torture
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China implements tech that can detect people by the way they walk
A Chinese surveillance company, Watrix, has developed a new system for "gait recognition" that can identify people up to 165 feet away based on how they walk. This means that if a person is wearing a mask or is at an awkward angle, the software can use existing footage to detect them. CEO of Watrix, Huang Yongzhen, told the Associated Press in an interview that the software can't be fooled by limping or other out-of-the-ordinary stances because it analyzes a person's entire body.
This poor little iPad mini has had a tougher life than you
Did you get thrown in the dirt today? How about slammed into concrete multiple times or had someone attempt to drown you? The iPad mini in the video below has endured all of that -- oh, and it also took a few bullets for good measure. The video comes from YouTuber RatedRR, who normally focuses on slow-mo videos of firearms exclusively, but decided to make an exception and dish out some brutality to Apple's tiny tablet. As you might imagine, the ultra thin, ultra light mini doesn't take a bullet very well, but it does pass the dirt and concrete portions of the test with flying colors. The water test goes about as well as you'd expect (not spectacularly) though the screen appears mostly intact. For a device that is, at most, about a year old, it's been subjected to a lot of pain and suffering.
Nope, the iPhone 5s isn't fireproof
The iPhone 5s isn't fireproof, but you probably assumed that already. Just to be sure, TechRax decided to dump some gasoline on a new champagne-colored 5s and stoke the flames with a little bit of Axe body spray. It ends with the iPhone taking a nice dip in a bucket of water. Unfortunately, the experiment didn't yield watchable video from the phone as was hoped, so to punish the device for its obvious flaw, it gets a solid hammer swing. For science!
Torture scene removed from Splinter Cell: Blacklist, no one 'loved' it
The E3 2012 demo for Splinter Cell: Blacklist introduced a savage, player-controlled torture scene, asking players to press and hold a button to twist a knife into an enemy's throat, hoping he spills some information. That torture scene will not be in the final version of Blacklist, following negative response from early players."Definitely we are not going to see when the game's coming out that there are torture scenes in it," Blacklist producer Andrew Wilson said. "That scene is not there any more. I've not really heard anyone say they loved it."Wilson said the scene may have been missing context, making it seem like "tough material.""We've scaled a lot of that back, and as we've gone through the process of development there are always things that you feel are not working as well," he said. "Every game does this, and cuts certain things." Just not throats, apparently.
Hitman: Absolution 'Contracts' can't cross platforms, but community can work around it
Due to "political" issues, Hitman: Absolution's "contracts" won't be transferable across platforms for developer IO Interactive to feature, but there is a way for the community to do it. The recently revealed contracts mode is a major part of Absolution's package – receiving co-billing on the title screen with the campaign – but we wanted to know if IO could help promote prominent challenges accomplished by the community on one platform for another."We'll have to deal with something within the political rules that allow us to do that," Torben Ellert, game designer on Hitman: Absolution told us. "We're interested in featuring community contracts so that we avoid that whole wasp's nest."The way to do that will be for the community to decode the file numbers of contracts after the game's launch. Contract IDs begin with a two-digit number, determining their platform (currently 03- PC, 05- Xbox, 07- PS3), with the following set of digits expressing rules of the scenario."[Contracts] was built in a way for people to asynchronously share things," said Ellert. "The trick is you have to do it yourself. You have to be able to pull it off yourself."Update: To stress, codes can't simply be swapped across platforms. Players on separate platforms will need to complete the aspects of a contract to make it live on that platform. The contract ID simply gives the blueprints for a scenario's rules.%Gallery-162335%
Nokia uses Lumia 900 as a hammer in a torture test, makes us wince (video)
As much as we're familiar with mobile device torture tests, they're normally inflicted by us or otherwise not-so-voluntary. Nokia, however, has stepped up to the plate and doled out the abuse to the Lumia 900 itself with a hammer and nail, all based on a wager that the Windows Phone's use of Gorilla Glass would hold up to Sonim-level punishment. The company's Chris Ruble and Mike Meyers (not that Mike Myers) used a Lumia 710 as a dry run before an on-camera demo that not only saw the 900 assaulted with the hammer, but used as a blunt instrument itself -- all without a crack or scratch. We imagine that other toughened-glass phones would survive the hit, and there's every possibility that smacking the polycarbonate plastic would leave more than a scuff mark. Nokia's test still proves that its pride and joy can withstand more than just a casual roughing up, and you can see the slightly cringe-inducing test in the video below.
Wings Over Atreia: Are we there yet?
Are we there yet? Are we? Are we, huh, huh? Certain phrases are so embedded into our culture that few can escape the vivid imagery that comes with hearing them. For some, it rings back to memories of yore -- station wagons and long dusty road trips for the family vacation. For others, it can be simply the walk to the ice cream shop with a toddler. For me? I actually envision gaming in Aion. Gaming? Yup, that's right-- this iconic phrase emphasizes a specific mindset in our culture that permeates everything, including gaming: All that matters is the destination. There are plenty of examples of those who rush to endgame, plowing through and bypassing as much of the "unimportant" stuff as possible. For these folks, the game doesn't even start until max-level. However, there is a yin to that yang; there are also those who actually find the journey to be the experience worth having, folks who don't feel any need to race to endgame at break-neck speed and instead partake of the content along the way. Most gamers adopt one of these two philosophies, their real-life views and personalities often steering towards one side or the other. How do these two philosophies manifest themselves and duke it out in Aion? Rush (or mosey, whatever your preference) past the break to see.
Panasonic chains Toughbook to a snowmobile, shows signs of life post-torture (video)
We've never questioned the rigidity of Panasonic's Toughbook line -- after all, we've been shown just how rugged these things are time and time again -- but a new video from the company is just too clever to pass over. Sure, it hardly makes any clearer what's already clear, but just in case you were still having doubts, Panny's Toughbook line is mighty tough. As in, tough enough to survive being towed behind a snowmobile in bitterly cold conditions. Unfortunately, the company only shows the screen lighting up after the ride's done, so there's still the possibility that the keyboard is totally shot -- but hey, props for being alive at all, right? Have a look yourself in the video above. [Thanks, Tsuyoshi]
Klipsch Image S5i Rugged in-ear headphones earn our respect (video)
"Rugged" is one of those terms thrown around pretty loosely by the consumer electronics industry. So when Klipsch, a name that's not exactly synonymous with husky men in the saddle, rolled out a rugged version of its S4i in-ear speakers under the Image S5i Rugged moniker, well, we just had to put them to the test. But first we had to give these $129.99 'buds a listen... from the very noisy floor of the Messe Berlin convention center. Fortunately, the oval ear tips did an excellent of job of isolating most external sounds, thus allowing us to hear a rich reproduction of lows and mids with a noticeable emphasis on bass. Not a surprise since the Image S5i headphones feature the same acoustic characteristics as the Image S4i and Image S4 headphones that came before them. But what we really wanted to know was how that "moisture-resistant" (not waterproof) Apple-compatible three-button remote / mic would hold-up to a torture test. Fortunately, the Image S5i Rugged managed to keep the music playing and under control even after a generous bath of bottled water. Rugged and classy? Looks like iPod, iPhone, and iPad owners just made a new friend.
Chinese addicts escape from Internet 'boot camp,' invade Farmville
Is the internet an addiction? Absolutely not, we can totally quit whenever we like, and so we honor the spunk and spirit of 14 dedicated World of Warcraft grinders, Starcraft APM masters, and social networking gurus who escaped from their "rehabilitation center" in China's Jiangsu province. These so-called boot camps have been described by various outlets as being a little too close to torture camps, and while shock therapy has been banned, this 14 had still had enough. They captured their supervisor, tied him to his bed, and then hopped a (presumably large) taxi to get out of Dodge. But, there was one problem: none had any money to cover the fare. The police were called, all were apprehended, and they're presumably back to the "monotonous work and intensive training" they came so close escaping. Don't give up, kids. Let Andy Williams be your inspiration.
ioSafe Solo SSD plays with fire, gravity, and the pathway of a tractor
It's an inevitability, when a product claims to withstand Kryptonian strength, someone out there's gonna phone up the son of Jor-El himself for a trial run. Today's entrant is ioSafe's Solo SSD, which Extreme Tech took for a few rounds to determine its actual survivability. Spoiler alert: the SSD drive is still functional in the end, and it's really none too surprising when you realize the test site is run by ioSafe itself -- who else would have such an appropriate location handy? Still, the journey is what's interesting here, and there's plenty of pictures of incineration, falling, and drowning here -- and even a video of an intimate encounter with a tractor tread. Jigsaw would be proud. Video after the break.
Drama Mamas: Of crime and crossdressing
Dodge the drama and become that player everyone wants in their group with the Drama Mamas. Lisa Poisso and Robin Torres are real-life mamas and experienced WoW players -- and just as we don't want our precious babies to be the ones kicking and wailing on the floor of checkout lane next to the candy, neither do we want you to become known as That Guy on your server. We're taking your questions at DramaMamas (at) WoW (dot) com. Pictured above is just some of the torture devices on the prison ship Success. The writer of our first letter is not looking to send a guild "criminal" on a tortuous journey across the globe to a penal colony, but he is looking to exact a harsher punishment than the one already meted out. Our second petitioner is tortured about being considered weird for playing the opposite gender. We won't torture you with any further delays before letting you at the drama.
Panasonic's Toughbook CF-30 gets gnawed by tiger, stomped by elephant and 187'd
In a whirring round of hurt that only a dear friend we know simply as Congmasta could deliver, a team of his irreverent cousins got ahold of Panasonic's Toughbook CF-30 to see just how far the envelope could be pushed. We already discovered that said machine was plenty tough for the average adventurer, but Forbes' tests prove that this bad boy is tailor made for maltreatment in the field. Somehow, the machine survived a round of Diet Coke to the keys, a few chomps from a white tiger, an elephant's playful attempt to extirpate it and even a single .22 slug through the lid. After the torment concluded, the CF-30 still managed to boot, and while that hole in the LCD was certainly a nuisance, it didn't stop the rest of the pixels from lighting up and trudging onward. Tap the read link for all the gory details, photographs and video, but seriously, don't try this at home. Or anywhere.[Image courtesy of Schim Schimmel/SchimmelSmith Publishing, thanks Vipul]
LG Arena destroyed, just because it was fun
It doesn't matter how many times we force ourselves to sit down and watch them -- torture tests of the newest, hottest phones always make us flinch (and ultimately vomit, if we endure them for long enough). As tough as it is on us, though, it's ten times tougher on these poor miracles of modern mobility, getting run over, left in puddles of rainwater, frozen, stepped on repeatedly, dropped, submersed in wine (for some reason we don't fully understand), blasted with dust, and tumbled in dryers. mail.ru hasn't published its full report on the Arena's ability to survive the insane battery of worst-case scenarios, but they've published a preview video -- and it doesn't look pretty for our S-Class friend. [Via Mobile Phone Helpdesk]
Durable faceoff and torture test: Panasonic's Toughbook 30 vs. GammaTech's Durabook D15RP
It seems like a bit of a rip-off -- if you want a laptop that won't shatter when its shiny little form slips out of your fingers as you run to your next meeting/target you have to pay a hefty premium to get something dull and durable. And, if that weren't bad enough, you then have to live with something big, boxy, and ugly. Panasonic's Toughbook line defines what many think of as a rugged laptop, but its bulk, heft, and cost give it niche appeal. It's not the only option out there for a notebook that can take a beating, though, with the semi-rugged Durabook from GammaTech offering a package that's a little more comfortable to use and, perhaps more importantly, a lot less expensive. But, which of the two is right for you? (Assuming, of course, that either is.) Just how durable are these things? And, which one didn't fair so well in the water test? Read on to find out.
LG's Renoir tortured in the name of science and art
We heard some impressive claims about LG's Renoir earlier this month at CES courtesy of a rather desperate spokesman, but nothing compares to the torture test the phone recently underwent and, unlike Nokia's 5800, survived. The handset was left in the freezer at -20C (-4F) for 12 hours, dropped to the floor, stepped on, thrown in a clothes drier for 15 minutes, caked in dust, dunked in wine, and run over by a Ford Focus. After all that it functioned just fine, suffering only a few scratches on the screen inflicted by the pavement -- a small price to pay if you're clumsy enough to drive over your own phone. Curiously soothing videos of the abuse after the break.
Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic gets torture tested, succumbs to the pain
The same wild and wacky Russians that demolished a Motorola ZN5 are showing the same courtesy to Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic. The so-called Crash Test involves putting Nokia's first Comes With Music-enabled handset through a litany of horrible scenes, including a stay in the local freezer, a fall from grace, a ride in the washing machine, a dip in a freshly brewed beer and, of course, a crushing blow from a vehicle. The preview video is hosted up in the read link, and the full results of how it fared are promised in the near future. Let's just say we're betting the farm it doesn't handle unlimited downloads, calls nor texts very well (read: at all) after this hellish experience.[Thanks, Adam]
Raph Koster on whether torture in videogames is evil
Debate over what is considered 'right' and 'wrong' in terms of behavior in a videogame has become commonplace in recent years. Virtually any mass media commentary on the myriad evils of Grand Theft Auto or the 'Debbie Does Dallas in Space' view of Mass Effect drives this point home -- everyone has a different mindset in terms of what's acceptable to them. While gamers easily dismiss many of these notions as being uninformed and taken out of context, now and again something comes to light within the gaming community itself that sparks debate. A good example has been the recent (and heated) discussion of torture in games, stemming from the views expressed by Dr. Richard Bartle. He argued his points on the questionable existence of torture in "The Art of Persuasion" quest in World of Warcraft, which set off a flurry of responses from gamers and peers. MMO industry luminary Raph Koster weighs in with his own views on the matter in a post titled "Are games about torture evil?". Specifically, Koster addresses this comment at his website: "... please explain to me again why killing NPCs in games is fine but sticking them with a cattle prod is evil." However, Koster seems less concerned with arbitrary notions of right and wrong as he is with the game design that leads us down this path in the first place. One of Azeroth's millions of citizens? Check out our ongoing coverage of the World of Warcraft, and be sure to touch base with our sister site WoW Insider for all your Lich King needs!
Behind the Curtain: Too much emotion
Oh Richard Bartle, you so crazy! So, the rantings of an out-of-touch academic, desperate to grab attention, or astute observations from a true pioneer of MMOs and virtual worlds? I'll go with the latter – partly because it's true, and partly because I'm scared Dr Bartle might hunt me down and shout at me. Going by some of the comments I've seen here on Massively and elsewhere in the past couple of days, not everyone agrees with me. That's cool though, it's the Internet, and you have a right to be face-slappingly stupid hold an alternate viewpoint. Don't worry though, I don't plan on dissecting the good Doctor's words today, not only has that been done to death elsewhere; I simply don't want to. Instead, I'd like to talk briefly about emotion and our emotional investment in MMOs. To be specific, I'd like to talk about emotions which arise moment to moment, as we play.
Richard Bartle responds to "torture quest" issue
A few days ago we ran a report on Richard Bartle's take on a torture quest in World of Warcraft, the Art of Persuasion. Since then, the discussion has exploded and some have taken Bartle's quotes out of context. Because of this, Bartle has created a follow-up post to clarify some of the points that may have been misinterpreted.First of all, he's not talking about the Death Knight quest entitled, "How to Win Friends and Influence Enemies." Bartle does realize that Death Knights, while under Arthas's control, were horribly evil and he understand that this quest is necessary to make them look as evil as they are. That quest makes a very strong point that resonates with the storyline of the game.He is quite aware that Warcraft involves killing, fireballs, destruction, and more killing. He knows there's a "dismiss quest" button at the bottom of the quest window. He is also aware that the game is not real life, it's only a computer game, and does not contain the Geneva Convention. So then, what's all the fuss?
