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Today in apps!

Last night I went uninstall crazy. A good thing too, because at dinner last night Tom the Talking Cat was requested the cutesy parlor trick it is. I ended up taking Broadsides off too. I loved the game, the writing was phenomenal. I figure I reached the best and worst possible endings and was skimming most of it so I feel like I outgrew it. I’m ready and waiting for them to come up with a new story though! They did a great job on it. I took out Craps and Othello because I never really played them.

(more…)

just a quick update to post about some neat new sites i’ve been using lately.

first of all, this is a game called loops of zen. i’m linking you to the full window version because it’s way better that way. the game is a great little brain teaser that doesn’t require that much commitment… not that i’m afraid of commitment… well maybe i am when it comes to video games.

in the way of games, i’ve added two more neat ones to my arcade repertoire. the first is age of booty. it’s a fun pirate themed real time strategy game that strikes me to be in the theme of settlers of catan… but in real time, not turn based. at any rate, it’s probably just the hex tiles that remind me of it. you move your ship around the ocean board attacking merchant ships, other players and harbors around the map. i’ve been extremely addicted to it as of late, and i highly recommend it.

the second xbla title i recently downloaded is castle crashers. i’m not sure on the history of this game, but i do know it has quite a cult following so i’m guessing this game was originally launched as an artsy flash game. at any rate, sarah saw the demo of this one and we were hooked. it’s a well designed 2d side scrolling rpg reminisce of the old days of gauntlet.

finally, my good friend phil introduced me to portal for the first time last night. from the guys that did half-life and a group of college kids, this game presents an interesting and worthwhile twist in fps to bring you the fps puzzle game like never before. basically, you shoot portals out and warp everywhere. it sounds underwhelmingly simple, but it actually makes for a great new puzzle idea that i’m now itching for more of.

next up is a shiny new site that i’m dying to tell everyone about. it’s lala.com, and it’s part itunes, part itunes music store, and part last.fm all blended together into one, pretty easy, pretty familiar interface. i signed up yesterday, uploaded my entire library over the course of the evening, and voila! i can listen to almost all of my music over the internet through lala.com. if you go there, sign up, and like it, be sure to friend me.

oh yeah! and last up, before i forget is hobnox.com. the site has a bunch of interesting stuff, but i haven’t really taken the time to explore. the big thing that’s really caught my eye in the past is their audiotool. it’s a reason-like synthesizer that’s web-based. they finally added a record feature, so besides just doodling around on it, you can now save what you’ve done.

over and out!

I may subtitle this post: “Things That Happen When You Have Nothing Planned”.

I love the conversation when you meet up with a friend: “so what do you want to do?”, and the reply: “ehh, nothing, you”, “yeah, I don’t know”. With my group of friends this conversation invariably ends in one of several ways: TV, Videogames, or Jam Session. It was after one of these conversations with a larger assembly of my friends we began to play beats from a keyboard and battle rap each other. This may seem like a totally legitimate course of action for some people, but a closer look at the social make up and musical taste of our group would reveal, without a doubt, that rapping is not on the top of our “fun things to do” list.

However, we ended up rapping against each other, with each other, and around each other. It was hilarious. We rapped about school subjects like geography and science as much as we rapped about the funny growth on my nose or each other’s sexual preferences.

So, to that unexpected fun burst of creativity i have found some fun links for improving the battle rap skills of those around me. Read these and take heed. Though it may not happen often, battle rapping may soon become a regular member of our “bored-time” repertoire.

1. How to SURVIVE a Battle Rap
2. Learn your flocabulary
3. Wiki on freestyle wrapping

I feel like I’m getting old. Well, at least out of touch with older gamers and younger gamers. I just read an article here in ars pointing out how freaking awesome nintendo wii is doing in sales against other platforms. Now I know it’s a stretch to take an article about game and system sales and relate it to age. I’m a little too lazy to go into all the facts and figures, but essentially I see the Wii as the system for kids and adults who missed the original gaming “thing”. So when I see all these people buying rehash games like Smash Bros and Mario Kart, I think dang, I’ve really been there done that. My experience with those games was “screw it, I’m sticking with the game cube controller” (well, Mario Kart might be the exception to that, but seriously, EVERY GAME THAT DOESN’T USE THE WII MOTE IN A SIMULATIVE WAY HAS BORED ME TO DEATH AND I’VE RETURNED DIRECTLY TO THE GAME CUBE CONTROLLER). Not to mention games like Mario Party that I’m positive will cause rampant wrist problems due to meaningless repetitive motion. And then I think about my dear, sweet XBOX 360 that I’ve had for little over a year. Let me just point out what I love about it. (in no particular order, enumerated for counting purposes only.)

1. XBOX Live and the multi-player frag fests that ensue
2. XBOX Arcade (I’m a sucker for N right now)
3. XBOX media downloads, for you know, when I’m REALLY REALLY FREAKIN LAZY.
4. The possibility that that thing is the only box I need under my TV
5. Gears of War
6. Katamari Damashi
7. GTA (I have all of the old ones for XBOX as well as IV)
8. Midnight Club

Though I have to admit some of these are not unique to XBOX (but some of them are not on the Wii at all, though Damashi SHOULD BE)

So in a much needed conclusion, the Wii has yet to offer a series of games that would make me give up my 20 button controllers, and I feel like I’m in a strange Generational loop caught between the young and the old.

here’s a couple neat things and info I’ve collected this week.

First is hobnox. Most of you who know me, know I’m always rattling on about music I make with ableton live and reason. Here is a audio generation tool that is based off of a similar usability theory as reason: graphically recreate the instruments and their interaction (i.e. cables etc.). The plus side for all of you and myself is that you don’t have to install anything (until they come out with an adobe air version). Which means that you don’t have to know a whole ton about music software, just music hardware in general. If you can hook up some guitar pedals and fiddle with a beat machine, you’re there. It’s a lot of fun. My cube-mate wasted a couple hours because I introduced him to the site (sorry). So have fun. If you figure out a way to record what you’ve done (you can’t save yet) put it on muxtape and let me know about it.

Second, is just a little article for all my friends looking to get their money into the money making business. High yield savings is the first step, and this article shows you how you can figure out just how much interest your savings account is bringing in. Very helpful. Also, you’ll want a calculator. I recommend and use instacalc on a daily basis.

Some neat software and games stuff today. Politics are stupid and boring.

Wired has a great article about what really makes GTA IV a great game. I have been staving off my temptations to get the game because of the many freelance jobs I picked up earlier in the year that I must focus on and finish by the summer. Also, I’m planning a wedding, and that always trumps video games. Besides, Bully is still really entertaining to me. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to the day that I can play GTA IV uninterrupted and explore the sprawling landscape of Liberty City. …sigh… Though I’m not sure how long sandbox genre games can survive without being MMO in scope. Just a predictive tidbit.

Freeware genius just put out a little ditty on a piece of software I’m planning on trying out called Xneat. I’ll let you, my faithful reader know how it goes. Its supposed to help manage your windows. We’ll see about that.

Finally, a web2.0 grammar checking site called gramlee. I’m gonna put this post through its engine to see what kind of filth it spits out. I’ll get back to you on that as well.

*edit* BUT WHOA! for gramlee it appears that you have to pay per word. Apparently real people are editing these. To that I say:

1. That’s not web2.0
2. People are so out, computer programs are so in. Get with it.
3. Also, pay-for services are lame.

***Here’s what gramlee thinks of my first 100 words***

There’s some news about neat software and games today. Politics are stupid
and boring.

Wired Magazine has a great article about what really makes GTA IV a great
game. I have been staving off my temptations to get the game because of the
many freelance jobs I picked up earlier in the year. My deadline for the
deliverables for these various jobs is this summer. Also, I’m planning a
wedding, and that always trumps video games. Besides, Bully still entertains
me. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to the day I can play GTA IV
uninterrupted and explore the sprawling landscape of Liberty City.

***Funny right? I think so***

Wired reports on the makers of Guitar Hero expanding their repertoire. I unfortunately haven’t felt like having a full sized video ipod since I inherited a family member’s nano. I’ll try and get my brother to get it so I can try it out. I like Harmonix’s idea of find something good then repeat the hell out of it. It’s great for making money.

LA Times article on some totally awesome political positioning by the do-nothing congress of 2007. They’re reporting that the Republican Right wanted to force a quick vote on the impeachment of Cheney and that the Democratic Left wanted to delay the vote. Boy, I feel like I’m in the twilight zone. But I think I’ve gotten to the psychology of it all. Congress is simply overwhelmed with everything they have to do, they’re just procrastinating. Don’t worry though, in my experience this predicament is easily solved by SUCKING IT UP AND DOING THE JOB I’M PAID TO DO. (And I shouldn’t need to remind you that the American people are the ones footing the bill for this circus.)

Is the American school shooting epidemic? spreading to Finland? American school shootings are still bloodier and more bizarre. Just sayin’. I mean look at that kid who hired a hitman (admittedly not related to school), and that kid in the Philly area who was stockpiling guns.

And I found a picture of the 4 legged, 4 armed girl with all her appendiges (down at the bottom). I regret it. It’s really gross, not spider-like or cool at all. Also, probably not really SFW. At any rate, some good doctors fixed her up! Yay for modern medicine.

Manhunt and GTA are both works of entertainment and arguably, works of art. Therefore, I must have manhunt 2. And you can’t argue that this isn’t just a big PR ploy. They’ve got the M rated version ready and waiting. They just love all this free press. DON’T MESS WITH FREE MARKET, ESRB.

I must not really have a good grasp of business and entrepreneurship because what this guy is doing, while totally understandable and feasible, just blows my mind. On my list of things to check out: Entropia.

Don’t go to work!

This is an insanely long article on global cooling. You know what I think? (not like you really care what I think, but I’m telling you anyways) I think that global warming and global cooling is just about as honest and truthful as healthy eating and dieting tips from food vendors. The more confused about the subject, the more money you will spend/waste in order to “fix” the problem. Also one of the over-arching issues at work that has always bugged me, is the insane amount of pride involved in the science community. My favorite quote from the article:

Climate stability has never been a feature of planet Earth. The only constant about climate is change; it changes continually and, at times, quite rapidly.

Now don’t get me wrong. I like the earth and I think we should keep it in good condition. But seriously, there are agendas at work here on both sides so there’s no point in being totally insane about the topic. Simply keep in mind the well being of what is around you and the well being of future generations.

For my brother, I hope this cheers you up. It’s old school cartoon styles of those funny cat pictures you love.

I’m gonna make one of these like the millennium falcon.

And then sneak around and scare people in one of these.

a wal-mart ethics fiasco? they have ethics?

a fun little flash game teaching kids – and politicians – how to gerrymander. maybe some kid will have the sense to make a libertarian district or fifty.

i like british news, it’s witty and informative, and specifically not american news. so when they say their people have a problem with liver disease, that doesn’t include me right? i did a quick tally of drinks this week:

• Monday: beer at guitar hero night ~ 1 drink
• Tuesday: Dinner with Sarah ~ 2 drinks
• Wednesday: I really don’t remember what I did on wed. but I’m pretty sure I didn’t drink anything ~ 0 drinks
• Thursday: Bowling ~ 1 drink
• Friday: Father’s Day ~ 2 drinks
• Saturday: Sarah’s parents were in town ~ 4 drinks
• Sunday: apres driving range nightcap ~ 2 drinks

So tally tally tally and bam! 12 drinks in a week. Am I damaging my liver. I don’t know. Does anyone know?

and finally, quite possibly more interestingly, Isaac Newton throws in his opinion on the end of days. note that the title of the article says that the world will definitely end in 2060 according to Mr. Newton. THAT’S NOT WHAT HIS LETTER SAYS AT ALL YOU TARDS. their own article clearly states

“It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner,” Newton wrote. However, he added, “This I mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of fanciful men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, and by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail.”

I guess all that matters is that you get people to read your stupid site. GREAT JORB. meh.

from the not-much-that-i-find-interesting-today newsdesk…

after some “militants” fired some rockets into Israel, Lebanon and the UN are working together to kill them. the count so far according to the bbc is 150+. At least it isn’t Israel this time. Of course, the words civil and war have appeared somewhere in that article.

this site makes lists. lots of lists. and i typically find lists to be helpful and yet annoying. so here maybe this is helpful, but most likely it’s annoying.

i’ve heard so many rumors of this, that it simply must be true. this is the first article i’ve actually read about chinese gold harvesting in world of warcraft. i miss that game so much. i only got a hunter up to lvl 56 then i got more bored than i could bear.