Well here it is, the last day of 2011 and i'm spending it on the couch beside my girlfriend who is playing Little Big Planet (My much much belated review on that coming soon). There's no other place I'd rather be right now and nothing else I'd rather be doing.
With all our technologies and inter-connectivity it is truly a little big planet and it kinda neatly sums up the end of this year. It may true be able to communicate with people over vast distances but when it comes to intimacy, nothing beats the old-school way of face-to-face with a warm cup of a lil something to soothe and tastify the palate, mmmmm.
So with that, here's to the beginning of things new and the last entry for this year. See you in the new, Happy 2012.
Image via WikipediaWell it's been so long since i've written anything about anything since i've been caught up in the endless work, college and more work cycle. So here's something to give a bit of life to my now slightly deserted blog:
Stop, cramming time!
Every time you see me, my reading list's so high.
I'm choked on these notes, and i'm staring at denial.
Why would I ever, stop to persist, with others making stretches, doing jack shit.
I've toured around the world, from Dublin to Kowloon bay.
It's a social bane, going slightly insane, yo, how much do I've to go, and the rest can go play, you can't touch this.
Ah to keep the brain going, tis truly the best gift in these times.
Image via WikipediaOne of my all time favorite Disney releases was on the big screen. The Lion King was on those movies that became a classic even when it had just come out. From the theme to the soundtrack it was instant love.
Like any revisiting of my childhood, I was eager to see this one in all its glory. Added to the fact that it was being projected on the latest digital screens, which I have to say is starting to address the biggest slight with cinemas - picture quality. More on that later, now however my impressions of this re-screening.
I was naive to expect a crisp, meticulously flowing masterpiece of animation blended with storytelling. What I received was slightly different. As is evident in most of Disney's older titles, this one is not immune to the affects of time. The quality of the characters wasn't as exactly as what I had preserved from my youth. The vernacular, even though relatively modern, seemed aged and taken out of a bygone era. The constant deluge of computer generated imagery with its near realism these days has only worked to erode the once immaculately rendered animation. Much could be attributed to imperfect preservation of sensual memories and the comparative perception of quality as time passes.
Apart from these technicalities, the movie is still valid to me as it was back in the day. Particularly the poignant portrayal of life and death, overcoming the shackles of one's past and the African (Disneyised?) version of Buddhist zen - Hakuna Matata, still hold powerful as ever. A tale worth watching again.
Disclaimer: This information is most relevant for Windows XP. Vista and Windows 7 might have better offerings. Might.
Image Viewer:
Windows comes with an image viewer that is less than ideal. There are no short-cut keys, rotating images leads to permanent changes to the file and not just a virtual presentation of the rotation.
The solution:
Irfanview -
Although, not just a mere image viewer, it's very sleek and versatile when it comes to just viewing images. Images can be quickly viewed full screen (Enter) and navigated using arrow keys with a plethora of viewing options when not in full screen. It is also a lightweight image editor with limited functionality and effects. Simple batch processing and thumbnail feature add to the round up of features on offer. A must have item for any windows user.
Audio:
I segregated Audio and Video into two different players even though either could be used to play video and audio. However, each has its strengths in one area, so I have them both.
As usual windows comes with Windows Media player for both audio and video files. Needless to say I've hardly used Windows Media player in the last few years so won't even be able to mention it's features or lack thereof. So i'll just mention the programs themselves which supersede it.
Winamp(Audio) -
Winamp is my goto player for MP3's. It's sleek, I usually keep the skin on the original, no frills side, takes very little desk space and has my whole music library loaded at once. Navigation is easy with the bottom row keys (Z-V) controlling Previous Track to Next with everything in between. This is a full featured player with myriads of plugins and features which I doubt I've even breached the surface of. My most common use is the equalizer, with its built-in presets, and the playlist which allows me to search and queue files to be played with by using the 'jump to file' (J) menu. My only gripe is not being able to save playlists from the queues I've created, then it would be the IDEAL player. Add to the fact that with some arcane knowledge, well not really arcane, it is possible to use winamp to tame your iPod. Huzzah! That I'm not aware of how to and will not delve into at present.
VLC (Video)
Not sure what it stands for, Video Lan Ceeeeee. Anyway, short, sweet and simple player that plays almost any video file you throw it, and audio as well. All this without having to find and install numerous codecs to view Divx, Xvid or anything else out there.
I've stumbled upon another setting which should further restrict your phone from intermittent data access. In the last post turning off background data was the supposed silver bullet which I thought should solve the drain. Although, it had cut it down a good amount, there was still annoying cellular data transfer which I felt was unwarranted. These transfers occurred when apps were syncing or getting ads relayed to them.
The offending setting can be found under:
Settings>Wireless & networks>Mobile networks
Data enabled (Enable data access over Mobile network)
Simply uncheck this option and the little 3G/G symbol should disappear. Now you've fully choked data transmissions and hopefully added to your battery mileage.
Disclaimer: This content is purely for informational purposes and should not be taken in mission critical scenarios. The author accepts no liability for any consequences arising from using this information. The previous part is dismissible, if and only, usage arising constitutes a favorable return and arouses generousness in associated user, who further, wishes to divulge part of generousness to author.
Image via WikipediaHow exactly will Google+ fair in an open market for social networking, let alone in one dominated by the uber behemoth facebook?
Although Google have had a bit of knowledge garnered from its earlier social networking incarnation, Google Buzz, there is still a lot going against it.
Familiarity
Let's face it, people are accustomed to being, well, accustomed. It's hard to break people away from rituals and habits they've become used too. Unless if you are a current daily user of Google and it's offerings, which includes its menu/navigation system, expecting the average user, who expects just the social experience and nothing else, to learn a new system, is a bit too much. Unless Facebook were to inadvertently orchestrate an incorrigible faux paus, Google+ will be facing a long, hard, uphill struggle against wooing users over.
Target audience & History
In following with familiarity, Facebook started off as a focused network catering to college students in one institute then to other institutes and which was finally opened to the general public. People who already knew each other were simply allowed a place to connect and collaborate. These connections are always expanding, but the bulk of connections were created early on. As with any migration from one system to another, very few people would be happy with the downtime associated with not being able to just communicate with their peers, family and so on. Unless if Google+ has a full on import like what Wordpress offers to blog users wanting to completely switch their blog from another blogging site, lock, stock and barrel, this is another hindrance for Google+.
Like begets like?
Although in the feel, somewhat, and layout, Google+ closely mirrors Facebook, unless and until Google+ offers something groundbreaking in terms of user experience, networking tools etc. there will be little pull to motivate people to move to it. Just having similar appearances would hardly draw people to another brand unless if there's substantial value to be gained which would at the least offset the hassle of moving or more than make up for it. Sure the privacy concerns are vital to most users, but at this early stage it's hard to say how effective the Google+ circles are, if indeed they do not prove to be an encumbrance to the overall social experience.
Monoply much?
This is a doozy; most people don't realise this, but based on what they search and view based on the results, Google further ascertains what search results are pertinent to you. What this means is that based on your browsing habits, Google screens what it thinks is important to you. It might be a good thing, but, more than equally, it might not be. I wouldn't like results screened or otherwise influenced, nor do I want most of my browsing routines crystallized into some user profile.With Google+ this means your social network, search engine, email, and any other Google service you're signed up for, are connected with just one user id. Integration into the Google machine itself doesn't warrant any alarm bells but I for one would like some segregation of my online activities. Whether it be for a bit of comparative anonymity or feeling like all your eggs aren't in one basket in case of hacker attacks on the company or just natural downtime.
There can only be one, can there?
Facebook has had it ups and downs, taken its lumps, faced its competition and come out on top all but obliterating the rest. It has had tenure. Google has a lot to offer and is an internet powerhouse to boot. Of course no matter how ardent the support or criticism, only time and trial is telling. It will be interesting to see how Google+ fares against Facebook, if it manages to get out of the pre and postnatal phase that all contenders inexorably have to course through.
What seemed to be a cross between a few sci-fi classics, and not so classic, movies all ingested, and regurgitated, Transformers 3 was watered down, dull, uninteresting and somewhat longer than an a usual movie. That was about the only worthwhile part of it, you got something substantial , albeit bland and tripe, for what you paid.
At this point the plot of a movie being predictable seems almost a given with not much suspense or quality left in films. The only way it could've been worse was if it had been a Bollywood production where lack of quality and content is the rampant norm.
I'd noticed on the Vodafone site itself, the biggest complaint was how short the battery seemed to last. Chocking it up to just regular energy demands for a smart phone, I didn't think too much of it. At the price it was available I didn't care, much.
However, after having barely used it for a day the battery was almost completely drained. So I charged it fully before going to bed. The next morning what I awoke to was perplexing. No it wasn't a giant bean stock. The battery was less than 30 percent and i'd not even used anything.
I tried app killing software, turned off WIFI and everything else, but still nothing. But I did finally find the hitch. So here's what to do:
First off, make sure you do all the manufacturer recommendations to preserve battery. Then make sure to check if the following are off or on:
Settings>Wireless & network settings:
Bluetooth
Wifi
Settings>Location & security settings
Use wireless networks (this can be kept on as long as Wifi in the previous menu is set to off)
Use GPS satellites (as a default this is the largest drain on battery mentioned by the manufacturer)
Now the rascal that I got caught out with Settings>Accounts & sync settings
Background data (this actually uses your cellular connection to continuously relay info back and forth from servers to installed apps)
The last one was the kicker. Now with those settings turned off, your smart phone should see battery usage drop to that of a regular 'Dumb' phone. I don't rely too heavily on internet or app use or games. But occasionally turning them on to access the internet shouldn't drain the battery as much as say leaving them on.
With the background data setting on, my battery usage while on idle or standby was equal to the amount used by the Android system itself.
Apps will still have access via 3G or other connections which will have to be adjusted from within the Apps' own settings, however, turning off background data, should, drastically lessen the flow.
**** Check out my new One Plus One I recently bought ****
Disclaimer: This content is purely for informational purposes and should not be taken in mission critical scenarios. The author accepts no liability for any consequences arising from using this information. The previous part is dismissible, when and only, usage arising constitutes a favorable return and arouses generousness in associated user, who further, wishes to divulge part of generousness to author.
Here begins my summer or lack lustre movies. First off, Kung Fu Panda 2.
Considering how thoroughly entertaining and wise the first one was, I was hoping for a something equally moving and tickling. However the jokes barely had a pulse. At one point, a little girl in the audience just blurted, "That's not funny," which nicely contained the entirety of the film.
In keeping with kung-fu movies, training ever continues. However, this falls short as Po is only required to sequester the art of inner peace. Which he overcomes with relative little, so not much for the audience to absorb there. The story also reveals Po's origins and how he ended up being adopted by a noodle selling goose.
The strongest point of the movie, very emotional for yours truly, is the confrontation of both Po and his dad when he finds out he's adopted and the images of a baby panda so helpless and dependent just pulls at your heartstrings.
The movie does pick up around the midpoint with a generous offering of action, thereby not completely denigrating the experience. However, this sequel pales like a nausea induced visage to the original.
Everyone has childhood favourites. Nostalgic eras and shows that capture not only the style of the period but the overall impact of every little aspect of your life that gets imprinted in that era. That's why the older people get the fonder their memories of the time when everything was in a sense, perfect.
These are some of mine, although I used to love these shows and now watching them would hardly pique my interest except for old times sake, the theme songs have only gotten more powerful. And it's hard to imagine how much more meaning and quality these songs have than compared to anything out today. Guess that's my age speaking now. Why I remember the good old days when...
Perfect Strangers
Late nights(9-10pm) as a kid in Saudi Arabia, one of the few shows that tickled me silly. I think the very first mention of the show on previews I didn't think too much of it. It was only afterwards I learnt of the jovial, upbeat shenanigans of Balki Bartakomoos whose journey to America to start a new life with his cousin Larry Appleton would entertain me to no end. The Mepeote's non-standard beliefs, mannerisms, not to mention his heavy accent miraculously switching to Californian surfer dude, contrast, yet amalgam comically, with his cousin's straight-laced, by the book demeanor. The result? Ah the stuff of great television. Here's its great theme song.
Full House
This is used to be a staple during the holy month of Ramadan as a special seasonal show. Occurring only once a year during the holy month, it ran for a few seasons and I guess the Saudi controllers deemed it wouldn't get more air time. Mind you this G rated, and below probably, show was often censored to kingdom come, making even a commercial-less version seem long in comparison. The shortest shows lasted well under 10 minutes with Saudi censorship rendering it less whole than Swiss cheese and the viewers wondering if several shows were Frankensteined together or if there were severe gaps in the storyline. Anyway here's the full length theme song which has clips from the intros of most seasons woven in.
Cheers
Now I'd only watched a handful of shows or less and know of a few heavy hitters who've either hit it big after this show or had already attained it by then. The off-shoot Frasier was a successful franchise and what I know of either is very very little. The theme song though has always had a strong draw for me. Lyrics like these truly resonate to the core of your being, the sense of belonging and relinquishing your worldly pangs is universal. This is the full theme song from the 200th show; the short version that usually aired can be found here [ link ]
The list is rounded up with everybody's favourite - Friends, arguably the most popular sitcom of the mid 90's and early noughties. The synergy of Chandler's pithy sarcasm, Joey's lascivious yet pure and lovable nature, Monica's anal quirkiness, Ross' non-apologetic geeky chic, Rachael's stylish, demure, next-door-girl like persona, and Phoebe's super off-beat, wildcard, non-standard repertoire, was a match mix elixir of consummate comedic wit and timing. Each character complemented the others in a sort of on-screen magic that entertained countless viewers for a decade. The only spin-off of the series, Joey, didn't receive much recognition. The theme is yet another gem of epitome and wisdom, but I doubt it's quite hit nostalgia status.
For years I used to try and use classical music to drown out ambient noise and to help focus. But after a period you start focusing on different nuances and composers. This on the other hand is just peaceful and pure.
Simply noiseoffers three different flavours of white noise that you can listen for free on the website itself and downloads, for a small donation, of the same or soothing subtle sound themes from various natural events. One of these 'soundscapes' is free.
A very clever device which I'm sure will help save time and nerves. A complete 5 stars on this one.
Image via WikipediaFinally a movie that lends to the capabilities of 3D rather than film makers exploiting the medium to further sales, even though it wasn't primarily shot in 3D.
Thor was an exquisite blend of mythology, marvel comic-dom and the cinematic. The early split narrative, mixed with stunning, stunning visuals, appropriate smattering of comedic relief, and proper story-telling made the movie thoroughly enjoyable.
The movie by itself, and as a continuum of the spring/summer movie offerings, is a massive respite from the horde of movies which have failed to deliver. And deliver it has.
On a side note: The mingling of S.H.I.E.L.D. and mention of Stark, as in Tony Stark of Iron Man fame, in this and a few other marvel movies, foreshadows, hopefully, a cumulative movie with all avengers characters. So here's to hoping and probably a sequel to Thor and/or any other Marvel offering.
The jokes, some of which, while slightly amusing, seemed to lack anything more than a momentary sustain. Although most fans will no-doubt enjoy the rawness of the off-color, salacious fare.
The tale seems to have been based, loosely, around the roman myth of Hercules with more than a passing reference to oracles, witches, a mechanical companion and cyclops.
For all the hype the trailers seemed to inspire, not much more could be gained from the movie, except of course, an incredible opening sequence.
Image via WikipediaIt's hard to ascertain what hardware you have in certain cases. Albeit a quick look at System settings [Start>Control Panel>System, on Windows XP] will give you a overview of system resources.
It's a bit trickier to know what parts are compatible with your system if you want to upgrade or check if your hardware is capable of running software or games that you want to. Most newer machines bought in the last 8 - 6 months will be up to par, unless if you bought a net book, or really low end system. But, if you have an older laptop, like I do, it'll be well worth it to know what you can actually put into your system or what will actually run on your system before committing.
There are several sites out there which can do a quick scan of your system to give pertinent information. Two that I use are
Can you run it? powered by System Requirements Lab compares your system specs
with the minimum and recommended requirements of popular pc games.
Crucial System Scanner tool checks how much system memory you have and what upgrade options are available. It also lets you order the parts on the site itself.
Both require a download of a scanner program which checks your system and is benign for the most part.
Disclaimer: This content is purely for informational purposes and should not be taken in mission critical scenarios. The author accepts no liability for any consequences arising from using this information. The previous part is dismissible, when and only, usage arising constitutes a favorable return and arouses generousness in associated user, who further, wishes to divulge part of generousness to author.
Source Code is a sci-fi paradox where the protagonist Captain Colter Stevens [Jake Gyllenhaal] is an unwitting participant in a military program to probe a posthumous inquiry into a terror attack that's already occurred.
With only the last eight minutes of the attack to live through to find vital clues as to the attack and/or attacker, the clock is ticking, but in this case can be set back. The reality that seems is just an allusion to the past and despair mounts as the hero finds more about the futility of trying to save the passengers, his significant interest and the real state of his present condition.
Personal Thoughts
Very little postulated, movie/sci-fi science based analyses or explanations given or alluded to, except quantum physics and parabolic calculus (?) being briefly mentioned. Fans of earlier paradoxical movies like Donnie Darko (also a Jake Gyllenhaal starrer), 12:01 (which has a closely similar internal plot) would hardly find the plot confusing or taxing. Although, the director does a good job of keeping the audience unawares to the actuality of Steven's situation or how he got there.
Also a somewhat muted sauntering into parallel universes and the per mutability of existence and how our present conditions pose a seemingly unfaltering course can be altered with some determination.
Image by Des Geeks et des lettres via FlickrLimitless starring Bradley Cooper is the story about an undisciplined, unmotivated down and out writer whose life gets turned around by a miracle drug that gives man the other 90% of brain usage that Einstein said that is largely untapped.
Perspicuity, clairvoyance, acute awareness, incredible recall and retention are some of the affects of the pill. The aptitude to absorb and utilize any information for any purpose beyond normal human levels. What more power could a person want than knowing everything that they come into contact with in any way imaginable.
As good as the going gets, in the human world, there has always got to be a downside. In this case in the form of ever increasing human desire and consorting with undesirable elements engenders an ever spiraling vortex of misfortune and mortal consequences. What occurs is well worth watching.
The movie seemed to fall into the traps usually associated with movies of the kind, where power and greed leads to ever darker circumstances and masochistic writers visions of a world without hope and redemption. However, interesting twists and intelligent decisions lend the bit of course correction needed to pull this movie out of those traps.
Also starring Robert DeNiro, this movie sees Cooper detach himself from sidekick roles and a bit of a breather from the usual action/comedy or the romantic sort and paint himself as a more serious thespian.
Bar the usual misgivings of most movies, this one is well worth the watch.
The movie is based on Alan Glynn's 'The Dark Fields,' which is very similar to the plot of the movie,
however, there is a e-book by the same author with the very same title and premise as the movie. It is not possible to link to it at the time but a quick search on Amazon should point to it.
Image via WikipediaVisual cues are everywhere. The world we live in [read our computers] are inundated by myriad of icons and either by a plain color scheme or desktop backgrounds that hail from all genres from picturesque to bland and typical. Most of us even put up pictures of ourselves or our drunken stupors and shennigans. Icons in numbers far outweighing their purpose, remnants of old programs or copies and links to ones that don't even exist - The typical computer desktop is similar to our physical living spaces, an unorganized disarray of unmentionables.
Very few desktops are a respite where function and form merge, creating a serene, yet flexible springboard that would catapault us to creativity or jumpstart our productivity. That unfortunately is very hard to create without knowing design, software packages and having an apptitude to creating something sublime yet stunning. This post is to jumpstart my quest to creating a desktop environment which will accomplish all that.
A desktop that will be simple and zen like yet leading to oft used tools and other periphenilia that would be just a few clicks away but without adding any clutter to the space most looked at by most people. On that quest I issue you links to screensavers that are beyond the trifle that exist. Something simple yet very familiar to momentarily disengage us from our cluttered ethereal table tops. With that I give you: Fire& Water
This is my status from facebook which is my little version of St. Patrick, or St. Paddy's day as colloquially known here in Ireland and the origin of the meaning of the word and system of politics
Given his uber cool powers from the main man himself, St. Pat rid the isle of reptilia that had been plaguing it. Peace reigned throughout; however, all was not as it seemed. The vanquished had merely shifted into various other forms whose only means of sustenance was to live off the life force of others in the land. Thus we see the origin of the process and the word 'politics'. [poly - many; ticks - well you know ]
Image via CrunchBaseAs a corollary to my earlier post "Dony's three laws of purchasing," I came by a few more after having read two interesting articles. I will be compiling and polishing them as time permits. Here are the articles that mirrored some of my thoughts and inspired a few more.
The first one is about the general impetuousness of consumerism, where only the latest and best gadgets will fill the pseudo void crafted by the marketers subversive socio-engineering. By tinkering with market demand. supply. and product revamp and redeployment, a veritable techno lust is created whereby the masses seek ever sophisticated gadgets whose full utility and underpinnings take a backseat to the instant gratification from owning the latest techno item. --> [ The bleeding-edge gadget binge will lead to an economic hangover. by Donovan Colbert ]
The second stakes right at the heart of the one of the most famous icons on the planet today in terms of up-class consumerism: Apple. --> "It's a dangerous time to buy Apple products" by Matt Buchanan.
Verily few entities manage to slip past my defenses when my very core denounces their offerings as over bloated, overpriced, proprietary entrapment which have little to offer. Case in point, the Mac OS. I've only ever had the privilege to use it while in design school for two years. For nearly half the time I was confined to a Mac workflow. Travesty. Shiny as it may be, I'll pass. However, the Ipod series, specifically, the touch series drew me. The one time an Apple product hadn't completely repulsed repelled me.
Thankfully the mind control has only lasted to that item. Price wise and utility wise, the Iphone and Ipads have very little gravity. The Ipod touch is economically viable from a value standpoint only after numerous price drops. Even then, an used or refurbished one which lessens the price to value/utility ratio will be my most likely purchase.
Proprietary clout, dogged marketing schemes, supply chain monoplies, network carrier tie ins are all the in game tactics employed by these power players. The hapless consumer is trapped in an eco system where each hit lasts a lot less longer than the last and costs the same if not more. The cost isn't entirely monetary, the soul pays as well.
In short, marketing ploys by savvy social engineers should not cloud your judgement when it comes to purchases. Any technological device should present high levels of value for worth and return on personal investment by increasing efficiency, productivity, functionality and enhancing or facilitating latent potential than without it. A mere fashion requirement of status symbol does not cut it. These should be driving forces to your technology investment as an individual, not the ulterior, pre-fabricated notions impinged by companies' profiteering plans. If you abstain from the spells of these companies long enough to see clearly, then your decision making in terms of needs over wants will kick in and aid you as well.
Coming soon...
"Are 'smart' technologies actually making us dumber?"
''The Apple of the gaming world: Nintendo [Wii]"
The adjustment bureau is an enjoyable little ditty about fate, providence what have you. I feared it would be a stress based, hopelessness inducing, paranoia gathering, movie like so many other cover up conspirators but was pleasantly surprised to a short while of blissfulness.
The plot isn't complicated nor taxing, and the depth barely traipses past shallow. Matt Daemons delivery did have the audience laughing out loud at a few instances. A few interesting jewels from the movie which most viewers would glaze over - the agents notebooks which had moving graphics foreshadow what computers will be like in the near future; the wisdom near the end about fighting for your future regardless of overwhelming deterrence [read governments] hit very close to home.
Although the movie doesn't offer groundbreaking sci-fi or conceptualization that would leave the viewership awe and dumbstruck (funny how those two nearly mean the same thing), it is still a good movie to get out and watch.
It's hard to come by a free tool that allows you to minimalistically visualize your ideas. Spider web or mind-map diagrams are great ways to chart central ideas and subsequent supporting or off shoots.
XMind is an open source program that enables elaborate mind mapping with great click creation of items and realignment of tasks and options with ease. It allows you to export the charts to a variety of formats, including but not limited to PDFs and image files.
There is a professional version with an yearly subscription, but unless you work in a heavy requirements surround with the needed capability of project management, collaboration or presentation requirements then the free version suffices.
I find it not only a great way to outline ideas and projects, but also a handy to do list as every idea I have is listed and clearly prepped with subtopics. Visit the site to download the installation file.
Fan of gaming? Grew up in the hay day of 8 bit gaming and before? Well then this is for you. 'Game On' is a history of the origins of gaming and follows it since the very first times humans sequestered electrons for entertainment through the decades leading to the recent past.
Unlike most exhibitions though, this one is very hands on. Almost every device on exhibit is ready to be played. A few of the exhibits piqued my interest. Gradius was one; it was something I played as a kid on an early MSX computer. The version I played was ported to the PS2, with outstanding improvements.
Each ticket allows an hour of perusing through the gallery, which starts from the progenitors of gaming tech such as the very first lab machines commandeered for game development, magnavox odyssey - first proper games console, the latest generation consoles, and everything inbetween.
My personal favourites were the section on classic handheld devices and coming face to face with consoles, the very earliest of personal computers and not to mention classic games all from my childhood.
A few issues detract from this otherwise wonderful trip down memory lane. The layout is somewhat organic and doesn't present a chronological flow from the very beginning to the latest. There isn't even a tenuous guide to say the very least. A dozen or so magazine covers on entering the exhibit is intriguing, but not enough to warrant people staying on and admiring their content, given the limited time frame of the ticket. A single wall would've done the job better than plastering them through a hallway.
In terms of being a comprehensive look on gaming history, it falls short of not including the current latest technologies and not to mention where future trends, software, hardware and will head.
For some of its short comings, the Game On exhibiton is great experience not to be missed. I for one wouldn't mind going there a second, third or even tenth time.
Game On is being held at the Ambassador Theater on Parnell Street, Dublin. Hurry the exhibition is slated to close at the end of January 2011.
They say there is no such thing as a free lunch. Why they say that I do not know, maybe the virtue of hard work and all that jazz. But maybe they have yet to realize that the monetary system is just a human facade, but I digress.
To counter a proverb, it is often suited to use another proverb - The best things life are free. Nobody likes to get bogged down in validated debates, what are we scientists? Before you answer that, I'll just showcase the book and be on my merry way.
This free ebook offers a window on object oriented programming and showcases paradigms relevant to almost any programming language. Although, in this edition, JAVA is used as an example language. The book is meant for people with an idea of JAVA programming, to reinforce key topics inherent in most object oriented languages to programming development methodologies
Go on, enjoy your free lunch before I get jolly and expressive. 'Object Oriented Programming using JAVA'by Simon Kendal.
It's been a year since I've used any IDE, just recently, I came across a great article on smashing magazine about developing android apps using eclipse. Eclipse is an open source, free IDE for Java programmers.
The article explains how to get both Eclipse, the Android SDK (Software Development Kit) and installing them. The only hitch was that I had when using the instructions was right before the heading,
'Targeting Android Platforms'
The image beforehand indicates the SDK packages for the different types ofAndroid devices. You won't see that until you complete the steps after the heading in question.I've only managed to get uptil this point as my computer was wrought with malcontent and i had to reinstall everything.
The article pointed here is very detailed and will guide most readers through the first baby steps in developing an Android app. Happy developing.
Eclipse is an open source, and freely available I might add, Java IDE. It is very reassuring to realize that most developers tend to use something that's free and readily available rather than overpriced commercial offerings. This translates to a springboard for people eager to learn programming languages. Starting out and gaining fluency in any programming language is challenging enough without artificial barriers.
Eclipse IDE's also feature other languages such as PHP and C++. For a list of available IDE's go [ here ]
Even though I had to wait a bit over two weeks ordering the Kindle from Amazon.com (US) since the UK site doesn't do Ireland, when it finally was shipped it reached me within 3 days. Here are pics of the unpacking:
Here's an earlier blogpost about the kindle and the covers I got for it. Kindle cover [ 1 ] and [ 2 ]
Image via WikipediaWell it's been so long since i've written anything about anything since i've been caught up in the endless work, college and more work cycle. So here's something to give a bit of life to my now slightly deserted blog:
Image via WikipediaOne of my all time favorite Disney releases was on the big screen. The Lion King was on those movies that became a classic even when it had just come out. From the theme to the soundtrack it was instant love.
Image via Wikipedia
Image via WikipediaHow exactly will Google+ fair in an open market for social networking, let alone in one dominated by the uber behemoth facebook?
However, after having barely used it for a day the battery was almost completely drained. So I charged it fully before going to bed. The next morning what I awoke to was perplexing. No it wasn't a giant bean stock. The battery was less than 30 percent and i'd not even used anything.
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Image via WikipediaFinally a movie that lends to the capabilities of 3D rather than film makers exploiting the medium to further sales, even though it wasn't primarily shot in 3D.
Image by Nik Sibley via FlickrYour Highness a comedic quest starring Danny Mcbride, James Franco, Natalie Portman and Zooey Deschanel fails to deliver, with only a smattering of quality humor which resonated more highly in the trailer than the movie itself.
Image via WikipediaIt's hard to ascertain what hardware you have in certain cases. Albeit a quick look at System settings [Start>Control Panel>System, on Windows XP] will give you a overview of system resources.
Image by Des Geeks et des lettres via FlickrLimitless starring Bradley Cooper is the story about an undisciplined, unmotivated down and out writer whose life gets turned around by a miracle drug that gives man the other 90% of brain usage that Einstein said that is largely untapped.
Image via WikipediaVisual cues are everywhere. The world we live in [read our computers] are inundated by myriad of icons and either by a plain color scheme or desktop backgrounds that hail from all genres from picturesque to bland and typical. Most of us even put up pictures of ourselves or our drunken stupors and shennigans. Icons in numbers far outweighing their purpose, remnants of old programs or copies and links to ones that don't even exist - The typical computer desktop is similar to our physical living spaces, an unorganized disarray of unmentionables.
Image via CrunchBaseAs a corollary to my earlier post "Dony's three laws of purchasing," I came by a few more after having read two interesting articles. I will be compiling and polishing them as time permits. Here are the articles that mirrored some of my thoughts and inspired a few more.
The adjustment bureau is an enjoyable little ditty about fate, providence what have you. I feared it would be a stress based, hopelessness inducing, paranoia gathering, movie like so many other cover up conspirators but was pleasantly surprised to a short while of blissfulness.
Fan of gaming? Grew up in the hay day of 8 bit gaming and before? Well then this is for you. 'Game On' is a history of the origins of gaming and follows it since the very first times humans sequestered electrons for entertainment through the decades leading to the recent past.
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Image by Getty Images via @daylife
