When the Best Books of 2013 are listed, the most important may not make the cut. Thats because the most exciting literary innovation of the year is not a book at all, but a video game for iPad and iPhone. Device 6 is a metaphysical thriller in which the world is made almost entirely from words. Playing it is like reading a book—except, in this book, the words veer off in unexpected directions, rather than progressing in orderly fashion down the page. When Anna, the game’s protagonist, turns a corner in the narrative, the text does too, swerving off to one side at a right angle, forcing the player to rotate the screen.
More in this story about other innovative gaming apps that have a literary angle. Read: This Video Game Could Revolutionize Publishing—and Reading | Rowland Manthorpe | The Atlantic.
Many will tell you that video games are bad for your eyes, but James Blaha doesn’t buy that theory. He’s developing a crowdfunded virtual reality title, Diplopia, that could help restore 3D vision. The Breakout variant trains those with crossed eye problems to coordinate their eyes by manipulating contrast; players score well when their brain merges two images into a complete scene. Regular gameplay could noticeably improve eyesight for adults that previously had little hope of recovering their depth perception, Blaha says. The potential solution is relatively cheap, too — gamers use an Oculus Rift as their display, and they can add a Leap Motion controller for a hands-free experience. If you’re eager to help out, you can pledge $20 to get Diplopia, and $400 will bundle the app with an Oculus Rift headset. Check out a video demo of the therapeutic game after the break.
Read: Oculus Rift-based virtual reality game could help restore 3D vision | Engadget
We’re go out on a limb here and say that the Venn diagram of Engadget fans and Tolkien fans looks something like this. So, we figure you’ll probably want to hear about a brand new Chrome experiment that brings various parts of Middle Earth to life, including the Trollshaw and Dol Guldur. It starts with a pretty simple interactive map, but from there you’re able to dive into several locations and learn about Hobbit lore through text, animations and audio. At the end of each lesson on Tolkien’s fantasy world, you’re challenged to complete a simple mini game that has you causing flowers to bloom or avoiding troll attacks. While the WebGL-powered games are pretty impressive, its the HTML5 audio and animations that are the real eye-candy here — doubly so since they work just as well on a phone or tablet as they do your desktop. As you swipe through slides in the story, camera angles change in coordination with your finger and characters dart across bridges. Honestly, even if you’re part of that tiny sliver in the diagram that can’t stand Tolkien, it’s worth checking out the latest Chrome Experiment, if only to remind yourself of the growing power of the web browser.
Middle Earth comes to life in epic Chrome experiment | Engadget
For most of us, the inner-workings of a MacBook Air remain a pleasant, whirring mystery. That is until, something goes horribly south and we realize we need a Genius to fix it. But what if there was a way to demystify the mechanics of computing and simply build your own?
That’s the promise behind the new Kano computer kit, which is touting itself as “the first computer that anyone can make.”
Read: Make Your Own Computer For $99 | Co.Design | business + design.
Interested in creating a Makerspace in your library? This program will discuss what a Makerspace is, how libraries of all types create and share Makerspaces with library customers and the community and feedback from users. Libraries are a much needed and often used third space, which are ideal for community Makerspaces to collaborate and encourage creativity among all users. There will be gadgets, hands-on demos and group discussion on the nuts & bolts necessary for Makerspace in the library as well as what products should be found in successful Makerspaces. Gordon Wyant will share how his library successfully wrote a grant for a 3D printer, and Michael Sauers will demo a range of new gadgets including a Raspberry Pi and LibraryBox.
Presenters: Marcia Dority Baker, University of Nebraska College of Law Library, Lincoln; Michael Sauers, Nebraska Library Commission; Gordon Wyant, Bellevue Public Library.
via Tinkers, Printers & Makers: Makerspaces in the Library | The Travelin’ Librarian
Related:
‘Flowers In The Attic’ Trailer: Lifetime Takes On V.C. Andrews Novel | HuffPo
Lifetime’s “Flowers In The Attic” has a spooky new trailer.
The hyped adaptation of V.C. Andrews’ classic novel will premiere on Lifetime on January 18. In the preview above, Kiernan Shipka (“Mad Men”) and Mason Dye (“Secret Diary of an American Cheerleader”) star as twins who develop a love affair while trapped in the family attic.
Featuring an all-star cast — Heather Graham plays the twins’ negligent mother and Academy Award-winner, Ellen Burstyn, is completely terrifying as the twins’ abusive grandmother — the trailer promises everything a Lifetime movie should: sex, terror and a whole lot of OMG-moments.
“Flowers in the Attic” premieres on Jan. 18 on Lifetime.
You can now take a 3D peek at several famous historical artifacts thanks to a project from the Smithsonian Institution.
Launched on Wednesday, the Smithsonian X 3D Web site serves up a collection of 3D images of artifacts digitally scanned by the museum through a partnership with Autodesk. You canexplore the artifacts in detail by manipulating their images via mouse on your computer or via finger on a supported touch-screen device.
Read: Smithsonian now lets you view artifacts in 3D | Internet & Media – CNET News.
Related: The Smithsonian Is Uploading Its Lost Treasures to the Internet | Gizmodo
I went around San Francisco asking random people on the street how they felt about email versus handwritten letters. This video was created to help promote the Snail Mail My Email project and its third annual event, going on November 11 – 17, 2013.
Snail Mail My Email (snailmailmyemail.org) is a collaborative art project I founded where volunteers handwrite strangers’ emails and send physical letters to the intended recipients, free of charge. The project has since transitioned to a week-long annual event.
via Snail Mail vs. Email from ivancash on Vimeo.
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