Ask Dr. Helmig #12: "Ze Cure For Inzomnia"
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October 2008 Archives
Web Cams: Watching, Waiting
They are as gargoyles on high, static fixtures in stationary orbit. Staring with an unblinking eye these deliberately framed tunnels connect in real time, stream without bias, refresh as needed. There are more of them than you might think.
With the basest of resources these antiques march on, mid 90's HTML steadfast in its measured delivery of that city square, campus, or landmark. It is only in the basest sense that these grainy windows exist in our Web 2.0 world, geo-tagged and meta-filtered despite any tangible functionality.
But there's still an element of magic.
Nothing impresses like that added fourth dimension. Even the most ghost ridden frame rate treasured for its instant validation, telltale low quality only strengthening veracity and granting instant trust. An added layer of communication, arguably the closest replication of face-to-face interaction no matter the distance spanned.
I've seen a $5 dollar web cam with spotty satellite connectivity bring a gorilla-necked man to tears, first glimpse of the baby he couldn't see born transforming a blank-faced and lethal door-kicker to proud Papa. It's old tech but sound, potential for maximized web communication that seems squandered in flat, time-lapsed images of the Eiffel Tower or a nondescript city skyline.
Quality of service limitations are lower than ever with expanding cell-based data and cheaper portable electronics, services like Yelp and Qik continue to encroach on each other's territories. Eventually functional mash ups will emerge, hyper-local assets for better, more useful web content. Community self-policing will work out the kinks and word of mouth information, the very best kind of information; will bleed over to the medium where it can have the most impact. Where those looking can find it.
So it was with excitement that I installed Worldview from the App Store. If I scroll fast enough through those vigilant, sub-mega pixel refreshes I can almost see the future.
Podcast for 10.27.08 | These Are The Fables
Chris, Jinny and Ross are back this week to help you weather the storm of... whatever storm you're weathering. Be it a respite from work or a break from the ridiculous amount of new games being hurled at us this season, let the soothing sounds of The Weekly Geek act like an insert metaphor here. Topics this week include the new Xbox Experience, Fable II and whether or not its flaws affect the overall game, the new Star Wars MMO announcement, what happens when you turn off notifications on your 360 and you think you stop getting achievements (omg), the "missing gamer" demographic aaaaaaaand then we piss off Fallout fans. Not on purpose! Then - a special food section where Jinny and Chris talk about how they tried out for a reality show and tripped on some Miracle Fruit. Also your mailbag questions are answered. It's a lot of stuff! A random assortment of topics pertinent to your interests as a geek. Enjoy.
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Ask Dr. Helmig #11: "Winners Don't Use Drugs"
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New Weekly Geek Shirt - Huzzah!
We've got a brand new shirt in the Split Reason Weekly Geek store this week! Tell your friends you prefer an old-school style of jubilation with a classy exclamation of "Huzzah!" proudly emblazoned on your chest. This is my favorite design I've done so far, I hope you like it too!
My Day, Yesterday
It's been a while since I participated in the perpetuation of a meme.
They come in all shapes and sizes, iterations often propagated to the point of over saturation but for a more distinguished crowd rarely inspiring the dark turn to contributor. Recently there was an exception, a fresh departure from the archetypal surveys or photo manipulation. Still an exercise in turning the camera inwards, scratching some sort of narcissistic itch, but to a smoother more polished end. Like the difference between a rehashed trawl through fields of blank text and the careful approach to a tautly stretched canvas. The medium sets the bar.
First exposure was over at Laughing Squid, Garret Murray had shared out the above distillation of the mundane in the confines of a Flickr video, running his new D90 through the ropes. 90 seconds of controlled peep-show access to a mile in his shoes. The subsequent pool developed, users submitting their own creations arguably reaching for validation of gadget choice or music selection, routine or habit. Just another meme, or was it?
I was strangely captivated, but this wasn't the first time.
Podcast for 10.20.08 | A Return To Form
It's an action packed show this week with a full cast as Ryan joins me, Qais, Jinny and Ross for the very first time. This week we're discussing E3 opening its doors to the public again, Little Big Planet being delayed for offending people, whether or not you should feel guilty for pirating games, Mother 3, Bioshock 2 and co-op split screen gaming. We also dip into the mailbag and discuss the scariest games we've ever played, and Qais whips out the most epic mailbag reading of all time. It's a full cast and a full 20 minutes longer than usual. It's like its your birthday or something!
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Music Review: David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
"Everything that happens will happen today/nothing has changed and nothing's the same/every tomorrow will be yesterday/everything that happens will happen today."
Two travelers, lost in time - kindred souls separated for years by nothing but being busy.
A match made in heaven. David Byrne: innovative songwriter, front man of the defunct legends Talking Heads. Brian Eno: ambient mastermind, producer of more amazing records than some labels have even released.
And in their first collaboration in twenty five years, they meld their legacies into something entirely new and brilliant.
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Mother 3 Fan Translation is Live!
The story of Starmen.net is a perfect example of Nintendo's complete lack of regard for their "hardcore" fanbase. For the past decade, this site has been dedicated to bringing the Mother series to American shores. Mother 3 was released in Japan and Starmen.net printed glorious fan art books. These devotional tomes were shipped to various people in the games industry (including yours truly) and apparently didn't make an impact. Nintendo ignored the fans yet again. So what does an obsessed game community do? Make their own damn translation.
The Mother 3 fan translation hit the web today, and from what I hear it's quite remarkable. A crazy amount of work has gone into keeping all the quirk and humor of the original Japanese translation, while still feeling familiar to Western audiences. If you've never experienced the beauty of the Mother series, now's a fine time to start. Perhaps once more people discover how stunningly brilliant Mother is Nintendo will finally take notice and start releasing games their most vocal and devoted fans actually want. Perhaps.
[link!]
A Return with Three Choices
It was as if a looming concrete wall stood in my path, flaunting its lack of hand holds or crevices by which to summit its blank-faced stare. Truth be told I had put the thing there myself, gradually adding layer after layer until the original foundation was all but obscured and original purpose a mystery. It is with this strained metaphor that I relate a past decision to block the way in to modern console gaming, a choice steeped in misguided thoughts of self-preservation and efficiency.
I didn't want to start and be unable to stop, self control fading late in to nights that would inevitably lead to sleepless mornings. It's how it was back in school and my productivity... suffered, but surely that is all behind me. As an Adult I have learned a modicum of responsibility and time management so that wall went a crumbling and just last week I emerged on the other side holding a sleek 360 Elite.
And it has been awesome.
But I'd been out of the scene for a while, the last game I recall purchasing being Wind Waker and before that a used copy of Soul Caliber to replace the one I wore out. Barring the sudden appearance of an aged mentor to whisk me through an appropriately themed training montage (as I imagine was the case with Jinny and Chris) I would have to reach out to the prolific gaming community for the low down on how one avoided the dreaded MSRP.
It appeared I had some options.
Miracle Fruit - Now in Tablet Form!
I've been fascinated by something called Miracle Fruit for a few years. It's a small berry that is supposed to enhance and change your taste buds for a short period of time. Containing the dubiously named active glycoprotein molecule "miraculin", Miracle Fruit makes acidic foods taste sweet, and Guinness taste like ice cream. There's some controversy surrounding this amazing berry, as it could be one of the few sweetening alternatives to sugar that doesn't cause cancer in lab rats. Supposedly the sugar industry kept the fruit from becoming commercialized for fears that it would put them out of business. Whether or not that is true, the Miracle Fruit has long been a nifty centerpiece for tasting parties and now ThinkGeek is carrying this craziness in tablet form.
Previously, in order to obtain some Miracle Fruit you'd have to go through some dude on the internet with a plant. Now you can have crazy food tripping Miracle Fruit parties with reckless abandon! I've ordered a pack, who's coming over for dinner?
[link via ThinkGeek.com]
Podcast for 10.13.08 | Drinking the Blizzard Kool-Aid
Blizzcon and Tokyo Game Show came and went this week, and The Weekly Geek is here to, well, focus mainly on Blizzcon. Join me, Jinny and Ross as we talk incessantly about Starcraft II and Diablo III. We also touch on a few items from Tokyo Game Show, and Ross asks the question: is the games industry really recession-proof? Then we talk a little Mega Man 9. We also answer various mailbag questions. There are a lot of things we talk about, and we tend to go off on tangents. You enjoy this.
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Gomibako - Trash Tetris
A few items from this week's Tokyo Game Show have piqued our interest here at The Weekly Geek which we will be discussing on tonight's podcast, stay tuned! But this video was charming enough to warrant a post. Gomibako is an upcoming downloadable puzzler for the PS3 which looks to take the basics of Tetris, mixing it with gorgeous photo-realistic garbage-based visuals. It looks like there are a few new mechanics thrown in there for good measure, such as a bit of the screen that's underwater, the ability to set some trash on fire and a load of variable shapes and sizes. I love a good puzzle game, and Gomibako looks like it may shake up the formula enough to provide an interesting new experience.
[link via IndieGames.com]
A Walk Through Wired's NextFest
How fitting that it was actual physical media which first alerted me to this event. A full page ad sporting my city's nefarious "Bean" (lord, I hate that thing) as opposed to bytes of text via RSS. Utterly appropriate given the concept of thrusting tech-related link blog ephemera in to the public's sweaty hands.
Wired's NextFest is a free event that allows said creative output, whose exposure is typically restricted to little more than a blurb or grainy embedded video, to exist in three dimensions and five senses at a free show in Chicago's Millennium Park from September 27th through October 12th. The exhibits consist of several recent breakthroughs in robotics, entertainment, and enviro-friendly innovation.
If you're in the area I highly recommend swinging by. Hit the jump for a few items (such as the above-pictured Modular Snakebot or highly functional yet unsettlingly adorable BeatBot) that caught my attention or peruse the gallery below.
More Doom Clock Robot Pirate Defense info
![DoomClockRobotPirateDefense2[4].png](http://weeklygeekshow.com/img/DoomClockRobotPirateDefense2%5B4%5D.png)
Mike, one of the developers I worked with this past weekend on Doom Clock Robot Pirate Defense, has posted a great post-mortem outlining his trials and tribulations from the XNA game jam weekend. If you're interested in seeing a few more screenshots and reading about the development process from the game mentioned on the podcast this week, head on over to his blog and tell him how much you want to play this game.
Art Print Sale, most items half off!
I know a lot of you are having a hard time in this economic crisis, and are just not able to decorate your homes and offices like you used to. Times are tough for walls these days, but I'm here to help with a sale on the majority of linoleum prints in the Weekly Geek store. These are all hand-printed and limited edition, and most I've marked down to $10. Wouldn't you love to have something like this charming bob-omb print hanging on your wall? I know you would. Click here to go check out what's in stock!
Remember we also have t-shirts in stock and Nintendo Power remixed buttons! Each order also comes with a special Weekly Geek button. Because we're cool like that.
Podcast for 10.06.08 | Doom Clock Robot Pirate Defense
I made a game! Well, sort of. This week, Jinny and Qais join me to discuss the week's events including an XNA game jam I participated in, as well as some interesting news in the world of Nintendo. Will the DSi make the DS Lite obsolete? Will America's version of Club Nintendo equal the awesomeness of Japan's Club? And of course, we also answer listener questions. Feed our mailbag! It beckons you.
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PAX Swag Winner throws down
Tracey, the winner of our PAX Swag contest, accepted our challenge from this week's podcast to actually read her poem in the manner of Mike Meyers from So I Married An Axe Murderer. She delivered.
I really heart our listeners. Like really really.
New Final Fantasy (The Band) track - The Butcher
Perennial Weekly Geek favorite Final Fantasy (really just Owen Pallett) released a preview of his new track "The Butcher" from the brand new EP Spectrum, 14th Century, out now. His loop mastery is as polished as ever, with a song that almost seems to weave itself. The video evokes childhood drawings and innocence. Or something. Really looking forward to more from Mr. Pallett.
[link via P4K]
Screw the Hamster, I Want Halo
While preparing for an upcoming trip this week I created a checklist of things to do. Some items were specific to travel but most were part of the weekly routine that involves feeding not only my own mouth but also those of a few cold-blooded accomplices that have managed to stick around over a decade of constant relocation.
My current digs are in the same locale I grew up in so the choice of where to acquire the premium of gut-loaded insects was a simple one. I'd be paying a visit to the independently owned pet store not only marked as one of the older establishments in the area but also as the very first distant destination I was permitted to bike to as a child. It had supplied me well on and off for the last 14 years whether I was there to gawk with my GT Performer inverted out on the sidewalk or I needed to special order a questionable toad. As time passed I'd buy crickets from the same guy that sold me that one tarantula I had to get rid of while in college or the lizard that once escaped for an entire winter break only to somehow re-emerge fatter than when he vanished.
The list grew shorter and I eventually pulled in to the pet store's lot as I had literally hundreds of times before. Upon arrival, however, I was not greeted by the oddly satisfying view of windows plastered with faded vendor stickers and condensed seawater but instead with the harsh contrasting colors of BUSINESS FOR SALE signs.
I blinked a few times as a random minivan swerved, cutting through yellow lines of the crosswalk despite the moron standing there staring up in confusion.
I've scoured Pricegrabber for years and typically allow a few days of web crawling when seeking the best deal for just about anything. I've clipped coupons, mailed in rebates, and traded in the old to offset the new while taking an intense pleasure in skipping from stone to stone across the swift rivers of commerce both electronic and physical.
This was different.
If ever there were a brick and mortar location I'd pledge loyalty to this was it. I'd been genuinely sad when the store cat, a multi-colored behemoth named Monty that would unexplainably sit on my foot for pleasure, came up missing. Even while working in a competing pet store all through high school each week would end with me stopping by for dozens of crickets at full price. This place and I, we had a history.
Truth told this wasn't completely unexpected; I've watched countless local places trampled either by the fickle economy or links of ever-expanding chain stores, but it was the response the owner gave as to why he thought that pet stores in general were on the decline that I found the hardest stomach.
He blamed video games.
Penny Arcade's take on Mega Man 9
I don't normally just re-post things without an image or starting a larger discussion, but Penny Arcade has the absolute best take on Mega Man 9 I've seen yet. I won't spoil it. Click here and delight in the last frame. Brilliant.
Win an intentionally awful Mega Man 9 shirt by naming that tune
Mega Man 9 is now officially on all three major gaming platforms, and we're celebrating by giving away two of these fabulously awful Mega Man 9 box art t-shirts. How can you win one of these icons of irony? Let's just say it's easier than trying to beat Mega Man 9. All you have to do is listen to these three Mega Man songs and name that tune. I'm looking for game and level of origin for each. Some are remixes! Have a listen:
Name the game, and the level that each of these tracks belong to. Send your answers to contest@weeklygeekshow.com with the subject "Mega Man". I'll pick the first TWO people to email me the correct answers. Good luck!
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