#Advanced haptic feedback

[crazydiscostu]

Hex Gaming Ultra X Controller For XBOX One

!

Designed with precision and innovation, the Ultra X Controller from Hex Gaming promises to enhance your gaming sessions with its sturdy build and premium components. Today we’re looking into the features, tech specs, and overall performance of the Ultra X Controller. Hex Gaming Hex Gaming have established themselves firmly in the gaming peripherals market, by delivering high-quality products.…

[lanteanserver]

I think technically speaking, I'm not an Irish Catholic or an English Catholic, but I'm a Ro[a]m[i/a]n{g} Cat{-}holic until and unless they excom{m/eow}nicate me, and really, if they're going to do that,

[techdriveplay]

2024 Audi Q8 60 TFSI e - TDP Review

The 2024 Audi Q8 60 TFSI e represents a bold step forward in the luxury SUV segment, combining the power and performance of a turbocharged petrol engine with the efficiency and versatility of a plug-in hybrid system. This model is designed for those who crave speed and luxury without compromising on sustainability. Having spent a week behind the wheel, the Q8 60 TFSI e proved to be impressively…

[virtualrealitynewstoday]

Bstick：重塑虛擬現實互動，掌中的觸感革命

在科技飛速發展的今日，虛擬現實（VR）不再是遙不可及的夢想。隨著Bstick的誕生，我們進一步邁向了真實與虛擬無縫對接的新紀元。這款手持式虛擬現實力回饋控制器，以其獨特的設計和功能，重新定義了我們與數位世界的互動方式。 首先，Bstick的設計極為人性化。它摒棄了現有骨骼外骼手套式產品的不便，讓使用者無需忍受穿戴上的困擾。其簡潔的棒狀設計，不僅便於握持，更提供了傳統產品無法比擬的實在握感和震動體驗。這種設計，基於人體工學元素，將功能性放在首位，呈現出簡單而有效的外觀。 此外，Bstick的多功能性也是其一大亮點。無論是遊戲、醫療、虛擬訓練還是健身，這款產品都能派上用場。其六面不同類型的設計，讓任何人都能輕鬆上手，為各種內容提供更豐富的互動體驗。 更值得一提的是，Bstick在提供娛樂體驗的同時，也極大地促進了虛擬現實在醫療、復健、健康護理以���專業技能訓練等領域的應用。其直觀的棒狀模…

[blemgoid]

There's this guy on my block who restructured his whole life around his gen 1 HTC Vive - somehow got his hands on that vaporware immersive scent attachment and dropped $10k on one of those static treadmill deals, the works. He's forged phony press documents to get his hands on that new assassin's creed game, made sure that they sent him the collector's edition just for the haptic feedback suit. just piecemeal assembling the worlds most advanced VR goonrig, dropped of his pets and houseplants for me to take care of for a week so he could focus on edging himself. Didn't want to know about that but shit, he gave me a couple hundred bucks for my trouble so I'm gonna withhold judgement. Anyways he leaves, the power on the block flickers for a second and he's knocking on my door ten minutes later freshly showered and wearing normal clothes. Picked up all his shit from my apartment and tipped me another $50. Word around the neighborhood is that he sealed himself into his goon cocoon and booted up a Blade and Sorcery instance with like 240 something gigs of sex-mods; the overstimulation sent a pulse through his brain and kick-started his prefrontal cortex. Sounds like a load of horseshit to me, all I know is he took down all his blackout curtains and got a job. Saw him wheeling all his equipment to the curb on trash day. I think he plays golf now

[lyssophobiaa]

Quick sketch for Piers’ bionic arm.

Design Features

•Aesthetics: Streamlined, ergonomic design with a minimalist look, often featuring a matte or metallic finish.

•Materials: Lightweight composites like carbon fiber and titanium, providing durability without sacrificing mobility.

•Color Options: Customizable colors or finishes, including options for skin-like textures or futuristic metallics.

Technology

•Actuation: Advanced motors and actuators that enable precise, fluid movement mimicking natural limb motion.

•Sensors: Integrated sensors (e.g., myoelectric sensors) to detect muscle signals for intuitive control and movement.

•Feedback Systems: Haptic feedback mechanisms to provide users with sensory information about grip strength and object texture.

Safety and Durability

•Water and Dust Resistance: High IP ratings to protect against environmental factors.

•Emergency Features: Manual override systems or fail-safes in case of technology malfunction.

Advanced Technological Interface

•Integrated Biosensors: Built-in biosensors that can analyze blood or interstitial fluid samples to measure viral load in real time.

•Data Analytics: Utilizes algorithms to process biosensor data, providing insights on viral dynamics and trends.

•Alerts and Notifications: Real-time alerts sent to the user or healthcare provider when viral load exceeds predetermined thresholds.

•Communication System: Integrated with a communicator on the wrist, the arm serves as a reliable device for maintaining contact with his team. This system includes encrypted channels for secure communication during high-stakes operations.

•Objective Management Display: The arm features a holographic display that provides a detailed version of the communicator’s data, allowing Piers to view mission objectives and tactical data in real-time. This feature minimizes the need for external devices and keeps critical information accessible.

Augmented Reality (AR) Compatibility

•Enhanced Visualization: The arm’s display projects augmented reality overlays, allowing Piers to see additional information, such as enemy positions, weapon stats, or tactical directions, directly in his line of sight.

•Environmental Scanning: The arm can analyze the surroundings for potential threats, detect biological or chemical hazards, and provide alerts for safer navigation through hostile environments.

Electricity Conduction and Control

•Energy Conduit Design: The bionic arm acts as a conductor for the constant electrical energy generated by Piers’ mutation. It includes specialized channels and circuits designed to manage this energy flow, allowing Piers to use his mutation’s electrical pulse without it spiraling out of control.

•Dielectric Structures: The arm’s design incorporates materials that mimic the dielectric properties of his mutated tissue, particularly in the finger joints and bones. These dielectric components help regulate and contain the high voltage his body produces, diffusing excess energy safely throughout the arm.

•Controlled Release Mechanism: To avoid overload, the arm features a controlled release system that allows Piers to release pulses of energy strategically, whether in combat or to alleviate the internal buildup. This system prevents the arm from overheating or sustaining damage from prolonged electrical activity.

Containment and Compression of the Mutation

•Compression Framework: The prosthetic was specially designed by UMBRELLA engineers to act as a containment “net” around his mutation. It includes a flexible, reinforced framework that compresses the mutated tissue, keeping it in check and preventing further growth or erratic shifts in form.

•Adaptive Pressure System: As the mutation strains against the arm, sensors detect any changes in size or energy output, triggering adaptive responses. The arm tightens or loosens as necessary to hold the mutation back, functioning almost like a high-tech brace that adjusts in real-time to maintain Piers’ arm in a stable form.

•Automatic Safety Lock: In the event of a significant spike in mutation activity or electrical output, the arm engages an emergency lock to keep the mutation from expanding. This feature is a safeguard against sudden bursts of energy that could cause the arm to revert to its mutated state.

Dependency and Risks of Removal

•Rapid Mutation Onset: Without the prosthetic in place, Piers’ arm begins to mutate almost immediately, returning to its original, unstable form. The electrical pulse that his body generates becomes unrestrained, emitting a continuous, breath-like rhythm that is both painful and dangerous, with energy leaking through protruding bones and exposed tissue.

•Uncontrollable Pulse: When uncontained, the electrical pulse from his mutation surges in intensity, lacking any natural “closure” or stopping point. This pulse causes rapid fluctuations in his vital signs and risks systemic overload, leading to loss of control over his mutation and putting him at severe physical risk.

Miscellaneous Details

•The arm has a unique serial code engraved on an inner plate, serving as an identifier for UMBRELLA technicians. This code also links to Piers’ personal health records, mutation data, and arm specifications for quick access during maintenance or in emergencies.

•Due to the intense electrical pulses generated by his mutation, the arm is equipped with an internal cooling system. Micro-fans and heat-dissipating channels prevent overheating during extended use, keeping the arm at a safe, comfortable temperature. If the arm overheats, an internal alarm alerts Piers to prevent any potential damage.

•The outer layer is treated with a UV-resistant coating to protect it from environmental damage and exposure. This ensures that prolonged exposure to sunlight or harsh conditions doesn’t wear down the arm’s exterior, making it more durable in diverse climates and situations.

•Designed for various operational environments, the arm is fully waterproof and corrosion-resistant. It functions normally underwater, which is crucial for aquatic missions or when exposed to rain, mud, or corrosive substances.

•The holographic display can be customized to show additional details, such as weather, GPS navigation, or tactical maps. Piers can also set personal preferences, like color schemes or alert tones, for a more intuitive user experience. This flexibility lets him prioritize the information he finds most critical during missions.

•The communicator has an onboard language translator, enabling Piers to communicate with individuals across different languages. The arm’s display shows translated text, and a subtle earpiece can even relay audio translations, making it easier for him to gather intel and negotiate in multilingual environments.

[egg-witch]

As usual I am thinking too hard about the biology of fictional characters so. Thoughts I am compelled to share about Boothill below

Canonically he has synthetic, blue blood. This would cause his skin tone to seem quite strange and greyish. Extra so if he's as pale as he is in-game but this would still be apparent with most darker skin tones as well. Man's gonna be looking a bit like a zombie

The intent here is debatable but I also choose to interpret that same line to mean that he does *not* have a synthetic heart - the original's still in there, just running on new juice

Related to this and also the fact he can seemingly have a bullet explode in his mouth without serious repercussions I am going to assume that his skull and whatever else would be left of his skeleton have been enhanced or replaced (having human bone marrow in there making new blood cells would likely mess with things if they replaced that whole system)

This is very funny to me because it seemingly means instead of just putting his brain inside a whole synthetic body the doctor went to the trouble to keep his original face, despite replacing/augmenting his teeth, eyes, tongue and, one can extrapolate, his entire damn skull. He was ready to give up everything except his pretty complexion I guess...

(Unless his face *is* synthetic and intellitrons just have no desire for a realistic human face with the capacity to emote? The rest of boothill's body seems flexible in a way that would suggest a good synthetic equivalent to human skin, so... it's plausible)

Speaking of, I really do not subscribe to the idea that he can't feel anything from the neck down. Do you know how hard it'd be to do anything as a human with a meat brain (or even as a robot for that matter) without any haptic feedback? If they have the technology to make him a whole new body that has equal or better mobility and general function than the old one then they can make it feel things, I promise. Probably not in all the same ways human flesh can feel things, especially if a lot of it is rigid plating, but it'd still be conductive to heat and electricity at least

I know the reason his model is that way is bc it's just a different texture on the same default character model, hence it bending and stretching like a soft body - building, rigging and animating a humanoid body that truly moves like a rigid machine would be an absurd amount of work and also limit the visual design, his canon design straight up would not be able to move or work if all those parts really were rigid no matter how you approached it lol. but it is very hot and looks cool which is what really matters. so I've settled on most of the "plating" being tough but still somewhat flexible, not actually metal but an advanced synthetic material of some sort. and then material more like an artificial skin between joints and in the parts that need extra stretch and flexibility. he's harder (and heavier) than a human but he's not a tin can

Based on screwllum's dialogue that he can and does eat regular food (but the phrasing implies that he could also eat other stuff? And there's that exchange from one of the light cones where ruan mei makes a joke about him having to drink machine oil) and the implication that the doctor who gave boothill his new body was an intellitron, I think boothill must have something similar - he can still eat normal food but also process other things. Idk if the fuel hatch on his back is a redundancy then or what. Could just be that nobody anticipated he'd think gasoline tastes good lmao

(side note while it's kinda implied in game that his weird tastes are a result of an augmented mouth and tongue I like to think he was always like that. He was eating rocks out of the garden as a kid and licking rusty old coins and stuff u can't convince me otherwise)

(also this is getting off track but this guy clearly has some kinda fixation on like. machinery. I think even though he did it for unrelated reasons he thinks his cyborg body is very hot and probably also has a little bit of a thing for intellitrons ngl. which is interesting given his history and the associations one would first assume he'd have with that kind of technology and aesthetic, but. can't fault a guy for knowing what he's into)

Whoops this got super long

Stay tuned for the sequel, "KC analyses boothill's personality way too seriously"

[demifiendrsa]

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered - Announce Trailer

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will launch for PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store) on October 31, 2024 for $49.99. Existing owners of Horizon Zero Dawn can upgrade to Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for $9.99.

First details

Over seven years ago, we released Horizon Zero Dawn into the wilds. Players got to meet Aloy, our leading hero, thrust into a journey of (self-)discovery in a mysterious, far-future world ravaged by deadly machines.

It was also the beginning of a thriving community of cosplayers, virtual photographers, fan artists, and content creators who inspire us to this day with their incredible creations. Horizon Zero Dawn is near and dear to many fans, as well as to everyone at Guerrilla.

And that community has not stopped growing. Each year, many millions more pick up Horizon Zero Dawn for the first time. But seven years is a long time in the world of computer graphics; technology improves. As time moved on, we really wished that new players who join Aloy on her origin story can do it with a version that is worthy of their PS5 or compatible PC. And so, we are thrilled to announce that the game has been remastered by our talented friends at Nixxes.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered launches on October 31. The captivating story and awe-inspiring post-apocalyptic world returns alongside a host of technological improvements, visual enhancements, and upgraded features. It also includes The Frozen Wilds content, a vast expansion featuring additional lands, skills, weapons, and machines. Take a look at the announcement trailer below.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered features over 10 hours of re-recorded conversation, mocap and countless graphical improvements that bring the game to the same visual fidelity as its critically acclaimed sequel Horizon Forbidden West. The game’s lush world includes frozen mountains, dense jungles, and arid deserts with stunning new visuals and 4K graphics and travelling between settlements is now lightning-fast.

The story’s many compelling characters have been upgraded, bringing them in line with current generation advances in character models and rendering. We hope that improved animation, lightning, textures and more will make new and existing fans excited to dive into the action!

The audio experience in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered has been significantly enhanced. We’ve completely revamped the sound mix, now supporting PlayStation 5 Tempest 3D Audio Tech for higher-order ambisonics and Atmos rendering for an immersive soundscape. Our sound design has also seen major improvements, with hundreds of improvements both in-game and in the cinematics.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered takes full advantage of the PlayStation 5 console’s power and features. The DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers ensure incredible immersion during tense combat, stealthy exploration, or scaling a gigantic Tallneck. We’ve integrated custom haptics for the DualSense controller throughout the game, providing tactile feedback that heightens immersion. Additionally, we’ve introduced a new optional accessibility feature that utilizes sound and haptic feedback to notify players of interactable elements, such as pickups, that were previously only indicated visually.

We’re also very happy to share that Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered comes with native support for PlayStation 5 Pro. This includes a range of graphical features that have been improved to make use of the power of the PlayStation 5 Pro, while also delivering ultra-high fidelity at blazing fast framerates.

The PC version on Windows includes the PlayStation overlay with Trophy support and has its own set of features, such as support for ultra-wide resolutions and the latest performance enhancing technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3.1 with frame generation. We will let our Nixxes partners expand more in a future blog.

Many of the accessibility features that were first introduced in Horizon Forbidden West have been included for this Remastered version as well; remappable controls, haptic cues, and various assist toggles will enable all players to fully enjoy the game.

For those that have already played it, we’ve made sure that your old save games will work; so this is a great opportunity to dive into New Game+ or get back into Photo Mode with all your previously unlocked outfits and customizations.

We’re excited to share that pre-orders for Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will open on October 3 for both platforms.

For existing owners of Horizon Zero Dawn (PlayStation 4, PC) and/or Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition (PS4, PS5, PC): you can upgrade to the digital version of Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for $9.99 on both PlayStation 5 console and on PC (via Steam or Epic Game Store). This includes fans who added the game to their libraries during PlayStation’s Play At Home initiative.

Owners of the Horizon Zero Dawn PlayStation 4 game disc can access this offer by inserting the game disc into their PlayStation 5 console (and will need to keep the disc inserted each time to play the game). PlayStation 4 game disc owners who buy the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to access the upgrade offer.

For new fans, the game can be purchased for $49.99 on PlayStation Store, Steam, or Epic Game Store. You will receive the Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition.

[simping-for-kamski]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIJAH!

To celebrate I'm sharing this pic!

And I posted chapter 3 of The Heist!

The RK800’s eyes flickered. Unit 52 had finally been dispatched from CyberLife and the Administrator was fully committed to the operation. CyberLife VR suits easily resembled Level D hazmat suits, although the glasses sooner provided Augmented Reality than protection, and the facial mask was both part of the haptic feedback net and the main olfactory transfer system. The Administrator’s suit was tailored specifically for him, sleek against his body, turning him into a being of ivory, ebony and turquoise with silver touches—plastic, all of it, and vacuum-tight. “Honest opinion. Do I look good?” he’d asked Chloe. She’d smiled. “It really highlights how thin and wiry you’ve become. It’s like a plugsuit from Evangelion made love with a set of holographic stickers. It would look perfect in a music video by Lady Gaga, twenty years ago.” The Administrator pushed the glasses up his nose and nodded. “Thanks.” So, Unit 52—Connor—had been dispatched, and the VR suit was coming to life around the Administrator. Sensory feeds were being transmitted, and soon, the Administrator was one with the suit, and one with Connor. “We are now bonded,” he murmured.Everything Connor saw, he saw. Everything Connor heard, he heard. Every touch, sensation, shift in temperature or smell was relayed over to him. Thank goodness the tastes weren’t part of the experience. Connor was delivered to the DPD and told that he wasn’t, in fact, meant to attend the newly discovered crime scene, but to first “make himself useful” and “find Hank.” Find Lieutenant Anderson was thus Connor’s first objective. “This is so disrespectful…” the Administrator muttered in disbelief. “They’ve got that top-of-the-line android to assist them, a model equipped with the most sophisticated and advanced portable forensic technology, and…” He sighed. “Honestly, I can’t even fault them for treating him like that.”

Would you want to be in the Administrator’s place?

[refractstudios]

Distance Launches on PS4 & PS5 July 19th!

Today I have a very exciting announcement for everyone...

Distance: Console Edition has a release date for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5! You can get it July 19th on the PlayStation Store. Wishlist to get notified when it goes live!

Watch the exciting trailer with brand new music here:

Here's a quick overview of what you can expect in Distance: Console Edition:

Melding the intensity of arcade racing with the agility of parkour, Distance catapults you into a neon-soaked world shrouded in mystery. Adapt quickly using your car’s abilities to jump, flip, and fly to overcome deadly hazards and survive.

Campaigns: Dive into the Adventure campaign, an immersive single-player story that takes you into the heart of darkness. Afterward, return to Nitronic City in Lost to Echoes and take on a brutal challenge. Finally, visit the mysterious flying islands of Nexus (a short companion to the Adventure campaign).

Arcade Modes: Earn medals to unlock over 150 diverse tracks in modes like Sprint, Challenge, and Stunt.

Leaderboards: Race ghost replays to take on the leaderboards' best (both online and local).

Endless Tracks: With Trackmogrify, enjoy never-ending challenges with randomly generated tracks using advanced seed modifiers.

Couch Multiplayer: Challenge up to 4 opponents in high-stakes split-screen races, or try unique arena-based modes like Reverse Tag and Stunt.

Unlockable Cheats: Earning PlayStation trophies unlocks cheats like motorcycle mode, bubble car, and many more.

And a bunch of other cool features including…

Customizable controls

Level playlists

Multiple unlockable cars

Car paint job customization

Main menu level selection

And more!

What's new on PlayStation?

There are a handful of exciting new additions exclusive to PlayStation:

Haptic Feedback: The PS5 version features a completely new haptics integration. It allows you to feel the details of each impact, scrape, skid, and the abilities themselves in a whole new way. Since the haptics are largely audio driven I had a ton of fun working on this and it’s easily one of my favorite aspects of playing on PS5.

Activity Features: Easily track campaign progress from the control center, jump into a mode directly from the home screen, and see in-game help on campaign levels if needed.

Controller Lighting: On both PS4 and PS5 the controller lights with the glow color of your car. This helps to see overheat status as well as identify controllers during split-screen.

Regarding performance, Distance targets 60 fps across all single player content. On PS4 the game utilizes 1080p, and on PS5 it runs at 4K resolution. The PS4 Pro and PS5 version have both been enhanced with higher graphics quality and smoother performance. While there are dips here and there on the PS4, overall I think it runs pretty well, and it's even better on PS5 despite running at 4K.

Differences between PC and consoles

For those of you who’ve been enjoying Distance on PC, you’ll find that the core gameplay experience and overall features are extremely similar on PlayStation. There are of course some differences so I’d like to discuss them here.

I’ve talked previously about the technical limitations regarding Steam Workshop and the level editor, so at this time those aren’t available in Distance: Console Edition. Instead, we decided to officially include our favorite community-created levels directly into the base game for everyone to play. For example, our recent Kinetic Update (v1.5) on PC included 15 incredible new levels from the community and these will also be available on PlayStation!

Regarding online multiplayer, I completely understand that for some it might come as a shock to see it not included on consoles. While we have collectively spent a ton of time working on online multiplayer for PlayStation consoles, a series of unfortunate technical hurdles have led to it not being feasible for release at this time. Split-screen multiplayer is included however and allows for couch multiplayer in Arcade modes. For those curious about the behind-the-scenes technical info, please see below for a more detailed breakdown explanation.

With all that in mind, Distance: Console Edition is at a reduced price of $19.99 / €19.99. While it is possible that future updates will enable more content and features, please purchase with the assumption that the base game will not massively change in the future.

Getting into the technical details

If you’ve been following Distance for a while you’re probably aware that the PlayStation version has had a fairly long and tumultuous development. It was our first time developing anything for a console, and it’s been an incredible learning experience throughout.

Many years ago around the v1.0 launch we had a version of Distance using Unity 5 working somewhat reasonably on PS4 with several multiplayer features functional (though certainly not finished). After launching v1.1 I spent a lot of time implementing all of the various technical certification requirements for online play on PS4. This included things like parental chat restrictions, online ID consistency, etc.

As I was preparing to send a new build to Sony, I came to realize that to pass certification Distance needed to update to a much newer PS4 SDK version required by Sony. Unfortunately, this version of Unity 5.5 we used to develop Distance for years was locked to a very old PS4 SDK version, and the only option was to port Distance (yet again) to a much newer version of Unity. To comply with Sony's requirements, we needed to upgrade Unity from version 5.5 to Unity 2020. This unfortunately wasn’t negotiable and, as you might imagine, it took months to repair the various graphics and physics issues that came along with it.

The biggest hurdle was that our multiplayer system was completely dependent on the old Unity 5.5 version. The newer versions of Unity had fully abandoned their old multiplayer integration, meaning I basically had to start from scratch. One possibility was to attempt to replicate the custom RakNet backend we had relied on, but Unity’s version made several changes under the hood and without source code access it was challenging to emulate it. The other possibility was to simply rewrite everything from scratch and utilize an entirely new multiplayer system.

In short, I attempted both routes. After spending quite some time attempting to essentially rewrite all of Jason’s multiplayer tech, I realized doing this on my own will take an incredibly long time to get fully functional and properly tested. Between this issue, complications due to COVID, and my own personal issues with recovering from burnout, this was honestly a really frustrating time and one of the big reasons I decided to take a break from Distance development. As I mentioned in my September 2023 blog post I decided to go on a short hiatus to work on Project 2, and of course I enjoyed working on Project 2 so much that my short break soon became much longer.

Upon returning to Distance last year with a fresh perspective I made the incredibly tough call to disable online multiplayer for now. I would then focus on wrapping up all of the other features and content we have and get it into players’ hands as soon as possible. Of course it still took significantly longer than I expected to wrap up that last 1%, but at long long last we’re finally here.

Looking ahead

I really can’t say enough how much I’ve appreciated everyone’s patience and support during these challenging times. I’ve truly been blown away by the enthusiastic response to the Kinetic Update, and I’m so excited to keep creating and sharing stuff with you all.

To all of our new PlayStation players, welcome to the Distance community! I can’t wait to see which players take the top times on the new leaderboards. Please note that the best way to connect with other players is on the Distance Discord server.

You also might have noticed that there is a new remix of Isolation in the PlayStation release trailer. I’ve been developing a lot of new music for Project 2 and intend to release some songs officially soon, so please be on the lookout for more information about that. I’ll also be posting here and on social media when updates are released for PC and PlayStation.

Thank you all again!

Jordan

[republicsecurity]

Together and not

Inside their dimly lit resting stations, IOT5E and M10EW reclined comfortably, their helmets securely fastened, immersing them in the film "Godzilla's Buddy." The film's virtual reality overlays synchronized seamlessly with the conscripts' helmets, creating an engaging spectacle.

IOT5E: (via helmet channel) This Godzilla film is a wild ride, isn't it?

M10EW: (responding through the channel) Absolutely. Did you catch that scene with Godzilla and his new buddy tearing through the city? The visuals are stunning.

IOT5E: (nodding) Yeah, the attention to detail is incredible. It's like we're right there with them. And the haptic feedback adds a whole new layer to the experience.

M10EW: (enthusiastically) Right? I could almost feel the vibrations as they stomped through the city. The director really nailed the immersive aspect.

IOT5E: (pauses) You think this is a metaphor for something? Conscripts bonding with unexpected allies, maybe?

M10EW: (chuckles) Well, it's a Godzilla film, so who knows? But I like that interpretation. It's like us, conscripts finding camaraderie in unexpected places.

IOT5E: (reflects) True. In the midst of our duties and resting in these cupboards, we still find ways to connect, even if it's through films about giant monsters.

M10EW: (laughs) Yeah, that's the downside of these high-tech helmets and armor suits. No cuddling during movie time.

IOT5E: (jokingly) Maybe they'll add that feature in the next upgrade. Virtual reality cuddle simulations for conscripts in resting stations.

M10EW: (playfully) Sign me up for that! It'd be a revolutionary advancement in conscript comfort technology.

IOT5E: (chuckles) Until then, we'll just have to settle for discussing films through our helmet channels.

As they bantered about the limitations of their armored suits and the potential for futuristic upgrades, the camaraderie between IOT5E and M10EW continued to thrive, even in the absence of physical closeness.

[chongoblog]

I'm making a game with my friends and we want to try making a rhythm game that is entirely non-visual based. If it's alright, may I ask what aspects of rhythm games that depend more on audio you focus on, or any tips when playing those kinds of rhythm games?

Currently we have proposed haptic feedback when you hit the note at the right time so a beginner can just tap along with the basic metronome beat while more advanced rhythm gamers can experiment with extra notes (though we haven't figured out how to convey these extra notes without visuals, or how to make it like... fun for beginners)

I’m sure that you’ve seen my ramble about this before, but I’ll say it again. Rhythm Heaven is the master of this non-visual rhythm game, by priming the player to respond to audio cues rhythmically. Haptic feedback would definitely be helpful though, while other forms of feedback could be audio-based

[techdriveplay]

Apple Pencil Pro - TDP Review

The Apple Pencil Pro represents the latest evolution in Apple’s line of styluses, pushing the boundaries of digital creativity and productivity. Designed to complement the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, this advanced stylus integrates cutting-edge technology with intuitive functionality. Whether you’re an artist looking to bring your digital creations to life, a student taking notes, or a…

[inkintheinternet]

The Frankenstein of Tomorrow

By Arjuwan Lakkdawala

Ink in the Internet

I recently read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The introduction by Shelley is so sincere and authentic in describing her inspiration, and the fact that all stories have to be based on something real. For inspiration does not transpire from a blank void.

Many consider Frankenstein to be the first science fiction book. It was published on January 1, 1818.

There could be millions of adaptations and references of the story, and deservingly so as the book is remarkable in style of storytelling as well as the imagination.

The reason I'm mentioning Frankenstein is not only because of how captivating I found the story to be. But because I found it to be the perfect metaphor to describe some of the dark traits of the human psyche, and how man can be driven by emotions - such as pride, curiosity, over-confidence, or thoughtlessness, to his own destruction and that of others.

Mary Shelley chose Prometheus very wisely, as according to Greek mythology he tricked Zeus, the chief god, even though being lower in ranks and power, and was the creator of man. Since the story of Frankenstein is about constructing a living undead man from the organs of deceased men, the inspiration of Prometheus makes sense.

Shelley does narrate in the introduction that any attempt at creation of a living entity by man can never replicate the beautiful and perfect creation of the Lord, but would only yield something frightening and terrible.

The myth of Prometheus is recorded in the 8th century BC, that's almost 3000 years ago. Prometheus was punished by Zeus for making a fool out of him, and so was tied to rocks, and an eagal would everyday eat his liver, and then the liver would regenerate itself. In Greek mythology there is another myth that also describes the ability of the organ to regenerate itself. This has been confirmed by modern science in 1931. The myth indicates that the ancient Greeks knew this scientific fact. However, the records show it mentioned in mythology and not in ancient books of medicine or anatomy. The myth as a whole is idiotic, as Zeus, a so-called god is tricked by a lower ranking god. So this contradiction in logic and intelligence, is an indication that the scientific information about the liver is not of the time, but has been passed down by an even older civilization who knew it as a scientific fact, which as the centuries passed got entwined into mythology, and was narrated by people who did not know its scientific significance, if they did there surely would have been ancient Greek records of medical or autopsy studies. As there are records of Greek philosophers, and of Plato and the story of Atlantas ‐ which makes me wonder if it was the advanced civilization that passed down the scientific fact of the liver.

Shelley refered to Frankenstein as a modern creation of horror, and this was in 1818. So what do we have in the 21st century that could be a modern Frankenstein. Well if we were to think of the psychological manesfeststions of Frankenstein monsters, that would be an endless story. So we shall not, instead I'm writing about the dark turns in science, driven forward by man's obsession with testing how much science he can aquire and what it can propel to its most extreme horizons.

Presently there is good and improving quality of life advances in prosthetics.

For example, they are being made to look aesthetic, and amputees suffering from phantom limb pain, are getting treated through Brain-Computer Interfaces using electrodes, to send signals through Peripheral Nerve Stimulations, this is also restoring close to natural sensations in amputees, and according to tests they were able to describe the size of the things they touched using prosthetic limbs.

Note: Haptic feedback is a general term for artificial sensations, the simplest of which is the vibrations on cell phones, however, other complicated versions of haptic feedback uses patterns of vibrations, including weak to strong, and has many applications in the medical field.

In this age of science, new fields that combine multidisciplinary sciences are emerging. Artificial Intelligence and highly sophisticated equipments have made this possible. Amongst such sciences is the study of Synthetic Biology and Systems Biology.

Scientists and researchers are studying biological circuits, that is to say; molecular and cellular architecture and its principles and functions, and finding analogues to electronic circuits.

These biological circuits are such extraordinary works that they have been described as "miracle devices."

Coming back to Shelley's words that nothing conjures up out of the thin air.

Scientists of different disciplines are studying each others fields to combine electronics, biology, artificial intelligence, mechanics, physics. Of course these are crude terms I used to give a brief idea of very complicated sciences.

In the study of biological circuits, the simplest things to describe is that: "Feature X enables Function Y." These features are each studied separately as a biological circuit, that has a specific function and principles to how it operates.

However, despite volumes of research and new circuits, and their principles being perpetually discovered, scientists still don't know what exactly programmed the circuits and what causes them to know which features to use at a specific time, in a specific environment, for a specific function.

And unlike electronic circuits that are static in their programming, and can be turned off. Biological circuits have "noise" that is they can communicate with other circuits and form multi-connected networks, and they cannot be turned off, in the sense that constant mechanisms switch on and off for "inverting," functions." This is why over time the circuits become too exhausted to function properly (old age.)

Biological circuits in addition to calculated functions with principles, are time watches as well. They have time regulation as noted by scientists.

Note: By the way I think this is a field of great interest and is expanding, so it has abundant career opportunities.

We have reached significant milestones in science, and I think scientists should ask themselves if they want to test these capabilities by pushing the science of robotics into making androids powered by superintelligence and synthetic biology, connected to electronic circuits. I'm afraid if this science fiction scenario turns into reality, we will be facing a tyrannical Frankenstein monster, with intelligence that will surpass that of the majority of humans on earth, and we will not be able to control it but it will control us.

I titled this article 'The Frankenstein of Tomorrow' because what we do today will determine what will happen to us tomorrow, and it's a term that will not end till the end of the world.

Copyright ©️ Arjuwan Lakkdawala 2024

Arjuwan Lakkdawala is an author and independent researcher.

X/Twitter/Instagram: Spellrainia

Email: arjuwan.writer@gmail.com

Sources:

Frontiers  - advances in prosthetic technology: a perspective on ethical considerations for development and clinical translations, hayden gavette, cody l. mcdonald, kristin kostick-quenet, ashley mullen, bijan najafi, m.g. finco

www.biocircuits.github.io - biological circuit design

Precision micro drives - introduction to haptic feedback

Brain stimulation journal - peripheral nerve stimulation enables somatosensory feedback while suppressing phantom limp pain in transradial amputees, gurgen soghoyan, artur biktimirov, yuri matvienko, ilya chekh, mikhail sintsov, mikhail a. Lebedev

Acp journals - annals of internal medicine, whither prometheus' liver? greek myth and the science of regeneration, carl power, phd, john e.j. rasko, mbbs, phd

[instapaper]

Improved Organizing and Sorting Tools

We just launched updates to improve Instapaper’s organizing and sorting tools for iOS, macOS, and web. Features include drag & drop to reorder, sorting improvements, modern swipe actions, better integrations with Shortcuts on iOS, and more!

Drag & Drop to Reorder

This has been a common feature request, and we are excited to finally launch drag & drop reordering. It’s now easier than ever to manually organize your articles to their desired position.

Drag & drop is available on iOS, macOS, and web.

Sorting Improvements

On web, we launched a toggle to let you sort by oldest articles, instead of only by newest articles. To sort by oldest, navigate to your Instapaper email on the top right, and click “Oldest First” in the dropdown.

On iOS and macOS, we still offer all seven sorting options, but now they persist between sessions instead of needing to be set every time the app launches.

We also redesigned the article list menu to be more modern and inline with iOS and macOS system menus.

Modern Swipe Actions

Managing your articles on iOS is now more seamless with modern swipe actions. Simply swipe left or right to access a number of swipe actions including Archive, Move to Folder, Share, and more.

Swipe actions are fully customizable in Settings > Swipe Actions, and you can set different swipe actions for short or long swipes.

If you decide you prefer the classic swipe actions you can still enable those in Settings > Swipe Actions.

Lastly, long pressing an article will now show a full list of article options including like, move, archive, delete, redownload, edit, send to Kindle, and Share.

Save to Folder Email Addresses

We launched Save to Folder email addresses, which let you send articles to an Instapaper email address that will get directly saved into a folder. You can find a full list of your Save to Instapaper email addresses at instapaper.com/save/email 

Improved Siri, Search, and Shortcuts Integrations

We’ve launched a number of “intents” that improve Instapaper’s integration with Siri, Search, and Shortcuts.

For instance, you can open your most recent article by saying “Hey Siri, Open Last Article in Instapaper”. You can open a folder by saying “Her Siri, Open Folder in Instapaper”, and then saying the folder name when prompted.

For a full list of actions available, open the Shortcuts app, go to the App Shortcuts section, and tap Instapaper.

Other Features & Improvements

We’ve launched a number of other smaller features, improvements, and bug fixes in this release including:

Haptic feedback on iOS. We added these sparingly, but if you find them distracting you can disable them in Settings > Advanced > Haptic Feedback.

Shake to undo archiving an article.

Link previews when long pressing links in reader view.

Share All Notes will now always share in the order appearing in the article.

Fixed pagination display issues on iPad after rotating.

Fixed crashes when highlighting on iOS 17.

Fixed some crashes on macOS.

Next Up: Notes, Android, and More!

This year we’ve been focused on improving several key features for Instapaper. In our last release we improved text-to-speech, including Voice selection and a CarPlay app. This release is focused on improved organization and article management tools.

Our next release will be focused on improvements to Notes. If you’re using Notes, please let us know any feature requests you’d like to see us add in the next release.

We’ve been a bit behind on our Android app, but recently brought on someone to help update the app to the latest Android frameworks. Afterward we’ll be working toward feature parity with iOS.

As always, our roadmap is informed by your feature requests and bug reports. If you have any feature requests, questions, and/or issues, please let us via email at support@help.instapaper.com

– Instapaper Team

[xlntwtch2]

wiki:

"....Experiments conducted by Neuralink and UC Davis have involved at least 23 monkeys, and the PCRM believes that 15 of those monkeys died or were euthanized as a result of the experiments. Furthermore, the PCRM alleged that UC Davis withheld photographic and video evidence of the mistreatment.[47]...

"A September 2023 exposé by Wired provided additional details on the primate deaths based on public records and confidential interviews with a former Neuralink employee and a current researcher at the California National Primate Research Center.[13][52] Those records showed complications with the installation of electrodes....

"In October 2023, Wired reported that Neuralink worked to keep details of animal suffering and death hidden from the public.[55]

"In November 2023, U.S. lawmakers asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether Neuralink deceived investors in by omitting details about possible animal deaths.[56] ...

"[62][63][64]MIT Technology Review accused the demonstration of having the main objective to "stir excitement", adding that "Neuralink has provided no evidence that it can (or has even tried to) treat depression, insomnia, or a dozen other diseases that Musk mentioned in a slide".[62] Andrew Jackson, professor of neural interfaces at Newcastle University, also commented on the presentation to the BBC. To Musk's statement that he found Neuralink's advancements to be "profound", Jackson responded, "I don't think there was anything revolutionary in the presentation...

Thiago Arzua of the Medical College of Wisconsin argued that Neuralink's functions are not novel and that ideas for a brain–machine interface (BMI) are at least 50 years old.[66] He cited successful control of a robotic prosthetic arm by a man that gave him haptic feedback, which he used in 2016 to give President Obama a fist bump.[67] Arzua said that the 2020 Neuralink presentation "showed little more than a flashy new design for a BMI with more electrodes".[66] "

another grifter at work -nothing new keep reading the news

"BREAKING NEWS:" is dated May 2023 - too old

Not a single monkey survived the Neuralink experiment. I’ll bet Elmo can’t wait to start torturing and murdering human beings with this.