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enigmaticjblake · 5 years ago

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The 9 Most Extreme Adventures in the World

From mountain biking to caving, here's a list of the hardest, the highest, the most challenging pursuits that athletes around the world aim to tame.

WHEN EXTREME ATHLETES want to test their mettle, they don’t go for a Sunday stroll. They embark on the world’s most extreme adventures, tackling the highest climbs, deepest dives, and roughest rapids on the planet. These adventures require advanced athletic achievement and a mastery of highly specialized skills—and they are not for the faint of heart.

The Most Epic Technical Mountain Bike Trail: Portal Trail, Utah

Located on a 200-foot cliff above the Colorado River, the extreme exposure of this red rock route creates one of the most technical rides around. Riders pass a sign warning them to dismount in certain sections or risk a deadly plunge near an area where three riders have died.

This rugged trail, approximately two miles long, descends 1,050 feet, packing an average grade of 23 percent.This is the final ride in the “Magnificent 7” series of Moab-area trails.

The Highest Climb:

Denali, Alaska

While everyone knows Mount Everest is the world's highest peak—though its exact height is being reevaluated by scientists this summer—it doesn’t offer the world’s greatest base-to-apex vertical. For that, you’ll have to travel to Alaska’s Denali.

Climbing North America’s highest mountain involves ascending nearly 18,000 feet from the base to the 20,310-foot summit. Along the way, expect to encounter Arctic conditions, glacier travel, crevasses, temperatures down to -35ºF, and winds whipping at over 100 miles an hour.

The climb usually takes three or four weeks, and over 90 percent of groups tackle the West Buttress route, though some prefer to hike in via the Muldrow Glacier or take the West Rib route.

The Most Epic Hike: Snowman Trek, Bhutan

With 48,000 feet of uphill hiking and 11 passes over 16,000 feet, this 186-mile trek is one of the world’s hardest hikes. And don’t expect a break from the altitude at night: The route involves camping at over 16,400 feet.

The Snowman Trek usually takes around 25 days, with some variations available, but it’s all rugged, high-altitude, remote terrain. Many attempt but don’t finish the trek due to snow conditions and problems with the altitude.

But it’s not all painful. The high-altitude Himalayan scenery, including passes such as Gangla Karchung La, Jaze La, and Rinchenzoe La, will enchant intrepid hikers along the way.

The Most Menacing Deep Dive: Eagle's Nest, Florida

Known as the Grand Canyon among divers, the Eagle's Nest cave complex features incredible scenery and caves over 300 feet deep. It’s located in Florida’s Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area near Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

Despite their stunning beauty, the Eagle’s Nest caves lure many divers to their deaths. At least 10 have died here since 1981, and the site was closed from 1999 to 2003. Its remote location and extreme depth add to its danger, and this is an extreme experts-only dive.

The Most Challenging Skiing: La Grave, France

A trip to La Grave involves taking a cable car up to 10,500 feet before skiing down mostly unmarked terrain, dodging crevasses and cliffs with the threat of avalanches along the way.

This isn't a regular resort; it's experts-only terrain packed with enough steep chutes, cliffs, and couloirs to keep highly skilled double black diamond off-piste skiers dreaming for years to come. Most of La Grave is unmarked and unpatrolled; if you're not careful, you might end up at the bottom of a crevasse. Hiring an experienced guide is highly recommended.

The Roughest River to Kayak: Congo River’s Inga Rapids, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Only one team has successfully kayaked the Inga Rapids of the Congo River, but many others—including an entire team of seven in 1985—have died trying.

In 2011, Steve Fisher and his team, including paddlers Tyler Bradt, Benny Marr, and Rush Sturges, succeeded in kayaking the world’s biggest rapids with flows of up to 1.6 million cubic feet of water per second. They survived their attempt—just barely—and made an 80-minute documentary, Congo—The Grand Inga Project, about the journey.

The team faced 30-mile-an-hour water, 40-foot-tall waves, huge hydraulics, whirlpools, waterfalls, and the gargantuan task of arranging access in a politically unstable nation. Fisher was nominated as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for his efforts.

The Most Insane Cave to Explore: Hang Son Doong, Vietnam

Located in the World Heritage site of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park,Vietnam’s Son Doong Cave is so enormous it has its own climate, river, and jungle. At more than 2.5 miles long, it contains areas more than 600 feet tall, and is the largest cave in the world according to the British Cave Research Association.

The Most Thrilling Line to Walk: Aiguille Dibona, French Alps

In 2016, slackliners Pablo Signoret, Rafael Bridi and Guilherme Coury trekked to Aiguille Dibona in the French Alps to set a record. Rigging a 656-foot-long slackline between two peaks, the trio set the record for the longest highline at 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) in elevation.

To complete this remote endeavor, they had to haul in packs (weighing up to 90 pounds) containing their climbing gear, webbing, camping supplies, food, and everything they needed to film, including a drone and GoPro cameras. High wind and lower levels of oxygen at elevation made their feat even more challenging.

The Hardest Waves to Tame: Shipstern Bluff, Australia

South Pole storms from the “furious 50s” maximize the waves in this remote stretch of southeastern Tasmania. Surfers flock here to catch sets of 20-foot waves, but access isn’t easy; either a long hike or a lengthy boat ride is required. And in 2017, one of the nearby cliffs partially collapsed from the harsh weather and erosion, making the hike even more treacherous.

The Southern Ocean swell leads to unpredictable waves producing “stairsteps,” which surfers have to drop down as they surf—all while keeping an eye out for great white sharks.

#adventure #eduvogue #travel #freedom

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enigmaticjblake · 5 years ago

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Best Video Games of the last decade

The last decade was sensational, a lot of stuff happened, there were dramatic changes all across, especially in videogames. Technological advancements in computer hardware pushed graphical limits and the visual fidelity in gaming kept evolving. Games got more immersive and believable.

The videogame industry saw major changes like the rise of digital gaming platforms such as Steam, Origin, Epic Games Store and so on.

Even the Consoles saw dramatic changes. The PS4 was a major player in the market but Steam on the other hand dominated the PC landscape. Epic Games Store also got a lot of attention.

Even VR stepped out of the shadows and major companies like Microsoft, Google, HTC, Samsung, Facebook and many others discovered the potential of the medium and embarked on the ultimate quest of making the best VR headset in the market. Even Sony made a VR headset for the PS4.

Technological advancements are fine but it is important for us to understand that Videogames cannot just solely depend on technology to be an immersive and unforgettable experience.

They have to have an engaging story, solid and balanced game play mechanics, immersive sound design, perfect balance between narrative and pacing and a few other major factors are what determine a good game and a great game. Ultimately they have to deliver an unforgettable experience.

So after all the trials and tribulations, a few games have emerged to show the world how powerful the medium can be.

So without any further ado, lets jump into the list of best games of the last decade.

Read Dead Redemption 2

The critically acclaimed open world wild west adventure game comes straight from Rockstar Games, the same team that has made the GTA Series. RDR2 is considered as one of the most successful titles of the last decade as it gives you a vast sprawling open world with staggering amount of detail. This is one of the most detailed games of the decade, coming somewhere close the end of the current generation of consoles; it utilizes the fullest potential of modern day hardware and delivers a stunning dynamic open world experience like never before.

CS:GO

Yes, you might be wondering why is CS:GO on this list, well it is there for a good reason. Not only this online classic tactical shooter still among the largest and most played games of all time, it is fun to play even in this age and day. CS:GO manages to bring back an old formula and still keeps it relevant at this age. Countless events and tournaments are centered around CS:GO. Back in the day CS was mod out of another legendary game which we will definitely discuss some day. CS single handedly showed the world what mods are capable of achieving and gave birth to the mod culture. There are quite many games which were mods of the past and apart from that, the game is still fun as hell and me and my friends still play it.

Fortnite

Fortine has a very strange history, it was originally a defense game like minecraft where you build during the day and protect during the night but it wasn’t that successful. People had already seen the idea before, so when Battle Royale was gaining popularity, Fortnite decided to mix its defense formula with BR. The ratings for Fortnite just went off the charts and many people played it as it was released as a free to play title. It had a cosmetic market though which got Epic tons of revenue and that’s how Epic Games Store came into picture. So if a game can do so much for a company, you can definitely process the impact it had on the industry overall.

DOTA 2

Talk about mods again, DOTA was originally a genre defining mod of War Craft 3 but someone else saw its potential. DOTA was more of an underground thing, it was never so popular in the mainstream and very few knew a genre like MOBA even existed. It was around 2009 when I first saw DOTA in a cyber café where some young kids were playing it on LAN. At first, it looked like War Craft 3 but the mechanics were totally different. Soon I learnt it had a cult underground following and Valve made the smart move of acquiring the talent behind this mod and decided to make this thing into a fully blown sequel. DOTA 2 which pushed MOBA into the mainstream. Obviously there were others who joined the bandwagon of MOBA and tried to distinguish themselves. League of Legends is also another MOBA game which is popular but DOTA 2 is still considered as the king and despite of its age is still among the top played games on steam world wide. There are people who have played the game for a staggering 10000 hours and still find new and interesting things. It’s a game which is easy to learn but difficult to master.

Batman Arkham City

Batman needs no introduction, for those who do not know, Batman is a fully ripped grown man who wears Egyptian cotton underwear over a grey suit and is passionate about jumping from building to building during the night and saves the city from bad peeps. He is THE Superhero.

If you haven’t played any of the Batman games of the Arkham trilogy, stop reading this list right away and immediately go and play it! Its really good.

It is debatable which one of the trilogy is the best and its very difficult to make that choice. I personally like all the games but Arkham City is amazing for several reasons as it is an ultimate battle between Batman and Joker, the game goes open world and Gotham City is such well crafted. The Unreal Engine does a marvelous job of putting it all together and the game runs so well AND this is why I could not chose Arkham Knight over Arkham City. Arkham Knight is miles ahead of Arkham City but I made the ultimate mistake of playing it on the PC which was a bad experience. Infact the game was such a mess, Steam had to pull it off and give out refunds to the buyers. It was a great experience on consoles but this misstep was the sole reason why I did not chose it for this list.

BUT now the game has been patched extensively and is in good shape. So if you are a PC gamer and want to be like Batman, this has to be the Ultimate Batman Experience.

Bloodborne

Ever heard of souls like titles? These are considered to be difficult as combat in them is of a different nature. These are not your ordinary action games where you go in front of your enemy and start spamming attacks on them. Souls like titles have be played tactically, timing and accuracy are the name of the game. When to strike, when to dodge and parry are crucial for every encounter and even the most basic enemy can strike you down if you are not paying attention.

Bloodborne is an Action RPG title developed by From Software exclusively for the PS4, set in a dark Victorian world we are tasked to hunt down to take down perils of an odd strange world. Blood Bourne stands out for its unique art style, game play mechanics and an engaging narrative, atmospheric and immersive world design and ruthless difficulty. This game has a deep and interesting lore so a lot of content awaits.

Be warned, this game can crush your soul.

Neir Automata

Set in a dystopian cyberpunk future where sprawling urban scapes are retaken my mother nature, humanity is wiped out by what was considered as their best creation.

Take role of an enhanced cybernetic warrior who is deadly and beautiful at the same time and hack N slash your way through hoards of deadly AI constructs as you make your way to the answers of all the questions that surround the collapse of civilization.

The stunning art style, the graphics, the immersive world and level design blended with fast paced combat makes Neir Automata an unforgettable experience.

INSIDE

Inside is developed by Playdead, the same studio who made Limbo. Inside is a staggering achievement in the 2D side scroller category of games. You take role of an unknown kid who just appears in this strange dystopian world where society has changed. The world is hostile and humanity is engulfed into some kind of a strange social experiment where a few selected individuals of the upper echelon are on the verge of creating something far beyond anything we can possibly imagine.

Inside is ruthless, deadly and hostile but the art style, presentation, pacing and its subtle yet effective gameplay pulls out the unimaginable out of a genre that is so old. It redefines the side scroller genre.

Inside manages to pull you in right from the get go and as you play further, you are just lost in it.

Its depressing, dark, bold and ambitious.

Don’t miss this one out.

Horizon Zero Dawn

A PS4 exclusive developed by Guerrilla games, HZD is an open world action RPG where civilization has moved beyond its post apocalyptic phase and mankind has once again emerged out of the darkness of this cataclysmic event and is facing a whole new world.

Civilization is rebooted but is engraved on the remnants of a past civilization. It is still unknown what cause the wiping of the earlier race.

What is known are the strange metallic beasts which roam around the waste lands of earth.

Imagine fighting a giant robotic T-Rex with a bow and arrow.

That’s HZD in one line.

Metal Gear Solid 5

You wake up in a hospital one day and the doc informs you that you were in comma for 9 years, how will you feel?

Well, Snake doesn’t feel bad at all. Only few hours after waking up you are hunted down by an unknown mercenary group who simply wants you dead for reasons unknown and weird things happen that night. You still manage to make an escape, thanks to your buddy who was undercover as a patient and was protecting you all these years. Soon you embark into a Journey into the heart of Afghanistan to find the answers.

MGS5 is developed my Konami, this is when the legendary Hideo Kojima was part of the team.

MGS5 had a rough development cycle but it turned out to be a great game.

It’s a sandbox stealth action title where you can approach your target or objective anyhow you like or find it convenient. There is a lot of freedom in this game.

You can even hide in a cardboard box and turn it into a makeshift stealth device.

There is base building, you recruit captured soldiers and make them a part of your team.

It’s a damn fine game and the story sometimes just catches you by surprise.

Portal 2

Portal 2 is a first person puzzle platformer developed by Valve. These guys are magical, whatever they touch becomes gold. Portal 2 puts you in the shoes of a test subject who is a part of a scientific experiment where they are testing teleportation technology, you get hands on a portable teleportation device or simply put, a portal gun. It shoots portals of walls.

You solve puzzles by shooting portals and make use of physics. Stuff such as gravity, momentum, reflection and so on come into the picture. Thanks to the Source engine. The story is also engaging and characters are really deep and well written.

You teleport your way out of these test chambers only to discover all is not what it seems.

Portal 2 is definitely one of the finest games of this decade.

GTA 5

Seriously? Wondering why this is on the list. Go play it!

Elders Scroll 5 Skyrim

Its not everyday that you bump into a fellow adventurer who has stopped adventuring cause one fine day he took an arrow in his knee.

Skyrim is open world action RPG that is bold, ambitious and probably the best game made by Bethesda Game Studios.

Skyrim takes place in an enigmatic fantasy world which is engulfed in a political conflict and suddenly an old prophesied threat emerges and is bent on destroying the world.

You take role of an unknown traveler who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but as events unfold. Turns out you are not an ordinary person, you are THE dragon born. The only thing that stands between the dragons and the destruction of Skyrim is you.

Skyrim has a lot of content, side quests and the story is deep. You can keep playing Skrym for hours and hours and get lost in a different dimension.

The last of Us

Naughty Dogs knows what it does. They are the masters of their craft when it comes to developing breathtaking narrative driven experiences. The sheer amount of attention to detail which was earlier observed in the Uncharted games successfully transcends into The Last Of Us.

Exclusive to the PS4, The Last Of Us puts you into the shoes of a man who has lost many things. The world has collapsed and strange mutants ravage the world. As the man of a family it is upto you to protect your loved ones from the perils of the new dangerous world.

The production quality of the game is what sets it apart. A dark and mature story backed by well choreographed cinematics, well acted characters and a blend of stealth horror action gameplay totally set this game apart from anything on this list.

You should get a PS4 only to play this game. Its that good!

Battlefield 1

This in my opinion is the best battlefield game in recent years, obviously there are other battlefield games and I was thinking of voting for BFBC2, this one won for many reasons.

BF1 is a fast paced action multiplayer experience with a solid punch of World War 1.

The originality and the attention to detail BF1 offers is insane, right from the vast deserts in the middle east to conquests in various parts of Europe, Dice has made the perfect formula for World War 1. Its frantic combat is better than ever, tweaking a few mechanics the game is now more enjoyable and fast paced. Its like the perfect spot between fast paced combat and quick general perception of reaction to things.

The game looks beautiful and environments, animations weapon and character models are so well detailed, they all scream authenticity.

64 vs 64 players never gets dull. Also EA was less greedy about this one, I still feel bad for the Star Wars Battlefront games.

Black Mesa

This one is not a game, it’s a mod but it has to be on the list because it’s a Half-Life fan remake on the source engine, if you are unaware of Half-Life, you are dead to me.

Black Mesa is a masterpiece and it totally reimagines the original Half-Life in a way just like Valve would have. Seeing new areas in Source Engine is a visual delight, its hard to believe Wwhat limits can be Source pushed to, considering its such an old engine. Valve was truly thinking long term when they made the source engine.

Basically Half-Life puts you into the shoes of the theoretical physicist who works at a the Black Mesa Research Facility. One day an experiment goes horribly wrong and you rip open a dimension into an alien world and now its upto you to fix things.

Half-Life 1 was revolutionary and helped defined the FPS genre. SO YOU HAVE TO PLAY THIS.

The Xen levels are out now and the game has left early access, so now is the perfect time to play this timeless masterpiece.

Crowbar Collective has done a neat job.

Overwatch

This one is my eyes is the true spiritual successor to Team Fortress 2. Made ground up by Blizzard, this one was a very different thing from them.

Overwatch borrows heavy inspiration from TF2 and manages to fuse it with MOBA perfectly.

On the surface I’ve seen many people complaining this is a TF2 ripoff and its rich dudes Paladin, tbh it is like Paladin but both games have different dynamics.TF2 is more of an old school class based shooter at this point and OW is more fast and streamlined.

The wide variety of characters in OW may seem unnecessary but believe me, each one of them is well made and balanced. Its like Blizzard has a secret recipe of game balance and it becomes very clear how important it is to nail that balance in this hybrid genre when you get your hands on similar titles who achieve this perfection.

The art style is spot on and meant to age well. The graphics will never go old, such is the art style.

Jump into a few games and you wont even realize how the hours pass.

Resident Evil 2

Later this decade a legendary face re-emerged from the mythical shadows of mystery. Resident Evil is Capcoms that comes into everyones mind when we speak of survival horror games, this was the title that created the genre back in the day.

The remake is very faithful to the original, it successfully captures the tense atmosphere and the struggle of managing resources while scavenging the same old corridors of Racoon City Police Station.

While graphics and other things are aligned with 2019 standards, what is more surprising is the fact that the game is so perfectly transferred from those pre rendered 3D environmental backgrounds with fixed cameras into true 3D yet it manages to retain the whole essence of the thing. Its is big achievement and the game does its own thing in a great way.

Animations, Models, Textures, Sounds, Gunplay and the Zombie AI are perfect and the all new Mr. X is totally rad!

Resident Evil 2 being a new comer in this decade has made a solid spot on this list.

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

The game that saved Star Wars, honestly there were not that many good Star Wars titles in the recent years, both Battlefront games had their issues, while the 2nd one had a good production value, it stirred up the hive with its surprise mechanics. It was basically a Star Wars themed Casino and was brutally P2W. They have patched it now and is pretty playable but whats gone is gone.

Jedi The Fallen Order takes places after order 66 is executed. The Jedi order has fallen and the remnants are forced into exile. The empire has gripped the galaxy with its iron fist and the game puts you into the shoes of a young jedi who is accidently discovered by a high ranking Sith Inquisitor, the event propels the young Jedi into an epic journey of self discovery.

You travel across various planets in the galaxy and learn stuff about the lore which gives the series a fresh angle. It is clear that Respawn entertainment has put a lot of heart and soul into this game, it shows deep respect to the source material. Star Wars needed that. Also, the combat is fresh. It borrows the best of all the successful mechanics introduced in various games of the generation like platforming, souls like combat give a realistic sense to saber battles. It feels like a true Star Wars game.

Overall, this one just came out at the end of the decade and took all of us by surprise.

The Legend of Zelda Breath Of The Wild

Zelda always hands over the torch to the next generation of Nintendo Consoles. BOTW is a fresh take on the long running Zelda series. The series departs from its previous gameplay styles and throws Link into an open world filled with perils. But unlike most games, Zelda is a very relaxing game, the art style is soothing and the game is fun.

You can play this one at your own pace and follow your objectives the way you like. The game looks simple on the surface but whatever goes down the hood is very complex as the game takes interactivity to a whole new level. Climb huge rock faces, cut trees, cook food, find rare loot, craft rare stuff and do all this at your own pace.

DOOM

Rip and Tear baby! Doom 2016 is simply awesome, its fast, brutal, frantic and fluid. Story is classic as ever, where the UAC accidentally opens a portal to hell and now all the demons are pouring in from everywhere. The key difference between the previous Doom games and this one is, earlier you were stuck in a room with demons, now the demons are stuck in a room with you.

Doom gives you a huge arsenal of weapons at your disposal and heaps of demons to kill, kill them the way you see fit.

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt

OOF…..Witcher 3….what can I say…..

CDPR has dethroned Valve in terms of game design, this is what has happened this decade. There was a time when Valve used to make the best games, now its these guys.

You step into the shoes of Geralt, a professional monster slayer who has embarked on a journey to find his missing daughters in a land that is engulfed in conflict.

Witcher 3 takes place on a vast open world which is stunningly detailed, every 45 seconds you bump into something fresh and exciting. The world of Witcher 3 is well crafted, every section of this world feels vivid. The main story line is engaging but even the side quests are meaningful which is not commonly seen in most games.

The game lets you make choices and the story branches out as per the choices you make which drastically alter the outcome of the game which also gives it a high replay value.

If you call yourself a gamer, you have to play this.

#gamer #gaming #technology #topgames #entertainment

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enigmaticjblake · 5 years ago

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VR is here

As we step into 2020, It’s an exciting year ahead for VR, with so many technical breakthroughs, research and development and advancement in the field of optics, head mounted displays/ VR headsets are getting more immersive and have come a long way through. With all the challenges ironed out or lets just say most of the major ones it, VR finally feels less of a tech and more of a breath-taking immersive experience. As there is plenty of great content available for VR right now, this might be an excellent time to dive into a new dimension.

Here are some of the best headsets in the market if you are ready to take the plunge and take it to the next level.So lets jump right in

Oculus Quest

Created ground up by Oculus VR, a division of Facebook Inc. The Oculus Quest has stirred up the hive lately and for a good reason. Released in May of 2019, the device is fully stand alone and doesn’t lean on a powerful PC, also you don’t get yourself webbed in cables. Featuring two, Six Degrees of freedom controllers it runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, that’s what does all the black magic. Despite of being a stand alone headset, this one is capable of delivering some stunning visuals at a very low latency. There are a plethora of games and applications that currently run on the headset, so if you are curious about VR and wanna get started, you might wanna give this one a try.

MSRP: $399

Nintendo Labo VR Kit

Introducing the most immersive, robust Nintendo Labo kit to date—this one combines DIY fun, pass-and-play multiplayer, and family-friendly play with simple, shareable VR gaming. It even includes a programming tool you can use to create your very own VR games and experiences! Feel your creations come to life as you and your family blast through an alien invasion, create 3D works of art, dive into an oceanic photo safari, soar atop a bird, and go wherever else your imagination takes you.

MSRP: $79.99

Sony PlayStation VR

This one is the latest in the PS4 family, so if you have any version of the PS4, you are good to go and immerse yourself into a brand new world and leave reality behind.

MSRP: $399.99

HTC Vive Pro

HTC and Valve came together with the express purpose of developing the most advanced and immersive VR experience, combining years of research and development with the latest hardware, the HTC Vive Pro is a professional grade high end VR headset designed to provide the most demanding VR experiences. Equipped with twin QHD displays, this one takes you beyond anything you have imagined. It uses a special lighthouse technology to track you in physical space and translates the same in virtual space giving you a very immersive VR experience.

MSRP: $799

Oculus Go

The Oculus-Go is the all in one standalone VR headset, no cables, no PC just put it on and you are instantly teleported into a new world. Its sleak, light weight and easy to use and ready when you are! So if you are looking to dive into VR without hurting your wallet, this might be the perfect choice!

MSRP: $199

Oculus Rift S

The most advanced VR headset developed by Oculus, this one requires a powerful PC. Improved optics, tracking and ergonomics allow for an unparalleled immersion. It is also intelligently priced.

MSRP: $399

Valve Index

Valve Index is hands down, the most advanced and the most immersive VR headset out of all. Its the king of the game, it kills anything and everything that comes in the way. This one needs a powerful PC to work, the headset uses a 1440×1600 LCD panel for each eye for a combined resolution of 2880×1600. Comes with state of the art Valve controllers and light house tracking technology, this one distills all the research of the last decade and comes up with the best of everything.

Once you use Index, you wont like any other headset. Talk about software, Valve is developing its own game that will utilize each and every bit of the Index, so brace yourself and look no further.

MSRP: $999

#technology #vr #virtualreality #2020 #futureishere

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enigmaticjblake · 5 years ago

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We have failed humanity

If you are reading this, chances of you being an intelligent and a self-aware human being just escalated.

Although I would admit that a bleak possibility of a hyper advanced alien race capable of travelling across time and space has discovered us already and has deciphered all possible forms of human communication only to come to the conclusion that we are among the most stupid races of all and are just not ready to join the ranks of the universal union. I guess that explains why aliens do not want to talk to us. We aren’t ready for an introduction yet.

We humans, on countless number of occasions we have exhibited our immaturity, selfishness and ruthlessness towards humanity.

We have educated ourselves to the tooth, invented newer technologies but we have lost the vision of protecting our planet. We have abused our oceans, our forests and our resources. Our planet is 4.543 billion years and humans are approximately 300-200,000 years old. If you mathematically condense the age of the planet earth into 24 hours, we humans have inhabited it only for a mere 3 seconds and look at what we have achieved.

Countless number of wars have ravaged our civilization over the years, ever since mankind emerged but there are two wars in particular that have changed the world forever. World War 1 and World War 2.

While WW1 lasted for approximately 4 years and lasted between Jul 1914 to Nov 1918 , it lead to the mobilization of more than 70 million troops and stands among the darkest phases in human history. Ironically it was supposed to be a war to end all wars, as the perpetrators claimed.

More than 15 million human lives were lost in the war.

It is shameful because there was another World War.

WW2 took place on a global scale and lasted between 1939 to 1945, that’s approximately 6 years of endless mindless destruction of humanity as a whole. As much as 30 nations participated in the war, which eventually turned into a battle of 2 factions; the Allies and the Axis. The major players in the war disposed off their entire economic, industrial and scientific capabilities to fuel the war and as a result, there were 90 million deaths all across the planet.

While that wasn’t enough, the world witnessed an unimaginable horror, imagine the world’s most excellent minds capable of thinking outside the box working with the express purpose of creating something that can wipe off humanity.

The atomic bomb was made in order to put an end to the war but it was more of showing the world who is the big daddy.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki saw something no one in this world should see. When the bombs dropped, the whole world changed that day. Both cities were burnt to crisp and the whole region was plunged into radiation. The effects of the same are evident till this day.

It was a demonstration to the prowess of the super power as we know it.

To be honest, not much has changed ever since.

As humans we were supposed to be on but we have divided ourselves.

Our egos have become so fragile that we jump into conflict too fast. Apes did that, pre historic man was no different and intelligent homo sapiens are also no exception.

If you are well aware of your surroundings, chances are you must have heard or read about World Wars. If you have not, you are probably too young or never got the chance to educate yourself.

On the third day of a fresh new decade humanity woke up to memes of World War 3.

There was this sudden discomfort, confusion and realization that we have damaged ourselves beyond repair now.

Whatever the reasons maybe, I see two ignorant world leaders trying to justify their fragile ego and are ready to take down the world along with them.

The possibility of the world engulfing into a third world war has never been so real, let us dive into the consequences humanity will have to face if a third world war erupts because the chances of it have never been this real.

1. There will be black rainfall

Soon as the bombs drop, the skies will go dark and there will be black rain. The rain wont clear the sky and the drops won’t be water. These will be oily drops which will possess harm if come in direct contact with any life form.

In Hiroshima, the black rain started 20 minutes after the impact, the rain covered a rough area of about 20 miles. The whole region was drenched with this black gooey substance which was highly radioactive.

The skies were burning and oxygen levels were dropping, people were struggling through the flames and dying of thirst. Out of desperation most started consuming the mysterious black liquid only to later succumb to a radioactive demise.

The substance was so radioactive, it altered the blood of the people it came in contact with, there is no doubt that if we witness such weapons of mass destruction, we will definitely see this black rain.

2. An electromagnetic shock wave will disrupt electricity causing a massive black out.

Any nuclear explosion will be followed by an electromagnetic shockwave that can potentially fry electric grids and circuits on a nationwide scale. Nuclear tests in the past were capable of doing so on a 1000 miles radius and this was discovered by accident. Ever since, or so called scientific minds have designed nuclear bombs in a way they emit these shockwaves. So not only it will turn off your Xbox or Playstation, the data on your computer will be erased, the food in your refrigerator will become inconsumable and water treatment facilities in the area will shut down eventually granted access to contaminated water.

For a long time, we will be living without electricity and contaminated water.

3. The skies will become so dark, the sun will black out.

Wherever the bombs fall, there will be an unfathomable amount of energy in that area will consume the surrounding area and will create a dense mushroom cloud almost 15 kms above ground level. This mushroom cloud will spread out into the sky which will cover up the entirety of the sky leading to a long lasting darkness. Survivors of this event will only see a black sky for almost a period of 30 years. Only after 30 years there will be chances of seeing the blue sky and a clear sun.

4. The planet will become too cold for food cultivation.

Dropping temperatures will be a direct consequence of blocking of sunlight by the dark clouds. The dark skies cause a nuclear winter on the planet, there won’t be any summer. It is possible for the animals to starve to death and all the flora, fauna and vegetation that exists at that point will wither away and die.

It will take approximately 25 years for the planet to recover from this climate change.

5. The Ozone layer will be damaged badly.

As we all know, pollution and carbon emissions are slowly damaging the ozone layer, in case of a nuclear holocaust the ozone layer is estimated to take a damage of 50%, this will allow the suns radiation to enter our atmosphere and will be lethal for all kinds of life forms. Life will just not be the same again.

Surviving life forms will go through extensive mutations, crops will become smaller and weaker and will even stop reproducing, humans will suffer from skin cancer and will die a painful death.

6.Billions will die of starvation.

It is estimated that even with continual efforts of harvesting any kind of crops or even if we adopt modern scientific farming techniques, it will take at least 5 years for us to get the first post war yield.

Low temperatures, high amounts of radiation in the soil and water will make it immensely difficult to harvest any kind of crops.

We just won’t be able to feed everyone. Those who will learn to survive will somehow manage to find food and people living beside coastal regions might find it a little easier but again, as there will be a black sky, most of the plankton in the sea will wither away which will kill our oceans. Anything fished out of the oceans for consumption will be dangerous; the first five years will be harsh and challenging and most of us won’t be able to survive.

7. Packed foods will be safe for consumption.

Sealed food is what will keep us alive for the first five years, bottled and canned food come with preservatives, granting them longer shelf life and it has been proven through experimentation that they can protect the contents from radiation. Stuff found on ground zero will contain smaller tracer of radiation but will still be consumable, just don’t expect them to taste good. The challenge will be to stock them as everyone will scavenge the wastelands for them. Just like how we see in most post apocalyptic sci-fi tales.

8. Radioactive bones.

Surviving humans will suffer from cancer, as earth will be bathed in radiation in the initial days of fallout. Strontium-90 is one chemical that tricks our body into believing its calcium and easily accepts it. The body sends this chemical directly into our bone marrow and teeth and thus leads the victim into bone cancer.

The only way to survive is finding out a solid enclosure and stay put till a few weeks have gone, two weeks is the safe period for radiation to reduce a 1000 folds. Birth defects, genetic mutation and deaths will be common. Same were observed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

9. There will be massive storms all around the globe

The first month will witness a crazy pattern in the weather, the nuclear debris wont just block out the sun, it will enter the stratosphere and there will be massive storms, heavy destructive rainfall, blizzards of radioactive snow and cold darkness. It will be a push back into the dark ages where the cave man used to struggle for basic necessities of life.

Things beside water bodies will be worse as temperatures will plummet into a dark nuclear winter.

10. Power vacuum

There will come a time when people will emerge from their shelters, bunkers and eventually try to re-establish civilization. This is will a very dangerous phase, imagine a shift of power into the wrong hands, imagine the world going back into a much darker age. All the efforts humanity took to establish social, economical and ethical systems will have to be redone. Again there can be misuse of power.

11. People will survive.

It is not secret that billions of people will die the moment a bomb goes off, billions more will die a slow and a painful death, be it starvation, freezing in the cold or radioactive poisoning. There are just too many ways to get consumed by the harshness of the post apocalyptic world while handful of us will make it. The handful of us will adapt, be stronger than ever, have the will to survive against all odds.

Those who survive the first 30 years of this apocalypse will be the one to see a new earth. An earth where plants will start growing back, the skies will be clear and the sun will shine like it used to.

The new world will look something like Chernobyl where nature has reclaimed everything.

Life will go on and people will start rebuilding everything and I hope that they do their best to learn from the mistakes their past foolish and selfish leaders have made.

Hopefully they will evolve into a much mature race and finally have the aliens talk to them some day.

#nuclearwar #fallout #notowar #worldwar3 #humanity

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enigmaticjblake · 5 years ago

Text

AI WILL CHANGE US

THE STATE OF AI IN 2020

2020 is upon us, half of the last decade has been about sensationalizing AI, in case if you are unaware, allow me to help to understand what is AI. Before exploring any further, let us understand some basic concepts and terminologies surrounding it.

Artificial Intelligence, or simply AI, is the term used to describe a machine’s ability to simulate human intelligence. Actions like learning, logic, reasoning, perception, creativity, that were once considered unique to humans, is now being replicated by technology and used in every industry.

A common example of AI in today’s world is chatbots, specifically the “live chat” versions that handle basic customer service requests on company websites. As technology evolves, so does our benchmark for what constitutes AI.

Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI (commonly called “strong AI” or “true AI”), refers to AI with advanced to human-like intelligence levels. While current machines are superior to humans at select tasks, there is currently no AI that can successfully replicate the full depth and breadth of human skills and cognition.

So how exactly is AI supposed to help us or change our society in any manner?

I am glad you asked, so without any further ado lets dive into it, shall we.

Cybersecurity Powered by AI Technology

Cyber threats have become a major problem to many individuals and business owners. In reality, human efforts are no match in today’s cybercrime. Manual QA can be time consuming, making it more counterproductive in both ends. In 2020, the Artificial Intelligence technology will play a vital role in managing these attacks. With the help of machine learning system, it can be easier to detect data breaches and other malicious activities using updated security software.

Integration of Blockchain, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence

Integration of AI to other technologies is one of the main concerns in the past. Today, experts have found a way to fuse Artificial Intelligence with other systems more effectively.

One of these advancements is the activation and regulation of certain devices, which enables you to gather real-time data. In 2020, you can run more AI features in vehicles. The same thing goes for Blockchains that can generate certain routine using AI to address security, scalability, and other alarming concerns.

Development of AI System in Media and Entertainment

Up until today, developers are looking for ways on how Artificial Intelligence can penetrate creative industries. By 2020, you can expect more changes as the economics of gaming and movie production continue to rise.

Experts have predicted that the use of AI technology can help filmmakers and game developers when it comes to story ideas, production, scriptwriting, and even acting. Remember the movie Simone starred by Al Pacino, and Catherine Keener? This may actually come to reality by next year. AI is surely bound to have a big impact on the entertainment industry overall.

Real-Time Interactions with Customers

You may have noticed some of these basic features used in the digital world, especially in various Social Media channels. However, most of them are limited only to auto-responses. In 2020, you can expect more marketing activities happen in real-time across all platforms.

It may seem overachieving, but experts say that you may employ AI marketing, which can help improve customer retention in the future. This will also benefit your other digital marketing campaigns by maintaining engagement with your audience and seeking more potential network across other marketing platforms.

Secured Privacy and Policy

Two years ago, GDPR or General Data Regulation compliance has become a controversial issue involving privacy and policy. In 2020, these concerns may still arise in the world of Artificial Intelligence.

The problem is a lot of people are not aware how agencies use their personal details. In some cases, organizations don’t even inform them about its usage. This is why a lot of people are raising concerns about the policy requirements of Artificial Intelligence.

Fortunately, a lot of IT manufacturers and developers are putting more efforts regarding identity security. Needless to say, you can expect more security and privacy features by next year.

Improved AI System Assistance

This is one of the biggest improvements you should expect in 2020. Experts have predicted that AI system assistance will be more streamlined including the automation for customer service and other sales tasks.

While we now have popular assistants powered by AI such as Siri, Alexa, Waze, and Cortana, more and more investors are still working with some of the best AI software developers.

By next year, you can expect more apps and programs with Artificial Intelligence system, which enables you to perform various tasks. In fact, ComScore mentioned that more than half of all searches can be sorted out using voice commands by 2020.

Accuracy in Facial Recognition Features

Facial recognition is one of the key features in biometric authentication. However, there are still reports about its inaccuracy. Thanks to massive investment and in-depth research in this field, experts are now making more improvements when it comes to its accuracy and readability with the help of Artificial Intelligence technology.

Basic Tasks Automation in the Workplace

Startups and growing companies can now benefit in cutting down resources by automating some of the basic tasks. This includes data entry, customer service interaction, and more.

Artificial Intelligence may also add computer vision processing that allows you to monitor various networks. This can be useful in managing traffic flow, and could even improve operational efficiency in different industries.

As we all know, vision processing is a big part in the operational side of the company. This helps business owners allocate their resources more efficiently.

Final Words

Overall, the rising development of the Artificial Intelligence technology both have pros and cons. This is why experts and developers are doing their best to make more improvements and prevent possible risks in the future.

Don’t forget to subscribe, feel free to leave a comment and stay tuned for more trending content.

#ai #futureishere 2020 technology agi

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