This game will drive you nuts in its chaos. It’s a pixel-level breakout game, but the pixels you hit become other “balls” you can bounce. It gets nutty really fast. Quoting this guy: “It’s like playing Missile Command against the Aurora Borealis.” See if you can get rid of all the pixels.
Time Killer For The Evening
Ink Ball is a fun fast-paced physics-based game that will kill off your night if you’re not careful.
Post Vacation Reading Material
Since getting back, I’ve been trying to catch up on all the email and news that has been sent my way (you’re always welcome to send more using the contact form on this site or e-mail utterlyboring at gmail dot com). Here are some of the headlines I found waiting for me when I got back (some newer, some older):
- An interesting look into how Xbox’s achievement system was designed and why it was done that way.
- Despite Apple’s antenna research, they’ve admitted they have a problem and are giving free cases to every iPhone4 user. Steve Jobs pointed out that other companies have similar issues with their phones to which RIM, Nokia, and HTC didn’t take to kindly to. If you’d rather jump from the iPhone to an Android device, this will help.
- Online retailer PlayOutdoors opened their first brick-and-morter store here in Bend.
- Those hilarious Old Spice commercials that are taking the web by storm have a great back story and many good parodies.
- Poor BP: They were deeply affected by the coffee spill parody.
- Common products from 2010 if they were designed in 1977.
- One mapping feature Bing maps that Google maps doesn’t: Napkin-sketch view.
- Several different ways to give your photos a vintage look.
- Science finally solves the greatest mystery mankind has ever faced: The chicken came first.
- Need to learn how to train yourself reverse code engineering, buffer overflows, shellcode development, web exploitation, and SQL injection so you can fix them in your code? Damn Vulnerable Linux makes it easy.
- If you’re an Apple product user, and need some friends to talk Mac with, Apple has created a Friend Bar.
- Because you never know when this will come in handy: Make a paper clone of yourself.
- Amazing photography of trees shot in infrared.
- Common optical illusions illusions.
- For future reference: Don’t argue with an ibex.
- Reddit illistrates why you should never trust “experts” when it comes to traffic estimates.
- The most objective and unbiased video game review I’ve ever read.
- I knew I was on to something: Not making your bed may keep you healthy.
- HideMyAss has a great list of free proxy servers.
- Great list of free security tools for your PC which hopefully won’t bug you like this.
- Top Secret America is a great Washington Post investigation that describes the huge national security buildup in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
- If you’re like me and enjoy Top Gear, this fan site is a good place to get your fix.
- I think I’ve seen these before, but what if Steve Jobs was part of the Calvin and Hobbes strip?
- 100 Greatest Movie Insults of All Time (naughty language warning).
- Because some people have too much time on their hands: Mr. Steam Potato Punk Head and a ton of My Little Pony modifications.
What Did I Miss?
I’m back online after avoiding my computer for a bit. I’m going through my hundreds of e-mail messages, trying to get it all sorted out, working from home this morning as I have a friend’s wedding I’m going to this afternoon (and it seemed silly to drive all the way out to Sunriver when I’d have to come back so early).
Did I miss anything of vital importance last week?
I Love Old-School Video Games
That’s why I love this video of a Super Mario Bros. speed run visualized as one long projection, superimposed on a street-scene:
If you’re an old-school Mario fan, this site is pretty sweet and includes some whole-world maps that are pretty interesting in their scale.
Note: This will probably be the last thing I post for about at least a week or so. I’m going on a much needed vacation. Would-be crooks: I have folks staying at my house, so don’t bother — there’s nothing worth taking anyway. My plan: Avoiding technology as much as possible and enjoying sleep, sun, and sand as much as I can. Mostly sleep.
Reading Material
- A proper review of Twilight.
- Can’t say I didn’t see this coming: Microsoft pulls the plug on Kin after failing miserably to sell more than a few hundred.
- Apple officially responds to the iPhone4 antenna issues. If you need help translating it, this will help.
- Woot takes the Associated Press to task for stealing their content, AP doesn’t think it’s funny.
- Simple copy/paste of the script tags for the Javascript libraries that Google hosts.
- Locate your stolen laptop with Prey.
- Need some good, (mostly) clean jokes? Here ya go.
- Fox News advocates shutting down public libraries.
- Converting PSD to HTML.
- Lose your Windows, Office, or other software keys? Find them with this.
- That fancy netbook you bought doesn’t have an optical drive? You can reinstall Windows XP from a USB key.
- What do experts use in the way of technology to get their jobs done? Check out their setups.
- Great diary on one man’s quest to get well for $1 a day, and he’s gone a couple months now (and has some great guides for saving mega bucks with coupons).
- I think I may have posted this before, but can’t remember: Enable open web technologies in Internet Explorer with Google Chrome Frame.
Everything You Need To Know About The Fragmented Mobile Developer Ecosystem.
- Speaking of mobile development, the Symbian Guru has given up on Symbian.
- Still speaking of mobile development, multitasking the Android way.
- MenuetOS is a really powerful and usable OS considering it will fit on a single floppy.
Computing In The Real World
What if our digital life was flipped into the real “analog” world? It might look something like this:
Time Killer For The Day
I’m all about killing work place productivity, and Doodle God will do just that
Have A Safe And Happy Fourth
As you all should know by now, I live in the war-zone near Pilot Butte, where they launch the annual Fourth of July fireworks, and my street is already packed with cars and drunken revelers ready to celebrate the holiday by finding more creative ways to set parts of the neighborhood on fire. As per our usual tradition, we plan on spending as much time away from this chaotic area before the main fireworks get shot off The Butte, where we’ll then plop on our couch and watch the show. This morning I was at work (I work every holiday, minus Christmas — one perk about working in the tourism indusry). I spent this afternoon performing with the band in an outdoor Americana concert in Redmond. There was a healthy breeze coming through the stage so we spent a good chunk of time chasing around music (despite it being pinned to our stands) and picking up blown-over stands. Now, I plan on turning on the sprinklers for a bit (as we’ve had many an illegal firework land in our yard), locking up the house, and weaving my way through the party-goers before they start getting too sloppy and stupid that they won’t let us out.
Anybody want to make any bets on how much they burn the Butte this year? With this breeze, things could get messy.
Have a safe and happy holiday, everybody. Have a designated driver. Don’t do anything stupid. And please don’t set my house on fire.
Time Killer For The Day
I know I featured this game before, but it’s been updated: Super Mario Bros. Crossover can now be played as Ryu (full game changelog is here).