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Toronto Zoo hit by a cyberattack, but don't worry, the hackers didn't go after the animals
The zoo reassured the public that the attack did not impact animal wellbeing and support staff, but it was still determining possible consequences for human visitors.
How to livestream the majesty of nature from your couch
Just because you're sheltering in place during Earth Day doesn't mean you can't remotely tour the best zoos, aquariums, and nature preserves on the planet.
A VR quest to make you care about endangered species
Most of us don't think about rhinos on a daily basis. We're too consumed with maintaining inbox-zero or making sure our cat is healthy. When the last male white northern rhino died in March, the impact on most of us was minimal because the now-extinct 2-ton mammal wasn't lumbering around our living rooms. We're gravely concerned the moment Mr. Whiskers starts acting funky, though. That's because he's a part of our everyday environment and, as such, we're emotionally attached to him. This theory is called environmental amnesia. Basically, it's the belief that we don't consider what's going on outside of our immediate surroundings. We think that whatever is happening around us is normal. It's something that Fountain Digital CEO Svetlana Dragayeva thinks virtual reality can help address by showing people how wondrous our planet's creatures can be in an intimate setting -- their homes. "This is where technology can really help us shape new types of [emotional] relationships so that we actually become curious about what's going on in the offline world, and become more involved in saving [it]," she said.
UK lads mags FHM and Zoo to disappear from shelves
For many young men growing up in the nineties and early noughties, FHM and Zoo were the very definition of "lad culture." Bedroom walls across Britain used to be filled with blu-tacked pages of scantily-clad models, but with sales dwindling, the time of the lads magazine is coming to an end. Bauer Media, owner of both brands, said today that the two men's properties will cease publication at the end of the year.
Scent-dispensing chips help researchers snap wild wolverines
Wildlife experts in the US have a cunning technique to track "high-elevation" animals such as wolverines, lynx and gray wolves. Small survey stations known as "camera traps" use tempting scents to lure them in, before snapping a quick shot that can be used for research. The problem? The scent runs out after a few weeks, forcing conservationists at places like Woodland Park Zoo and Idaho Fish and Game to trek out and replace them manually. Microsoft researcher Mike Sinclair has been working with Dr. Robert Long, a senior conservation fellow at Woodland Park Zoo, and Joel Sauder, a wildlife biologist for Idaho Fish and Game, on a solution. The trio have developed an ultra-low power control processor, powered by lithium batteries, that's programmed to dispense just three millilitres of liquid scent through a tiny peristaltic pump each day. Just enough to lure the animals, but more importantly, the hardware can last six to nine months without any maintenance.
Zoo Tycoon chooses first Community Challenge, Microsoft to donate $10,000 to tiger conservation
Sumatran tigers will be the first species to benefit from a partnership between Microsoft and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), wherein Microsoft donates $10,000 to a wildlife-oriented charity every time players of Zoo Tycoon complete a chosen Community Challenge. Developer Frontier also released the above dev diary detailing the studio's collaboration with the AZA, including how the studio studied real-life zoos to reproduce realistic animals, behavior and habitats in-game. Frontier also translated what they learned from the real world into the game's Zoopedia, a collection of facts about the animals players take care of. The more you know! [Image: Microsoft]
Google adds zoos to Street View, heroically avoids calling it 'Street Zoo'
Granted, the name "Street View" doesn't really apply like it used to, but who's going to argue with a feature like this? Google announced today that it's added imagery from zoos all over the world to the Maps feature, meaning that you can check out lions, tigers and red pandas in their unnatural habits and avoid the long lines at the monkey house. Google's got links to the zoo shots in the source link below, including locations in Singapore, Germany, Spain, the UK and China -- sadly there are no dog lions, however, so far as we can tell.
Smithsonian Zoo launches 'App for Apes' iPad project
If you have an extra iPad laying around and feel like donating it to a unique cause, the Apps for Apes program might be the one for you. Launched last year, the program gives iPads to various types of apes, including orangutans, to enrich their leisure and education environments. Now the Smithsonian Zoo is the latest to get in on the Apps for Apes program. From a Smithsonian zoo blog posting explaining the program: The Zoo began participating in the Apps for Apes program last year, when a keeper's family member donated an iPad to the Great Ape House. Malinsky and fellow animal keeper Erin Stromberg talked with the other program participants to determine which apps were the most popular among orangutans. In the past few months, the Zoo's repertoire has grown to more than 10 apps, including musical instruments, cognitive games, drawing programs and others. Eventually, the Zoo hopes to connect its orangutans with those at other zoos using video conferencing platforms. "Apps for Apes is all about giving orangutans in human care choice over their environment," said Stromberg. "With the iPad, we're hoping to tap less into the critical-thinking outlet and more into a creative outlet. If they're engaged in an app, we'll keep going. If not, they have the choice to walk away." Check out the video below to see some apes with iPads in action. Notable apps shown in the video include Apple's Garage Band (US$4.99) and Koi Pond ($0.99). If readers would like to contribute more apps the the program they can do so by purchasing an iTunes gift card through the Giving Tree on the Zoo's website or they can contact Orangutan Outreach directly to donate an iPad.
Miami zoo orangutans use iPads to communicate
iPads are everywhere, even in the orangutan cages at Miami's Jungle Island. As reported by Fox News, the Florida zoo is experimenting with iPads and using them to communicate with their apes. The apes are using a graphics-rich app designed to communicate with autistic children. Not surprisingly, it's the younger apes that are most adept at picking up the iPad, while the older ones just ignore it. Linda Jacobs, who oversees the iPad project, is excited by the possibility of letting other people communicate with the zoo's orangutans, Currently, only those trained in the ape's sign language can effectively communicate with the animals. Now that the orangutans are armed with iPads, they can talk to untrained personnel and maybe even interact with park visitors.
iPhone and mirror turned into DIY monkeycam
YouTube user Mark Rober, last seen making a gruesome Halloween costume with a couple of iPad 2s, has posted another video on YouTube featuring another relatively unconventional use for Apple's mobile devices. Rober found that during a trip to the zoo, he could use the iPhone's front camera and screen to both get the apes' attention and film them at the same time. He also found they weren't looking right at the camera, however (since the iPhone's camera is offset from the main screen), so he decided to rig up a mirror frame for the iPhone to sit in, and head back to the zoo to make some amateur and DIY "wildlife" photography. As you can see below, the results are pretty amazing. Not only are the primates entranced by their own images, but the iPhone's camera (I presume he's using a 4S -- I'll be impressed if it's just an iPhone 4) captures some really amazing footage, even at the relatively short distance and through whatever glass is holding the animals in their pens. As Rober points out, you can even see the orangutan's pupils dilating, which I think is quite a feat for a smartphone camera. Plus, definitely stay to the end of the video, when he tries the trick (with surprisingly similar results) on some other hairy apes.
Daily iPad App: Pocket Zoo HD
Parents and educators looking for a fun way to teach the young ones about zoo animals -- and have a bit of fun in the process -- now have an iPad app that fits both criteria. Pocket Zoo HD (US$3.99) gives kids of all ages a chance to learn more about some of the animals they might find in zoos (or the wild) and even see the creatures in real time through embedded webcam video. Launching Pocket Zoo HD takes you to a "zoo map" that looks remarkably similar to one of those that you'd find at a top-tier location like the San Diego Zoo. It has the animals grouped by biome on the map -- Australian critters like the platypus and Tasmanian devil occupy one area, sea creatures are in an "aquarium" in the center of the map, and so on. Tapping on the image of an animal displays informative text about the animal under a detailed photo, and tapping on the photo plays a high-quality recording of a sound that the animal makes. %Gallery-131036% In many cases, there are short videos associated with the animal as well. These videos are all from YouTube, so in some cases the soundtrack can be a bit annoying, but it's fun to see zoo animals in action as seen by the video cameras or smartphones of people at the zoo. The best feature, though, is new -- the ability to watch many of the animals in real time through zoo webcams. Not every animal has a webcam feed, and for those who do, the feed can be shut down from time to time to give the animal some "private time." While the animals are online, it's a lot of fun to watch their behavior in action. The live cams feature a camera button for taking stills of what's going on, as well as email and Twitter buttons for sharing the action with friends. Pocket Zoo HD is a perfect example of an app that can be both fun and educational, and the addition of the webcam feeds makes it even more of an enticing way for anyone to learn more about the animals we share the planet with. The developer, Tiny Hearts, also donates 1% of all proceeds to animal conservation, so you can help preserve wildlife while enjoying the app.
The Perfect Ten: Phases of pre-launch hysteria
One of my private theories about MMO players -- one I'm now making public -- is that we all have the collective memories of goldfish. It's the only way to explain why we go through the same exact phases each and every time an MMO nears launch, all the while acting as though this has never happened before. In a way, it's kind of cute. You're cute, MMO community! Really, it's just one of those events during which everyone starts rational yet slowly but surely slides down into the multi-colored stomach of hysteria. It's why MMO communities pre-beta tend to be tight, intelligent and excited, but from beta through launch they lose their cool and become a morass of screeching monkeys, flinging poo every which way in a vain effort to be heard above the noise of the zoo. Mind you, I've been one of these monkeys, so I'm not excusing myself from this metaphor. So if you're wondering why the blissful excitement of anticipating a game has fractured under the weight of inconsolable insanity, I'm here to walk you through the 10 phases of how and why this happens for most major MMO launches.
Gorilla goes hands-on with Nintendo DSi XL at the San Francisco Zoo
Looks like Nintendo's DSi XL has finally found its target audience. Video after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Award-winning board game Zooloretto in the App Store now
Chillingo is not kidding about iPhone releases lately -- it seems like every other day they're premiering a new download in the App Store, for better or worse. Their website calls them "The Leading Publisher of iPhone Games," and it seems like they're definitely pushing for quantity. But there are some good gems in the mix (have you tried Zen Bound yet?), and Zooloretto looks like it might be another. The $4.99US game is based on an award-winning board game in which you have to balance zoo animals of varying sizes with pen space, all while bringing in as many visitors as possible. Like all great board games, it looks pretty simple to start out, but more and more complicated as you go along. And the fact that it's turn-based makes it perfect for the iPhone, when you can play in small spurts and keep a strategy rolling over time.If there's a drawback, it's that the game might be too simple -- it's meant as a family game, so really hardcore strategy geeks might not find enough here to dig into (it's too bad we haven't seen a quality Settlers port, or maybe even a version of Puerto Rico). And it's too bad there's no lite version to try before you buy. But if you're looking for a nice little strategy game to play around with occasionally, and enjoy a well-designed board game, Zooloretto is worth a look.
Gaming to Go: Zoo Keeper
Zoo Keeper did two things I frankly never expected the moment I finally got my mitts on the cartridge. The first was a highly distressing personal evaluation delivered to me by a balding man with a suit and a cigar: "You are a total failure." These words stand alone in a sea of poorly-translated lines he throws out during the course of the game, being both completely accurate and completely depressing. Thanks, Ignition Entertainment, for properly translating only one part of Zoo Keeper -- the part that completely ruined my life.The second thing was to raise an interesting question about an-oft expected aspect of portable gaming on the DS. Is sleep mode, wherein you close the DS's lid and go on with your day, absolutely necessary? In every case I would say yes, as putting the handheld in a low-power state is the best way to conserve energy for repeated gaming throughout the day. The question then becomes whether I can truly recommend Zoo Keeper for this week's edition of Gaming to Go, as the game is completely lacking in that vital feature. What do you think? Click the big button down there and decide for yourself if Zoo Keeper is worth picking up despite such a glaring flaw.%Gallery-37770% #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >>
Kumatanchi looks like a vanilla Vanillaware game
If you've heard of Vanillaware, you probably know that the developer is responsible for making beautiful 2D games such as Odin Sphere, GrimGrimoire, and the possibly-in-danger Oboro Muramasa Youtouden. Upon finding out that the company was making a DS game, we couldn't wait to see the lush beauties that Vanillaware had in store for us -- only to come across Kumatanchi. That's not to say Kumatanchi looks bad (which, in turn, is not to say it looks good), but it's a lot more cutesy than what we were expecting.In Kumatanchi, you play as a bear (who looks disturbing like a human girl) at a zoo. With the help of the zoo keeper (or custodian), you have to take care of the other animals and put on shows with them. There really aren't many other details about the game so far, but it does seem like Kumatanchi is going to have real time events (perhaps like in Animal Crossing).To see some screens of girls dressed like animals in Kumatanchi, click on past the break.
Robotarium X zoo: don't feed the autonomous robots
Although WowWee's theoretical zoo of robotic creatures is indeed impressive, our hats are off to Leonel Moura. This visionary has created a vivid yellow structure which is home to some 45 robots -- most powered by photovoltaic energy while the others are plugged into the ceiling or ground -- that were all created in the name of art (and science, too). The autonomous creatures represent 14 species in what's being dubbed the "world's first zoo for artificial life," and the Robotarium supposedly provides an "ideal environment" for peaceful robotic development. Of course, our imaginations can certainly run wild with the fear of these suckas forming a coup and running amok, but be sure and click through for a video of caged life on the robotic side.[Via NewScientist]
Orangutans show off video game skills at Atlanta zoo
While they don't yet appear to have tried their hand at Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, a pair of orangutans at Zoo Atlanta have recently started to hone their skills at some slightly simpler fare, which some IBM workers developed for the zoo in their time off. Apparently designed to study the cognitive skills of the primates, the games involve drawing pictures with the touchscreen, picking out identical photographs, and matching orangutan sounds to the proper picture. For each correct answer, the orangutans are rewarded with a food pellet -- something Nintendo would be wise to consider for its next console. [Via FARK, photo courtesy of Gene Blythe/AP]
Orangutans play video games; apocalypse nears
If you've ever played an online game, you already know that this hobby is beloved by subhuman creatures. But now, even orangutans are getting their game on. Zoo Atlanta is conducting research on the adorable primates with computers built into "tree-like structures." "In one program, a picture of an orangutan appears on the screen. Every time the real primate touches the photo, the visual disappears and the animal receives a treat."That's all? Come on, dude! Totally easy! How many Xbox Live achievement points does the orangutan get for that?
Zoo Keeper every day, for 7 months, causes massive damage to DS Phat
Reader James sent us a link to his flickr account, which now showcases the sad tale of a DS Phat that has been the result of rampant games of Zoo Keeper every day, for 7 months, by his girlfriend. He makes no mention of how she generally treats his DS, but by the looks of the pictures, we'd have to say she's not all that delicate a touch.It's beyond time he upgraded to a DS Lite anyway, so maybe she unintentionally did him a favor?
