- The Pac-Man Dossier
This has been doing the rounds, so you may well already have seen it. But in the event that you haven't, here's a fascinatingly in-depth look at Pac-Man – you may think it's a very simply game, and it is, but its very simplicity masks an awful lot of very subtle design decisions that are key to understanding the tactics required to win.
- The Photojojo Store! – the Most Awesome Photo Gifts and Gear for Photographers
I haven't looked in the photojojo store in ages. There is a truly staggering amount of stuff in here that I really want. Just sayin'
- BBC News – Superheroes 'poor role models for boys'
Something that's been at the back of my mind recently: good fictional role models for boys.
- Voogle Wireless
Someone has dug up the add in support of net neutrality that Google produced 4 years ago. Now, I'm the first to admit that that what was true 4 years ago isn't automatically true today, and that people who can't change their minds about things in response to changing circumstance and new arguments are stupid people. But: I don't see that the circumstances and arguments in this particular case have shifted in that period.
Tag: games
Bookmarks for July 29, 2010
- erwtenpeller – War of the Worlds – SoundCloud
Dubstep remixes of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds.
- Google Alarm | F.A.T.
Ever wondered just how much Google is learning about you? Turn this on, and see. I'm not posting this as a dig at Google, but rather just in a "be informed about what information about you goes where".
- Ping Pong Battle for iPad on the iTunes App Store
Requires an iPad and 2 iPhones to play. Suspect that it's not going to be set-the-world-on-fire exciting, but it's worth a look, I think, if nothing else than because it's a reasonable innovative idea that is bound to have other applications.
- Cool Tools: The Best Magazine Articles Ever
I've been Instapapering stuff ever since I got my iPad for weeks now, and not quite finding the time to get it all read – to the point that when I'm done with my current book, I'll probably spend a week or two's commuting time catching up on them, rather than picking up another book. So obviously, what I need to make my backlog truly huge is a trove of excellent instapaper fodder. (If you are an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad user who isn't making use of Instapaper, you're missing out on one of the best things about them.)
Bookmarks for July 26, 2010
- rotonic for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store
Horrifyingly addictive little game – I downloaded it, and then when I looked up, it was hours later.
- Insufficient data – Charlie's Diary
I'm actually more optimistic about what "Big Society" can potentially achieve than most people I know, but I recognise that actually, most of what it can achieve is (significant) optimisation of already-funded and already-managed programs that are set up with the correct social tools. Which is why I found this such interesting ready: Charlie Stross, in the course of wondering about how many people you'd need to send to Mars, ably demonstrates why society is already far too large and complex for "Big Society" to ever work past a certain limit.
Bookmarks for July 9, 2010
- EPICWIN
Soon, you will be able to level grind as you go about your daily grind. This is either genius, or bleakly depressing.
Bookmarks for May 11, 2010
- The Humble Indie Bundle (pay what you want for five awesome indie games)
I shall be shopping here later.
- Facebook’s Gone Rogue; It’s Time for an Open Alternative | Epicenter | Wired.com
I know I keep on this hobby-horse. But this article is an excellent summary of why I remain on it, of all the things you now simply cannot do privately on Facebook. It doesn't even get into the information that leaks out about you just because your friends do things on the internet. I simply do not understand how it can be considered acceptable for a company to do this and remain in business they appear to have total and utter contempt for the people who use their system…
- Flickr Photo Download: Seals
You never know when one of these will come in handy.
Bookmarks for February 12, 2010
- Light Blue Touchpaper » Blog Archive » Chip and PIN is broken
The tech details will be lost on most of you, but in brief: if an attacker can get your card cloned, then they can also pretend to know your PIN – fraudulent transactions they make will be reported to the bank as "Verified by PIN". This is bad, because if a transaction is reported as "Verfiied by PIN" then as far as the bank is concerned it's legit, and not disputable. Chip and PIN is, and always was, design to protect the banks, and not the consumers. Just y'know, saying. You might want to write angry letters to your banks, and suchlike.
- Liberal Conspiracy » Astonishing transcript of Boris evading questions
Well, what did you expect when you all voted for the fuck? Someone who might be good for public services in London? I know Ken was a weasel too, but he was at least London's weasel, with the interests in London in his weaselly little heart (possibly some distance behind his own interests, but they were *there*), and every time I read a story about Boris, my blood pressure spikes something dreadful.
- Liberal Conspiracy » Glenn Beck comes to UK; advertisers run away!
This, I feel rather neatly sums up some key differences between the UK and the US. Just occasionally, I'm happy to live in the country I do.
- Fuck you, Google « Fugitivus
And this is why google buzz is poorly implemented, badly designed, and generally a massive fuck you to all google's users. I'm still trying to work out how to switch it off completely.
- Introduction to Square
Not sure if this is available to people in the UK yet, but if and when it is, this is could make life a lot easier.
- Cope » Caillois completeness
Interesting set of metrics for judging the game-ness of something.
Bookmarks for November 11, 2009
- Chose Your Own Adventure
Some absolutely beutiful stuff here – visualisations of the books, and the paths through them, and a on-line playable book. I am simultaneously regressing to childhood, and getting my adult design/informatics brain stimulated. Brilliant.
- Typekit
Oooh. Proper, attractive fonts for your website. OK, it'll set you back 25-50 dollars a year, and I bet most people will still set their font sizes far too small, but at least I can use it to make prettier things now.
Bookmarks for September 1, 2009
- noticings
"Cities are wonderful places, and everybody finds different things in them. Some of us like to take pictures of interesting, unusual, or beautiful things we see, but many of use are moving so fast through the urban landscape we don't take in the things around us.
Noticings is a game you play by going a bit slower, and having a look around you. It doesn't require you change your behaviour significantly, or interrupt your routine: you just take photographs of things that you think are interesting, or things you see. "
I intend to start playing at some point in the near future, when I have time to organise myself a little. Join me.
Bookmarks for June 11, 2009
- The New Negroponte Switch « Magical Nihilism
I had the same text as part of my course back in 1995 (I think everyone did), and am quite taken with some Matt's ideas here, in particular, the term "Thingfrastructure".
- Welcome to Poken
I'm not sold on the cutsey look, or the metaphors they've chosen, but still: this is the future of business cards right here. I look forward to being able to get a grown-up variant on this.
- Infovore » Dangerous Mistakes In The Company Of Friends
This is the best insight into the nature of gaming I have seen in ages. Whether you're a PC gamer, tabletop gamer or LARPer, I cannot recommend reading this highly enough. If you run RPGs, and are not devoting a significant chunk of your time to ensuring that a variation on this is the experience your players get, then you are doing it wrong.
Bookmarks for April 9, 2009
- David MacKay: Sustainable Energy – without the hot air: Download
I want to sit down and read this properly when I get time – an actual accessible book on the maths of energy consumption vs. possible energy production, as opposed the usual waffle.
- Coilhouse » Blog Archive » Latex/Guns/Gnosis: The Matrix Turns 10
A short retrospective of the first Matrix film, as it turns 10. a) it is horrifying to me that that movie is ten, because it means I am very old, and b) I particularly love the title of this article. It occurs to me that I have never satisfyingly run a game with all three of those elements, and I really must get around to having a go at that.
- Cory Doctorow: Getting tough on copyright enforcers | Culture | guardian.co.uk
I think this is a fair trade. I will accept a three strikes copyright warning system only if all copyright enforcers are held to the same standard: three wrong accusations, and they're out, too. Want to bet me that they'd all be gone before the rest of us would?
- Focal point (game theory) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Must remember this on in future – the basis by which two parties that are unable to communicate will still be able to select the same focal point in a game/challenge.
- re: diverselessness (tecznotes)
A companion to the other piece on monoculturalism, this dealing with internet communities and the origins of elites, and the social effects of these technologies, and some opinions on where these phenomena are likely to lead to.
- Whimsley: Online Monoculture and the End of the Niche
Why recommendation engines are creating even more of a mononculture than we had beore, even though everyone feels like they're finding more niche stuff.
- BLDGBLOG: Postopolis!
I have significantly less than fuck all architectural training, but it hasn't escaped my notice over the last few years that many of the most interesting creative types I know do have some history with the discipline, and I've increasingly found my own interests tending that way – not literally in the designing buildings sense, but in the sense of being aware of people's relationship with the space around them, and how to optimise that space to get the best out of life.
Postopolis therefore sounds like it would have been a fascinating event to be at, even if 90% would have gone sailing over my head. Any chance of holding the next one in London? It's at least as interesting as LA… - cityofsound: Postopolis LA
Dan Hill was at Postopolis and has written an excellent series of posts on it, and on LA in general. Thoroughly recommended reading.