Disney Research has a faster way to render realistic fabrics
Computer graphics have come a long way, but there are still a few aspects that are pretty time consuming to get right. Realistic fabric movement that reacts to gravity and other forces is one of ’em. The folks at Disney Research have found a way to make life-like cloth simulations by six to eight times in certain situations, though. Walt’s science department says that using a technique called multigrid, specifically, smoothed aggregation allowed it to make clothing worn by a main character or fabrics that make up the foreground of a scene at a much faster clip. There’s an awful lot of science and equations behind the concept (PDF), but the long and short of it is that this should allow for more realistic cloth simulations that stretch and act like fabric does in the real world and even aid in virtual try-on situations.
Via: Eurekalert
Source: Disney Research (PDF)
Disney Research has a faster way to render realistic fabrics
Computer graphics have come a long way, but there are still a few aspects that are pretty time consuming to get right. Realistic fabric movement that reacts to gravity and other forces is one of ’em. The folks at Disney Research have found a way to make life-like cloth simulations by six to eight times in certain situations, though. Walt’s science department says that using a technique called multigrid, specifically, smoothed aggregation allowed it to make clothing worn by a main character or fabrics that make up the foreground of a scene at a much faster clip. There’s an awful lot of science and equations behind the concept (PDF), but the long and short of it is that this should allow for more realistic cloth simulations that stretch and act like fabric does in the real world and even aid in virtual try-on situations.
Via: Eurekalert
Source: Disney Research (PDF)
Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Concept cars and betting big on solar
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us — it’s the Week in Green.
The World Health Organization handed down some heavy news this week: Bacon causes cancer. Fortunately, scientists are developing healthier meat alternatives. One lab discovered a type of seaweed that tastes just like fried bacon (and it’s two times healthier than kale), and Impossible Foods is working on the next generation of plant-based burgers. Watch out for veggie dogs though — a new study shows that one in 10 vegetarian sausages contains meat.
Don’t like the Verizon logo on your Motorola DROID Turbo 2? It can be removed.
Motorola recently announced the new iteration of the Droid TURBO, and the specsheet is worthy of a premium device. Particularly the shatterproof screen which can take quite a beating.
However, there is a catch. The device, exclusive to Verizon, has the infamous logo slapped on to the bottom bezel. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this and it probably won’t be the last.
Thankfully, there is a method to remove it. As it turns out, the ShatterShield technology, which makes the screen shatterproof, includes an outer layer. Made of acrylic polymer, the Verizon logo is printed on this outer layer.
Simply put, you can easily remove the outer layer, and in turn remove Verizon’s isignia. This will obviously remove a layer of the screen and likely affect the integrity of the durability.
While it’s too early to say, it may also void your warranty. And as Pocketnow pointed out, it is likely that the international variant, the Moto X Force, will have the same (unbranded) outer layer and thus replacements for it may be made available to swap on.
You may also be able to hide it using a tinted screen protector, if you don’t feel like fiddling too much.
Source: Pocketnow
The post Don’t like the Verizon logo on your Motorola DROID Turbo 2? It can be removed. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Do you like cats? Well, Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector now has English support
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I’ve never heard of Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector (shame, on me; I know) but apparently it’s a hugely popular game. A quick look at the Google Play Store page tells me it is free-to-play, has a 4.6 star rating after 67,822 reviews and has somewhere in the vicinity of 1 to 5 million downloads – so yeah, pretty popular I would say. Perhaps the reason why you and I might not have heard of it is because the game previously didn’t have English support, only Japanese, and while that probably didn’t stop a lot of people playing it anyway, there’s now more of a reason to do so now that it’s in English.
In Neko Atsume, you assume control of what could be likened to a cat sanctuary – your job is to full your sanctuary with cat-friendly items like balls of yarn, food and playgrounds in the hopes of attracting cats there. I don’t believe there is any explicit endpoint to Neko Atsume, but there is a book that keeps track of what cats have visited you, and presumably you’ll want all the cats to visit you – there’s plenty of cat puns here too e.g.”Joe DiMeowgio”. It’s also adorably animated, so if you’re a cat person and wanting a chill game this weekend, then maybe you should try Neko Atsume – Play Store link is below:
Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector – Free
What do you think about Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Kotaku Australia
The post Do you like cats? Well, Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector now has English support appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Dead Effect 2 has your zombie-filled Halloween fix covered
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In case you’re home on Halloween and you’re wanting to kill some zombies, BadFly Interactive has just released Dead Effect 2 onto the Google Play Store which should be more than enough to cover those needs. As the name suggests, Dead Effect 2 is the sequel to Dead Effect (not to be confused with Dead Trigger, obviously) which updates the first-person shooter game with even better graphics and even some RPG features too. You’ll also get access to 3 different characters, over 40 different weapons, over 100 pieces of gear which can be upgraded, and apparently 20 hours of game time.
Of course, the best thing about this is that Dead Effect 2 is free-to-play (with in-app purchases of course). We can’t yet vouch for good the game actually is yet, but there are already a ton of reviews on the Play Store page and it seems like most of the people are pretty happy.
http://playboard.me/widgets/pb-app-box/1/pb_load_app_box.jsWhat do you think about Dead Effect 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Phones Review
The post Dead Effect 2 has your zombie-filled Halloween fix covered appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google’s self-driving cars are more cautious around kids
If you’ve got spawn traipsing through the streets of Mountain View in search of sweets tonight, you needn’t fear Google’s self-driving cars… much. While there’s something a little unsettling about an autonomous car — even a cute one — coming at you on Halloween, Google says they’re at least programmed to act differently around children. In the days leading up to this most creepy of holidays, the company’s self-driving car team had parents trot their tots in front of parked vehicles to give their sensors and software more experience detecting “children in all their unique shapes and sizes, even when they’re in odd costumes”. Good idea — your author used to dart in the street for really no reason at all, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Google’s cars are already “jittery” in their cautiousness, but a little extra practice couldn’t hurt, especially when they’re still not great with people on bikes.
Source: Google+
Logo: go, go! Droid Turbo 2’s front-facing carrier branding can be removed…kind of
Motorola has truly pulled out all the stops with this year’s Droid Turbo 2. In addition to featuring several improvements and/or changes over the standard-affair Moto X Pure Edition (Moto X Style) such as an AMOLED display, the phone is fully customizable in Moto Maker and literally has over a thousand possible permutations.
The device itself has a very distinctive look, something made all the more noticable thanks to Verizon’s prominent placement of its infamous checkmark insignia. Thankfully, Pocketnow has found a way to remove it…kind of.
Essentially the “hack” or “mod” of sorts involves tampering with Motorola’s ShatterShield technology. Consisting of both a layer of polycarbonate and a layer of acrylic polymer on the outer-most of the five layers the display consists of, the trick is simply to remove the surface layer itself. Take a look at the results:
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It should be noted that removing this layer of protection could have a detrimental effect on the ShatterSheild protection the phone comes with. While it is too early to say, it may ultimately void your warranty, thus we encourage a bit of careful consideration before making the big decision. As Pocketnow pointed out however, it is likely that the international variant, the Moto X Force, will have the same (unbranded) outer layer and thus replacements for it may be made available to swap on.
One other possibility, for those not interested in removing screen “surface” is simply to purchase a privacy filter or other type of tinted screen protector that would place a dark boarder around the bezel and thus hide the mark. Or just leave it as is and enjoy.
Droid Turbo 2 videos
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For full coverage of the Droid Turbo 2, be sure to check out our announcement post here, and stay tuned for continued content of the new phone!
By the way…
You’d be surprised what comes off when push comes to shove…
For reference this isn’t the first time we’ve actually seen an OEM paste their pattern to plastic. Sony’s Xperia line has, for years, came with factory installed shatterproof screen protectors, many of which contain the company’s logo. The removal has been featured on various posts around the internet over the years, including this one.
Study answers lingering questions about Voyager 1 in interstellar space
Three years ago, the American Geophysical Union said the Voyager 1 probe left the solar system. NASA quickly said nope, hold your horses, we’re not there yet. Then, NASA announced a year later that yes, Voyager 1 really did make it. The debate still rages on in some pockets of the scientific community, but a new study out of the University of New Hampshire just pulled some solar wind out of detractors’ sails.
Via: The Register
Source: UNH
Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 1 review – a great game for the whole family
The Minecraft we all know and love isn’t all too story-heavy, but that’s not the case for this new game. Developed in partnership with Mojang, the game’s original publisher, Telltale Games recently released Minecraft: Story Mode to the Google Play Store, bringing what some would say is a much needed storyline to the vast Minecraft universe. Although not without its faults, Minecraft: Story Mode is one heck of a point-and-click title that we think both fans of Minecraft and those who are unfamiliar will love.
Story Mode is split into five episodes, the first two of which are already available for purchase from Google Play. Today we’re reviewing Episode 1, entitled The Order of the Stone. If you have any thoughts on this game, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the post. For now, though, here’s what you need to know about the first episode of Minecraft: Story Mode.
Related: 12 best games like Minecraft on Android
Story
Much like other games from this developer, the storyline is critical here. You play as a hero named Jesse who, with the help of his oddball friend group, must save the world from death and destruction. You do this by setting off on a journey to reunite the legendary Order of the Stone, a group of warriors who once slayed the terrifying Ender Dragon. Your journey will take you across the Overworld, through the Nether and to the End.
Without getting into too much detail about the story, I must say, I’m completely hooked. It’s an interesting premise, introducing an in-depth storyline to the Minecraft universe, which is something many folks have wanted for some time. It’s a tad slow to start, and will definitely take some patience to get through the first 10-15 minutes of the game. This is where you’re introduced to the main characters, where they live, and what events are taking place. I get it – the world of Minecraft doesn’t normally have a storyline, so it will take some time to introduce all of the characters and plot. Just be patient and it will get interesting.
If you’re familiar with other Telltale games such as The Wolf Among Us, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, or Tales from the Borderlands, you’re in for a big surprise with Story Mode. You won’t really find any violence, sex or murder in this title. It’s a family-friendly game with no questionable content whatsoever. For the majority of the game, you’ll need to focus on deciding who to back up in your friend group, which members to keep around, and thwarting off the occasional zombie or two.
The fact that Story Mode lacks a certain edginess that other Telltale games have flawlessly employed should by no means be considered a disappointing aspect of the game, but it’s still a fact that Telltale diehards will have to accept if they plan on enjoying this title.
For the first time ever in a Telltale game, you can choose the gender of the main character. Jesse (voiced by Patton Oswalt and Catherine Taber) can either be a boy or a girl, and you can even choose between three different ethnicities for each gender. There are a few other characters in the game that you’ll spend a significant amount of time with, including Axel, Olivia and Petra. There’s even has a little pet pig named Reuben who is extremely cute.
Not only does Patton Oswalt voice the main character, there are a ton of other notable voice actors in this game. Other characters in the game are voiced by Brian Posehn, Ashley Johnson, Scott Porter, Martha Plimpton, Corey Feldman, Paul Reubens and many more. It’s really fun to be introduced to a character and instantly recognize who’s doing the voice.
Gameplay
If you’ve ever played a Telltale game, you know exactly what to expect here. Minecraft: Story Mode is mostly a text-based, point-and-click title that requires quick responses to keep you on your toes. There are four main aspects of the game – narrative choices, short puzzles, quick time events using a series of swipes and taps, as well as exploring.
For the majority of the game, you’ll be watching the story unfold before your eyes. Every once in awhile you’ll need to make a quick decision before the time runs out, which can affect where the game goes next and which characters remember what. This style of gameplay is par for the course when it comes to Telltale games.
You’ll also need to complete short puzzles every once in awhile. Throughout the game you’ll pick up random elements and objects that will come in handy much later on. For instance, at one point you’ll pick up some sticks, rocks and string which will help you create a bow and arrow to get past one of the obstacles. This is a very small part of the game, but fun, nonetheless. Telltale has also thrown in a few elements that take advantage of Minecraft’s open world structure. In select portions of the game, you’ll get to explore the map by walking around, allowing you to pick up objects, search for lost items and more.
To break up the monotony of the point-and-click gameplay, there are also a handful of delightful sequences that require quick reflexes to get through. For instance, you’ll need to quickly swipe Jesse out of the way to avoid getting hit by monsters or tap repeatedly on the screen to avoid getting attacked by zombies.
Final thoughts
With a solid storyline, all-star cast and unique gameplay, Minecraft: Story Mode is one of the best titles Telltale Games has ever released. The best part? You don’t even need to be familiar with the Minecraft universe to enjoy it. Sure, it helps to know to general premise of Minecraft and what it’s all about, but I’m pretty sure everyone who plays Story Mode will enjoy it in one way or another.
Much like other Telltale games, Story Mode is comprised of five episodes in all. Each episode costs $4.99 a piece. If you know you’re going to purchase them all eventually, you can invest in a “season pass” and purchase episodes 2-5 for a flat fee of $14.99. I know this might seem a little steep for a mobile game, but I’d honestly say it’s worth the price. Plus, it doesn’t feature any in-app purchases, which is always a bonus.
You can download the first episode of Minecraft: Story Mode from the Google Play Store link below.
Download Minecraft: Story Mode from Google Play
What are your thoughts? Have you played Minecraft: Story Mode? Be sure to tell us what you think in the comment section below!
AIVAnet 