Future of Gaming: 5 Exciting Emerging Trends

Technology evolves in amazingly rapid speeds. If you need any real observable proof of the speedy advancement of digital technology over the years, take a look at the gaming industry. From the very early years of black-and-white 2D games like Pong (1972) to the first 3D game, 3D Monster Maze in 1981, and from primitive first-person shooters like Wolfenstein 3D (1992) to complex, life-like shooters like Battlefield 3 (2011), there’s no doubt that the gaming industry has seen its fair share of technological evolution.

It’s has been exciting ride for all of us gamers, both casual or hardcore types. Most of us have a wishlist for how games will turn out in the future. Well, it’s hard to say if they will come true, but we might very well extrapolate from existing trends, which is the whole point of this article. Here are 5 features you can expect in the future of gaming.

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1. Immersive Gaming: The Return of Virtual Reality (VR)

Some of you may be surprised to know that 3D films have existed since about a century ago. The technology just didn’t really didn’t take flight since then due to high costs. It is not until In the recent years that we’ve experienced therevival of 3D technology not only in films like Avatar, but also for gaming screens.

We have also seen the evolution of video games in terms of its graphical quality, so much so that one would have difficulty differentiating a video game from a real-life scene today. It appears that there is a movement towards more immersive digital entertainment, from movies to games. The question is, where do we go from real-life 3D graphics and beyond?

A Virtual Reality Comeback

With major leaps in technology that resulted in improved hardware capabilities, virtual reality (VR) has started to resurface in the gaming industry. Of particular note is the upcoming Oculus Rift, a VR head-mounted display (HMD) created by Palmer Luckey.

Due to be released early next January for a mere $300, Oculus Rift features amassive field view (107 degrees), quick-response (ultra-low latency) head-tracking system, and incorporates immersive stereoscopic 3D rendering capabilities as well. Its prototype which was showcased in various gaming conventions has already received numerous positive reviews from game developers and internet reviewers alike.

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2. Secondary Screens for Gaming

With the booming market for handheld devices like smartphones and tablets, the console war between the three major brands (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo) has intensified, with a rush to invent a secondary gaming device for players.

Wii U

Consider the newly released Wii U GamePad, which features a built-in touchscreen that can serve as a supplement to games. In first-person shooter games, a second screen lets you access the map or your inventory seamlessly without leaving the game field. What you can do with a secondary screen is not limited to that, it adds to the gaming experience which is demonstrated wonderfully in this ZombiU gameplay trailer out for an inside view (Warning:the video contains gore and violence).

SmartGlass

Even Microsoft is catching up with the competition with the advent of Xbox SmartGlass. However, unlike the Wii U, SmartGlass is an app that acts as an additional tool for gamers to interact with. It can be downloaded into and accessed from smartphones and tablets to enhance the gaming experience.

Sony Cross-Play

Sony has taken its first step to integrate their Playstation 3 console with their handheld device, PS Vita via the Cross-Play feature, allowing the gamer to stop playing on one device and resume on another device.

3. Open-Source Gaming

Look at the number of free (or cheap) homemade games available in the mobile market today and you will have an idea where future games may be heading: Open Source! For instance, Ouya is an Android-powered, upcoming video game console (to be released April 2013, pre-order here) that works under the concept that games should be cheap to build and cheap to buy.

Independent developers do not have to purchase an expensive software development kit (SDK) to create games and release them to the market. Ouya offers 1080p gaming experience and contains tons of free-to-play and affordable games at only $99, it’s hard not to see where the attraction lies with Ouya.

Full story > http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/future-of-gaming/

The future of paper currency.

What's the future of money? Paperless and coinless, say leading finance experts

Electronic currency could improve the economy, according to experts at a conference organised by the Business School last month.

The conference was organised by the Brevan Howard Centre for Financial Analysis at Imperial College Business School, together with the Centre for Economic Policy Research and the Swiss National Bank. Leading figures from the world of finance gathered in central London to discuss the challenges posed by negative interest rates, which have been introduced by some central banks following the global financial crisis.

We asked Franklin Allen, Executive Director of the Brevan Howard Centre, for his reflections on some of the key points raised during the event. 

What were you hoping to achieve with this conference?

We wanted to provide a forum to debate the issues surrounding negative interest rates and the impact on consumers and the economy. 
Some banks, such as the Swiss National Bank and Denmark’s central bank, have purposely set negative interest rates to prevent their exchange rate rising too much.  Other organisations such as the Swedish Riksbank, are trying to prevent deflation. 

However, as long as paper money exists there is a limit as to how negative rates can become.  As cash holds its value, consumers could respond by withdrawing and storing large amounts of cash (perhaps stuffing it under their mattresses) – making them feel better off than if they had left the money in the bank. If this was taken to the extreme then banks would stop being able to raise funds and would go out of business. 

Full story > http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_8-6-2015-13-17-5

Robot Prostitution

It’s 2020, and Roger, a recent divorcé from New York, decides to pay for some female company. So he turns on his computer, connects a robotic vagina to it and starts having sex with Cinnamon, a college student in Sydney with a computer and a remotely controlled robotic penis.

Creeped out yet? Welcome to the future of prostitution.

The digital revolution is transforming all industries, and even the world’s oldest profession isn’t immune. Teledildonics and haptic technology — aka remote-controlled vibrators and tactile feedback — were designed for couples to physically stimulate each other in real time, over the Internet. Now, webcam models are joining in on the fun by adding “interactivity” to their shows and creating what might be a new type of prostitution. Sites like Vcams already offer clients the ability to use a — gasp — robo-penis to have “sex” with the women, while products like RealTouch allow the women to reciprocate the movement.

“The same way manufacturing has been turned upside down by automation, sex work will be turned upside down by automation,” says Seth, who goes by his first name only and is the founder of FriXion, a cutting-edge teledildonics company that’s planning to partner with adult webcam providers. Indeed, sex work is an economic activity. So maybe this is just the next logical step in the mechanization process, which already transformed the way car manufacturers, farmers and even surgeons work.

 Moderator note: They have lost their minds.

Future law enforcement will depend on whether robotically enhanced virtual sex is seen as simply another avenue for sex work or as a way to discourage physical prostitution — or even make it safer. Paid online sex does present many advantages. Convenience aside — think no more cold, dark alleys or expensive hotel rooms — haptic technology offers both parties a safe space to meet with no risk of physical abuse or STDs. It could also help webcam “models” increase their rates and become more self-sufficient.

Full article > http://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/robot-hookers-turn-up-the-heat/39750

A Look Inside the 770HP LSX454R Engine - Most. Powerful. Ever.

Chevrolet Performance LSX454R is more than the brand’s most powerful crate engine. It’s also designed for dependability on the track.

Chevrolet Performance engineers didn’t set out to create the most powerful crate engine in the company’s history. It was the fortunate consequence of their development process for the LSX454R drag racing crate engine. They were after durability first and foremost.

“We wanted big power, of course, but more than that, we wanted to give racers a reliable, low-maintenance engine that would go round after round and race after race throughout the season and require little more than oil changes and the occasional valve lash check,” says Rocko Parker, lead engineer. “In fact, this engine should go several seasons without the need for any major refreshing. That was more important to us than the final dyno number.”

For the record, this 13.1:1, naturally aspirated, and single Dominator-fed big-inch LS engine is officially rated at 770 horsepower at a 7,000 rpm and 612 lb-ft of torque at 5,600 rpm. And those figures might be a little conservative. Notably, that’s a 50hp increase over Chevrolet Performance’s own ZZ572/720R drag race crate engine—an old-school big-block that, while it cranks out 70 lb-ft more than the LSX454R, comes up short on horsepower despite being 26 percent larger in displacement. That’s huge.

Meet the DR525 – The Pioneer Drag Racing Spec Engine

Chevrolet Performance’s new DR525 is more than just a crate engine intended for the strip. The 6.2L, naturally aspirated engine (rated at 525 horsepower) was developed expressly for the LS Stock class in the NMCA LSX Showdown Challenge. In fact, it features several tamper-proof bolts to ensure class compliance.

Think about that for a moment: It’s a sealed spec engine for drag racing. That’s a common practice in circle track racing, not drag racing, but Chevrolet Performance’s Jim Campbell says the idea behind the DR525 is similar: maintain costs for racers with a level powertrain playing field in the heads-up class. It’s a bold idea and we’ll know right away in the 2015 season if it was the correct one.

Importantly, the DR525 is also legal in other classes. It is offered in two part numbers: 19329009 (includes Chevrolet Performance’s muscle car oil pan) or 19329008 (includes fourth-generation F-body oil pan). Additional highlights include:

525 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 489 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm.
Production-based, aluminum cylinder block.
High-flow, LS3-type rectangular-port cylinder heads with 2.165/1.590 valves and beehive valvesprings.
10.7:1 compression ratio.
Hydraulic roller camshaft with 0.525/0.525-inch lift and 226/236-degree duration.
Production-style composite intake manifold with a 90mm throttle body.
Two tamper-proof bolts incorporated on the intake manifold, as well as a tamper-proof bolt on the front cover and the oil pan.
The assembly includes production-type cast-iron exhaust manifolds, fuel rails, injectors, coil packs, wires, spark plugs, LS3 water pump, and damper.
A tamper-proof E67-type engine control system from Chevy must be used with the engine in the LS Stock class.

And the price? Chevy says the DR525 carries a suggested retail price of $9,750 and the control system’s list price is $1,312.50. They also have a front accessory drive system that lists for $812.50. That’s roughly $11,000 for the whole shebang. Not bad for a 525hp racing engine.

Sources

Chevrolet Performance

800-450-4150
http://www.chevroletperformance.com

Announcing the 2015-2016 Black Achievement Innovators!

No clue as to why they said, "Male"?

CBMA is excited to announce our 2015 – 2016 BMA Innovators!

As part of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement's official re-launch activities focused on building a beloved community for Black men and boys, CBMA's Social Innovation Accelerator launched its 2015-2016 application process for the next cohort of Black Male Achievement (BMA) Innovators earlier this year.

"BMA Innovators are experienced leaders whose organizations demonstrate powerful results in improving the life outcomes of Black men and boys, and who pursue high performance, are positioned to spread their results, and have the passion to increase their local and national leadership and catalyze systemic change."

Chosen from 116 applicants from all over the country, there was a rigorous three-phase application process to select the 2015-2016 BMA Innovators. Selections were informed by an external selection committee, made up of 71 issue experts and BMA leaders from philanthropy, nonprofits, academia, and faith-based organizations, business, grassroots/community-based organizations, media, and fraternities/sororities.

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THE BMA INNOVATORS: NATIONAL

The National BMA Innovators are leaders whose program models demonstrate improved outcomes for Black men and boys and have started to spread their work at the national level.

Ron Walker, Executive Director, Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color

"The mission of the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC) is to connect, inspire, support and strengthen school leaders dedicated to the social, emotional and academic development of boys and young men of color."

About the Coalition of School Educating Boys of Color: COSEBOC is the only national education organization of practitioners solely focused on promoting the educational success of boys and young men of color. COSEBOC works with all schools – pre-K to 12th grade; public, charter and private; coed and single gender. COSEBOC connects research, policy and practice and is a learning community for school leaders. COSEBOC's growing menu of programs and services are rooted in CBMA’s Standards and Promising Practices for Educating Boys and Young Men of Color, a framework for what a school should offer and do if it intends for its male students of color to succeed.

To learn more: http://www.coseboc.org/

Christopher Chatmon, Executive Director, OUSD Office of African American Male Achievement

"The Office of African American Male Achievement stops the epidemic failure of African American male students".

About the Office of African American Male Achievement, OUSD: The Office ofAfrican American Male Achievement (AAMA) is an ambitious project designed to dramatically improve academic and ultimately life outcomes for Black male students in Oakland, while spreading its impact beyond OUSD. AAMA is leading the school district by analyzing the patterns and processes that are producing systemic inequities. OUSD’s theory of action, Targeted Universalism, ascertains that by transforming the system to support successful outcomes for OUSD’s lowest performing subgroup, OUSD will create a district that improves academic and social-emotional outcomes for all of its students.

To learn more: http://www.ousd.org/domain/78 

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THE BMA INNOVATORS: DETROIT

The Detroit BMA Innovators are leaders whose program models demonstrated improved outcomes for Black men and boys locally in the areas of education, health, family, and work.

Donele Wilkins, CEO, The Green Door Initiative

"The Green Door Initiative (GDI) works to ensure that every person is environmentally literate, and capable of practicing and promoting sustainability as a lifestyle."

About The Green Door Initiative: GDI works to ensure that every person is environmentally literate and capable of practicing and promoting a sustainable lifestyle. They use workforce development to operate a comprehensive jobs training program designed to prepare residents for the green economy. GDI strives to improve environmental health through engaging in effective Community-Based Participatory Research practices that apply proven intervention strategies to reach optimum health goals in vulnerable communities. They provide environmental awareness and education projects through workshops, seminars, and educational forums. Further, GDI assists in building capacity of citizens to engage fully in land use development activities, as well as actively work towards transforming neighborhoods utilizing smart growth strategies and reforming public policy. They work to develop leadership in young people to ensure a healthy transition for the next generation of environmental stewardship, and provide training programs for citizens to ensure their full participation in all decisions impacting a healthy and environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

To learn more: http://greendoorinitiative.org/

Sharlonda M. Buckman, CEO, Detroit Parent Network

"Detroit Parent Network is a premier parent organization that transforms parents to make Detroit a better place to raise and educate children."

About Detroit Parent Network: Detroit Parent Network works to improve parent involvement in education by offering workshops, practical tools, written materials and leadership development, all designed to build a constituency of powerful parents for change. Detroit Parent Network works with any parent or primary caregiver of a school-age child (ages 4-17) who lives in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. Parents who are committed to our organization and who want to promote effective parenting become members of our organization. By being a membership organization, Detroit Parent Network is responsive to parents' interests and needs. We invite parents to be a part of the organization.

To learn more: http://www.detroitparentnetwork.org/

Malik Yakini, Executive Director, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network

"DBCFSN works to build self-reliance, food security and justice in Detroit's Black community by influencing public policy, engaging in urban agriculture, promoting healthy eating, encouraging cooperative buying and directing youth towards careers in food-related fields."

About The Detroit Black Community Food Security Network: DBCFSN was formed in February 2006 to address food insecurity in Detroit’s Black community, and to organize members of that community to play a more active leadership role in the local food security movement.  DBCFSN observed that many of the key players in the local urban agriculture movement were young whites who, while well-intentioned, never-the-less exerted a degree of control inordinate to their numbers in Detroit’s population.  Many of those individuals moved to Detroit from other places specifically to engage in agricultural or other food security work.  It is their view that the most effective movements grow organically from the people whom they are designed to serve.  Representatives of Detroit’s majority African-American population must be in the leadership of efforts to foster food justice and food security in Detroit.  While DBCFSN’s specific focus is on Detroit’s African-American community, they realize that improved policy and an improved localized food system is a benefit to all Detroit residents.

To learn more: http://detroitblackfoodsecurity.org/

Frank McGhee, Program Director, Neighborhood Service Organization

"The Neighborhood Service Organization is changing lives through innovative human services that harness the power of choice."

About the Neighborhood Service Organization: NSO is a 501(c)3 nonprofit human services agency serving their most vulnerable neighbors. NSO has been supporting the community for 60 years with innovative services. Some of their services are location-based, serving neighbors who ask for help.  Other services focus on outreach, traveling out into the community, reaching people wherever they are.  Still other services are offered statewide through help lines and a network of professionals.

To learn more: http://www.nso-mi.org/index.php

Jason Wilson, Founder/CEO, The Yunion

"The Yunion’s mission is to counter negative cultural influences that misdirect the lives of youth by raising awareness and strengthening families through innovative prevention programming, education, parental engagement, mentoring and counseling."

About the Yunion, Inc.: In 2002, Jason Wilson started the Yunion as a record label to produce music and cultivate a culture that countered the potentially deadly influence of Hip-Hop culture.  However the Yunion’s mission soon changed when Wilson realized that after the music stopped, the negative pressures continued for the population of youth the Yunion desired to reach.  In 2005, Wilson pursued establishing the Yunion as a 501c3 non-profit organization in order to gain access to funding needed to expand its services.  In 2007, they were awarded their first Federal grant for mentoring through the U.S. Department of Education.  To date, the Yunion has reached over 8,500 Metro Detroit youth through relevant and innovative prevention programming, engaging workshops, assemblies and conferences.  They have collaborated with over three dozen schools, community organizations and churches in empowering Detroit’s youth and families.

To learn more: http://theyunion.org/