Club Admiralty Blog
Άπαιχτο! (freakin' awesome!)
Thursday, Oct 27 2011, 17:38 Entertainment, Greek, Japanese, Music, Ελληνικά PermalinkNow that's what I call Freakin' Awesome!
I wonder if the band is learning (or speaks) Greek, or if it was all transliterated to katakana

Alpha Protocol - some initial thought
Sunday, Oct 23 2011, 15:36 Classic, Entertainment, MacOS 9, Sega, VideoGames, XBOX PermalinkIn any case, Alpha Protocol, a Sega game, bills itself as an espionage RPG. I tend to think of it like Splinter Cell: Double Agent with a little extra on the character leveling up scheme (I guess this is where the "RPG" comes in). I have completed the initial newbie missions and now I am about to complete the first mission (saving the Taiwanese prime minister from assassination). I have to say, even though this game is fairly easy (a ding that X-Play had against the game) it is quite fun and engaging (especially if you are one of those people who must try and collect every piece of cash and equipment that exists lying around in the same so you can better equip your character.
The only disappointment thus far is that it felt a little like bait and switch. In this game I become a rogue agent, much like Jack Bauer in some seasons of 24, and my initial hideout is a safehouse in Greece (mind you an undisclosed location in Greece). For a moment there I got excited that some of the story would unfold in Greece...but alas, it's Rome, Moscow and Taipei....booooo :-) Of course, When I played Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six on my Mac (aaahhh...those classic days!) Athens didn't really look like Athens, so I guess it's all the same :-)

iOS 5 στο iPad ναι, στα υπόλοιπα όχι.
Friday, Oct 14 2011, 17:24 Apple, iOS, iPad, iPhone, Ελληνικά, Τεχνολογία Permalink
Hypertext novels?
Thursday, Oct 13 2011, 17:51 Apple, Books, ebooks, HyperText, Internet, Technology Permalink![]() |
HyperCard - one of the tools used for creating HyperText fiction |
Reading through the Slate article, and my own memories of what computers were like back then, I can say that it's a wonder that even some HyperText stories (or books) got off the ground! Sure, one can come up with a good enough story to get the readers engaged, and one can get away from gratuitous use of hyperlinking that actually gives the reader information (and it doesn't just distract him), but think of the technology of the time. Massive computers (at least compared to today), massive CRT monitors with low resolution, and these things were probably on someone's desk. No one really wants to read fiction at a desk staring at a giant (but low resolution) CRT monitor! Fiction is savored, sitting out in the garden, on your sofa, or while on the train commenting to and from work!
I was looking on wikipedia to see if there are any more recent examples of hypertext fiction out there and sure enough there are! I had a quick look and man are they poorly made! OK, the graphics are low res because they are a product of their times, but the design aspect is rather poor! I can't imagine spending 5, 10, 20 hours "reading" something that is so badly designed (no matter how compelling the story).
I think that HyperText fiction may actually have a place in our lives again since we have iPads, Kindles, Nooks and Android Tablets in our lives that facilitate a more portable, more "intimate" reading experience when compared to what HyperText was read on in the early and late 90s. Now all that's needed are good stories and appropriate design (both visual design, and user interface design).

GLaDOSiri (pretty funny)
Tuesday, Oct 11 2011, 20:25 Humor, iOS, youtube PermalinkOK, I know this isn't exactly new but it is pretty funny, even though I have not played Portal (maybe I should pick up the Orange Box these holidays).
Now as far as user changeable voices go, I've seen them on TomTom and I can say that they can get fairly annoying. The only voice that would do is Majel Barrett (the computer voice in star trek)

Εργασία, Ελλάδα και σκόρπιες σκέψεις
Monday, Oct 10 2011, 19:10 WTF, Άντε ντε, Για γέλια, Ελληνικά, Ουαου PermalinkΣήμερα το πρωί, για πρώτη φορά εδώ και καιρό, λόγο αργίας είχα τον χρόνο να δω τα πάντα στο google reader μου, και ένα απο τα άρθρα ήταν ιστορίες απο τα άτομα που "πονάνε" από τις νέες κρατικές ρυθμίσεις. Ένα απο αυτά ήταν ένας 48-χρόνος, που "αναγκάστηκε" να πάρει σύνταξη όταν η Ολυμπιακή αποκρατικοποιήθηκε. Έχει γυναίκα που είναι "χρονικός άρρωστη" και έναν γιο που δεν δουλεύει. Ας τα πάρουμε ένα ένα: πρώτων, απο τα 45 σου παίρνεις σύνταξη; Τι μαλακίες είναι αυτές; Αφού δεν έχεις προλημα υγείας, Γιατί δεν αχανές να βρεις αλλού δουλειά; Δεν σου φταίει το κράτος που σου μειώνεται η σύνταξη, εσυ φταις που δεν μοιραίες αλλου για δουλειά. Τόσοι και τόσοι χάνουν την δουλεια τους και ΕΣΥ πήρες σύνταξη.
Δεύτερο: η γυνεκαι είναι χρονικά άρρωστη. Ένταξη η Ελλάδα πραγματικά δεν είναι καλή σε αυτούς που είναι άρρωστοι ή έχουν ειδικές ανάγκες, αλλα έχουμε φτάσει σε ένα σημείο ως πολιτισμός που όλοι, ανεξάρτητου ιδιότητας, μπορούν να συνησφέρουν.
Τέλος: ο γιος σε αυτό το ρεπορτάζ δεν φαινόταν για μικρός, οπότε γιατι δεν δουλευε;
Ένταξη, να εσφιχτουν τα ζωνάρια, αλλα πρέπει ως λαός να αλλάξουμε το τραγούδι μας - δεν μπορεί ο κάθε Κώστας να παίρνει σύνταξη απο τα 45 και ο κάθε 18χρονος Σάκης να συργιανά στους δρόμου.
Χωράφια δωξα τον Θεό έχει αρκετά η Ελλάδα - καιρός να επιτρέψουν οι άνεργοι στα χωράφια!
-- Post From My iPhone


Java Life rap song
Friday, Oct 7 2011, 09:29 Computing, Humor, Music, Video, youtube PermalinkReminds me of "I'm on a boat"... puts a smile on your face in the morning :-)

Adieu Steve
Thursday, Oct 6 2011, 09:18 adieu, Apple, Technology PermalinkI have to say that I came into the Apple world after Jobs had left the company and I still loved the products they had (confusing as the product line up was). I was there when the NeXT acquisition brought Steve back and witnessed the Apple renaissance. For a while there the fear was that Apple would go the way of the Amiga and we'd all have to go over to Windows 98 (*gasp*).
The two biggest influences that Jobs had on me was the iconic Think Different ads (same theme as the 1984 ad - don't conform, dare to innovate), and Steve's great presentational style. I think throughout my MBA and MSIT programs, where presentations were frequent, while many of my classmates seemed to put all their talking points on the slide, and kept looking at the computer or projection screen (and not the class), I adopted the minimalist but polished presentation style, and I spent quite a few hours practicing my presentations (and often timing them) to get comfortable enough with the material, the flow, and the crowd, so that I could just walk in front of the class not stall during my presentation.
Adieu Steve - you've taught us a lot.

Idea for gRSShopper - participant +1
Wednesday, Oct 5 2011, 18:48 #change11, ChangeMOOC, Idea PermalinkI have a few blog post to dos on my list for the next couple of days (which require more text and brain power than I have now...otherwise I'd get crackin' on writing those thoughts down right now) but I had this idea for gRSShopper: a digg feature for blog posts. If you really like a participant's blog post (or diigo submission or tweet or whatever) you could +1 them. Then top posts could rise up at the end of the MOOC as something to revisit if you didn't get through them the first time around.
OK that was the idea. What do you think?

- Posted using BlogPress from my Newton 3000 (iPad)


Why Windows 8 is interesting
Sunday, Oct 2 2011, 17:17 Computing, Microsoft, Technology, Windows PermalinkI've heard lots of grippes over the past week about Windows 8 but I have to say that I for one am quite interested in it, and I have been a Mac fanboi for most of computer using life and I have never particularly liked the Windows OS line. Windows Vista and 7 are OK. With Windows 8 things have an opportunity to change (no, I am not switching to Windows, but I could consider making them part of my own user ecosystem). Why this change?
Well, it all comes back to really portable computing that allows you to have the power of your own computer in your pocket. Back in the day there was an ultra portable computing company called OQO (they are now defunct). The idea behind the OQO was that you had a computer that was powerful enough to replace your laptop (as a matter of fact it fit in your pocket), that it could run a full OS and the apps you use in a day to day basis, and when you're at home or in the office you could dock the unit and get a full keyboard, mouse and screen, as well as access to external peripherals and additional storage.
As you can see from the video below, the device is quite portable and windows vista runs fine on it. However, it does seems like a giant pain the butt to use in a mobile fashion. Why? Well, it's simple, previous versions of Windows really were not built with mobile in mind! The mobile aspect was really just grafted on near the end of the process. Even when I used early tablets (windows based) they would only work with a special pen (there was something in the tip of the pen to register the press), normal touching of the screen did not work - what a waste of an opportunity!
With Windows 8 being built for touch, devices like the OQO can take off (provided that they are cheap and powerful enough). You can use touch when you're on the go, and when you're docked you can use a desktop if you want. Now you can (potentially) have your PMP, computer and tablet with you all the time. One computer for (almost) all occasions!

Archive
Feb 2021
Jan 2021
Dec 2020
Nov 2020
Oct 2020
Sep 2020
Aug 2020
Jul 2020
Jun 2020
May 2020
Apr 2020
Mar 2020
Feb 2020
Jan 2020
Dec 2019
Nov 2019
Oct 2019
Sep 2019
Aug 2019
Jul 2019
Jun 2019
May 2019
Apr 2019
Mar 2019
Feb 2019
Jan 2019
Dec 2018
Nov 2018
Sep 2018
Jun 2018
May 2018
Apr 2018
Mar 2018
Feb 2018
Jan 2018
Dec 2017
Nov 2017
Oct 2017
Sep 2017
Aug 2017
Jul 2017
Jun 2017
May 2017
Apr 2017
Mar 2017
Feb 2017
Jan 2017
Dec 2016
Nov 2016
Oct 2016
Sep 2016
Aug 2016
Jul 2016
Jun 2016
May 2016
Apr 2016
Mar 2016
Feb 2016
Jan 2016
Dec 2015
Nov 2015
Oct 2015
Sep 2015
Aug 2015
Jul 2015
Jun 2015
May 2015
Apr 2015
Mar 2015
Feb 2015
Jan 2015
Dec 2014
Nov 2014
Oct 2014
Sep 2014
Aug 2014
Jul 2014
Jun 2014
May 2014
Apr 2014
Mar 2014
Feb 2014
Jan 2014
Dec 2013
Nov 2013
Oct 2013
Sep 2013
Aug 2013
Jul 2013
Jun 2013
May 2013
Apr 2013
Mar 2013
Feb 2013
Jan 2013
Dec 2012
Nov 2012
Oct 2012
Sep 2012
Aug 2012
Jul 2012
Jun 2012
May 2012
Apr 2012
Mar 2012
Feb 2012
Jan 2012
Dec 2011
Nov 2011
Oct 2011
Sep 2011
Aug 2011
Jul 2011
Jun 2011
May 2011
Apr 2011
Mar 2011
Feb 2011
Jan 2011
Dec 2010
Nov 2010
Oct 2010
Sep 2010
Aug 2010
Jul 2010
Jun 2010
May 2010
Apr 2010
Mar 2010
Feb 2010
Jan 2010
Dec 2009
Nov 2009
Oct 2009
Sep 2009
Aug 2009
Jul 2009
Jun 2009
May 2009
Apr 2009
Mar 2009
Feb 2009
Jan 2009
Dec 2008
Nov 2008
Oct 2008
Sep 2008
Aug 2008
Jul 2008
Jun 2008
May 2008
Apr 2008
Mar 2008
Feb 2008
Jan 2008
Dec 2007
Nov 2007
Oct 2007
Sep 2007
Aug 2007
Jul 2007
Jun 2007
May 2007
Apr 2007
Mar 2007
Feb 2007
Jan 2007
Dec 2006
Nov 2006
Oct 2006
Sep 2006
Aug 2006
Jul 2006
Jun 2006
May 2006
Apr 2006
Mar 2006
Feb 2006
Jan 2006
Dec 2005
Nov 2005
Oct 2005
Sep 2005
Aug 2005
Jul 2005
Jun 2005
May 2005
Feb 2005
Dec 2004
Nov 2004
Sep 2004
Aug 2004
Jun 2004
Apr 2004
Mar 2004
Feb 2004
Jan 2004
Jul 2003
Oct 2000
Jun 2000
May 2000
Mar 2000
