Netflix brings ‘Choose your own adventure’ format from books to the screen

If as a kid you’d love reading the “Choose your own adventure” books, this new format Netflix is introducing is bound to be popular with the young ones of this digital generation. After two years of testing it out, Netflix launches its first of two Interactive Storytelling titles: Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale. Coming on July 14^th is the second story, which is Buddy Thunderstruck: The Maybe Pile. Netflix partnered with the likes of Dreamworks, American Greetings, Robot Chicken, and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios to help bring these complex, non-linear stories to life. Puss in Book has already launched globally, making it the first of its kind to be available on such a large scale.

The story will have the viewer make a choice at certain points and you’ll be given around 15 to 20 seconds to choose. If your kid is watching on a TV, it’ll be by using the remote, while if you’re on a tablet, they can tap on their choice. At launch, the right-to-left languages (like Arabic) won’t be supported but they will be coming soon, according to Netflix. It’s available first on TVs and iOS with Android, Apple TV, and Chromecast not yet in the works. However, the two shows will be available on those platforms as a linear story. We can’t say how popular the format will be but it does show us how Netflix is stretching its tech side and how storytelling can evolve in the future. While launching first with children’s titles, Netflix isn’t ruling out trying it out with adult content, too.

Source: Wired 

Apple introduces more lessons for kids to learn about coding and creativity

Apple wants to build the coding and creative skills in your young ones this summer. Canadian kids can take part in things like Apple Camp, new weekly Kids Hours, and How to Get Started with Coding sessions. For those interested in the Apple Camp, it’s a free three-day experience for children ages 8 to 12 years old. The camp teaches kids about coding, illustration, movie making, and composing of music. In Apple Stores around the world, there are now also weekly Kids Hour that educates about different, fun hands-on projects like “Sphero Maze Challenge,” “Making Movies Together,” and “Creating Music with GarageBand.”

There are also new daily How To sessions at Apple Stores. The new one geared towards kids is the Get Started with Coding sessions. This gives children a chance to explore coding concepts and use the same code professional developers use. Apple’s Swift Playgrounds app for the iPad helps make coding lessons more interactive and fun for beginner coders from ages 12 and up. If you’d like to check out these lessons and sign up, you can find out more in this link.

Mastercard and Western Union explore digital model for refugee camps

With more than 65 million people around the world currently displaced from their homes due to political conflict and natural disasters, there is a growing need to find better ways for refugees to achieve self-sufficiency and become economic engines in their host countries.

On World Refugee Day, Mastercard and Western Union announced a collaboration to explore the development of a digital model to help refugees more easily access basic human goods, services and finances within refugee settlements. The aim is to enable refugees, their host communities and donors to send and receive funds digitally, allowing for more transparency and long-term empowerment of refugees.

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Chevrolet Bolt EV earns top safety ratings from IIHS

Electric Cars and hybrid vehicles are rewriting the way automobiles are built, not just in terms of powerplants, technology and carbon footprints but also in terms of construction and materials. The Chevrolet Bolt EV has has added top safety ratings from the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) to its list of accolades.

“The Bolt earns good ratings in all five of the Institute’s crashworthiness tests — small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. It also has an optional front crash prevention system that earns a superior rating. The car avoided collisions in IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, and the system has a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria," the IIHS said in a report.

Earlier this year, I was invited by GM Canada to check out all facets of the Chevy Bolt EV, this included talking to engineers about construction and powertrains. The Chevy Bolt EV uses various types of materials to ensure rigidity and strength during collisions, but also maintains lightweight materials.

Source: Elektrek.co