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Facebook

Finally just set up an account on Facebook.  Now I can finally get my hands dirty with FBML, API, Data Store, and FQL while developing for the Facebook Platform.  If I make anything cool I’ll be sure to write about it here.  Guess it’d make some sense to have an idea for and app before developing it.

Categories
Video Games

The World Ends with You

The World Ends with YouJust finished playing The World Ends with You for the DS.  It’s one of the better games I’ve played in a while.  Very original game, not just another sequel.  The production values were top notch, some of the best graphics I’ve seen on the DS and the original music was really impressive.  It’s amazing how much work is put into some handheld games now.

A lot of work was put into the story, with a lot of surprises and along the way.  It style was a bit too teenish for me at times, but I’m probably too old to still be playing these games anyway.  The dual screen battles, while confusing at first were well done.  Controlling the bottom screen with the stylus while taking control of the top screen using the directional pad was a really slick idea.

Definitely one of the better RPG’s I’ve played in a long time.  Very refreshing to play something so new and original, instead of another Final Fantasy RPG (though they are usually great games).

 

Categories
Development

Jungle Disk

Just downloaded Jungle Disk to help take care of my data storage.  It uses the Amazon S3 web service to backup and store files.  I already had an S3 account so it only took me a minute or so to setup the program to automate backups of my data.  

Currently I’ve been backing up my data to an external hard drive, but having my backup in the same room as my computer isn’t exactly the greatest model for protecting data.  And the S3 cloud computing model is great for me.  You only pay based on how much space you’re using and how much data you’re moving a month.  So it winds up being very affordable for me.

My initial backup on one of my computers should take about 3 days, but after that incremental backups shouldn’t take too long at all.  This seems very very easy thus far, and I think it’s a great solution to online storage. 

Categories
Movies

The Dark Knight

The Dark KnightSaw The Dark Knight the other day with Wes, Jared and Chris on the boardwalk in Ocean City.  Haven’t seen a movie on the boardwalk in years.  The theatre was pretty lousy inside, but it was cool to be packed in there and reminded me of all the movies I’d seen on the boardwalk growing up.

While walking there we were the witness to a truly classic event.  Chris was delighted to see some money poking up from under the boards.  While he eagerly reached down to pick up this monetary gift, so it vanished right before he could get his hands on it.  Wow, he’d fallen for one of the oldest of boardwalk pranks.  It was great, I couldn’t stop laughing that he fell for it and I’m sure those kids under the boardwalk with the money have quite a tale to tell when they go back to school in a few weeks.

I thought the movie was really good.  Usually I’ll go see a comic based movie just because I used to be so into comics.  And I end of liking them just because I’m so familiar with the characters and stories.  But this was a good movie even if Batman and the Joker weren’t in it.  

The Joker really stole the show.  He was dark and twisted, yet comical at the same time.  He really made the movie.  I wasn’t expecting the whole Two-Face story, so that was a cool surprise too.  Very good movie, go see it if you haven’t already.

Categories
Adventure Development

Edu Web Conference Day 3

12:48 PM

The Edu Web 2008 Conference is over and I’ve just returned to work.  Overall I thought it was pretty good.  Though I’d prefer more development sessions or at least more advanced sessions.  If this is held close to home again next year I’ll most likely attend if not present.  I found presentations on cloud computing and AJAX to be the most interesting.  Good event.

10:49 AM

I’m here a bit early for the next presentation.  Think I’ve checked everything out here and can’t think of anything else to do.  Next presentation is on embedding video, and hopefully it’ll be interesting.  This table I’m at is pretty dirty, think I’ll get up and move.

10:07 AM

Sitting in on a presentation for a FaceBook application called SkoolPool.  I’ll have to check out their site a bit more, this does seem like something worth checking out a bit further..  The presentation is cracking me up.  The guy has a fairly thick accent and a deep monotone voice, so I can’t make out a word he’s saying.  He sounds like a really bad Beatles impersonation.  It’s great.  And the co-speaker keeps interrupting him.  This is truly a classic presentation, a true work of art.

8:41 AM

Think I’m in the wrong presentation.  This is about web content management not working with web services.  Oh well, she seems to be giving a good presentation so I’ll hang around.  

8:20 AM

Charging up my laptop and checking email and news at one of the tables setup here with power.  Seems to be a smaller crowd today, guess people have begun leaving or perhaps are sleeping in a bit.

 

Categories
Adventure Development

Edu Web Conference Day 2

Edu Web Conference 2008
4:10 PM

Wow I feel really worn out.  Maybe it was that presentation that just ended.  Wasn’t too interesting to me, and I won’t mention in case that person might be reading this.  Think I’m going to one more presentation then will call it a day.  There was some pretty interesting things discussed.  The cloud computing was great, that’s something that I’m sure I’ll be using.  The AJAX demo was nice too, nothing new to me but talking to the guys afterwards was good.  It’s not too often I can talk to someone about AJAX, Javascript, PHP, and frameworks without having to explain what all that stuff is.

2:09 PM

Uploaded some photos to Flickr.  Have a few more to upload but my connection is timing out often.  I’ll try again in a little bit.  Went outside to the deck for a little bit.  Nice to get outside for a bit and away from computers and air conditioning.

1:21 PM

Just ate lunch.  Food was kinda weak.  I made myself a sundae.  

11:30 AM

I asked a question during a presentation on AJAX.  Wanted to know what YUI components were used on their site.  Doesn’t seem like there are many developers in the room.

10:53 AM

Just finished up watching a presentation on cloud computing.  I thought it was pretty cool.  I’ll have to check out Jungle Disk.  I have had an account with Amazon Web Services for a while, but now am motivated to go out and actually build something with it.

9:02 AM

Just saw Geoff.  He’s hanging out with the marketing track.  I’m now at a presentation on the development track.  I’m sitting next to Bob who I used to work with.  Didn’t expect to see anyone I knew here, so it’s cool to have someone to talk to about some of this geeky stuff.

8:04 AM

Took the tunnel here today.  Tunnels are very cool, never seem to get old to me.  Just ate some breakfast.  With a word like continental before it you’d think it’d be a bit nicer.  Oh well, the cinnamon bun thing was really good.  And the orange juice and fruit were good too.  It wasn’t the bad kind of orange juice and that’s a good thing.  I’m sitting at a table with some people who make me feel like a social butterfly.  I think I actually started a conversation or two.