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'Ghost in the Shell' VR movie won't reach your phone
We have bad news if you were hoping to live out your anime dreams and watch a Ghost in the Shell VR movie on your phone: it's not going to happen. Production IG has revealed that Virtual Reality Diver will only be shown in 31 internet cafés across the Kanto region (Tokyo, Yokohama and nearby areas) this May. Reportedly, it just became too big and ambitious to offer as a mobile app. That's somewhat understandable given its 15-minute length (a 360-degree clip that long is going to chew up a lot of space), but it's bound to be frustrating if you were hoping to return to the classic series on a mobile VR headset.
Japanese internet cafes' latest service is VR theater for one
Smokey Japanese internet cafes aren't where the possible future of entertainment is typically revealed to the press, but here I am. An association of said internet cafes and entertainment complexes will roll out a virtual reality 'theater' service across Japan, starting with 31 establishments in the Kanto region. Importantly, it'll feature content that people might actually want to watch: a quick VR take on popular anime series Attack On Titan as well as a full 15-minute Ghost In The Shell 360-degree CGI movie. For better or worse, Gear VR will be powering the service, and to make it seem all the more futuristic, some cafes will have egg chairs to sit in. Cool, yes. But, comfortable? Well...
Skype WiFi is the new Skype Access, comes with iOS app in tow
We would never enter a foreign land without packing a rented MiFi from XCom Global, but what if you're not a data junkie and only require a sliver of internet access for your device? You're undoubtedly thinking internet café, but instead of wasting time filling out forms each time you're hankerin' to tweet, simplify the entire process with a Skype WiFi hotspot. Formerly known as Skype Access, the rebranded service allows you to bypass crusty web forms at any of the 1 million participating locations, by using your Skype account and credits to pay per minute. Already living the post-PC dream? The company's got you covered too, with an iOS app that'll allow Cupertino's finest to join in on the fun. You know the drill, the app and the announcement await you at the other end of the source links below.
Chinese online gamer dies after three day stint
A 30-year old Chinese man from Guangzhou reportedly died from exhaustion at an internet cafe after a three-day online gaming marathon. Details from the incident are mixed: the Associated Press reports that he was declared dead at the cafe, whereas Reuters claims he was rushed to the hospital after fainting. Neither report mentions what games the man was playing. The Chinese government this year imposed restrictions on the amount of online gaming for minors in the country. Let this be a reminder to you, dear reader, to get out of your seat and go for a walk every now and then, make yourself something to eat, shower, nap, maybe even do some homework. [Thanks, Lucas]Read -- Associated Press (via CNN)Read -- Reuters (via Yahoo!)
China puts moratorium on new internet cafes
The Chinese government has announced its latest futile attempt to hold back the tidal wave of free digital information that is bound to flood the country sooner or later, placing a ban on the licensing of new internet cafes for 2007 while officials investigate supposed breaches of their restrictive rules. Specifically, the thought police want to find out how widespread the illegal renting of licenses and failure to register customers really are, as part of a larger crackdown on internet culture that began in April at the behest of President Hu Jintao. Let's just hope this moratorium is lifted before next summer, because with the lack of 3G availability by the time the Summer Games hit, it would seem that already-crowded cafes may get pushed to the breaking point as tourists fight one another in a rush to check their MySpaces and get their photos on Flickr.
Good Bytes Cafe gives internet, computer access to the disabled
In an attempt to bring the computing universe we privileged folk know and love so well to those with limited mobility, Goodwill Industries has opened a free internet café in San Antonio, Texas where wheelchairs are more than welcome. The firm, most commonly associated with its numerous thrift stores and handicapped job placement services, hopes that the normal looking café will take off and encourage disabled / elderly individuals to come and learn about computing skills that can assist them in their daily lives and with locating a job. Good Bytes Cafe, as it's so aptly-named, features the same standard layout of any coffee house, but features a bevy of highly sophisticated PCs for users with limited reach and movement capabilities. Thanks to a $125,000 grant from the local AT&T branch, users have access to software that "magnifies and reads aloud to help those who are visually impaired," joystick mice that are easier to control, an optical-based mouse that controls the cursor with your eyes, and even a minuscule face-mounted controller that directs the cursor by simply moving one's head or nose. Folks attending the grand opening were more than pleased, and one deaf individual went so far as to deem the hangout "absolutely awesome." Rebecca Helterbrand, marketing vice president for Goodwill Industries of San Antonio, is proud of the opening, but hopes that they'll be far "from the last."
