We've got another fascinating selection of stories in this week's Week in Geek – from an emoji keyboard that can read your mind (or at least your texts) to a pair of high-tech socks that render shoes obsolete!
Plus, we've got even more Pokemon Go news, footage of an extremely bizarre (and completely unofficial) Futurama movie and an exclusive report on the final death of the VCR.
In other words, you don't want to miss this little lot – so grab a glass of your favourite refreshing beverage and settle in for another cracking Week in Geek.
Top trending tech news
Microsoft's HoloLens brings Pokemon Go to life
The unstoppable juggernaut that is Pokemon Go continued its world conquest this week – with a little help from Microsoft and their super-flashy HoloLens 'augmented reality' headset.
We took a little look at the HoloLens earlier in the year– but essentially, unlike conventional virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, the HoloLens actually projects virtual characters and structures on to the real world.
The technology is impressive enough in its own right. But this week, developers Koder unveiled a demo version of Pokemon Go for the platform which allows the colourful creatures to burst free from the confines of your smartphone screen and take their rightful place in the outside world!
That said, the HoloLens Pokemon experience has its drawbacks. For starters, the device is currently only available in a $3,000 ‘Development Edition’ – which is a rather excessive cost of entry to a free app, no matter how badly you want to catch ‘em all.
And even if you're still reaching for your wallet, it's our sad duty to inform you that the HoloLens team aren’t actually collaborating with Pokemon Go developers Niantic – and indeed, the impressive HoloLens edition of the game is little more than a proof-of-concept mock-up. That said, at least you can check out the proof-of-concept video above – and dream.
Last ever VCR to be manufactured in Japan
There may be some among our readers who have never owned a VCR – and that is a very sobering thought!
But not so long ago, we used to amass libraries of VHS cassette tapes, including everything from home releases of last year’s blockbusters (why did they take so long to come out on tape?) to entire back catalogue of every episode of our mum’s favourite serial TV show, recorded while she watched them. We can still read the labels now: "Mum’s show - Do not tape over!!!"
These days, it might come as a surprise to learn that VCRs are still being made – but this won't be the case for much longer. A Japanese company called Funai Electric is the only remaining manufacturer of the tape-munching relics of the past, but now they've finally announced that they will cease production by August, after 33 years in the business.
The market for VCRs has understandably become much smaller thanks to the arrival of DVDs, Blu-rays and on-demand digital streaming. This doesn’t necessarily mean the end of VHS cassettes though, as there are still hundreds of movies available in Japanese stores and collectable stores around the world.
The ropey old technology is unlikely to ever see a revival to match the likes of vinyl – but it’s still a sad day for tech enthusiasts whenever a once-ubiquitous technology is put out to pasture!
New SwiftKey emoji keyboard can read your hilarious mind
We love a good emoji here at Geek Squad towers – and this week, the developers behind popular third-party keyboard app Swiftkey released a new app called Swiftmojithat takes our obsession with the colourful icons to the next level.
Swiftmoji makes it easier than ever to find the perfect emoji by automatically scanning the words you type and suggesting appropriate pics. Type ‘pizza’, for example, and the app will suggest an Italian flag, the pizza slice emoji and a ‘face savouring food’.
Personally, we reckon there’s a lot to be said for frantically scrolling through the screens of emojis, hunting for the perfect one to express your thoughts, but if you’ve ever struggled to find the right image for your message – or you’re just looking for an excuse to pack even more of them into your texts – Swiftmoji may well be worth your time. The app is out now for Android and iOS.
New on the High Street
High-tech socks eliminate the need for shoes
Not too long ago, our Agent Watson took a look at the future of smart clothing– and this week, we came across what could be the world’s smartest socks!
Now, the Skinners, as they’re known, don’t connect to Wi-Fi. They don’t come with their own app. And no, they’re not capable of telling your heart rate, blood pressure and horoscope. But what they can do is eliminate the need for that most inconvenient of ancient technologies: shoes.
The special socks have a special tough yet flexible coating which makes them as tough as shoes – but still flexible, comfortable and extremely lightweight. Much like high-tech running shoes Vibram FiveFingers, the appeal of the Skinners is that they provide a more natural and responsive way to run, allowing you to feel every nuance of the ground beneath your feet.
The Skinners are currently on Kickstarter– and as they’ve already met their funding target, you can now preorder a pair of your own for $40 plus shipping. That’s expensive for socks, but a bit of a bargain for shoes – especially as early reports indicate that they don’t even smell! Check 'em out in the video above.
MiniMoog Model D returns to production after 30-year hiatus
Music tech fans – including a fair few of us here at Geek Squad towers – were thrilled this week to learn via Engadget that the iconic Minimoog synthesiser will be returning to production after a 30-year hiatus.
The classic instrument was first released in 1970, and was the world’s first commercially available, portable synthesiser keyboard. The instrument’s lush, high-tech sound can be heard across all kinds of music from that era and beyond, from Krafterk's innovative high-tech productions to the funky sounds of Parliament Funkadelic and Herbie Hancock.
Classic analogue synth sounds have been back in vogue for a while now, but until recently, you had to turn to software emulation or extremely expensive vintage gear to get the Moog sound. This new release should make it a little more accessible, but not too much more – the revamped Minimoog will set you back about $3,700.
That’s going to put it out of reach of all but the most serious musicians, but if you’re keen to find out why they’re so excited, check out the awesome video above for a slice of musical history.
Movie and TV news
More news on Batman: the Telltale series
Telltale Games – the award-winning creators of The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series– have released the trailer premiere of their next foray into interactive storytelling.
After the excellent games set within the universes of The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Borderlands and Minecraft, we’ll soon be donning the cowl of the world’s greatest detective, the caped crusader, the dark knight himself – Batman.
Promising a gritty and violent new set story within the fragile and corrupt Gotham City, players will enter the fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne – and make difficult choices with far-reaching consequences in that inimitable Telltale style. Batman himself will be voiced by legendary video game voice actor Troy Baker, who's previously had starring roles in Uncharted 4, The Last of Us, Bioshock: Infinite and Far Cry 4.
The first episode is set for release on the 2nd August this year, with future episodes following throughout the rest of the year. The game will be available across iOS, Android, PC, Mac, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4 and Xbox One platforms – and we can't wait!
Live-action Pokemon movie Detective Pikachu announced
Back on the silver screen, this week also saw the news that a live-action Pokemon movie will soon be heading our way, based on the Nintendo 3DS spin-off, Detective Pikachu.
The Verge reports that the license has been the subject of an intense bidding war from a number of movie producers – perhaps unsurprising given the massive popularity of Pokemon at the moment. That said, Detective Pikachu strays quite far from the typical Pokemon template: rather than focusing on catching the cute monsters, the game features Pikachu as a deerstalker-sporting Sherlock Holmes figure, helping a young boy named Tim find his missing father.
At this stage, we have no idea of whether the film will follow the game’s storyline – or anything else about it. There’s no director, actors or release date attached to the picture yet – but hey, a live-action Pokemon movie! That’s worth getting excited about, right? And to help get into the mood, you can check out the original game’s Japanese trailer above, which might give you some idea of how the film could look.
Fan-made Futurama movie is extremely creepy
Sticking with the live-action adaptation theme, this week also saw the launch of a trailer for Fan-O-Rama– a completely unofficial, fan-made movie adaptation of Matt Groening’s cult-classic sci-fi cartoon Futurama.
We’re big fans of Futurama here at Geek Squad, and there’s nothing we love more than a heartfelt fan project – but it must be said, the trailer above is more than a little weird. While the visual effects are no doubt impressive for an amateur production, it’s hard not to be a little unsettled by the rubber-faced Professor Farnsworth and pals!
Well, the spoof rating at the start of the trailer does describe the movie as “questionable” – so we can’t say we weren’t warned. Check it out for yourself above.
And finally...
Enjoy a good laugh with Laugh.ly – a Spotify for comedy
Finally this week, we all enjoyed a good laugh at the announcement of Laugh.ly– a new service that aims to do for stand-up comedy what Spotify has done for music.
“What’s that,” you ask, “impoverish the performers by offering a pitiful handful of pennies for every million streaming plays?”
Well, perhaps not quite. The developers claim that because, unlike mainstream musicians, most comedians own the rights to their own recordings, their payment model is generally more rewarding for artists. The company claim that revenue is generally split 50/50 – so it should hopefully offer decent returns for our favourite funnymen and women.
As with Spotify, Laugh.ly offers an ad-supported free service, backed up by a monthly paid-for subscription. Currently, there’s a library of over 20,000 comedy recordings available – by far the largest of any streaming service – and more are sure to be added in future.
The service is currently in closed beta, which means you can’t get on board just yet – but it’ll be launching to the public on August 10th with apps for both iOS and Android. If it sounds like your idea of a good time, you can get your name down early here on the official website.
That's it for this week's crucial roundup, but be sure to check back next Friday for more news from the world of science, tech and geeky entertainment! And for more great articles from our Agents straight to your inbox each month, why not get your name down below for the Geek Squad newsletter?