The Morning After: Monday December 12, 2016

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Welcome to the start of the week!

As we all struggle into the office, catch up on Nintendo's theme park schemes, how three elderly British dudes are responsible for the most pirated show ever, and the slow death of China's wacky bus of the future.


Anything Nike can do...
Inside Adidas' new tech-infused store in New York City

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Not to be outdone by its rival, Adidas has opened a new flagship store in New York City. And, just like Nike, the German company packed the space with loads of technology. Inside you'll find a virtual-reality experience and a wearable system designed to help you find the best running shoe. We took a tour / went shopping.


The first of three Nintendo park attractions
Nintendo's debut theme park will join Universal Studios Japan

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The Super Nintendo World park attraction will form a part of Universal Studios Japan in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with similar attractions coming later to Hollywood and Orlando in the US. Nintendo first revealed news of the attractions last year, and It now has more details, saying the park attraction will have "state-of-the-art rides, interactive areas, shops and restaurants, all featuring Nintendo's most popular characters and games." All very theme park-esque.


Who said 'Game of Thrones'?
Amazon's 'Grand Tour' is the most pirated show ever

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Amazon's Grand Tour, an auto show featuring the reheated stars of the BBC's Top Gear, has been an unmitigated success with fans,with its first episode garnering "millions" of views. It's also a hit with pirates who, instead of paying the annual $100 fee for Amazon Prime, have downloaded the first three episodes at unprecedented rates. According to data published by the Mail on Sunday, pirates illicitly downloaded the first episode 9.7 million times, the second episode 6.4 million times and the third 4.6 million times. A lion's share of the downloads (13.7 percent) came from the UK.


The test site has been abandoned for months
China's elevated bus prototype gathers dust

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You might recall China's wacky Transit Elevated Bus which promised to carry passengers over traffic? Well, according to China News, the 22-meter-long prototype unveiled in early August has been collecting dust in its hangar for well over two months. The company has indeed been facing "significant" financial issues since mid-November, and its sole investor, a Beijing wealth management company, has refused to provide further cash.

But wait, there's more...

  • This Parisian cinema chain lets you test out VR for around $25
  • Researchers digitally reconstruct the face of a legendary Scottish king
  • Nanotechnology discovery could lead to low-power night vision

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