ZeroGravity
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Deranged magnet shoes claim to let you walk on the moon
It's one of those ideas that seems inspired at 3am after several beverages too many, but insane in the cold, harsh light of the following morning. Look, yeah, why not create a shoe that's got two sets of repelling magnets pointed at each other, so that the wearer will feel, right, as if they're floating on air, yeah? That's the concept behind 2016 MoonWalker, an Indiegogo campaign for shoes that claim to make you feel as if you're defying gravity with every step.
NASA's studying how zero gravity affects the brain
Because there's no up or down in zero gravity, the way our brains calculate 3D space stops working. As it turns out, that can be problematic, with astronauts finding it hard to complete basic tasks. It's a phenomenon that NASA wants to learn more about, which is why the agency has started to test a crew's spacial awareness before, during and after their trips to space. Whilst on the ground, participants are subject to MRI scans, and on the ISS they're asked to complete various tests requiring thinking and co-ordination. The reason that this is so interesting isn't just because the testing is going on above us right now, but because of what conclusions have already been drawn.
Watch Google test its 3D-sensing phones on robots in zero gravity
Wonder what Google's Project Tango-equipped SPHERES robots will look like when they're in action aboard the International Space Station? The company is more than happy to show you. It has posted video of a recent test that took the machines on a zero gravity simulation flight to see how the 3D environment sensors and other systems will work in practice. As you'll see in the clip, it wasn't quite as easy as testing on the ground -- Google's ATAP team had to work during brief bursts of weightlessness that could challenge both the employees and the devices.
ISS ready for new zero-g experiments, students asked to float ideas
Those secret space experiments you've been scheming? They may never happen if you try to go it alone. Fortunately, the space science group NCESSE can get you a ride, having started the countdown for its fifth wave of microgravity experiments aboard the International Space Station. US and international students from grade 5 up to university level can submit ideas until September 12th, 2012, with final culling by December 7. The mini-labs -- which can include experiments in seed germination or crystal growth, for example -- are set to be ferried aboard a SpaceX flight in April 2013. Three similar missions have flown nearly 60 student experiments already, with a fourth set as soon as the Falcon 9 craft deigns to go. If you've got a flat-out good idea being prevented by big G, hit the source to see how you could get it fired off to the ISS.
Virgin Galactic, XCOR land suborbital contracts with NASA
Have $200,000 to spare for a ticket to space? NASA does, apparently, a few times over. Following the retirement of its Space Shuttle program, the US agency just announced two-year contracts with seven space flight companies, worth a combined $10 million. NASA will partner with Virgin Galactic, XCOR, and five other companies to bring engineers, scientists, and equipment to space, for a variety of experiments in low-gravity environments. The contract provides few financial implications for Virgin, which has already collected $55 million in deposits from future space tourists, but the company did acknowledge it as an "important milestone" in its efforts to grow beyond initial consumer offerings. Space Adventures, which serves as a low-cost carrier of sorts in the industry with its $102,000 flight, may be represented as well, through its partner Armadillo Aerospace -- so it's probably safe to assume that NASA won't be paying two large huge a pop to blast its personnel to space.
Wasteland Diaries: PvP for dummies
PvP in Fallen Earth is different. It's not much like an MMORPG, and it's not much like an FPS (first-person shooter, for the uninitiated). It's a hybrid, and it can take some getting used to. But isn't that what PvE is for? To train us to PvP? I would like to think that, but many players of MMOs refuse to ever fight their fellow players. Considering I get most of my combat joy out of fighting other players, I find this online conscientious objector mentality beyond my ability to understand. But there are also those who will always PvP, and then there are the undecided. If you're wondering whether or not to try out some Fallen Earth PvP action, this article is for you. I have never understood why, in a game that has such paltry death penalties, so few engage in PvP. The fine folks at Fallen Earth, LLC have even been nice enough to put kid gloves on us when we PvP in Blood Sports. There is literally no penalty whatsoever for dying in a Blood Sports match. You respawn fully buffed and ready to get some. My goal in this article is to convince some of the players who are undecided on PvP to try it out. I'll give you the low-down on what to expect, and at the end I'll give you some tips from the pros. So, without any further ado, let's move on.
Sonic Riders features online leaderboards
Some of you may not be prepared for this news. We're kind of not prepared for it ourselves. The new Sonic Riders game, Zero Gravity, has a feature that we think is great: online rankings. That's something we've asked for in more Wii games (specifically VC games, but we'll take it in anything), and we think it's a nice way for people who ... like to compete to do so.We could also see lag being a big-time problem in a racing game, especially one that uses wireless connections only for Internet play. Rankings sidestep that issue nicely. Good job, Sega! Keep showing us evidence that work is being done on this game! With the game due out in January, there's still plenty of time to add new stuff-- like graphics.
First screens of the Sonic Riders sequel
The rumored Sonic Riders sequel Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity is a reality, thanks to the sub-par screens on display over at GameFront. We don't know what version of the game these screens were taken from, but they certainly don't give us much hope. Seriously, these look bad.While we'd like to say that they have just been resized incorrectly, we're not holding our breath.
