Star Wars: A New Reality

On April 24th, 2017 an announcement was made that Disney and the Star Wars franchise are going to partner with Nokia to bring Star Wars content to virtual reality.  This is only one example of Hollywood's recent move into bringing people virtual reality content. With this Star Wars content viewers will be able to visit the sets and go behind the scene of the new and upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi film, as well as visiting the fictional locations the story is based in. They will be able to traverse the Star Wars universe in VR and that is exciting.

"Utilizing the Nokia OZO to capture our behind-the-scenes material allows viewers to be transported to fantastical locations and virtually visit the incredible sets where their favorite Star Wars scenes were captured," said Lucasfilm's senior vice president of franchise creative and strategy, Brian Miller, in a statement (Mashable). 

This actually isn't Disney's first venture into the realm of virtual reality. They have been recently partnering with Nokia using the 360-degree Ozo virtual reality camera. This new camera is revolutionary for filmmakers and allows them to make 360 degree virtual environments for viewers. They have used this before with Disney's live action remake of The Jungle Book, recording a round table interview with the directors and cast in which the viewer felt as if they were at the table with them. Now they are shooting to get premium content for their newest and biggest franchises Star Wars and Marvel. 

This is amazing news for geeks all over the world, including myself, who have grown up loving the Star Wars universe. Soon we will be able to soar through space with Tie Fighters and X-wings in virtual reality. Soon we will be able to feel like an innocent civilian in the middle of a huge battle with the Avengers, and this is only the beginning. Virtual Reality is an amazing new tech with endless possibilities, and the future is exciting!

Virtual Reality: Reach Out and Grab It

Disney recently released a video demonstrating the new experiments using virtual reality interacting with real life and it's amazing. In the video we see a guy equipped with VR goggles interacting with another person in a ball throwing activity. This experiment shows how soon, using nodes attached to real life objects along with a glove with nodes worn by the player, we will be able to interact with the world around us through virtual reality. This is the future we always dreamed of that used to only be seen as science fiction in the 1980's and 90's, and now it is here, and available.

Using a technology that is still new to us, people are working more and more to advance it even further and the future of virtual reality technology is endless and mind blowing. In the video, Disney researchers Matthew Pan and Gunter Niemeyer demonstrate some of the features that are being worked on with these new advances such as basic throwing and catching, targeted throwing and catching, predicted trajectory. and predicted targets. They do this using the new virtual reality head set, the Oculus Rift, which was released late last year and add motion trackers, which are also available for the HTC Vive. All of these things are in the beginning stages but have definite and promising futures in many different aspects of life.

The military has also been implementing VR into their training as of late as the accuracy and technology have advanced. Experiments are also being conducted to eventually allow virtual reality surgery, interactions with people, cognitive help for the elderly, gaming, life and death situations such as bomb diffusing and raids, and many other aspects of daily life. The possibilities are nearly endless and only time will tell what the future holds for VR, but the world is ready and we can't wait to see what comes next! If you would like to read further into this amazing world of technological advances check out Pan and Niemeyer's research paper for the VR ball catching experiments here.

From Tribal to Futuristic: How "Tech Tattoos" Will Change the World

Tattoos have been around since as early as 12,000 B.C and have a long and branching history. From being used as tribal markings thousands of years ago to being works of art and expression in modern society, tattoos still have a major place in cultures around the world. Here in the United States there are mixed feelings about tattoos, where some see them as beautiful others find them ugly, but whatever your stance on tattoos is, one day they may become a huge part of your life, may even save it. How so?

Electric conductive tattoos, or "tech tats' are something that is now in beta testing and could very soon become a major part of everyday life, and don't worry, they aren't permanent. These tattoos are hopefully going to be used in the future for everything from monitoring a persons health and vitals to storing bank account and identity information. The tattoo is very simple to use, it is applied much like the lick-and-stick tattoos from childhood, being set and applied by wetting with a damp cloth. They will come in packs, with multiple tech tats per pack. In the health world they will be able to be applied and then read all of a persons vitals and other information normally gathered at a yearly check up and then send that information to a doctor for review, if anything is wrong the doctor simply gives the patient a call, easy as that and no more waiting rooms!

The tech tat has been under research and development since about 2012 and is making more and more progress each day. I feel like it is an amazing use of technology that seems to have limitless possibilities. It would help so many people, like those with diseases and in need of constant monitoring without having to be hooked up to bulky and immobile machines. They say the goal is to make it so cheap "it will be like buying a pack of band-aids" which would really help those who may not have health insurance. Not only will it be possible to use this tech for advancements in modern medicine but also it could take the place of credit/debit cards, social security and birth certificates, passports, ID, and countless other data one needs to carry on them. It is an exciting and mind blowing advancement I would have never seen coming and one that I plan on keeping track of throughout the development to see where this will go and how it will shape our future. Tech tats, in short, are the ink of the future, and the first step to helping us become cyborgs, well not quite, but they are something that has many positive and amazing possibilities.

Why We Grind: The Reason We Love Online Video Games

Did you know that of the estimated 1.2 billion people that play video games worldwide, about 700 million play them online with other people. I know what you're thinking, "I had no idea there were so many geeks in the world," but the reality is people who play online games consist of all ages, races, genders, and occupations. So erase that stereotypical image of the single, overweight, unemployed adult dude sporting the spectacles and pigging out on Doritos and Mountain Dew because video games are enjoyed these days by just about everyone. With the ever expanding world of online game play and advances in video game technology people are finding tons of reasons to join the online gaming craze.

• Competition: Many people love the thrill of being pitted up against their buddies or even complete strangers in which their sole objective is to be the best and win. Whether it be the score in a sports video game, the kill count in a shooter, the one-on-one dueling in a MMORPG, or simply being top on the online leaderboards there is that drive to win. It is the same competitive force people feel playing or watching sports in real life, and the end result can either be the joy of winning or the crushing feeling of defeat, either way it makes the players want to keep at it until they perfect their skills. The same motivation behind the first Olympic Games in Greece can be found in these online games.

• Socializing: One of the more obvious reasons people love to play online is the opportunity to spend time with friends and family they may not be able to see or talk to often otherwise. It also helps those who may be more introverted and have a hard time socializing face to face find a place of comfort where they can be with people who have the same interests and aren't overwhelmed. People form new bonds and friendships from every corner of the globe and that in itself is an amazing thing.

• Stress Relief:  Nothing beats coming home after a long day, getting comfortable, plopping down on the sofa, and sharing a bit of fun gaming time with other folks who are looking for the same escape from reality. Though some games can raise stress levels, there are plenty that allow you to kick back, mellow out, and have a good time. The release of dopamine (happy juice) in the brain increases when we are doing something that makes us happy and for many, video games is just the thing to get it flowing.

• Challenges: Video games are designed to present some level of challenge to the player. These can range from way-to-simple to brain melting hard and sometimes it helps to have a few friends there to help out. This is an excellent way to strengthen teamwork and problem solving skills. When a person or team is able to complete the challenge laid before them they gain that positive feeling of accomplishment, and usually something is given in-game too (new item, character, or level) to give substance to that sweet taste of victory.

In the last few years video games have passed both music and movies as the main source of entertainment. It is amazing how far the video gaming industry has come from it’s early days in the garage of a just few guys, to the neon light arcades of the 80's and 90's, to the booming billion dollar industry it is today. I, personally, have spent hours in the magical worlds and stories games offer as well as forming new friendships and finding that wonderful sense of belonging. It truly is incredible to have such experiences knowing that they weren't possible just 10 years ago. With the recent delve into virtual reality it will be exciting to see what comes next. So power on and press the start button because this game is just beginning.

Nintendo Switches Things Up

This past October the video game company, Nintendo, revealed it's next big console release, the Nintendo Switch,and gamers all over the world were blown away. This new video game system blends at home gaming with portable gaming capabilities by coming with a detachable screen portion that you can take with you on the go. With online multiplayer and the ability to link the portable with up to eight other systems players will be able to connect with each other like never before on a Nintendo system.

This new console brings back the motion controls that have made the Wii and the Wii U such innovative gaming systems. The controller also has two detachable parts that then can be hooked to the portable screen to act as the controller for the portable aspect. This new transforming controller has been one of the main focus points and major sellers for the Switch, and gamers look forward to how the company will make use of these awesome new options.

Nintendo is also bringing back some of their most popular gaming icons of all time in their own brand new adventures including Mario, Zelda, Starfox, and Pokemon which have both older and younger fans excited to get absorbed in all new stories of their favorite characters. Nintendo will also be releasing versions of the best seller Elders Scrolls: Skyrim and a new re-visioning of the classic game Sonic the Hedgehog. The Switch will be family friendly and include a parental control option so parents can keep control of what their children can watch and play.

The Nintendo switch is set to release on March 3rd, 2017 and will cost $299.99 which is reasonably priced compared to the $399.99 Playstation 4 and the $350.00 Xbox One. The pre-orders have already begun with many local retailers already selling through the expected supply. Gamers, kids and adults alike, can hardly wait to get their hands and this amazing new system that is sure to make a big splash in the gaming community. I know I will definitely be one of the ones standing in line March 3rd!