Oculus Rift creator debuts VR headset that blows users' brains out if they die in game



Palmer Luckey, the billionaire founder of Oculus and military technology company Anduril, has invented a new VR headset. The device is not novel on account of better graphics or an improved frame rate, but rather because it is capable of blowing a smoking hole through the user's noggin. Should the device ever make it to market, it may be enough to prompt some gamers to reconsider playing on hard mode.

More than a headache

In a Sunday blog post, Luckey described the new device, which he has called "NerveGear."

NerveGear is a virtual reality headset that looks like a transmogrified Oculus Rift, only this time the black goggles have three protuberances that jut out above the eyes, which together are "capable of killing the user."

"The idea of tying your real life to your virtual avatar has always fascinated me," Luckey wrote. "You instantly raise the stakes to the maximum level and force people to fundamentally rethink how they interact with the virtual world and the players inside it."

\u201c"This might be a game, but it is not something you play."\n\nTo commemorate the Sword Art Online Incident of November 6th 2022, I made the OQPNVG, the first virtual reality device capable of killing the user - if you die in the game, you die in real life.\n\nhttps://t.co/F3nkP5EU61\u201d
— Palmer Luckey (@Palmer Luckey) 1667775396

The inspiration for the suicide headset came from the Japanese novel series entitled "Sword Art Online" by Reki Kawahara, which originally ran from 2002 to 2008 and was adapted into a television series in 2012.

In the show, set in 2022, thousands of people become trapped in a virtual massively multiplayer online role-playing game on Nov. 6, 2022. The protagonist, Kirito, tries ardently to escape.

Luckey noted that if the trapped and mentally dislocated gamers' "hit points dropped to zero, their brain would be bombarded by extraordinarily powerful microwaves, supposedly killing the user."

In lieu of powerful microwaves, Luckey elected to use three explosive charge modules, each tied "to a narrow-band photosensor that can detect when the screen flashes red at a specific frequency, making game-over integration on the part of the developer very easy."

"When an appropriate game-over screen is displayed, the charges fire, instantly destroying the brain of the user," he added, noting that he has "not worked up the balls to actually use it [himself]."

Luckey stated that the "good news is that we are halfway to making a true NerveGear. The bad news is that so far, I have only figured out the half that kills you. The perfect-VR half of the equation is still many years out."

Until it is completed, the NerveGear "is just a piece of office art, a thought-provoking reminder of unexplored avenues in game design."

Escapism and bombs

Luckey, a dropout from California State University, sold Oculus to Facebook for nearly $2 billion. The 30-year-old entrepreneur reportedly netted nearly $600 million of the sale. Facebook fired Luckey three years later.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Luckey's firing came after his colleagues raged about the VR wizard's $10,000 donation to anti-Hillary Clinton group Nimble America during the 2016 presidential election.

Although Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified to Congress that Luckey's departure had nothing to do with politics, it later turned out that the Oculus inventor's support for former President Donald Trump was a major factor behind his exit.

After his firing, which resulted in Luckey securing a payout of at least $100 million, he fundraised for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and then founded the defense contractor Anduril.

CNBC reported that Anduril is behind the Anvil quadcopter drone, which can fly 100 miles per hour and was purchased by the U.S. military for use by special forces soldiers.

Luckey's company also makes the Ghost, which can weigh up to 55 pounds and hit speeds of 85 miles per hour.

Last month, the Verge detailed the company's first weapon system, a loitering munition called the ALTIUS (Agile-Launched Tactically-Integrated Unmanned System) that hovers in a designated area ahead of striking either ground or airborne targets.

According to Anduril, ALTIUS drones are able to "accomodate multiple seeker and warhead options."

The company has contracts with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the U.K. Royal Marines.

While NerveGear may not be braining anyone any time soon, Luckey's other inventions certainly will.

Apple tells Taiwanese suppliers to obey Chinese communist rules



Apple has reportedly told suppliers based in the Republic of Taiwan to comply with Chinese customs regulations, citing fears of trade barriers allegedly stoked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to Taipei. According to Nikkei Asia, the company’s sense of urgency is heightened by the timing of the fall release of its iPhone 14 lineup, which will likely be delayed owing to tensions between Taiwan and China.

Per Apple's warning, labels on Taiwanese-made parts and components must conform to the language of the Chinese communist Party’s (CCP) “One China” policy, which asserts that the island nation belongs to Beijing. Accordingly, labels must read “Taiwan, China” or “Chinese Taipei.” Labels that read “Made in Taiwan” or “Republic of China” are forbidden.

This is at odds with requests made by the Taiwanese government that expects exports to be labeled with the island nation's official name.

Shipments that do not comply with Beijing’s conventions may be held, seized, rejected, or met with fines up to 4,000 yuan ($592). Apple recommended that suppliers take fast action to circumvent such disruptions and penalties.

One shipment of components from Taiwan to China was stopped on August 4 and held for review to ensure that the import declaration forms and containers were labeled to the CCP’s satisfaction.

On Saturday, the Chinese state media outlet Global Times amplified talking points issued earlier by the CCP's Ministry of Commerce, claiming that Pelosi's visit to the island nation has "pushed the Taiwan question to the brink of a showdown" and that "the labeling rule is actually a message to businesspeople in Taiwan that they have to make a choice."

That choice must be made against a backdrop of Communist Chinese forces conducting military exercises around Taiwan with the aim of demonstrating they "can strangle the self-ruled island."

Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR, poked fun at Apple's warning to Taiwanese suppliers.

\u201cUse any pronoun. Bring your whole self to work. Celebrate your heritage. \n\nUnless you are from Taiwan, don't say that word please.\n\nhttps://t.co/7MfPnsAs2e\u201d
— Palmer Luckey (@Palmer Luckey) 1659808278

This is not the first time that Apple has policed language on behalf of the CCP.

A 2021 report produced by Citizen Lab indicated that Apple "censors political content including broad references to Chinese leadership and China's political system, names of dissidents and independent news organizations, and general terms relating to religions, democracy, and human rights." Additionally, researchers found that Apple's censorship in Hong Kong exceeded its legal obligations and that it had no legal justification for its political censorship in Taiwan.

Project director for AppleCensorship.com Benjamin Ismail told the Register that "Apple has shown it is willing to go very far to secure the Chinese market, including violating sanctions by doing business with entities targeted by US sanctions."

Apple boasts 23% market share in China, and as of last year, 156 of its 615 production facilities were based in China.

Leftists completely lose it after Aaron Rodgers says Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged' is on his bookshelf: 'Trade him. F*** it.'



Aaron Rodgers — superstar quarterback of the Green Bay Packers — continues to cause fits among leftists far and wide.

From the moment he called out hypocrite politicians who don't obey their own COVID-19 mandates a year ago to his more recent takedowns of the "woke mob" and "cancel culture" — particularly with regard to vaccines — and his revelation that he consulted with podcaster Joe Rogan for COVID-19 treatment after contracting the virus a few months ago, the free-thinking Rodgers has been rising fast on the left's most-hated list.

And on Monday night, he gave them another reason to froth at the mouth.

What happened?

Rodgers was a guest on Monday Night Football's "ManningCast" — during which brothers and ex-NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning discuss the game at hand — and the subject of what Rodgers reads came up.

The quarterback, who led the Packers to the top NFC playoff position with their Sunday win over the Minnesota Vikings, told the Manning brothers he reads "a lot of French poetry" and then pointed at a bookshelf behind him and said he's "got 'Atlas Shrugged' by Ayn Rand over here."

Aaron Rodgers, from a justified hater of awful Scott Walker to \u2026 having \u201cAtlas, Shrugged\u201d from nutty Ayn Rand. \n\nYIKES.pic.twitter.com/82GlB5YYiu
— TWDTV (@TWDTV) 1641269851

Fighting words!

Rand and particularly "Atlas Shrugged" increasingly over the last decade or so have become favorite targets of the militant left, who say the author and her famous book espouse a me-first ideology. But fans counter that Rand's writings inspire and uphold individual freedom.

And just like clockwork, leftists jumped all over Rodgers for what's on his reading list.

Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist Marcus Hayes appeared to lead the charge as he mocked the QB:

Aaron Rodgers brags he has Ayn Rand\u2019s \u201cAtlas Shrugged\u201d on his bookshelf.\n\nExplains everything.pic.twitter.com/fYHmGeY7FX
— Marcus Hayes (@Marcus Hayes) 1641270066

The Palmer Report offered the following brutal take:

Aaron Rodgers just bragged that he has Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged on his bookshelf. Explains all his lying about being vaccinated and such. He's one of those "screw everyone else before they can screw you" wackos. People like this are always a danger to others.
— Palmer Report (@Palmer Report) 1641273196

Others followed suit in bashing the quarterback:

  • "Pre-college, I had an [opportunity] to read Atlas Shrugged, write an essay, and have a chance at $10,000. I thought, 'easy money!' Until I started to read it. Long story short: I took out college loans instead of subjecting myself to any more of that drivel," one commenter said.
  • "The least surprising news ever is that smug, faux smart guy Aaron Rodgers’ favorite book is Atlas Shrugged," another user noted. "What a tool."
  • "Bragging about 'Atlas Shrugged' is something emotionally crippled undergraduates do, which....explains a lot about Aaron Rodgers, who is of course in his late 30s," another commenter said.
  • "It's been very difficult watching Aaron Rodgers, my all-time favorite player, embrace everything I loathe. But Atlas Shrugged? Trade him. F*** it," another user declared.

But not every observer agreed with the left-wing talking points.

  • Conservative commentator and radio host Jason Rantz shot back at Hayes: "If only Aaron Rodgers had some Ibram X. Kendi book, woke Twitter wouldn’t pretend to be upset."
  • Brigitte Gabriel, another conservative figure, remarked: "Just incredible, Aaron Rodgers bragged about having Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged' on his bookshelf. This man is a PATRIOT!"
  • Jim Hanson, author and executive director of America Matters, gave "kudos" to Rodgers: "Atlas Shrugged is ponderous but everyone should read it. It's a brilliant contrast of statism v. individualism. It perfectly captures the dismal failure of leftist rule & points to a choice: Live for the state or yourself. I chose me."
  • And John Ziegler — senior columnist for Mediaite and a self-described "conservative/libertarian" — mocked the left's reaction to Rodgers: "Actually, Atlas Shrugged really DOES explain everything ... Damn, Aaron Rodgers really triggered the woke crowd, tonight!"

Noted leftists celebrate Rush Limbaugh's death with hateful tweets: 'Bigoted King of Talk Radio'



It likely will come as no surprise that noted leftists quickly took to Twitter after hearing Wednesday's news about the death of Rush Limbaugh and engaged in a kind of macabre celebration that hardly masked their hatred for the legendary conservative radio talk show host.

What did they say?

A sampling of "blue check mark" Twitter users showed they tried their darnedest to make viral history with the snarkiest take.

Leading the way was Huffington Post reporter Christopher Mathias who used Twitter to hawk the Limbaugh obit he penned with Nick Robins-Early titled, "Rush Limbaugh, Bigoted King Of Talk Radio, Dies At 70."

It's safe to say Mathias isn't a Limbaugh fan:

Rush Limbaugh was a bigot and a misogynist who saturated America's airwaves with cruel lies and conspiracy theories… https://t.co/uKOjR6GWmf
— Christopher Mathias (@Christopher Mathias)1613582566.0

"Rush Limbaugh was a bigot and a misogynist who saturated America's airwaves with cruel lies and conspiracy theories for decades, transforming the GOP in the process," he tweeted.

Where to go from there? How about the Palmer Report's tweet:

Rush Limbaugh spent decades advancing his career by opportunistically spreading vicious lies that got a lot of bad… https://t.co/UBhYQd9nkb
— Palmer Report (@Palmer Report)1613583538.0

"Now he's dead," the tweet read. "So be it. There's a reason 'Rest in Piss' is trending right now."

Indeed, it appeared to be a popular left-wing response to Limbaugh's passing. Comedian Steve Hofstetter sure seemed to like it:

“Rest in Piss” is trending because Rush Limbaugh died. I don’t know who the first person to write this was, but h… https://t.co/6FYYE15GvJ
— Steve Hofstetter (@Steve Hofstetter)1613584093.0

Remember the NFL punter known more for his far-left politics than by actually punting effectively? Well, Chris Kluwe is still hanging around, and he had quite the reaction to Limbaugh's passing: "Good. F*** Rush Limbaugh, and let the celebration about his death be a reminder to the rest of the racists and bigots that we'll happily dance on your graves too."

Parkland shooting survivor-turned-snarky-leftist celeb Cameron Kasky had the following to say:

Rush Limbaugh has passed on, but worry not- his memory lives on through bigots everywhere
— Cam (@Cam)1613583833.0

LGBTQ writer and activist Charlotte Clymer clearly had no tears for Rush:

Rush Limbaugh was a coward and white supremacist. He aggressively and cynically exploited divisions in our country… https://t.co/KHDU01KQSD
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️‍🌈 (@Charlotte Clymer 🏳️‍🌈)1613583578.0

Activist pastor Rev. Rob Lee apparently tried his best to be, you know, Christlike:

Rush Limbaugh is dead.This is the only honest thing I can say without being uncharitable. May he reckon with God when he meets her.
— Rev. Rob Lee (@Rev. Rob Lee)1613583774.0

David Axelrod also attempted civility — kinda:

Whether you loved him or hated him-and there are very few people in between-Rush Limbaugh was indisputably a force… https://t.co/Ao3Pbuz2og
— David Axelrod (@David Axelrod)1613584127.0

Canadian TV producer and script writer Emily Andras apparently summoned all her skills for this visionary tweet:

Rush Limbaugh slowly opens his eyes. Finds himself in an all-white room with a single pink chair -- and a small tab… https://t.co/qCaHul11Ya
— Emily Andras (@Emily Andras)1613584191.0

Bless her chilly heart. It's frigid up yonder, after all.

Oh, and make sure to check out writer Tony Posnanski's Twitter page — he seems just a bit overly occupied with Limbaugh's passing. Did he lose his copy of "The Way Things Ought to Be" or something?

Here's one of his F-bomb-free takes:

Rush Limbaugh was an author and a man who knew how to excite a crowd.And so was Hitler.
— Tony Posnanski (@Tony Posnanski)1613586569.0

Writer David Klion gave it the ol' college try. (Is he a DeVry University alum?)

Today is a sad day, as the excruciating physical and spiritual agony Rush Limbaugh experienced at all times has finally ended.
— David Klion (@David Klion)1613584180.0

Finally, here's a valiant dunk attempt from Media Matters editor-at-large Parker Molloy:

Looking forward to the goofy right-wing blogs that put together tweet round-ups of people celebrating that Limbaugh died
— Parker Molloy (@Parker Molloy)1613583847.0

Looks like you made it, sweetie.

Anything else?

None of this should come as any surprise, given the same day Limbaugh announced his cancer diagnosis last year, leftists far and wide piled on with glee.