Wow, It's been a while...

I realize now that I have neglected this blog for quite some time. It's not like I haven't been busy, or anything like that, but for now, that's beside the point. I just finished Cory Doctorow's latest novel, Little Brother. It's a stunning look into the future, that's captivatingly written. It's a short read (the PDF is 155 pages long), and a quick one at that, because once the story gets rolling, the action doesn't stop. That's not to say it's not good, (it's one of the best books I've read lately) it's just short.

One of the things that jumps out at me about all of Doctorow's books is that they're available for FREE on the internets, and they're all distributed under a Creative Commons license. Having read the book, crowdsourcing, RFID, and other security tech really make me nervous now. Not like über-paranoid nervous, but oh-my-heck-what-does-the-future-hold nervous.

This, in fact, is precisely why everyone with a quarter of a technologically-savvy brain should read Little Brother. Anyone with any say in how this new technological wonder of a world is going to be developed needs to read this book. Hell, everyone and their brother (or sister) needs to read this book. It's that important. There's a quote from Neil Gaiman, claiming that Little Brother is a successor to Orwell's 1984. I thought it was just hype. After reading the book, I have come to remember that Mr. Gaiman is a very wise man when it comes to books.

So, a choice, my dear reader, lies before you. The red pill, or the blue pill. The choice is yours.

A Commercial Hackintosh?

Ever since the Mac OS was ported to Intel, a people have tried to get OS X to run on any x86 based computer. Well, they were successful. The blog Lifehacker even published a post about how to make a Hackintosh under $800 in November of 2007. It's even easier now to turn a PC into a "Mac."

Psystar Corporation has introduced its own commercial version, dubbed the Open Computer, which purports to be able to run Mac OS X Leopard. The Open Computer comes standard with a 250 GB Hard Drive, an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, and a stylish White or Black case. Psystar even goes so far to preinstall the OS for you, removing any sort of technical fumbling around inside the computer's preferences in order to get it to work.

For those who find the Open Computer too basic, the OpenPro Computer comes with the option to upgrade to a quad-core processor, and standard firewire ports with a shiny stainless steel case similar to the old Power Macs, or the more recent Mac Pros.

I fear, however, that once Apple's legal department gets a hold of this new gadget, the Open Computer is not long for this world, especially since the EULA for Leopard says that it must be run on Apple's proprietary hardware. It'll be interesting to see how sales of the Open Computer do, and whether it may be worth it for Apple to consider an even cheaper version of the Mac mini and the Mac Pro.

The bottom line: let's wait and see.

Doughnuts?

Well, ladies and gentlemen of the interwebs, I present to you, the great Flickr Doughnut Giveaway . Yep, that's right, popular internet hangout Flickr has ceded to the demands of some of its users, who in a mockery of anti -video sentiment created a group demanding doughnuts from Yahoo, the owners of Flickr.

And, citing such high pressure, those in power kowtowed to the requests of the pro-doughnut group, and they will be giving doughnuts out TOMORROW at Bob's Donut and Pastry Shop in San Francisco. Unfortunately, Yahoo is unwilling to sponsor more events around the country, (perhaps doughnut parity protests to come?) so this is theoretically the only chance to get doughnuts on Yahoo's dime. Hopefully, they won't lose too much money such that they have to bend to Microsoft next.

Sounds like a great way to start your day if you're in San Francisco.

Speak Softly and Carry a Large Wheelbase

This afternoon, I found a lovely article from Wired's Autopia blog sitting in the inbox of my RSS reader. Naturally, the title caught my eye: "That Blissfully Quiet Electric Car Might Just Kill You." As a self proclaimed environmentally-conscious person, I soldiered on, through the article.

Well, ladies and gentlemen of the blogosphere, studies from the University of California at Riverside* show that

"even slow moving hybrids can get 40 percent closer to any pedestrian than a combustion-engine car before they are detected.

What is the NHTSA to do? Well, they decided to go with the simplest answer: have those electric cars make noise. Yep. Sounds oddly similar to the "useful" backup chimes in large trucks and vans that everyone loves to hate. Hopefully, they'll come up with a more inventive way of preventing injury.

* Coincidentally, UC Riverside is uniquely qualified for the job, since the campus is right next to the freeway.

Greenhouse (beta), a Great Way to (Potentially) Start a Game

I realize that at this point, I'm just jumping on the bandwagon, but I figure it's worth it to bring up the latest offering from the guys behind Penny Arcade, an online content deployment system known simply as Greenhouse. Designed for the upcoming Penny Arcade game, Greenhouse (as noted by its creators) will hopefully offer indie developers a cost-effective and easy way to deploy their games.

My hopes for Greenhouse are high. Hopefully, an easy, community-supported way to roll out your content will provide us with more great games that don't have to descend from the jaws of the Industry Giants, like the raved about Sins of a Solar Empire. If there is a better, easier way for budding designers to get their Bright Ideas out to the gaming masses, the result can only be better growth in the art form we know as video gaming.

Unfortunately, with the massive possibilities that come with Greenhouse, there are also massive expectations. It's almost certain that some expectations will not be met, and there will be some resentment. If Greenhouse was to fall flat on its face, it will be another unfortunate, but serious disappointment in a line of unfortunate but serious disappointments for the gaming community at large.

Here's to hoping that Greenhouse grows into its expectations, and that it can become a successful, useful, and most of all, awesome development system.

A Game About Crab Fishing?

Yep, that's right. The "great minds" in the Video Game Industry have decided that it would be a Good Thing for the masses to receive Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm, a game that puts you in the wheelhouse of a 100+ foot-long crab boat, with your own idiosyncratic crew, chosen from a pool of real crab fishermen. Sponsored by Sig Hansen, captain of the Northwestern, an actual crab boat (which you can captain in-game), Alaskan Storm promises a marriage of realistic crab fishing, and gaming entertainment.

As a Deadliest Catch fan myself, I feel more than comfortable saying that while some people may refer to the game's subject matter as boring, or non-entertaining, the ideal version of Alaskan Storm would be as entertaining as the show, which showcases the action on deck, dealing with all of the problems that fishing for finnicky crab in the middle of the Bering Sea presents, such as a broken hydraulic crane, or crew injuries, or even, god forbid, a man overboard.

My hopes are high for Alaskan Storm. If the game lives up to the developers' promises, It'll be a great way to pass the time between seasons of Deadliest Catch for us non-addicts, and perhaps bring some gamers into our fold.

Deadliest Catch Season 4 Premieres next Tuesday at 9PM on the Discovery Channel, and Alaskan Storm is slated for release in April of 2008, for XBox 360 and PC.

Video Game Review Previews

Alright, so, after having an XBox 360 for over a month now, it's time for me to reveal the games I got, and give you all a sneak peek at what I'm going to be reviewing.

The list:

• Assassin's Creed - A RPG/Adventure, reminiscent of the better Prince of Persia titles, but with some serious flaws.



• The Orange Box - A single-disc 5-pack of games from VALVe, including Half-Life 2, HL2 Episodes 1 & 2, P0rtal, and Team Fortress 2. An epic grouping which I have only begun to scratch the surface of



• Bioshock - THE standard for Steampunk-styled first-person shooters with genetic modification set under the ocean.



• Star Wars: Battlefront - If you haven't heard of battlefront, clearly you've been under a rock for quite some time. This, along with my next game, are my palette cleansers, nice for a break between the other three discs.



• Guitar Hero 3 - Nuff said.

So, what awesomeness is to follow? You'll have to wait and see.