Month: February 2011
The art of videogaming: Cory Arcangel breaks it down to the pixels with new Barbican show
With today's graphics technology, video games can look like proper works of art. But it wasn't always like that - do you remember the old, basic-looking Atari games, or even the clunkiness of the first Super Mario? Brooklyn-based artist Cory Arcangel remembers it - and he's feeling nostalgic about it too. Arcangel has placed video…
Internet brings RoboCop statue to Detroit
Detroit mayor Dave Bing wasn't too keen on the idea of having a statue of the super-human, crime-fighting cyborg erected, even though the 1987 film was set in the city. But the internet decided otherwise - and fans from all over the world have now raised the $50,000 needed to make cybernetic dreams come true.…
New Facebook relationship status categories recognise civil unions
In a boon for diversity, Facebook has added two new relationship categories to its list of choices: "In a domestic partnership" and "In a civil union". The new options are already available in the US, but will be introduced to other countries soon. In countries where same-sex marriages are already legal, these options will not…
The city, the jungle, or both: Brighton artist Ben Allen presents custom iPhone covers
Fancy more sleek than geek when flashing your iPhone? Now you can. In a collaboration with retailer Proporta, artist Ben Allen has created two hard shell covers for the Apple iPhone 4. Choose between the Union Jack Skull or the Zebra for these minimum bulk, robust cases, both printed at high image resolution. The British…
Apple's grand plans for MobileMe: rumours of Big Brother-style social network
If the latest rumours are to be believed, the overhaul of MobileMe could create an alternative to Facebook. Apple is currently revamping its online data storage service MobileMe, which at the moment lets users store data in a central location and synchronise data such as calendars and contacts between multiple devices. At $99 per year,…
Take me to your leader: Computer demonstrates reasoning skills and wins 'Jeopardy'
While data storage has never been a problem for the computer mind, its ability to follow tricky nuances of language and reasoning has held back any plans for world dominance. This problem might be soon conquered, however, as an IBM computer demonstrated its skills by winning a top game of Jeopardy. An IBM computer called…
Google takes on Apple Store with 'One Pass' online content subscription service
Google's One Pass payment system only charges a 10% commission fee, potentially putting the newcomer ahead of Apple, which charges 30%. Google boss Eric Schmidt announced the One Pass system yesterday in Berlin, just one day after Apple announced new rules for publishers selling subscriptions on its iOS platform. While vendors could previously sell directly,…
Nolan's 'Inception' and 'Dark Knight' first films to launch with special iPad version
In what may well be the first of many, two Christopher Nolan films have been launched with special versions for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. These special 'App Editions' will give the viewer full access to two films - Inception and Dark Knight - meaning you can either stream or download the feature. There…
Twitter me this: The murky science of the influential tweeter
"Just remembered messaging Alastair Campbell, drunk, at 2am on Friday, saying I wanted to see him dancing like a mongoose. Sigh." Say hello to Caitlin Moran, everyone. This casually fabulous tweet is the stuff that makes Twitter worthwhile in the midst of all the lunch updates and whining about buses. When it launched back in…
It's a love/hate relationship: Having lots of Facebook friends is stressful, research finds
The stress of Facebook is starting to outweigh the benefits, especially for heavy users, a new study has found. The research, conducted by psychologists from Edinburgh Napier University, found that while the majority of respondents said Facebook is great for keeping in touch, the pressure is starting to get to some. 12% of respondents said…