Metro Reviews – Boston Marathon, Rain Shadow Love Recipes, Outlast
Here’s my Metro Reviews for the week of Feb. 10th Rain Shadow By Rebecca Hansen Carrer iBooks Four And A Half Stars The prospect of undiscovered wealth drove men to shameful acts of subterfuge and violence in the late 1800’s acquisition of water rights for Los Angeles. This well-researched, fictionalized account follows a young girl... Read More
Psychology Technology: Coping Virtually With Phobia, Addiction, and Schizophrenia
We perceive our world more and more through digital senses. It’s there in the way we map it, scan it, and digitize it into video games. It’s no surprise then that therapists are exploring new technologies for tools and exercises to help people cope with their fears and anxieties. This week we’re exploring three fascinating... Read More
Metro Reviews – Cinefex, George Harrison’s Guitars, Best Ceasar, Tearaway
Here’s my reviews from Metro News for the week of Feb. 3rd. Cinefex By Don Shay & Jody Duncan iPad Four Stars A journal of behind-the-scenes movie magic, Cinefex get their hands on the extras you won’t find on any DVD and the photographs that obsessive fans drool over. Going digital has actually lowered their... Read More
The Most Famous Human Brain In Medicine Has Been Uploaded To The Web
For the first time researchers have scanned a human brain at the cellular level, revealing an unprecedented amount of detail and structure on the most mysterious part of our bodies. When you view the brain at this level of magnification it becomes as expansive as the universe, and so rather fittingly, Dr. Jacopo Annese and... Read More
Metro Reviews: Sherlock, Tomb Raider, Wii Fit U
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of Jan 27th. Spirit Rising By Angélique Kidjo & Rachel Wenrick Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Three And A Half Stars Recipes and mp3s add a friendly interactive touch to this charming autobiographical tale of a restless girl in West Africa whose childhood of python festivals and Aretha Franklin records helped... Read More
A Faster Commute. The Promise Of Smart Traffic Lights, Elevators, And Bus Stops
You can listen to my radio series live every Monday on Moore in the Morning at 6:45 am Between traffic lights, elevators, and bus stops we spend a good portion of our lives just waiting. This week we’re exploring new technology that aims to eliminate those delays by sensing our moods and anticipating where we... Read More
Metro Reviews: Wordeo, Robert Evans, Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of January 20th The Robert Evans Collection By Robert Evans iBooks/Kindle Four Stars No one enjoys telling self-aggrandizing Hollywood stories more than Bob Evans. Does he narrate his own books? Sure. Goes off-script? You bet. His often-mimicked humble brag tone is an unintentional delight and because he... Read More
Smart Contact Lenses Promise Eye Sensors And Zoom Vision
You can listen to my radio series live every Monday on Moore in the Morning at 6:45 am Follow @RealKrisAbel Smart Contact Lens The finger prick test for blood sugar is a pretty uncomfortable way to manage diabetes. I don’t know how people do it, other than you have to if you want to avoid... Read More
Metro Reviews: Device 6, Wolf Among Us, Crackle
Here’s my Metro News reviews for the week of Jan 13th. Device 6 By Jonas Tarestad & Simon Flesser iPad/iPhone Four and a Half Stars This brilliant puzzle book moves with its character, Anna. When she takes a turn, its pages rotate to match. As she passes a window, the illustrations change their view. Voices... Read More
3D Printed Food, Night Vision iPhones, And Smart Earbuds Among CES Best
You can listen to my radio series live every Monday on Moore in the Morning at 6:45 am Follow @RealKrisAbel From among the thousands of new gadgets and devices that were previewed last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas I’m afraid we only have time to look at three. There were curved... Read More
Metro Reviews – Cabinet of Curiosities, Dead Rising, Dog Biscuits
Here’s my Metro News Reviews for the week of January 6th Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities By Guillermo Del Toro & Marc Zicree Kindle/iBooks/Kobo Four Stars While making movies Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim) keeps imaginatively illustrated journals. Select pages are used here for a deep and fascinating discussion into his influences... Read More
Criminals Can Be Found Reflected In Their Victim’s Eyes
You can listen to my radio series live every Monday on Moore in the Morning at 6:45 am Follow @RealKrisAbel Take a picture of someone up-close and you might just be photographing yourself, reflected in their eyes. Research led by Dr. Rob Jenkins at the Department of Psychology at the University of York, England has... Read More
Metro Reviews – The Hobbit, FitStar, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, Cooking Matters
Here are my Metro News reviews from the week of Dec. 31st. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Official Movie Guide By Brian Sibley iBooks/Kindle/Kobo Three And A Half Stars Imagine thirteen helicopters transporting thirteen dwarf teams around a mountain or a sound designer’s daughter giving Smaug his dragon’s roar. Every faction of the behind-the-scenes... Read More
Metro Reviews – Steampunk Holmes, Web MD, Republique, Forza 5
Here’s my Metro Reviews for the week of December 23rd. Steampunk Holmes: Legacy of the Nautilus By P.C. Martin iPad Four And A Half Stars With remarkable devotion to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, this alternate Steampunk adventure manages to give Sherlock a Victorian motorbike and Watson a prosthetic arm-cannon without trading away the deductive... Read More
Voice Donors Help Create Personalized Digital Speech
In the new movie Her, Joaquin Phoenix portrays a lonely writer who ends up falling for the Siri-like voice assistant of his new operating system, played by Scarlett Johansson. It’s an easy story to buy into because the computerized voices in today’s gadgets have become so convincing that having a relationship with one doesn’t seem... Read More
Metro Reviews: Saving Mr. Banks, Legend of Zelda, The Walk
Here’s my Metro reviews for the week of December 16th. Saving Mr. Banks: The Official Multi-Touch Book By Tyler Christian & Hilary Hattenbach iBooks for iPad/Mac Three And A Half Stars Yes, it’s a promotional pamphlet with profiles on Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, but done with the added care of an expensive coffee... Read More
Google Buys Industry’s Worth Of Robots For Secret Project
Google has been quietly buying up robotics companies out of Japan and the United States. So far they have acquired eight companies for an undisclosed amount. It’s a major move, worth billions of dollars, and one that gives them a leadership position and early monopoly on an industry that doesn’t exist yet. What their intent... Read More
Metro Reviews: Ron Burgundy, Blackbar, Ryse: Son of Rome
Here’s my Metro New columns for the week of Dec. 9th Blackbar By Neven Mrgan and James Moore iPhone/iPad/Android Four Stars With their letters censored by a sinister authority, two friends must constantly invent covert ways to communicate. To follow along you have to type in their redacted words, guessing at what’s being said and... Read More
Family Adventure: Mountain Climbing & Freediving At The Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre has opened a new hall called The Human Edge with 80 exhibits that explore the remarkably plastic nature of your body, the way it can adapt and change to the demands we put upon it in a lifetime. This week on Technical Knockout we’re looking at just two of those exhibits,... Read More
Metro Reviews: The Book Thief, Super Mario 3D World, John Lennon
Here’s my Metro New columns for the week of Dec. 2nd The Book Thief: Enhanced Movie Edition By Markus Zusak Kindle/iBooks Four Stars Snatched during a life made arduous by Nazi rule, a girl uses stolen books to tell her tale. It’s an unflinching account, very coarse in detail, but surprising in its warmth. This... Read More
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