News & Events
Aug01
Patlabor reboot coming this fall
2016 at 04:22 pm by admin | Comments Off
Coming off the heels of the 2014 live-action adaptation of the classic manga and anime Patlabor, anime project Japan Animator Expo has announced that a short animated reboot of Patlabor will release this fall! The project, headed by Hideki Anno’s Studio Khara, will debut at Japan Animator Expo’s week-long screening event starting on October 15th. Featuring a fresh look at the characters and scenario of the late 1980s franchise, the Patlabor short will feature the return of Patlabor’s original scriptwriter and composer, along with other big names in the anime industry!
Aug01
Hello Kitty & friends debut in Sonic attire
2016 at 03:46 pm by admin | Comments Off
At SEGA’s recent Project Sonic 2017, held to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th anniversary, Hello Kitty and friends made a surprise appearance in special Sonic costumes! Featured as a collaboration between SEGA, Sanrio, and toy company Toynami, the new collaboration was also featured at SDCC 2016, and include a series of 3-inch blind boxed figures and larger plushes of iconic Sanrio characters like Hello Kitty, Badtz-maru, My Melody, and Chococat! The set includes costumes of Sonic characters like Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and of course Sonic himself, both in his memorable blue colors as well as his golden Super Sonic form! While the Super Sonic Hello Kitty was an SDCC exclusive, all the other plushes and miniature collectibles will debut at retail this fall, so fans have plenty of time to get ready for this awesome collaboration release!
Jul28
Paint oil canvas digitally with Adobe
2016 at 08:53 pm by admin | Comments Off
Creative software developer Adobe will partner up with Nvidia on their latest program, titled Project Wetbrush! The project is a proposed software program in which users can create artwork that accurately mimics the look, feel, and depth of real-life canvas painting. The program will allow users to realistically produce painting on their digital canvas, mixing paints and stacking layers to create a life-like finished product. The painting will then either be able to be saved like a standard image, or saved as a 3D file that can be viewed from a number of angles, revealing the brush strokes and layers of paint as a thick surface. Artists can look forward to seeing this technology develop in earnest as the year goes on, and hopefully look forward to an official announcement as to when they can get their hands on this awesome piece of technology!
Jul28
Yokai Watch hits smartphones with new titles
2016 at 08:45 pm by admin | Comments Off
After LEVEL-5 recently announced that the original Yokai Watch video game will be made available on smartphones and tablets, more good news for Yokai Watch fans has surfaced in the form of two new games for Android and iOS! The first, “Yokai Watch: Daijiten”, will be a quiz-type video game geared towards Yokai Watch masters, and will test your knowledge on the franchise’s wide variety of characters along with various other subjects like spelling and other general knowledge. The second game, “Yokai Watch: Gerapo Rhythm”, will be the series’ very first rhythm game! Featuring simple controls in which users will tap along to the beat, Gerapo Rhythm will feature all your favorite Yokai Watch characters, along with a number of songs that were featured in both the video game series as well as the anime. Yokai Watch: Daijiten will debut in Japan this November, and Yokai Watch: Gerapo Rhythm will release in March 2017. Check out the video below to see the two new games in action!
Jul28
OpenAI develops learning chores robot
2016 at 08:13 pm by admin | Comments Off
OpenAI, research organization owned and sponsored by Elon Musk, has revealed plans for the future of robots in the household with their new autonomous cleaning robot! Developed in cooperation with Fetch Robotics, the new robot is equipped with a robotic arm that allows freedom of movement, and uses 2D scanners and 3D depth sensors to accurately navigate in complex environment and perform simple tasks. Along with these features, the robot features a unique software that will be capable of learning how to best accomplish tasks over repeated sessions. All of these features will allow the robot to perform household tasks like cleaning the floor, doing dishes, ironing shirts, and more! With a future that sounds right out of the Jetsons, OpenAI looks forward to one day releasing robots like these to the general public in order to increase quality of life.
Jul27
Spinning art installation in Portugal
2016 at 06:02 pm by admin | Comments Off
Collaborative artist group Micro Atelier de Arquitectura e Arte, or MAARQA for short, have come together to create a spinning interactive art installation in Porto, Portugal. The piece, titled “Gira”, was created in commemoration of the the annual St. John Festival, and consists of a giant sphere made up of hundreds of children’s plastic hammers in a wide arrange of colors. The installation, which can be entered by passerby and viewed from within, can be spun manually from within, transforming the art piece into a spinning globe of color. As MAARQA’s latest work in art installations, with previous works displayed in Canada, Amsterdam, Sweden, and other countries, Gira is a fun way for citizens and tourists alike to experience Portugal’s festive culture and atmosphere!
Jul26
Godzilla's apologetic figures arrive at TOMODACHI
2016 at 09:02 pm by admin | Comments Off
After a number of destructive rampages across the world over the past decades, Godzilla and company are now showing their remorse through a series of collectible figures, now available at TOMODACHI! These figures poke fun at the franchise’s long-standing tradition of wanton destruction, forcing the memorable monsters to apologize for their senseless behavior. The set of figures includes Godzilla himself, along with popular kaiju Mechagodzilla, Kong Ghidorah, and Hedorah. Each figure comes with a podium for their apology press conference, along with a removable keychain to take these cool collectibles with you on the go. These highly sought-after figures are available now at TOMODACHI’s Mall of America store, and will be coming very soon to our Rosedale Shopping Center location! Come stop by to check these hilarious toys out for yourself!
Jul22
BMW's futuristic Titan motorcycle
2016 at 07:43 pm by admin | Comments Off
German automobile company BMW has unveiled their vision of the future with their Titan concept motorcycle. The bike takes design inspiration from sea life such as sharks, and a futuristic sleek outer shell covering the front half of the vehicle. The purpose of this design is speed, with the bike able to break the 376 mph land speed record thanks to its airtight front end that funnels air around the bike through the use of makeshift “gills”. The user themselves sit within an enclosed cockpit on the bike, and is powered by a turbo engine located near the massive rear wheel. The design was created in part with industrial designer Mehmet Doruk Erdem, and there are no plans for this design to hit retail in the foreseeable future.
