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We're not doomed: A supercut of robots falling down
Today's action at the DARPA Robotics Challenge has been interesting, but if there's one takeaway so far it's this: the robot apocalypse is not here yet. If you've been warily looking on as robots run, jump, wield swords and even fold themselves up origami-style, this video clip of all the times robots fell over during he competition is exactly what the doctor ordered. Now, we're sure these teams will continue developing their technology and someday, a robot will master the art of stepping out of an ATV well enough to subjugate squishy organic lifeforms (or save them from disasters, which is the point of the competition) -- just not today. Update: More video is coming in, and we may have laughed too soon. Besides the numerous successful attempts at traversing areas of DARPA's obstacle course, Carnegie Mellon's CHIMP robot showed mettle by picking itself up after a fall. Check out the clip after the break, plus a bonus video showing the MIT "Cheetah" quadruped taking a tumble.
HTC just started a rap battle with Apple and Samsung
Someone, somewhere thought it was a good idea for HTC to make its own hip hop music video. Whoever approved the project might be regretting that decision right now, but never mind -- at least we get a hilariously cringeworthy tune to stick on repeat for the rest of the day. If you're curious, the man dissing the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S5 in equal measure is Greg Carr (aka "Doc G") of the musical group P.M. Dawn. He's actually the cousin of Attrell Cordes, or Prince Be, who used to lead the hip hop act during their heyday in the '80s and '90s. Oh, and if you're really interested in how this all came together, HTC has even put up an interview with the rapper himself. Now, just head past the break, sit back and enjoy.
The Mac II Book
I'm going to go ahead and assume that this isn't an officially licensed Apple product. I have to admit, my favorite feature is the fact, while it's a laptop, it has a built-in wired mouse. Now that's some serious innovation! Think different, after all. [Photo credit: MJHagen]
Dutch store's bent iPhone 6 display is an unfortunate, hilarious coincidence
Regardless of which side of the "bendgate" controversy you land on, we can all get a laugh out of the iPhone 6 display at this Dutch electronics store. The image, which was first to Reddit yesterday, shows the store's angled displays holding -- and bending -- the iPhone 6 poster. According to several comments in the original thread, the store's wall displays are all angled in the exact same way, and it has nothing to do with the actual controversy, but it just so happens that the iPhone 6 has been bent at almost the exact spot where the more vocal critics claim that the new smartphone has a structural flaw. Apple just can't catch a break, huh?
There's something very disturbing about this Apple service shop ad
I don't want to say Macland -- an Apple shop in downtown Reykjavik, Iceland -- has a poor advertising strategy, but if they're relying on ads like this to get foot traffic in the door, they might want to rethink things a little bit. Then again, I'm not Icelandic, so perhaps I just don't have a good handle on the man-physically-loves-computer angle.
Conan's #bendgate parody is pretty much perfect
All the needless outrage over the iPhone 6's supposed tendency to bend when you sit on it with your entire weight has finally reached the late night talk show circuit courtesy of Conan. The comedian even went so far as to produce a parody of a Samsung ad that targets Apple's "flaccid" phones, and while it's probably SFW, you'll definitely want to watch it with headphones, or else expect some odd looks from your coworkers.
This dog has no patience for your stupid iPad games
Everyone's gotten a little bit heated over a rough game of Candy Crush Saga, but if you think your iOS gaming temper is bad then you've never met Violet. Violet is a greyhound that loves her iPad, but doesn't take kindly to being bested by a game that's made for cats. As you can see in the video below, sometimes her temper gets the best of her.
Stanley goes to Silent Hill in The Stanley P.T.
P.T., the interactive teaser for Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro's upcoming Silent Hills, has drawn a lot of comparisons to The Stanley Parable since its release on PS4 nearly two weeks ago. After all, they both prominently feature opening doors, walking down hallways and ... well okay, that might be pretty much it. Nonetheless, enterprising YouTuber "Its a mirage" has seen fit to combine the two, and the results are uncanny. The narrator from The Stanley Parable fits surprisingly well in the spooky world of P.T., and we can't help but feel that if we'd had his comforting voice, maybe we wouldn't have stumbled around for two hours trying to make that darn baby giggle. Don't take our word for it though, check out the video after the break.
iShadow?
It's been a while since Apple sued someone for copying its iOS design copyrights, but it looks like department store makeup could be the next target. iShadow, anyone?
Not even spies suspect a thing when Octodad goes to a party
Don't blame the sniper in Short-Lived Heroes' YouTube vid "OctoParty: Dadliest Spy" - a mash-up of Octodad and SpyParty - for having trouble spotting the undercover agent slinking through the crowd of partygoers; after all, the sneaky cephalopod slipped by us at E3, too. [Image: Short-Lived Heroes]
Real Boxing is one of the most unintentionally hilarious games on the App Store
There are countless games on the App Store that do their best to be funny. There are games that succeed at this, some that fail, and then there are games like Real Boxing, which has accidentally become a hilarious experience without even trying. First, let's talk about the actual fighting. As the name implies, Real Boxing is a pugilism simulator, pitting you against either real-life or computer controlled opponents in one-on-one slugfests. The mechanics aren't quite as in-depth as most non-mobile fighting games, with only a handful of moves to pull off and very basic blocking and counter moves. This would all be fantastic -- and in all honesty the game does play quite well -- if not for the game's ridiculous player models which don't appear to be modeled after any human that has ever actually existed. Your fighter's arms bend wildly in a manner that would surely lead a real boxer to cry out in agony, and it's hard to plan a block when your opponent's arms seem to be able to reach your jaw no matter how far away they are. It's like boxing against Stretch Armstrong, and it's more funny than it is frustrating. Then there's the fighters' necks. I'm not sure what mad scientist combined giraffe DNA with that of world-class fighters, but the result is what you'll find in Real Boxing. I've never seen more awkward looking player models in a boxing game, and it makes it very hard to take the game seriously when the player models looks so absurd. I found myself laughing through the fights instead of caring who won, simply because the groans and grunts coming from the strange looking humanoids were too much for me to handle. The game has seen dozens of updates since its release at the tail end of 2012 -- it's free right now for a limited time, in case you're interested -- but studying human anatomy doesn't appear high on the developer Vivid Games' priority list. If you want a laugh, you can pick the app up for no cost, but be wary of the glut of in-app purchases that permeate the experience.
The creepiest app on the App Store is now free
You might think you've seen the strangest of the App Store, but unless you've downloaded Watching Cute Girl, I promise you that you haven't. Watching Cute Girl is an app that was originally released way back in 2012, but despite being one of the strangest concepts ever, it never really got much attention. It was a hefty US$3.99 for a long time, which might have been the reason for most ignoring it, but now it's free, so you have no excuse not to experience the curious app. Watching Cute Girl is exactly what the name implies: It's a girl -- who I would say is cute -- staring at you. She moves, looks around, but mostly just stares at you and occasionally speaks. The app is designed to be a companion when you're lonely and just want to see another human face. The app description suggests taking her to dinner with you, working with her on your desk, or simply staring at her when you "want to feel eyes from someone." The girl is made up of over 180 video clips, and she can even respond to your voice. Despite being available worldwide, and having its menus translated for the english release, the girl speaks only in Japanese. I think this is probably for the best, since I'm not sure I actually want to understand what she's repeatedly saying to me. Sometimes she doesn't even speak words, she just lets out a little chirp and smile, which ramps up the creepy level a great deal. Poking her or shaking your phone causes her to get upset, which I imagine would also be the case if you were to poke or shake an actual girl, so I guess that makes sense. You can download Creepy Strange Lady, er, I mean Watching Cute Girl for your iPhone right now, but apparently an iPad version is still on the way, just in case you wanted a life-sized virtual face for a dinner date.
An iPod dock for musical poops
This is the iCarta. It's an iPod dock with 4 integrated speakers... and it also holds your toilet paper. For those moments when you need a little musical accompaniment to do your dirty work. I can't believe this exists, but here it is. Humanity is doomed.
Dark Shaman pull from anywhere
My Horde guild recently discovered something interesting about the Dark Shaman encounter, as you can see detailed in the video above. This interesting something is the fact that the Dark Shaman will, in fact, teleport to wherever you pull them from--including the roof of the Orgrimmar auction house. This could be a little challenging in a fight where positioning is actually quite important. Oops!
Kickstarter Simulator 2015 is a brief adventure from Frog Fractions dev
Those that follow crowdfunded gaming projects know the drill: As most developers' Kickstarter deadlines draw near, they like to remind you to pledge your monetary support so their visions can come to life, enticing you to do so by offering concept art or videos. In the case of Frog Fractions developer Twinbeard, with a week left to go in its Frog Fractions 2 campaign, it opted to launch a brief adventure game called Kickstarter Simulator 2015. Kickstarter Simulator 2015 is a browser-based "autobiographical game about running Kickstarters" that features videos of real-life friends of Frog Fractions creator Jim Crawford. Players click on the actors to keep them on track with the zany crowdfunding project so that it sees success a week from today. The point-and-click game is as quirky and hilarious as one might expect from Twinbeard, so it's worth checking out on the developer's site. The Frog Fractions 2 campaign is just under $9,000 away from its goal and ends on Wednesday, April 9. [Image: Twinbeard]
You Don't Know Jack dev brings two games to Amazon Fire TV
While the Amazon Fire TV is "absolutely not a game console," developers such as Telltale Games and now Jackbox Games are already supporting the media-streaming device. The Chicago-based developer launched both You Don't Know Jack Party and a new trivia party game Fibbage for free on the Fire TV today. You Don't Know Jack Party first arrived on iOS last fall. Fibbage, like You Don't Know Jack Party, uses smartphones and tablets as game controllers while linking up with the Fire TV for big-screen multiplayer sessions. In it, up to eight players trick one another by filling in the blanks of trivia statements with lies as they see fit. Each round of play lasts seven questions and includes special categories like "Celebrity Tweets" and "Road Trip." The free version of Fibbage offers a "handful" of questions, while the paid upgrade of Fibbage brings with it hundreds more. Jackbox didn't offer a price for the upgraded version, though it noted plans to launch DLC for the game in the future. Amazon just announced (and launched) the Fire TV today for $99. [Image: Jackbox Games]
PlayStation creator shares how it all happened in 'Kutaragi's Way'
Former Sony Computer Entertainment chairman and CEO Ken Kutaragi is often referred to as "Father of PlayStation." Kutaragi accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards last week for his contributions to video game development. To chronicle his "role as a young developer," Kutaragi teamed up with the funny folks at Mega 64 for the action-packed video "Kutaragi's Way." Kutaragi's Way includes elements of a typical day in the life of a game developer: Shootings, explosions and a disembodied emotion engine. Kutaragi also appears as the CEO of a certain competitor in the spoof on late 1980s action films. [Image: Mega64]
This Mac mini sure is a pile of...
I'm all for repurposing used electronics, but this one is a bit of a stretch. [Photo credit: Ifrankland]
Apple finally patches vulnerability that led to Jurassic Park fiasco
Following hot on the heels of the recent SSL connection update -- and in response to criticism that the company is too slow to fix critical software issues -- Apple today released an update to its vintage System 7 OS that corrects a crucial vulnerability which made it susceptible to attacks from portly hackers. The bug has long been held responsible for an incident in 1993 on the island of Isla Nublar in which the security systems of a clandestine zoo led to the release of several dangerous prehistoric creatures. The zoo, called Jurassic Park, had its systems hacked by Dennis Nedry, a systems administrator at the park who exploited a lax security protocol in Apple's System 7. Nedry's attack, which was orchestrated using a Macintosh Quadra 700, led to a series of unfortunate incidents resulting in the deaths of several park employees and scientists. An Apple spokesperson refused to confirm that today's software update was indeed a direct result of the Jurassic Park incident, saying only "There is no longer any reason to fear Whte_Rbt.obj." Jeanie Clarence, a spokesperson with Jurassic Park's parent company InGen, welcomed the news. "It's great that Apple is finally shutting the door that Nedry opened," she said. "We cherish the memory of those we lost, except for that one lawyer guy. He was kind of creepy anyway."
Well, that's one way to recycle a mouse
I'm not sure you could pull this off at a Manhattan party, but if I saw this dude walking along the street I'd definitely give him a high five. [Photo credit: Photo Giddy]
