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Make-A-Wish Foundation gets a fan into 'NBA 2K20'
It's not unheard of for Make-A-Wish Foundation kids to request tours of their favorite game studios, but when 2K heard that 15-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient William Floyd wanted to visit the NBA 2K headquarters in Novato, California, the company decided to go one step further. It created Floyd as a playable roster member in NBA 2K20 and made him available as a free agent to millions of players around the world.
Google used photogrammetry to create a detailed VR tour of Versailles
Versailles palace is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, but fighting those crowds in person can be frustrating. Now, Google and the Château de Versailles have teamed up to take VR users on a private tour of Louis XIV's royal residence. It's the largest photogrammetry project ever done at the castle, with 21 rooms and 387,500 square feet of internal surfaces captured. HTC Vive and Oculus Rift users can handle and inspect over 100 sculptures, paintings and other works of art and see them with incredible close-up detail.
Burger King's Impossible Whopper is available in three more cities
Burger King is taking its Impossible Whopper on tour. The meatless Whopper's debut in St. Louis, Missouri, earlier this month, was such a success, that Burger King has plans to roll it out across the country. Today, it arrived in three new markets: Miami, Montgomery, Ala. and Columbus, Ga. To kick things off, an Impossible Whooper tour bus will roll through each city, offering games, music and freebies.
'Assassin's Creed Symphony' concerts will also feature holograms
This summer, Ubisoft and MGP Live will debut the Assassin's Creed Symphony -- a concert series bringing the game's soundtrack to stage. As the saga of Assassin's Creed plays out on screen, a live orchestra and choir will perform the score. The just-released trailer, which you can watch below, promises an "immersive experience," complete with holograms of your favorite characters.
'Unique challenges' derail Amy Winehouse hologram tour
If you were hoping to catch Amy Winehouse's hologram tour this year, you may have to settle for a big-screen biopic instead. BASE Hologram, the company behind the production, announced on Twitter yesterday that it is "putting the tour on hold until we determine the best path to a creatively spectacular production" that would properly honor the singer's legacy. Apparently, the company has run into "unique challenges and sensitivities."
A 'Halo' amusement park will tour the US this summer
Finally, it's time to see if Warthogs are really that difficult to drive in person. Halo: Outpost Discovery is a 300,000 square foot, traveling amusement park packed with experiences from Xbox's pivotal sci-fi series, and it's set to start touring the US this summer. The show will land in Orlando, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston and finally Anaheim between July and September.
Netflix will stream Taylor Swift’s tour film on December 31st
Taylor Swift announced today that a film of her Reputation stadium tour is headed to Netflix and a new trailer is giving us a peek at what's in store. The trailer begins with Swift saying "When she fell, she fell apart. When she finally rose, she rose slowly," as clips of crowds and performances flash across the screen. "She heard echoes of new words. Without your past, you could never have arrived here," she adds, before the trailer launches into her performance of ...Ready for It?
Amy Winehouse's hologram will tour with a live band in 2019
Amy Winehouse will return to the stage in 2019 as the latest in a long line of deceased performers resurrected as holograms. The digital ghost of Winehouse (who died in 2011) will perform her hits such a "Rehab" and "Valerie" while backed by a live band. The tour is a product of a partnership between LA-based BASE Hologram and the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which raises money for the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse.
PGA Tour AR app puts a golf course on your coffee table
Sports and augmented reality (AR) apps are nothing new. The technology has been used by the NFL, NBA and even German soccer teams to promote their respective leagues, with results varying from the gimmicky to the interesting. Now the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) has its own AR app on iOS that lets you watch real-time shot trails appear on select holes during live competition. You can also compare up to four different players' shots, if that's your thing.
Heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio will tour the world as a hologram
The latest instance of the musical death and resurrection show is none other than Ronnie James Dio, who died in 2010. Thanks to a hologram (actually a high-tech version of an old parlor trick), the former Black Sabbath frontman will start touring Europe the November 30th before hitting the States next spring. "His" set will change nightly, according to Rolling Stone, and audio recordings were pulled from his entire career. "He" will play each night with a backing band and some dates will have singers Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest) and Oni Logan (Racer X) on stage as well. The stage will hearken back to the Sacred Heart and Dream Evil tours, and apparently the band may book between 80 and 100 shows. So, if you missed the man responsible for creating the devil horns hand sign in the flesh, you could see him in 1s and 0s soon enough.
Björk's VR exhibition is coming to Los Angeles
Björk is infamous for her peculiar style, and now fans in the Los Angeles area can experience that otherworldly quirkiness in 360 degrees. Björk Digital, a VR exhibition based on her 2015 album Vulnicura, is making its West Coast debut later this year, according to Fact. The LA tour stop coincides with a live performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on May 30th. Both are part of the Reykjavík Festival, an event highlighting the artistic contributions of Iceland's capital.
A whirlwind tour of Faraday Future's ambitious new SUV
"Just a quick reminder that there are no pictures during today's tour." Faraday Future has had its share of bad press. Right before Christmas it invited a group of journalists to tour its headquarters in Gardena, California. The new company was unveiling its first real car at CES in a few weeks. But instead of wowing the world with its nonstop teaser videos, the company's shedding of executives and reports about its financial turmoil drew the most attention. Faraday needed to make a big impression ahead of CES while also ensuring that the technology-drenched FF 91 SUV and the secret sauce behind it were kept under wraps until its big press conference, scheduled for Jan. 3rd in Las Vegas.
A tour of Xiaomi's headquarters and Mi Home store
Xiaomi was quite a different company when I first visited its headquarters back in August 2011: It only occupied three floors in a small building, the cubicles were tight, security was loose (I literally just walked in almost every time) and people were working crazy long hours almost seven days a week. That was right after the company launched its first device, the original Xiaomi Phone, which set a new bar for affordable flagship smartphones in China. Fast forward to today and you'll find yourself looking at a global brand that has gone well beyond mobile and online, while its latest smartphones -- namely the Mi Note 2 and Mi MIX -- are looking better than ever. To see for yourself, check out our photo tour around Xiaomi's latest headquarters and a strangely familiar-looking Mi Home store nearby.
Spotify adds a full list of tour dates to artist pages
Spotify has been providing concert info for a while, but now those listings are getting a bit more detailed. Late last year, the company teamed up with Songkick to serve up a list of nearby concerts based on your listening habits. That same partnership will now display full list of upcoming shows on artist pages under the "Concerts" tab. Just like before, there's a "Details" button beside each date that links to the event page on Songkick.
Google offers 360-degree tours of US National Parks
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the US National Parks Service, Google has put together a collection of virtual tours combining 360-degree video, panoramic photos and expert narration. It's called "The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks" and is accessible right from the browser. You can choose from one of five different locales, including the Kenai Fjords in Alaska and Bryce Canyon in Utah, and get a guided "tour" from a local park ranger. Each one has a few virtual vistas to explore, with documentary-style voiceovers and extra media hidden behind clickable thumbnails.
Nintendo tour lets you try 3DS games this summer
If you or your kids are jonesing for something to do this summer but would rather play Super Mario Bros. than go on vacation, Nintendo has your back. It's launching a free Play Nintendo Tour that, as the name implies, gives you a chance to play a range of 3DS games in a kid-friendly environment. On top of getting to try some of Nintendo's better-known titles (ranging from the shiny new Kirby: Planet Robobot to an older title like Mario Kart 7), the 12-stop US tour has contests, photo ops and prizes.
Thanks, Obama: Now you can take selfies in the White House
We've seen President Barack Obama take a few selfies in the White House before, but until now the practice has been strictly forbidden for visitors on the public tour. Well, today that 40-year-old ban has been officially lifted. From now on, you can use a smartphone or a compact camera with a lens no longer than three inches to take photos inside the building. (Yes, this includes selfies.) While the rules have been relaxed somewhat, there are still plenty of gadgets on the "Prohibited Items" list. These include selfie sticks, tablets, GoPro-style action cameras and any snapper with detachable lenses. Texting, calls and livestreaming are also forbidden -- so no Periscoping while you walk down the entrance hall.
British Museum to give live tours over Periscope
Live-streaming apps may have become a new way for social types to show their vanity, but they're also great tools for delivering slices of world culture to people's mobile phones. That's exactly what the British Museum hopes to do with its popular exhibit Defining beauty: the body in ancient Greek art, which will be the focus of a live tour over Twitter's Periscope app. The museum has British historian and broadcaster Dan Snow on hand to lead a 30 minute journey through the exhibition's white marble statues, terracotta works, bronzes and ornate vases. There'll also be the chance to post questions using the iOS and Android app.
Kraftwerk's 3D concerts return to North America in September
Good news if you missed out on Kraftwerk's 3D concerts the last time the band was in North America: you're about to get a second chance. The electronic music pioneers have announced a slew of American and Canadian dates that will let you see their immersive visual landscapes first-hand. This stint kicks off in Edmonton on September 16th, and reaches the US with a September 19th gig in Portland; you'll also get to see these 3D performances in cities like Austin, Boston and Miami. The tickets are likely to sell out quickly when they go on sale May 8th, so you'll want to act quickly if you just have to witness a spectacle like "The Robots" in person. [Image credit: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images]
Take a tour of DCUO's Amazon Fury raid with the devs
Coming soon to DC Universe Online is the Amazon Fury Part II DLC, because Amazons are not known to be timid, quiet souls. All about the fury, they are. Anyway, part of this upcoming patch is the new Halls of Hades raid, and the devs are inviting you to go along with them on a tour of this intimidating experience. We've got a 43-minute video of the Halls of Hades with devs and test center players after the break if you want to get a good feel for what's going to be faceplanting your heroes in the near future.
