Month: November 2003

Enter the Flash Killer?

“Sparkle” is a series of tools recently showcased as part of MS’s Windows Longhorn technology platform.

It will allow developers to make Flash-like effects from within Windows programs via Avalon’s vector-based graphical API. When you minimize a program in Mac OSX to the dock, it actually looks as if it gets sucked right into the dock. I think that’s the kind of effect we’re talking about.

But it also looks an awful lot like another vector-based animation tool – Macromedia Flash. Which is why some pundits are calling it the “Flashkiller”.

Right now it looks more like a rudimentary programmer’s SDK than something artsies will want to use to make their Christmas e-cards, but it should be interesting.

Macromedia – to be frank, their tools are overpriced, non-intuitive and haven’t really improved in the last three iterations. Their only real competition came from Adobe and maybe Java. I know, I’ve used them. But the work dang well, is all.

XAML is basically MS’s ripoff of Mozilla’s XUL (pronounced “Zool”), although it includes a few interesting new features. XUL is based on the XML metalanguage set. It is what makes Mozilla/Netscape 7 incredibly flexible; for example, you can even program games into Mozilla. Unlike XML it will be proprietary/closed source and closed platform. Again in a copycat case, the next-gen IE will run on XAML.

It beats working.

In a true testament of skill, Nobuya Chikada makes ports of Pac-Man and Space Invaders…to Microsoft Excel macros. Ingeniously, each spreadsheet cell is used as a pixel. Well, at least we now know VBA is good for something other than writing viruses.

Unfortunately, Pacellman only works in Excel 97 and Excel 2000. In that case, why not relive those days in the schoolyard playing Wario Land with David Winchurch’s thesis project – a Java applet Game Boy emulator?

Flash of the Day: Another Super Mario spoof, Barge of 1,000 Bullets.

Lambo vs. Zonda

I’m in a bit of a car mood today, so let me introduce you to something you can buy if you have a lot of money: a Pagani Zonda. It’s completely handmade from carbon fibre parts, and hits over 350kph courtesy of a 7.2L Mercedes V-12 tuned by AMG. As extra perks, it comes with matching luggage (specially designed to fit inside the small interior) and matching driving shoes (made by the Pope’s cobbler).

2002_zonda_roadster_side2.jpg

Oh, and it compares quite favourably to Lambourgini’s latest offering, the Murcielago.

Here’s some more car videos to entertain.

Strip

$7.95 – cost of “jumbo shrimp cocktail” (actually six shrimps) purchased in the Aladdin’s Desert Passage that is the most likely reason why I threw up eight times within a day, including once at the taxi stand of the Imperial Palace.

TV – Without Internet (a cafe down the Strip advertised access at $12/hr.), Get Well Roy I suffered a bit of information withdrawal, and turned to TV to get some sense of what was happening in the outside world. Unfortunately, there were only 13 channels, and two of them were hotel advertising with creepy clowns and a Keno channel, respectively. The only news available was CNN Headline News. However, there was USA Network, and I had the pleasure of watching two classic gangster masterpieces, Casino and Scarface. They advertised both movies as “uncut”, which in USA Network-speak means removing every swear word and cutting half an hour’s worth in scenes to make room for more Progressive Insurance commercials. Watching Scarface was especially amusing since it was such a large inspiration for the Grand Theft Auto series of games. In fact, GTA3 had the Scarface soundtrack in it, and the main druglord’s mansion in Vice City is heavily inspired by Tony’s own estate.

50 cents – The total amount of money won at the casino. It was from the Slots-of-Fun two free pulls (coupon available at small southeast entrance of Circus Circus)

Tips – De Niro’s character in Casino called Las Vegas “kickback city”, The City of Entertainment and he wasn’t kidding. If you give someone $15 for a $11 charge, they’ll keep it. If you give someone $20 for a $11 charge, they’ll keep it. As interested in tips they are, the more rude and sullen they are. Taxi drivers were very friendly though.

Prudes – For all of Las Vegas’s reputation for lasciviousness, they’re actually pretty prudish. Prostitution is illegal. A club cannot show fully nude women and possess an alcoholic licence at the same time (you will never pay so much for fruit punch). There is actually a curfew for people ages 21 and younger.

The Bosses – There appears to be a lot of excess staff around. Some people, it seems as if their sole jobs are to stand in front of doors. There was this one guy who’s only job was to supervise the shuttle at Circus Circus. He was attached to an oxygen tank. :O I guess the unions are pretty strong!

Food – Las Vegas’s reputation for cheap food is a bit exaggerated. Sure, the Westward Ho serves 5 cent coffee 5 cent Coffee and 99 cent lemon lime margaritas (with almost no tequila), but most food deals are offered at weird times and quite frankly suck. The only real deal can be had at the various McDonald’s on the Strip. Expect to pay at least $10 US at a buffet for any decent food. Even then, most of what’s on the table will be fried or covered in cream, or both. I was relieved to get back home and eat food I couldn’t see my own reflection in.

View – Have you noticed how all the promotional photos of the Strip are all taken at night? At night, you can’t see the construction, peeling paint, and litter.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the Las Vegas strip, heaped itself like a buffet with faux cultures and obscene proclamations of wealth and grandeur. I’m just saying it’s not hard to tell who has the winning strategy around here.”

– Tycho Brae, Penny Arcade