I still don’t have a cell phone, but I do have a new number. Google voice. You should be able to leave a message below. This crazy technology world!
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Category Archives: tech
Too Much iPhone?
I was video chatting with my co-worker in Virginia, fellow FlipSide5 jack-of-all-trades Mike, and he decided to show me his quite impressive collection of iPhone OS devices. Different hardware versions of iPhones and iPod Touches with different versions of the operating system on them. Useful for testing the various possible compatibility issues, but really useful for little else.
As you can tell, I was quite amused.
Flip MinoHD
Here’s some test video I shot with my new Flip MinoHD. It’s my nice bucolic back yard in the Houston Heights: three miles west of downtown Houston, one of the larger cities in the United States.
I did a slight amount of editing with iMovie (not iMovie HD – if anyone knows the difference could you tell me and let me know which one I should be using).
I used the image stabilization in iMovie. It seems like it gave it a little “shimmer” toward the end. The hand held was slightly more shaky looking that it ended up after the stabilization.
I exported it in “medium” size (3 of 5 in size, 6MB for 0:31), just because that seemed the most reasonable for a web test (it was still too big for WordPress media editor to want to upload). So, here it is…
(maybe i’ll learn how to embed video on my WordPress)
Zillow $849,000
I downloaded an app to give you more information that you need: Zillow.
It will tell you asking prices for homes, and estimates of others. It told me the house across the street that was asking $850K looks like it went for $819.
The other 3 (two are built), are asking $849K each. They’ve been on open house for months, so we’ll see what they actually go for. And I suspect the 3rd one will not go any further than it’s current foundation until the others sell.
Of course, the satellite photo shows the pre-existing homes for those locations.
Pandemic: Matt Leacock and Game Design
Google has some great lectures put on at their campus from people of all different backgrounds. I try to catch one now and then but keeping up with the volume is tough. I was clicking about the Internet and ran across a really great talk by Matt Leacock, designer of Pandemic. Pandemic is a nice 2-4 player co-operative game. I’m not a huge fan of co-operatives but I really like this game.
The title of the lecture is Cooperation and Engagement: What can board games teach us?
Matt’s “day job” is as an Interaction Designer at Yahoo and he talks a bit about how game design and that interrelate. There is also a nice discussion on game difficulty and player skill.
Tentative Itinerary
If you haven’t noticed me mention it yet, I am planning a 31 day Amtrak trip from Houston, mostly to the west. Two key points on the schedule are Padre’s Grand Opening over Memorial Weekend in Marfa, and Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco.
So, here’s the rough timeline. Some of the pre-WWDC San Francisco and Reno parts aren’t exactly timed out yet. I have purchased the 30-day pass, and booked most of the legs of the trip.
Houston: The train only comes through Houston three times a week, so I’m leaving Wednesday night; Continue reading