Blog Archives
Defending Video Games As Much More Than Entertainment
via seriousgamesmarket.blogspot.com
Video games are an excellent form of entertainment, and has been since becoming popular in the country in the 1970′s. However, like most forms of entertainment, video games have been scrutinized for violence, mature adult themes, and — possibly my favorite — being nothing more than just a “dangerous time sink”, which is fancy talk for “time-wasting”. Alan Henry of Lifehacker posted this article on how video games can be treated as something more than just an “entertaining waste of time” back in February of last year, and was one of the best things I’ve read regarding video games truly being more than meets the eye. I recently came across the article again, and felt the need to share it on how video games can relieve anxiety, teach players new skills, and keep players motivated to complete tasks. Read the rest of this entry
“Calvin and Hobbes” Shown As an Atari ST Game?
Johan Vinet made this 16-bit Atari ST start-up/login-screen for a never-was video game inspired by Bill Waterson’s classic comic strip, “Calvin and Hobbes”. I really love this, since I got my first “Calvin & Hobbes” book back in the late 1980′s, and just last year, I now own EVERY BOOK in the collection. Yay! Also, a picture of my entire collection and a video of the start-up screen after the break!
Watch Architecture Students DESTROY Their Studio Models! Thanks to Architizer + SMASHIT
Ah, the memories of architecture school. Staying up for 48+ hours without enough sleep (if any), constant wounds from X-Acto knives and the diet of soda, coffee, pizza, and fast food. The first thing I wanted to do after a final project review was finally get some sleep, eat some (somewhat) healthy food, and never having to look at that freaking project ever – and the ‘Nerd means EVERRRRRR – a-gain (10 points if you get the reference). I remember at the end of a semester many of us would take pictures our models for our personal records, nearly immediately followed by the total destruction of said model that took 7-10 days to build to relieve our pent-up stress and anxiety. Nice to know that the website SMASHIT has the same idea and feels our pain as architecture majors. Read the rest of this entry
Haunted Homes, Floppy HDDs, Syphon Filter & Failed Comebacks – WIRed #19
This week on WIRed, Some of the more architecturally scariest homes in horror, how to use that old floppy drive of the past with your computer of today through MAGIC & some DIY hacking, how “Syphon Filter” almost never happened, and you may or may not call it a comeback…but it won’t always guarantee WWE success. Read the rest of this entry
Evernote Smart Notebook. Wait, an EVERNOTE NOTEBOOK? WANT!
And to think; I just started using Evernote a couple of weeks ago. The Evernote Smart Notebook is here, as it arrived this past Monday, October 1 — and this lovely app/notebook combination works by compiling your drawings, notes, and any other Moleskin-bound writing and sketches you pen with Evernote’s iOS App (said to be headed to Android as well). All you need to do is snap a picture of your best Frank Gehry house sketch and see the architectural masterpiece appear magically(though I’m sure SOME technology is involved) in your Evernote account on you computer and on your phone. If you’re addicted to archiving your entries (as I am), the notebook comes with a set of stickers allows for quick tagging, and said stickers can be customized to your own organizational methods. Read the rest of this entry
Laser Upgrade on NES Zapper Makes Childhood Dreams Come True!
I dare you to try to find anyone who was a child back in the heyday of the Nintendo Entertainment System who did NOT ONCE pretend that the NES Zapper accessory was a laser gun between games of Duck Hunt and Bandai’s Shooting Gallery! Go on! Try to find someone. I’ll be here all day. Read the rest of this entry
Control the Bluetooth Bulb with Your Smartphone. THE FUTURE AWAITS!!
With the influx of new and advanced technological gadgets, gizmos, and whosee-whatsits, some companies never forget that even mainstay and simple pieces of tech need a bit of a next-generation update. Take the light bulb; not quite thought of in the vein of gadgets like computers, phones, and tablets, but it has been getting updates in the last several years as well. This time around, how about adding Bluetooth 4.0 capabilities to them. Intrigued? Yes. Do you want to see videos of this in action. Click here –> Read the rest of this entry
Stuff Architecture Students & Professors Say…
Ah yes, as I recall my days at the Langford Architecture Complex at Texas A&M University (Class of 2007; WHOOP!) and the architecture building at UT-San Antonio, I remember the day-to-day process of the life of an architecture student (or as we referred to it: “ArchiTorture”). From long hours at the study to finish models and presentations early (or on time), sleeping underneath my studio desk, an unhealthy diet of fast/processed food (or “diet” of little food), and scrambling for and spending cash on supplies, all the while trying to keep some sort of social life to keep from losing my mind. It also brings to mind the critiques from my architecture professors, from the actually helpful criticism, to the mean-spirited judgments, to the “what-in-the-name-of-all-that-is-Holy” are you talking about. However, I’m pretty sure I’m guilty of some during my time as a teaching assistant at UTSA. The two videos below seem to share the experiences I’ve had during my architectural education at both Texas A&M and UTSA, thanks to YouTubers Ndepratti & Melle1208. Read the rest of this entry
An Instant Stone-in-a-Can Robot Powered by the SUN?!?
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you the Stone Spray project, an eco-friendly robot three-dimensional printer that exploring the viability of utilizing soil as a building material. Stone Spray is a new construction method which uses soil as the base material and a liquid binder to solidify the soil granules. It uses a jet spray system to deposit the mix of soil and binder, for constructing architectural shapes. Currently, the ability to erected actual buildings is out of the robot’s reach, its team has managed to print a series of scaled sculptures (from stools, pillars and load-bearing arc structures) made from sand, soil and their solidification compound. Read the rest of this entry
Jason Voorhees Killed Episode 3 – The PractitioNERD, Episode 2.5
After some technical mishaps, this week’s abridged version of The PractitioNERD will be the first of many smaller, more frequent videos, as explained above. Read the rest of this entry
The PractitioNERD Show on YouTube, Coming June 29th (also, 200th POST!)
Because it’s amazing what geeky & nerdy hobbies/obsessions, a digital video camera, a microphone, some editing software and a decent internet connection can get you. Also, not a bad way to celebrate the 200th post on The PractitioNERD!
Starting on the evening of Friday, June 29th (and every following Friday evening), the PractitioNERD YouTube show will review the stories covered and shared across the PractitioNERD network (i.e. this blog, Tumblr, Facebook, Google +, etc.). This project has been in the making for the past few months, as I’ve been testing equipment, video/sound quality, graphics, music, formats, etc., but things are falling in place; I’ve even filmed an “Episode 0″ as a test to see how everything looked and sounded. I saw this as also a great way to celebrate The PractitioNERD’s upcoming 1-Year Anniversary on Thursday, June 14th of 2012 (**kazoo sounds**) and to further expand the network.
So rise up your Klingon goblets, take a bite of your Apenture Lab-decorated cakes, blow your computer-aided drafted horns, toss those steel chair-shaped party favors in the air like you just don’t care and spread the word on your two-way pagers — oh, nostalgia — and cry out: WE ARE NERDS, HEAR US WHINE!!!
Must Gain More Patience Points: My Top 3 Games that are Delayed
Patience is a virtue. The Bible says in Hebrews 6:11-12 that “we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Anything that we have to wait for is typically worth the waiting, and the same can be said for video game releases. We anticipate a new game, hear and/or read the official announcement, keep track through previews, screenshots, trailers, and gameplay footage, plop down cash to reserve said game, anticipate the coming release date, then BAM; the game’s delayed for a few more months! Check out the three games I was looking forward to playing this late-spring and fall that are now being delayed until next year after the break.
