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]

Handpainted Silk Wings Perfect for Dancing, Costuming [PICS]

Based in Europe, Praconia DOR Silk specializes in handcrafted silk butterfly wings.

According to various products descriptions, they have been made with belly dancers in mind — but I bet they’d look stunning in a ballet or even for cosplaying, too.

Each pair of wings is made to order and runs about $145.

butterfly wings 1

butterfly wings 2

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[via Etsy]