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Roger Ebert's latest column posits 'games can never be art'
In the "Games as art" debate that seems to never end, the number one opponent of our industry's medium of choice being considered art (at least "high art") has been renowned film critic Roger Ebert. Since he made his initial declaratory statements about video games many years ago, folks have piped up on both sides of the argument. Ebert's latest volley in the long-running discussion is a piece published on the Chicago Sun-Times website in response to thatgamecompany prez Kellee Santiago's TED talk at USC last summer. While he allows Santiago many pleasantries and compliments throughout the piece, he argues that, regardless of her various points, games "can never be art." At the very least, he says, "No video gamer now living will survive long enough to experience the medium as an art form." He contests that games consist of "rules, points, objectives, and an outcome," which stands in contrast to his somewhat ambiguous definition of what, exactly, art is. In a moment of seeming clarity at the end of his piece, he asks: "Why are gamers so intensely concerned, anyway, that games be defined as art? Bobby Fischer, Michael Jordan and Dick Butkus never said they thought their games were an art form." And while we might not agree with all of Mr. Ebert's points, we can certainly find common ground with his wondering why the debate over games as art is still such a topic of concern among gamers (ourselves included). [Thanks, Salvatore]
How gaming can make a better world
About ten days ago, an interesting video of a speech was aired on TED talk. For those of you who don't know what TED is, it is quite literally a meeting place of some of the world's greatest thinkers: economists, philosophers, doctors, environmentalists and so on. These are people who dedicate their lives to making the world a better place. So imagine my surprise when I was notified of a talk from someone who said that gaming fit into that ideal? Enter Jane McGonigal, game designer. She says that the video game-playing youth of today -- that's us, by the way -- have within us the power to save the world. I know, I know, sounds crazy, right? Well, put down that energy drink and listen in. Jane's mission is to "try to make it as easy to save the world in real life, as it is to save the world in online games." The basis of her theory lies in a few things: motivation, an investment of time and the need to be rewarded. Remember that time your guild downed Ragnoros? Or triumphantly came through to the end of ToC? Yogg-saron? How did you feel then? That's right, you felt satisfied.
TED launches Flash-free site for iPad, iPhone
I'm happy to report that TED, following in the footsteps of so many others, has now created a Flash-free version of its website for the iPad and iPhone. The new site automatically detects your browser and OS and shows the video in either Flash or HTML5. TED curator Chris Anderson first announced a Flash-free version of TED on his Twitter account on March 28: "Excited about this. Non-flash version of http://ted.com is now live for iPhone. Videos, comments, ratings. Hurrah!" No Flash? That is an idea worth spreading. [via Obama Pacman]
Photosynth creator walks us through Bing Maps, gives us a taste of augmented reality's future (video)
We were pretty stoked when we heard all about the new toys that Microsoft was adding to Bing Maps (Street View-esque navigation, Photosynth integration, crowd sourcing content, so on and so forth), and it looks like things are really coming together nicely. If you hop on past the break, we've thoughtfully embedded Blaise Aguera y Arcas' TED Talk where the Microsoft Live Labs architect and co-creator of Photosynth gives a sweet overview of the project as the foundation for a pretty robust augmented reality setup. The crowd gasps, applauds, and speaks in tongues repeatedly throughout the eight minute talk -- which is really what you'd expect from the Glenn Beck crowd, not the head of the technology, entertainment, and design fraternity (at least those who attend conferences). But don't take our word for it! Check it out and tell us what you think.
TED Talks mischief: lasers killing mosquitoes by the hundreds
Malaria is a huge problem worldwide, so it's no surprise to anyone that plenty of people spend lots of time trying to think of ways to rid the world of mosquitoes, prime movers of the disease. Nathan Myhrvold's company Intellectual Ventures Labs (and former chief technology officer at Microsoft) is focusing on just that. Using widely available and common electronics parts, Intellectual Ventures has made lasers which can kill mosquitoes mid-flight -- at a rate of about 50 to 100 per second. Myhrvold first publicly demonstrated this laser (which is made of parts of printers, digital cameras, and projectors) at the TED conference the other day, using hundreds of mosquitoes in a clear glass case to make his point. The laser's software determines the size and shape of the target before deciding whether or not to shoot, so, for instance -- it wouldn't take aim at a person or a bumblebee. The lasers could be used to protect hospitals and clinics in areas with high mosquito populations and in areas with a high rate of malaria infestation. Now, this is surprisingly not the first time we've seen such a trick -- though it is the first time we've seen video evidence of it working. There are some insanely informative (and murderous) videos at the source link. Be sure to check them out. Update: Video is after the break.
Google exhibits Liquid Galaxy installation at TED, we toss back a Dramamine
You know you've wondered what Google Earth would look like across a curved, eight-display installation, and now your most stupendous dreams are a reality thanks to Liquid Galaxy. That's the moniker that's been given to Jason Holt's 20 percent project, which he's just now getting to showcase to the world at the TED conference in San Francisco. Reportedly, eight Linux machines are tied to the process, and he's able to fly through the digital skies via voice commands and sheer mental strength. Or maybe it's just voice commands. Head past the break for a cockpit view, but be sure to close one eye if you're prone to motion sickness. [Thanks, Camron]
Amoeba-inspired ChIMERA robot slithers on video
Virginia Tech's RoMeLa Lab has done more than its fair share to further the development of our future robot overlords. Now, in a recent TED talk, Dr. Dennis Hong brings us up to date on some of the creepier candidates for world domination, including the spider-like STRiDER and the amoeboid ChIMERA (Chemically Induced Motion Everting Robotic Amoeba). The latter achieves locomotion by the movement of its silicone skin, squeezes through spaces half its diameter, and travels up to half a meter per second. The good doctor is tight-lipped on much of the device's specifics, but among options being explored for powering the thing are chemical actuation, electroactive polymers, and air-driven tubes. Check out the team's work in the video after the break. [Thanks, Travis]
See Fabian Hemmert and his amazing, shape-shifting cellphone prototype (video)
Cellphones, whether they be smart or dumb, are pretty amazing things -- but they're pretty lifeless things, too. Design researcher Fabian Hemmert thinks that our gadgets could move us a little more if only they could, well, move. As part of his TEDxBerlin talk late last year he shows off some prototype phones, including one that can get thicker on any of its four corners, and another that can shift its center of gravity similarly (shown above). The possibilities are intriguing, like a status bar that could get physically hefty as it gets weighed down with icons, but we're not sucking down all of Hemmert's Kool-Aid. His idea of devices giving off a heartbeat and changing shape like they're breathing in your pocket is just a little creepy, and more practically we have a hard enough time holding onto our handsets as it is -- imagine all the suddenly top-heavy cellphones leaping out of hands and to their doom.
Sixth Sense creator to release code, wearable gesture interface becomes a reality for all
If we're being honest (and trust us, we're being honest), Pranav Mistry's Sixth Sense contraption has always baffled us. It's kind of like Sony's Rolly. It looks cool, it sounds rad, but we're fairly certain only 2.49 people actually know and fully comprehend how it works. That said, we're more than jazzed about the possibility of having wearable gesture interfaces gracing every human we come into contact with, and rather than attempting to make his invention "comply with some kind of corporate policy," he's purportedly aiming to release the source code into the wild in order to let "people make their own systems." Nice guy, huh? All told, the Sixth Sense can be built for around $350 (plus oodles of unpaid time off), and we're pretty certain that a few talented DIYers can get this thing whipped into shape far quicker than Mega Corp X. So, how's about a release date for that code?
Google signs PowerMeter partnership with The Energy Detective, lets everyone play along
It's hard to lose weight without a scale. That's more or less the idea behind Google's PowerMeter program, enabling users to view real-time power usage and unplug things accordingly to both reduce their demand and increase their feeling of eco-cockiness. Before today you needed to be getting your juice from one of a very few utility companies to audit your infos, but now you can break free thanks to a partnership with The Energy Detective. That company makes a line of straightforward power monitors that simply plug into a power outlet then connect to the internet via Ethernet to dump your kilowatt gluttony online. The TED 5000-series devices start at $200 and go up from there with optional displays and packages that allow the detection of solar or wind generation, and while they previously allowed online monitoring of power usage, this Google partnership ups their hipness by a factor of at least 10. And, if you were so cool you already bought one of these trackers before they went mainstream, you're just a firmware update away from tracking it with the Googs.
Mission One electric motorcycle boasts 150 MPH top speed, extreme price tag
The Mission One EV electric sports bike got a proper unveiling at this week's Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference, and boy does this baby exude power. Mission Motors says the motorcycle's got an 150 MPH top speed and 100 foot-pounds of torque at any point between 0 and 6,500 RPM. That's a good deal faster than the Electric Motorsport GPR-S, which tops out at a now-paltry 100 MPH. The lithium-ion battery keeps it running for 150 miles, and charge time is targeted for under 2 Hours at 240V (8 Hours at 120V). Its stylish form factor comes from famed industrial designer Yves Behar. Yeah, we're excited, too, but here's the part where you flinch: the deathly silent super-scooter will first show up in 2010 with a 50-unit limited edition run costing $68,995 apiece. A more affordable model will be announced sometime this summer. If you've got a need for this much muted speed, be prepared to mortgage a house or two. [Via Autoblog Green]
ted: episode downloader for bittorrent
In the past we've covered the Mac application TV Shows, which automates starting bittorrents for tv show episodes. Sadly, it hasn't been updated in a while (though the main page still promises an update soon). However, I recently ran across another application that works in a similar way called ted.With ted you can select various shows, even see summaries of episodes, then send the torrents off your your favorite bittorrent client (e.g. Transmission). Unfortunately, ted is a cross-platform java application, but it should run fine on any modern Mac.ted is a free download from sourceforge.[via Gizmodo]
Ted Nugent confirms his appearance in Guitar Hero IV on talk radio show
For a game subtitled "Legends of Rock", Guitar Hero III didn't feature that many real-life six-string virtuosos. Sure, you had Rage's Tom Morello, GnR's Slash and a brief cameo by VH1's latest lothario, Poison frontman Bret Michaels -- but many classic rock aficionados who tried their hand at Activision's shredding simulator were left unsatisfied in terms of quantity (and in the minds of those belonging to the churches of Hendrix and Clapton, quality).Until now, we've yet to hear anything about the roster for the next legit entry in Activision's golden goose franchise (no, we're not nor will we ever count Guitar Hero: Aerosmith), however, that silence was recently broken by the whistle of a flaming arrow through the night air, fired from the heavenly compound bow of the Motor City Madman himself, Ted Nugent. Listen to his radio interview on Detroit's WRIF (about 12:30 in), where he uses all manner of colorful language to describe the mocap process. Now, if they could only get the rest of the Damn Yankees involved, it would definitely ensure a purchase on our end. How 'bout it, Blades?[Thanks, Tyler.]
Johnny Lee's Wii-nnovations blow TED's collective mind
We've all witnessed the incredible ways that technomancer Johnny Lee can put a Wiimote to good use, but apparently, attendees of the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference were unaware of the handheld peripheral's vast potential. You can actually hear their minds crackle, then implode as Lee shows off two of his cost-efficient tech demos -- the multi-touch whiteboard, and 3-D head tracking (which was further confirmed to be in EA/Speilburg's Boom Blox as an easter egg). Like all Johnny Lee videos, we can guarantee this to be the coolest thing you've seen today -- unless, of course, you've just watched the entire "American Ninja" quintology.
Johnny Lee rocks the TED conference
The TED (Technology Entertainment Design) conference gives some of the brightest people in the world, across wildly divergent disciplines, a forum to share their brilliant ideas. This year's lineup of speakers included names like Stephen Hawking, Al Gore, and ... Johnny Lee. In the midst of a bunch of Very Serious Discussions about Very Serious Topics, Johnny manages to totally make a highbrow crowd care about the Waggle Wand. He does this by being awesome. There aren't any new demonstrations here, but it's totally worth it to see an audience's reaction to what is pretty much magic for the first time.
Today's most delayed-and-ambitious video: TED Spore demo
Video of Will Wright's TED Spore presentation from March has recently appeared online. Wright expands on prior Spore demos, giving an overview of the game and explaining parts of his design process. The information-packed 17-minute video keeps us interested in the total life simulation -- from origins to galactic colonization -- but reconfirms how wildly ambitious the project has been. We've been trying to play over/under on the projected ship date window of April, 2008 and March, 2009, but nobody wants "under." But whenever Spore finally arrives, we hope Wright and the other designers can deliver on the unique concept. [Thanks, Guillaume and Kevin]
Ted and Gadget weep as MAST tether project fails to deploy
While a number of recent space-based experiments have proven quite successful, it must not have been Ted nor Gadget's day. The daring duo that made up the MAST project was supposed to "test the survivability of a thin, braided tether in space," but due to a glitch in the restraint system that "kept Ted from pushing away hard enough to keep unreeling the tether from its spool," the once hopeful mission has come to an ill-fated close. Rather than reaching a full kilometer, the tether was only able to reach a few meters before coming to a stop, but the team at Tethers Unlimited aren't calling it quits just yet. They did admit to not knowing precisely what caused the costly mishap, but the crew also suggested that they'll try to use the small amount of data they did gather to analyze "how a short tether behaves in microgravity." Don't worry fellas, there's always next time.
Ze Frank talks video games, we laugh
Video from internet gadabout (and host of the excellent The Show) Ze Frank's speech at the 2004 TED conference (Technology, Entertainment, Design) has been making the rounds and, despite our appreciation for performance readings of spam, it was his video game demos that we're interested in sharing with you.For starters, he throws some numbers at us (did you realize the industry makes over $100K/year?) before walking us through three games titled Atheist, Buddhist, and Christian. Think they look like fun, try em out yourselves! Check out the entire embedded video after the break, or jump directly to his segment on video games here:Watch - Ze Frank on video games at the 2004 TED conference
