The Notorious B.I.G. might be going on tour in hologram form

ARHT (Augmented Reality Holographic Technology) Media announced on Monday that it has acquired the digital rights to Biggie Smalls’ likeness and will resurrect the famed rapper as a hologram. He (it?) is expected to appear in a new music video before potentially going on tour. “What we’re gonna start with is a video with the first single from [Faith Evan’s upcoming duets compilation] The King & I then I think Faith wants to do a little tour,” ARHT Media founder Rene Bharti told Billboard.

What’s more, Holo-Biggie will move and act just like his fleshy predecessor. “We’ll use input from virtually anywhere so we’ll talk to people, we’ll obviously look through existing footage,” ARHT CEO Paul Duffy told Billboard. “We’ll meet with family members and just look to alternately capture the essence of Biggie. Then we’ll have their eyes on all the content and material that’s being built. Of course, nothing would be released until they felt comfortable and signed off on it.”

B.I.G’s resurrection is part of a wider trend in digitizing famous performers. We’ve already got a veritable menagerie of holographic dead celebrities including Whitney Houston, Billie Holiday, Michael Jackson, Andy Kaufman and Redd Foxx — even Mariah Carey and Chief Keef (despite not being dead yet); or Hatsune Miku (despite not being alive in the first place).

Source: Billboard

11 crazy gaming controllers you won’t believe exist, and one that shouldn’t

Gaming controllers have evolved through the generations to become the perfect handheld. Now every movement is without thought and the idea of being in discomfort, even after gaming for hours, isn’t given much time.

But as they all became refined into one ideal model, they lost personality. Controllers haven’t changed much in recent years as optimal shaping has been found as have button and joystick styling. 

The result is a whole host of personalised controllers that express something from the owner. There have also been a bunch that were made to try and get the users moving, most of which have not done so well. While Guitar Hero guitars or physical dance mats have proved popular, it’s the other attempts that you’ve got to laugh at now.

Of course there have been some controllers, though they may not have been a hit, that really showed originality – so they’ve made the list. From bongos to bowling balls, console manufacturers have apparently tried it all in an attempt to discover the next big hit. 

Nintendo really pushed movement controllers and now that we’re entering the age of virtual reality those controllers could find their place once again. The PlayStation’s light controllers will be used with the PS VR for a more immersive virtual reality gaming experience, for example. 

Check out the craziest, weirdest, coolest and downright strangest controllers ever to accompany gaming.Maybe some of these could be due a resurgence soon too?

Kindle Oasis fully revealed in leak as Amazon’s next ‘top of the line’ e-reader

Although Amazon confirmed it is working on a “top of the line” e-reader that’ll kick off an 8th-generation of Kindles, we’ve only now been graced with a full leak that includes not only specs but also pictures and even a product page.

According to Liliputing, which spotted a listing from Chinese retail outlet TMall, the next Kindle will be called Kindle Oasis. It features a wedge-shaped design for an ergonomic grip and to presumably support a battery as well as built-in page turn buttons on one side of the screen, but it also has an accelerometer that reportedly allows the screen to auto-rotate 180 degrees so that the buttons will be on either the left or right side.

Amazon, which makes the Kindle-brand of e-readers and tablets, announced recently that it will introduce a new Kindle sometime in mid April. Jeff Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon, revealed the news on Twitter, explaining the upcoming model will be a new, eighth-generation of Kindle products. Kindle Voyage, which released in October 2014, led the 7th generation of Kindles.

The Wall Street Journal followed up Bezos’ tweet with a report about the “higher-end Kindle,” claiming it will release with a rechargeable protective case for extended battery life. It’ll be removable and should allow the Kindle to be thinner than earlier devices. Amazon is also working on a solar-powered battery case, but that likely won’t be released anytime soon. All this information is unconfirmed at the moment.

That said, Liliputing has claimed Amazon will offer a leather case with a built-in battery for several extra months of battery life (it’s included and comes in the colours black, brown, and red). There’s also a flip cover that can protect the screen when you’re not using the Kindle. Speaking of that screen, it sports 300 pixels per inch and an LED backlight. The e-reader also measures between 3.4mm and 8.5mm thick.

It weighs about 131 grams (less than 5 ounces) too. If you’re interested in Amazon’s next Kindle device, keep checking this Amazon page, as Liliputing claimed it’ll eventually go live as the main product page.

Drone racing is about to get cheaper and easier

Those cool videos from drone races may have tempted you at some point, but where do you start? Traditionally, you’d have to spend at least a couple hundred dollars on components, plus many more on a remote controller and a monitor or goggles. Not to mention the several hours needed for assembling the drone. Too much hassle? Don’t worry, because RotorX is now offering its latest micro racing quadcopter, the RX122 Atom V2, either fully assembled or as a quick DIY kit that apparently takes less than 30 minutes — not five to ten hours like the V1 — to put together. Better yet, the ready-to-fly version can include a controller with a built-in monitor for a grand total of just $499 for the first 50 backers on Indiegogo, and then $549 for the next 200.

The new Atom comes in at just 122mm wide, and thanks to its durable carbon fiber frame plus polycarbonate shell, it only weighs 5 ounces or about 142 grams — well below the the FAA’s 250-gram threshold for mandatory registration. For the same reasons, this tiny drone comes with greater crash resistanance as well as maneuverability than its bigger counterparts. The custom-made brushless motors and propellers allow the Atom to reach speeds of up to 60 mph or 100 km/h, and depending on how hard you push it, its 6,400 mAh swappable lithium ion battery will last for somewhere between three to ten minutes.

Video feed is courtesy of a 600TVL CMOS camera with a 120-degree field of view at the front, and on the receiving end the 480p monitor features 40 channels on 5.8 GHz, with a range of 1.5 miles or about 2.4 km. Should you wish to record video, RotorX will later let you mount a 1080p camera module with a microSD slot.

The Atom alone starts from as low as $299 on Indiegogo, if you manage to be one of the first 50 backers and don’t mind doing some basic soldering; this will ship in July. Then you have the aforementioned ready-to-fly packages, along with a $849 premium option that also comes with Fat Shark Dominator V3 FPV goggles, but these won’t arrive until September, which gives you plenty of time to try other slower drone activities.

Source: Indiegogo

Drake’s ‘Views From the 6’ album is an Apple Music exclusive

Music-streaming services are relying on exclusive content do outdo each other. And whether we like it or not, it doesn’t look as if that’s going to change anytime soon. Now, Drake has revealed that his fifth studio album, titled Views From the 6, will release April 29th exclusively on Apple Music. Oddly enough, the Canadian rapper tweeted the announcement Saturday night, but he’s since deleted that tweet and replaced it with another which doesn’t mention the deal with Apple. Nevertheless, the Cupertino company confirmed the exclusive to Pitchfork.

Drake has been working with Apple since the launch of Apple Music, showing up on stage at WWDC to let the audience know why the service was perfect for both artists and fans. Last week he also released two tracks, One Dance and Pop Style, as Apple Music exclusives — although the latter is now available on Tidal. It’s likely that Views From the 6 will hit other streaming apps not long after its launch, in similar fashion to Kanye’s The Life of Pablo.

4/29/16 #VIEWS pic.twitter.com/kHa2rerRyV

— Drizzy (@Drake) April 10, 2016

Source: Pitchfork

Netflix bumps older subscribers up to current UK prices

If you signed up for Netflix a few years back, it’s possible you’re paying a cheaper rate than new subscribers. That’s because the company agreed to freeze some of its older members’ packages up until May 2016. Now that the magical date is rolling around, these customers — anyone paying £5.99 or £6.99 per month for the entry-level HD plan — will soon be bumped up to £7.49. Some accounts are specifying May 9th as the switchover date, although it’s possible you’ll be moved across at a different point in the month. If the higher monthly fee sounds unreasonable, you’ve got just over two weeks to binge-watch everything the service has to offer.

Climate change is now affecting how the Earth moves

Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found that climate change is now affecting the way that the Earth moves. The team found that, as the last century has progressed, the “wobble” that our planet makes as it travels has shifted. A hundred years ago this movement — called polar motion — was tilted in favor of Canada, but has now moved in the direction of the UK. In an of itself, the shift won’t cause any damage, but the fact that climate change is now having this sort of effect should cause everyone to get nervous.

If you ever spun a basketball on your finger, you’d notice that it wobbles enough that you have to continually adjust the position of your hand to stop it falling. Basketballs are designed to weigh pretty much the same all over, but the Earth has always been heavier at its poles. That’s because large bodies of water are frozen as ice and exert a form of pressure, keeping things reasonably stable. But as the planet warms up and the ice begins to melt, the weight moves from the top and bottom into the middle.

As the AP says, the trend is worrying since Greenland is losing around 600 trillion pounds of ice and has been since 2003. Unless we can rapidly begin to undo the damage caused by climate change, the wobble is likely to get worse as the planet gets more lop-sided. For instance, West Antartica loses 275 trillion pounds of ice, while East Antartica gains 165 trillion back each year. Has anyone got Stuart Licht’s phone number to hand? We probably need it.

Via: AP

Source: Science

Watch the first live VR surgery stream on April 14th

Virtual reality has already been used to assist with surgery, and now it’s giving you a chance to see that surgery as it happens. Medical Realities says it’ll host the first live VR stream of surgery on April 14th, using a 360-degree camera to show the entire operating table. You’ll only need the company’s app and Google Cardboard (or a viable alternative) to tune in. The surgery isn’t particularly risky (it’s a fairly standard tumor removal), but the company is aware of the dangers — the feed is delayed by a minute in case something goes awry.

The move isn’t surprising for Medical Realities, which sees both VR and augmented reality as useful educational tools for aspiring doctors. Ultimately, though, this stream is just a stepping stone. The company’s Shafi Ahmed hopes to eventually see VR simulations of surgery that give trainees the full experience without the typical risks.

Via: Wired

Source: Medical Realities

‘Titanfall 2’ is coming to PlayStation 4, watch the trailer

PlayStation Europe dropped the first teaser trailer for Titanfall 2 on Twitter Monday. Titanfall 1 was the Xbox One’s marquee exclusive when it launched shortly after console’s debut back in 2013, which makes the sequel landing on its rival platform all the more intriguing. And given Microsoft’s recent agreement with Sony to allow cross-platform multiplayer, this could portend some very cool online matches that exceed the original’s 6v6 player limit. There’s no word on when Titanfall 2 will actually be released, however PS Europe says the game’s gameplay trailer will be go live on June 12th.

Titanfall 2 is coming to PS4. Watch the first teaser trailer before 12 June gameplay reveal: https://t.co/4NL7IhAH8C pic.twitter.com/g9McPQpPPc

— PlayStation Europe (@PlayStationEU) April 11, 2016

Source: Playstation Europe (Twitter)

Vodafone contracts now include a 30-day escape guarantee

There are plenty of things to consider when eyeing up a new mobile contract, from network quality and coverage to handset selection and pricing. All carriers try to tip the scales in their favour with device pre-order bonuses, a complimentary subscription here, free roaming there, et cetera. And in an attempt to distinguish itself from competitors, Vodafone announced a brand new customer perk today: The 30-day guarantee.

Alright, so it’s not as sexy as a free Spotify Premium account, but it does mean any new or upgrading customer can back out of a pay-monthly or pay-as-you-go plan within the first 30 days, no questions asked. As Vodafone is keen to point out, this is significantly longer than the industry-standard, 14-day window subscribed to by all other major UK operators. So, if you want to test drive a new phone, or are just prone to buyer’s remorse, you now know Vodafone will give you a full month to figure everything out.

Source: Vodafone (1), (2)