Author: Hana Khalyleh

Feature

Bringing otome games to the other side of the world

This article is part of a collaboration with iQ by Intel. Otome games—visual romance novels targeted at women—don’t often find a wide audience outside of Japan. Not only do they struggle to market towards women in countries where dating simulators are less of a cultural staple, but the games’ protagonists and stories are often coated in a Japanese context, causing some of the magic to get lost in translation. Even breakthrough titles in the otome genre usually meet small niche popularity when compared to their male-oriented counterparts. That being said, some otome games have broken the barrier, finding their foothold in…
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This real-life injury simulator is fascinating if a little gross

Researchers from the Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology at the University of California, Los Angeles used detailed CT scans of human legs to create lifelike simulations of leg injuries to train medics. “Our goal in this specific project is to train medics to be able to deal with these sorts of injuries quickly and efficiently,” said one of the researchers, Jeff D. Eldredge, in an article for Motherboard. “When they train they have to feel the anxiety of seeing a real injury, and that’s the important aspect that’s hard to recreate.” The injury simulations, featured in the video…
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A tarot card deck designed by world-famous designers and artists

We all know artists and designers are practically fortune-tellers, able to pick up on future trends and styles when creating and reimagining their art. But when they put that divination talent into a strangely fitting literal manifestation, the results are breathtaking. Contemporary Magic: A Tarot Deck Art Project is a collection of tarot card designs, created by 78 esteemed designers and artists, and put on display in a travelling exhibition. Among the artists commissioned were Ultra Violet, Andres Serrano, Francesco Vezzoli, Nan Goldin, as well as designers Christian Louboutin, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs and Dame Vivienne Westwood. The exhibit is…
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Elvie: The exercise game for a happy vagina

Between getting an education, working full time, taking care of kids and being reminded by society to look good while doing it, the pressure of being an independent woman in this day and age can be overwhelming. Luxuries like heading to the gym or taking a jog often get put on the back burner so you can get in some overtime or study for finals. But personal health, at least in one area, doesn’t need to take the backseat any longer: say hello to Elvie—the workout game you play with your vagina. Elvie is a silicone exercise device connected via…
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A Star-Trek-style medical scanner could be here in the near future

A team of Stanford University electrical engineers have taken large steps towards creating a portable scanning device to detect hidden objects, with possible applications in the medical field as a detector of tumors in the brain. The team says the device could be ready for practical use within the next fifteen years, despite the technology sounding like something out of science fiction—specifically, the medical tricorder tool from the world of Star Trek. In the Star Trek universe, a tricorder is a handheld multifunctional tool used for data collection, sensor-scanning, and status analysis. Medical tricorders are used by doctors to scan…
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Stand aside, Waze: Mapkin is a GPS app that gives directions like a local

Mapkin is a free GPS app that gives you directions like a local, tailoring your route with hints and suggestions submitted by drivers who have driven it before. While on the road, drivers can record messages reporting obstacles or landmarks such as, “Take a left at the light onto Main Street, just past the gas station,” or “The road is really curvy up ahead, so take it slow,” as listed by the app’s website.  All driver-submitted tips are then listened to, verified and utilized in the route directions by the Mapkin team. “We use a variety of tools including map…
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A videogame meant to raise awareness of anxiety attacks

Anxiety Attacks doesn’t need to wander far from its inspiration to earn its status as a horror experience; there are no jumpscares or monsters—just the knowledge that you might not be in control of what you see and feel, that something as simple as moving and breathing can become a chore to juggle. It is, in short, a mental breakdown simulator, emulating the experiences of those who suffer from anxiety disorders and anxiety attacks. You start in a bright forest, greeted with flowers and birdsong; the sun is bright, and the world is rich and vivid. You are given only…