Bioshock Infinite Receives Universal Acclaim

Irrational and 2K Games have just released their latest creation, Bioshock Infinite. Bioshock Infinite is the spiritual successor to 2007’s Bioshock, which was acclaimed as one of the greatest games of the generation, if not of all of gaming’s history. Now Ken Levine, designer of the entire Bioshock series, has crafted a game that, despite being very aesthetically different, appears to maintain the same epic feel. Bioshock Infinite is a first person shooter but it stands out among the overflow of bland, gray-brown war shooters. It takes place in a floating city named Columbia and draws much inspiration from late-1700s America and steampunk technology. Critics have claimed that the games narrative and environment are enthralling, the visuals are excellent, and the gameplay is smooth. Immediately upon release, Bioshock Infinite received rave reviews. It currently holds a 96% on Metacritic, with twenty-one perfect scores from major reviewers such as Machinima, Game Informer, Eurogamer and The Escapist. This places it as one of the most acclaimed games of the generation.

http://mashable.com/2013/03/25/bioshock-infinite-review/
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Implant May Prevent Heart Attacks

Swiss researchers have created what could be the next breakthrough in medical science. They have made a tiny implant, only fourteen mm long, which gets implanted under a patient’s skin. The implant regularly analyzes the blood of the patient and has the ability to send results directly to their doctor. Immediate analysis of the blood can detect symptoms of sickness before they manifest, giving the patient a better chance of being able to use preventative medicine. Perhaps most significantly, the chips can detect signs of an oncoming heart attack approximately three of four hours before it occurs. This will provide the patient access to possibly life-saving heart attack prevention. Though the chip isn’t finished, the researchers plan to make it available within the next four years. While surely not everyone will be keen on having implanted technology, people with family histories of heart disease, such as myself, could be greatly benefited.

http://mashable.com/2013/03/20/medical-implant-chip-detect-heart-attacks/
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Supreme Court Denies Piracy Appeal

In the past few years, Jammie Thomas-Rasset has become famous for accusations of her illegally downloading music from the now inexistent sharing software Kazaa. Though she allegedly only downloaded twenty-four songs, almost nothing for the average teenager’s standards, she has been fined for a total of $220,000. The case has been going on for six years now, ever since she became the first person to fight piracy charges from the Recording Industry Association of America. She recently appealed to the Supreme Court to argue that the charges against her were extreme, unfair, and unconstitutional. However, the Supreme Court has denied her appeal and refused to hear her case. They previously refused to hear the case of another accused pirate, Joel Tenenbaum, who was charged with a $675,000 fine. Thomas-Rasset has claimed that the charges will force her to file for bankruptcy, which is admittedly excessive for the pirating of property worth approximately $24, especially seeing as pirating has been proven to be committed by the US government.

http://mashable.com/2013/03/18/supreme-court-refuses-music-piracy-case/
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Augmented Reality Makes Online Shopping Easier

A new app for Android and iOS may make the lives of online shoppers even easier. The app is called Augment, and it’s likely to increase the sales of large items for online shops such as eBay and Amazon. With Augment, customers can select an item from an online store, most likely a piece of furniture or an appliance, and create a 3-dimensional image of it on their tablet or smartphone. Then, using a phone or tablet’s built-in camera, Augment will sync the piece of furniture with the surrounding room. This augmented reality simulation will show how whichever item a customer is considering buying will fit into their home without them having to actually purchase the item first. This prevents the possibility sizing misestimates and poor guesses of how much a piece of furniture will match the intended room, thereby improving both sales and customer satisfaction.

http://mashable.com/2013/03/11/augment-app/

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