3d illusion arts: Walyou

Walyou

Book Sculptures: Bringing Literature Into The 3D World
Sony Xperia Z2 Sirius and Castor Tablet Paid FCC a Visit
Stop The Rebel Scum And Make ‘em Dance: AT-AT iPod Dock
Nintendo Reportedly Bringing Free Mini Games to Smartphones

Book Sculptures: Bringing Literature Into The 3D World

Posted: 29 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST

Again, we usually just read the books we’re given, but some people are way more creative than us and do turn them into magnificent works of art. Here’s a few examples.

Pennsylvania-based artist Jodi Harvey-Brown (also known as wetcanvas) has a talent. This talent is turning some of the most well known scenes from a book into complete sculptures made out of the book itself! These are 3D reconstructions of scenery from the books and turn the words into visual imagery.

While we’re only sharing a couple of these, there are several more pieces and many of them are even on sale at her Etsy shop. If you like what you see, we absolutely recommend you to check more of her stuff out. You won’t be disappointed!

Source: My Modern Met

Sony Xperia Z2 Sirius and Castor Tablet Paid FCC a Visit

Posted: 29 Jan 2014 05:30 AM PST

We expect nothing less but stellar performances from Sony’s upcoming flagships, given the constellation names the Japanese company picked for them.

Sony’s booth at CES didn’t lack new products, but that’s not to say that the company unveiled anything otherworldly. Xperia Z1 Compact was the only new member of the Xperia family to be launched them. Obviously, Sony decided to release its new flagships, in the form of the Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone and the Castor tablet, at MWC in Barcelona, next month. Needless to say, that’s the best decision they could have taken, since the Mobile World Congress focuses, as even its name suggests, on the mobile industry, rather than on general consumer electronics.

Pictured above and below is the UI of the Z2, which is also known as D6503 or Sirius. These images were posted on the Xperiablog.net and even though the Android version depicted here is 4.3, it’s pretty certain that Sirius will run Android 4.4.2 KitKat at launch. Xperiablog.net also revealed how the KitKat UI would look like.

Some of the most impressive specs of Xperia Z2 Sirius are 4K video recording, 3GB of RAM, 4G LTE support, a 20.7 MP rear camera and a 2.1 MP front camera. The only downside of this otherwise great smartphone is the 5.2-inch Full HD display. While there’s nothing wrong about the size, it’s pretty certain that Sony’s competitors will go for QHD resolutions this year.

On top of that, Sirius will also pack several smart features such as Glove mode, smart backlight control, smart call handling and two home launchers. Sony also plans to make audiophiles a surprise by integrating USB DAC support in its next flagship. As well as Xperia Z and Z1, Sirius will also have a waterproof design.

Technical specs and smart features aside, it’s nice to know that Xperia Z2 has been approved by FCC. TM-0043-BV, the other device that accompanied it there , currently known as codename Castor, is believed to be Sony’s next flagship tablet, the successor of Xperia Tablet Z. Unlike Sirius, Castor will not be launched at MWC 2014, so a Q2 launch is expected. The company has yet to make any official announcements concerning these two devices, but the rumored specs and the leaked images outline some great flagships that will stack nicely against their competitors.

If you liked this post, please check the early rumors about Sony Xperia Z2 and its predecessor, the Sony Xperia Z.

Stop The Rebel Scum And Make ‘em Dance: AT-AT iPod Dock

Posted: 29 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST

The Empire owes its massive strength to both the Dark Side of the Force and to technology, although it’s only the second one which will charge your iPod or iPhone.

Etsy seller theseoldbooks is the mastermind behind this creation: an iPod dock shaped just like the pride and joy of the empire, the AT-AT Imperial Walker units. The creator describes it as an “app-enhanced (fancy) stereo speaker that's bursting with sound. The digital amplifier means the speaker effortlessly produces low resonance sounds, crystal-clear acoustics and thumping bass. With the addition of 6 EQ settings, FM radio and app-enhanced technology, it offers a great combination of sound and features to effortlessly fill your room with music.” The best part? He’s still making these babies, and you can get one for about $315 USD. You can thank us later!

Nintendo Reportedly Bringing Free Mini Games to Smartphones

Posted: 29 Jan 2014 04:00 AM PST

With more and more criticism of Nintendo's sales figures flooding in every day, the company are reportedly set to turn things around by making a move to mobile.

The past fortnight at Nintendo HQ must have been an arduous one. After revealing that their latest console, the Nintendo Wii U, had sold just 2.8 million consoles in 2013, missing its sales target by an embarrassing 6.2 million units (Nintendo's chart topping handheld, the 3DS, didn't fare much better against their lofty expectations), it seems as if every critic from every blog has been quick to get their pot-shots in, offering 'I told you so' jests and plenty of advice in the written form. Amongst calls that Nintendo CEO, Saturo Iwata, needs to step down, as well as suggestions that Nintendo should cut their losses with the 'hopeless' Wii U and start work on another game box, one thing that has remained present throughout it is that many are calling for Nintendo to make use of smartphones and now, with a new report, it seems like the Japanese company are looking to heed that advice.

What this report, from respected Japanese newspaper Nikkei, does not say is that Nintendo are making a full jump to smartphones and that the joysticks and Wii Reomtes that you waved about in the original Wii's heyday are going to be replaced entirely with the unsightly smudges of touchscreens. However, what Nikkei does say is that Nintendo will be bringing 'free mini games' to smartphones, making it sound like the famous hardware and software maker are planning on dangling a snack in our faces, hopping that we'll bite and be forced to buy a Wii U in order to get a real taste. The report also states that Nintendo will be looking to bring Mario, Princess Peach and co. to smartphones before the year is out, and my own presumption is that this will be in Autumn at the latest, ahead of the Holiday buying rush.

Also important to note is the Japanese that Nikkei used in the report. Translated, it specifically says 'free mini-games' and not 'demo', so while it may sound a lot like a demo to us, what Nintendo in fact may be trying to do is rekindle people's love of their games and attract new fans to their beloved series, in a sort of 'if you liked this mini game then you'll love this full priced title!' sort of way, especially as the free mini-games are also said to include plenty of info (including release date and pricing) about the full priced games that they've have teased. What a mini-game release would also do is keep in line (for the most part) with Nintendo's much talked about mantra that Nintendo games stay on Nintendo consoles, meaning that even if you download all of those free mini-games, you'll never get a real experience of a Nintendo game until you fork out the cash and buy one – along with one of their consoles – for real, which seems like a pretty smart way of increasing profits to me.

Nintendo are rumoured to announce their full plans this week, so we'll keep you posted once we know more.

Source: Kotaku, Nikkei