The ‘Mother Of All Demos’ Becomes Stage Show

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Arguably the greatest tech demonstration in history has become an operatic drama.

Avant-garde composers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill have put together a “multimedia musical production” that will be performed at Stanford University tomorrow and on Wednesday. It’s based around a December 1968 presentation by Doug Engelbart of the Stanford Research Institute.

As we noted after his death in 2013, the presentation later became known as “The Mother Of All Demos” as it became clearer and clearer just how visionary Engelbart had been. In the space of 100 minutes he gave the first public demonstrations of both the computer mouse (which he patented as “X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System”) and video conferencing.

Engelbart was actually speaking from his computer lab 30 miles away from the conference venue. It’s only that fact that meant the presentation was recorded and is still viewable today.

In the same presentation he talked through numerous ideas that later became part of every day technology, including hypertext links, computer networking, interactive document editing and the type of graphical interface that we’d now recognize as Windows and the like.

Rouse and Neill have now put together a multimedia opera based on both Engelbart’s career and the demo itself. As well as clips of the original presentation, they have turned the text typed by Engelbart into operatic vocals. The event, simply titled “The Demo”, also includes reenactments of key moments from Engelbart’s life and original electronic music plus demonstrations of modern use of the technologies Engelbart predicted.

This Darth Vader Toaster Will Turn Your Bread to the Dark Side

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From Thinkgeek:

Each Star Wars Toaster is molded in sturdy black plastic and meticulously detailed to look Darth Vader’s helmet (minus the very top bit). It makes an imposing addition to any kitchen counter. Pop in two pieces of bread, frozen pancakes, hamburger buns, Alderaan muffins, or whatever, and in moments Vader ejects them with “Star Wars” toasted onto one side. Like your toast on the darker side? A handy dial provides temperature adjustment. With the imposing presence of Darth Vader, the Star Wars Toaster will help eaters start their day feeling ready to take over the planet, and anything else that might get in their way.

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[Darth Vader Toaster]


Fossils of Massive Prehistoric Salamander Found in Portugal

A not-so-adorable salamander-like amphibian ruled the shores during the Late Triassic Period.

The Metoposaurus algarvensis was “as long as a small car and had hundreds of sharp teeth in its big flat head, which kind of looks like a toilet seat when the jaws snap shut,” according to CBS News.

Depiction of the Metoposaurus algarvensis by Joana Bruno.

Depiction of the Metoposaurus algarvensis by Joana Bruno.

The Metoposaurus was a major predator of the early dinosaurs, living long before the T. rex and even the massive Brachiosaurus.

Fossils belonging to the metoposaurid species have been found in Africa, Europe, India, and even North America, but this the first time remnants have been unearthed in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically  Portugal. Metoposaurids are distant ancestors of modern-day amphibians, like newts and frogs.

Skull palate of the Metoposaurus algarvensis unearthed in Portugal.

Skull palate of the Metoposaurus algarvensis unearthed in Portugal.

The species became extinct when the climate began to change, just before the breaking up of Pangaea, which also led to huge volcanic eruptions.

“It didn’t just break up overnight. It took tens of millions of years and it broke up along the margins of the Atlantic Ocean today,” he said. “Portugal is right on the edge of the Atlantic so these guys would have been living right in the middle of this rift,” according to Steve Brusatte, the study’s lead author from the University of Edinburgh’s School.

[via CBS News]

Emerald City Comic Con 2015 Cosplay in Pictures

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As usual, this year’s edition of Emerald City Comic Con had its fair share of awesome cosplayers, and as we’ve done for the past few years (2012, 2013), we have a post featuring some awesome cosplay from the con! Many thanks to photographer The Will Box for giving us the permission to feature some of his great photos here!

[Source: The Will Box on Facebook]

Doctor Who: The Soldier Stories – Episode 1 (Fan Series)

Doctor Who: The Soldier Stories is a six episode fan-series following the adventures of a Time Lord know as The Soldier. Unlike the traditional Doctor Who series, The Soldier Stories is a darker, more realistic look at the Doctor Who universe originally developed by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). This film is produced by Tulsa-based production company Ballyhoo Creative Group. Developed by Cory Phillips, it is currently being written and directed by Ethyn Gutierrez of Take One Productions. Are you ready to discover the crooked paths The Doctor denied?

[Doctor Who: The Soldier Stories]

Graphene Hits Consumer Market In A Lightbulb

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The super-strong, super-light material graphene is getting another use: as a way to make LED lightbulbs cheaper and more efficient.

The new bulbs will be produced by Graphene Lighting PLC, a commercial offshoot of the University of Manchester where the material was first isolated in 2003. That earned the Nobel Prize in Physics for Konstantin Novoselov [pictured left with British politician George Osbourne] and Andre Geim.

Graphene consists of a layer of carbon atoms in a hexagonal lattice, similar to chicken wire. It’s considerably stronger than steel, but with each layer being one three-millionth of a meter thick, it’s extremely flexible. It can also conduct electricity more quickly than silicon, can generate trace amounts of electricity when your pass water over it, and is practically (if not literally) transparent.

Existing suggested uses include everything from making computer chips and powering underground sensors to rethinking the way electron microscopes work. It’s already been used in some specialist professional sport equipment such as skis and tennis rackets.

Now Manchester’s National Graphene Institute has come up with a light bulb that’s said to be the first commercially viable graphene product aimed at ordinary consumers. While LED bulbs use a variety of arrangements of LEDs, often with a flat layer of multiple tiny LEDs, this new design uses a single LED that’s shaped like a filament and housed inside a glass bulb, resembling a traditional incandescent lamp.

The full technical details of the new bulb, scheduled to go on sale later this year, aren’t public yet. However, the makers say the LED ‘filament’ is coated in graphene, which the BBC notes “allows it to conduct electricity and heat more effectively.” According to the makers using this technique should mean reduced energy usage, a longer lifespan, and reduced manufacturing costs that will in turn mean a lower sale price.

[Image credit: University of Manchester]

Why Computer Color is Broken and How You Can Fix It [Video]

A quick and simple explanation on why computer color is broken. Basically, it all boils down to how people perceive colors and how computers approach the problem through a mathematically correct, even though “broken” to the human eye, algorithm.

Fixing this in photoshop is super easy! Just go in “Color Settings” and check the “Blend RGB Colors Using Gamma” option. Voilà!

[Minute Physics]

10 Video Games Coming in 2015 That We Are Genuinely Excited About

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It seems like 2015 will the year the eighth generation of consoles finally finds its stride. Let’s be honest here, so far there hasn’t been that one must-buy game for them yet, but that looks all set to change in the forthcoming year. We thought we would take a quick look at some of the games coming in 2015 that really look like they will be extraordinary. Keep in mind, games are always pushed back and delayed, so if some of these don’t make it to the shelves in 2015, not our fault. Regardless, here are the ten video games coming in 2015 that we are already drooling over.

No Man’s Sky

Before we shower this game with the same praise as every other site, we will shower it in some of the same doubts that many gamers have. Is there any way this game can truly deliver on what it promises? Many seem to think that’s impossible. Open world space exploration and constantly changing, self generating environments. The general thought is, either this game is going to change how we view space games, or it is going to be a vast, pretty, and boring game.

My hopes are still sky-high for this one. +100 points for lame wordplay.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Oh, come on? Like this wasn’t going to make the list. They sorta messed up with Origins, and this is finally the REAL developers back at the wheel. I say wheel specifically because in this version, we finally get to drive the batmobile. About damn time!

There is also a lot of fun speculation about who the new character, the Arkham Knight, could be. I already know but I won’t ruin it for you geeks.

The Legend of Zelda

Of all the video games coming out in 2015,Zelda seems to hold the most promise for old-school, retro gamers who grew up on the charms of the NES and this amazing franchise. While little has been revealed, the visuals are 1080p, the game takes place in an open world, and it really looks like the Zelda game we all have been dreaming about since we were kids.

Here’s hoping Nintendo can actually deliver the goods on this one. Though truth be told, one of the best games from 2014 was a Wii U game (Bayonetta 2) so that ups the ante.

Inside

Sorry if you came here expecting this all to be huge, big budget and big name games. While most of the list is just that, we needed to make a nod to something a little smaller, but that looks to be just as powerful (if not more so) than the other titles on the list. Inside.

All I have to say about this game is that it was made by the same minds behind the spectacular Limbo, and looks to be just as atmospheric and memorable as that game was. Yes, we are looking forward to The Witness, but we are looking forward to this more. Just keeping it real. Looks to deal with themes of conformity, among other hefty issues, and the visual aesthetic is stunning.

Just Cause 3

If you have not played Just Cause 2, you have missed out on one of the most impressive and vast open world games ever made. The amount of things you could do in Just Cause 2 was the stuff worthy of blown minds, so trying to imagine this game on next gen hardware with even more mayhem to create seems like it could be a real wonderful time waster for us in the next year.

They just need to release some gameplay footage and back this theory up.

Honorable Mentions:

Mad Max

Sorry, but if we are not getting a Fallout 4 in 2015, we will take what we hope is the next best thing. An open world game based around the Mad Max universe seems so ripe with potential (but so little has been seen that all we can do is cross fingers and pray).

Halo: Guardians

I, myself, have been pretty tapped out on this franchise, TBH. But I know a great many of you are not, so it’s here so you don’t attempt to find me and flay me alive.

Bloodborne

Because we hate ourselves enough to endure another brutally difficult game from the creators of the Souls series’. Honestly, though, this game looks nuts in the best way possible.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Such a great series and wildly under appreciated, we hope this third installment gives it the boost the franchise needs to go out with a bang.

Mighty No. 9

Pure, old-school nostalgia from the original creator of Mega Man. Plus, we all helped fund this one on Kickstarter! Seems like a perfect note to end on.

Keep in mind, there is no right or wrong here. These are the games WE are most excited for. What are the games YOU are most excited for in 2015? Take to the comments and let us know!

[Image via MoviePilot]

“Game of Thrones” Star to Appear on “Doctor Who”!

Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark on HBO’s Game of Thrones, will guest star on an upcoming episode of Doctor Who!

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Little information is currently known, but according to Steven Moffatt, “she is going to challenge the Doctor in very unexpected ways.”

For her part, Williams is excited to become a part of British culture — and for filming not too far from her hometown!

[via BBC America]