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How to buy tech gifts for other people’s kids
Gift giving for kids has gotten a lot more complicated over the past two decades or so. Gone are the days when you could just buy a doll or toy truck and know that it would be enjoyed by the child and fairly noncontroversial with the parents. A lot of that recent complication comes from how tech-heavy toys have gotten, from robot kits to drones to AR-enabled playsets. And that's before you even consider video games and consoles like Xbox or PlayStation. When it's your kid it's a little easier: After all, you should know what they like, what they'll take care of and what rules you've set for them. But what about your best friends' kids, your nieces and nephews or young cousins? While there's no silver bullet gift since every kid is different, there are some general guidelines you can follow when purchasing a tech gift for kids, one that won't have the other adults glaring at you or the kids tossing it to the side in favor of something shinier.
National Geographic is bringing an Antarctic adventure to Oculus Quest
National Geographic is delving deeper into VR with a 30-minute Antarctic adventure that will hit Oculus Quest this spring. In National Geographic Explore VR, you'll be tasked with finding a lost penguin colony. The adventure will take you on a kayak ride through frigid water, and on a climb up an ice sheet as you search for the missing birds.
Neil deGrasse Tyson will continue with 'Cosmos' after investigation
Fox and National Geographic have completed their investigation into Neil deGrasse Tyson over alleged sexual misconduct, and have decided to give both Cosmos: Possible Worlds and StarTalk the go-ahead. While the channels didn't reveal their findings (they have "no further comment"), they now expect to find a new air date for Cosmos after a last-minute delay and will return Nat Geo's remaining 13 StarTalk episodes in April.
'Apollo: Missions to the Moon' documentary includes unheard audio
The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing is coming up, and the National Geographic channel is determined to mark the occasion in style. It's premiering its Apollo: Missions to the Moon documentary in July, and this isn't just a rehash of the footage you've seen countless times. The documentary will cover the Apollo Space Program with raw media instead of narration, and some of it you likely haven't experienced. This includes "never-before-heard" mission audio plucked from 800 hours of recordings as well as video (from NASA, TV and home movies) newly transferred from 500 hours of film. Unless you were fortunate enough to witness events the first time around, this could easily feel fresh.
Fox investigates Neil deGrasse Tyson over sexual misconduct claims (updated)
Astrophysicist and Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson is facing investigations by Fox, National Geographic and show producers in the wake of fresh claims of sexual misconduct. The two networks told Hollywood Reporter in a statement that they were "reviewing" allegations from two women in a Patheos story who accused deGrasse Tyson of groping and making unwanted sexual advances. The Cosmos team, meanwhile, said they would embody the philosophy of the show and "follow the evidence wherever it leads" with its investigation.
Nat Geo and OpenROV are giving away 1000 robot submarines
Despite having lived in close proximity to it for hundreds of thousands of years, humanity has yet to explore even a fraction of the Earth's ocean. We have more thoroughly mapped the surfaces of moon and Mars than we have the seafloor. National Geographic and OpenROV hope to change that next year with the Science Exploration Education (SEE) initiative. The organizations are teaming up to give away 1,000 remotely operated underwater drones to any research organization or citizen scientist who wants one (and, obviously, asks while there are still some in stock).
Microsoft and National Geographic team up on AI research grant
Microsoft and National Geographic are partnering on a new grant program that will put $1 million towards projects using AI to address environmental challenges. Between five and 15 projects will be selected as recipients of the AI for Earth Innovation Grant program and winning researchers will receive funding, access to Microsoft cloud and AI tools, inclusion in the National Geographic Explorer Community and affiliation with National Geographic Labs.
'Hidden Figures' will be made into a TV series
Hidden Figures did a lot to highlight the unheralded black female mathematicians who played a key role in the early NASA space program, and it proved a commercial success to boot. So much of a success, in fact, that it could soon extend to TV. Variety has learned that National Geographic is developing a series "inspired by" the Hidden Figures movie, which in turn was based on Margot Lee Shetterly's book. The show is still very in development and isn't guaranteed to get a commitment, but it's executive produced by Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping, both of whom handled the movie.
National Geographic built 'Space Projection Helmets' for its new show
When it came time for National Geographic to build an immersive experience for its new show, One Strange Rock, the network didn't want another virtual reality experience. So it worked together with McCann and New York City-based Tomorrow Lab to build something entirely new: Space Projection Helmets. From the outside, they look like replica NASA gear -- fitting since One Strange Rock is focused on astronauts and their view of Earth. On the inside, though, they have all of the equipment necessary for a personal theatrical experience. You can think of the helmets as mini OMNIMAX cinemas, the dome version of IMAX screens typically found in science museums.
The new 'Cosmos' returns for second season in spring 2019
You won't have to wait nearly as long for the second season of the new Cosmos as you did for the first. Fox has announced that Cosmos: Possible Worlds will premiere worldwide in spring 2019, with Fox itself airing the show in the US and National Geographic broadcasting it elsewhere. And yes, the familiar gang from the 2014 series is back. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will host, with Ann Druyan taking charge. Seth MacFarlane, Brannon Braga and Jason Clark will return as executive producers.
21st Century Fox held talks to sell most of its assets to Disney
Like it or not, the trend toward media consolidation isn't slowing down any time soon: CNBC sources understand that 21st Century Fox recently held talks to sell most of the company to Disney. The media giant would offload its movie studios, TV production business, entertainment channels (like FX and National Geographic) and international properties like Sky. This would theoretically create a "more tightly focused" company that revolves around news and sports -- reportedly, Fox believes it doesn't have the kind of scale needed to compete with the assets it currently has, while Disney does.
Ron Howard on his Einstein show and digital filmmaking
Genius isn't your typical Albert Einstein biopic. It starts with a brutal assassination and immediately jumps to the renowned physicist in flagrante with one of his assistants. The series is director Ron Howard's second offering for National Geographic, following Mars. And notably, Genius is the first of Howard's scripted TV shows that he's directing, after serving as a producer for countless series like Parenthood, Arrested Development (where he played the iconic narrator) and Felicity.
National Geographic's 'Mars' is like a SpaceX infomercial
Like a prequel to The Martian crossed with an educational documentary, National Geographic's Mars is an earnest attempt at inspiring a new generation about a manned mission to the red planet. But what's most intriguing is how much it puts Elon Musk's SpaceX front and center (which has already laid out its plans to get to Mars), even more so than work from NASA and other space agencies. It's a sign of the times: Our next step into the beyond will likely involve a benevolent billionaire as much as it does the cooperation of Earth's most technologically advanced countries.
National Geographic won't 'cheat' with digital photos
There's been a backlash against digitally manipulated photos in the media, and frequently for good reasons: heavily edited shots set unrealistic expectations at best, and are outright misleading at worst. And National Geographic is no exception to this truth-in-pictures trend, apparently. The magazine has published a piece both promising "honest" shots and explaining how it screens for Photoshop trickery. It insists that photographers (both pros and Your Shot amateurs) hand over RAW files when possible, and will question anyone who doesn't have those files on hand. This isn't just a theoretical exercise, either -- Nat Geo says there have been times when it rejected images.
Watch a TV documentary about YouTube at 10PM Eastern
YouTube may be one of the big reasons to ditch conventional TV, but that isn't stopping the National Geographic Channel from putting YouTube on TV. The network is airing Generation YouTube, a documentary on the origins and cultural impact of the streaming video site, on July 11th (tonight, if you're reading this soon enough) at 10PM Eastern. As you can see in the teaser clip, the show underscores YouTube's very humble beginnings -- it was going to be an online dating site at one point, and it didn't take off until it embraced that upload-what-you-want philosophy. If you've wondered how YouTube got to the point where it's creating internet memes and supporting whole careers, you'll probably want to tune in.
Google's latest science camp for kids starts on July 13th
If you want your kids to learn something while they're out of school but would rather not ship them to some distant summer camp, Google is about to come to your rescue. It's kicking off the latest edition of its annual Camp Google on July 13th, and this year's virtual educational event promises themed weeks that might just sate your young ones' curiosity on big scientific subjects. They'll learn what the ocean is like through underwater panoramas, for example, and watch live video chats with astronauts. The whole shebang is free, so it won't hurt to tune in if you want your children to go back to school knowing more than they did when they left.
TVPlayer app streams 25 UK pay-TV channels for a fiver a month
For a long time, "premium" TV channels were locked behind expensive satellite and cable subscriptions in the UK. If you wanted to watch National Geographic, for instance, you had to pay a little extra for a special channel pack. But viewers want choice, flexibility and cheaper prices, which has forced TV operators to start "unbundling" their most precious channels and shows. It's a positive trend, but many channels are still difficult to find as part of cheaper, standalone monthly subscriptions. Now, this is where TVPlayer comes in. The company already offers free streaming for free-to-air (Freeview) channels, and now it's preparing a paid "Plus" package: for £5 per month, you'll be able to stream 25 pay-TV channels including National Geographic, History and the Discovery Channel.
Facebook 'Instant Articles' plug in content from NYT and Buzzfeed
Facebook wants to do for news content what it's done with native video, and the first bit of self-hosted editorial content ("Instant Articles") could go live tomorrow. It's starting with The New York Times and will include Buzzfeed, NBC News and National Geographic if unnamed sources speaking to New York Magazine are to be believed. Apparently NYT's business side is why a deal that surfaced in late March is only coming to fruition now, with CEO Mark Thompson's push for "the most favorable" terms causing delays.
Facebook wants to save you a click by hosting other sites' content
As if Facebook couldn't get any bigger, it's looking like The Social Network wants to start natively hosting content from news organizations. As The New York Times' sources tell it, Zuckerberg and Co. have been in talks with at least six media companies about publishing their content directly on the site -- no link-clicking required. The initial round of publications apparently includes The New York Times, Buzzfeed, National Geographic and our sister publication The Huffington Post. The reason? Websites take too long to load, and Facebook says that on mobile, the average eight-second page-load is too much. Of course, the outfit has a vested interest in mobile, hence it stepping in.
Google's fifth Science Fair rewards teens for saving the environment
Google's Science Fair competition regularly leads to clever inventions from teens, and this year's event (the fifth ever) is giving junior pioneers an extra incentive to strive for a prize. On top of familiar rewards, including $100,000 in scholarships and trips to the Galapagos or Virgin Galactic's spaceport, there's a Community Impact Award that honors efforts tackling environmental or health issues -- kids who clean up the planet or save a life may get special recognition. Teachers will also get their due through a new Inspiring Educator award. Young creators have until May 18th to submit their finished projects to Google, and you'll hear about the winners at a finalist event starting on September 19th.
