Daily Roundup: PlayStation originals, super intelligent AI in movies and more!
In today's Daily Roundup, you won't find any cheap jokes or fake stories having fun at your expense. It's all serious news and wholesome fun! Read about PlayStation's push into original programming with a new series called Powers, get the details on Ex Machina, a movie about super intelligent AI, and learn how the makers of Eve Online are making a big bet on virtual reality.
PlayStation's original programming future depends on 'Powers'
Powers is the first series to come from Sony PlayStation's original programming push, a partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, and it's not rated "E" for everyone. With comic books as its source material, the racy superhero cop drama from creator Brian Michael Bendis is a custom fit for the PlayStation user base, especially users that pony up $50/year for Sony's PlayStation Plus subscription service. And it's that particular demographic the PlayStation group is keen to pursue with any future projects.
'Ex Machina' director embraces the rise of super intelligent AI
Alex Garland is no stranger to science fiction. As the writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, he's given us his own unique spin on the zombie apocalypse and a last-ditch effort to save the Earth (by nuking the sun!). Now, with his directorial debut, Ex Machina, Garland is taking on artificial intelligence - and in the process, he shows the limits of the Turing test, the most common method for determining if something is truly sentient.
The maker of 'Eve' is betting big on VR and it might pay off
It's been a very rough 18 months for the makers of Eve Online, CCP. The company has lost money, canceled the long-delayed World of Darkness MMO, laid off well over 100 employees and said goodbye to two high-profile execs. It also hasn't released any financial statements or subscriber figures since revealing a drop in revenues in June 2014 - in this case, no news is unlikely to be good news. But there's a plan to turn things around at CCP.
Latest 'Tropes' video highlights strong female game characters
Earlier this year culture critic Anita Sarkeesian outlined her plan for the coming months, and those included new episodes of her YouTube series Tropes vs. Women in Games. Some would take a different approach, though, including a look at positive depictions of women in interactive media. The first of those videos went live today and it's all about Superbrothers Sword and Sworcery's protagonist, The Scythian.
Tidal's HiFi test rewards audiophiles with half as much free trial
Tidal windmilled its way into music streaming relevance this week when it relaunched under the stewardship of its new owner, Jay Z. Apart from strong celebrity endorsement, Tidal's main selling point is a $20 premium tier offering lossless (non compressed) audio/music. To convince you over to that pricier package, Tidal has a test: listen to five songs, switch between the regular and high quality versions, and pick which one you think warrants the extra $10 a month.
Verizon finally offers a way to avoid its 'super cookie' tracker
Hey there Verizon subscribers, remember that whole "super cookie" ordeal from not too long ago? Well, it looks like it's time to put that mess behind us because the ability to wholly opt out of said tracking system is finally available, according to The New York Times. That's right, the undeletable, unique identifier header is basically a thing of the past once you either opt out on Big Red's website or call 1-866-211-0874.
How ion thruster technology will power future NASA missions
For its crazy 2020 asteroid capture mission and other projects, NASA is developing next-gen "Hall effect thrusters" to corral an asteroid and put it into the moon's orbit. At the same time, the European Space Agency (ESA) is trying to improve its own Hall thrusters to power future missions. If you're wondering what the heck they are, Hall effect motors are a type of ion thruster that produce a tiny 0.7 pounds of force, or the weight of 54 US quarters, according to NASA.
