codesurgeon .plan

homescreen: @codesurgeon

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:40:26 +0200

Posted via email from my homescreen | Comment »

Last minute talk preparations and tweets by @pmolyneux.

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:08:41 +0200

Looking forward to his talk about “Choice”. Haven’t seen him speak live since 2003 - in London. He still travels with the same PR watchdog lady … to contain his passion ;)

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Attending "Winning the War", very interesting - by CCP makers of EVE

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:41:59 +0200

Very interesting content, detailing large-scale relationships in EVE Online. Good presentation.

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

In Cologne, now. #GDC

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:52:19 +0200

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

SHT teaser is nearing completion. We are re-defining backyard-niche-video-journalism™ - and laughing hysterically ;)

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:29:50 +0200

Stay tuned while Alex and
I pour our remaining
heartblood into our very personal version of Wayne’s World.

*Especially* if you are into computer and video gaming ;)

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Teaser preparations with buddy @iphoneblog for project SHT. Exhausting!

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:08:24 +0200

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

I seem to have developed a liking for Sunday morning meetings. This one is for project SHT. Involves hauling Xbox all over Munich.

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:15:43 +0200

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Chicks can't do any welding. Anna tried at least. And proved it true once more ;)

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:13:05 +0200

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Manager Danno thinks he can excuse the bug flurry following his triage. You can't! Oh, ice cream.

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:11:31 +0200

By the way, the photo shows Danno’s facial expression after he slit a poor co-dev’s throat for not meeting a milestone. Otherwise, he’s a nice guy.

See the full gallery on posterous

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Thanks to an offer from @waldeis @TechDepotDE I got my hands on a Samsung N310 review netbook. Installing @jolicloud

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:25:56 +0200

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Searching for a rare(?) breed: If you are a chick AND love electronic gaming AND are proud of it, ping me.

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:03:43 +0200

Yes, you *need* to be a chick. Preferably, you’d also be located in or close to Munich, Germany.
Don’t despair if you’re not, your ping will be appreciated and we
might work something out anyway.

If you’re not of the female sex, you can still help out by making sure
that those who qualify get back to me via comment, tweet or email to
isik AT acm DOT org

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Wrapped up today's full-day meeting at this awesome venue!

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:57:37 +0200

Treehouses. FTW!

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Back from recording show at the studio. First sight, The Girls™ are still at it. #GH

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:08:49 +0200

Life is good. Gaming households, FTW :)

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Swimming in Toxic Waste OR The iPhone App Ecosystem

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:28:25 +0200

stevenf:

[IMPORTANT NOTE: References to “I” in this post refer specifically to myself, and not Panic. Panic has lots of programmers who aren’t me, and no anti-iPhone policy.]

I’m furious with Apple and AT&T right now, with regard to the iPhone.

Let’s talk quickly about Google’s official client app for Google Voice. It’s not the only thing I’m mad about, but it was the final straw.

To recap: Not only was the app rejected, but Apple pulled several other third-party Google Voice apps that had already passed the approval process while still leaving those developers on the hook for refunds to customers with misplaced anger about the removal.

Was Apple behind the rejection? AT&T? Who cares?

Fact: AT&T sells Blackberries that can run an official Google Voice client. No problems there.

Fact: Apple continues to sell iPhone apps that permit you to send free SMS messages. No problems there either.

Fact: You can still do everything that the Google Voice app would have done by accessing the web interface through Safari, albeit slightly less conveniently. I doubt they’ll pull Safari from the iPhone, although that would be the logically consistent thing to do.

I haven’t heard a single explanation for the rejection of the Google Voice app that makes a shred of sense at all.

When the app store first opened, there were some questionable decisions, and like most everyone, I was willing to forgive Apple a few transgressions as they were navigating new, exciting (and rocky) territory. Historically, Apple has made bad decisions, but they’ve generally corrected them. (The $100 refunds for original launch-day iPhone purchasers after the price dropped come to mind.) The boat may turn slowly, but nothing before has ever suggested to me that Apple are actively malicious.

But after an entire year of continuous bad decisions that are hostile to developers and consumers alike, we’ve moved on from “working out the kinks” to good old-fashioned getting fucked.

My position is not that every app should be approved — it’s that rejected apps should be rejected for reasons that at the very least make consistent, logical sense, without garbage form-letter rejection notices that explain nothing, and with at least some sort of guidance available to the developer about how to fix the problem instead of meeting them with a brick wall.

People love to chalk up posts like this to “whiny iPhone developers”. Well, I’m not an iPhone developer. I don’t write iPhone software precisely because the app store process is so stacked against us. When I first complained about it, I got a lot of comments: “Well, if you don’t like the app store, don’t develop for it.” So, I don’t.

But forget developers. You, the consumer, are getting screwed too. You are missing out on some great software that’s available on other phones on the same network, without issue, for no apparent logical reason.

There’s been no indication that Apple want to do anything to resolve the problems with app store policies that have been laid bare a hundred times over. There’s no indication of anything, as a matter of fact. Nothing. After a year. It’s a black hole yawning back at us. How much has been written about this over the last year? What reason is there to believe anything’s going to change in another year if the policies (whatever they are, who knows) seem to be just getting worse over time?

I’ve reached a point where I can no longer just sit back and watch this. The iPhone ecosystem is toxic, and I can’t participate any more until it is fixed. As people have told me so many times: It’s Apple’s ballgame, and Apple gets to make the rules, and if I don’t like it, I can leave. So, I don’t like it, and I’m leaving.

Of course, there aren’t many places to go. It’s one billionaire’s playground or the other. After evaluating the available options, I’m doing three things until there’s a resolution:

1) Converting my iPhone SIM into a DataConnect SIM for use with a laptop. For now, at least, Apple can’t dictate which Mac applications I can run. And should the day come that they decide to try, I’m off the platform.

2) Switching to a Palm Pre for voice and light data usage. I looked at the Pre and the G1. The Pre is (very) slightly better at what I need. They are both lousy in comparison to the iPhone. And Sprint’s coverage sucks in my neighborhood. I’m going to completely hate using it. I am voluntarily going to make my own life a bit worse because I believe in certain principles. But I’m going to love not supporting a rotten app store. (Palm’s app store is still in a beta lock-down — they haven’t had a chance to screw it up yet. If they do, it’ll be time for Plan C.)

3) Not buying any future iPhone OS based devices, including the “tablet”, should it ever surface, until the issues with app store policy are demonstrably improved.

I realize these actions are utterly insignificant to Apple. I know I’m a tiny tadpole flapping his tail helplessly in anger at the ocean. But at least my conscience is clear. I hope change is coming. I’m really going to miss my iPhone terribly. I’m frustrated and disappointed at the whole situation.

Cousin Aslı and gf Kati settle the score in Street Fighter IV #video

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:11:41 +0200

Kati is playing as Cammy and Aslı’s alter ego is Crimson Viper.

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Wii + Star Soldier R = fast paced shmup joy #video #German

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:28:21 +0200

Star Soldier R is an excellent (albeit short) shoot’em up, available
as downloadable game via WiiWare. Thanks to its
two short play modes, limited to two and five minute runs, spanning
either one or two levels respectively, it epitomizes the modern day
holy grail of shmup high score hunting.

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Math heavy day ahead. Messieurs Laplace et Fourier, here I come. Waking up to and getting into the mood with

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:37:21 +0200

I really like … the song. Did you know that this clip is the
official music video?
By the way, I am not being chauvinistic here, even gf approves of it ;)

Good old uplifting House.

It’s incredible how consistently great Armand Van Helden’s output has
been over the last years, e.g. My My My, I Want Your Soul, Into Your Eyes and Hear My Name.

It also makes for great music for a fauxtograph :D

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Mailman just delivered the print copy of @pragprog's Programming Scala

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:40:57 +0200

Had been reading the ebook until recently. Good basic introduction.

Especially good as introductory text because it’s short/concise.

The subtitle “Tackle Multicore Complexity on the [JVM]” is misleading though. A single short chapter is not going to get you very far in dealing with concurrency issues.

—
Mustafa K. Isik

blog http://codesurgeonblog.com
twitter http://twitter.com/codesurgeon
random ramblings http://blender.codesurgeonblog.com

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Probably the only reason to bite your behind if you're interested in electronic gaming and don't speak any German

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:29:10 +0200

If you *do* speak German and qualify as gaming geek, go and order the latest
edition of Winnie Forster’s flagship title “Spielkonsolen und Heimcomputer” which translates to “Game Consoles and Home
Computers”.

Winnie did publish an English version of the second edition of the book which has long been sold
out. Used copies of “The Encyclopedia of Game Machines” (official English
title) are currently being traded at amazon.com for 250 USD and up. Nagging via email might help
with another print run ;)

I don’t know of any better book on the topic, despite owning pretty
much every comparable title to have been published in the western
world in the last 20 years.

Layout, organization and content are simply stellar.

The photo shows all three editions of the book to have been published to date.

Say “hi” to him from me via the order form and let me know what you
think of it once you’ve had a chance to browse/read its 240 pages of
well-researched facts and great photographs ;)

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

Latest iTunes gaming charts, we're ranked 2 & 4. Finally some competition from the old guard aka the Spieleveteranen ;)

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:29:35 +0200

Posted via email from Mustafa’s Blender | Comment »

codesurgeon .plan

homescreen: @codesurgeon

Last minute talk preparations and tweets by @pmolyneux.

Attending "Winning the War", very interesting - by CCP makers of EVE

In Cologne, now. #GDC

SHT teaser is nearing completion. We are re-defining backyard-niche-video-journalism™ - and laughing hysterically ;)

Teaser preparations with buddy @iphoneblog for project SHT. Exhausting!

I seem to have developed a liking for Sunday morning meetings. This one is for project SHT. Involves hauling Xbox all over Munich.

Chicks can't do any welding. Anna tried at least. And proved it true once more ;)

Manager Danno thinks he can excuse the bug flurry following his triage. You can't! Oh, ice cream.

Thanks to an offer from @waldeis @TechDepotDE I got my hands on a Samsung N310 review netbook. Installing @jolicloud

Searching for a rare(?) breed: If you are a chick AND love electronic gaming AND are proud of it, ping me.

Wrapped up today's full-day meeting at this awesome venue!

Back from recording show at the studio. First sight, The Girls™ are still at it. #GH

Swimming in Toxic Waste OR The iPhone App Ecosystem

Cousin Aslı and gf Kati settle the score in Street Fighter IV #video

Wii + Star Soldier R = fast paced shmup joy #video #German

Math heavy day ahead. Messieurs Laplace et Fourier, here I come. Waking up to and getting into the mood with

Mailman just delivered the print copy of @pragprog's Programming Scala

Probably the *only* reason to bite your behind if you're interested in electronic gaming and don't speak any German

Latest iTunes gaming charts, we're ranked 2 & 4. Finally some competition from the old guard aka the Spieleveteranen ;)

Probably the only reason to bite your behind if you're interested in electronic gaming and don't speak any German