Yes, this 12-minute video expertly dissects all of the inconsistencies, logical fallacies, and plot conveniences that plague 1999’s The Matrix. But what it fails to take into consideration is that The Matrix is perfect, and no amount of nitpicking will ever change that.
You’ve got your Windsor, your half-Windsor, and… well, that’s pretty much it. Except, of course, for the 168,998 other ways that science has determined it’s possible to knot a tie. That’s a thousand times more than we previously thought. All it took to figure it out was a repeat viewing of The Matrix Reloaded.
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Nowadays, when you go see a big movie, you assume everything is going to be computer animation and greenscreen, and nothing is real. But a lot of the biggest, craziest movie stunts, past and present, have been entirely practical. Here are some of the most complicated stunt sequences that were created in reality.
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Slow motion and Matrix-style bullet time was invented for this and this only: dogs. As in playing with dogs and recording them in bullet time with 52 GoPro cameras set up to freeze time. The video itself is already fun (if you have a heart) but the behind the scenes footage is almost just as interesting (if you like cameras).
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Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.
Are you reading this? Seriously, are you? Sure, we know you think you are, but what if you’re just a sub-feature of a complex computer program. A sprite, nothing more than the creation of software. The problem with this question is, how would you ever know? You wouldn’t, right? Well, not so fast there. Turns out, maybe there is a way to unravel the matrix (if there is one). It’ll come as no surprise, that this is one of the topics in this week’s collection of alternative stories. Think that’s all we got? Not even close. We’ll explore the truth behind cloning dinosaurs, as well a rare performance by singing mice — all before dinner. Or is it really dinner? This is alt-week.
Continue reading Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice
Alt-week 10.13.12: is the Universe a simulation, cloning dinosaurs and singing mice originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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From Barcelona to Hanover to Vegas and Taipei, we’ve seen our fair share of low-end Android tablets, some of which actually offer a bit of promise, and get it done for under 200 bucks. And while even a few sub-$100 models have littered the exhibition hall floors, they’re most often mere vaporware, never actually making their way to US and European retailers and online shops. The Matrix One, for its part, could actually get the nod of approval from big box execs, however — according to company reps, at least. And it wouldn’t be a half-bad option at $99, shipping with Android 4.0.3, a 2-megapixel webcam, 1.5GHz Cortex A8 processor and an 800 x 480-pixel 7-inch capacitive display. Those specs also make their way to a nearly identical $149 flavor, which ups its budget counterpart’s 512MB RAM and 4 gigs of storage to 1GB and 16GB, respectively, while keeping the other components intact.
While that display won’t best any brand-name slab on the market, it’s certainly usable, even in bright sunlight, as we experienced today at CE Week in New York City. The tablet performed just fine during our quick demo, which included navigating through some menus and watching a few HD video clips. The built-in speaker on the rear won’t come close to filling a room (or even a noisy car, perhaps), but a headphone jack will let movie fans and youngsters alike appreciate content a bit more, especially if traditional tablets are priced out of reach. There’s also an HDMI port for outputting 1080p video to a TV, along with one full-size USB port, a mini-USB connector for syncing and updates, a power port and a micro-SD card slot, for adding up to 32 gigs of extra storage.
You’ll also find a built-in mic and a two-megapixel webcam (no rear-facing shooter, however). All in all, the 11.1-ounce package is quite polished, especially given the price. We won’t likely be adding the Matrix One to our personal collection, but if a $99 tablet is on your must-have list, this wouldn’t be a bad choice — let’s just hope it does indeed pop up in stores, perhaps as soon as the tablet’s ready to ship at the end of next month. There’s a gallery below if you’d care to take a closer look, and do jump past the break as well — that’s where you’ll find our hands-on video, with a lively Manhattan soundscape to boot.
Matrix One is a $99 ICS tablet that could ship to retailers next month… but probably won’t (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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