الثلاثاء، 9 ديسمبر 2014

Nintendo's least popular Amiibo toys won't be around long, but Mario will

3:21 ص Posted by mahfoud , No comments


You know those cute Amiibo NFC-enabled toys/collectibles/game accessories that Nintendo debuted this year? They aren't going anywhere for awhile. Well, some of them won't at least; and so far, that includes Mario and Link according to Wired . The outfit says that it intends to have certain characters always available, but wouldn't spill any other details regarding which of the mini-statues would make that cut. We imagine it's pretty likely that those pictured above will likely survive time and again. However, a company rep did explain why Marth, Wii Fit Trainer and Villager have been so scarce: Nintendo deliberately didn't produce many to start and they've since been discontinued.


"We will aim for certain Amiibo to always be available. These will be for our most popular characters like Mario and Link. Due to shelf space constraints, other figures likely will not return to the market once they have sold through their initial shipment."

Naturally, that's pushed at least some of the trio's values higher at places like eBay and Amazon. Smash fan-favorite Marth can set you back as much as $90, while Wii Fit Trainer is only going for a few bucks over the $12.99 standard retail price.


And guess what else is in short supply? The $20 adapter that's necessary to play Smash Bros. with Gamecube controllers. That, friends, is selling for nearly $100. If it wasn't clear enough by now, this is your cue to start buying every Nintendo accessory as it's released.


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Source: Wired






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The advice 13 entrepreneurs would give their younger selves

3:21 ص Posted by mahfoud , No comments
Startup-founder-ideas-thumb

While inexperience can have certain benefits (like fearlessness and confidence), a seasoned businessperson with no regrets is incredibly hard to find. With that in mind, I asked 13 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) what they would tell their younger selves when first starting out.


Their answers are below:



1. Hire only "A" players


David Tomas


People perform at different levels. This is a fact I neglected to appreciate when I founded my first company, believing everyone was equally capable. I quickly learned this was not the case, especially when it came to attitude. I had to learn to identify and hire "A" players quickly. The companies where I have incorporated A players have been the most successful, and it has always been a smoother ride. Read more...


More about Entrepreneurs, Yec, Business, Small Business, and Startups



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The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"

3:21 ص Posted by mahfoud , No comments

The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


This is Setsu-chan. The little guy sure is cute when he's awake. But when he dozes off, he sure is fugly.


As pointed out on 2ch and IT Media , earlier this summer an illustrator named Mino started uploading photos of her slumbering cat Setsu-chan to her Twitter feed. Here, you can see him wide awake:


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


What a darling cat!


But the difference between how he looked when he was awake and his "negao" (寝顔) or "sleeping face" was huge. Typically, "negao" for cute animals (or cute people, for that matter) are supposed to be, well, cute. It's precisely that gap that people online found amusing.


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


Since Setsu-chan was even featured on Japanese television, it shouldn't come as too big of a surprise that NicoNico is reporting a photobook is being released tomorrow. The title is The Most Awful Sleeping Face in Japan: The Unparallelled Beautiful Cat Setsu-chan.


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


Just look at that cover. Look at it!


Below, you can find some more Setsu-chan pics from Mino's Twitter page. You can also check out her feed for even more Setsu-chan pics and info about the book. Mino's Pixiv has some of her illustrations, so check those, too.


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


The magazine article says "The Hengao!" (変顔) or "The Odd Face!"


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


The Cat with the "Ugliest Sleeping Face in Japan"


[Photos: Mino]


美しすぎる猫の残念すぎる寝顔をとくと見よ！ [IT Media]


"日本一寝顔が酷い美猫"セツちゃん、初の写真集が登場！　未公開ショットも収録 [NicoNico]


美しすぎる猫の残念すぎる寝顔をとくと見よ！ [2ch]


To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.


Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.






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We're One Step Closer To Superfast Computers That Run On Light Instead Of Electricity

3:21 ص Posted by mahfoud , No comments

Computers are inefficient thanks to the copper wires used inside them. Researchers at Stanford are showing that there's a better way.


High school physics will tell you that if you pass a signal down a wire, by the time it gets to the end the signal will have degraded. The same is true with computers, which typically use copper wires as a way of connecting together internal components, or even entire computers in data centers. According to researchers at Stanford, roughly 80% of the power used by a computer is lost thanks to the use of these copper wires.


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44 Ways To Reduce Obesity--Which Ones Offer The Best Bang For The Buck?

3:21 ص Posted by mahfoud , No comments

Intervening at a subconscious level—like giving people smaller portion sizes—may be a whole lot easier that trying to educate about healthier habits.


About 2.1 billion people—or 30% of the world—is now overweight or obese, and the social impact is enormous. Obesity accounts for 5% of all deaths each year and generates costs equating to 3% of all gross domestic product. That's as much as smoking, or the combined impact of armed conflict and terrorism.


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Amazon to FAA: We Might Just Take Our Delivery Drones Elsewhere

3:11 ص Posted by mahfoud , No comments

Amazon to FAA: We Might Just Take Our Delivery Drones Elsewhere


In the technology world's equivalent of a teenage sulk, Amazon has told the Federal Aviation Agency that "without approval of our testing in the United States, we will be forced to continue expanding our Prime Air R&D footprint abroad."


It's now more than a year since Amazon announced its Prime Air delivery service. But things aren't moving fast enough, with the FAA dragging its heels over Bezos & Co.'s testing. So far, Amazon has yet to gain permission for outdoor trials in the U.S., which makes the idea of parachuting in soft-backs from the skies all but impossible.


Reuters points out that the FAA has agreed that six sites for commercial drone testing be opened, but Amazon's wasn't one of them. What's more, theWall Street Journal suggests, is that while there are fewer than 10 approved commercial-drone operators in the U.S., Europe has thousands.


Which does surely make shifting testing operations overseas all the more appealing for Amazon. So now, it just remains to be seen how the FAA will respond to Amazon's tantrum. [WSJ, Reuters]






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