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‘Inane Chatter’ Category

  1. On Projects

    March 20, 2011 by Asim

    Given I had some downtime this week, I was looking to catch up on some of my personal projects. Of the dozen or so thing I started, the biggest and most challenging one is to make a computer game. Specifically I’ve wanted to put together a steampunk based MMORPG or Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game aka world of warcraft style game to the non gaming geeks.

    I got arround to researching what game engines or Software Development Kits were available for MMO development and I came across this: Heroblade, quite possibly the answer to my dreams. Only downside is it costs $5000 for a licence. With heroblade I could easily design and build a visually stunning game over the course of a couple years.

    Given I don’t have the $5000 or the time required spare I’m going to need to shorten my vision and do something a bit smaller in the short term. The whole idea behind my projects were so I could develop my skills by doing something proactive so a smaller project seems the best bet as I do have the bad habit of quitting halfway through a development if things aren’t working as they should.

    Given I said all that, I should point out that i’m going to finish off older projects before starting the game, I’ve just gotten back to developing my physics engine I started 3 years ago and stopped working on 15 months ago.


  2. On Japan

    March 16, 2011 by Asim

    The worlds media seems to be missing one of the biggest news stories ever when covering the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

    Millions of people were saved by brilliant engineering.

    I may look at Japan with rose tinted glasses and honestly believe that the nuclear facility currently at risk of meltdown would have blown up already if it were built anywhere else.

    Although with this current meltdown crisis occurring, there is going to be a big backlash against the British Government proposals to build new nuclear power stations.


  3. Tech Love

    February 9, 2011 by Asim

    So I just read that Marketing Professors at Arizona State University say its possible for people to have “Material possession love” where they spend more time and money on possessions than they would on a loved one.

    This actually considered a phenomenon common among Gun, Bicycle, computer or car owners, who easily spend six times as much on accessories and complementary services than a normal person would.

    The research is showing that “in some cases, consumers became emotionally attached to possessions as real substitutes in what resembled human relationships.

    Which makes the fact i’ve ordered a new tower case, cooling fan, graphics card and monitor all the more disturbing.


  4. Splendificus and other made up words

    January 14, 2011 by Asim

    For years I’ve always wanted to do that Malcolm X thing of copying out the dictionary and their meanings just to expand my vocabulary. Every time I start I end up wishing I could just copy and paste it instead and give up after the first page.

    I just finished an app for the n900 to access the user created dictionary so I could get into there and delete a few of my stupid attempts at words. When I finally got in there; I actually seriously got shocked by the amount of made up words I use in text messages and emails.

    Brodog, Bromeo, Brostafarion, Homedog, Hunkalicious, Ninja-ing, Splendificus, Ross-tafarian and the countless dozens of various variations on names.

    I need to cut that stuff out and actually finally copy out the dictionary so I can actually use good words rather than making ones up.

    App will be up on freemantle servers at the weekend if you’re on maemo, you should totally get it!


  5. Holiday Irks

    January 2, 2011 by Asim

    I do get easily irritated, its a damn irritation. If I have to fly anywhere by the time we land I’m the most irritable dude on the planet. That is all thanks to the fact that I’m afraid of flying. Flight simulator 98 + a flight where the wing caught fire = a nervous passenger. My hatred and fear of flying aside, one thing above all else irritated the hell out of me while I was in Egypt and in Italy earlier last year.

    Hearing the word “facebook” being used in dozens of foreign languages. Everything from Spanish to Finnish to Dutch, I heard so many fellow tourists use the word. It was usually followed with variations on the word profile or update. You’re on holiday, who knows if you’ll ever see or experience what you are doing again? Yet all you are worried about is your damn facebook profile picture and/or status update.

    Facebook is a great tool but its like we’re all becoming slaves to it.