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ICYMI: Finger speakers and sumo-bots and mini-silk screens
Today on In Case You Missed It: The SIGNL strap Kickstarter campaign wants to put a private phone speaker at the tip of your finger. Plus, Japan combines its two favorite past times -- the graceful art of sumo and autonomous robots -- into a kickass, white-knuckle sport. try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}
Sumotori Dreams is how my wife and I will now settle disagreements
I've known about Sumotori Dreams for quite some time now. It's one of those internet curiosities you can stumble upon, fall in love with, and then forget about all within the span of an evening. It's a sumo wrestling simulation where two blocky combatants shove each other until one of them falls down or flies out of the ring, and it's been around on PC since the mid 2000s. Now it's on iOS, and I couldn't be happier. You can play three different modes: Player vs. Player, Player vs. AI, and AI vs. AI. When the round starts, your wrestler stands up on wobbly legs and simple and it's up to you to use the on-screen button controls to shuffle towards your opponent and push them over. This is much easier said than done, however, as the character in Sumotori are prone to stumbling without reason and will fall over on their own more often than not. If you wish to play against another human player, the control buttons will be cloned on both sides of the screen, letting you and your opposition fight it out on the same device without much trouble. Watching the inept adversaries square off is hilarious, and the player models are both realistic in their reactions and horribly uncoordinated, making for an interesting mix of conflict and comedy. Staying true to its somewhat glitchy PC roots, the game is a bit buggy right now on iOS. The startup splash screens are incorrectly formatted for the iPhone, logos don't line up where they should, and the phone status bar hasn't been removed, so it runs over the top of some on-screen buttons. None of this gets in the way of the fantastic core gameplay, but the game could definitely use a bit of polish with an update. When you see a screenshot of Sumotori Dreams, with its super-basic graphical style and featureless characters, you might no grasp how delightful the game can really be. Seeing it in action and actually playing it will open your eyes, and I promise that you will find yourself giggling in no time. It's probably the most fun you can legally have for US$0.99.
Japan Sumo Association is wrestling with iPads
What do you do if you run a stable of sumo wrestlers who are charged with illegal gambling, assault, and drug use? Most likely, you help the authorities in an investigation. Since you'll need to ask the wrestlers confidential questions, you give them mobile phones and send them text messages. Unfortunately, the big guys' fingers are too large for them to text you back. If you're the Japan Sumo Association, according to Japanese news agency Jiji, you buy iPads and distribute them to all 51 sumo stables for the purpose of getting the mostly computer-illiterate stablemasters and big-fingered wrestlers to communicate to you immediately. The association announced Monday that they've purchased 60 iPads already, which start in Japan at about 48,800 yen ($570). There's no word on whether a new form of mawashi, the traditional silk belt worn by sumo wrestlers during training and competition, will be developed to let the wrestlers carry their iPads with them wherever they go -- but we can dream. [via iPadmodo & Apple 2.0]
iPads will be handed out to Japanese sumo wrestlers to facilitate 'swift communications'
The Japan Sumo Association isn't happy. No, not because of some trifling scandals and allegations of impropriety among its ranks, it's because sumo wrestlers and their managers aren't responding to fax and telephone communications. So what's a forward-looking sports body to do but turn to the latest craze in technology? Tablets. iPad tablets, to be precise, which will be distributed to the 51 wrestling clubs within the nation, in the hope of getting the sizable gentlemen to straighten their acts. One Japanese news agency speculates that the iPad's 10-inch dimensions would be just the digital panacea for people whose fingers are that little bit too large to operate mobile phones comfortably. And you thought there was no good reason for a jumbo iPod touch!
International HD news roundup
Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe recently, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next time, Jakisiñkama! Read - New £1m high definition channel for Wales Read - Sir David Attenborough to present one of the UK's first 3D TV programmes Read - Freeview looks to take HD TV mass-market Read - Sumo gets the HDTV treatment (Japan) Read - 3D in New Zealand Read - UAE cinema halls dig into IPL pie Read - Panasonic 3D TVs debut in Asia Read - High Definition 3D TV sets expected to hit the market in 3rd quarter of 2010 (Singapore) Read - After Avatar, Russian TV aims to move into 3D Read - Sky News readies HD marketing push Read - Sky News Embarks on First Major Marketing Campaign as it Enters a High Definition Future Read - Toshiba, CELL REGZA "55X1" on YouTube / Opera support (Japan) Read - RRSAT to Distribute iConcerts High Definition Channel on Measat 3A Satellite Read - Brava HDTV opera channel expands in France Read - ESPN Launches ESPN360 in Chile Read - Net Insight Scores World Cup HD/3D TV Deals Read - Food Network HD to launch in Europe Read - ABC iView coming to Sony TVs and Blu-ray players
Fuji Soft's new humanoid is powered by Atom and Ubuntu
The world needs humanoids, and Fuji Soft is heeding that call. It just unveiled its new humanoid line at the ever-popular All Japan Robot Tournament, and while the robot doesn't have a model name yet, one of the delightful personalities pictured above is named Sakura-Chan and both seem pretty keen on a bit of robo-Sumo. The mobility and capabilities of the bots seems pretty standard, with an LED visor for facial expressions, speech recognition and a camera for taking in this odd carbon-based world it finds itself in. What's more interesting is the Robovie-style off-the-shelf parts inside: Atom CPU, Ubuntu OS and WiFi, all of which are compatible with the Eclipse development environment. The robot should be hitting the streets (of Japan) in early 2010 for a supposedly competitive price. Video is after the break.
VC/WiiWare Tuesday: Out of Galaxy, into the Wii Shop
This week's Japanese Virtual Console releases aren't going to thrill anybody: another Langrisser strategy game that we're unlikely to see, and Mappy, which you can and should play on your North American or European system. But the WiiWare releases this week should prove pretty exciting -- to Japan. Except for Onitore, which is Drill Sergeant Mindstrong.Out of Galaxy: Koshika is a new manga from Leiji Matsumoto, creator of Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamato (as well as, yes, that Daft Punk thing). It's the first manga title to premiere on Wii, and it's a big deal! Also exciting: the return of Tecmo's classic Tsuppari Oozumo sumo wrestling series. The new 3D models are nowhere near as cute as the Famicom sprites, but we're still happy to see the game's return. Is WiiWare low-risk enough for a localized sumo game? Virtual Console: Der Langrisser (Super Famicom, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Mappy (Arcade, 800 Wii Points) WiiWare: Out of Galaxy: Koshika (1 player, 500 Wii Points) Onitore (1-4 players, 800 Wii Points) Tsuppari Oozumo Wii Heya (1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
Two new warrior types for Warrior Epic
Somehow, since we last covered the class updates from Warrior Epic, not one, but two new classes have been revealed! The first is the Vanisher, clearly the stealth/rogue warrior of the title. Sporting a look decidedly alien and intricate at the same time, this is easily one of the more stylish warriors available from WE.The second new type is the Dreadnaught, obviously the tank's tank. These guys are built like sumo wrestlers and outfitted like ... well, like a dreadnought! Though the Warriors page seems to have filled up, looking at the bottom of each individual warrior's page reveals a bar with warrior face icons, and there's a final space with a question mark in it. Could there be one final mystery warrior approaching?[Thanks, Brice!]
Friday Video: Return of the Rabbids
Do you miss those wacky bunnies? We sure do, if only for the hilarious videos about all the things bunnies can't do. Never fear, however -- the bunnies are back with a new video campaign for their sequel, shockingly titled Rayman Raving Rabbids 2. In this week's video spotlight, we learn that bunnies aren't particularly skilled at sumo, despite their nicely rounded tummies.
Classic Sega brawling on Japanese Virtual Console
Virtual Console fans in Japan have a lot of reasons to feel nice about their Wii purchases. This week's release list isn't the best ever, but neither does it include Urban Champion. Fans of Sega classics or of Yuzo Koshiro will be happy to learn that Bare Knuckle 2 (Streets of Rage 2) will be available for download starting next week. Fans of adorably doughy sumo sprites will be happier about Tecmo's Tsuppari Oozumou. Out Live and Sengoku Mahjong, both for the PC Engine, will also be available.
Killer Lego sumo bots are back for more
Round 3 of the 2007 DivX Lego Sumo Robotic Championship is just as much a DivX sellout as ever, and the required browser plugin still isn't winning any friends, but despite those caveats, we're still glued to our screens for these exciting Lego bot deathmatches. With new bots like "Blue Wedgie" and "Joker" making quick work of their competition -- thanks to Blue Wedgie's clever wedge action and Joker's active sensing technique -- the matches were a bit more expedient this time around, but still quite entertaining. Nerd sport of the future? We think so.
DS Fanboy contest: Sumo Omni
Interested in enjoying the comforts of your very own Sumo Omni beanbag chair? Now you can, and without footing the hefty price tag -- if you've got the skills, that is. Here's the challenge: what could a Sumo Omni be in bizarro world? Design a completely different product with the same name and find a creative way to present it (bonus points if it's related to the DS). Make a poster or write a jingle. Create a flyer. It's all in your hands, and for once, you don't have to be a video wiz or a 'chopping expert to win. Humor is your weapon in this war. Make us laugh, make us wish for your imagined product, and we'll ship a charcoal Sumo Omni to your door. Second prize will walk away with a handful of shiny new DS buttons and the affirmation that they were almost good enough. Due to the holidays, and the wide-open nature of the competition, we're giving you two weeks to work on this one. The winner will be announced Wednesday, December 27, so entries received after midnight, Eastern time, December 27, will not be considered. Submissions should be sent to dsfanboy [dot] contests [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject Sumo Omni Contest. One entry per person only. Failing to follow the rules, or submitting something pornographic, is an automatic disqualification. Keep it clean, make it funny, and win that chair. If you have questions, they'll be addressed in the comments. Now get to work!
DS Fanboy review: Sumo beanbag chair
What's awesome about the DS? Well, a lot of things -- but one of the best is that it's portable and can go wherever you can go (within reason, of course). But what about those times when you really want to play at home? Where do you sit? Sumo wants the answer to be in -- or on, or around -- one of their luxury beanbag chairs, and to that end, they sent us a chair to check out while we were getting some DS on.And before going into the details, let me just say -- this chair is great for DS gaming at home. Those long runs of Final Fantasy III, the ones that make your arms hurt and your eyes weary? Get up, kick the chair into a different position, and settle in ... it's like a whole new world. For shorter, more intense sessions, like getting your butt kicked on a Tuesday night in Mario Kart, I favor the upright position in the photo -- feet planted, lots of room to move, serious posture. That's my gaming pose. Grrr! So of course, I'm not as relaxed as Sumo's model. Oh well. So what's the deal with these chairs and why should you care? After all, it's just a beanbag chair, right? Wrong. Sumo is like the Lexus of the beanbag chair, with a price to match. Currently, during their holiday sale, the Sumo Omni goes for a cool $129 -- which is a lot for what we consider casual, slacker furniture. So the essential question here could be: is it worth it?
KAZooK is yet another mini-game compilation
Really? How many games do we need that feature quirky art styles and short mini-games. Sure, you can fight zombies, wrestle sumo-style and pilot a UFO, but with WTF and HOT PXL both coming out for the handheld, isn't this genre already a bit too crowded? The game features 30 mini-games, which seems to pale in comparison to HOT PXL's hundreds. It also features 16 characters and wi-fi multiplayer. It also featured Game Sharing, but don't get too excited: you can only play 5 of the games through this feature.Don't you agree that maybe KAZooK will be too little, too late? Especially when HOT PXL features downloadable levels to extend its life. Check out shindakun.net for more pics.[Thanks, steve!]
Vstone goes affordable with Robovie-i
Our favorite consumer robotics firm has just announced a new addition to their lineup, but unlike their other multi-thousand dollar offerings, Vstone's new build-it-yourself Robovie-i will retail for a very affordable $270 when the pre-order period begins in July. You may remember the Japanese company as manufacturing such humanoid bots as the soccer-playing Manus-I and Robovie-V, or the Gigantor-like Tetsu-jin 28, although at less than 10% of the cost of its comrades, you can't expect the 2-foot tall Robovie-i to display the skills or freedom of movement found in other members of its family. In fact, a video of the new model-- which will come in your choice of red, white, blue, or gold -- shows that it does little more than wobble drunkenly back and forth in an amusing attempt at forward motion, although dumping two of them in a sumo ring together elicits a good 15 seconds worth of dizzying action (not exciting ROBO-ONE-type action, mind you, but more like ho-hum Rock'em Sock'em Robot-esque action).[Via ployer]
