Do You Speak Geek?

“Ah but then the 386 came out and I thought I was STYLIN’….”

“When I got that first hard drive with one gig, I thought, man I’ll NEVER use all that…”

“So I replaced that whole startup song Windows used to have…remember it? With an 8 minute long Dr. Who theme….it had to play ALL the way through before the machine would boot. She was SO mad…”

I enjoyed a total Geek Lunch the other day with a couple of friends who have been into computers since they (the computers, not my friends) were monstrous things taking up an entire room. You know you’re in Geek Heaven when we’re talking reverently of Univac and Eniac and any other –ac you can come up with.

While I go back as far as a tape drive to store data, and the thrill of being able to go from 16K to a 32K computer (yes, that’s K as in kilobyte…) these guys are the ultimate geeks. We laughed for two hours over hacks and practical jokes, lowering voices to talk about a virus written to change the graphics settings on a machine twenty years go…because revenge is best served, apparently, on a black screen with black text…

I marvel at the language and how easily we speak it. I don’t remember absorbing this technology and I suspect it’s been a gradual thing over the years. Was there truly a time when I didn’t know the difference between ROM and RAM? Between bits and bytes? But then I started early, programming in basic by the age of twelve (and freezing the machine because I had this dream of putting music WITH graphics WITH animation into a computer game. Yes, on that aforementioned 32K machine.

What I tend to forget though, is not everyone speaks my language. No more than the non anime fan looks at me quizzically when I mutter ‘baka’ under my breath or say ‘moshi moshi’ when I answer the phone (a habit I’m currently trying to break). So an anime like Yokuwakaru Gendai Maho might be something I totally get (and love, but then anytime you can code in a computer and have it manifest as magic in the real world is beyond sugoi…), but that the average person is going to look at and say, “What??”

So for today, I shall strive for clarity of speech. No more Geek Speak in mixed company....Well, unless I run across one of my programmer or otaku friends. In which case all bets are off. Ja ne!

What is YOUR language?

INNOVATION! INNOVATION! INNOVATIOON!!

Yet another article on innovation, this is what the thousandth time someone has talked about innovation in video games. By now talking about it is like beat a dead horse or trying to drop kick the air. Nonetheless it is still worth discussing.

The video game industry is arguably one of the most creative businesses to get into, but in most cases originality is lacking. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played a game of any genre and felt like I’ve played it before. Now don’t be mistaken I am not trying to bash anything or anyone with this article. I’m just trying to give my take on the current state of originality and innovation in the gaming industry. I understand that this is a business and in a business sometimes you have to play it safe. In order to make money sometimes you have to stand on old reliable. But when do you say it’s time to try something new? We know that originality and innovation, when done correctly, gives both the developers and publishers a lot of success. Take games like Bioshock and Mirrors Edge for example. One took the horror genre and flipped it on its head. The other took first person gaming to a whole new level. Both games saw huge success, and both were innovative in their own way. If these games can do it why not others? Even smaller games like Portal and Flower are highly innovative, and they were critically acclaimed.

Listen up developers I’m just asking for you to use a bit more creativity, don’t just come up with another generic shooter or generic RPG, and be innovative! And publishers, be willing to take chances on your developers. LET THEM DO THEIR JOBS! Let them do creative things; let them make games that haven’t been seen in the mainstream. Look this article will probably only be read by one or two people, and it most likely won’t make much change in the gaming industry. But I had to let people know how I felt.

How about you guys, are there any gripes you have with the gaming industry?

P.S. If you’re able to count how many times I used the word innovation you get a lollipop!

What Calls Your Name?

After a night spent watching endless episodes of Beck, I can't help but think about those guilty pleasures and just what precisely makes them so fun. While I'm not sure what portion of my soul badly sung English lyrics and a patchwork dog exactly feeds into, I do know a few things about obsession.

Take Shangri-la. A show I discovered over at Crunchyroll recently that required an entire afternoon to devour. While this one had me worried on the silly / inane factor with the crossdressing mentor and adorable little girl set out to take over the world, I discovered a depth and interest here that carried me from that first episode and on into the rest with barely a pause to refresh the Pocky supplies.

But where does obsession go wrong and we find ourselves skating into the world of the Japanese definition of otaku? Was it the two day spree of Eureka 7 - all 50 episodes? Or is it really not until things take a more sinister note and the surfing goes from Crunchyroll into the darker denizens of the hentai infested websites and obesessions that will curl up in your brain and make a nest there?

Maybe I'm coming off overly thoughtful tonight but it's been a difficult week in RL (or what we call Real Life). I've seen my 12 year old son in screaming hysteria when he was banned from a certain computer game due to some homework assignments that he missed rather than give up a moment of gaming.

Now I'm no stranger to gaming addiction. Three years ago I fell headfirst into a MMORPG and didn't come out until several months had passed and my friends were ready to stage a full blown intervention. It's a scary world in here, and one all to easy to get lost in. So comes the time to be the responsible parent and pull the plug.

Uh, yeah, you first mom.

So for the next week I'm imposing a few limits. Not just on the kids, but on myself. Because you know something...there's enough lousy things going on in the world right now, that I don't need to get lost in here too.

After all, all this stuff will be here when we get back.

I told you mine...what tempts you online?

Daft Punk and electronica (fight the "What? Electronica?" gag reflex)

Daft Punk is a little electronica duo from France. This may sound familiar: most electronica groups are in the form of "a little electronica [duo/trio/foursome] from [country in Europe]." Honestly (IMO, of course) most of them should stay in their hometowns, only bugging the people within earshot of the members' houses.

Most electronica (again, IMO, although this opinion is shared by a significant portion of the population of the world) is repetitive, boring, and... well, repetitive and boring. That's just about all it was...

... Until I discovered Daft Punk. To be more specific, their album Discovery (their second). It's not just electronica-techno-funky stuff, like most of the realm of electronica; it's got, not just good beats, but also melodies and harmonies. It's kind of like a crossover between electronica and real music. (Sounds like a bad idea? Yes. But it was well executed.) Their first album, Homework, was mostly just electronica-ish junk, though it was actually somewhat endurable.

Daft Punk, if nothing else, is a good medium for expressing your inner nerd. I'll admit it: if there's no one else around, sometimes I'll put some Daft Punk on the stereo after getting out of the shower and just nerd it out. Turn out my room is a good place to air-guitar, air-synth, air-explosive-drums, dance in nothing but a towel... Good times.

My personal favourite songs on the album:

• Veridis Quo — this one might just be because I'm a piano nerd, but maybe not.
• Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger — A classic. This song actually became popular in the mainstream. Then it became popular again when Kanye remixed it for his song "Stronger." Yes, this was the song you heard in the background.)
• Too Long — The background lyrics are "too long," but I think the real reason this song was named this was because it's over 10 minutes long. It's a gem of boy-band-like vocals combined with Daft Punk shenanigans.

Weekly Randomness

Hi fellow geeks Jerel here with something new. Now you might be asking yourself, "What is this something new?" Well it's your Weekly dose of Randomness!

This week's dose is all about, music. People who know me well enough will tell you that I'm a music whore. I love it all from Sinatra to Feist, from Jay-Z to Miley Cyrus. It doesn't matter to me who sings it, just as long as the song can take me on a ride. Music has no barriers, whoever you are where ever you are music can reach you.

Currently I'm listening to Ingrid Michelson religiously, so what are you listening to at the moment? Are you a music whore like myself, or do you have a certain taste?

In the spirit of this week's little article here's some links to some random music:

http://tinyurl.com/ntwfft

http://tinyurl.com/lkuyw7

http://tinyurl.com/4xgkxy

Geek Girl, Unexpected Absences, and the iPhone 3GS

Well that certainly didn’t go as planned.

A week and a half ago I had intended to submit my first blog, introducing you to the geek girl that I am with some light-hearted post combining a little otaku spirit and techno-babble. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans…

In a strange coincidental dual-dosage of trauma, my husband (yes this Geek Girl is married) and I both landed in the hospital with an attempt at “Buy one foot surgery, get a second one free.” That didn’t quite work though we did both manage to get laid up for a time. While my own surgery was minor, his certainly wasn’t so I spent a lot of time up at Memorial Hospital. Which was a good thing because it gave me a chance to explore my new iPhone 3GS.

Now I’m not recommending cell phone usage in a hospital. There are signs everywhere saying “Please do not use cell phones around medical equipment.” At the same time, no one told me which equipment you can and can’t use cell phones around. I tended to go with the theory that someone would happen along and say, “Excuse me, could you please turn that off” or perhaps “Shut that thing down, you’re killing him!”

Some things I DID learn:

• The iPhone apps will save your life. Whether it’s posting progress (or lack thereof) to Facebook or whiling away the hours launching sheep into the stratosphere they will keep you busy at the least. And trust me, you’ll need to keep busy.
• Your battery will die long before they will release you even if they promise “We’re just waiting on one more paper from your doctor.” Bring your charger.
• Free wifi connection might abound in some parts of the hospital…but not all. And you will probably have to click a user agreement in your browser to get to it. When in doubt how to connect, ask. Thankfully your iPhone tends to remember things like this when you visit the second time (and third..and fourth...).
• When sobbing tearfully into your phone blubbering that they have to CUT your toe, remember that the cubicles aren’t really soundproof. Everyone can hear your convo, especially if you’re upset. Keep your voice down. At the least you’re amusing the other patients…worst case, you might be scaring them.
• Not everyone appreciates that you googled your suspected disease while waiting. BUT, once you have a diagnosis, looking it up isn’t a bad thing to do. Just be sure you stick with the reputable sites like WebMD or Mayo Clinic for your information.
• Do immortalize these interesting experiences. The family really appreciated the pics of the kids visiting Dad in the hospital. But um…ask first. And make sure the hospital gown has proper…er….placement before you hit ‘send.’
• The iPhone map is invaluable when you leave and need to find the nearest pharmacy to get your prescriptions filled. Love that you can just type in Walgreens and get directions.
• Lastly…put the phone away and rest. You are, after all, there for a reason.

OK, as you can see, not my best week ever. So how about you? Had any interesting adventures lately?