I updated to the lastest version of WordPress last week and I thought it was time for a new look. Unfortunately I have noticed that the RSS feeds don’t work in quite the same way as they did before, and although I like the general look of this theme there are some things that bug me a little. I will be dusting off my php coding skills and making some modifications over the next few weeks.
Another budget has come and gone, this one more discussed than most for it actually contains the much promised but little seen tax cuts (read the Minister’s Executive Summary for details).
Here is a little project I whipped up to calculate the amount you are going to better off when the tax cuts come into force. All calculations are done in dollars, not the blocks of cheese that seem to have become currency over the last week. The current exchange rate: 1kg of tasty cheese = $NZ16.15.
Continue reading »
Nintendo have finally released some original games to their online store. Having a couple of hours and $18 spare, I decided to check it out by buying Star Soldier R, because I have always been a sucker for 2D shooter games.
While the game looks good and plays well, I cannot say that it was worth the money. The big problem is that there is just not enough of it. Instead of several large levels that you might see in a traditional shooter, Star Soldier R has only 2. The challenge is to score as many points as possible in 2 or 5 minutes (depending on the mode). This could have worked if there were a variety of levels to play in, but you always start from the same place, shooting the same enemies. On top of that, the power-ups are pretty unimaginative.
All this makes the game feel more like a demo than a full game – it gives you a short taste of fun then cruelly shuts you down just as you feel you are getting somewhere. As it stands, Star Soldier R is just not good value even at its reduced price of 800 points.
Not really recommended.
I was about 15 when I first read The Cuckoo’s Egg by Clifford Stoll, and it left a pretty big impression on me. Something about Stoll’s endearingly rambling tale of ingenuity in the face of what turned out to be a case of major international espionage really opened my eyes, and I think the book should be required reading for anyone considering a career in programming.
TED talks are something I have only recently been introduced to, but it turns out they have been around forever. Consisting basically of some dudes asking some other guys to give some short talks on stuff at a conference, TED has managed to attract some big names speaking about the big issues, with the odd juggler thrown in for good measure. Over 200(!) of the TED talks are available online, either through YouTube or as a podcast, and I highly recommend them.
Being a fan of both Clifford Stoll and TED Talks, imagine my delight when a podcast of Stoll giving a talk at TED showed up in iTunes. Here he is talking about – well he talks about a lot of things…
By the way, I strongly agree with his views on the roll of computers in education.
In the pantheon of super heros, Iron Man is strictly C-list. Batman and Spider Man are the top of the heap, Superman is boring but gets a pass by being there first. Who else? Possibly Wolverine and the Hulk on a good day. Wonder Woman? Maybe. The Silver Surfer? If one was being charitable.
Beneath them are the second stringers: The Flash, Mr Fantastic, the rest of the X-Men. All good people to have on your side, but not your first phone call in the event of villain related shenanigans.
Lower still are the lame heros, unworthy of being called super. Daredevil and Electra, The Punisher, and Iron Man. Although they have their (deluded) fans, these characters are destined to see out their days fighting equally terrible bad guys in their own vapid and desperate movie franchises. Which makes the fact that Iron Man is a fantastic film all the stranger.
Tony Stark is a fantastically wealthy playboy engineering genius, but without the emo angst that makes Bruce Wanye no fun at parties. In fact, Stark is actually a bit of an asshole, and an arms dealer to boot. Circumstances conspire to compel him to change his mind about the arms dealer part, but he remains an asshole even after he invents a really cool suit. This is at least an interesting change from the usual self-sacrificing dullards that usually pollute our screens. The female characters don’t do anything, but they don’t in any of the other films either, so no change there.
All super hero movies take large amounts of time tediously establishing where the hero comes from and how they acquired their fabulous powers. Iron Man follows this mold, but takes the daring approach of actually making the origin story entertaining. The script is witty without resorting to stupid one-liners, and the special effects are great. Later one Iron Man settles down to become more of a standard goody vs baddy battle, but this is not drawn out and the film knows when to roll the credits, which is more than I can say for many hero movies.
Highly Recommended