Controller Free Gaming

Have you ever imagined using your hands to control the character in your favorite game? Or moving a few fingers and turning down the television from across the room... like magic? Well now you can.

The good people at Thalmic Labs have created the "wearable gesture control device". Its a band that's worn on the forearm which allow the user to manually control electronics, such as video games, radios, RC vehicles, televisions and more with hand gestures.

When you see the demo video below its going to show the versatility of the device. By flexing muscles in the forearm, wrist and fingers users are given manual control over electronics in every type of environment including the snow. This is the tech of the future available now. Check it out.

Trap Music

There's a new type of music that's gaining popularity by the minute. It's called "Trap Music." The style is similar to dance except it has more bass and usually a catchy vocal loop.

"Dance Trap" is different than Southern Trap music which is a genre of Hip-Hop which describes drug dealing in a risky environment. The sound of the music is a mix of southern beats and Crunk. That style was championed by artist like T.I., Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, Project Pat and numerous others.

The new trap music is something completely different. This music is melodic, fast paced and designed to make people move. Some people say it sounds like Dubstep or House...but it doesn't. Trap has it's own unique blend of sounds and instruments. I've been listening different Trap producers over the last few weeks and found most use some type of catchphrase that's repeated.

Baauer is currently one of my favorite Trap producers because all his songs have bass lines I can rhyme too. His song "Harlem Shake" which is a tribute to the early 2000 dance is getting global exposure. People from all walks of life are recording themselves and friends making short videos to the song. 

Below I posted a few Trap songs to get you familiar with the style. After that are videos of people buggin out to the "Harlem Shake."

World-Wide Riderz

Tomorrow is St. Valentines Day. A time when people give cards and candy to their lovers or romantic interests. I find it amusing that the actual origin of the holiday like so many others is marred with the blood of innocents. Yet twisted into some festive occasion that people celebrate without ever learning where it came from. 

The actual saints name was Valentinus. He was a Christian saint who was imprisoned for performing marriages for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering, which was illegal in the Roman Empire. He was subsequently executed after healing the daughter of his jailer. How that became a day of flowers and candy baffles me. But I digress...

This post is about sharing new music! I just finished a new song "World-Wide Riderz," featuring my mann Cleva from Minneapolis, Minnesota (known for the twin cities). The song is a grimey street anthem, with hardcore lyricism describing the street culture in different cities around the world. Take a listen and if you like the track leave a comment and tell a friend to tell a friend. 

AniManga: Dogs Bullets & Carnage

Dogs, is a popular manga by Shirow Miwa. It began in 2001 as a mini-series titled Dogs: Stray Dogs Howling in the Dark. It had a short run then came back in 2005 as Dogs: Bullets and Carnage. I started following the series during Bullets and Carnage.

The story is set in a futuristic city where genetically modified beings have been given enhancements that make them virtually immortal. There are crime syndicates similar to the mafia which organise assassinations, and mutants with animal characteristics and there own code of law.

The story focuses on four people that become connected by a series of coincidences. Each person is an anti-hero looking for answers to their individual past. My favorite is Badou. He's a nicotine addicted journalist that becomes psychotic if he goes to long without a cigarette. He's a mix of comedic relief and bad-ass gunslinger. 

The other three main characters are Naoto, a female with superb sword skills also known as the Blade Maiden. Mihai, a retired mafia enforcer, and Heine a genetically modified boy with a collar attached to his neck that gives him super-human abilities.

All the characters are searching for an entrance into the underground facility called "Below". This is where most of the human experimentation and assassination training takes place. The rest is done by private sectors throughout the city. Some of the political leaders are also modified humans with there own secret agenda. The plot is a twisted, blend of comedic genius and hardcore gunplay. The fight scenes are surreal. There is allot of bullets and carnage just like the title says.

In 2009 a four-episode OVA adaptation was released. The anime was good but it was only a prelude to the series. I liked the action and it covered the origins of all the characters except Heine. His story is the most intricate and needs the the best explanation. 

Hopefully there is a follow-up series to compliment the OVA cuz the manga is dope! I posted part 2 from the OVA below, check it out.