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Researchers create an acoustic cloaking device that works underwater
The concept of a cloaking device has a lot of appeal and though we're far from being able to make 3D objects invisible to the human eye, researchers continue to develop new ways in which to shield objects from other sorts of detection. At the Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America taking place this week in Minnesota, Penn State University researchers described a design they've developed that allowed a 3-foot-tall pyramid made from perforated steel plates to deflect sound waves in a way that could make it invisible to instruments like sonar.
Xiaomi made a toy tablet that turns into a Transformers robot
Xiaomi and Hasbro gave Soundwave, the Transformers robot that can turn into a microcasette recorder, a makeover fit for the new era. The two teamed up to create a tablet that unfolds into a shiny 190mm version of the Decepticon. Xiaomi's international division VP Hugo Barra said on Facebook that his team "worked really hard to ensure that [its] color, details and feel are exactly the same as" the Mi Pad 2. You'll need to be a bit of a puzzle lover to enjoy assembling and disassembling it, since it takes 30 steps to each time to do so, but that just makes it more fun to play with.
Is Spotify about to get a lot more social?
With over 20 million subscribers and more than 75 million users, Spotify has helped redefine how people access and listen to music. Its streaming apps are functional, but in a world where lots of people are WhatsApping, Snapchatting and Tweeting, Spotify's own social presence is a little lacking. The company appears ready to do something about that, though, as it's just announced that it's bought two new companies, Cord Project and Soundwave, which both happen to have a focus on messaging and sharing.
CCP: It's 'deeply wrong' to assume that repetition is the way forward
CCP's got opinions. This isn't news. The Icelandic developer behind EVE Online isn't afraid to share its opinions, which is also par for the course. MMO developers rarely comment on other games, though, and so we read lead EVE designer Kristopher Touborg's thoughts on The Elder Scrolls Online with some interest. PC Gamer provides the setup, in which the magazine shares a quote from TESO's Matt Firor with Touborg. "At this point in the evolution of MMOs, every MMO has tried something at one point or another that you're going to do in your game. There aren't any more truly innovative features," Firor said. Touborg's response was lengthy and fills out most of the source article listed below. "It's kind of waving a white flag. Like, yeah. I don't like that statement. Because I think that's part of why there's such an attrition with MMOs. People go in and play an MMO for a month and they just want to throw up because they've leveled to 60 in ten different titles," Touborg says before going on to express his hopes that developers try something new. "Otherwise the same [MMOs] are just going to continue on the trend we see every time, where they sell a load of boxes and people play it for three months and then they go somewhere else. There has to be something else out there."
EVE reforms dev teams and preps a new patch for liftoff
The dream is over. EVE Online's dev teams -- formerly known as Team Best Friends Forever and Team Pink Zombie Kittens -- are breaking up. Fortunately, this is because there are so many devs at this point that CCP is reorganizing its devs into three new teams: Team Super Friends, Game of Drones, and Five 0. Along with the news of the team reorganization, CCP brings us word of an upcoming patch arriving January 24th. The update will include a rebalance of null ammo and assault ships, buffs to modules, better search options, new calendar notifications, and the ability for alliances to join faction warfare. Even if you don't play EVE, these patch notes are both highly entertaining and informative, especially if you enjoy seeing devs unhinged and dispensing advice for mosquito repellant.
CCP tweaking EVE jump bridges, eyeing nullsec changes
Changes are coming to the lawless regions of EVE Online, and a new CCP dev blog has the details. In a nutshell, CCP devs feel that jump bridges have removed some of the danger inherent in traveling around nullsec, and the company will be tweaking the gameplay accordingly in both the short and long term. CCP Soundwave blogs about three upcoming adjustments, the first of which is the removal of jumpdrive-equipped ships from the jump bridge eligibility list. Soundwave says this will go live on May 17th and also notes that Black Ops ships are exempt from the new rule (i.e., they can still use the bridges). The other two changes, which involve limiting the number of jumpbridges in a system and upping the respective fuel bays, will go live with EVE's June patch. Finally, the dev blog hints at more dramatic nullsec changes on the horizon. Soundwave doesn't go into specifics but does say that the region "is in need of a bit of an overhaul."
EVE Spotlight: An interview with CCP Soundwave
EVE Spotlight is a new bi-weekly feature in which we interview prominent members of EVE Online's player community or development team. Every two weeks, we'll be shining the spotlight on a player or developer who has a significant impact on EVE so that we can highlight the efforts of EVE's most influential people. If you've ever tuned into EVE's annual Alliance Tournament, chances are you've seen CCP Soundwave in action. Through his work on EVE-TV, Soundwave has been a big part of the alliance tournament's studio team. Most players would recognise him for this work on the Alliance Tournament, but he's probably done more for EVE in his normal job than through EVE-TV. As a Game Designer for CCP, Soundwave has worked on some major features like the Tyrannis expansion's planetary interaction. Most recently, Soundwave worked alongside the other members of Team Best Friends Forever to produce the impressive Sansha incursions that are currently hitting New Eden. With the expansion having now been released, the team had been moved on to a project with almost universal support -- the quest to fix all those little issues with EVE that collectively add up to a big headache. In this EVE Spotlight, I talk to CCP Soundwave about the upcoming ninth Alliance Tournament, game design at CCP, the Incursion expansion, and CCP's new commitment to tackling all the small issues with EVE.
How iPod docks have reshaped movies
TV shows and movies often reflect the prevailing pop cultural themes of their day and age. One fixture from the eighties and early nineties was the boombox. Like big hair, Members Only jackets, and women wearing shoulder pad-laden tops, boomboxes were seemingly everywhere during that era. You'd be hard pressed not to find a boombox adorned on one's shoulder or booming away on a playground in many urban cities. Much like how Sony passed the Walkman/Discman torch to the iPod, boomboxes have given way to iPod docks. On this eve launch of the potentially revolutionary iPad, which could displace books and magazines, let's take a stroll through memory lane and look at some flicks that may not be as relevant if made in today's technological age. Long before he made Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky and Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe wrote and directed Say Anything. After getting dumped by Ms. pretty-, class valedictorian- and has everything going for her- Diane Court, Lloyd Dobbler sets out to prove that he's a "man" in a world "full of guys." In an effort to win back Diane's heart, Lloyd parks his car outside her house, whips out and perches his boombox above his head and plays Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes." Imagine this pivotal scene being played out with, say, an iHome. Definitely not as sexy.
Freestyle Audio's waterproof Soundwave DAP gets reviewed
We've been impatiently awaiting the red carpet arrival of Freestyle Audio's Soundwave for a few seasons now, and at long last, it appears the units are shipping out -- or, at least one made its way over to cousin site Gadling for a review. The Soundwave is pretty much exactly what you'd expect: a ho hum MP3 player with a rather unsightly design, a disgraceful user interface and the ability to operate where the vast majority of rivals cannot. The reviewer noted that controlling the action was a pain, though the internal battery could keep the jams flowing for well over a day. Of course, the biggest boon is its ability to keep on truckin' while submerged in the pool (or the tub, whatever), and the included waterproof headphones were said to be surprisingly tolerable. Now, if only brown bags were waterproof...
Color mirasol-equipped Freestyle Audio DAP gets spec'd, no closer to release
Well, wouldn't you know it? Just after we bash Qualcomm for talking up its second color mirasol-based design before shipping the first, along comes a little justification of our actions. Over in San Francisco, said company is trumpeting an item that we first heard about back in May, but regrettably, it doesn't sound as if we're any closer to getting a release date. What we are told is the device's name: the Freestyle Audio Soundwave Ltd. Edition, or -- more formally -- the FA300. It'll boast a 0.9-inch color mirasol display, a waterproof casing, built-in Bluetooth, and a whole host of other niceties that we're sure to find out about before the next decade dawns. 'Til then, we'd suggest a hearty helping of patience.
Soundwave Transformer gets MP3 player upgrade
As some sort of sick consolation prize for not getting to appear in the new Transformers movie, Soundwave has had his cassette tape guts ripped out and replaced with a cold, MP3 playing heart. For around $100 depending on the edition and shipping, you can purchase Takara/Tomy's Soundwave MP3 player. Instead of taking clunky tapes, the Soundwave MP3 player has a slot for SD cards, along with the usual headphone jack and music controls. And yes, it does do the whole transforming bit: there wouldn't be much point otherwise, donchafink?[Via Dosboy]
Soundwave 1GB Pink MP3 Ball rolls out
There's tons of MP3 players out on the market these days ranging from the DIY variety to those polished and stylish players. However, how many DAPs these days bring the geometric style, (besides the Mobiblu Cube, of course)? Well, Soundwave's gone spherical on us with its Pink MP3 Ball that comes with 1GB of storage, lyrics display, and a standard USB 2.0 connection. It can be yours for 40 quid ($78) -- just be sure your cat doesn't confuse it for a toy to bat around the house. [Via Shiny Shiny, thanks Jonathan]
