Web Puzzle Cicada 3301 Aims To Recruit Intelligent Minds, But For Who?
The internet is home to many puzzles, pranks, mysteries, and conspiracies, but there is one right now that is capturing the imagination of web surfers more than any other. It’s known as Cicada 3301 and is a Da Vinci Code-like trail of messages and clues hidden within images, web addresses, GPS coordinates, and areas of... Read More
Metro Reviews: Bryan Cranston, Killzone PS4, Jacquie Lawson Christmas
Here’s my Metro New columns for the week of Nov. 25th The Things They Carried By Tim O’Brien Audible.com Four ½ Stars Produced by Tom Hanks, this collection of Viet Nam war stories explores the personal artifacts and memories carried by soldiers as coping strategies, superstitions, and habits of endurance. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) narrates,... Read More
Your Digital Senses – New Twists On Listening, Taste, And Temperature
We perceive the world through our senses and use technology to interact with it. This week we’re exploring three remarkable innovations that hope to move that relationship forward. Noise-Cancelling Windows Noise-cancelling headphones have transformed long-distance air travel. With a push of a button you can turn jet engines silent, make screaming babies disappear, and put... Read More
Metro Reviews: 12 Years A Slave, Cake-Boy, Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag
Here’s my Metro New columns for the week of Nov. 18th 12 Years A Slave By Solomon Northup iBooks for iPad/Mac Four Stars It takes an insidious plan to kidnap an intelligent, observant man like Solomon Northup, and harrowing brutality to keep him enslaved afterwards. No wonder a movie has been made of his determined... Read More
Technical Knockout: PlayStation 4 Vs. Xbox One
Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One offer crisper graphics, faster loading times, and a list of improvements, but without anything new to revolutionize the way we play games. Neither has a must-have title at launch, so all-in-all it should be easy to wait for better games, better-priced bundles, and for all the software updates... Read More
Metro Reviews: JJ Abrams’ S, Tiny Death Star, Knack
Here’s my Metro New columns for the week of Nov. 11th .S (Ship of Theseus) By J. J. Abrams & Doug Dorst Kindle/iBooks Three And A Half Stars Hidden within this mysterious library book from J. J. Abrams (Lost) is a conversation made up of handwritten margin notes, doodles, clippings, and letters that have been... Read More
Cool Dads: Robo Hands, Helicopter Escorts, Custom Donkey Kong
Every parent wants to do the impossible for their children. Thanks to our hi-tech world that’s not as silly a notion as you might think. This week we’re looking at three cool Dads doing just that. Personal Prosthetics 12 year-old Leon McCarthy loves his prosthetic hand. It was made for him by his Dad using... Read More
Metro Reviews: Star Wars, Batman, Back Care, Mixed Drinks
Here’s my weekly columns from Metro News for the week of November 4th. eBook – The Making of Star Wars By J. W. Rinzler Kindle/iBooks Four Stars “He had an underlying current of sensual hostility” says George Lucas as Harrison Ford whoops and hollers in hearing himself described that way, one of many recently recovered... Read More
Police Tech: Wearable Cameras, GPS Bullets, And Drug-Sniffing Sewers
Law enforcement agencies are always testing out new technologies in the hope of reducing costs and making their jobs easier. This week we’re looking at three that deal with aspects of surveillance, drug-dealing, and responding to people who keep changing their stories. Police Testing GPS Tracking “Bullets” It’s a contraption you’d expect to see in... Read More
Metro Reviews: Stephen King, Ellen Page, & Halloween
Here’s my weekly columns from Metro News for the week of October 28th. eBooks – Ghost Brothers of Darkland County By Stephen King iBooks for iPad/Mac Three Stars It may be the Devil setting the McCandless family at each other’s throats, but when they burst into song its John Mellencamp and T-Bone Burnett playing... Read More
Flying Cars, Jetpacks, & Social Robots: We’ve Become The Jetsons
Although it lasted for just one season in 1962, The Jetsons proved to be a very influential series through endless repeats, embodying our fanciful ideas and dreams for the future. It’s amazing that just fifty years later the show’s flat-screen televisions, video calls, and robot vacuums are now a reality, but most fans have been... Read More
Mind-Blowing Inventions From Award-Winning Students
Its award-winning ideas this week as we explore a number of engineering contests that have revealed student inventors displaying more than just their talents, but the ability to spot something entirely new. The Battery-Free Flashlight Since LED lights consume just a fraction of the power of traditional bulbs, do we really need to use batteries... Read More
Great White Sharks On A Curved Screen. Submersive Cinema At The Ontario Science Centre
There are two things that set Great White Shark apart from all other shark documentaries. The first is that it’s projected against a domed OMNIMAX screen at the Ontario Science Centre, which is so large and angled above that it encompasses all of your peripheral vision and gives you the feeling that you’re swimming in... Read More
Body Tech: Music Teeth, Bionic Legs, And Thoughtful Driving
No more buttons, levers, or dials. This week’s cutting-edge stories are all about how are bodies can control cutting-edge technology. Split Music Player Here we have a set of earbuds that are themselves the MP3 player. No cables, no box, no belt clip. You just turn them on, pop them into your ears, and listen.... Read More
New ScopifyROM App Let’s You See Secrets
Below is a repost of a guest article I wrote for the Royal Ontario Museum blog. The desire to see the world through a lens has proven to be universal with cameraphones. It may be annoying the way people use them at concerts and public events, but that they can’t seem to help themselves or explain... Read More
DNA Artists, Science Scanners, & Drawing Long Distance
For longer than anyone can remember, public exhibitions have been used to gather large crowds to test out new ideas that unite the worlds of art and science together. This week we’re exploring three extraordinary examples that are sure to surprise you. Stranger Visions A wad of gum on the sidewalk, a cigarette butt on... Read More
The Future Of Disney Tech: Robots, Mouse Ears, And Interactive Gardens
Through animation Walt Disney was a pioneer in technology who always maintained a fascination for how the spirit of invention could shape the future. Today the company maintains a number of R&D labs around the world that are producing ground-breaking technologies that would surely make Walt proud. Glow With The Show Ears On October 15th... Read More
Syria’s Chemical Problems, Rescue Radar, And Drone Tour Guides
This week’s focus is on new innovations in rescue as we look at the latest developments spanning the areas of military conflict, natural disasters, and the confusion of everyday life. Mobile Lab Invented To Consume Syria’s Toxic Chemicals Defusing a bomb can take several tense hours, but neutralizing a chemical nerve agent like sarin or... Read More
Hey All You Zombies!! Episode 52 – Ben Affleck, Patrick Stewart, Zombie Swarms
This week Kris shows off his animated Grumpy Cat shirt, Richard discusses the outrage over Ben Affleck’s Batman casting, and we trade quadruple takes thanks to Patrick Stewart’s masterclass on YouTube. This is the audio-only edition of our weekly Google+ Hangout On Air series. You can watch the video edition here: http://heyallyouzombies.com/post/59618979859/hey-all-you-zombies-episode-52-this-week-kris
Hey All You Zombies!! Episode 51 – Disney’s D23, Elmore Leonard, Drive-Ins
Back from the D23 con in Anaheim, we discuss the recent creative explosion happening over at Walt Disney that includes fresh new movies, wild animation techniques, apps, and explorative video game worlds. And we talk about the campaign to save drive-in theatres and mark the passing of Elmore Leonard. This is the audio-only edition of... Read More
The Future Of Driver Safety: New Locks, Warnings, And Impaired Tests
It’s the 21st Century and our news reports are still filled with stories about traffic accidents and impaired driving so our theme this week is on safety as we look at three developing technologies that hope to bring about big change. The Pee Analyzer Drunk Driving Test Within one year Singapore saw 2, 141 cases... Read More
Sony Launches First Curved LED Television In Canada
In this video report for MarketNews.ca I explore the possible benefits of having a television with a curved screen thanks to Sony’s 54″ HDTV, the first of its kind in Canada.
Back To School Shopping Advice For Tech
Whether it’s for the classroom or your home office this is certainly the time of year to grab new gear. To help you battle the hype and sales pressure let me arm you with some practical advice. Laptops Take the same approach you’d use with buying a car. Invest some time, do a lot of... Read More
Back To School Apps: Tutoring For All Ages
Now’s a good time to feed your mind. These innovative study aids can help you reinforce the lessons you’re taking in school and refresh your memory from the classes you’ve already mastered. Kindergarten & Primary Students Learn With Homer iPad Free/$1.99 Lessons Homer is the name of a pigeon and he stars in this storybook... Read More
App Reviews: The Human Body, Animated Grumpy Cat, Re-Mission 2
The Human Body iPhone/iPad $2.99 What does it look like inside your body when you burp? When you breathe? When you run? When you poop? This app gives kids a visible body they can play and poke with, to see and explore the way our internal organs and systems work. Drag-and-drop a feather onto the... Read More
Moto X Smartphone Snaps Pics With A Flick Of The Wrist
Now owned by Google, Motorola hopes to make a comeback with the Moto X Android smartphone, but are it’s new tricks revolutionary enough to compete? In this video report for Marketnews.ca I put the tricks to the test to find out.
App Reviews: Plants Vs Zombies 2, Breaking Bad Alchemy, CARROT Alarm
Plants Vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time iPhone/iPad Free You can’t ask for a better sequel than this. When Crazy Dave wants to eat a taco all over again (a really, really tasty taco) he invents a time machine that lays down fresh ideas for battling zombies across the sands of Egypt, the Pirate Seas,... Read More
Hey All You Zombies!! Episode 50 – The Conjuring, Shark Week, Lab Meat
We are back from summer break with so much to talk about. Richard shows off the creepy, little doll sent to him AFTER his review of The Conjuring, we compare notes on Shark Week’s outcry-inducing fakery, welcome the new Dr. Who, test out Johnny Depp & Gore Verbinski’s theory about Lone Ranger’s failure, and try... Read More
App Reviews: Disney Animated, Ikea 2014, Bramble Berry Tales
Disney Animated iPad $13.99 This is the big book of Walt Disney; the man, his films, his company, its history, and innovations, but made specifically for the iPad so it can come alive the way you’d expect a Disney book would. The illustrations and photos awaken and play as clips, characters unexpectedly march across the... Read More
Hey All You Zombies!! Episode 49 – World War Z, Paula Deen, This Is Bowie
We pull out the survival bag this week for World War Z, both the movie and the book, and for Paula Deen’s cooking which is surprisingly not the reason behind her troubles with the Food Network. Plus, Richard gets ready for the new David Bowie exhibit coming to the AGO, a condition for which there... Read More
App Reviews: Timeline WWI, Chefs Feed, Tiny Thief
Timeline WW1 with Dan Snow iPad Free/$9.99 It’s like pulling moments and memories from out of a well-packed chest. TV presenter and researcher Dan Snow has organized a wealth of archival films, photos, and journals into a timeline that may start out chronological, but thanks to many layers allows you to dive and explore the... Read More
App Reviews: djay 2, Drive Assist, Ultimate Sharks
djay 2 iPhone/iPad $0.99/$4.99 For most of us a playlist is a collection of songs grouped by theme or mood, but like a human DJ this app can go further, analyzing your music library so you can group tracks by their Beats Per Minute (BPM). With a tap of the Automix button, it will then... Read More
Hey All You Zombies!! Ep 48 – PRISM, Zombies, Superman
As World War Z approaches, Richard puts together a collection of little-known zombie movies and we discuss our new lack of privacy with agencies like the NSA listening in, Microsoft’s new mad used game rules for the Xbox One, and the many actors who have played Superman over the years. This is the audio-only edition... Read More
App Reviews: Milekeeper, Efexio, Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded
Milekeeper iPhone Free With Milekeeper you’re no longer cycling through the city, you’re participating in the Tour de France. The running path in the nearby park now becomes the length of the Great Wall of China and your local pool becomes a chance for you to swim the English Channel. Using your phone’s sensors and... Read More
App Reviews: iTranslate Voice, Scouting For Boys, Discover Ontario
iTranslate Voice iPhone/iPad $0.99 Imagine a pair of translating walkie-talkies and you get the idea. iTranslate connects your phone with another’s using Bluetooth. When you speak into your phone it comes out translated, both as text and as a computerized voice, on their phone and in their language. The process works both ways and, like... Read More
App Reviews: Man Of Steel, Despicable Me, Walking With Dinosaurs
Man of Steel iPhone/iPad/Android $2.99/$4.99/$5.08 Warner Bros. has paid the big bucks to make sure this mobile fighting game has the looks of their blockbuster film. Henry Cavill’s features are there along with his sculpted physique and an opening comic book sequence to deliver Jor-El’s premonition of greatness, the speech that played a key role... Read More
Lifesaver, McLaren’s Workshop, Ticket To Ride
Lifesaver iPhone/iPad Free Lifesaver will teach you how to perform CPR and other resuscitation methods by placing you into real-world situations using interactive movies. As actors convincingly create the experience of someone collapsing in a subway tunnel or a parking lot, the app will ask you to make quick choices and decisions about the scene... Read More
Hey All You Zombies!! Episode 47 – After Earth, Red Wedding, Dr. Who
Richard Crouse’s birthday vacation in New York means that we skipped a week, but also that he has some cool stores to share about close-up magic, Alan Cumming’s MacBeth, and rare record shops for this week. We also ponder the After Earth’s monstrous failure in theatres, Game of Throne’s RedWedding shocker, and the potential for... Read More
Hey All You Zombies!! Episode 46 – Space Oddities, Spock Songs, Badgers
Too many fun things to discuss this week. There’s Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s poignant version of Space Oddity, the one-and-only Mr. Spock (but wait there’s two now), the odd attacks aimed at Angelina Jolie’s mastectomy, and Queen guitarist Brian May’s creative Badger campaign. This is the audio-only edition of our weekly Google Hangouts On Air... Read More
App Reviews: To This Day, The Transit App, Golf History, Camera 2
To This Day iPad Free You may remember Shane Koyczan from the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in which his poem “We Are More” was delivered to share our Canadian identity with the world. Recently he captured YouTube audiences with an animated piece on bullying called “To This Day” that has been viewed... Read More