Tag Archives: iOS

New Tech Japan Debut Earphone Audio Game Changer

August 8, 2023 The Silo Leave a comment

Keep your conversations and audio completely private with newly debuted technology featured in the nwm MBE001 True Wireless On-Ear Speakers ! In addition to proffering stellar audio quality and comfort, they also notably prioritize privacy via advanced “Personalized Sound Zone” tech that eliminates sound leakage while letting ambient sounds in, keeping conversations and other audio private (even if someone is sitting right next to you) while also maintaining situational awareness and ability to engage with others. The North Star Boys group (55+ million followers strong) pictured/quoted below are praising this comfortable, non-invasive on-ear speaker that can be used in public spaces without disturbing the wearer’s surroundings—or having prying ears listening in no matter how close the other person is.

Japanese Tech Behemoth ‘NTT’ Launches Next Generation of Open-Ear Wireless Earphones Only the Wearer Can Hear

Prioritizing Privacy: NTT subsidiary, NTT sonority, introduces ground-breaking, true wireless on-ear speakers featuring proprietary Personalized Sound Zone technology that eliminates sound leakage while letting ambient sounds in for utmost situational awareness;

Founders of the leading Asian-American creator group and pop band the North Star Boys, 55 million+ social media followers strong, praise the nwm-branded MBE001 wireless headphones—the latest innovation in the company’s ambitious R&D pipeline—which keep the listener’s audio private while enabling human connectivity, conversation and engagement fostering seamless sound for a seamless world

With the global earphone and headphone market’s size forecasted to grow to USD $126 billion usd / $170 billion cad by as soon as 2030, numerous factors are propelling the category to these extreme fiscal heights. This includes rising customer expectations for increased audio quality coupled with the expansion of the music industry, mobile technologies and Internet penetration at large. Earphones have also become a ubiquitous accessory for the numerous ways the device enhances daily lives. From 2-way communication, music, entertainment, fitness and gaming immersion to more utilitarian needs like concentration, noise cancellation and hearing protection, earphones enrich the human experience in so many ways. As this sector burgeons, one visionary company realized the still untapped potential of this product category and is single-handedly taking earphone technology to exciting new heights: NTT sonority—Japan’s audio brand that is a subsidiary of NTT, which is a leading global technology company.

This tech behemoth has significantly raised the bar and is permanently disrupting the market with the launch of its ground-breaking nwm MBE001 True Wireless On-Ear Speakers, now available at www.PersonalizedSoundZone.com, featuring its proprietary “Personalized Sound Zone” (PSZ) Technology. Revolutionizing the way we experience audio, the PSZ innovation allows users to enjoy audio with utmost privacy, situational awareness, sound quality and comfort. The technology minimizes audio leakage by containing sound to the ear, enabling users to use this on-ear speaker in public spaces without worrying about disturbing their surroundings—or having prying ears listening in … even if they are sitting or standing right next to you. This audio technology advancement is at the product’s core, providing users with the ultimate private acoustic space and balanced sound experience allowing them to hear their world differently than ever before.

“It is important for users to remain connected to their environment while indulging in their favorite audio content, and this additional safety element is among the key features setting nwm MBE001 apart from other earphones on the market—both wireless and wired,” said Hiroshi Sakai, NTT sonority Managing Director and CEO. “The technology enables users to enjoy their own personal sound zone without disturbing those around them or allowing them to accidentally or intentionally listen in. With the nwm MBE001 open earphones, audio is confined to within a few centimeters of the ear, ensuring music, audiobooks, videos, conversations and other sounds remain entirely private. These earphones concurrently allow users to stay aware of what’s around them, but without compromising audio quality, comfort or discretion. The wearer will hear more and miss less.”

So noteworthy the innovation, the music industry is quickly taking notice. This as the wildly popular Asian-American creator group and pop band The North Star Boys founded by brothers Sebastian Moy and Oliver Moy, which boasts over 55 million followers combined on social media platforms and a reported 20 million monthly views on their syndicated Snapchat shows, is praising the earphone advancement.

“I’ve always wished for headphones that don’t go directly inside my ear but also have perfect sound that cancels out noise,” Sebastian said. “I’m so happy to use NTT sonority’s nwm wireless headphones! They’re super comfortable and the special technology prevents other people from listening in, even if they’re sitting right next to me. Favorite headphones!”

Oliver Moy is also spreading the love for NTT sonority’s newest earphones, sharing, “Been using the nwm wireless on ear speakers for a couple of days now and, as a music producer, these on-ear speakers bring great quality with great practicality for everyday use. Cannot leave to the gym without them, as they are very comfortable and do not slip off my ear like other ear speakers… and they feel weightless while sitting on my ears.”

User Experience is Everything

The nwm MBE001 on-ear speakers are thoughtfully designed to address numerous factors that directly impact user satisfaction. These key benefits include:

Reduced audio escape for utmost privacy.
These earphones feature “PSZ Technology” creating a Personalized Sound Zone, which reduces audio leakage and ensures a private audio experience … whether that be a conversation, music, video or any other sound source. The PSZ technology resolves the long-lamented sound leakage problem, finally allowing users to listen to music, audiobooks, phone calls and attend online meetings in cafes and other public spaces with peace of mind.
Balanced listening comfort. In addition, the nwm MBE001 open-ear speakers offer balanced listening comfort by not blocking the ears, allowing users to hear ambient sounds and even their own voice clearly. The 12mm diameter drivers provide a natural listening comfort, similar to listening to background music, allowing a unique and equitable listening experience both through and outside of the earphones. Perfect for those who frequently use online communication, the open ears make it easy to speak without blocking the sound of your own voice.
Situational awareness and interaction. Because the device is not inserted inside the ear canal and does not block the ears, users can engage in natural conversations with people around them … even while listening to music or any other audio. They no longer have to remove the device when paying at the cash register, asking a quick question at the gym or responding to co-workers. Most importantly, users can remain alert to the sounds of approaching cars and other possible hazards—fostering potentially life-saving situational awareness.
Superior sound quality. Advanced sound technology allows users to experience crystal-clear audio. These on-ear speakers deliver rich, balanced sound across all genres, elevating the music listening experience to new heights.
Seamless wireless connectivity: The latest Bluetooth technology provides hassle-free pairing and a reliable, uninterrupted wireless connection that allows users to move freely, without any limitations.
Customizable sound via a dedicated app. nwm Connect (for iOS and Android only) is a dedicated app available as a free download. The EQ feature allows you to select your favorite preset and enjoy the sound that best fits to your environment.
Ultra-comfort for extended wear. The earphones are also ultra-light, weighing only 9.5g, ensuring those using the nwm MBE001 wireless on-ear speakers can avoid fatigue from extended use. Its ultra-lightweight, ergonomic design, coupled with the stability of the ear-hook, reduces stress on the ear amid prolonged wear.
Extended battery life: The built-in microphone and zero need to continually recharge throughout the work day or night makes these earphones ideal for remote work and online meetings. Users can enjoy conversations, their favorite music and other audio all day long. The nwm MBE001 wireless on-ear speakers boast an impressive battery life, ensuring the earphones are always ready whenever needed. Moreover, the included charging case and cable provides convenient on-the-go charging.
Button controls: Effortlessly control your audio experience with a simple physical button built into the wearable device. With a simple push, you can play.

“We are committed to pushing the boundaries of audio technology and delivering innovative products that enhance our customers’ audio experiences and lifestyle overall,” Sakai continued. “Our relentless pursuit of balance between sound pressure, quality, ergonomics and aesthetics has led to the disruptive, cutting-edge design of our new nwm MBE001 wireless on-ear speakers. They are not just about sound, but rather connection as they offer a new way of engaging with the world … complete with your very own Personalized Sound Zone. With them, you’re in tune with your world by being in control of your sound.”

Revolutionary Technology

NTT sonority’s journey taking the nwm MBE001 wireless on-ear speakers from concept to product launch was marked by countless trials and adjustments to balance sound pressure and quality while minimizing sound leakage. The company’s PSZ technology is a key innovation that applies the principle of noise cancellation by producing an inverted soundwave to neutralize sound. Unlike conventional audio devices that house the speaker unit in a box to prevent interference, PSZ technology has redefined this norm by confining sound within a 360-degree radius around the ear to minimize sound leakage. This non-directional speaker design offers stress-free, continuous listening without the pressure or vibrations associated with bone conduction earphones.

To incorporate PSZ technology into the nwm MBE001 on-ear speakers , the company had to reduce the size of the speaker units to their smallest possible dimensions. The challenge was to maintain sound quality while achieving sound pressure in the ear. The unique approach of using the inverted waveform from the back of the speaker to cancel out sound has also led NTT sonority to undertake R&D on both aircraft seats that provide a more private acoustic space as well as automobile seats that allow different audio playback for each user—all to improve comfort in ground and air transport vehicles WITHOUT using earphones or headphones. The ability to enjoy audio comfortably in a private space will make long journeys more enjoyable and comfortable while also enabling seamless communication with those around you.

For the Silo, Anne Gold.

About nwm

NTT sonority’s New Wave Maker (nwm) audio brand was created in November 2022 with the goal of creating an optimal audio experience. The company aims to expand its audio solutions to address future ways of working and living by creating not just a sense of immersion, but the comfort of being connected. Learn more at us.nwm.global .

About NTT sonority

NTT sonority is an audio engineering-focused subsidiary of NTT, which is a leading global technology company providing services in over 190 countries and regions to consumers and business as a mobile operator, infrastructure, networks, applications and consulting provider. The company’s mission is to foster connection through sound, by letting people choose what they want to hear, and what they want others to hear. The company’s core R&D in sound physics and related hardware powers ground-breaking consumer product lines as well as B2B use cases with wide societal impact. Learn more at https://ntt-sonority.com/en.

Source:

https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/01/19/2592042/0/en/Global-Earphones-and-Headphones-Market-Size-To-Grow-USD-126-Billion-By-2030-CAGR-of-20.html#:~:text=New%20York%2C%20United%20States%20%2C%20Jan,20%25%20during%20the%20forecast%20period

Photos copyright nwm / NTT sonority

Sci-Tech

Here’s How To Spot A Fake Apple Watch

May 11, 2021 The Silo Leave a comment

Courtesy of our friends at http://www.watches2u.com/hub/how-to-spot-a-fake-apple-watch.html

Sci-Tech

How The Old iPhone5 Was Made & Why It Still Matters

April 13, 2021 The Silo Leave a comment

Courtesy of Silo tech writer Alex Hillsberg

Sci-Tech

FlyKly Wheel Transforms Any Bicycle Into 21st Century Smart Bike

March 27, 2020 The Silo 3 Comments

The FlyKly Wheel turns ordinary bicycles into 21st century smart bikes that offer the benefits of both electric and pedal power to make bicycle commuting a viable option for everyone.

Cycling anywhere just got easier with the release of the FlyKly Smart Wheel, that lets urban cyclists climb hills and travel longer distances faster without breaking a sweat. Featuring an all-in-one design that puts a motor, battery and sensors together in a compact hub on the wheel, and weighing only 3 kg, the FlyKly Smart Wheel replaces the rear wheel on nearly any ordinary bike to transform it into a pedal-assisted electric bicycle. The FlyKly Smart Wheel has already earned three international patents and is the first all-in-one pedal assist for bicycles to hit the market.

“With bike to work movement all over the world, we strongly believe that the moment is now to accelerate this trend and fundamentally transform urban transportation by making riding a bike effortless, smooth and smart — basically, by finally making it a truly attractive alternative to driving a car. This is the promise of FlyKly Smart Wheel” said Niko Klansek, founder and CEO of FlyKly. FlyKly launched its prototype wheel a few years ago in a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. To take the wheel to the next level, the FlyKly team ventured to Italy—a country well known for producing beautiful, high performance bikes—to partner with a team of designers, engineers and software developers from the prestigious Polytechnic University of Milan.

Today, the Italian-designed FlyKly Smart Wheel is significantly smaller and lighter than the original design and offers a smoother ride while enabling cyclists to travel up to 100 km on a single charge depending upon how much of a boost they need or want from the motor. After production in Italy, the wheel is assembled in Slovenia. The FlyKly wheel and riding experience are controlled and customizable through the FlyKly App (iOS and Android), which works on smartphones and other devices using Bluetooth 2.3.

Design The FlyKly Smart Wheel comes in three rim sizes — 20,” 26” and 28” — to fit practically any bike and enable cyclists to easily transform their own bikes into pedal-assisted electric bikes. It takes fewer than five minutes to mount the fully assembled wheel. The sturdy, weatherproof casing for the all-in-one motor at the wheel’s hub comes in two colors—either pure white or silver gray—and is less than 18 cm in diameter. Bikes with the FlyKly Wheel do not look at all like traditional electric bikes, which are generally larger and heavier.

How it works The expression “it’s as easy as riding a bike” still applies when riding a bicycle enhanced with the FlyKly Smart Wheel. After initially pairing the wheel with the FlyKly App, the rider can customize and change their riding experience whenever they wish, setting things such as how much of a boost they want from the motor — ranging from 0 % to 100% — or what maximum assisted speed they want, up to 25 km per hour. After that, the rider simply hops on the bike and starts pedaling per usual. In response to the rider’s settings, sensors in the wheel tell the motor when and how much to kick in to give the rider the boost they want. The 250W motor shuts off when the rider stops pedaling, and Smart Wheel’s regenerative braking system then kicks in to slow the bike and recharge the battery at the same time, making it possible to go even further on a single charge. With a 100%-assist from the motor, a rider can go up to 40 km on a single charge, and much farther if they require less assistance or can add to the charge while going downhill. It takes 2-3 hours to fully charge FlyKly Wheel’s 30 Volt lithium battery using an electric wall charger, which comes with the wheel.

Test locations So far, riders can test FlyKly Smart Wheel in Europe (Copenhagen, Oslo, Ljubljana) and in US (New York). Exact test locations can be found here.

Smart Light Smart Light is bike light, phone holder and phone charger at the same time. It comes with USB and DC power connectors, silicon elastic phone straps that holds your phone firmly and dynamo, which generates power to the light while you ride the bike. It comes in white color and compliments Smart Wheel nicely.

Smart App In addition to being able to customize their riding experience through the FlyKly App, riders can use the Smart App to track their riding speed, distance traveled and trip duration. In the future, the app will be able to make route recommendations based upon the rider’s stated preferences and actual riding style. Riders will also be able can share any of this information with other riders, and offer it to city officials to help with plans to make their cities more bike- and environmentally friendly.

Pricing and availability The FlyKly Smart Wheel is available now in rim sizes 20”, 26” or 28” and may be purchased for 970 EUR and the FlyKly Smart Light can be purchased for 89 EUR on the company’s website at FlyKly online store. The companion FlyKly App is available for free in the iTunes App Store (iOS) and in the Google Play Store (Android).

About FlyKly Inc. FlyKly, Inc. designs and manufactures smart tools for smart urban transportation. Its flagship product is the FlyKly Smart Wheel, which turns ordinary bicycles into pedal-assisted electric bikes. The Italian-designed and Slovenian-assembled FlyKly Smart Wheel, which has earned three international patents, was released in January 2015 and is the first all-in-one pedal assist for bikes to hit the market. The company was founded in 2010 by Niko Klansek and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. More information is available at www.flykly.com or contact marketingdirector@thesilo.ca

Sci-Tech

Why Smart Speakers Were Popular Gift Idea Again This Holiday Season

December 30, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

Smart Speakers 101 The trendy devices can help you with everything from appointment reminders to grocery shopping lists to playing your favorite music and podcasts. It’s that last item that has the radio world excited. Find out why all the buzz is good news not only for broadcasters but also importantly for you.

A recent trend has shown an increase in radio listenership through popular smart speakers such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa. So what can broadcasters do to take advantage of this trend? Steve Goldstein of Amplifi Media and Sonic Ai aims to help.

A broadcaster by trade, most recently as EVP at Saga Communications, Steve saw a shift to on-demand content, and in 2015 launched Amplifi, a firm focused on developing on-demand audio—the intersection of podcasting and broadcasting. Earlier this year, Steve partnered with Jacobs Media on Sonic Ai, who develops smart speaker skills (more on skills later) for podcasters and broadcasters.

So what is it about smart speakers that make it easier for people to listen to radio? Steve explains, “There are a number of factors. For starters, the number of radios in the home has been on a steady decline. By some estimates, two-thirds of homes do not have radios. Generationally it’s even fewer.” Steve says the notion that it’s a choice between a radio and something else isn’t really true anymore – in some homes, there is no radio.

While it may be hard for those of us in the broadcast industry to imagine, the smartphone has replaced the radio and clock radio in many homes. “The smartphone is an entertainment hub,” Steve says. “It’s where people listen to music, get the news, watch videos, and so on. It’s transitioned from a telephone to a full-fledged hub. Part of that hub can be radio, but very little listening to radio occurs through the device.”

Steve says radio stations need to think beyond the transmitter and audio stream. While there are only so many radio stations in a market, there are 100,000 radio stations available via the TuneIn Radio app, streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, and 400,000 podcasts. “You’re talking about an awful lot of audio,” he asserts. “The focus needs to be on-demand content. That’s the trend. The expectation today is that content is available on-demand.” The ability to listen whenever and wherever a listener desires—in the car, while they’re walking the dog, when they’re exercising—is in step with today’s lifestyles.

It’s the same arc we’ve seen on the video side with on-demand services such as Netflix, Hulu, and others. While adoption has been slower on the audio side, the conversion is happening rapidly among millennials.

An Edison Research study from NPR earlier this year showed that somewhere between 7-11% of homes in the U.S. have these devices and the largest group of users is millennials (18-34). And we should expect this trend to continue, especially with the holidays upon us. “We should expect these devices are going to sell like hotcakes over holiday season,” Steve says. He points out that some analysts predict that market penetration may increase to 15-18% by the end of the year.

Smart Speaker

With the trend toward radio and audio consumption through smart devices, it’s apparent the way forward for broadcasters is to develop new ways to connect audiences to their content.

Got Skills?
You’ve probably heard the term skills thrown about when smart speakers are discussed. So what exactly are skills? And how do they relate to broadcast audio consumption via smart speakers? Steve explains. “Think of smart speakers as computers… They don’t know what to do until you teach it. In this case, Amazon refers to the learning aspect of the device as a skill. We develop skills and invocations for the stations we work with.”

As an example, Sonic Ai built a skill for WMMR in Philadelphia called ‘Open MMR.’ The listener hears a greeting from the morning show, then is offered a menu of choices. Listeners can choose to listen to the live stream, the latest podcast of the morning show, or the show’s top feature, called ‘The Bizarre Files’—an 8-12 minute piece of audio you can listen to without sitting through the entire morning show. Steve says WMMR has seen significant traction from listeners who missed the segment on the morning show tuning in to listen at a time convenient to them.

For a top-performing morning show, this is huge; for the first time, there’s a retention strategy, with the ability to repurpose and reuse audio. Additionally, in PPM markets, listening to content within 24 hours of the original broadcast is accretive to a station’s ratings.

Steve points out that when it comes to a radio station’s invocations and skills, getting it right is essential. Depending on the name or phrase used to identify a station, the invocation might not provide the audio stream you’re looking for. Steve cites the phrase ‘Lite FM’ as an example. “If you say ‘Play Lite FM’ as your invocation, you’re going to get Lite FM in Beirut, Lebanon, or an Inspirational station in Albany, NY. So you need to get your name and invocation correct, and register it.”

Steve suggests however that if stations are only doing this for streaming purposes, that’s not enough. “The real opportunity is with on-demand audio, which is what we’re focused on.”

The capabilities of smart speakers are constantly being enhanced, and they’re used for a variety of tasks, but audio is by far the top option. That’s the good news, Steve says, but the challenge for broadcasters is that that audio is coming from a variety of sources. “The linear AM/FM notion is going away, but the notion that broadcasters create relevant content is not, so they need to be more flexible about where content is being consumed, less focused on the transmitter, and more focused on devices that can play audio.”

It’s a new challenge, but with booming sales of smart speakers and potential for a measurable increase in listeners, it’s a challenge broadcasters need to embrace. Steve sums it up. “Broadcasters need to get out of the radio business and into the audio business. That will change your thinking about everything.” For the Silo, Dave Sarkies/Telos Alliance.

Supplemental-
For more about the impact of smart speakers on the broadcast industry, check out TWiRT 372 – Tom Vernon on Smart Speakers

Sci-Tech

Wunder C1 May Be The Ultimate 360 Degree Compact Camera

November 18, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

Advances in technology and miniaturization continue to disrupt marketplaces with the latest 360 degree camera release from Wunder. With a zingy and boastful advertising claim: “be a professional director with one tap” you know there’s going to be amazing design and features inside.

For starters, this compact camera that looks great, works surprisingly well as a standalone device without the need to be connected to a smartphone or a PC. Other cameras need to share the workload with a connected device in order to use all of their functions- not at all convenient when you are an aspiring movie maker “in the field” and trying to keep your setup light and manageable.

Thankfully, the Wunder C1 has a large on board viewing screen and navigation buttons with menus that work well and make sense making it the ideal ‘all in one’ solution and ‘stand alone device’. If you prefer using your phone as a controller the Wunder app can be downloaded for free for Android and iOS.

Live Stream to Facebook and YouTube

With the C1, it is now possible to live stream to Facebook or Youtube (2176×1088@60fps) in 360 degrees by 360 degrees. This powerful camera connects to the web on its own (802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz/5GHz) while performing real time ‘in camera stitching’. Weighing in at only 95g and with a small profile of 109mm x 45mm x 35mm be prepared to be amazed.

Video Quality

Each camera is individually tuned for color consistency and the 7 element lens paired with dual ISP assures accurate white balance and natural exposure. Even the body of the phone itself was carefully designed and manufactured with human ergonomics in mind. This assures comfortable one handed operation while shooting. The form/function factor extends to the small baseline module which facilitates perfectly stitched images.

Incredibly Smart Features

Do you like to capture and share action scenes? Shaky, dizzying footage often results with small, handheld video cameras but not when using the Wunder360. High tech computer technology borrowed from the movie industry results in automatically stabilized video that is sharper and smoother than other cameras. Speaking of dizzying footage, an out of focus video can really ruin the capturing of an important moment. The C1 uses processing power to track objects smartly- and to keep the focus of your attention in the center for the frame. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Discover More About The Wunder360

Find out about all of the impressive C1 features and order your camera here.

Geek Stuff

Type Wunder360 C1

Lens Number 2

Focal Length/Aperture f=0.94 F2.4

Sensor Type CMOS

FOV 360˚x360˚

Photo Size 4096×2048

Video Size 3040×1520@30fps / 2176×1088@60fps

Camera Settings Exposure/White Balance

Stitching In-Camera Real-time

IMU 6 Axis

Microphone Built-in

Memory Micro SD Card

Battery 1000mAh

Weight 95g

Dimensions 109.3 x 45 x 35 mm

Connectivity 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz/5GHz

Data Interface Micro USB 2.0

App iOS/Android

Livestream Facebook® and YouTube® etc

Status Display 32px x 64px

Gaming

Virtual Trucking On USA Highways In Truck Simulation 19

September 25, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

astragon Entertainment and developer Jujubee are happy to present the virtual trucking trucks of the next license partner of the mobile game Truck Simulation 19. The originally licensed trucks of US manufacturer MACK® will give virtual truckers the opportunity to drive along iconic United States highways and make their American truckin’ dream come true. The mobile game Truck Simulation 19 will be released for iPhone®, iPad® and smartphones and tablets using the Android^TM operating system.

Diverse environments and more than 30 US cities aren’t the only aspects creating an immersive trucker feeling in Truck Simulation 19. Other essential elements are authentic vehicles in the typical US truck design with enough horsepower for the transport of different kind of freights as well as pulling heavy trailers. Of course a real US truck also needs to provide a certain level of pleasant driving comfort.

All those important features come together in the three true-to-original truck models of the truck brand MACK®: the MackAnthem^TM, the Pinnacle^TM Axle Back and the TITAN BY MACK^TM.

As is possible with every other truck in the game, the truck models of MACK® can be equipped with different kinds of cabs for short-, middle- and long-range trips. If these customization options aren’t enough, every owned MACK® truck can be customized in a variety of ways. Compared to other playable trucks in Truck Simulation 19 the customization options for the three MACK® trucks are widely expanded with a lot more modifications to choose from offer quite some additional modifications to choose from: Not only the color of each model but also the bumpers, the wheels and the wheel sizes, the rims as well as the exterior mirrors and many more parts are completely customizable. By doing so truck fans will be able to conquer the highways with a special MACK® truck that reflects their unique tastes and preferences.

© 2018 astragon Entertainment GmbH. © 2018, Jujubee S.A. Jujubee® and the Jujubee logo are registered trademarks of Jujubee S.A. Published and distributed by astragon Entertainment GmbH. The MACK trademarks and designs are registered rights of the AB Volvo Group and are used pursuant to a license.

Ultimate Trucker Cap by Paid To Blaze Clothing — Click me!

Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc. All other registered trademarks or trademarks are property of their respective owners.

______________________________

astragon Entertainment GmbH

astragon Entertainment (founded in 2000) ranks among the leading independent games publishers in Germany. Our versatile product portfolio focuses on high-quality technical simulation games such as Construction Simulator, Farming Simulator or Bus Simulator, but also covers complex economic simulations and strategy games. The distribution of the Big Fish franchise (Mystery Case Files, Dark Parables, Grim Tales) completes our exciting product range. Games by astragon are available world- wide on many different platforms such as consoles, smartphones, tablets and PC.

Jujubee

Jujubee S.A. is a game development studio that has developed titles like “FLASHOUT 3D,” “Suspect in Sight,” “Take Off – The Flight Simulator,” the real-time strategy game “Realpolitiks,” and the upcoming documentary-adventure game “KURSK.” The company’s goal is to create inspiring and unconventional games for all significant device platforms, such as iOS (iPhone, iPod, iPad), Android, Mac, PC and consoles.

Gaming

Free Presidential Helicopter Game Via White House Historical Association

August 13, 2019 The Silo Leave a comment

NEW GAME Added to White House Experience App

“Fly Like Ike”

Players Can Pilot Presidential Helicopter Around Washington, D.C.

August, 2019 (Washington, D.C.) – The White House Historical Association has just launched a new game in its WHExperience mobile app called “Fly Like Ike.” This interactive game allows users to pilot the president’s helicopter and make stops to learn about several monuments and historic sites in Washington, D.C. before testing their aviation skills by landing on the South Lawn of the White House.

A picture containing grass, sky, outdoor

Description automatically generated

Helicopters have played an important role in transporting the president since 1957 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to use a helicopter. The helicopter used in this game is a replica of the Official 2019 White House Christmas Ornament.

“Fly Like Ike” currently features these seven destinations: U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Capitol, National Mall, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial/Tidal Basin, Lincoln Memorial, and the White House.

“Fly Like Ike” is the latest feature on the White House Historical Association’s WHExperience app, which is free to download on iOS, Android devices.

The WHExperience app also provides information and a link to purchase the 2019 Official White House Ornament, which commemorates President Eisenhower’s commitment to innovation as the first president to fly in a helicopter while in office in July 1957.

“Fly Like Ike” requires Wi-Fi or a data plan, and is compatible with iPhone 7 and up and devices running Android version 7.0 and up.

The WHExperience app also includes virtual tours of the White House and a “Presidential Lookalike” selfie feature, which is powered by Amazon Rekognition technology. For the Silo, Jessica Fredericks.

About The White House Historical Association

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. In 1961, the White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the White House Historical Association has contributed more than $50 million USD in fulfillment of its mission.

Sci-Tech

VisaNet Connects Two And A Half Billion Credit Cards

June 20, 2019 The Silo 1 Comment

One of the many ways the Internet is driving the global economy is through digital payments, making it easy for consumers to buy just about anything from anywhere. VisaNet is the largest payment processing network in the world, connecting 2.4 billion credit cards at 36 million locations across 200 countries.

Sci-Tech

New App Demystifies Coding For Kids

January 8, 2018 The Silo Leave a comment

NEW YORK, NY (PRWEB)- According to the White House, by 2018, 51 percent of STEM jobs will be in computer science-related fields. However, the number of tech employees has not increased along with the number of jobs available. Why? The answer is simple: lack of relevant education. The White House maintains that just one quarter of K-12 schools offer high-quality computer science with programming and coding. In addition, in 2016, the PEW Research Center reported that only 17% of adults believed they were “digitally ready.” Technology is changing the way that we live and work, and it’s happening fast. So how do we ensure that individuals (especially girls and women) are digitally literate?

In my new interview below with C.M. Rubin (founder of CMRubinWorld), Derek Lo says he started Py because he wanted to demystify “coding”. His app does this by making coding fun. The program also avoids using any programming jargon until the learner is ready. Lo states that “gamification isn’t a hindrance to learning—-it accelerates it.” He further notes that coding “instills a greater aptitude for systematic thinking and logical decision making.” Lo recently partnered with the not for profit Girls Who Code to further reduce the gender gap and “change people’s image of who a coder is.”

“We specifically write our content using language that even young children can understand.” — Derek Lo

Why were 600,000 high-paying tech jobs unfilled in 2015 in the United States alone, or is the better question: Is technology developing faster than humans can learn to handle it?

When we look at diversity, things only get worse. In 2015, 22 percent of students taking the AP Computer Science exam were girls while 13 percent were African-American or Latino. These statistics are not U.S. specific; in 2015, Australia reported that only 28 percent of ICT jobs were held by women.

Coding has always been regarded as a mysterious field, something Derek Lo, co-founder of the new application “Py”, wants to change. Launched in 2016, the application offers interactive courses on everything from Python to iOS development. The “unique value proposition,” as Lo puts it, has been a revolutionary success. The fun-oriented application has so far resulted in over 100,000 downloads on both iTunes and Google Play.

Most parents frown when kids use their phones at the dinner table, but what if the kids were learning to code over Sunday roast? “Ok, so maybe not the Sunday roast, but seriously, could a more accessible and fun coding application make all the difference?”

The Global Search for Education is excited to welcome one of Py’s founders, Derek Lo, to discuss how Py’s revolutionary approach is literally making coding cool.

“Coding can provide people with the awesome ability of being able to create tangible things like websites and apps. It also instills less tangible things like a greater aptitude for systematic thinking and logical decision making.” — Derek Lo

People say education today is often treated as a business and that individual students’ needs have not been prioritized enough. As the number of qualified applicants increases, can individualized learning tools, such as Py, help today’s generations remain competent in our globalized world, even with “broken” education systems?

Yes. As college acceptance rates decline, more people will need alternatives for learning career-essential skills, and we believe Py will be a big part of that. Using machine learning algorithms, we’re able to adapt the user experience based on prior skill and behavior within the app, creating a tailored curriculum. Having a personal tutor in your pocket that knows how you learn and what you should be learning is powerful and why we are investing in personalization.

Py provides its users with a simple and easy platform while many other coding applications (e.g. Solo Learn) have opted for more traditional and serious lesson plans. Does making learning applications appear more serious fuel the conception that coding is a hard and scary thing to learn? Are we over-complicating the field of coding and making it seem inaccessible for people or should students really be this wary of programming?

One of the reasons that my co-founder and I started Py is to demystify “coding”. We make it easy by making it fun. When you’re dragging pretty blocks around and pressing colorful buttons, it doesn’t feel like work. Yet users are still soaking up all the same knowledge they would be by slogging through a boring textbook. We also intentionally avoid programming jargon until the learner is ready. A good example is when we teach users about loops—-we use words like “repeat” instead of “iterate”. Almost all of Py’s courses are focused on teaching the fundamental concepts using simple language and in an interactive fashion.

Also, many people are scared away from learning how to code because they hear from friends that computer science is such a difficult major in school. An important thing to realize is that there’s a big difference between theoretical computer science and making a simple website. An art major might not need to understand Dijkstra’s algorithm, but would greatly benefit from knowing a bit of HTML and CSS.

“We’re extremely excited about helping to change people’s image (and self-image) of who a coder is and actively encourage more girls to get into coding.” — Derek Lo

What would you say to skeptics who question whether a game-like application like Py can truly help people learn how to code properly?

Gamification isn’t a hindrance to learning—-it accelerates it. By keeping you excited and engaged, Py teaches you better than if you got bored or zoned out. When you’re having fun, you actually learn faster and better.

Another way to phrase this question might be, “Even if Py is fun, do you walk away having learned something from it?” The answer is yes, definitely. We’re very data-driven, constantly improving our courses by analyzing our users’ progress. We can see (and track) real progress in our users’ ability to understand everything from basic semantics to high-level algorithms and design principles.

Do you think Py’s game-like surface allows younger generations to become more involved with coding?

Yes. We specifically write our content using language that even young children can understand. In fact, a parent emailed us just the other day telling us he was using Py to teach his 10-year old son Python! Currently our target demographic is definitely a bit older than that though. We think of Py as the learn-to-code solution for the SnapChat generation.

What general skills does coding teach kids/ young adults?

Coding can provide people with the awesome ability of being able to create tangible things like websites and apps. It also instills less tangible things like a greater aptitude for systematic thinking and logical decision making.

“Once you understand how an algorithm works, typing it out should be an afterthought. The important thing is to understand it—once you do, it’s yours forever.” — Derek Lo

Py has recently partnered with Girls Who Code. Why do you think coding has been branded throughout history as a ‘male’ profession and how do you hope to eliminate this gender gap?

Historically some of the most important computer scientists are women. Ada Lovelace and Grace Hopper are considered pioneers of programming. Stereotypes aside, men and women are obviously equally capable of becoming great software engineers. We’re extremely excited about helping to change people’s image (and self-image) of who a coder is and actively encourage more girls to get into coding. We’re huge fans of Girls Who Code and we’re so excited to provide them free premium subscriptions for some of their students.

When we think of coding, we mostly envision computer screens, yet we tend to use our phones more often than we do our computers. How does Py bridge the gap between using a computer screen as opposed to learning how to code on smaller devices? Is the coding world shifting to using smartphones or is coding still a generally ‘computer’ based field?

People actually don’t need to type lots of code to learn the concepts necessary to become great programmers. We’ve built interaction types like “fill-in-the-blank” that let users quickly edit code on the fly without any typing. Recently we’ve also created a custom keyboard that allows users to type real code on their phones in a friction-less way. This is great for short programs and practicing the fundamentals, and it’s how we’re making the transition from computer to phone and vice versa easier. Applying this knowledge to create a website or app does still primarily take place on computers. But the world is seeing a wave of new mobile learning applications, and I think we’re at the forefront of that trend.

How do you envision the world of coding changing in the next 15-20 years? How will Py keep up with these changes in the field?

Coding will become less about rote memorization of basic syntax and more about high-level understanding of what’s really going on. At a minimum, programming languages have morphed from low-level (shifting bits and allocating memory) to high-level (abstract data structures and functional programming), from obtuse (assembly, machine code) to human friendly (Python, Swift).

That’s why Py focuses on high-level concepts. Once you understand how an algorithm works, typing it out should be an afterthought. The important thing is to understand it—once you do, it’s yours forever.

CM Rubin and Derek Lo — (l) C. M. Rubin & (r) Derek Lo

(All photos are courtesy of CMRubinWorld except featured image by J. Barker)

For the Silo, David Wine /CMRubinWorld with contributions by Zita Petrahai.

Culture

Messenger Kids Facebook App Creeps Technology Into Family Life

December 11, 2017 The Silo 10 Comments

On December 4, the New York Times ran an article about how Facebook just introduced a new app called Messenger Kids. According to Facebook, this app makes it easier for kids to safely video chat and message family and friends. Per their privacy policy, the app collects registration details from parents such as a child’s full name. It also collects the texts, audio and videos children send, as well as information about whom the child interacts with on the service, what features they use and how long the children use them. In launching this new app, Facebook has ignited a fierce debate about how young is too young for children to use mobile apps and how do parents deal with the creep of technology into family life.

One mother has stepped into the debate with an alternative. Janice Taylor created a website and application called Mazu, which teaches children and families how to use digital media responsibly and become positive digital citizens. She cautions parents and says they need to ask themselves, “do you trust Facebook as a medium to protect your children?”

Bing search engine results for “Facebook messenger kids”

“Facebook’s only goal is to monetize a new user base and beat SnapChat at it. Children should never be used as ammunition in the Social Media war for dominance.” Taylor explains.

Based on the concept that “It takes a village to raise a child,” Taylor takes the position that every adult has a role to play in the well-being of the child and society. Taylor created Mazu to build a healthy digital village for families that is founded in love and core values. “Traditional social media preys on our desires to be liked, to be validated, and to be rewarded. That’s why the ‘Like’ button is so addicting and why we at Mazu don’t have one.”

Since its inception in 2010, Mazu, with over 250,000 users and growing, has evolved and now, through partnerships with professional sports teams, has brought the ‘it takes a village’ mentality online. With a suite of family friendly apps, Mazu connects kids to their family, friends, and teams/ brands they love in a way that is safe, healthy and fun. To date they have raised more than $6 million from non-Silicon Valley companies.

A recent Reuters Facebook post about Facebook Messenger Kids

“We believe that parents matter in the digital lives of their children, that’s why our COPPA-certified apps are created with parents in mind. We believe in the power of family and staying connected,” says Taylor. “By building our products around a set of values and using the community to build each other up, we believe we can create better digital citizens.”

Janice Taylor is a social entrepreneur, mother, inspirational speaker, author, and online safety advocate. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with an Honors thesis that focused on self-esteem and self-efficacy among women. It was from this research that she sought to create a solution to the issue of social media addiction and how it was affecting women, children, and families. For the Silo, Trina Kaye. Have something to say about this article? Leave us a video comment by clicking record below or use the comment section at the bottom of this page to type us a response.

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Sci-Tech

Smartwatch Has Been Available Since Year 2000

November 20, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

Culture

Body Check North America Study Shows Natural Look Is The New Sexy

September 15, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

A new study of the dating app Jaumo concludes that superficiality in online dating is just a preconceived prejudice. A survey among North American users shows that the majority of participants do find athleticism attractive but a couple of extra pounds on the hips will not necessarily decrease your chances of finding a date.

What attracts Jaumo users?
What is it, that attracts one person to another? Which body features are most important to most people? To answer these questions, Jaumo carried out a survey among more than 4,400 Jaumo users from the US. Jaumo interviewed them over a period of 4 weeks about their preferences in regards to their own body and personal ideals required of a partner. Users could agree or disagree with the statements outlined in the survey.

Jaumo users are not only active flirters.
63 percent of the users find an athletic partner attractive and more than half of the respondents don’t mind a couple of extra pounds on their significant other’s hips. It is noticeable that significantly fewer users, namely 42 percent, consider an athletic body sexy. And the sexes even completely agree on this question!

Hairy is not scary.
On the subject of body hair, the female users are pretty much in total agreement: 76% think chest hair belongs on the male body. The male users see this somewhat differently, but nonetheless, 64 percent of respondents agree. A natural look is also preferred in the downstairs department. 63 percent find a hairy pubic area perfectly acceptable and a total of 70% of the women prefer to see hair when they look down.

The way to someone’s heart is through their stomach.
Vegan, vegetarian, low-carb or meat-eater – with so many varied eating preferences, it may be difficult to find a partner with the same nutritional routine. For 77 percent of the Jaumo users, however, a compatible diet with their partner is seen as a must. For the Silo, Racheal A. Mack.

Jaumo founders Jens Kammerer and Benjamin Roth.

About Jaumo
Jaumo is a dating app founded by Jens Kammerer and Benjamin Roth in 2011. Jaumo has 20 million users in 180 countries around the world, more than 2 million of them in the USA and Canada. The dating app is available for free for iOS at the Apple Store and Android at the Google Play Store. The driving force of the two friends from Germany is to offer an uncomplicated and user-oriented product that binds satisfied customers.

Philanthropy

Mark Canada 150 By Raising 150K Meals For Haiti Children With This UN App

June 28, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

CANADA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched the #ASK1TOASK1 campaign, asking all Canadians to join the challenge to raise 150,000 meals for children in Haiti through the ShareTheMeal app to mark Canada’s 150th anniversary.

Every day, countless children in Haiti turn up for school on an empty stomach, which makes it hard to focus on lessons. A daily school meal can mean not only better nutrition and health, but help the next generation reach its full potential. The #ASK1TOASK1 ShareTheMeal campaign will allow WFP to scale up their Home Grown School Meals programme in Haiti.

It costs just $4.55cdn, less than a bottle of maple syrup, to provide one week of nutritious meals to children in school through the ShareTheMeal app! The app allows users to share nutritious food with hungry children around the world by simply tapping on their smartphone and donating $0.65 or more.

“WFP’s ShareTheMeal app and the #ASK1TOASK1 campaign provides Canadians with an easy way to share meals with hungry children in Haiti,” said Robert Opp, a Canadian who is Director of Innovation and Change Management at WFP.
“Daily school meals allow children to focus on their studies rather than their stomachs, feeding their dreams for the future.”

Haiti has been repeatedly affected by a series of devastating natural disasters over the last two decades. 2016 was the third consecutive year of El Nino-related drought, and the country was hit by the category 4 Hurricane Matthew, which left more than 800,000 people in need of urgent food assistance.

In Haiti, WFP is working together with the Government to produce a sustainable, nationally-owned, school feeding programme linked to local agricultural production. WFP procures local commodities such as rice, fresh fruit and vegetables from the local smallholder farmers, giving them a predictable market for their products and the children enjoy a healthy diversified school meal.

Join WFP Ambassador Against Hunger, George Stroumboulopoulos and other celebrities like World Champion Wrestler Andre Berto, Singer Dawn Richard and Canadian national Olympic Weightlifter Isabel Lahela who have all committed to help fundraise for the children in Haiti. To get involved, simply download the free app, join team #Canuck and once you have fed a child for a week share with your social media network, using the hashtag #ASK1TOASK1.

WFP’s award-winning app has engaged a new generation in supporting the fight against hunger. More than 850,000 people have downloaded the app and shared over 14 million meals with thousands of vulnerable children in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Malawi, Cameroon, South Sudan and Yemen.

The ShareTheMeal community recently contributed to WFP’s famine response in South Sudan, where users shared 1 million meals with those people in dire need of food.

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

ShareTheMeal allows smartphone users to share their meals with hungry people via a free iOS and Android app. ShareTheMeal is an initiative of the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator.

Download the app here.
For more information, please visit: https://sharethemeal.org/canuck.html

For the Silo, Laura Mirarchi & Julie Marshall, WFP/Toronto.

Featured image- http://www.public-value.cbc.radio-canada.ca/story/1/

LE PAM ET SHARETHEMEAL LANCENT UNE CAMPAGNE POUR DISTRIBUER 150 000 REPAS À DES ENFANTS EN HAÏTI EN L’HONNEUR DU 150ÈME ANNIVERSAIRE DU CANADA

CANADA – Le Programme Alimentaire Mondial (PAM) des Nations Unies démarre aujourd’hui la campagne #ASK1TOASK1, qui propose aux Canadiens de participer à un challenge visant à distribuer 150 000 repas à des enfants en Haïti via l’application ShareTheMeal en l’honneur du 150ème anniversaire du Canada.

Chaque jour, de très nombreux enfants haïtiens vont à l’école le ventre vide, ce qui les empêche de se concentrer. En plus d’améliorer leur nutrition et leur santé, un repas scolaire quotidien peut permettre à la prochaine génération d’atteindre pleinement son potentiel. La campagne #Ask1toAsk1 de ShareTheMeal permettra au PAM d’étendre la portée de son programme “Home Grown School Meals”, qui fournit des repas scolaires produits localement.

Avec l’application ShareTheMeal, fournir une semaine de repas scolaires nourrissants à des enfants ne coûte que $4,55, soit moins qu’une bouteille de sirop d’érable ! L’application permet aux utilisateurs de partager de la nourriture saine avec des enfants dans le besoin en quelques clics sur leur smartphone, en faisant des dons de $0,65 ou plus.

Robert Opp, directeur canadien de l’Innovation et du Changement au PAM, dit que “ l’application ShareTheMeal et la campagne #ASK1TOASK1 offrent aux Canadiens un moyen simple de partager des repas avec des enfants dans le besoin en Haïti.”
“Des repas scolaires quotidiens permettent aux enfants de se concentrer sur leurs études et non sur leur estomac, alimentant leurs projets futurs”

Haïti a été touché par une série de graves catastrophes naturelles lors des deux dernières décennies. En 2016, le pays a connu pour la troisième année consécutive des sécheresses causées par El Nino, et a été touché par l’ouragan Matthew de catégorie 4. En conséquence, plus de 800 000 personnes ont un besoin urgent d’assistance alimentaire.
En Haïti, le PAM collabore avec le gouvernement pour mettre en place un programme de repas scolaires durable et public, qui s’appuie sur l’agriculture locale. Le PAM se fournit en produits locaux auprès d’agriculteurs haïtiens de petite taille. Ces achats de riz, fruits et légumes frais donnent accès aux producteurs à un marché stable et offrent aux enfants des repas sains et variés.

Rejoignez l’ambassadeur du PAM George Stroumboulopoulos et d’autres célébrités comme le Champion du monde de lutte Andre Berto, la chanteuse Dawn Richard et l’haltérophile Isabel Lahela, qui se sont engagés à aider à collecter des fonds pour les enfants en Haïti. Pour participer, vous n’avez qu’à télécharger gratuitement l’application, rejoindre l’équipe #Canuck et, après avoir partagé une semaine de repas avec un enfant, partager cela sur les réseaux sociaux en utilisant le hashtag #ASK1TOASK1.

ShareTheMeal, l’application du PAM, a gagné de nombreuses récompenses pour avoir impliqué la nouvelle génération dans la lutte contre la faim. Plus de 850 000 personnes ont téléchargé l’application et ont partagé plus de 14 millions de repas avec des milliers d’enfants vulnérables en Jordanie, en Syrie, au Malawi, au Cameroun, au Soudan du Sud et au Yémen.

La communauté ShareTheMeal a récemment participé à l’intervention du PAM au Soudan du Sud, partageant 1 million de repas avec des personnes ayant un besoin urgent d’assistance alimentaire.

Le PAM est la plus grande agence humanitaire de lutte contre la faim dans le monde, apportant une assistance alimentaire pour résoudre des situations d’urgence et travaillant avec les populations locales pour améliorer la nutrition et mettre en place un système alimentaire stable. Chaque année le PAM vient en aide à 80 millions de personnes dans 80 pays.

Grâce à l’application Android et iOS ShareTheMeal, les utilisateurs de smartphones peuvent partager leurs repas avec des personnes dans le besoin. ShareTheMeal est une initiative de l’accélérateur du Programme Alimentaire Mondial.

Téléchargez gratuitement l’application : http://ow.ly/IucL30cAl5h
Pour plus d’informations, rendez-vous ici : https://sharethemeal.org/canuck.html

Suivez-nous sur Twitter @wfp_Canada et @ShareTheMealorg

Culture

Original Cast And Creator Bring Futurama Comedy Cartoon To Mobile Gaming

April 3, 2017 The Silo 1 Comment

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

Creators Of World’s Most Played Mobile Sports Game Introduce Spellsouls Combat

January 23, 2017 The Silo Leave a comment

BELGRADE, SERBIA – (JANUARY 23, 2017) – Nordeus, an independent developer and publisher of mobile games, today announced Spellsouls: Duel of Legends, a new quick-play card-based mobile MOBA set in an epic fantasy world. In development for nearly two years, Spellsouls is the next big project from the company that created Top Eleven, the most-played mobile sports game with more than 150 million players worldwide. In Spellsouls: Duel of Legends, players will experience an engaging blend of intense three-minute battles and deep strategy in an immersive fantasy experience, built from the ground-up for mobile on iOS and Android.

With Spellsouls, Nordeus is looking to bring the competitive intensity and “easy to start playing, hard to stop” gameplay to the realm of card-based spells and magical duels. As seen in today’s new walkthrough trailer, the game is a completely new, graphically-rich title designed to bring a compelling high fantasy world to life.

Set in an ancient kingdom fallen prey to divisive realm wars, where powerful Spellcasters vie for power, the game invites players to enter into a thrilling, competitive experience. Gamers will choose a Spellcaster, collect and upgrade powerful spells, build the deadliest decks and unleash hordes of minions to compete with friends and adversaries around the world.

“We set out to ensure that Spellsouls builds on our strengths in competitive gaming to bring players a true blend of game genres that balances fast action and deep strategy” said Ivan Stojisavljević, CTO and co-founder of Nordeus. “We’re bringing a lot of the knowledge and expertise gained from years developing and running Top Eleven to Spellsouls; with AAA production values and deep engagement as our two highest priorities.”

In Spellsouls: Duel of Legends, two powerful Spellcasters will face off in fierce battles with elements of MOBA action combat, card deck building and Nordeus’ trademark focus on compelling PvP, that rewards smart strategic decisions. Players launch minions from top and bottom lane portals to attack their opponent’s minions and defense towers en route to defeating enemy Spellcasters.

Players boost minions with card-based spells, blast enemies with direct and area-based attacks, and strategically choose how to introduce new minions into the fray for maximum effect—while their opponent simultaneously does the same. Packed into three-minute battles, the game’s real-time competition is a mix of careful planning to build the perfect deck, white-knuckle intensity and well-timed strategy to execute the game-changing tactics that will lead to victory.

Spellsouls: Duel of Legends is currently in soft launch for iOS only in select countries including Taiwan, Canada, Croatia, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. More details on how Spellsouls: Duel of Legends plans to enter the world of PvP mobile gaming in 2017 will be revealed in the near future with development updates and game announcements. To pre-register for the game when it becomes available in your country, visit www.spellsouls.com. To stay in touch with Nordeus and Spellsouls, follow us on facebook.com/spellsouls and twitter.com/playspellsouls. For the Silo, Jeffrey Fong.

About Nordeus

Founded in Belgrade in 2010, Nordeus is an award-winning independent mobile games developer that has actively pioneered cross-platform competitive mobile gaming. Top Eleven, the company’s premier competitive sports game in which players manage a soccer team vs. other managers, is the most played sports game worldwide with over 150 million registered players and a 4+ star rating across the App Store, Google Play and Facebook. The company is launching a major new fantasy card-based MOBA game, Spellsouls: Duel of Legends, in 2017. For more information, visit nordeus.com.

Vintage

UK Firm Offers Modern Tech To Heat Old Homes

March 1, 2016 The Silo Leave a comment

NOTE~ As of today’s date, 1 Pound Sterling = $1.88 CDN or $1.39 US dollars Modern Technology to Warm an Old Home by Cast Iron Radiators 4u.

Sci-Tech

Ways Your SmartWatch Can Save Your Life

September 2, 2015 The Silo Leave a comment

How your watch will save your life Infographic by Watches2U.

Sci-Tech

Computer Controlled Vanity App Enhances Selfies With A.I.

August 20, 2015 The Silo 1 Comment

Amazingly natural, artifact-free “face slimming” feature.

Way back in August, 2015 the world’s first “intelligent selfie app” was released by Anthropics Technology.

Combining artificial intelligence and image enhancement, Mira understands what makes people look good and lets users airbrush faces automatically.

Chief Mira Scientist Tony Polichroniadis comments:

“By understanding what makes people look beautiful, Mira can improve all aspects of a selfie with just one tap. Users do not need to use any special tools: the app understands what to do and does it for you. This is the culmination of over ten years of research, and we are thrilled to be releasing this technology to smartphone users everywhere.”

PERFECT YOUR SELFIES

Mira’s unique cutting-edge features include:

Relighting – change the light source to flatter your face. World first

Lens correction – fix unflattering cameraphone distortion. World first

Skin perfection – remove spots, wrinkles and blemishes.

Best in class skin enhancer.

Face refining – slim the face and de-emphasize prominent features. Intelligently moves face towards beauty.

Click Me!

About Mira:

Mira has been developed by the makers of PortraitPro, the world’s best-selling portrait enhancement software. Used by over half a million professional photographers and retouchers, PortraitPro is the best reviewed and most advanced software for automatic face enhancement.

About Anthropics Technology:

Anthropics Technology has been the overwhelming world leader in professional face beautification since 2005. We are now bringing our unique intelligent technology to mobiles.

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Gaming

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

June 29, 2015 The Silo 1 Comment

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.

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

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.

Hashtag 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

Sci-Tech

Getting Social: Living in the Age of Tech and Social Media

March 24, 2015 The Silo 1 Comment

Owner/ CEO at ArtPlusHome.com and VeryVeniceArt.com

When you’re a 20-something, what’s the first and the last thing you do? You check your Facebook or you tweet. When you want to buy a pair of jeans and you want to ask your friends’ opinions, you post a picture on Instagram with a #needyourhelp! And who needs to go to a store when Amazon is only a click away right? Social Media and E-Commerce have permeated your personal and social lives. Nowadays, to keep up with the rest of the world, you have to have a smart phone, a tablet and at least 3 social media accounts. Your thought process can now be summarized into: Click. Like. Share. Repeat. Information in an instant !

The coolest thing about Social Media and online stores is the ease by which you send and receive information. The idea that you can connect to a friend in Asia, check out the latest happenings in Europe, and buy the outfit you’ve been eyeing for on discount via Amazon still fascinates many. Not only does the connection happen in real-time, it is also extremely convenient for the hyperactive, multitasking yuppie. Who would’ve thought that you can talk to someone halfway around the world while riding the train? Or that now, you can buy everything you need online while working out. Literally, the world is at your fingertips.

What about Design my Home?

If social media transformed the way you connect with the world, then mobile technology is revolutionize the way you see and experience it. With its public launch in February 2015, everyone is expected to rock the new Art Plus Home Virtual app and two words are sure to be immensely popular: “Share and Buy” This new breakthrough promises to merge the real, the virtual, and the social. Indeed, the possibilities are endless. Two fields that can definitely benefit from this innovation are art and design, particularly for the home. As more and more young professionals climb the ladders of success, you find yourselves located in a condo or in an apartment at the heart of the city. And in the name of individuality, almost all of you are heavily involved in truly making your homes a place to call your own. “I’m a minimalist guy. I like a lot of black and white pieces,” shared Alex, a young accountant. “I’ve always had a penchant for quirky furniture and eclectic painting, both of which are very hard to find by the way,” explains Jessica, a law graduate.

Here lies the conundrum. In as much as you newly-empowered breed want to go all out to design your homes, you simply don’t have the time. “Designing your own place is a completely different animal. It’s almost a full-time job,” says Ashley. She went on further, “It’s almost like a cat and mouse game. You go to an art gallery to find a good painting. Then you have to go to another store for the drapes. Then you go look for a nice coffee table. They’re a perfect match in your head but after you install them in the living room, they just look horrible.” Dary Rees, an artist and a designer herself, knew exactly what Ashley meant.

It's really about using the latest in augmented reality to "try out" art pieces in your home before you buy. photo: iwearyourecho.com — It’s really about using the latest in augmented reality to “try out” art pieces in your home before you buy. photo: iwearyourecho.com

“Designing your home takes a lot of imagination. All the time, you have to close your eyes and visualize how every art piece, every furniture, and every drape will come together. That’s not easy. But it should be.” Then idea struck! Bringing together a team of people, Dary went to work. After months of development, the Art Plus Home virtual app was born. “With the Art Plus Home app, you can shop, visualize, and buy for your home in your own time and at your own convenience. You get to choose anything you like from the online gallery, superimpose them together in your space, and see how it looks – all in a matter of minutes. You can even share the design to friends! If you like the design, you can buy them right then and there. If not, you can start all over,” explains Dary. This is perfect for the Gen Y who is always on the go. You can design and buy for your home on the way to work, after a Yoga session, or even before you go to bed. The Art Plus Home app is also ideal if you’re on the look out for the latest in art and design. Check-out gallery openings, up and coming artists, or simply browse what’s hot (and not) so you have something to talk to with your date.. The Art Plus Home app is available in Android and in iOS.

Generation Y is a new breed. You’re motivated to succeed, you’re proud of your individuality, you’re always mobile, and you’re extremely connected to the world around you. With such a personality, you’re a perfect match for the Art Plus Home app! www.ArtPlusHome.com and download the free app at any app store.

Culture

Subliminal Advertising In McDonald’s Ad Ice Cubes

July 14, 2014 The Silo Leave a comment

I was sitting in the drive-thru at the McDonald’s on Rymal Road and Upper James St South in Hamilton a few nights ago and I found myself drawn towards a large advertisement set up on the wall between the two drive-thru windows. (see below) The ad wasn’t radical in any way- it showed some French fries, a pop and ice cubes and a Big Mac along with a few menu items in graphic type fonts.

I was a bit confounded because at first, I couldn’t understand what was drawing me into the advertisement- then I remembered a well worn paperback book I have called Media Sexploitation by Wilson Bryan Key, sitting on a book shelf somewhere back home. That book is all about subliminal advertising and its photo section showing examples of ‘hidden words and symbols found in ice cubes’ has stayed with me. So I studied the McDonald’s ad again, this time paying special attention to the ice cubes and that’s when I saw it: “Sex”.

We’ve copied and enhanced a portion of the advertisement to help illustrate where the word “SEX” can be found. The left side of the image is unaltered and ‘as found’- this ad was much larger than can be shown here in our post and the ice cubes were easier to “read”. CP

Did you know? Subliminal advertising is banned in the UK and Australia but is legal for use anywhere except television and radio in the USA and Canada.

I turned to my 15 year old son- (the reason for the McDonald’s visit in the first place was to buy him an after- Summer Hockey root beer) and asked him if he could see the words “Sex” in the ice cubes. It didn’t take long for him to get excited because he saw it immediately.

That’s when the drive-thru line was getting ready to move ahead and I jumped out of the car, grabbed my iPhone and took the photograph you see above.

McDonald’s says they do not subliminally advertise– (from http://brainz.org/10-devious-banned-subliminal-ads/ )

“On January 27 2007, viewers watching the Food Network’s Iron Chef America may have noticed a brief flash of red that appeared for a split second towards the end of a show when the challengers’ entries were being assessed and two men raised their glasses. What had audiences seen but barely been aware of – all but invisible to the naked eye? A McDonald’s logo that popped up for a single frame together with the hamburger giant’s slogan, ‘I’m lovin’ it.’ Following the revelation, accusations of subliminal advertising were met with claims that it was a “technical error” by the television network, but skeptics unsurprisingly weren’t convinced. How could such a thing occur accidentally? A McDonald’s spokesman said: “We don’t do subliminal advertising.” Sure, just an accidental glitch – a supersized one. ”

So you be the judge- these drive-thru advertisements are probably found in most Southern Ontario McDonald’s drive-thrus and you can take a look for yourself. We’d love to hear back from you on what you find. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker

Supplemental- Subliminal Advertising leaves its mark on the brain http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070308121938.htm

Subliminal Advertising FAQ’s http://www.sublimads.com/faq.html

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