authenticgeek

Remix Some Interactive Fiction

2012-02-15T19:29:00Z

I like it when people take old things and move them into the future in such a way that it compliments both the classic feel and the new technology. Such is the case with Playfic.

First thing: Waxy.org has an intern. Andy Baio hired his nephew to do some work and the two of them ended up with a way to play interactive fiction on the internet. That's not too original, but they added ways to remix the stories or easily create something new from scratch. Plus Twitter's Bootstrap, so of course it looks great. It really compliments interactive fiction and the technology just gets out of the way.
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Ender's Game Full Cast and Crew

2012-02-15T08:20:00Z

The cast list is out for 2013s -biggest disappointment- best movie, the film interpretation of Ender’s Game. And get this: Harrison Ford as Graff.

Otherwise mostly unknowns since it features a bunch of kids. That kid from Hugo as Ender is spot on, otherwise no one is really as I pictured them. Or I simply never had a very good idea of what anyone looked like.

Also, the headshots that kids do for acting are fucking creepy. source

The 2012 Update for Dwarf Fortress

2012-02-14T16:41:00Z

Insanity. This game always amazes me with its depth and complexity. The hardness of smelted ore is actually based on real stress/strain physics:

When Toady redesigned the combat system in DF2010 (the successor to 40d), he changed it from a heuristic system (with values he decided on) to a system based on the properties of Yield, Fracture and Elasticity. He did this in an attempt to simulate proper Stress/Strain equations. However, because Iron has poorer properties in comparison to Bronze, the result was the Iron Weapons/Armor are inferior to Bronze Weapons/Armor in DF2010

It’s difficult to say if the confusing interface makes this game better (use your imagination, like text based games!) or if it only serves to limit the audience. At the very least, I can imagine a Sim Dwarf City doing very well on the app store.
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In Time

2012-02-13T11:39:00Z

In Time turned out to be a movie that relied far too heavily on making time puns. As for the plot, there are about a million ways one can make an interesting scifi storyline with immortality and time-as-currency but the writer/director managed to keep everything pretty shallow.

Speaking of, writing and directing a film seems like a Lucas-esque control freak move. You’re the best writer you could convince to do your movie? Unlikely. And the best director? These odds are not getting better. Don’t even get me started on people who write/direct/star.

I’m a fan of Matt Bomer on White Collar so I was disappointed by his lack of screen time. He may have been the only character in the entire film with clear motivations, though that may have been simply a side effect of being a chracter who dies early.

In conclusion, do not watch.

The Fifty

2012-02-11T18:18:00Z

Yes, they make 50 thousand ton presses. They're used for making all sorts of parts that you don't want to welt or bolt together. This particular machine was built in 1955 and its relevance is impressive:

Every manned U.S. military aircraft now flying uses parts forged by the Fifty. So does every commercial aircraft made by Airbus and Boeing.

How many other commercial machines built in 1955 are still in use today, let alone being used for some of the most cutting edge machines?

I love giant machines like this one because they stand as large and imposing as a particle accelerator but in a totally different context.
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project shellter

2012-02-09T18:26:00Z

MakerBot-printed shells for hermit crabs. This one is inhabited by "Paris Shellton". Possibly the best new use of 3D printing so far this year?
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Double Fine Adventure by Double Fine

2012-02-09T04:57:00Z

It's an adventure thing. By Double Fine. Do it. Now.

Video by 2 Player Productions (i.e. the Minecraft documentary)
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Pinboard

2012-02-09T00:01:00Z

Pinboard. I use it. To blog sometimes.
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Robot readable world on Vimeo

2012-02-06T18:11:00Z

I love to try and deduce what the algorithm is looking for based on the resulting visuals in these computer vision clips.

The world is already being interpreted through these algorithms, and it feels like the future!
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Circuit Playground for Android

2012-02-06T18:11:00Z

Sounds like a handy app to have if you have an android device and need to do quick electronics calculations or reference lookups.
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