Twapps Updated

In case anyone was wondering, or even cared, the iPhone Twitter apps testing period has been extended by a couple of weeks due to a small Angry Birds addiction issue.

Mighty Hoax 4-6 and counting...

Thanks :)

Fresh Prince

Now I'm not a massive gamer, but I do remember spending hours of my youth on things like Donkey Kong (on my Dragon32), Jet Set Willy (on a Spectrum borrowed from Guppy's Computer Club in York) and later on, the wonderful Prince Of Persia. The latter is being turned into a blockbuster with Jake Gyllenhaal as we speak and someone recently posted a link to original game designer Jordan Mechner's journals on Twitter:

jordanmechner.com : Old Journals

I can honestly say I haven't been so utterly engrossed for a long time. It's a compelling set of insights into the mindset of a 20-something game designer in the mid-80s, on the cusp of something groundbreaking in the video games world (whilst also harbouring designs on becoming a screenwriter), but also getting to grips with the mundanity of passing his driving test and getting wary landladies to rent him an apartment in San Francisco. He digitizes his little brother running, hanging from walls, swordfighting, etc which forms the basis for the award-winning almost-human (for the time) animation in the game. Imagine being that boy. Wow.

And moments like this:

"But the real breakthrough this week was invisible: I moved a bunch of stuff around so the main game code can use the auxiliary language card. Basically, I’ve just freed up an extra 12K. That gives me some breathing room I’ll sorely need [...] It was a good weekend."

12K = 12,288 bytes = a good weekend :)

Really worth a read.

BomberChessMan

In a random discussion on Twitter this morning, I got to remembering way-back-when in York, making Probemeister techno with John in his room upstairs at The Spotted Cow. Also living at that hostelry were various members of Shed Seven and John's mate Daz, all of whom were rather partial to a game of chess, which they played fanatically and competitively at all hours of the day and night:

The other major distraction from "actually getting anything done" was a Nintendo SNES which as far as I can remember was always running Super Bomberman 3 in four-player Battle Mode:

I couldn't help thinking they were quite similar and that there would definitely be a market for Chess With Exploding Weapons. Pausing only to scribble that on an envelope, I headed for the Patent Office...

...but then I remembered this:

Curse my metal body!

What I Done On My Holidays #3

One of the benefits of having been a wind instrumentalist in my youth is a pretty decent lung capacity. As such, on any holiday involving water, it inevitably falls to me to inflate a wide variety of lilos, floats, dinghies and beach balls as required by those present.

So far today, I have given the kiss of life to a medium blue lilo, an In The Night Garden beach ball, a round floating baby seat and a giant multicoloured snake. And what better way to spend a sunny afternoon that by attempting to run across the pool using them as a rudimentary technicolour pontoon:

In seven attempts, I didn't make it once (in my defence, I think the lilo has a leak...)

Out Of The Hat

Following Arsenal's win on penalties in Rome, myself and Jeremy at work had a natter about the possible outcomes of the Champions League Quarter Final & Semi Final draw this coming Friday.

He reckons the English clubs will be thrown together; I think they'll be kept apart (thus maintaining the potential Blatter/Platini hell of an all-English semi-final) but what do you think?

Go on, bung your predictions in the comments (and I'll pretend like there's a prize* for the person who gets nearest or something).

Format: winners of Q1 & Q2 meet in one semi-final; winners of Q3 & Q4 in the other.

Me:

Q1. Arsenal v Porto
Q2. Chelsea v Barcelona
Q3. Manchester Utd v Bayern Munich
Q4. Liverpool v Villareal

Jeremy:

Q1. Manchester Utd v Liverpool
Q2. Arsenal v Chelsea
Q3. Porto v Villareal
Q4. Bayern Munich v Barcelona

Alex:
Q1. Arsenal v Liverpool
Q2. Manchester Utd v Chelsea
Q3. Bayern Munich v Villareal
Q4. Porto v Barcelona

Rowan, sort of:
Q1. Arsenal v Barcelona
Q2. Manchester Utd v Villareal
Q3. Chelsea v Porto
Q4. Liverpool v Bayern Munich

* oh alright then, I'll stretch to a M&S pork pie (winner to collect)

Age Before Beauty

Hugely addictive: http://howoldareyou.net/

(Yes, I am on there and no, I am not 57)

Change 25

Today's change was difficult to put my finger on, as I had a stinking hangover due to excessive Chianti intake and a late-night SingStar marathon (thanks, Katie & Paul!).

So maybe I'll leave it at that :)

Utter Kaos

Almost worth getting a Nintendo DS for this little beauty:

Game review: Korg DS-10

"...a perfect reconstruction of the Korg MS-10 - an analogue, monophonic synthesizer that has had rave reviews ever since it arrived in 1978. The DS-10 is slightly better than the MS-10: while it faithfully recreates the former's sound, it has a Kaos Pad interface which the MS-10 lacked. As well as a virtual keyboard and sequencers galore, it has knob-and-pinboard patch panels for tweaking synth and even drum sounds to near-destruction."

Look!

Friv

Much as I would like 'friv' to become the insult of choice for a new generation ("Oh, you complete and utter friv, Fortesque-Smythe") it also happens to be a portal to just about every excellent Flash game released on t'internet:

Friv
There goes the afternoon...

11

Now this is worth building a shed for:

11 - the beautiful game

Wii Can Haz Football?

Blimey, this looks awesome:



Now who do I know with a Wii who lives, say, 500 yards down the road, Paul?

Ready...Set...Unravel

So I reckon my extensive sound engineering experience puts me in the running for this:

speedcabling
"CAT-5 Ethernet cables are to be used. Contestants may use any cable they wish, as long as it is capable of carrying 100Mb/s prior to competition. During competition, the colors red, blue, and yellow are used for the 7, 15, and 25 foot cables resepectively."

Although I'd have a definite advantage if it was untangling a 500m run of 24-pair multicore running round the battlements of a medieval castle in Romania at 3 in the morning. Done that.

Eat My Goal

Now I may not be as quick as I used to be but I reckon I can still cut it out on the left wing (OK, maybe against a fat wheezing full-back who works in the bacon factory and smokes too many Rothmans).

But this ... this is amazing:



Tell me if it's video trickery. Actually, don't. Let it be.

10011010 To The Arsenal

This looks a bit interesting; MMORPG for football?

Football Superstars

"What if you could play football online with thousands of other people in 3 to 11-a-side squads, controlling a single player from the footballer's perspective? Play casually in the park with friends at first, then more seriously within a well-drilled team on well-tended turf. Eventually, hard work and persistence may lead to you turning professional and earn you money with which you could buy the best that life can offer. Lead the life of a football superstar in a utopian world. Your first international qualifier beckons..."

Don't think it's due out until Q3 08 but could be amazing; need never leave the house again...

More background here:

Game on for virtual football world

Blimey...

Christmas Eve At The Coalface

It's been a busy old morning.



So anyway, this is me wishing a very Merry Christmas to all my fellow bloggers and (both) my readers. Have a good one, whatever you are doing. And here's to a fruitful 2008...

Now Wii Am The Master

I don't own a Wii. But I know a man who does, don't I Paul? What do you want for Christmas, mate?

Wii light saber attachment + Lego Star Wars = Geek heaven!!

Ready, Steady, Mech

Flatpack creatures to download (PDF), print out and build!

Perfect for those wet winter (and, to be fair, summer) Sunday afternoons, fellow Dads :)

Readymech Series 002

(My favourite is Tentaclopse...)

Two And You're Out

The best just got better. To celebrate the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup, Stick Cricket have started a new competition:

Stick Cricket - Two2

Yep, two overs. Twelve balls to prove yourself worthy of a place in the next round. Hit out or get out. Aces.

(OK, so I haven't actually managed it yet, might be a long night...)