Michael Pedersen

All those vacant stores in shopping malls are being turned in data centers

Malls and department stores both have generous amounts of space, so with many vacancies still left unfilled after the recession, there’s a need to find replacement entities that can make efficient use of of the ample room. An answer to this problem is to buy the space and fill it up with servers, co

The Great Emoticon turns old AIM conversations into a Zelda game

If the faces of the AOL Instant Messenger conversations of yore were to attain sentience and corporeal forms, the design of the post-apocalyptic world of The Great Emoticon is arguably what that reality would look like. The trailer released by developer Hit That Switch last week looks to be another

Eitr’s trailer recalls the pitch-black world of Diablo II

The Gothic masterpiece that was Diablo II, the one that I willingly gave away much of my youth to, was perhaps most notable because of its atmosphere. It was a shadowy world, brown lands fading into a black background, full of occult sacrifices, lo-fi gore and legions of grotesque demons. Horror loo

Sub Rosa wants you to be the worst person you could possibly be

Cryptic Sea’s upcoming shooter is described by the developers as “about tense deals, double-crosses and car chases.” Car chases and gunplay have been done to death, but what’s this about double-crossing? Less of a shooter and more of a corporate warfare simulator, the game encourages you to be an al

Scientists are trying to make robots that can feel things

The use of robots is widespread throughout society: in medicine, combat, warehouses and factories. However, one limitation is holding them back from advancing into other industries: a lack of touch. Human touch is complex and highly sensitive, sensitive enough to detect textures on a nanoscale level