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Recommended Reading: The smartwatch EKG
Smartwatches are changing the purpose of the EKG Andrew Bomback and Michelle Au, The Atlantic Devices like the Apple Watch and other wearables now offer access to an EKG on your wrist. What was once reserved for a hospital or doctor's office can now be worn every day. Well, a version of it at least. The Atlantic discusses the limits of the smartwatch EKG, including exactly how helpful it is for most people and what it can't tell you.
'Westworld Mobile' game pulled following Bethesda lawsuit
It's now clearer just how Behaviour Interactive and Warner Bros. resolved that Bethesda lawsuit over Westworld Mobile's similarity to Fallout Shelter... and it's not looking good for the android theme park contingent. Behaviour and WB have pulled Westworld Mobile from app stores and disabled in-app purchases for the management game. You can still play for now, but it'll shut down altogether on April 16th.
Bethesda resolves lawsuit claiming 'Westworld' ripped off 'Fallout Shelter'
Back in June 2018, Bethesda filed a lawsuit against Behavior Interactive and Warner Bros, accusing them of ripping off Fallout Shelter. In its suit, the developer stressed the similarities in features, design, art style and gameplay between its free-to-play mobile title and Behavior's Westworld game for iOS and Android. Their legal battle is now over, but if you were expecting a dramatic conclusion, we're afraid you'll be sorely disappointed -- the companies have jointly announced that they "have amicably resolved the lawsuit."
Recommended Reading: The reality of sci-fi's AI immortality obsession
Are Hosts, Replicants, and robot clones closer than we think? Jayson Greene, The Ringer Black Mirror already uncomfortably aligns with the real world, but we might be even closer to more advanced concepts from that show and others, like Westworld and Altered Carbon, becoming reality. The Ringer offers a look at just how far away we could be from Hosts, Replicants and robotic clones following a new trailer release for Keanu Reeves' long lost Replicas movie.
'Westworld' turns TV viewing into a game, but that's not enough
Spoilers ahead for both seasons of Westworld. Westworld isn't the first TV show to engross audiences in a sprawling mystery, encouraging you to scour every scene, every scrap of dialogue, for a morsel of meaning. It's something we've seen with Lost, The Prisoner and Twin Peaks. But Westworld is different. It has video games in its DNA -- after all, the entire show is about incredibly advanced live-action role-playing. Creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy also treat the show's narrative like a giant puzzle, where clues are doled out carefully and audiences are often left to figure things out on their own. Viewers took the bait, filling the vacuum with countless podcasts, recaps and online conversations all focused on "solving" Westworld.
What we're watching: 'The Good Place' and 'Westworld'
This week's IRL focuses on two shows that don't appear to have much in common. But now Westworld viewers may be able to find a new appreciation for The Good Place, at least until season 3 rolls around. (Warning: spoilers ahead.)
Bethesda lawsuit claims ‘Westworld’ game is ‘Fallout Shelter’ rip-off
Bethesda Softworks filed a lawsuit this week against Behavior Interactive and Warner Bros., alleging that the new Westworld mobile game is a "blatant rip-off" of its Fallout Shelter, Polygon reports. The company cites a number of reviews of Westworld that noted the similarities and points to specific parts of Westworld's gameplay and imagery that it says are largely indifferentiable from Fallout Shelter. "Working with the same copyrighted computer code used by Fallout Shelter, Westworld has the same or highly similar game design, art style, animations, features and other gameplay elements as Fallout Shelter, all of which are owned by Bethesda," the company says in its suit.
'Westworld: The Maze' is a choose-your-own-adventure Alexa game
Consider yourself a Westworld superfan? Now you can prove it. Ahead of the season finale, HBO is launching its first full-scale Alexa voice skill with Westworld: The Maze, an immersive voice experience that challenges fans to demonstrate their knowledge of the sci-fi western through a choose-your-own-adventure game.
'Westworld' mobile game puts you in control June 21st
HBO and Warner Bros. have been teasing their Westworld mobile game for nigh-on half a year. Now, though, they finally have something to show. The Behaviour Interactive-built game is slated to arrive on June 21st -- Apple provided the date for iOS, but we've since confirmed that it's coming to Android that day as well. Whichever platform you use, the premise is the same: you're a Delos trainee running a simulation that grants ever-increasing responsibility over Westworld, requiring you to both satisfy guests and keep the robotic hosts in line.
Westworld-like 'Mesmer' robot comes alive in a UK factory
We all love Westworld, but its main premise -- that we'll be able to build robots identical to human in the near future -- still seems impossibly far-fetched. That said, a company called Engineered Arts is definitely exploring the edges of the uncanny valley. It has built a number of life-sized, humanoid robots that look incredibly realistic and move smoothly, quietly and relatively naturally.
HBO renews 'Westworld' for a third season
Less than two weeks after second season premiered, HBO has confirmed Westworld will return for a third go-round. The sci-fi drama, which centers around a theme park filled with humanoid robots, has proven a hit for HBO, so it's hardly a surprise the network is saddling up for season three. It's not clear when the third season will hit screens, but given season two is just a couple of episodes in following a 16-month hiatus, it might be some time before it airs.
After Math: The golden age of streaming
We're winding down a freaky week of bad omens, unconvincing congressional testimony and sterling new streaming services. While most eyes were fixated on Mark Zuckerberg doing his best real boy impression, GTA IV lost most of its Russian tunes, ESPN debuted a new mobile app and vinyl got a high tech upgrade that nobody asked for. Numbers, because how else are you going to stretch your entertainment dollar?
Hulu discounts its HBO add-on to $5 per month
In case it wasn't already obvious that HBO really, really wants you to watch the second season of Westworld, Hulu just made it crystal clear. The streaming service has discounted its HBO add-on from $15 per month to just $5 ahead of Westworld's season 2 premiere, with that rate locked in for as long as six months. It's not certain how long the promotional price will remain in place, but a spokesperson told Variety that it's available for a limited time. If you're interested, you might want to act quickly -- this makes a basic Hulu/HBO combo more affordable than HBO Now by itself.
'Westworld' creators have an unusual approach to S2 spoilers
During a Reddit AMA with Westworld show creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, Nolan made an unexpected announcement -- instead of making fans cry, they'd spoil their own show. Usually, for a mysterious show like this the fan community spends all season trying to connect threads and predict the plot's resolution without any real idea of what's happening (unless there's a leak). But maybe there's a way to skip all that, and experience the show like Game of Thrones where many people read the books first. The deal was to do it, without saying goodbye, if Nolan's comment received 1,000 upvotes, which it did, and you can view the video after the break. We'd tell you what's in it, but that would be a spoiler, and we'd never hurt you.
After Math: This is a witch hunt
It was a dangerous week for some of the biggest names in technology as they they were forced to face off against these new things called "consequences" which have come about due to their ongoing "actions." It's all so very unfair. Ashley Madison is still super duper sorry about the whole exposing of America's least competent infidelitors thing, Reddit is saying "sayonara" to bitcoin (but not its resident racists), and the government of Ecuador went and changed up the Wi-Fi password on poor Julian Assange. But hey, at least Zuck won't be out of a job anytime soon. Numbers, because how else will we know whether she'll sink or float?
'Westworld' season two trailer offers our first glimpse of Shogunworld
Fans have been theorizing where Westworld would go after the shocking finale to its first season. Now we have a longer look at what will go down starting April 22nd. The latest trailer hints that there's more than just the western-themed park at play, with a flitting look at Shogunworld. There's also a tease that we'll see more of the outside world. Perhaps best of all, though, is that the clip is set to a haunting piano rendition of Nirvana's classic "Heart-shaped Box." If you're in the middle of rewatching season one and looking for clues, the embedded trailer below might give you a few more. Or, it could raise additional questions. Either way, we don't have too much longer to wait, as season two premieres on April 22nd.
The 'Westworld' mobile game is open for pre-registration
If you've been dying to be a part of the team that runs the unsettling theme park in HBO's Westworld, your wait is almost over. At SXSW today, Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment announced pre-registration for the mobile game, which will be released this year on Android and iOS. We learned earlier this year that the game is in the works, and today's announcement sheds light on the plot and timing.
Surviving Westworld at SXSW
HBO is making the dreams of Westworld fans come true at SXSW 2018. The company built a replica of the show's Sweetwater town in an undisclosed location in Austin, Texas, and we were there to experience it firsthand. Before I tell you how it went, though, it's worth noting that this wasn't a run-of-the-mill installation. HBO says production for the project started in November of last year, and it took a 40-person crew five weeks to build the sci-fi park. In addition to that, the cast playing Westworld robotic Hosts, had a script that was 444 pages long.
We're live from SXSW 2018!
We have arrived in Austin, Texas for the 2018 edition of SXSW, the festival that showcases some of the best things in the tech (interactive), film and music industries. This year, we'll be taking a look at HBO's Westworld installation here on the ground, which promises to be one of the most exciting events at the show. We'll also attend panels featuring Apple's Eddy Cue and YouTube's CEO Susan Wojcicki, among others, as well cover new gadgets like Bose's audio-focused augmented-reality glasses. You can keep up with all the news from SXSW by bookmarking this page here.
'Westworld' season two trailer shows us what comes next, and when
While Netflix dropped a day-and-date trailer for its Cloverfield flick, HBO has a more traditional reveal for season two of Westworld. Its Super Bowl spot (the first one HBO has ever aired for a specific series) showed off the network's "most-watched freshman series ever" with some new scenes that were interesting without revealing too much about where the show will go. We won't go too deep into the specifics for those who haven't checked out the first season yet, but at least now the vision of robots running amok includes massive mechanical bulls.