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Disney World will put your holographic face on a Tron action figure for $90
Disney is pushing out new Tron merchandise despite the 13 years since the last movie. The action figures are customized using the park’s Tron Identity Program to display your scanned face on an LCD hidden behind the figure’s visor.
'Tron 3' may finally be happening with Jared Leto
'Tron 3' could finally start filming this August with Jared Leto reportedly set to star. It's been over 12 years since 'Tron: Legacy' debuted.
Daft Punk released an extended edition of its 'Tron: Legacy' score
Disney and Daft Punk have uploaded an extended edition of the score called Tron: Legacy - The Complete Edition to Spotify and Apple Music.
Disney+ reportedly scrapped a 'Tron' series from John Ridley
As scarce as Disney+ originals might be at the moment, Disney is apparently being picky about just what reaches its streaming service. Hollywood Reporter sources claim Disney+ developed and ditched three originals in the past year, including an unannounced Tron series from 12 Years a Slave producer John Ridley. The show had reportedly been in the works for "several months" even though it hadn't been officially greenlit, the insiders said. It's not certain why the life-inside-a-computer series didn't survive -- the other two shows were cut for wildly varying reasons.
LA museum's sci-fi car exhibit includes HoloLens tours
There's a chance you've seen a movie car or two if you've visited a convention, but the Petersen Automotive Museum's offering should be more... elaborate. It's opening a "Hollywood Dream Machines" exhibit that will showcase 40 vehicles from sci-fi games and movies. Some of them are practically expected, like the DeLorean from Back to the Future, Deckard's sedan from Blade Runner and a lightcycle from Tron: Legacy. Others, however, are harder-to-see items like the GM Ultralight from Demolition Man as well as Lexuses from Black Panther and Minority Report. And how many times are you going to see life-size recreations of a Warthog from Halo or a Sparrow from Destiny?
Blockchain company Tron buys BitTorrent
A blockchain startup called Tron has closed its deal to buy the file-sharing service BitTorrent. Neither side disclosed how much Tron paid, but TechCrunch reports the price was around $126 million in cash. BitTorrent's staff will work out of Tron's San Francisco office.
Relive 'Tron' disc battles when 'Sparc' launches first on PSVR
Have you wanted to relive Tron's light disc battles through CCP Games' Sparc (aka Project Arena)? You're about to get your chance... although you may have to switch platforms to get it soon. CCP has revealed that Sparc will launch in the third quarter of the year for PlayStation VR. The developer stresses that this is only a temporary exclusive (it's arriving "first" on PSVR), but that still means you'll have to forego any near-term dreams of virtual arena battles on your Vive.
Six amazing all-electric motorcycles
By Cat DiStasio Zero-emissions cars are popping up left and right, but motorcycle design has been a little late to the game. Yet, all-electric motorcycles and are zooming down the streets in increasing numbers. With varying engine sizes, charging times and driving ranges, each new electric motorcycle that hits the market offers something unique. From far-out futuristic designs that look like something Batman would ride to bikes that could have driven off a Star Wars set, cutting-edge electric motorcycles have broken the early trend that suggested EVs ought to look like dorkier versions of their fossil fuel counterparts. Other electric motorcycles target ambitious performance standards -- from blistering top speeds to longer driving ranges and even some fun features like built-in LED effects.
ICYMI: Relax while a robot takes care of your yard work
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Kobi is a yard work robot that is purportedly able to clean leaves, mow the lawn and shovel snow, though the promo video shows it very briefly moving snow only, so stand by for reviews on that rush purchase. Meanwhile UCSF researchers found that infant brains actually move neurons around up to three months after birth, which is not something we'd known before. The self-driving car experiment out of the University of Oxford wrapped up with a sweet little send-off video. If you're interested in the LED suit from Red Bull, that video is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Pop culture's many takes on artificial intelligence
Over the years, artists, writers, filmmakers and game studios have all tackled the concept of artificial intelligence. Often their vision is of machines that are brutally hostile to humans. Philip K. Dick envisioned androids that murder their owners. The iconic HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey ... also murders his human companions. Of course, there's Skynet, which launches an all-out war on mankind. We could go on like this for a long time. But there are also those, like Spike Jonze, who envision us having a more complex relationship with computer-based personalities; one in which they could even be love interests. And in Star Trek: The Next Generation Data is not only a "good" android, but he's often the hero of the show. We've pulled together 13 of our favorite portrayals of AI over the years and put them in the gallery below. It is by no means comprehensive. So please, let us know what we missed in the comments or tweet at us (@engadget) to let us know your favorite AI character from the film, TV or books using the hashtag #EngadgetAIWeek.
Duel your friends 'Tron'-style in 'Project Arena' VR
Project Arena is a full-body VR game that pits two players against each other in a Tron-esque light-disc battle. It was born from Icelandic developer CCP's "VR Labs," an initiative of experimentation and iteration in which teams are free to create lots of working concepts before working out which can become full games. Project Arena has already passed the first test -- it morphed into the "project" phase this year from the concept phase last year (when it was called Disc Arena).
ICYMI: AI in a USB stick, electric bike wheel and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-784522{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-784522, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-784522{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-784522").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: Chip maker Movidius created an advanced neural networks USB stick to put AI into any device; the GeoOrbital wheel turns any dumb bike into a 20 miles per hour powerhouse; and Samsung has a pilot program to put a mother's heartbeat into her premature baby's incubator. An open source robot used for research is also really good at yoga. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
Roborace will feature futuristic, sci-fiesque driverless cars
The first driverless racing series (dubbed Roborace) might make you feel like you're watching a sci-fi flick. Not only because you'll be witnessing AI-controlled vehicles speeding on the race track with no human drivers, but also because the car contenders will use looks like it belongs in a movie set. See, Roborace's organizers commissioned Daniel Simon to design its official car. And Simon is also the designer behind the lightcycles in Tron: Legacy, Oblivion's drones and spaceships, as well as Captain America's Hydra vehicles.
Someone just bought this 'Tron' lightcycle for $77,000
As movie vehicles go, not many rank as high on the cool scale as a Tron lightcycle. So when father and son collectors Paul and Chris Andrews decided to offer up their full-scale replica of the two-wheeler from Tron: Legacy for auction at Sotheby's, we suspected it might sell for a little more than its $25,000 - $40,000 valuation. Turns out that was a bit of an understatement. On May 2nd, the ride, with its 96 volt electric motor with lithium batteries and a computer controlled throttle, fetched a tasty $77,000, almost doubling its projected sale value. The new owner gets a lightcycle that's only been driven around the Andrews museum a few times to ensure it's in full working order. All else that is needed is the Daft Punk soundtrack and they'll be pulling 90-degree corners in style.
You can buy your own 'Tron' lightcycle (if you've got 40 grand)
If you've ever watched Tron: Legacy and wished that you could own your own lightcycle, then May 2nd could be your only chance. Car collectors the Andrews Family is selling the bulk of its vehicle haul that includes a custom replica of the two-wheeler from the film. According to the blurb, the ride was made especially for the Andrews and has a 96 Volt direct-drive electric motor with lithium batteries and a computer controlled throttle. The bike, which has a seat height of 28.5 inches, has only been ridden around the Andrews museum a few times, making it essentially brand new. Now it's going up for auction at Sotheby's on May 2nd, with it expected to fetch a price between $25,000 and $40,000, although we suspect it might go for more. All we're hoping is that Jay "Tron Guy" Maynard is now a millionaire, because that would be a match made in heaven.
'Tron'-like headphones, virtual reality at Sundance and other stories you might've missed this week!
We get it. It's been a busy week. Luckily, we're here to catch you up on the release date of the Apple Watch, VR headsets in Hollywood and all the other cool stuff you may have accidentally glossed over during five days on the daily grind.
Huawei hops on the Android gaming bandwagon with Tron mini-console
The jury's still out on Android gaming (exhibit A: OUYA), but that's not stopping Huawei from taking a dive into that niche corner of the industry. Its Tegra 4-based Tron mini-console, announced here at CES 2014, pairs a cylindrical-shaped hub with a Bluetooth controller that hews quite closely to the Xbox 360 mold OUYA also went after. Before we get your hopes up though, take note that Tron's for China only -- at least, for now anyway. A Huawei rep did say that the company's looking into further market expansion, but given its track record with smartphones in the US, we have a hard time believing Tron will see these shores anytime soon. The Tron console itself runs a half-skinned version of Android JellyBean (version 4.2.3) that presents a clean menu overlay with feature tiles for access to games, Huawei's store, video, application, settings and featured titles. That slick menu selection comes to a screeching halt, however, as soon as you attempt to select anything other than games, bringing you face-to-face with Android's ugly underbelly -- much like on the OUYA.
The Daily Blink returns with a tribute to Ghostcrawler
WoW-centric webcomic The Daily Blink -- which called it quits this summer -- has returned from retirement to comment on Ghostcrawler's retirement with a new comic. Though it doesn't seem like The Daily Blink is returning for good, you can enjoy at least one more comic -- though if you haven't seen Tron, you might not get the joke. So, bye, Ghostcrawler -- but won't you come back to us, Daily Blink? We've missed you and no doubt Zahrym has missed you, too.
Kawasaki's concept cycle can morph into a three-wheeler, comes from your cyberpunk dreams
Does Kawasaki's new electric cycle have two, three wheels or four? Well, it depends. According to the conceptual sketches and a terse explanatory panel, the "J vehicle" concept EV can switch between a lie-down two-wheel Akira / Tron-baiting cycle and a four three-wheel drive mode, with the latter designated as "comfort" mode. The model, revealed at this year's Tokyo Motor Show, is apparently powered by Kawasaki's biggest onboard battery pack, the Gigacell, although (any other) details aren't forthcoming. That's probably because it's from the future and is tearing the space-time continuum apart. (Update: According to those aforementioned concept images, only the front wheels separate outward in comfort mode, turning it into a three-wheeled vehicle, not a quad-bike. We apologize for the error.)
Disney Infinity gets 'Tron Highway,' four other free toy boxes
Five new toy boxes are available for free in Disney Infinity, Disney announced. One of the toy boxes is Tron Highway, which offers puzzle-platforming and racing action along a blue, neon-lit track. The other four free toy boxes this week are Sugar Mania, Monster Rally, Cosmic Platformer and It's a Trap, all of which are available on Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U. The courses can also be accessed by Disney Infinity: Toy Box players on iPad. Additionally, Disney announced the "Extreme Sports Challenge," in which players are encouraged to submit their best toy box "sports arenas" over the course of the next week. On October 3, the developer will choose a handful of featured creations and make them available for download as well.
