The next few months are about the Olympics, the Super Bowl and the World Cup. But are they also about video games? PRI reports that for the first time ever, video gamers from abroad are being issued visas normally set aside for pro-athletes. The P-1 visas are for foreign gamers who are so popular, that stadiums -- like the Staples Center -- gets sold out, as people watch to compete gamers play in glass booths. But is gaming a sport?
Unclassified Topic
Is Videogaming a Professional Sport?; This Nap Mask Mimics the Sunrise & More
An Insight into Google's Future
Could Google's recent acquisitions be the tea leaves that'll help us read into what the company's ambitions are? TechCrunch thinks so. Pankaj Mishra writes that with the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, Nest and DeepMind, it's clear that Google is collecting the companies necessary to put together what he calls "a real life Internet," which would mean robots and software that would play a part in every aspect of our lives, from transport to manufacturing to even brushing our teeth.
No. It's a mask you wore to pretend that you weren't napping in the middle of the day. A new Kickstarter project that was funded this week is a mask created by engineers from MIT, Harvard Medical School and Stanford. Called "Napwell," the mask uses lights mimicking the sunrise to wake you up from your naptime in a natural way.
We Haven't Come That Far, After All
Kotaku has a detailed exposition of the harassment faced by women in the video game industry. The issue was brought up again last week, when a screencap showing a conversation between reporter Josh Mattingly and a games industry vet Alice Mercier (who won't give her real name) circulated. It showed Mr. Mattingly making seriously crass sexual comments to Ms. Mercier. But that's just the beginning. Kotaku writer Rachel Edidin goes on to talk about the multiple harassment stories that almost every female in the industry has -- and the difficulties, both internally and externally, they face when it comes to speaking up.
Google is Laughing All the Way to the Bank
Seattle v. Denver. Chobani v. Oikos. In the two battles that will play out in MetLife Stadium this Sunday, there's already a clear winner: Google. Because it's now more about the pre- and post-game views of ads on the web, and every pre-released ad, teaser and promo includes a YouTube ad budget. AdAge reports.
