TM) technology, at booth #1141.

Quoted ahead of opening Associate VP Bob Wudeck said: “We look forward to unveiling our latest gaming monitors at one of the country’s largest video game events. PAX East 2014 marks the debut of our newest RevolutionEyes professional gaming monitors, which have been designed to help gamers ConQuer the game with advanced features engineered exclusively to enhance game play.”

Now available on all new monitors, BenQ’s RevolutionEyes technology brings exceptional monitor performance and enhanced visual comfort across the entire gaming line. Led by BenQ’s market-leading ZeroFlicker(TM) innovation, the monitors eliminate backlight flickering at all brightness levels to reduce eye strain and allow gamers to spend longer periods engaged in fast-action play. Featuring “Low Blue Light” technology, BenQ monitors remove up to 70 percent of blue spectrum light to protect gamers’ eyes during extended periods of play without affecting picture quality. All BenQ gaming monitors feature BenQ’s Black eQualizer, which enables total gaming visibility by allowing players to adjust brightness without over-exposing white levels, revealing critical combat details with improved visibility in darkened areas.

A thing of beauty! The BenQ_XL2720Z
A thing of beauty! The BenQ_XL2720Z

On display at the BenQ booth was the new RL2460HT 24-inch LED backlit gaming monitor for high-speed PC and console gaming, which is perfect for RTS- and MOBA-style games, as well as fighting games. Co-developed with fighting game legend Justin “JWong” Wong of Evil Geniuses, the monitor’s new Fighting Mode enables gamers to highlight battle characters with special colors — improving focus and precision during high-stakes combat scenes. The RL2460HT features a built-in HDMI output to provide uncompromised streaming for head-to-head multiplayer gaming on a single screen. BenQ is also unleashing its stylish “bumblebee” black-and-yellow RL2240HE monitor. Specifically suited to RTS game play, the bold-looking 21.5-inch LED backlit display has been fine-tuned to provide the vital visibility and commands needed during strategy-led strikes. The fast-action RL series monitors provide blazing-fast 1ms GTG response times, height-adjustment stands, and other great features for optimized gaming.

Also on display, the new XL2720Z FPS 27-inch LED backlit gaming monitor offered gamers the freedom to custom-build their own personal gaming experiences. Equipped with gaming refresh rate optimization management (GROM), the monitor allows for refresh rate (100/120/144Hz), display resolution, and screen size customization. For even more control without compromising speed, gamers can customize and save display setting presets directly onto the monitor’s S Switch. This allows players to switch swiftly between customized settings using the stylish controller’s scroll button. For even greater convenience, the XL2720Z is height-adjustable and sports a carrying handle to transport the monitor to any LAN party or gaming competition.

BenQ continues to support the gaming community at PAX East 2014, where the company is sponsoring two freeplay areas — the PC and bring your own computer (BYOC) zones. The large PC freeplay area is designed to allow attendees to experience a wide array of the latest games on top-of-the-line gaming PCs, while the BYOC room is for those who bring their own machines to participate in large-scale LAN play on popular game titles.

Professional gamer Pobelter is a BenQ endorsee.
Professional gamer Pobelter is a BenQ endorsee.

At BenQ’s booth on April 11 and 12, professional gamer Pobelter, a member of pro-gaming team Evil Geniuses, was on hand to
sign autographs, pose for photos, and speak with attendees. The company also hosted the second part of its social media contest, announcing the winner of dinner for two with the Evil Geniuses’ League of Legends team.

For more information on the BenQ contest and PAX East 2014 event, follow @BenQAmerica and @Official_PAX on Twitter. Additional information on BenQ’s full line of gaming monitors is available at http://gaming.benq.com.

 

Sci-Tech

World’s First Colour 3D Printer Set To Enter Every Home And Business

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New York City, US – Global Release.  Last month, botObjects began taking advanced orders on the world’s first Full Color 3D Desktop Printer – at aggressive prices aimed at enabling most customers from home users, business professionals to educational institutions the opportunity to buy the ProDesk3D.
Why the finger of God? (courtesy of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam fresco 1508-12) Because this 3d printer and those like it are GAME CHANGERS. We all will have unbelievable powers of creation. Sure right now, there's an over-run of plastic Yoda heads and bubble-gum machine toys but eventually the novelty will wear off and the real output will begin. There are likely new home-based manufacturing businesses that will spring up as 3d printer prices fall and their capacities and features rise. Here's a freebie- how about manufacturing fishing lure bodies from your desktop? CP

While some observers pegged the launch price at $3000 or more, the firm decided to launch an early order price at $2,849 for the standard edition – hoping to make it an easier decision for customers as it is highly competitive with its contemporaries, yet significantly more advanced, and in a more mature stunning case. [ To keep things in historical perspective- “The first laser printer success was the Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet, released in 1984. The HP LaserJet bacame the de facto standard for the personal computer industry. By 1987, HP and clone laser printers could be purchased for about $2,500 and 2005 prices were under $1,000. ” Xerox Corporation u-s-history.com CP ]

The company also recently announced its next generation website, and along with it, released significant information that future customers wanted, such as 3D full color print samples created on the ProDesk3D.  botObjects aims to show how advanced the ProDesk3D is, with color 3D printed samples never seen before in the 3D Desktop Printing category.  Also, the firm announced technical information about the ProDesk3D, confirming an advanced specification aimed at delivering the first real 3D desktop printer for the mass market – with features aimed to deliver higher quality with color range, all-round ease of use, and printing speed.  The firm also confirmed that the ProDesk3D will print at 25 microns – some 4 times more accurate than its competitors, and at a maximum speed of 175mm per second – delivering industry leading speed for an FDM 3D Desktop Printer.

 

Martin Warner, CEO & Co-founder said, “We are delighted to be ahead of our plan, and release information that customers want to see, such as our own 3D print samples, so they can see the quality of finish and the gorgeous color range in the samples.  We also released the technical specification, the available price and much more.  Now customers can order today!”

botObjects [ and The Silo btw CP ]  believes that the 3D Desktop Printing revolution, is the next great technology wave, much like the PC revolution, and will no doubt dramatically change the rate of innovation at home and in the workplace, while influencing the approach to education both in school and in industry.  Areas such as product design, rapid proto-typing, many forms of engineering, architecture, precision-based manufacturing, home utility replacement, gaming & art and much more will dramatically change as a result of 3D Desktop Printers.  As software becomes easier for people to create 3D models, the ProDesk3D aims to make this a reality, announcing its own easy-to-use ProModel Software, coupled with the ProDesk3D to enable customers to create the models of their choice very quickly and efficiently.

Examples of full colour 3d printed BotObjects. To make real consumer and home inroads- practical objects at reasonable prices will need to happen, but these are a pretty cool start. CP
Examples of full colour 3d printed BotObjects. To make real consumer and home inroads- practical objects at reasonable prices will need to happen, but these are a pretty cool start. CP

Speaking on the announcement, Mike Duma, CTO & Co-founder said, “We know that people are extremely excited about the ProDesk3D, and we thank everyone for their patience.  We have had over 100,000 enquiries, and numerous countries interested in distributing the ProDesk3D.  We have announced a great deal of information so that our customers can learn more and evaluate whether to purchase the ProDesk3D.  We also added something special – our new limited edition ProDesk3D Blue – we know that customers will love this design just like the ProDesk3D.”

botObjects announced it can now take early orders by telephone today, and expects to take early orders on its website soon. [ now happening at   http://botobjects.com/ CP ] The firm confirmed that the first early order batch expect to ship 1st October 2013.

 

Supplemental- The CAD/CAM lab at UC Berkeley http://ced.berkeley.edu/resources/cadcam-lab/

The History of Computer Printers http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcomputer_printers.htm

Moedls app turns smartphones into inexpensive 3D scanners http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130225-moedls-app-turns-your-smartphone-into-a-3d-scanner.html

 

 

Gaming

All The World Is Indeed A Videogame

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It was 2011 when I wrote this piece and everywhere I turned I saw the influence of one videogame or another. Now they’re no longer just a niche sideline favored by the odd and socially awkward; they’re as ubiquitous as music and movies and, as an industry, bring in just as much or more money too. Is it really all that surprising, then, to see the unique influence of the medium turning up in some rather unexpected places?

Consider the Rocket Racing League. Heard of it? Founded in 2005, the RRL is a private air-racing league that, if it ever manages to get off the ground, will use custom-designed canard “rocket racers” in aerial races with a twist: instead of flying through physical obstacles as conventional air racers do, RRL pilots will navigate a virtual race course created by a computer.

“The Rocket Racer pilots see the Raceway-In-The-Sky with a custom Cockpit Based Augmented Reality System projected onto a 3D helmet display,” the Rocket Racing League website The Rocket Racing League explains. “For the thousands of fans in attendance, they will witness the racing action live and in real-time on large projection screens fed by the Ground Based Augmented Reality System. For the millions of fans watching on televisions and PCs at home, they will experience the thrill of the Rocket Racing via unique remote and rocket-mounted cameras that give at-home fans the sensation of riding right alongside famed Rocket Racing League pilots.”

The system will not only challenge the fliers but also provide a unique opportunity to engage with the live audience through jumbo video screens projecting the virtual course and even viewers at home by way of a planned video game that will let armchair pilots actually take part in the races, competing online in simultaneous real-time. But what if you’re after a more visceral, in-your-face experience? That’s doable too, and it doesn’t take a million-dollar rocket plane to make it happen.

Behold “Wipeout,” the ABC game show that puts contestants through the wringer of various bizarre and rather rough obstacle courses that more often than not result in a spectacular wipeout – hence the name – and a quick trip into a mud pit. Its roots can be traced back to the 1980s Japanese show “Takeshi’s Castle,” Vintage Video of Takeshi\’s Castle better known to American audiences (in edited form) as the Spike television extravaganza “Most Extreme Elimination Challenge.” But more to the point, these shows share a more basic commonality: a powerful video game sensibility in their design.

Check out a video clip or two at the “Wipeout” website – http://www.abc.go.com/shows/wipeout and tell me that those courses don’t look like some twisted Nintendo Super Mario Bros. creation sprung to life. All that’s missing is a oversized, angry gorilla who throws barrels. And while some people just love to compete, and the big cash prize for the winner is a mighty powerful incentive, the real attraction is far simpler: it’s an opportunity to put yourself into the middle of a full-size, real-life Super Mario level. Who could say no to that?

As gamers get older and technology gets better, we’re certain to see this kind of game-inspired entertainment become increasingly commonplace. In another facet Video Games Live has become the new musical craze. The performance is a musical compilation of some of the classic 8 bit game tunes from games such as Pong. Performed by the Video Games Live orchestra. In a way, we’ve come full circle; art imitates life and, as always, life imitates art.. It gives a whole new meaning to the term “virtual reality,” wouldn’t you say? For the Silo, Andy Chalk.

Gaming

Machinarium Videogame Combines Art And Visual Storytelling

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Machinarium is not a new videogame. But if, like many gamers, you overlooked it when it was released in late 2009, you owe it to yourself to go back and pay it some attention. Machinarium may look simple or perhaps even a touch primitive at first glance, but in reality the game is an inspirational fairy tale set in a wondrous, grimy world of living machines; a touching story of struggle, heroism and robot-love.

One of Machinarium’s most remarkable qualities is the way its tale is woven without a single word—there’s not one instance of speech or text in the entire game. Instead, everything is told visually. Dialog between characters unfolds as brief animations, while plot details are filled in through flashbacks.

Even the physical appearances of the game’s denizens, from the diminutive main character to his ruffian tormentors and the strutting, tin-pot police who, in theory at least, guard over the city, figure prominently in the storytelling process, as the pint-sized underdog struggles against bullies and thugs to be the hero his doe-eyed beloved has always believed him to be.

That may be a lot to read into a game that, bizarre setting aside, is a fairly straightforward point-and-click adventure. From a gameplay standpoint, Machinarium is solid if not particularly noteworthy. But the details of its world most definitely are. Each level and everything in it is entirely hand-drawn, providing a unique and whimsical visual style, while the soundtrack, both musical and ambient, is every bit as impressive—possibly more so. The combined effect is nothing short of extraordinary.

Gamers unfamiliar with the standards of “adventure logic,” in which odd, occasionally arbitrary sequences of actions are required to complete tasks and move things forward, may need a little time to get settled, but veterans of the genre will feel right at home. You will collect objects, you will combine objects, and you will use those objects on other objects to make things happen. But the game mechanics are actually quite simple, because everything is visual and its various regions are fairly tightly compartmentalized. Some of the problems you’ll face are real stumpers, however, and while one hint is available for each of the game’s screens, don’t expect it to do much more than give you a very gentle nudge in the right direction.

But that’s okay. Machinarium is a slow-burning experience that’s best savored rather than merely consumed. It crafts gripping beauty out of an ugly world in a way that elevates it from the merely good to the truly memorable. It’s not for everyone: twitchy Halo junkies probably won’t find too much to like in it. But for anyone in the mood for something a little more thoughtful, or who’d just like to see the videogame medium stretch its legs a little bit, Machinarium is a wonderful, magical game that simply should not be missed. For the Silo, Andy Chalk. 

 

Gaming

Archaeology Added To World Of Warcraft Expansion Pack

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In the videogame world there’s immersive gaming and then there’s immersive gaming. Take Blizzard’s World of Warcraft for example. Not only can you buy “virtual treasure and items” on eBay using real life money, there’s a new cataclysm expansion pack that allows  your character to  learn a new archaeology skill and visit “virtual dig sites” to gather your own artifacts.  This sort of ingame depth and detail is why over 12,000,000 people spend a great deal of time “existing”  in the virtual World of Warcraft.

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