Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category

Disney Develops Robotic ‘Pixelbots’

Sunday, April 6th, 2014

Disney is continually developing things that will make us hand over a substantial amount of cash to play in their parks.

Recently the Disney Research Hub’s YouTube Channel dropped a video showing something called PixelBots.

As entertainment in the real world becomes more interactive due to the public’s insatiable appetite for new experiences, companies like Disney continue to push into new areas of the interactive experience.

What will Disney be using these lemming-like little ‘bots for? Hard to say.

We’ll let you all role-play the part of an Imagineer in the comments.

[DisneyResearchHub YouTube Channel]

Posted in Entertainment, Technology | 1 Comment »

Z Machine – New Robot Rock Band Makes Debut!

Thursday, June 27th, 2013

Musicians are usually willing to jam with anyone that has some ability at playing an instrument. As we begin walking hand-in-hand with our quickly-becoming-commonplace robotic friends, it only seems natural that musicians and robots would start creating the modern equivalent of their own Wyld Stallyns.

Other bands, like Compressorheads, have tread this road long before Z Machine. It just seems that right now we’re all a little more comfortable with our new metal friends and Z Machine has hit the stage at the right moment because of the reaction that the band’s had overseas.

Z Machine performs a lot like an emo band who’s feet have been nailed to the floor in the video we’ve posted here. That looming alien thing in the background on the left seems to be on a union break.

Despite the feeling that this performance is like we’re watching the result of something that’s been a weekend project between the glee and choir clubs, this is a simple, innocent example of how welcoming a new generation is of their new robotic buddies.

[Oddity Central]

Posted in China, Entertainment, Robot, Robots, Rock, Technology | Comments Off on Z Machine – New Robot Rock Band Makes Debut!

[Video] Swarming Robots Perform “Meet Your Creator”

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Featured on the cover of WIRED magazine this month, these little drones or “quadrotors” have been popping up everywhere lately.

The show in the video above features 16 of them performing some very cool computer-controlled aerial choreography using reflected light.

It’s some spectacular stuff to watch….until you realize this display is called ‘Meet Your Creator’…and until the kinda creepy ending…

Which we’re pretty sure is a signal to Skynet that it’s highly mobile flying army is ready.

[YouTube]

Posted in Entertainment, Robots | Comments Off on [Video] Swarming Robots Perform “Meet Your Creator”

Help Save a Podcast

Monday, April 9th, 2012

It’s very rare that I like to use this space for anything other than what you came here for: news of the weird and the occasional genre pop culture breakdown. However, I need to ask a favor of you.

You see, I also do a few podcasts outside of Weird Things. One of them was Game On, a video game show I wrote and was hosted by the supernova that is Veronica Belmont and Weird Things podcast host Brian Brushwood. It was very silly and despite some early episode woes, we really found our feet.

Unfortunately, due to low download numbers over the first 10 episodes, our network announced they were canceling the show. Sunday was our last episode.

Which is when something amazing happened. Our viewers went berserk.

In fact, they protested so loudly that the head of our network, Leo Laporte, said that if the last episode got 50,000 views and downloads than he’d bring it back.

Which brings me back to that favor.

Every YouTube view or download counts to the total. If you dig video games, you’ll like it. If you are more of a casual player on you iPad or iPhone, you’ll like it too. If you wouldn’t mind giving this episode a chance, we would all greatly appreciate it.

SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES HERE

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE HERE

game on brian brushwood veronica belmont-1.jpg

Posted in Entertainment, Help | 5 Comments »