The Tech Innovations That Changed Gaming Forever

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If you’ve played a video game in recent years, you’ll know that they’ve changed beyond all recognition since the early days of gaming in the 1980s. Games in the 21st Century are more popular than they’ve ever been before, with millions of people becoming loyal fans of gaming franchises. More than just a source of entertainment, certain games are being recognised for the health and well-being benefits they bring, and some are even being used in sectors like education.  

The gaming industry today spans different spectrums of gaming experiences and we’ve got advanced technology to thank for that. From the digital innovations that have made playing slot machines at home possible, to the connectivity tech that links us up with gamers from the opposite ends of the earth in a Battle Royale rumble, without these key advancements gaming simply wouldn’t be the mainstream industry that it is today. 

Artificial Intelligence 

The impact of Artificial Intelligence on the development of gaming experiences simply cannot be underestimated. The technology itself has come on leaps and bounds since the early 2000s and now everything from your smartphone to your car incorporates AI in some form or another. In gaming, however, AI has been upping the ante for years.  

Incredibly, some of the earliest video games actually incorporated basic forms of AI, but in recent years the biggest advancements have been made in the way that AI tech interacts with human players. Look at top gaming titles like Alien: Isolation with its AI Xenomorph and the Civilization franchise to see just how far AI in gaming has come since the days of Pong.  

Online Gaming 

Most gamers take connectivity in gaming for granted in 2021. But online gaming is a relatively recent innovation in the history of the industry and, without this functionality, none of today’s gaming experiences would be quite what they are. Multiplayer games would still need to be played with all gamers on a single computer or console, verticals like iGaming, MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) and Battle Royale wouldn’t exist, and it would not be possible to play sandbox games or enjoy open-world adventures in games like The Witcher 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2. 

Online gaming is a staple segment of the industry, with 24/7 connectivity and the ability to compete against other gamers no matter where in the world they are located being a minimum requirement in modern gaming experiences. New developments like cloud gaming are also pushing the limits of what virtual technologies can achieve, so we can expect to see online gaming remain just as relevant as it is today in the years and decades to come.  

Immersive Graphics 

An industry like gaming is always going to look better over time as advanced technologies take hold and audio/visuals are improved. However, modern video games generate immersive environments that prove exactly what’s possible with tech like 3D gaming and Augmented Reality.  

Graphics in today’s games make any game pre-dating the Year 2K look, frankly, primitive. They blur the boundaries between fantasy and reality, with remarkably lifelike character generation and highly-detailed environments par for the course in even the most basic of games. AR, meanwhile, actually does combine the digital world with real-life, making experiences even more immersive and visually-engaging. 

Mobile Gaming 

With portable gaming devices like the Sony PSP and Nintendo’s Gameboy and mobile phones being fully mainstream by the turn of the 21st century, it was only a matter of time before the two were combined to create mobile gaming on the go. Early models of phones had their own inbuilt games – Snake, we’re looking at you – but within the space of a decade, advancements in both smartphone technology and gaming innovations blew them out of the water.  

As well as the technological advancements displayed by mobile gaming today, the genre itself has also changed the ways in which people play video games. The creation of mobile gaming apps levelled out the playing field, giving indie developers the possibility of reaching the same massive audiences that, previously, established gaming companies held the monopoly on. Similarly, gaming became so much more affordable with different gaming demographics: instead of having to invest thousands of dollars into brand new gaming PCs, people could suddenly purchase a powerful smartphone at a fraction of the price and enjoy equally engaging gaming experiences. 

Multiple Officers Subdue Aggressive Deer After Breaking Into North Carolina Courthouse

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This past weekend, a wild deer broke into a North Carolina courthouse and had to be subdued by multiple officers.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon at the Transylvania County Courthouse (about 2 hours west of Charlotte). According to a Facebook post by the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the deer smashed through the front door of the building and had to be wrestled to the ground by two uniformed officers.

On Saturday, the Sheriff’s office posted images of the incident along with a lighthearted caption, saying:

“On Friday, December 17, 2021, the Transylvania County Courthouse was broken into, and a struggle with TCSO deputies ensued. The suspect was apprehended without injury to the deputies or the suspect. It is believed that the suspect was attempting to steal the deputies’ donuts….not donuts, uhhh, we mean protein bars, yeah, yeah, protein bars! The presiding judge released the suspect on her own recognizance with a stern warning.
#ReindeerGames #NoDonutsForYou”

Apparently, crazy wildlife encounters are a regular thing up in Transylvania, with one of the post’s commenters saying:

“I wasn’t working during the squirrel incident either, why does nature always visit when I’m off”

Black-Owned Dental Practice Launches Citywide Holiday Give-Back Program

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The official dental partner of the Charlotte Hornets, Smile Savvy Cosmetic Dentistry, is helping children and families maintain healthy smiles as part of a community giveback this holiday season. Through its nonprofit arm, The Lyons Share, married entrepreneurs Drs. Drew and Joya Lyons are teaming up with Thompson Child & Family Focus (Thompson) to distribute hundreds of dental packs for children and families experiencing homelessness in Charlotte.

“Smiles can open doors to opportunities, and these families deserve a reason to smile during the holidays,” said Dr. Joya Lyons. “We’re happy to give back in this small but very necessary way, and support Thompson in its work to positively impact families in our community.”

Thompson provides clinical and prevention-based care for children and families across the Carolinas. The Lyonses’ donation of nearly 400 dental packs that include toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss will benefit children and teens who live at Thompson’s residential campus as well as those supported through another of the agency’s programs, A Child’s Place.

“We appreciate Smile Savvy for selecting our organization. At Christmas time, there is a huge need for big hearts, especially for the population we serve,” said Emily Smith, donor engagement coordinator for Thompson.

Panthers Lose 4th Straight Game To Buffalo – Now 5-9 For The Season

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The Carolina Panthers disappointed yet again yesterday afternoon in the frozen city of Buffalo.

Starting QB Cam Newton completed 18 of his 39 passes for 156 yards with 1 passing touchdown and 1 interception, along with 71 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown.

In one of the first questions during the post game press conference about a 4th and 1 play, Coach Rhule replied, “that’s just an error by the quarterback,” and later commented, “certainly right now our ability to throw the football down the field’s not one of our strengths.” Coach Rhule did not say who the starting quarterback would be going forward, saying he would have to assess things after getting home and seeing how healthy Sam Darnold is.

You can watch all the highlights from yesterday’s game here:

How do you think the Panthers played yesterday?

What do you think we should do to improve?

Charlotte Unveils New Plans For Futuristic $11 Million Pedestrian Bridge Over 277

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Charlotte City Planners just unveiled a radical new design for the highly anticipated pedestrian bridge over I-277 that will eventually link South End with Uptown.

According to the Charlotte’s official Rail Trail Bridge page, “This project will provide a new bicycle and pedestrian connection over I-277 from the CATS Blue Line Stonewall Station to where the existing Rail Trail ends under the East Morehead Street bridge, north of Carson Street. The project will seamlessly provide Rail Trail users direct access to and from Center City and South End.” 

The new project overview includes an overall budget of $11 million and a project completion date of Spring 2025.

You can read the full project overview here.

What do you think about the new plans for the bridge? 

Top 10 Coolest Things On Amazon Under $25 Charlotteans Can Still Get Before Christmas

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Christmas is now less than a week away and like many other Charlotteans, I still haven’t figured out what I want to get everyone.

Thankfully Amazon has a ton of randomly cool stuff – and they’re still offering 2 day shipping the week before Christmas.

Here are the top 10 coolest Christmas presents I found for under $25 that you can still have arive at your front in the Charlotte region;

#1 Mini Spy Camera – $24.97

Surprisingly good video for such a small package. What you “see” is what you can videotape, built-in polymer battery enables up to 80 mins continuous recording. Now priced at under $25 on Amazon – Click here for more details on these video recording spy camera on Amazon.com

#2 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker – $24.99


Surprisingly clear highs and low bass for a waterproof speaker. This thing can even take phone calls in the shower with its built-in microphone! It’s now priced under $25 – Find Out Users Commented About The Victsing Waterproof Speaker on Amazon.com

 

#3 LifeStraw Personal Water Filter – $12.99

Award-winning LifeStraw has been used by millions around the globe. Removes minimum 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and surpasses EPA standards for water filters. Filters up to 1000 liters of contaminated water WITHOUT iodine, chlorine, or other chemicals. It’s now available for under $20 here – LifeStraw Personal Water Filter on Amazon.com

#4 Handheld Chopper


Put the power in the palm of your hand with the multi-talented Ninja that crushes ice into snow in seconds, blends frozen fruits into creamy smoothies, and chops fresh ingredients evenly! Mince, dice, chop, blend, and puree for consistent results. It’s now available for under $25 – check out more info and reviews here – Handheld Chopper on Amazon.com

 

#5 Solar Battery Pack w/ Flood Light – $24.99

If you can’t find an outlet, you can usually always find the sun! Provides a full charge to most phones, MP3 players, GPS, iPod, iPhone, e-Readers, Bluetooth devices and other USB powered devices. External 20,000mAh battery pack recharges up to 1,000 times from Solar, AC, or USB power. Available for a limited time for under $25 here – Solar External Battery Power Pack on Amazon.com

 

#6 Anti Aging Serum – $24.95

Discover what most people are using these days to reverse the signs of aging and make your skin look and feel 10 years younger – check it out for under $25 – Anti Aging Serum on Amazon.com

 

#7 Miracle Berry Tablets (makes sour sweet)

Eat a whole lemon like it’s an orange. Taste pineapple like you’ve never tasted. These tablets are made out of a thing called miraculin, which acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids, causing sour foods to taste sweet, temporarily. The effect typically lasts between 30 minutes and 2 hours. Check out more details and reviews here – Miracle Berry Tables on Amazon.com

 

#8 Autel Diagnostic Scan Tool – $19.99

This is the secret tool that mechanics don’t want you to have, and though it’s small, it is able to retrieve same information as large expensive scanners, and shut off all check engine lights. Check out more details and user reviews here – Autel Scan Tool on Amazon.com

 

#9 Cuisinart Salad Spinner – $24.99

Stop using a paper towel or waiting forever to drying lettuce, herbs, berries or just about anything food related you can dry, just throw it in the salad spinner basket rinse and spin. Now available for under $20 on Amazon – More Details on The Cuisinart Salad Spinner on Amazon.com

 

#10 Kona French Press – $23.98

One of the my stylish and durable french presses available. The new Kona allows for precision timing on your brew to give you incredible control over the strength and taste of your coffee. Now reduced to under 20 dollars on Amazon.com – Click Here For More Details on the Kona French Press on Amazon.com

 

Check out tons of other cool stuff on Amazon.com for under $20

Top 6 Most Christmassy Destinations in The Carolinas

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Now that we’ve officially entered into the holiday season, the team over at Pro Movers just released their annual list of the top 150 Christmassy destinations in America.
Here is North Carolina, the following 3 spots were ranked among the best in the nation for anyone wanting to soak up the season:
1. Christmas Town USA in McAdenville
In South Carolina, the site also ranked 3 locations, including:
  1. Holiday Lights Safari in Spartanburg
  2. Carolina Opry Christmas Special in Myrtle Beach.
  3. Holiday Swing in Charleston
Check out the full list of the top 150 Christmassy destinations here.
Do you agree with the top Carolina spots? 
What Christmassy place would you add? 

An honest review about Bitcoin Up

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At present, cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology are raising the bar high in the digital financial market. Various websites and applications present online offer your trading or investing purpose. At the same time, it becomes difficult for you to rely on or trust the platforms for trading or investing in the Crypto market. However, you can use Bitcoin Up for trading or investing purposes in cryptocurrency. This article will help you understand Bitcoin Up, and it will also tell you if it is reliable to invest your money or not.

What is Bitcoin Up?

Bitcoin Up is an online platform that gives you an automatic trading feature for users to sell or buy any cryptocurrencies. It is one of the well-known Crypto trading platforms used both on your desktop and mobile phone. You can access this platform from anywhere in the world. 

Bitcoin Up has also won numerous awards in recent years. They have received the number 1 position in the trading software category in the US Trading Association.

This platform also offers you various features that can help you trade cryptocurrencies. Some of the features that Bitcoin up have are :

Intelligent strategies:

Bitcoin Up trades in the cryptocurrency market using a high-frequency trading (HFT) strategy. They also have software that tracks the value of fundamental and multiple technical analysis tools to pick up the most accurate and high profitable trading signals. 

Bitcoin Up also has an integrated AI that helps you have in-depth knowledge before investing or trading in the Crypto market. After that, it suggests the most preferred trading market or cryptocurrencies by analysing the market condition and future trends. Therefore, you can utilise this feature to analyse the market condition before investing your money.

Extraordinary Technologies:

Bitcoin Up uses the latest and advanced technology in its platform to provide accurate results. The software used by Bitcoin up is way faster than any other platform or application in the market. This unique technology makes Bitcoin up fastest in predicting the market status. If you know the Crypto market, you will understand that being the fastest can create a huge benefit.

Is Bitcoin Up legit or a scam?

It is very important to understand that the application or platform you are using for trading purposes is legit or just scamming you?

However, Bitcoin up is proven as one the most legitimate and used applications among professionals of the cryptocurrency market.

Also, it has a 24/7 customer support system; therefore, you can directly contact the support team if you face any problem. 

Furthermore, Bitcoin Up is used by many people globally, and 100 countries in the world use it. It also shows that Bitcoin up is rightful, and you can use this application without any worry.

Bitcoin Up in a nutshell 

 Bitcoin Up is rated as one of professionals’ most profitable Crypto trading platforms. The review of this application also shows that it is popular among the masses. The specialists of the Cryptocurrency market have praised the trading system that Bitcoin Up uses. Therefore, you can use Bitcoin Up without hesitation to trade in cryptocurrency.

The Psychology of the Bitcoin Obsession

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Bitcoin is the talk of the town. The cryptocurrency that was once nothing more than a computer nerd’s daydream has now taken off in popularity, and people are investing their time, money, and energy into it. It’s not just because they want to earn some quick cash, but it is an obsession for many people. 

What makes bitcoin so irresistible? To understand this, we need to look at what drives human behavior.

Let’s take a closer look at the facts.

  • Bitcoin is an extension of your persona

When you invest in bitcoin, you are not just investing in a digital currency; you are investing in a digital persona. Bitcoin represents an extension of yourself, your beliefs, and your values. That is why people get so emotionally attached to their bitcoins – they see them as an embodiment of themselves. 

Bitcoin allows you to communicate who you are without saying a word. And for some people, that is very powerful. If you’re looking for the best bitcoin trading platform, then you must look for no other than Bitcoin X.

  • Bitcoin is a way to control your financial destiny

The fact that bitcoin allows you to control your own money without any other authority or third party controlling is a huge benefit for people who don’t like the idea of giving away power over their financial matters. 

Since there’s no need to trust anyone else with your bitcoins and because they aren’t linked in any way to real identities and reputations, users can implement all kinds of protective measures against theft and fraud.

  • Volatility may be thrilling

Bitcoin’s volatility may be thrilling for some people, but it can also be dangerous. The value of bitcoin can go up or down rapidly, which can leave investors with a lot of uncertainty. Volatility is one of the main reasons some people are hesitant to invest in bitcoin.

  • It is influenced by social media

Bitcoin is a new and innovative technology, and as such, it has captured the interest of people worldwide. Social media has played a huge role in fueling this obsession, with platforms like Twitter and Reddit providing a forum for people to discuss bitcoin and its potential. 

This has helped create a bandwagon effect, with more and more people getting interested in bitcoin as they see their friends and family members talking about it.

  • It gives people hope

One of the reasons people are so obsessed with bitcoin is its mysteriousness. People have no idea what it is, but they know that their lives would be infinitely better if they had some. It gives them hope for a brighter future and an escape from their current financial situations, which can often seem bleak or onerous to bear on any given day.

The Bottom Line

People are obsessed with bitcoin because of its potential to make them rich. The rise in the value of bitcoin has attracted speculators who are hoping to make a quick profit. However, there is also the possibility of losing money if the price falls back down. Bitcoin is also popular because it allows people to engage in anonymous transactions. This makes it possible to buy and sell goods without revealing your identity.

The Most Profitable Cryptocurrencies You Must Trade-In

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The cryptocurrency market has been on a rollercoaster ride in 2018, and the total market cap of all cryptocurrencies is currently sitting at $215 billion. With so many options to trade, it can be not easy to know which ones are the most profitable for you to buy and sell. In this blog post, I will tell you about some of the best performing cryptos out there right now that are sure winners once again!

Let’s take a look at them.

  • Bitcoin (BTC)

Bitcoin is the cryptocurrency that started it all. It’s not only the biggest in market cap but by far the most popular and well-known crypto out there. For this reason, Bitcoin has a high barrier of entry if you want to trade on exchanges with full fiat pairs. Bitcoin is also the most stable crypto, with very low volatility. This makes it great for long-term holds and safe storage. For a successful trading platform, you could consider using 1k Daily Profit.

  • Ethereum (ETH)

Ethereum was created to build a more efficient and decentralized internet. Major corporations have already adopted blockchain technology like Microsoft and JP Morgan. Ethereum’s price has seen massive growth in recent months, making it a great investment opportunity right now. It also has one of the lowest barriers of entry among all cryptos.

  • Litecoin (LTC)

Litecoin is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency and open source software project released under the MIT/X11 license. The creation and transfer of coins are based on an open-source cryptographic protocol and are not managed by any central authority. The coin was inspired by, and in technical details is nearly identical to, Bitcoin (BTC). As a result, it’s very easy for people who have had experience with Litecoin to get started with the exchanges that trade bitcoins.

  • Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

Bitcoin Cash was created due to a hard fork in the Bitcoin blockchain in August 2017. It is identical to Bitcoin but has a larger block size limit and a different hashing algorithm. BCH is currently the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, and BCH is one of the most profitable cryptocurrencies to trade right now. Its price has been on an upward trend since it was launched, and it offers good potential for growth in the future.

  • TRON (TRX)

TRON is a decentralized blockchain-based protocol that constructs a worldwide free content entertainment system. It also allows users to publish, store, and own data. TRX was founded by Justin Sun in September 2017 and launched its Mainnet in June 2018. The project has gained significant traction and partnerships over the past year.

  • Cardano

Cardano is a decentralized public blockchain and cryptocurrency project. It is fully open-source and developed by a global team of engineers worldwide. Charles Hoskinson, one of the co-founders of Ethereum, founded Cardano in September of 2017. The goal of the Cardano project is to create a more sustainable and scalable cryptocurrency platform than what currently exists.

The Bottom Line

The cryptocurrency scene is rapidly changing, and if you aren’t moving with it, you could be missing out on profits worth millions of dollars. The best way to stay in touch with the ever-changing cryptocurrency market is by trading altcoins that are currently underpriced but show potential for huge returns when they go mainstream.