Nintendo Power went on sale in 1998, but it did not last long on the market and was practically only in Japan. (Reddit/FU3L)
Innovation is one of Nintendo’s most notable characteristics and just as it has many success stories, it also has a long list of devices that had a great idea and never achieved the impact that was expected of them. An example is the Nintendo Power, a cartridge that could change the way we buy video games.
27 years ago a concept of the japanese company promised to provide access to games by downloading files in one place. An idea that has been transformed, both in the illegal market with pirated copies, and in official proposals such as digital console stores.
More than two decades ago, in 1998, Nintendo presented to the world its vision of consuming games in digital format: Nintendo Power. This device, initially released in Japan, was intended to offer a unique experience to Super Famicom and Game Boy players. The premise was simple: allow users to download games and other content directly to a special cartridge using a dial-up connection.
The concept was revolutionary for its time. Before the widespread use of the Internet in homes, the company saw the possibility of offering downloadable content over a telephone network. Subscribers could connect the Nintendo Power cartridge to their console and access game demospromotional content and other exclusive information that was not available anywhere else.
Nintendo Power went on sale in 1998, but it did not last long on the market and was practically only in Japan. (YouTube/NintenDUINO)
Nintendo Power was presented as a unique peripheral 27 years ago. The technology was that the special cartridge contained a flash memory that allowed data to be downloaded over a telephone line.
To access content from the Nintendo Power service, subscribers had to connect their cartridge to a telephone line. This allowed them to communicate with a company server to download game demos, exclusive trailers, and other exclusive content. All this for a monthly fee that gave them unlimited access to the content available on the service.
This exclusive content was one of the great advantages of the device, because subscribers They had the opportunity to try game demos before their official release, as well as access promotional content and previews.
The Nintendo Power had more video games and services for the Game Boy than for the SNES. (Reuters)
However, the service also had its limitations. Since it depended on dial-up connection and the download speed was limited compared to current Internet standards. Additionally, the cartridge’s flash memory storage space was limited, which meant that only a limited number of demos and content could be stored on the device.
Despite its innovation and potential, Nintendo Power failed to achieve the expected success. The service life was limited and it left the market after a few years, officially reaching very few countries.
First, the growing popularity of the Internet and the increased availability of broadband connections made the service less relevant over time. As more people had access to the Internet in their homes, the need to rely on a telephone connection to access digital content decreased.
The Nintendo Power had more video games and services for the Game Boy than for the SNES. (X/Nintendo of America)
Additionally, the Japanese market was the device’s primary target, limiting its reach and growth potential. Although some exclusives were released through the service, Its availability was restricted to a specific region, which limited its global impact.
However, the concept behind this cartridge remains valid. Both Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox, as well as other companies in the sector, have subscription services that allow players to access exclusive content, trailers and a catalog of games digitally. So we can say that Nintendo Power was the precursor to current products such as Game Pass, PlayStation Plus and even digital stores.
The Rise and Fall of Nintendo Power: The Forgotten Digital Game Cartridge
Since 2016, the Chinese FAST telescope has located more than 900 pulsating stars
Beijing. Since its launch in 2016, China’s 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope (FAST) has identified more than 900 new pulsars in space, which, among their uses, function as coordinates for possible interstellar travel , which expands human vision of the cosmos, its operators reported this Wednesday.
Han Jinlin, a scientist at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC), quoted by the state news agency Xinhua, indicated that the pulsars detected by the also called Eye of Heaven o Tianyan They included more than 120 binary pulsars, more than 170 millisecond pulsars, and 80 faint and intermittent pulsars, thus expanding the limits of human observation of the universe.
Of the total findings by FAST, 650 were identified by a pulsar snapshot of the galactic plane, according to the report.
Pulsars originate in the core of a massive dying star that are detonated through supernova explosions. One of the important implications of research on so-called fast-spinning neutron stars is to provide cosmic coordinates for possible future interstellar travel, Jinlin said.
He added that in the more than 50 years since the discovery of the first pulsar, less than 3,000 pulsars have been discovered worldwide, and the number of new points discovered by FAST is more than three times the total of those found by telescopes. foreigners during the same period.
A previous report indicated that 224 pulsars were found as of September 30, 2020, and more than 40 high-quality papers were published.
The largest in the world of its kind
The telescope, located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in southwest China’s Guizhou province, has a receiving area equivalent to 30 standard football fields, making it the largest single-dish radio telescope. of the world.
At present, the telescope’s annual observing time is about 5,300 hours, and it plays an important role in the continuous production of scientific research achievements, providing researchers around the world with a powerful tool to discover the mysteries and the evolution of the universe.
Other main scientific fields to be analyzed or detected by FATS include: studying neutral hydrogen, mastering the VLBI network at low frequencies, detecting interstellar molecules and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Observing pulsars is an important task of the Sky Eye, which can be used to confirm the existence of gravitational radiation, gaseous galaxies and black holes, as well as help find answers to many other important questions in physics.
With the new report, the operations of the radio telescope, officially operational since January 2020, have greatly expanded the scope of human exploration of the universe and, in particular, the location of faint pulsars, which are very difficult to detect with other telescopes. positioned around the planet.
In the near future, the telescope will provide the international astronomical community with new perspectives, allowing them to further explore the universe and try to find the unknown, and make greater contributions to helping humans penetrate new fields of cognition, Jiang Peng added. , chief engineer of FAST, quoted by Xinhua.
#Chinese #FAST #telescope #located #pulsating #stars
– 2024-04-22 17:38:59
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Since 2016, the Chinese FAST telescope has located more than 900 pulsating stars
Revolutionize Your Cleaning Routine with Ascender: The Smart Vacuum Robot that Climbs Stairs
2024-04-18 02:30:00
Ascender, a smart vacuum robot that can climb stairs
This work belongs to the company Migo Robotics with the development of the Ascender intelligent vacuum robot. It is not only designed to be able to vacuum and mop the floor by itself. But can still climb and clean stairs. It has become the world’s first robot vacuum cleaner that can climb stairs and clean the entire house.
The robot is equipped with various obstacle avoidance systems. From a high-resolution camera, a LiDAR sensor like the one used in self-driving cars, to six TOF sensors to supply data to the artificial intelligence processing system to work with precision.
When you first start up, Ascender starts by rotating and running around the entire area to inspect and create a 3D map, then it starts vacuuming and mopping to clean the designated area. It has a maximum suction power of 9,700 pascals and a mopping force of approximately 17 newtons.
After finishing work, the robot will run straight back to the station to recharge and change the water. It automatically cleans the mop cloth and is ready for reuse. However, both the water tank and dust bag should be serviced every 30 days to keep the Ascender at peak performance.
A key highlight of the Ascender is its ability to go up and down stairs on its own. The robot can lift itself up and lean on steps to carry itself up and down. The robot is also designed to support working in tight spaces. So not only can move along the stairs. But it can also clean each step of the stairs.
With this system, Ascender can automatically support the use and cleaning of the entire house. Completely change the concept of vacuum robots that can only be used in condos. In addition, the robot supports a working area of up to 500 square meters per charge. Therefore, it is not difficult to take care of the whole house.
It is considered a new generation of robot vacuum cleaners that may revolutionize home cleaning to be much more convenient.
For those of you who have read the information about this robot vacuum cleaner and are interested, Ascender is currently open for pre-order registration for $849 (approximately 31,000 baht) today and is expected to be produced for general distribution at a price of $1,499. (around 54,870 baht) soon
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#Ascender #smart #vacuum #robot #clean #stairs
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Revolutionize Your Cleaning Routine with Ascender: The Smart Vacuum Robot that Climbs Stairs