Posted: August 30th, 2008
I borrowed the orange box from a friend to play Episode One, Episode Two and Portal. I actually had Portal for the PC (via Steam) but never got past the first few chambers. The best thing portal had to offer, better even than the innovative gameplay, was the humor.
Now that I’ve finished Ep1&2 and Portal I’m thinking about replaying HL2. The game levels are awesome and even though it’s a 4 year old game (and I’ve played it on the PC) the graphics still impress me.
For HL2, Episodes 1 and 2… well I don’t know… they were fun, the plot was ok, the gameplay was cool and sufficiently varied… yet there’s something missing… maybe it’s feeling or immersion maybe it’s something else. They’re not a Halo 3…
Portal End Song:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI]
Lyrics to the end song (my emphasis)
This was a triumph.
I’m making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.
It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Aperture Science
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.
But there’s no sense crying over every mistake.
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
And the Science gets done.
And you make a neat gun.
For the people who are still alive.
I’m not even angry.
I’m being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And killed me.
And tore me to pieces.
And threw every piece into a fire.
As they burned it hurt because I was so happy for you!
Now these points of data make a beautiful line.
And we’re out of beta.
We’re releasing on time.
So I’m GLaD. I got burned.
Think of all the things we learned
for the people who are still alive.
Go ahead and leave me.
I think I prefer to stay inside.
Maybe you’ll find someone else to help you.
Maybe Black Mesa
THAT WAS A JOKE.
HAHA. FAT CHANCE.
Anyway, this cake is great.
It’s so delicious and moist.
Look at me still talking
when there’s Science to do.
When I look out there, it makes me GLaD I’m not you.
I’ve experiments to run.
There is research to be done.
On the people who are still alive.
And believe me I am still alive.
I’m doing Science and I’m still alive.
I feel FANTASTIC and I’m still alive.
While you’re dying I’ll be still alive.
And when you’re dead I will be still alive.
STILL ALIVE
Posted: August 29th, 2008
Braid (blog) is one of the most interestingly different games I’ve played in a long while. It’s a plataform/puzzle game (mostly puzzle) with the particularity that the puzzles are solved by manipulating time.
It is available on the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade and costs 1200 MS points (15 eur) which is a lot for an arcade game but it’s worth it. The game plays differently, looks different and sounds different. It’s fun and some of the puzzles are indeed challenging.
Watch a video review.
Listen to the game music (from magnatune which I’ve mentioned before).
Download Braid icons and wallpapers.
Posted: August 23rd, 2008
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An0mFZ3enhM]
Link.
Posted: August 22nd, 2008
jhead – Exif Jpeg header manipulation tool
Things jhead can extract from an Exif jpeg file
- Time and date picture was taken
- Camera make and model
- Integral low-res Exif thumbnail
- Shutter speed
- Camera F-stop number
- Flash used (yes/no)
- Distance camera was focused at
- Focal length and calculate 35 mm equivalent focal length
- Image resolution
- GPS info, if stored in image
- IPTC header
- XMP data
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Things jhead can modify in an exif jpeg file
- Up-right images according to rotation tag using jpegtran
- Set or relative adjust internal exif timestamps
- Fix date / time offsets in large batches of images
- Re-name or date stamp files according to exif timestamp
- Transfer exif headers between images
- Replace thumbnails inside Exif headers
- Edit jpeg comments (but not the Exif comments)
- Delete exif or comment sections from jpeg images
- Create new minimal exif header containing date and thumbnail
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I wish I had bothered to search for this tool when I bought my Samsung D900 which fails to write the correct timestamp on the damn photos… oh well, better late then never.
Via Mac OS X Hints (or more precisely, google and the keywords on a comment on that post):
Simply use jhead -dsft *.jpg on the files to set
the EXIF date to the file creation-date
Posted: August 22nd, 2008
Link
When: September, 6 & 7
Where: Coimbra, Portugal
Dep. de Engenharia Informática
da Universidade de Coimbra
I’ve proposed talking about the basics of MySQL performance & optimization. A draft topic list is available here.
I would appreciate your comments:
- Is it boring/useless or something like that?
- Should some of the topics in the draft be left out? (I’m inclined to totally remove the section currently entitled “Pointers”)
- Is there something important I’m missing?
- Any other comments
