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How Will Historians Study Video Games?
Universities and museums recognize the cultural value of video games, but the question of whether to preserve the actual devices—and how—is more divisive.
Since their birth as a science-fair curiosity at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the late 1950s, video games have moved inexorably towards higher and more central cultural ground, much like film did in the first half of the 20th century.
Games were confined at first to the lowbrow carnival of the arcade, but they soon spread to the middlebrow sphere of the living room, overran this private space, and burst out and upwards into the public spheres of art and academia. With prestigious universities like NYU and USC now offering graduate-level programs in game design, and major museums like MoMA, MAD, and SF MoMA beginning to acquire games and curate game exhibitions, preserving the early history of the medium appears more important than ever. But what exactly does it mean to preserve a digital game?
The answer is surprisingly simple: It means, first and foremost, preserving a record of how it was played and what it meant to its player community. Ensuring continued access to a playable version of the game through maintenance of the original hardware or emulation is less important—if it matters at all.
Poutine at McDonald's? Yes, but only in Canada
Prepare yourself for a strong dose of fast-food envy.
A version of poutine, the Canadian dish of fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds, has arrived at McDonald's locations in Canada. Yes, the same restaurant serving chicken nuggets, the Big Mac and McFlurries is attempting a dish that almost none get right.
Most importantly, cheese curds are cheese curds. The cheese on poutine needs to be in the form of curds, or you can't call it poutine. And it looks like McDonald's got it right, then in true golden arches form, stuck it in a box.
"Rich and tasty gravy? Melty, mouth-watering cheese curds? On our world famous fries? You better believe it! Poutine is here and it's better than ever," writes McDonald's on its Canadian site.
VIA LATimes
U.S. Spy Rocket Launching Today Has Octopus-Themed 'Nothing Is Beyond Our Reach' Logo. Seriously.
The Office of National Intelligence is very excited about sending a rocket into space today with a bunch of new satellites and is live tweeting its launch. This would usually be a cute display of social media, along the lines of NASA getting the world excited about its Mars Curiosity Rover, except these are spy satellites that will likely be used to gather communications flotsam and who knows what else from people around the world. That’s a touchy subject these days what with the Snowden leaks and constant new revelations about cell phones being turned into location trackers, the listening in on foreign leaders’ phone calls and the vacuuming up of any information sent digitally that’s not encrypted. Given that, I was a little surprised that ODNI was bragging about the launch on Twitter and putting the mission patch for the rocket on prominent display as it looks like it was drawn by a writer for The Simpsons with his tongue firmly in his cheek.
Read more here Via Forbes
Google Finally Lets You Download Your Own Calendar, Gmail Data
A welcome bit of news from Google’s “don’t be evil” department: You can now download a copy of your own Gmail and Google Calendar data.
The move is part of the growing menu of “Google Takeout” options that includes YouTube, Drive, and several other products. They’re being developed by a team or engineers within Google that calls itself the “Data Liberation Front.” (Yes, that’s a Monty Python reference.) Your Google Calendar data is available for download as of today, and the option to download your Gmail messages will be rolled out over the next month. Just go to your account settings, click “download your data,” and select the data sources you’re interested in.
Read more here via Slate
Documents: D.C. officer ran prostitution ring from his apartment
WASHINGTON - A D.C. police officer is under investigation for running a prostitution ring out of his Southeast apartment, where a missing teenage girl was found Wednesday, court documents show.
The missing girl was located when the investigation into her whereabouts took authorities to an apartment on Stanton Road SE around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, where a D.C. police officer lives, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court.
The officer told the investigators there were two females in the apartment. One of them was the missing 16-year-old girl, who told police the officer took pictures of her naked and set her up with a prostitution client. Investigators then obtained a search warrant, which they executed shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Police found marijuana, high heel shoes and bags of condoms in the apartment, according to court records.
The officer has not been identified and has not been charged. The other woman in the apartment was 18 years old, documents say.
The paperwork was filed one day after another D.C. policeman, Officer Marc Washington, was charged with producing child pornography.
Authorities have not said whether the two incidents are related.
Police Chief Cathy Lanier released a statement on Thursday saying the department was very concerned about the allegations of "egregious conduct" by two of its officers.
"We recognize that the actions of individual officers reflect on the entire Department," Lanier states. "The misguided actions of a few in no way reflect on the professionalism, dedication, and integrity of the Department."
The documents say the teen first met the unidentified officer two weeks earlier and he had since set up a "date" for her with an older man. She was expected to perform sex acts for $80, $20 of which she would give to the officer.
The girl also told investigators the officer gave her the nickname "Juicy." She said she'd met six other women at the apartment who discussed their earnings from prostitution, according to court documents.
More here Via WTOP
What year is it? Bishops support Mexican vigilantes in fight against vicious Knights Templar gang
Bells tolled from the red cathedral tower in the western Mexico town of Apatzingan, calling the faithful to hear a bishop who backs a growing vigilante movement against a cult-like drug cartel.
As people headed to church, soldiers patrolled the main square, banks and a supermarket in this bastion of the fearsome Knights Templar gang, which has brought mayhem to the southwestern state of Michoacan.
“We cannot deny that we are living through difficult times. Our towns are experiencing an atmosphere of uncertainty and suspicion,” Bishop Miguel Patino Velazquez told his flock, reading a message signed by Michoacan’s bishops.
More here via Raw Story
South Africa's Nelson Mandela dies
South Africa's first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has died, South Africa's president says.
Mr Mandela, 95, led South Africa's transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s, after 27 years in prison.
He had been receiving intense home-based medical care for a lung infection after three months in hospital.
In a statement on South African national TV, Mr Zuma said Mr Mandela had "departed" and was at peace.
Read more here BBC
9 Sexy 3D-Printed Heels
The technical process of 3D printing can lack a personal touch, so Sebastian Errazruiz decided to mine his romantic past for some—er—intimate creative inspiration. The designer-slash-artist has been working for a year to produce 12 Shoes for 12 Lovers, a series that quite literally objectifies a dozen former flames. Hrm.
It was the first foray into 3D printing for Errazruiz, who teamed up with the off-beat footwear specialists at Melissa for a pop-up debut next week at Art Basel Miami; he'll be showing these pieces, born from CAD drawings and high-tech equipment rather than hands-on modeling. "He wanted to create shoe sculptures that could just as easily pass as a single exclusive valuable art work or a potential molded mass consumption product," studio manager Shani Ha tells Gizmodo. "To mix a little 1% and 99% demographics on the same project from its inception."
Each of the sets has a generic nickname—"The Boss," "The Jetsetter," "Ice Queen"—and an alias to protect identities, buuuuuuut there's a (strong) argument to be made that reducing flesh-and-blood women to inanimate fashion footwear and pseudonyms is not exactly... progressive. You can check out the accompanying artsy, almost-nude pics, and read a bit of erotic short (non)fiction on his site, and thus parse one man's exploration into memory, relationships, and sexual escapades. [MoCo Loco]
Read more here (NSFW)
Now that a Wonder Woman has been Cast, Why WW Shouldn't Be a Sidekick
Originally conceived as Superman's superior, feminist replacement, the character has become a second-stringer over the years—including, unfortunately, in her forthcoming big-screen debut.
Various Wonder Woman movie projects have been stuck in development hell for more or less forever, but it looks like we'll finally be getting to see an on-screen Amazon princess in the near future. Zack Snyder is including the character in his Batman vs. Superman film; Gal Gadot has been cast. Wonder Woman fans rejoice!
Then again, maybe not so much. Wonder Woman as add-on bit player to the manly conflict on the marquee is a sadly familiar scenario to anyone who has subjected themselves to DC comics superhero product over the years. Batman and Superman are both very popular properties. Wonder Woman is the highest-profile female counterpart, but one who has had much less success in the last few decades (at least since the 1970s Lynda Carter television show).
George Clooney Is Esquire's January Cover Star
......and he thinks anyone famous is a moron if they’re on Twitter.
“ Despite the actor’s rise to global superstardom, he says being famous is restrictive. In 15 years Clooney has not gone for a walk in New York’s Central Park, despite wanting to, and is still surprised by his success.
“There’s a funny thing about fame. The truth is you run as fast as you can towards it because it is everything you want. You get there and it’s shocking how immediately you become enveloped in this world that is incredibly restricting.”
On being a celebrity, he says: “Not that I’m comparing myself to Clark Gable or whoever but they couldn’t survive in this environment. They’d punch the shit out of some people. It requires a kind of Zen quality.”
The Gravity star also shares his views on social media, saying: “I think anyone who is famous is a moron if they’re on Twitter. It’s just stupid.”
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Via Esquire
Social Media Hack
2 million Facebook, Gmail and Twitter passwords stolen in massive hack
Hackers have stolen usernames and passwords for nearly two million accounts at Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo and others, according to a report released this week.
The massive data breach was a result of keylogging software maliciously installed on an untold number of computers around the world, researchers at cybersecurity firm Trustwave said. The virus was capturing log-in credentials for key websites over the past month and sending those usernames and passwords to a server controlled by the hackers.
More here
Via CNN
All hail the GoogleBots
Somehow, Google acquired seven robotics companies without anyone noticing.
The companies, all of which have been scooped up in the last year or so, are all a part of former Android boss Andy Rubins’s new Google robotics venture, which was first unveiled earlier today.
After taking a closer look at some of these companies, one thing becomes clear: Google’s robot vision is as diverse it is ambitious. But the companies all point to Google’s final goal here: To create a smart, mobile, dextrous robot that can work alongside — or in place of — humans. It’s the type of moonshot that companies like Google — and, indeed, Amazon — have gotten particularly good at making,
Read more here
Via venturebeat.com
Christmas tree delivery? There’s an app for that
Uber to deliver your Christmas Trees
The Home Depot is teaming up with transportation-network company Uber to deliver Christmas trees to homes and offices on Thursday, Dec. 5 via the Uber smartphone app.
There’s no cash necessary – Uber users will receive a 7 to 8-foot wrapped tree complete with stand, along with an “Uber gift,” within minutes of ordering. The tree comes for$135, which will be charged to your Uber account.
The service will stretch across 10 U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C.
Read more here via Daily Caller
Obama's new pup knocked over a little girl at Michelle's White House Christmas decoration ceremony
The Obama's younger dog is still getting used to the spotlight as it made a major faux pas during a White House ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
Sunny Obama jumped up on a toddler who was a guest at the unveiling of the official Christmas decorations, pushing the little girl to the ground.
The girl, later identified as Ashtyn Gardner, is one of the hundreds of children from military families who were on hand to help the First Lady display this year's decorations.
Read more here
We're all going to die!....Or become super heroes!
Stolen Container Of Radioactive Material Found Empty, Mexican Official Says
A Mexican official announced that a stolen container carrying radioactive material was found empty, the Associated Press reports on Wednesday evening.
Via Huffington Post
This is breaking news. Check back later for updates. HERE
Microsoft Developed A ‘Diet Bra’ That Alerts Women When They’re At Risk For Over-Eating
A prototype of the “diet bra,” which has sensors to monitor a woman’s stress level
CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER/MICROSOFT RESEARCH
A team of engineers at Microsoft Research have developed a high-tech bra that’s intended to monitor women’s stress levels and dissuade them from emotional over-eating. The undergarment has sensors that track the user’s heart rate, respiration, skin conductance, and movement — all of which can indicate the type of stressful emotions that lead to over-eating, according to Microsoft researchers. The data is sent to a smartphone app, which then alerts users about their mood.
Researchers hope it could be an innovative solution to stress-induced eating, which is a potential contributor to the nation’s obesity epidemic. Their research on the subject, as well as their design for the new bra, is laid out in a new paper entitled “Food and Mood: Just-in-Time Support for Emotional Eating.”
“It’s mostly women who are emotional over-eaters, and it turns out that a bra is perfect for measuring EKG (electrocardiogram),” Mary Czerwinski, one of the senior researchers at Microsoft, told Discovery News. Czerwinski explained that her team tried to develop an underwear version for men, but it didn’t end up working because underwear is located too far away from the heart.
Read more here via Thinkprogress.com
El Rey, U Street’s new shipping container taqueria, will open this month
Via WashingtonPost.com El Rey, a taqueria and beer garden on U Street constructed largely from shipping containers, is weeks away from opening.
Shocked? So are we. It's been just shy of two years since we first heard rumbles of the restaurant helmed by Eric and Ian Hilton. After releasing an initial design in March 2012, the duo instead opened the Brixton and Satellite Room. After a couple of summers came and went, we'd lost hope that we'd be drinking margaritas under the stars anytime soon.
Suddenly, construction is cranking at 919 U St. NW. A trio of brightly hued shipping containers that seem to have sprung up overnight now mark the future home of El Rey, which is set to open sometime between Christmas and New Year's Eve, Ian Hilton says.
More e.
A Tattoo Artist Colored In His 4-Year-Old Daughter's Line Drawing. The Results Were Pretty Epic.
Via the Huffingtonpost - Fred Giovannitti is an industrial equipment inventor, but when he isn't helping to protect the world's marine ecosystems, he colors.
His art is both a professional endeavor -- Giovannitti, who lives in Delaware with his family, owns a tattoo parlor in Las Vegas that he works at ten days out of each month -- and a hobby. In addition to creating unique tattoo designs, the father of two has taken to filling in his kids' drawings with remarkable results.
It all started with a picture Giovannitti's then 4-year-old daughter, Sofia, gave him to take on one of his trips. He explained to HuffPost via e-mail:
My children like to draw me pictures for my trip so I can keep them close to me while I'm away. One day my daughter didn't get around to making me a picture in time, so right before I left she quickly drew me a line drawing to take with me. On my flights to work I keep a sketchbook to draw on the plane and have colored pencils handy. This one particular trip, instead of drawing in my sketchbook, I decided to color in my daughter’s drawing in the manner in which I would color my own work.
And so, a tradition was born... Slowly. As Dad explains on Imgur, a couple months passed before he picked up another drawing from Sofia to work with. After that, his older child, Freddie, wanted in on the action too, and Giovannitti was smart enough to start taking before and after pictures.
The best part about collaborating with his kids? Giovannitti says the bonding time ... and the "AHA moments when they see the finished product."
See more amazing drawings here.