2011.09.30

Weekly Metapost : 2011.09.23 - 2011.09.30

03.00.01 - Mark

Weekly Metapost from September 23rd, 2011 to September 30th, 2011

Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]

Retro Muppet Concert Posters | Michael De Pippo

http://michaeldepippo.com/?p=876
Tagged : art fanart muppets posters retro want

Retro style posters for the Muppet's band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem [via neatorama]

Link | 0 Comments |


2011.09.26

Reincarnated Retro Games

19.25.37 - Mark

Tetris, Super Mario Brothers, Minesweeper and Solitaire. Games like have reached a cultural status that's just shy of godliness. Play them or not they are referenced, rebuilt, or outright cloned to the point where if you're using a digital device with a keypad, there's probably some way of installing some version of those classic games. Those also aren't the games I'm writing about.

Rather I'm talking about the obscure off the map video games. Ones I played as a 7 year old kid on an Macintosh IIsi / Quadra 610 and the internet was AOL or CompuServe, not the World Wide Web and HTML. I spent hours playing games so it's no surprise I remember them after nearly 20 years. Many of the ones I downloaded from AOL's Mac Game Section were buried when AOL shut down it's closed community to cater to the need for national ISPs. Even games where the parent company still exists, like Freeverse's Enigma, have drifted off into the ethers be it Apple's move to OS X or the later move to Intel processors (which from the 90's would have been an unimaginable treachery).

Then there are the ones that while not buried, live only from fan support. I've spent weeks of my life playing Ambrosia Software's Escape Velocity (whose registration postcard I still have floating around) and it's later sequels. While the originals are still sold, there's little hope to see them running on a modern mac, but thanks to the fans there's a plug in to at least replay the it's arcs.

As you dig deeper in the history of Mac games, there are a few, from the smaller firms to the larger, where those classic games still exist, and some that are still being developed. One of my all time favorites was Spectre, who could only afford the demo version, as on release it cost something like $60. I know the price dropped over time, but like all games so did my intrest in it. However a few months ago I learned that it had being ported to the iOS, and at $1.99 I instantly paid for it.

Spectre isn't the only one either. Today I learned an old Mac classic, Glider is not only available as freeware for OS X but is being ported to the iOS by it's original author. [via toucharcade]

While I don't play video games as much as I did at a child, I love the fact that not only can I still download and play some of my favorite games on my laptop, but that I can enjoy them on my iPod when I have a spare minute. Plus, if nothing else, I can send a few dollars to the people who's demos, shareware and freeware helped keep me entertained as a child.

Link | 0 Comments |


2011.09.23

Weekly Metapost : 2011.09.16 - 2011.09.23

03.00.01 - Mark

Weekly Metapost from September 16th, 2011 to September 23rd, 2011

Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]

White House brewing its own beer - CBS News

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/16/earlyshow/main20107292.shtml
Tagged : beer cbs geek homebrew Obama politics POTUS

As a homebrewer, I get a bit of a kick that President Obama started making homebrew beer in the White House earlier this year. [via gizmodo]

Link | 0 Comments |


2011.09.16

Weekly Metapost : 2011.09.09 - 2011.09.16

03.00.02 - Mark

Weekly Metapost from September 9th, 2011 to September 16th, 2011

Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]

Pop Chart Lab — The Evolution of Video Game Controllers

http://popchartlab.com/collections/prints/products/the-evolution-of-video-game-controllers
Tagged : art history ideas posters video games

It's interesting seeing how one generation of video game consoles evolve and influence others, some we know of to other developments that were extremely scarce. [via laughingsquid]

light fossils - a set on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dariustwin/sets/72157627531534892/with/6099377146/
Tagged : art flickr light painting photography

I've played with light painting a few times, and while anyone can do it, there's a special spacial awareness (or a zillion redos) needed to paint like these. [via petapixel]

Installing the Canon EOS Utility using the Updater Tool on Mac OS X « Nav’s Story

http://www.navjagpal.com/blog/?p=16
Tagged : canon hacks OS X rants software

A clever hack for installing Canon EOS Utilities on a Mac since for some reason Canon only offers software "updates" as opposed to a regular installer. I doubt it's a high demand issue, but it saved me a headache.

If You Can Think, Design

http://flyosity.com/application-design/if-you-can-think-design-code-you-win.php
Tagged :

While I don't do a lot of web development anymore, this article is pretty similar to my philosophy, where if you really want to create some great sites, you need to know the code, not just you design skills and claims of SEO knowlege.

MAKE | Tool Review: Drill Press Bottle Capper

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/09/tool-review-drill-press-bottle-capper.html
Tagged : beer gadgets geek MAKE tools

Tool lust meets homebrew beer. A combination I'm almost tempted to buy, right next to Craftsmen Bottle Cab Wrench.

Link | 0 Comments |


2011.09.09

Weekly Metapost : 2011.09.02 - 2011.09.09

03.00.02 - Mark

Weekly Metapost from September 2nd, 2011 to September 9th, 2011

Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]

Virgin Radio 9 5 3 :: Fake Film Festival - You Voted!

http://vancouver.virginradio.ca/FakeFilmFestival.aspx
Tagged : culture funny videos youtube

Some famous movies, condenced in to 60 seconds, sort of like Be Kind Rewind, except produced with a bit more than a VHS camcorder...

Jonny Quest Opening Titles on Vimeo

http://vimeo.com/28278839
Tagged : animation classic jonny quest scifi video vimeo

An amazing stop motion animation recreation of the Classic Jonny Quest opening. [via io9]

A One Man Mobile Studio At Burning Man

http://www.visualnews.com/2011/06/29/a-one-man-mobile-studio-at-burning-man/
Tagged : art burningman gadgets ideas photography

I'll admit lighting is one of my weakspots in photography, I'm working on it, but a nomadic style studio lighting rig is stunning (plus, you know, some amazing burning man photos help sell the idea...) [via petapixel]

Waffle House Index Measures Hurricane Recovery - WSJ.com

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904716604576542460736605364.html
Tagged : FEMA natural disasters trivia Waffle House WSJ

Waffle House is usually the type of place I go to when it's after midnight, and I'm too lazy to cook. Apparently it's also a relaible place to go to after a hurricane. [via kottke]

Link | 0 Comments |


2011.09.02

Weekly Metapost : 2011.08.26 - 2011.09.02

03.00.01 - Mark

Weekly Metapost from August 26th, 2011 to September 2nd, 2011

Elsewhere Online [collection of past links]

Pamper Your Tools | MachinistBlog.com

http://www.machinistblog.com/pamper-your-tools/
Tagged : DIY hardware howto MAKE projects todo tools

I've been developing a love for form-fitting cases, at least the slim tool box sets. Arguably it's a waste of space, but there are tools that I loath having to hunt down in an overpacked drawer, so it's amazing how simple it can be to DIY. [via MAKE]

Link | 0 Comments |