Bjork at MoMA, fight for the open internet and other stories you might've missed!
The weekend has arrived and you can catch up on all the stories you might have missed right here. Read about Bjork's new project at the NYC MoMA, how the fight for the open internet isn't over and the history behind Nintendo's mobile gaming ambitions.
At her MoMA retrospective, first comes tech, then comes Bjork
There are two major takeaways from Bjork's much-anticipated retrospective at NYC's Museum of Modern Art: One, the vast majority of the exhibit feels more like a celebrity amusement park ride; and two, there's the occasional glimmer of ambition around the exhibit's use of technology.
The fight for the open internet isn't over
The FCC's Open Internet order could be the most important 313 pages in the web's short history, but "could" is the operative word. Proponents of the order say it's a landmark document, promoting net neutrality and dissolving telcos' power over the internet; naysayers believe it's needless regulation over an already free market, and everyone else falls somewhere in between. So what does and doesn't the order do, and what exactly does it all mean for you?
The history behind Nintendo's flip-flop on mobile gaming
Did you hear the one about Nintendo "never" putting its content on mobile platforms? About how Nintendo makes its own hardware specifically intended to cater to its software? About how it would dilute those "brands" (think: Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong) to put them on hardware other than Nintendo's?
Windows 10 log-in options will include fingerprint, facial and iris recognition
Microsoft thinks it's high time you ditch your passwords. The company, which is readying Windows 10 for release later this year, just announced that its next-gen OS will include built-in support for several alternative log-in options, including fingerprint, facial and iris recognition. That means so long as a Win 10 machine has at least one of the necessary sensors -- a fingerprint reader, eye scanner or illuminated IR sensor for facial recognition -- there will be a built-in framework called "Hello" that helps users enroll their fingerprints, or face, or what have you.
Mischievous drone sprays paint, silly string and flames
We're still not really sure what a "creative technology studio" is, but it sure seems like a damn fun place to work. Apparently your job at one, like Chaotic Moon, is to just think of "awesome" ideas with little practical purpose and make them a reality. Why? Because you can. Last year the firm used a drone to tase a poor intern, and married an Oculus Rift to a Leap motion so we could punch sharks.
'Game of Thrones' at SXSW: creating digital art with a Braavosi blade
HBO has made a habit of bringing a bit of Westeros to SXSW attendees. Last year, a virtual reality experience took folks to the top of the 700-foot ice wall defended by Jon Snow and the Night's Watch. This year, Game of Thrones fans get to turn a photo of themselves into a digital collage of swords, crow feathers and stag antlers by swinging Arya Stark's wooden practice sword given to her by Syrio Forel.
GE at SXSW: tracking brainwaves during BBQ tastings and using a 12-foot smoker
Two things define SXSW: spectacle and smoked meat. GE's managed to meld the two at its BBQ Research Center. Just up the street from the Austin Convention Center, General Electric's research arm set up shop with a 12-foot tall sensor-laden super smoker and a BBQ tasting room called Brain on BBQ. As you might suspect, tasters wear consumer-grade EEG headbands (the Muse variety) to track how their brainwaves change when eating savory smoked meat, tangy coleslaw and sweet banana pudding.
3M showed me how dirty my phone was at SXSW
I'm a certified germaphobe. In clinical terms, that makes me one of the 3.3 million Americans who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Being at an event like SXSW where about 33,000 of my fellow digital comrades are coexisting in very public spaces, I'm always worried about keeping myself and my gadgets clean, especially my phone and laptop. And with good reason: scientists found that cell phones carry ten times more disease-causing bacteria than most toilet seats.
Sony attempts to 'redefine television' with launch of PlayStation Vue
With 20 million-plus PlayStation 4 consoles sold to date and over 80 million PlayStation 3s in homes worldwide, Sony has plenty of reason to make Vue, its TV-streaming service, a cornerstone of the platform. The subscription-based service, which officially launches today in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, is more than just a Sling TV clone, too. Vue offers not only a mixture of live and on-demand content from cable networks like Discovery Communications (e.g., TLC, OWN, Animal Planet) and NBCUniversal (e.g., Bravo, CNBC and E!), but also broadcast TV from NBC, CBS and FOX.
Why is this song used in so many GoPro videos?
February 23rd, 2012. Electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling uploads the official music video for "Crystallize" to YouTube. Two days later, user "riley lux" uploads a video titled "DH long boarding on a windy day." In it, a group of friends enjoy some downhill riding set to Stirling's haunting violin-based soundtrack. The video itself isn't remarkable. Some self-shot GoPro footage, with a few edits roughly in time with parts of the song. But, there's something about each pass of Stirling's bow that balances the on-screen energy with a tangible calm.
