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Updated 2024-11-25 00:45
Apple Pay to launch in UK in July
Apple’s contactlesss system that allows payment with an iPhone or Apple Watch to be available in the UK from next monthApple Pay will come to the UK in July, Apple confirmed at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco on Monday.It will be available at more than 250,000 locations - more than the number of merchants it had in the US for last year’s launch. Continue reading...
El Capitan: Apple unveils next version of OS X software
New version of Mac desktop operating system will concentrate on speed, reliability and battery life with intelligent searchApple announced the latest update to its OS X desktop software on Monday, which the company says will make it faster and easier to use.OS X 10.11 El Capitan, named after a mountain within Yosemite national park, will be available as a free update in the autumn. Continue reading...
Apple takes on Facebook with revamped news app
Media organisations including Guardian, ESPN, New York Times, Conde Nast and Hearst will produce content specifically designed for new serviceApple revamped its news service on Monday, making a play to take on Facebook as the two tech giants court readers and publishers to be the top platform for news.Media organisations including the Guardian, ESPN, the New York Times, Conde Nast and Hearst will produce content specifically designed for the new service, which will replace Newstand, Apple’s current news app.
Amazon sells reasonably-priced towel set for $800 billion
Is bathroom item’s 12-figure price tag an administrative error – or evidence of ‘the best towel ever made’?Ever thought that stepping out of the shower and drying yourself on $100 dollar bills might be just a little too ostentatious? Ever wanted to bathe in liquid gold but didn’t want to be judged in times of global austerity?Well, never fear, for Amazon is selling a $800bn towel set, or $796bn, to be fair (£521bn). We’re guessing that stockists Portlight have made a fat-fingers keyboard mistake, or someone at the company has a very, um, dry sense of humour. Continue reading...
Reddit's mysterious button experiment is over
What started as an April Fools’ Day prank, before gaining unexpected momentum in recent weeks, went out with a whimperAfter two months, and more than a million clicks, the weirdest social experiment on the internet is over: Reddit’s Button has hit zero.And it ended, not with a bang, but a whimper: hiding behind the end of the countdown was nothing more than a simple message reading: “The experiment is over.” Even that was underwhelming, having been accidentally revealed multiple times owing to server crashes. Continue reading...
Diversity in children’s apps: ‘Gender depictions tend to be very stereotyped’
But a growing number of developers are thinking hard about how they present gender, race and socio-economic differencesA growing number of children’s app makers are upping their efforts to ensure their products do a better job of reflecting the diversity of their young audiences.This was the verdict of a discussion at Tech With Kids’ Developing Apps for Kids conference in San Francisco, where moderator Raul Gutierrez of developer Tinybop admitted that his industry has more work to do on diversity. Continue reading...
Darpa: these robots will save your life (once they learn to walk) – video
Tech reporter Sam Thielman visited the Darpa Robotics Challenge in Pomona, California, to watch 25 robotics teams compete for $2m in prize money and the distinction of having scored highest in a challenging obstacle course designed to mimic the conditions of a nuclear meltdown. Some participating robotics teams are small and feisty, others are well-funded and robust, but all have a true love of technology. And the robots seem to have even more personality than their masters (even when walking a bit like grannies). Continue reading...
Over the limit: how cars could soon prevent drink-driving
US traffic safety agency developing technology to disable cars if excess blood alcohol levels detected in driversSmart cars of the near future could refuse to start if the driver exceeds the drink-drive limit.
China deploys drones to stamp out cheating in college entrance exams
Students have been caught using wireless equipment to communicate but now authorities are flying six-propeller craft over testing centres to detect signalsAuthorities in China are employing surveillance drones in an effort to stamp out cheating in college entrance exams.Related: Nine-hour tests and lots of pressure: welcome to the Chinese school system Continue reading...
US slow to take bite of Apple Pay
Ahead of Apple Pay’s Europe launch at WWDC, survey finds cost and lack of customer demand and access to data has stalled retailer interest in USAs Apple prepares to expand Apple Pay to Europe at WWDC, anecdotal evidence suggests that the company’s forecast for US adoption may be too optimistic and that many retailers remain skeptical about the payment system.Chief executive Tim Cook made the confident prediction in January that 2015 would be “the year of Apple Pay”. Since then, Apple has aggressively courted retailers – and claimed significant success. A spokesman said “about half” of the top 100 US merchants will accept Apple Pay this year, with more to follow in 2016. Continue reading...
Apple finally presses play on music-streaming service
Apple Music, the long-awaited Spotify rival that will offer unlimited content for a monthly fee, launches on Monday
Chatterbox: Monday
The place to talk about games and other things that matterMonday! Continue reading...
Bad Dinos review – a novel spin on tower-defence games
(iOS, Insomnia Games, £2.29)With Jurassic World about to hit cinemas, the toothy reptiles are sure to regain some of the popularity they may have lost in the years since Steven Spielberg’s original dinosaur romp. Hence, then, Bad Dinos, an attempt to put a novel spin on the creaking tower-defence genre – with some success.The usual formula of placing weapons around a curling course to destroy herds of roaming raptors/T rex/insert your carnivore of choice, before they can escape is present and correct, as are the special powers to help you when the cold-blooded menace is too much to handle. The twist is the ability to ensnare some of the beasties, train them and then target them back on their scaly friends. It adds a tactical nuance to a style of game that can often become terribly repetitive. Rather than just blasting at whatever comes on to the screen, now there’s a decision about which type of creature to spare, catch and brainwash and when to release them to maximum effect. Continue reading...
Magicka 2 review – return of the anarchic wizards
(PS4, PC, Paradox Interactive, cert: 16)Magicka 2 starts out cheerily – all the wizards are dead. Given the chaos the magically inclined caused in the first game, that’s not so bad. Then the twist: enter a great evil that just happens to need some colour-coded mages to stop it. Like its predecessor, Magicka 2’s greatest strength is its anarchic tendencies, its in-depth spellcasting system often rewarding you for trying unlikely magic combos. Each spell requires tapping in “codes”, one element at a time from a selection of 10. The results are far-reaching: “fire + shield” can make you immune to fire damage, or weapons can be elementally charged for greater effect.Experimentation is half the fun, even when you go wrong. The flipside is that it gets complex, fast. In battle, you need to be incredibly quick-witted (and fleet of finger) to hammer out spells, which soon frustrates. It’s also repetitive when played solo, though Magicka 2’s flaws are somewhat alleviated when played co-op with friends. Continue reading...
Interloper review – engrossing, minimalist real-time strategy
(PC, Mac , Linux, Monogon Games, cert: n/a; out now)The real-time strategy is a rich genre, but one that many shy away from. Defined by gameplay where players enact strategies simultaneously rather than by taking turns, RTSs are inclined to be intense, are often deeply complex, and adopt stern military themes, none of which represents an enticing entrance to the form. Which is where elegant indie game Interloper steps in. The team at Monogon have distilled the contemporary RTS, and rebuilt it as something straightforward and quick to play. Interloper presents an engrossing minimalist RTS, tackled in five-minute bursts, that does not sacrifice depth for its simplicity and short-form play sessions.Players have to claim territory in diminutive 2D maps by marking each level with colour, left like a trail by otherworldly mouse-controlled sea creatures. Daub enough of the map with your colour, and victory is claimed. But as you secure turf, so does your rival. Be they human or computer-controlled, they will constantly reduce your share, as you consume theirs. Bolstered by additional basic unit control, combat mechanics, the game is an easily learned, rewarding little gem. It may lack the longevity or intricacy of the most demanding in the genre, but Interloper is every bit a true RTS, and an unusually inviting one at that. Continue reading...
eyeWitness to Atrocities: the app aimed at bringing war criminals to justice
Digital technology developed to help human rights activists document and store photographs and films that can be shown in courtA mobile phone app that enables eyewitnesses to download evidence of alleged atrocities from anywhere in the world so it can be verified and used to prosecute perpetrators is being launched on Monday.The London-based International Bar Association (IBA) has developed digital technology that will help human rights activists document and store photographs and films that can be shown in court. Continue reading...
Global Drug Survey 2015 shows more people buying online than ever before
More than one in 10 respondents say they bought drugs via conventional sites and ‘darknet’ sites last year despite closure of most famous Silk Road in 2013More people started buying drugs online in 2014 than ever before, despite the closure of the Silk Road website the previous year, according to new research.
Can Google be taught poetry?
If computers and search engines could understand metaphor and symbolism, would it make them more human? A new project tests the theoryIn 1989, American author Norman Cousins wrote that poetry was the key to preventing computers from dehumanising us: “The company of poets may enable the men who tend the machines to see a larger panorama of possibilities than technology alone may inspire. Poets remind men of their uniqueness.”Twenty-six years later, researchers in the US are testing that idea, starting with search engines and image databases. Any nuance or metaphor gets lost on an engine such as Google: search “sorrow”, for example, and you’ll get pictures of people crying, whereas a human might associate a more varied range of images, such as a foggy seascape or an empty forest. This is because computers use metadata (the data search engines associate with the millions of digital objects out there, from YouTube videos to Instagram pictures) in a completely different way to the human brain. Our human “metadata” tends to be far more symbolic and less literal. But what if an image bank was populated by poems? Can robots learn from our view of the world? Continue reading...
Investigation into iSoft co-founder dropped by regulators
Patrick Cryne, whose firm was supplier of software to NHS, was at centre of fraud scandal, but criminal charges were dropped by the Financial Conduct Authority
China likely behind hack of US data, says House homeland security chair
Mike McCaul calls attack ‘most significant breach of federal networks in US history’, amounting to espionage – but the White House has not assigned blameRelated: US threatens sanctions against culprit in hacking of federal employees' dataMike McCaul, the chairman of the House of Representatives homeland security committee, on Sunday said he believed China was responsible for the recent hacking of personal data of 4 million federal employees. Continue reading...
Darpa robotics challenge: South Korea's humanoid nets team $2m
US defense department awards prizes in event that featured robots built and piloted with funding from sources that included Amazon and Nasa
Music streaming – a user's guide to the best listening experience
Our expert offers shortcuts and tips to getting the most out of Spotify, Tidal, Deezer and the rest – and saving you money at the same time Continue reading...
Where Uber and Amazon rule: welcome to the world of the platform
Powerful tech firms are altering not just the way we buy things, but could sweep away an entire economic modelHardly a day goes by without some tech company proclaiming that it wants to reinvent itself as a platform. Back in March, when South Korea banned Uber, the company promised to let local taxi drivers use its platform – along with its matching services.Facebook pulled a similar trick in early May: having run into trouble with its pseudo-humanitarian effort to provide free internet access via a project called internet.org, it, too, promised to turn it into a platform. Now, internet.org users, most of them in the developing world, could also enjoy free access to apps other than those developed by Facebook. Continue reading...
Daniel Ek: Spotify and free music will save the industry, not kill it
The music streaming pioneer has come under fire from critics such as Taylor Swift for giving away songs. Now he faces a new challenge from AppleThe chief executive of Spotify, Daniel Ek, has predicted that the free online music service will help the industry grow to as much as 10 times its current size, in a future where old distinctions between providers break down.Having paid out $3bn to music rights holders so far, Spotify is pitching itself as a competitor to traditional broadcasting, having recently added news, weather, podcasts and videos to its service. “The old-world paradigms we used to have are no longer true. When I think about music in the future, I don’t make a distinction between what’s radio, what used to be the music library, and so on,” Ek told the Observer in a rare interview. “It’s only going to be listening – and, as that goes forward, this old notion of these different industries or different competitors will collapse and merge together.” Continue reading...
Surveillance laws are being rewritten post-Snowden, but what will really change?
The ripples from the revelations of NSA surveillance can be felt around the world – but intelligence and law-enforcement agencies will carry on regardlessFor anyone still in doubt about the impact of Edward Snowden’s revelations, it might be instructive to review what has been going on in the US Congress over the last few months, with legislators grappling with bills aimed at curbing the surveillance capabilities of the NSA and other federal agencies. In the end, in a classic congressional farce, there was a brief intermission in the NSA’s data-gathering capabilities, after which the Senate passed a bill to end the agency’s bulk collection of the phone records of millions of Americans.At one level it’s a significant moment: one in which – as a Guardian leader writer put it – “an outlaw rewrites the law”. And in a few other countries, notably Germany, Snowden’s revelations do seem to be having a demonstrable impact – as witnessed, for example, by the Bundestag’s inquiry into NSA surveillance within the Federal Republic. Continue reading...
Try, Robot: Darpa contest sends new humanoids into 'nuclear reactor'
At an event that combines the feel of a trade fair with a Mythbusters episode, robots compete in navigating simulation of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plantRobots are terrible drivers.The one that had just navigated a smooth stretch of road a few hundred feet long had taken 15 minutes to do so, and it didn’t really fit behind the wheel of the little red chrome four-wheeler, a sort of all-terrain golf cart called a Polaris Ranger. Instead, the robot had wedged itself across two seats and had to be winched out of the car with a chain hanging from a pulley system at the top of a big rolling frame. It had also had a hard time with the turns. Continue reading...
Humanoid robots – in pictures
Humanoid robots go diode-to-diode in a disaster response competition during the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Robotics Challenge finals in Pomona, California Continue reading...
You'd be surprised just how big 'e-sports' is getting
Valve Software’s marquee computer game, Dota 2, will have a record $US 11 million (and counting) in prize money on offer for those competing in its fifth annual world championship event in Seattle, and is expected to be viewed by more than 20 million people worldwideSet to take place in a sold-out Key Arena, the fifth edition of ‘The International’ broke its own record this week when its prize-pool bubbled above the $US 11 million dollar mark after another surge in funding support from fans. That number could balloon to as high as $US 15 million on current trends before the tournament takes place in August - a staggering amount of money indeed.To put that in context, Golf’s US Masters paid out $US 10 million this year, while tennis’s French Open will pay competitors across both men’s and women’s fields $US 36 million. It’s still nothing compared to an event like Fifa’s World Cup, but it’s a statement for the ‘e-sports’ scene that should rattle more established players. Continue reading...
On the road: Infiniti Q70 – car review
‘This car is always beeping. It’s like being attached to a heart monitor’People were queueing up to diss this Infiniti Q70. The mister was unimpressed by the dieselly pullback, especially as you pull out: “I don’t even think it’s got turbo!” he thundered. “It’s not even as good as the Passat.” My mother thought the front passenger seat way too hot, and the white ash wood dash the ugliest she’d seen.I felt oppressed by its mighty size – a 1,896kg kerb weight – and the fact that it was continually making a noise. When you reverse, when you drive near anybody, when anybody drives near you – always beeping. It’s like being attached to a heart monitor. Should you accidentally leave it in “drive” when you get out and lock it, it emits a high-pitched squeak that attracts cats. Knowing nobody would believe this, I took a picture of the cats crowded round it, which is available upon request. Continue reading...
US threatens sanctions against culprit in hacking of federal employees' data
White House spokesman refuses to confirm claims of Chinese involvement in hack that compromised data of 4 million US government employeesThe White House has threatened possible economic sanctions against whoever is found to be involved in the recent hacking of US government personnel records, as China responded angrily to unofficial reports that pointed the finger in its direction.Obama press secretary Josh Earnest refused to confirm off-the-record US claims of Chinese involvement, insisting at a press briefing on Friday that the FBI was still investigating who compromised the personal data of up to 4 million US government employees in the hack. Continue reading...
US government responds to latest hack: give us more power over data collection
‘Zero day’ attack on high-level security clearance agency reignites push by Congressional leaders to hand federal government greater cybersecurity powersCongressional leaders are warning the latest major government data hack proves the Senate should hand the US government greater cybersecurity powers – even as the stalled legislation to do so would place even more consumer data into the hands of the same government that could not secure its existing information.An estimated 4 million federal employees had their personal data compromised after what was reported by authorities on Thursday to be a previously unknown software intrusion, known as a “zero day” attack, accessed networks operated by the Office of Personnel Management, the federal human resources department that houses high-level security clearances and government employee records. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on cyberwars: enter the trolls | Editorial
The great breach in the US government’s database is a classic case of informational smash and grab. But operations to plant misinformation are also worrying for states which care about truthDigital wars are being fought in many theatres around the world – and in many forms. In the light of the Snowden revelations, citizens who guard their privacy may already feel that it has been occupied by a hostile force. But on Thursday, the Obama administration conceded that the US federal government had itself fallen victim to a hack on an unprecedented scale, with the security of the details of up to four million former and present employees apparently breached.The Chinese, who were initially considered the most likely suspects, hotly deny any responsibility for this data smash and grab. Nor is it immediately obvious what the perpetrators’ motives might be. It could be a fishing expedition to establish who has access to real secrets. It could be a more straightforward criminal enterprise, a prelude to identity theft. The initial hack probably happened months ago, for one of the distinguishing features of the digital age is its capacity to host the faceless along with the intimate. This is what lends a more sinister force to the familiar equation of information, truth and power. The ability to extract or insert information that may or may not be true is not new – but it is uniquely facilitated in a digital world. Continue reading...
'Baby yoga' video on Facebook sparks internet censorship debate
NSPCC calls on government to intervene over video showing screaming baby being roughly dunked in bucket of waterA disturbing video of a screaming baby being roughly dunked in a bucket of water is at the centre of a row over internet censorship.
The Film Distributors Association has turned 100! So what's the current life expectancy for cinematic releases?
Celebrations are underway for the centenary of the FDA – but with Netflix in such ascendancy, can traditional film distribution survive the looming shadow of the digital streaming giants?The lights go down; you settle back in your plush fake-velvet seat; the projector beam ignites overhead; the silver screen begins to glow ... it’s an age-old ritual, and one of cinemas great selling points. But the communal experience of cinema exhibition is under threat as never before. Not content with permanently altering the way TV is consumed with their on-demand, binge-watch-oriented streaming services, the likes of Netflix, iTunes and Amazon are taking aim at the cinema itself. Increasingly emboldened by its success and financial muscle, the big-league digital platforms are looking to buy more high-end feature film product and exert more and more control over where and how it is seen. The age of the digital world premiere for major films is not far off.At the recently concluded Cannes film festival, for example, much of the talk in the film market revolved around Netflix’s plans for their burgeoning film slate, and how it will affect the larger arena of film distribution. At an industry panel at Cannes, Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos suggested that the current practice of delaying the release of films on home entertainment platforms until several weeks after they have appeared in cinemas (the so-called “theatrical window”) will no longer be the norm, and that that “movies will be more profitable” if they were to debut online simultaneously with their conventional cinema release. Continue reading...
Cyberwar: hacking attacks between nations are difficult to prove
Following the large-scale hack of US federal personnel databases, governments need to build up their defences to minimise the impact of future attacksIt is a story that is becoming all-too-familiar: the US government had to admit on Thursday that one of its key personnel databases, containing the records of up to 4 million staff, had been compromised in a large-scale hacking attack. Officials speaking off the record laid the blame at China’s door, though did not immediately provide any evidence for this claim.Related: OPM hack: China blamed for massive breach at US federal agency Continue reading...
Silk Road: Ross Ulbricht files appeal against convictions and sentencing
Drug marketplace operator ‘Dread Pirate Roberts’ was found guilty last month on seven counts and given sentences that amount to life in prisonRoss Ulbricht, the man convicted of running the online drug emporium Silk Road, has appealed against his conviction and sentence, according to court documents filed on Thursday.Related: Silk Road operator Ross Ulbricht sentenced to life in prison Continue reading...
Cheep shot: Cannes head says it has become a 'Twitter festival'
Cannes director Thierry Frémaux voices complaints at amount of social media in play during the festival, following his ban on red-carpet selfiesCannes film festival chief Thierry Frémaux has attacked social media for making this year’s event “a Twitter festival”.
Dirty cloud: warnings over online gaming industry's environmental footprint
Gaming giants scrutinised in the past for using hazardous materials in consoles could soon see their online enterprises put under the microscopeThe video game industry, while dedicated to delivering hours of thumb-strengthening entertainment, hasn’t always shown a similar verve when it comes to giving Mother Earth an extra life. Greenpeace has slammed console makers Nintendo and Microsoft in the past for their attitudes towards hazardous materials and e-waste, with Nintendo again hitting bottom of the list in the group’s last ranking of environmentally responsible companies.
Fullblox review
3DS; Nintendo; £8.99Pullblox was a deceptively simple puzzle game for Nintendo’s handheld 3DS, its plump little hero walking up to irregularly shaped blocks and either pulling them forwards or pushing them backwards in order to form stairs towards a flag perched at the top of each puzzle. Fullblox sticks with this formula, but adds the ability to stretch blocks sideways, along with enemies who can harm you but can also be hopped on and used as moving step ladders to reach otherwise inaccessible blocks. In typical Nintendo style, it’s polished to perfection, wringing astounding ingenuity from a simple premise and dressing it all up in charming, childlike trappings. Its introductory portion is free, and packs of new levels range from £2.69 to £4.49, with the whole game available for a very reasonable £8.99. Along with levels made by Nintendo, which include one nostalgic tranche based on characters and settings from its ancient back catalogue, you can also use the Fullblox Studio to build your own puzzles and play other people’s, a feature that’s unlocked as soon as you’ve spent any money. Cheerful, fun and incredibly taxing, Fullblox is a solidly constructed and subtle set of challenges.ALSO OUT THIS WEEK Continue reading...
Six important video games you'll never see in a hall of fame
The Strong museum in New York has opened a World Video Game Hall of Fame – here are the historic titles that won’t be included any time soon
Dubsmash: the viral app turning memes into mimes is singing – and winning
The lip-syncing app has been downloaded more than 50 million times, but what is it? And why is it so popular with everyone from kids to celebrities?Miming into a hairbrush, reeling off favourite quotes from films, and covering internet catchphrases – all a lot easier since the arrival of lip-syncing app, Dubsmash.The mobile app allows users to take videos either of themselves or others miming to pre-recorded audio clips. Film, music and internet snippets are popular, but users are also able to upload more personal clips. Continue reading...
FBI anti-terror official calls on tech firms to 'prevent encryption above all else'
When communication goes through encrypted channels, rather than in public, the FBI has a hard time intercepting itThe FBI has again waded into the debate around encryption, with the bureau’s assistant director of counterterrorism telling the US congress that tech companies should “prevent encryption above all else”.Michael Steinbach, speaking at a hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee, explained how the the FBI uses technology to track and intercept supporters of Isis in the Middle East and elsewhere. Continue reading...
Facebook Lite: the slimmed-down, faster alternative to the full app
Social network’s plan to attract next billion people sees launch of new app for developing nations that consumes a fraction of dataFacebook’s new app for Android has all the features of its full app, but is faster, smaller and lighter on data.
Lonely planet: the solitude of open-world games when the story is over
Despite a wealth of randomised missions, side-quests and collection tasks, sandbox environments can feel weird when the authors withdraw“This is the way the world ends
Fighting online abuse of children has driven it underground - report
EFC reports bitcoin and images and videos of child abuse used as currency after conventional payment systems decline in popularityA pan-European drive to use the financial system to fight online child abuse has succeeded in reducing sales of child abuse material using conventional payment systems – but research suggests that abusers have been driven underground, turning to anonymiser technologies to evade law enforcement, and bitcoin to pay for material.Experts from the European Financial Coalition Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation Online (EFC) report that images and videos of child abuse have become a currency in their own right, with abusers expected to provide new material in exchange for access. Continue reading...
Youtube could be 'eclipsed' if Facebook video tackles piracy - Fullscreen boss
MCN regularly sees its videos uploaded without permission to social network: ‘I’m shocked that a rights holder with deep pockets has not sued’Facebook’s native video features have the potential to “eclipse” YouTube according to the boss of multi-channel network Fullscreen – but only if the social network tackles the issue of videos being uploaded without the permission of their creators.Fullscreen is one of the MCNs that has built a big audience on YouTube, with its network of 70,000 channels accumulating more than 635 million subscribers. Continue reading...
Facebook defends sharing of video of screaming baby being dunked
NSPCC says video which has gone viral depicts child abuse, but Facebook says allowing it to be shared could lead to the child being rescuedFacebook has defended its decision to allow its users to share disturbing video of a screaming baby being roughly dunked in a bucket of water, despite calls from campaigners for government action to prevent the dissemination of such images.Children’s welfare charity the NSPCC said the video, which has gone viral on Facebook, depicted child abuse. Continue reading...
OPM hack: China blamed for massive breach at US federal agency
Denials from Beijing after computer systems are targeted at Office of Personnel Management, which holds details on entire staff of US governmentThe Obama administration is scrambling to assess the impact of a massive data breach involving the agency that handles security clearances and US government employee records, with suspicion quickly falling on China, which has been accused of carrying out cyber-espionage against the US in the past.
Chatterbox: Friday
The place to talk about games and other things that matterIt’s Friday, comments are actually switched on, so let’s chat! Continue reading...
Video game hall of fame honours Pong, Doom and Super Mario Bros.
Pac-Man, Tetris and World of Warcraft also make grade in US museum’s homage to industry rivalling Hollywood in entertainment pecking orderThe first inductees into a new video game hall of fame include Pong, the game that introduced millions to electronic play, Doom, which triggered a debate over the role of games and violence in society, and Super Mario Bros., whose mustachioed hero has migrated to everything from fruit snacks to sneakers.The first six games to enter the World Video Game Hall of Fame cross decades and platforms, but all have impacted the video game industry, popular culture and society in general, according to the new hall at The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, where the games were enshrined on Thursday. Continue reading...
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