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The fascinating, frightening drones and robots of CES 2015
At CES 2015 you could hardly turn your head without smacking into a 4K display, but finding a robot companion takes a bit of legwork. Luckily, we trolled the halls of the LVCC and beyond to find the most exciting (and often frightening) advances in unmanned technology. From drones that track you through the desert to an Android employee with lifelike expressions, check out the video and photo tours below to witness the fascinating future of robots and drones at CES 2015. For a closer look at these robots, drones and more check out our 2015 CES Field Guide.
A closer look at the crazy car tech of CES 2015
Over the past few years, the world of connected automobiles has exploded. Self-driving cars, heads-up displays and in-car infotainment systems have become mainstays of CES and this year was no exception. Join us as we take a visual tour of Mercedes' futuristic F 015 road-ready lounge, Audi's indestructible rear-seat Android tablets and everything in between. This is the wild world of automotive tech at CES 2015. For more automotive technology and beyond, check out our 2015 CES Field Guide.
Take a tour of Sony's massive CES booth
Sony's presence at CES is by far one of the most impressive both in terms of scope and spectacle. This year's booth unsurprisingly focused on the company's ongoing push to make 4K and hi-res audio mainstream mainstays. Its new Walkman PMP and super thin 4K TVs were accompanied by refreshed Handycams, PlayStation 4s, wrist-worn wearables, bluetooth speakers, projectors and a whole lot more. In order to grasp just how massive Sony's booth is, you have to see it for yourself, and you can do just that with our video and photo tours in the gallery below. For more from Sony and beyond, check out our 2015 CES Field Guide.
Pepcom's '80s-themed news conference in less than 60 seconds
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-108998{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-108998, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-108998{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-108998").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Neon pink spandex, automated baby rockers and a Bluetooth speaker that can chill six bottles of Champagne: This is Pepcom's '80s-themed news conference in less than 60 seconds. For more from Pepcom and and beyond, check out our 2015 CES Field Guide.
CES Unveiled 2015 in less than 60 seconds
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-177611{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-177611, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-177611{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-177611").style.display="none";}catch(e){} While today marks the official start of CES 2015, we've been on the ground for what feels like an eternity. It all started Sunday at CES Unveiled, a small pre-show packed with oddities like smart baby bottles, levitating speakers and family-friendly facial recognition cameras. We may not have found the next big thing at Mandalay Bay this year, but it did make for some decent eye candy. In an attempt to share the love, here's a glimpse of CES Unveiled 2015 in under 60 seconds. For more from Unveiled and beyond, check out our 2015 CES Field Guide.
The Mog Log: A tourist in Final Fantasy XI
I don't write much about Final Fantasy XI in this column, but those with some knowledge of its history know that wasn't always the case. There are long stretches of the column that have focused on Final Fantasy XI's trials and tribulations. It's just that as I've said many times over, there's not a whole lot of point to talking about FFXI on a regular basis now. While Final Fantasy XIV keeps getting bigger and better, FFXI is slowly and quietly declining. But that doesn't mean you can't take a trip back. A few weeks back, my wife and a dear friend floated the idea that the three of us could try heading back to Final Fantasy XI, exploring the game from the start, completely fresh all over again. It would be very different from how it had been before. And true to form, it certainly has been. The game is very different now from the one I remember, and it's interesting to look at why, even from the perspective of someone just about to hit 20 for the first time on a single class.
Zelda-themed Symphony of the Goddesses returns in 2015
The Legend of Zelda-themed orchestra Symphony of the Goddesses begins a new tour next month, the "Master Quest." The concert series will kick off at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee on January 21 and 22, wrapping its nine-month tour at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas on October 22. Symphony of the Goddesses will perform an orchestral score approved by The Legend of Zelda series composer Koji Kondo. The four-movement symphony features the stories of Zelda games such as Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Link to the Past. Head past the break for the full list of dates for the Symphony of Goddesses Master Quest tour. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask will receive a 3D remake for 3DS in spring 2015.
EverQuest II's Aerakyn race is spreading its wings November 11th
A few weeks ago we peeked into EverQuest II's impending Altar of Malice expansion with Senior Producer Holly Longdale and Creative Director Akil Hooper. In addition to touring the zones and basking in the beauty of the artwork while weaving through dinosaurs, I also got a glimpse of the newest race coming the game and gleaned a few interesting tidbits about these scaly, winged creatures. Although not technically a part of the expansion, Aerakyn will become available to players for purchase on the same day that AoM goes live for All Access members: November 11th. Be a dragon! With a new race incoming, some players are already trying to determine whether they will bump an alt or just buy a new character slot. It's not just the opportunity to be what is arguably the first real dragonkind in the game (sorry Sarnak!) but the chance to experience the game as one of the very few flight-enabled races. The Aerakyn, like the Fae and Arasai introduced in a previous expansion, utilize their wings from day one. Of course, the actual flight mechanic cannot be obtained until the appropriate level (85), but the wings still work and the race can glide around. Unlike the Fae and Arasai, however, the Aerakyn will get to use their personal wings as all three advanced mount types.
The Road to Mordor: A dev tour of LotRO's Update 15
Bear with us folks, there are going to be a lot of unintentional puns in the column this week. Perhaps we have ursines on the mind lately since Lord of the Rings Online is on the cusp of rolling out its first new class in several years. Amazingly enough, the Beorning class isn't the beginning and end of next Wednesday's Update 15; it's merely one of several bullet points punctuating this meaty content release. I sat down with the developers at Turbine this past week to get a tour of Update 15 and ask my usual barrage of questions like, "You promised quarterly updates for 2014, but by my count we're going to end up with only three. What's up with that?" Executive Producer Aaron Campbell said that while this was true, he thinks Turbine did a great job getting out regular updates and has some "really big set pieces" for next year. It sounds as though Turbine's distancing itself from a quarterly schedule to a more flexible plan that allows for maximum polish and quality. But next year will take care of itself, so I hunkered down to focus on the last big update of 2014. What will Update 15 add to LotRO and who at Turbine thought it was a good idea to put the power of honey creation and bee attacks in the hands of players?
EverQuest: The Darkened Sea expansion is live today
We got our first glimpse of EverQuest's 21st expansion back at SOE Live, with its impending new features, a slew of new zones, and the promise of the return of two classic characters. For the past month, some folks have even been testing these things out in beta. Now with launch finally just around the corner (as in today!), Designers Jonathan Caraker, Alan VanCouvering, and Doug Cronkhite joined Producer Thom Terrazas and Creative Director Akil Hooper to talk shop while zipping through the newest zones of The Darkened Sea on a tour of what players will get to dive into. The Darkened Sea actually builds upon a previous expansion, The Buried Sea. "We have some stories and characters... that we liked back then that we wanted to continue," Terrazas explained. "So we're bringing back some familiar characters that have been off the grid a little bit the last few years." The story itself also takes place in the Buried Sea, starting off on a little tucked away island called Tempest Temple.
Sneaking a peek at EQII's Altar of Malice with SOE
When EverQuest II's next expansion, Altar of Malice, was announced at SOE Live in August, we heard about upcoming features, perused concept drawings, and even saw some screenshots. As exciting as all that can be, nothing compares to actually getting in the game and seeing the living breathing world of Norrath. And that's exactly what I got to do last week on a tour with Senior Producer Holly Longdale and Creative Director Akil Hooper. While we have to wait a bit longer to hear more about the Aerakyn (the new winged dragonkind race) and what special goodies will be included in the collector's edition, the tour of the zones allowed me to bask in the beauty of the artwork while weaving through dinosaurs, pygmies, and my favorite-yet-long-lost starting zone. And it definitely made me even more excited for the upcoming release of Altar of Malice!
A look at Amazon's new East London HQ
Earlier this week, Amazon announced that it's going to open a brand new HQ in the trendiest part of East London. Located in Shoreditch, the new 15-storey Principal Place offices will allow the company to almost triple its workforce from 1,700 to 5,000 employees when they open in 2017. Like it's futuristic new Seattle HQ, Principal Place will try to introduce a little nature back into the urban jungle. There's tennis and basketball courts hidden among a roof garden, while floor-to-ceiling office windows will welcome in the sun. Unlike Google, which is currently working out exactly what it wants from its new Kings Cross HQ, Amazon's plans are already set in stone, and thanks to renders from property developer Brookfield Property Partners, we can take a virtual tour what Amazon employees will enjoy in a couple of years.
We took a nostalgic look around Seattle's Living Computer Museum
If you're reading this site, chances are you've got a growing collection of obsolete, outdated tech in a closet somewhere, stuff you're certain will be "collector's items" some day. Seattle's Living Computer Museum, created by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, is full of that kind of history, detailing computer milestones from the past few decades. Earlier this month, the museum hosted its first-ever Vintage Computer Faire, a chance for tech fans to mingle and, of course, play around with a "greatest hits" collection of hardware. More than 1,200 folks took time out on a sunny Saturday in Seattle to stop by. Check out the gallery for some of the highlights.
Drake vs. Lil Wayne gets the 'Street Fighter' treatment from Capcom
What happens when Capcom signs on to sponsor your upcoming tour? Well, you may be in for a Street Fighter-esque app to bolster the live show. In the DvsLW app for Android and iOS, hip-hop artists Drake and Lil Wayne get help from the crowd during their co-headlining dates starting this week. Developed with a hand from the video game outfit, the mobile software lets you choose between the two stars before tapping a button to "power up," boosting performances in real-time. That's right, concert goers will select their tour date and then influence the results each night. It's worth noting that tour-specific apps (and album-specific offerings, for that matter) are nothing new, but big name acts continue to crank out mobile companions to go along with the trek. [Photo credit: Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]
Touring DC Universe Online's league halls and Halls of Power
It was a couple of years ago that we got our first in-depth look at DC Universe Online's personal housing system, dubbed lairs. Since then, heroes and villains alike have been looking forward to the league version. Thanks to the announcement earlier this month, we knew that the wait for league halls was almost over; guild-level housing was to hit this summer. Surprise! GU39 and league halls launched today! And thanks to a special tour with Creative Director Jens Andersen and Community Manager Ted Stone (AKA Mepps), I got a good look at the league hall system and how it all works in the Halls of Power Part 1 DLC due later this summer.
Tour Mythbuster Adam Savage's collection of collections with Street View
When Adam Savage isn't busy blowing stuff up while filming Mythbusters, he's often found tinkering about in his San Francisco workshop. It's in this "cave" that Savage films his popular YouTube series for Tested, but it's also home to an incredible number of gadgets and sci-fi memorabilia that his Mythbuster cash has funded over the years. Fortunately, this treasure-filled studio is now open for virtual tours, courtesy of Google's indoor Street View cameras, letting you go behind-the-scenes and see for yourself where all the magic happens. If you prefer something more personal, Savage has also conducted a video tour of his man-cave, which we've included below.
The Road to Mordor: A tour of LotRO's update 14 and majestic Gondor
With Update 13, Volume III, and the good nation of Rohan in our rear-view mirrors, we now turn ahead to see Gondor, next six exits, straight ahead. Lord of the Rings Online players have a lot to be excited for when Update 14 arrives, not the least of which is a new country that was central to the events of The Return of the King. Update 14 is scheduled to release on Monday, July 14th, because marketers always get a special little thrill when they match up similar numbers. It's a pretty sizable content patch that's almost a mini-expansion, with five additional levels, a new epic book, three questing regions, well over 100 quests, and a new essence system for gear. This past week I sat down with Turbine to get a whirlwind tour of what lies beyond Rohan, and after seeing it, I think that LotRO fans have good reason to hope for an exciting summer.
Harley-Davidson's first electric motorcycle is Project LiveWire and you can ride it
Legendary motorcycle builder Harley-Davidson teased an electric motorcycle with a video yesterday and now here it is. Project LiveWire is a part of Harley's attempt to expand its relevance beyond current riders and show off its new tech, with a not-in-production bike that it says is much more than just a trade-show prototype. Project LiveWire packs its electric motor into a polished case underneath the bike, and clearly the manufacturer is concerned about how customers may feel about losing signature touches like the V-twin engines and chrome pipes. The press release and video trailer promise "an unmistakeable new sound" like a jet on an aircraft carrier and tire shredding acceleration but don't have any specs to offer (according to Wired, the demo unit has 74hp, electrically limited 95mph top speed, 53 miles of range and charges in 3.5 hours). Built on a one-piece frame with dual-sided rear swing arm suspension, it has LED lighting all over and even a colorful touchscreen display for its rider. Of course, the best way to figure out if its customers want an electric motorcycle is to put them on one, and the company is doing just that with a demo tour this year.
Chaos Theory: Touring Tokyo with TSW's Joel Bylos
It's Tokyo time! That's right, an end to the wait is finally upon us. Come Wednesday, everyone who buys Issue #9 The Black Signal for The Secret World and has acquired The Council's Seal will be able to cross the threshold into Tokyo. Like you, I've been dying to get in and check out this new zone, the first new area introduced to the horror game since launch. Thanks to a special tour with Game Director Joel Bylos and Communications Manager Tor Egil Andersen, I was able to preview the first of the three Tokyo zones so I could share that experience with you. We not only explored the city itself, but we completed one of the new -- and might I add, really spooky -- missions and utilized the new AEGIS system. So, how is it? Let me just say, it's worth the wait! And not just for the creepy homages to the Illuminati handler, Kirsten Geary.
Video Games Live heads around the world on tour
Video Games Live, which plays your favorite video game music (including some of WoW's greatest hits) with a full orchestra, is off on a world tour this year. This means that wherever you are, there's a reasonable chance they'll be playing somewhere in the vicinity. The tour kicked off in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend and is heading to Mexico before jumping around the US and then moving on to China, the Middle East, Europe, South America, and Canada. (Sorry, Australia!) If you're interested in catching Video Games Live, well, live, check out their tour dates page for tickets and backstage packages -- though tickets to shows later this year and next year aren't available yet. And if they aren't stopping anywhere in your area, they have three albums of great gaming music -- Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 -- available on iTunes and Amazon to get your game on.
