Monthly Archives: January 2017
Disney and Panasonic Announce New Projector Partnership
Panasonic and Disney have announced a partnership to bring Panasonic's professional-grade projectors to Disney's theme parks.
The exclusive deal makes Panasonic the "Official Projection Technology" of both Walt Disney World in Florida, and Disneyland in California.
While Disney has employed professional-grade projection technology in the past, Panasonic's exclusivity adds to the company's presence inside the theme parks.
Panasonic technology is part of the upcoming Na’vi River Journey at Disney World's Pandora: The World of Avatar attraction.
The long-term agreement between the two companies gives Disney access to the latest in Panasonic's projection technology. According to Panasonic, it's the "worldwide market leader in high-brightness professional projectors," a position it says it's held for the past 7 years.
Panasonic Announces New Car Automation and Information Tech
Panasonic announced its plans to make driving more exciting in the future. The company announced collaborations with auto and computing companies for both "infotainment" and self-driving cars going forward.
IBM is using its Watson technology to develop "an eCommerce infotainment system" called Panasonic Cognitive Infotainment. The platform promises such conveniences as an "eCommerce transaction with a quick service restaurant," meaning you can order a meal while on the road and have it paid and readied for delivery when you arrive.
Chrysler Portal Concept
Toyota Shows Off Its Futuristic, A.I. Enabled Concept-i Vehicle
Japanese automaker Toyota wants to make driving a little more friendly. Not by changing the behavior of the other drivers on the road, but instead by changing the behavior of the car itself.
Its new Concept-i, shown off today at CES, aims to "build a relationship that is meaningful and human" between the driver and the vehicle's artificial intelligence system, Yui.
The entire vehicle evokes a sense of a welcoming, friendly future, where machines and humans coexist in a happy, symbiotic relationship. In the promotional video, the car goes so far as to wink at the viewer, meaning it's friendly and a bit cheeky, making it the Zooey Deschanel of automobiles.
Toyota says it's focusing on the overall user experience, saying the inevitability of high-tech cars means focus should be on "the experience of the people who engage with those vehicles."
New Batch of Mass Effect Andromeda Screens Revealed
Electronic Arts has released some new screenshots for Mass Effect Andromeda.
This most recent batch of media comes ahead of tonight's upcoming reveal of new Mass Effect Andromeda gameplay footage. Check them all out in the gallery below.
Earlier today, EA formally announced Mass Effect Andromeda's release date, and it's coming a lot sooner than most of us thought. Tune in to Nvidia's CES 2017 keynote later today to watch the new footage debut.
Kevin Smith Directing a Tim Burton Batman-Themed Episode of The Goldbergs
The Goldbergs spans the entirety of the 1980s, playing fast and loose with the actual timeline of the era's events, with episodes about everything from "Weird" Al to Live Aid to Dirty Dancing. However, when it was revealed back in November that Kevin Smith would be directing an episode of the ABC comedy, we didn't know what the theme would be.
IGN now has the exclusive info that Smith's episode, which begins filming next week - and as it turns out, it's right in the director's sweet spot, especially on the heels of him directing episodes of The Flash and Supergirl. Titled "The Dynamic Duo," the episode will be about the excitement surrounding the 1989 Tim Burton blockbuster Batman, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson.
Archer Moving to FXX With Season 8 (For Real This Time!)
Archer will have a new home for its eighth season. The animated comedy series will air on FXX instead of FX.
FX Networks president of program strategy and COO Chuck Saftler made the announcement ahead of Archer premiering on FXX this spring. The show will join the likes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Man Seeking Woman, and You're the Worst.
Now this isn't the first time the animated series was planned for a network relocation. In 2015, Archer was supposed to move to FXX with Season 7, but those plans fell through once the series Cassius and Clay was scrapped.
This New LG Fridge Features a Touch Screen and Alexa Support
Appliance and tech company LG introduced its new smart refrigerator featuring a 29-inch touchscreen and Alexa support.
The Door-in-Door refrigerator lets you check on the food inside without needing to open the door and stare wistfully at the contents inside. The function is activated by knocking twice on the door
A super-wide angle 2 megapixel interior camera lets to view the contents from several different angles using your smartphone, which means you can be at the grocery store and see what you need on a whim. Alexa support lets you order more food items through Amazon Pantry, or search recipes online.
LG's latest smart refrigerator.
This Robot Egg Could Be Your New Best Friend
Panasonic showed off a robot egg at CES 2017 that could serve as a desktop companion in the future.
The proof of concept robot is described by Panasonic to have "human-like movements and communication skills," is equipped with Wi-Fi to access cloud data, has an embedded projector, and is "about the size of a standard kitchen countertop blender."
"This test project builds on Panasonic’s innovations in robotics including battery and power solutions, vision and sensing, navigation solutions and motion control in a new appealing design," Panasonic's Director of the North American Design Strategy Office Takahiro Iijima said. "This is Panasonic’s latest effort in demonstrating network services in a friendly package."
The Future Belongs to 8K With New HDMI Specification
Forget 4K, that's so 2016. The resolution of the world of tomorrow is 8K, and thanks to a new HDMI specification, it will be beaming into your eyeballs sooner than you might have expected.
The HDMI Forum, the people in charge of HDMI, announced version 2.1 of the HDMI specification. The 2.1 version supports 8K resolution at 60Hz, as well as 4K at 120Hz.
Also included in the new specification is Dynamic HDR, and a new cable supporting uncompressed HDR 8K video data transfer at a staggering 48Gbps. The new cables are also backwards-compatible with earlier HDMI specifications, and work with existing HDMI devices. That means you don't need to toss your TV into a fire just yet!
Emerald City Explores Oz with New Eyes
Oz. When you think of the fictional location, you probably picture a yellow brick road, a cute little dog, and a blue gingham dress.
However, while the 1939 film Wizard of Oz might be the most widely known adaptation of the books by L. Frank Baum, it's hardly the only interpretation, and NBC's about to add one more to the list with Emerald City. Debuting Friday, the drama, starring Adria Arjona (as Dorothy) and Vincent D'Onofrio (as The Wizard), showcases a darker spin on Oz and the characters you know from Baum's stories. IGN talked to Arjona, D'Onofrio, and series executive producers David Schulner and Shaun Cassidy about what to expect from the 10-episode first season.
Emerald City wasn't produced in the traditional manner, with a pilot made before the network decided if they wanted to order the series. It's the first television series directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall), and he only agreed to come on board if NBC ordered a full season of 10 episodes from the start. The network agreed, and it was Singh's involvement that attracted D'Onofrio, coming off his acclaimed work as the Kingpin in Daredevil, to the project.