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News & Updates
March 19, 2017
You can now experience the weather in VR thanks to AccuWeather and Oculus
AccuWeather recently debuted a new VR experience called AccuWeather — Weather for Life, which promises users “engaging 360 video content, current weather conditions, a daily and hourly forecast,” and more.
The post You can now experience the weather in VR thanks to AccuWeather and Oculus appeared first on Digital Trends.
Source: Digital Trends VR
March 18, 2017
Announcing the 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards Winners
SXSW Gaming Conference and Festival has announced the winners for the 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards sponsored by IGN and Imaginary Forces. The winners in 23 different categories, were revealed during the fourth annual Gaming Awards ceremony, which was hosted by WWE® Superstar Xavier Woods® and popular gaming broadcaster OMGitsfirefoxx.
Award winner highlights include Game of the Year winner Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog); Mobile Game of the Year winner Pokémon GO (Niantic); Esports Game of the Year winner Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment); Tabletop Game of the Year winner Arkham Horror: The Card Game (Fantasy Flight Games); Trending Game of the Year winner Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment); and Fan Creation of the Year winner Brutal Doom 64 (Sergeant_Mark_IV).
Finalists for the SXSW Gaming Awards categories were selected and voted on by the SXSW Gaming Advisory Board and select staff, consisting of more than 40 industry experts well-versed in everything gaming and geek culture. Once finalists were revealed, the general public, along with the Advisory Board, were invited to cast their vote on IGN.com to help determine the winners in each category, which were unveiled and honored at tonight’s SXSW Gaming Awards ceremony.
2017 SXSW Gaming Awards Winners
Excellence in SFX
Battlefield 1 – Electronic Arts / EA DICE
Excellence in Musical Score
DOOM – Bethesda Softworks / id Software
Excellence in Technical Achievement
Battlefield 1 – Electronic Arts / EA DICE
Excellence in Visual Achievement
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
Excellence in Animation
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
Excellence in Art
Firewatch – Panic Inc. / Campo Santo
Excellence in Convergence
Batman: The Telltale Series – Telltale Games
Excellence in Multiplayer
Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
Most Memorable Character
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Nathan Drake
Most Promising New Intellectual Property
Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game
Starbound – Chucklefish Games
Excellence in Gameplay
DOOM – Bethesda Softworks / id Software
Excellence in Design
Dishonored 2 – Bethesda Softworks / Arkane Studios
Excellence in Narrative
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award
That Dragon, Cancer – Numinous Games
Gamer’s Voice Multiplayer
Arena Gods – Supertype
Gamer’s Voice Single Player
Owlboy – D-pad Studio
Fan Creation of the Year
Brutal Doom 64 – Sergeant_Mark_IV
Trending Game of the Year
Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
Esports Game of the Year
Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
Tabletop Game of the Year
Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Fantasy Flight Games
Mobile Game of the Year
Pokémon GO – Niantic
Video Game of the Year
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
The SXSW Gaming Conference & Festival is a unique combination of geek and gaming culture featuring Expos, Awards, and Programming over three days. For the full list of 2017 SXSW Gaming Award winners, visit gaming.sxsw.com/awards.
Congrats to all the winners!
Photo by Dave Pedley/Getty Images
The post Announcing the 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards Winners appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
March 18, 2017
Go Back in Time to Play the Great Arcade Games in History
Step back into the 80’s and 90’s world of gaming and experience the original “social” gaming concept in real life. If you haven’t noticed, retro arcades are in high demand. The nostalgia of arcade games guarantees to bring a smile to gamers of all ages.
Arcades4Home returns to SXSW to proudly provide the games for the Arcade Bunker and the Artist Gifting Lounge. Come by and play for free—no quarters needed!
If you haven’t seen Arcades4Home On Tour at some of the major gaming and comicons across the country, you are in for real treat. Their arcade events mix retro and classic and add a twist of modern. The best fighters, shooters, and classics are ready for your enjoyment.
Arcades4Home has been restoring, building, and customizing arcade games for more than 20 years. They have hundreds of arcade machines available and their passionate staff is always ready to talk shop with enthusiasts.
Their new San Marcos, TX showroom—called the Texas Gamers Lounge—doubles as a gamer’s paradise. It’s the premier place to play in Central Texas. Classic, retro, and modern gaming, they have it all and they can host your next retro arcade party or corporate event.
To learn more about Arcades4Home, check out some upcoming events and tournaments, and see what arcade games are available for your home or business.
Content and image provided by Arcades4Home
Related News:
- Register to attend SXSW 2017
- Explore the Gaming Expo
- Visit the SXSW Gaming website.
The post Go Back in Time to Play the Great Arcade Games in History appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
March 18, 2017
With Next Level Apparel Your SXSW T-Shirt Is Softer Than Ever
For the second year in a row, Next Level Apparel—a fashion basic apparel manufacturer in the US—has teamed up with SXSW for official shirt merchandise.
Maybe you’ve seen some of these cool T-shirts at the various merchandise stands around the Austin Convention Center or on SXSW attendees walking around Downtown Austin. But, you’d never know how awesome a Next Level Apparel shirt is until you’ve tried one on.
Once you do, you experience the comfy quality that only Next Level can provide. That’s because many of their T-shirts are premium sueded, meaning they have a velvet-like feel that ends up being the softest cotton you’ll ever touch.
Go check out Next Level’s heavenly softness for yourself at booth #209 SXSW Marketplace from March 16-18, where you can get a blank or printed tee as a souvenir. And remember to stop by the official SXSW merchandise stands around the Austin Convention Center to take home a wearable memory to go along with your unforgettable SXSW 2017 experience.
Content and image provided by Next Level Apparel
Related News:
- Register to attend SXSW 2017
- Explore the SXSW Marketplace
- Check out the Music Bloggers Guide to SXSW
The post With Next Level Apparel Your SXSW T-Shirt Is Softer Than Ever appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
March 17, 2017
Patagonia celebrates Bears Ears National Monument with 360-degree interactive films
Since 2013, Patagonia aimed to help protect Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. Its latest initiative is a collection of interactive 360-degree films which highlight the cultural and recreational importance of the region.
The post Patagonia celebrates Bears Ears National Monument with 360-degree interactive films appeared first on Digital Trends.
Source: Digital Trends VR
March 17, 2017
This photo app uses VR to help you plan your shots — and it’s now cross-platform
Need to know just where the Milky Way will be in the sky, to scout a location or calculate depth of field? PhotoPills, previously available on iOS, is now on Android.
The post This photo app uses VR to help you plan your shots — and it's now cross-platform appeared first on Digital Trends.
Source: Digital Trends VR
March 17, 2017
ABDZ Photo Challenge: Our #abdz_nightphoto Picks
ABDZ Photo Challenge: Our #abdz_nightphoto Picks
Happy Friday guys! This challenge has been hitting our momentum a little but it’s ok! Again it was a lot of fun to go through your submissions and having a chance to see how do you foreseen the challenge in your own visions. I hope you guys have enjoyed and if you have any comments/suggestions, please do share with us via Facebook or Twitter. We look forward to see what you will come up with on to the next photo challenge!
For this week, we went with the hashtag: –> #abdz_nightphoto. We thought about changing the game a little and push your creative boundaries. Let’s see how far we can take the technology of our smartphones and your vision of things at night. We can’t wait to see what you guys come up with.
@aoirostudio
@abduzeedo
@abduzeedo
@helloiamtuan
@itsdhyan
@seshcity
@mzeketv
@maurizio_photo
@a.columbae
@abduzeedo
@aoirostudio
@memphiz
@redshoebear
@sorenselleslagh
@micomoto
@lcrispa
@mzeketv
@wesleychangphoto
@qdsgn_
@bboysh1ft
@daveybp
@quirock
@rehcdd
@kobie_mc_
@treeman730
@bboysh1ft
@panmattia
@arnvnktr
@regolare
@_him.over.there_
@superlelique
@helloiamtuan
@superlelique
@_him.over.there_
@till_haarmann
@helloiamtuan
@chris_ando
@till_haarmann
@memphiz
@martijnvandernat.nl
@mzeketv
@martijnvandernat.nl
@steve3p_0
@daveybp
@tylergardon
@daveybp
@martinezllucas
@chris_ando
@jmxma
AoiroStudio
Mar 17, 2017
Source: Abduzeedo Photography
March 17, 2017
Visual Storytelling – Unplugged
With our growing reliance on smartphones, I had an interesting revelation one day when my iPhone froze during a software update. Something I know we all can relate to.
You know how it starts, you start getting those red alerts that there is a new software update. At first, you ignore it, hey I’ve got better things to do right now. A few days passed by and your App Store shows millions of app updates waiting.
You hit the Update button on a few essentials like LinkedIn and Instagram – and nothing happens. Worst now your folder where those 2 apps where happily camping is completely frozen leaving your apps unclickable and unusable.
That’s when it dawns on you hey, maybe it’s time to make that darn software update because maybe the folks at Apple included some bug fixes for these exact annoyances. My battery shows 40%, so I power up my device and start the update while continuing to work. It’s amazing how when doing work and your phone is updating (aka dead), it means no downtime snacking breaks. I continue working while occasionally glancing at the white thin progress bar that seems to simultaneously process the entire town’s iPhone updates. But nothing!
It’s evening, I’m getting hungry my wife is calling: “pick me up from work and we’ll get some dinner?” I respond yes, but I am just waiting for my phone to complete updating. An hour passed and nothing. “Are we there yet?” I promise her it’s almost there. She gives up and decided to come home instead.
I give up and decide to go to dinner leaving that “lizard phone” at home, pretty much “going naked.” Since I now have no device, my fave Pandora stations are gone – so no music and no red light glances to see if the world still standing. And what’s more at every red light I look around and all drivers next to me are deeply engrossed in their devices. My wife’s device serves as a “teacher sub” but far from that other machine recuperating back home.
Dinner finally arrived, it was a great choice and another bookmark to our Yelp list, but grrr… no phone. I don’t know if it’s true but some people say that habit of lighting a cigarette after dinner in recent years has migrated to turning on your device and checking what you missed in the past 15 minutes now that your belly is comfortably filled. But grrr…no phone.
According to a 2015 Deloitte study, Americans are collectively checking their smartphones 8 billion times per day. On average, Americans across all age groups check their phone 46 times per day. That’s 33 looks more than 2014, so I am sure these figures have already spiked up since.
What can we do to minimize this “iron screen grip” on our lives? Part of it I think has to do with changing how our storytelling mind processes the world. We’re constantly seeking for meanings to make sense of the world around us. So we come up with stories with bad, good, and neutral endings. The trick is to stop producing stories with a call to action that involves your device in order to resolve a situation or satisfy an immediate gratification for info fix or other FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) variants.
It’s up to you how you effectively edit your stories’ resolutions into compelling and mindful experiences with less “interruptive advertising” of your own making. So next time when you get the urge for a mindless mobile tinkering, simply change your CTA and think of other ways you could enrich the experience of your current passion project. Look around you, sometimes unrelated events with the smallest B-roll details may trigger a new way to delight your customers.
Not all roads need to lead to your device!
Need help optimizing your BIG STORY to rise above the noise?
Hey, we’re just a call away: Schedule a conversation
Source: Visual Storytelling
March 17, 2017
A Look At How Dark Money Influences Elections
Most people are under the impression that the IRS and the FEC strictly enforce the rules that restrict nonprofit organizations, who are not required to reveal their donors to the public, from dedicating more than half of their proceeds to politics, but sadly, they would be mistaken. It’s not because the rules are non-existent, it’s because they aren’t enforced or enforcible to begin with. This anonymous funding is known as dark money.
The biggest issue is that these agencies—the IRS and the Federal Election Commission and the like —aren’t very effective when it comes to overseeing dark money groups.
The IRS, for example, does not have any procedures set up to assess political activity nor do they have the funds to properly train their employees. These were contributing factors that led to the discovery back in 2014 that those whose job it was to audit 501(c) applications for tax-exemption didn’t quite grasp the regulations they were supposed to be enforcing.
Now, although dark money groups aren’t allowed to dedicate most of their proceeds to influencing elections, that just means they are only allowed to devote less than half, or 49%. And that does not mean that nonprofits don’t regularly spend most, or even all, of their funds on elections. It’s actually really easy for them to do so without even getting in trouble.
The trick is a bit complicated, so here’s how it works:
Basically what is happening is nonprofits are daisy-chaining their contributions to fulfill their tax-exemption eligibility requirements while offsetting their spending on politics. And the worst part about it is that they don’t even have to declare any of these transactions until the election is over.
If you’re still confused about dark money or you want to learn more, check out this website.
[Via: Open Secrets]
Source: Visual News
March 17, 2017
Gamers In America: Perceptions About Video Games
Gamers have long been stigmatized in America. Video games were thought to lead to violent behavior and criticized for it’s depiction of violence and murder. Video game culture has been regarded as a male cult with it’s poor depiction of women and minorities. In 2015, Pew Research Center conducted a survey that asked Americans questions about video games and their opinions about gamers. The Pew Research Center also released a report that tried to capture the current attitude towards video games in America. The data was used to gauge the current perceptions about gaming and to understand if there are any truth behind the bad rap video games tend to get.
Perceptions On Who’s Playing Video Games?
Both male and females adults believe that most of the video games are played by males. However, the Pew Research Center found that 48% of females that answered the survey have played video games in contrast to 50% of males. The data shows that nearly the same amount of males and females have played video games.
Although almost half of Americans are playing video games, the Pew Research Center found only 22% of survey takers identified as “gamers”. These are people that would describe themselves as a “fan of gaming or a frequent game player”. In this category more males tend to identify as a “gamer” when compared to females. In the past video games were thought of as a cult following. The rise of cell phone use and the popularity of phone games may have brought gaming to the masses. The Nintendo Wii was a cultural phenomenon and attributed most of it’s success to marketing towards attracting new gamers. This is seen as the rise of the casual gamer. These are people that enjoy playing video games but are not considered frequent video game players.
What Are People’s Opinions About Video Games?
It turns out that a large portion of Americans are unsure about video games portraying women and minority groups poorly.
- 40% of adults are unsure if video games portray women poorly
- 47% of adults are unsure if video games portray minority groups poorly
American adults also have positive perceptions about video games.
- 47% of adults think that some video games, but not others, help develop good problem solving and strategic thinking skills
- 37% of adults think that some video games, but not others, promote teamwork and communication
- 34% of adults think that some video games, but not others, are a better form of entertainment than watching tv
Many American still believe that video games are a waste of time.
- 33% of adults think that some video games, but not others, are a waste of time
- 27% of adults think that all video games are a waste of time
The current perception is fairly mixed and people are unsure and still forming opinions about video games.
Do People Think Violent Video Games Are Linked to Violent Behavior?
Video games are becoming more prevalent in the digital age. They are becoming more widely accessible to different groups of people and are available in multiple formats. An American no longer has to buy a console to play video games and can casually enjoy playing them. Video games are becoming a more acceptable format of entertainment like movies or television. The gaming industry is also breaking into the competitive sports scenes with eSports becoming an $892 million industry in 2016. Social opinions of video games are becoming more positive. Contrary to popular belief, nearly the same amount of women and men have played video games. Americans are uncertain about video games portraying women and minorities poorly and some believe that they promote team work, strategic thinking, problem solving skills, and communication.
Source: Visual News