--- Monday, November 17, 2008

Waiting for an update to 'Fallout 3'...

Permalink: 11/17/2008 06:44:00 PM

I saw a friend of mine's roommate playing Fallout 3 at this house the other night. Very pleased with it, reminds me of a combination of Half-Life 2 (one of my favorites) and Smuggler's Run (similar theming, but a driving-game).

(Keep in mind I've never bought a "collector's edition" of any video-game, but with this one I decided I'd be able to use the lunch box... for lunch. haha)

So basically for the past 24-hours I've been on-and-off glued to the game for hours at a time. It's very open-ended, yet driven. Challenging, but not impossible or frustrating. Also, there are plenty of optional bonus quests to do on the side that aren't particularly distracting or annoying... they are actually satisfying to complete! (you discover new areas, get paid decently, meet people that give you more side-quests, etc.)

So yeah, highly recommended... BUT, I found a bug: (others have found it, too)
[source: Fallout @ Wikia] "There is a known bug in all versions of the game where, if you do not exit Galaxy News Radio via the back door as Three Dog instructs, you will be unable to return to the building to complete the quest via the front door (using the intercom will result in the doorman telling you that it's open, when it's not), and the side-door will be locked and require a successful very hard lockpick to open. It is not known if you can backtrack from Dupont Circle to the back door, but dialog from Three Dog when you accept the quest would suggest that you cannot. Picking the very hard side door will result in negative karma, but will allow you entrance to the building to complete this quest."

I never heard this part of the conversation with Three Dog, so naturally I just went out the way I came in. Nor did I receive a key for the door, which I'm pretty sure was required since I tried to use that door before even talking to him and it was locked. (requiring a key) Weird.

So obviously, this bug breaks the game. You cannot go any further unless you either:
a) browse around randomly and eventually discover 'Rivet City', where you can then resume your quest with a new goal.
b) check an online walkthrough at GameFAQs or something that tells you where to go next

As mentioned, this ALSO locks you out of the Dupont Circle region unless you find it manually... and also, the game is constantly telling you to "Return to Three Dog to talk about Dad" or whatever. Hah. This is one of the first times I've ever run into a bug like this in a game of this scale. Luckily, with these modern gaming-systems, they can patch it remotely and send out an update to everyone.
Yayyyyyyyyyy!

Labels: fallout 3, gaming, playstation 3, ps3, video games

--- Friday, November 07, 2008

smash.me launched, my new homepage! (more juicy information "about" smash.)

Permalink: 11/07/2008 08:23:00 PM

This is a new site I've started to complement my blog here at Smash's World... which of course will remain here until the END OF TIME.

'Smash.Me' (available at http://smash.me), is a syndicated "sandbox" of my online-activity that may or may not be interesting to viewers. The site also allows me to post new "tabs" for unique purposes (like cars, projects, etc.) and more static (non-changing) content/information that wouldn't normally fit here into a blog-entry. This also helps keep the clutter down for projects that should always be featured, rather than just mentioned in a single post.

I made the site over the past few-weeks in some spare time and feel pretty good about it. Check it out, and sign the guestbook!

A note about 'Whitesoap' and '73git': ... at this point I've closed these two projects down. The news-feeds backing both systems have been recycled into my Google Reader, and I am using this to provide interesting news on the main page of 'smash.me'. I felt this was the best decision possible as I want to focus further on online-tools and development... rather than aggregating online-information. (except if it's about me... hehe.) ^_^

Labels: 73git, about, blog, homepage, me, smash.me, whitesoap

Link

--- Sunday, September 21, 2008

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype)

Permalink: 9/21/2008 11:33:00 PM

Way back in the day, I was too young to have had an original Sega Genesis. However, I had the Sega Nomad, the brick-sized Genesis "portable" that got an overwhelming 30-40 minutes maximum to a fresh set of 6-AA batteries.

My favorite game was always Sonic 2, it was so fun to play and there were lots of cool cheat-codes to do hidden things when you were bored. (Super Sonic, Debug mode, Level Select, Night mode, among others) So, naturally when I found out that there was an UNRELEASED BETA of the game floating around online in ROM-format, I had to check it out.

There are previously unreleased and/or incomplete levels in this version of the game... AWESOME. Plus a lot of the old classics in their incomplete or beta formats. It's pretty cool to play if you've played the game. I'm using an emulator called Genesis Plus to play it on my Mac right now.

this was always my favorite level, plus the music was just SICK, what good times when I was 5.

FYI there are some key combos you need to know to play this:
A+Start at the main screen = level select (otherwise you can only play the first level)
B+Start for two-player
... I guess that's pretty much it.

Like omg it's sonic 2!! Haha that pissed off face sonic gets when you're not doing anything... he just looks at you tapping his foot. and miles "tails" prower is like "hey?" then occasionally yawns

Have fun, linked is a page at Sonic Retro with more information and a level-list that shows which zones are playable and which got either cut from the game, renamed, or combined/redesigned before the final release. There's a really cool one called Wood Zone that I'm really sad didn't make the cut, and also Hidden Palace Zone which seems pretty cool and is fairly playable in this beta, as well!

Labels: gaming, genesis, sega, sonic, sonic 2, video games

Link

--- Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Magic Flashlights.... "take only what you need."

Permalink: 8/12/2008 12:53:00 PM

Incredible production, had to post.

Magic Flashlights from Mike Benson on Vimeo.

Labels: effects, snowboarding, video, vimeo

Link

--- Friday, July 11, 2008

Link: Breath controlled LED candles (Hack a Day)

Permalink: 7/11/2008 01:36:00 PM

Saw this and had to post it:
Instructables user [cedtlab] has posted an interesting LED project that simulates birthday candles. The circuit runs on an AVR ATTiny45, and is powered by 4 AA or AAA batteries. By using a Charliplexing technique, they are able to drive all 20 LEDs with only 5 pins of the ATTiny. A thermistor is used for detecting breath by measuring temperature changes, and then blocks of LEDs turn off depending on the change detected. They have provided schematics and source code for everything. Make sure to check out the video of the "ficticious birthday party" after the break.

http://www.hackaday.com/2008/07/11/breath-controlled-led-candles/

Labels: LEDs

Link

Thunder-cloud rainbow...

Permalink: 7/11/2008 12:48:00 PM

Thunder-cloud rainbow (2)
Originally uploaded by smashtheqube

My dad spotted this outside our house the other day, I grabbed a photo before it disappeared.

--- Monday, June 23, 2008

Comcast vs. Verizon FIOS Install jobs in Apartment Complex [HORROR]

Permalink: 6/23/2008 01:35:00 AM

Check out these install photos. Is Comcast joking, seriously? The door doesn't even close/lock to the juncture-box because the wiring is a "coaxial-mess!!" Clearly they just don't care!! I hope nobody opens their monthly bill to find their neighbors' On-Demand purchases, hah.

Verizon neatly routes and wires their fiber-optic lines to the premises, rather than tens if not hundreds of separate, bulky cable connections. What a disaster... I guess Comcast's TV-Commercials is really all they have to convince you that you're actually getting close to the fiber-opticness of a FIOS line. "America's Largest Fiber-Optic Network"... yeah right, check out the picture below to see how you're getting connected for real.

Thanks to my buddy Jared for not only posing in the photos, but also for bringing this to my attention!

Verizon FIOS, super-clean install:

Comcast:

Labels: cable, comcast, fios

--- Saturday, June 21, 2008

Paprika: Movie review

Permalink: 6/21/2008 03:49:00 PM

Haven't posted in a while, sorry guys. Figured I'd review a movie I'd seen recently.

Paprika is an anime-film about a therapist with a device to enter people's dreams. (It's called a "DC Mini".) However, we soon learn that the device was stolen from its development facility, along with two others. To make matters worse, each device was taken before they were protected for use on just-anyone for just-about-anything. No safeguards... but this is where the magic of the story begins.

You'll have to watch it to learn the rest, I won't spoil it. But you're probably thinking... "dude, I am not watching a movie about something like this and reading subtitles trying to understand what the hell they're talking about"... NOT TO WORRY. I felt the same way (obviously) and switched the Audio to 'English'. Problem solved, and it's also available in French, Spanish, and a few others.

The colors / scenes / and plot of this film are fantastic... not at all as inspiring as I'd initially expected. The film absolutely blew-my-mind, especially since I could watch it in high-definition... it's out on Blu-Ray disc! My PlayStation 3 had no problems playing back the DVD and navigating its features. It's one of those movies you'll always remember if you don't usually watch this sort of thing; contacting you on a subliminal level almost. Its editorial-reviews use words like "mesmerizing" and "dreamed".

Anyway, definitely check it out. I'll try to post more often about interesting stuff again. Also, here's a link to the Wikipedia entry for a better understanding and more information... but beware of plot spoilers!! Enjoy.

Labels: anime, blu-ray, dvd, movie, playstation 3

Link

--- Friday, March 21, 2008

Blackberry Curve (8310) Review

Permalink: 3/21/2008 12:34:00 AM

A while ago I switched to a Blackberry... without telling anyone. No posts, no blurbs. And since then I've never looked back... well, only a little bit! I do miss my Sony Ericsson W910i that I special-ordered but foregoing email-in-my-pocket-on-the-fly any longer just seemed impossible.

When asked on Flickr what I thought about it... I replied: "It's pretty solid. I unlocked all of the carriers' themes and ended up choosing the Vodafone one, it's pretty neat. Applications I installed are Facebook, Google Maps, Opera Mini, Instant Messenger (AIM/MSN/Yahoo!), and MusicID. (last two were downloaded from AT&T for free, others from their respective developers' websites)

I haven't used my iPhone in months... I really like how this has an actual keyboard, flash for the camera, regular headphone jack (not needing an adapter), expandable memory, expandable functionality, and it's a bit more rugged and less smooth (doesn't slip out of your pocket when standing up or sitting down). Oh, and you can tether Internet via Bluetooth (like a normal phone) which was a huge turn-off for me with the iPhone. I need emergency Internet from time-to-time and any phone I look-at has to have it."

So yeah, I'm pretty happy with it. I honestly really think it's an all-around good device -- not too flashy, not too thin... yet not too impractical or ill-equipped. The ONLY thing I wish it could do was use the camera to record short videos for YouTube or emailing. This is the only downfall I've found... that and the lack of a 3G-connection, which isn't a huge deal at least right-now.

When I bought this I had about a 50/50 chance of returning it (as I have with past Blackberry purchases) but this one I've been using and loving, so until the iPhone can catch-up to my standards this is my lovely new center of all being 'smash'... you can call me a crackberry.

Labels: 8310, blackberry, curve

--- Wednesday, March 19, 2008

DiggSuggest - Using the Digg API to find stories for you!

Permalink: 3/19/2008 02:44:00 PM

I wrote this script a few nights ago and have been playing with the results. It builds a local cache in a MySQL DB of stories then compares them to both your Digging history and their current popularity to give you great suggestions on what to Digg next! Feedback please, and Digg-it-up.

http://diggsuggest.smashsworld.com/

Labels: digg, diggsuggest

A FEW PROJECTS...

+ Mobile17 (smashTheTONES)

+ Bitsmash

+ DiggSuggest