“For great justice”

I was reading a paper by Eddo Stern entitled “A Touch of Medieval: Narrative, Magic and Computer Technology in Massively Multiplayer Computer Role-Playing Games” (available here). And I came across this very interesting remark:

NPCs always stick out as peculiar technological anomalies focusing attention more on their technical shortcomings than on their “character”. NPCs often find themselves a ripe topic for ridicule and mockery.

I couldn’t agree more. But there is a note, which reads:

Consider the “All your base are belong to us” web phenomena, which stemmed from the mockery of a grammatically challenged NPC as much as from an Anglocentric juvenile reverie

What does he mean? We love Cats*! He’s the coolest, meanest bad-ass villain in the history of videogames! “Why”, you still have the courage to ask?

Scary games

Yes, this one is a must for gamers, especially for those who know how cool it is to spend many hours immersed in a good horror video game. One of my favourites of all times was Silent Hill – the first in the series, although some of the others were OK I guess.

Top 10 Scariest Video Games via TechEBlog

These are obviously also worth checking out. I came to know about a controversial game called “Custard’s Revenge”.

Top 10 Best and Worst Games of All-Time via TechEBlog

Did you say… České Budějovice?

Remember last post? Well, last Saturday I was at the Strom drinking a nice Budweiser beer, gently sponsored by a fellow student, Karam (long story). And looking at the back of the bottle I read amidst the amalgam of German words: České Budějovice.

Unbelievable. Less than a week before I’d been in the city were a traditional beer was made whose name had inspired the name of Budweiser beer – but not the taste, so I read.

Here is some more information on České Budějovice. I’ll be sure to drop by again, even if for just a taste of this famous Budvar (or Budweiser) beer.

Welcome to… uhhh… how do you read that?

Each time I try, it comes out differently. So that’s where I ended up after missing a train from Prague to Linz.

Under no man’s skin

It’s something of a crossing between bio art, fashion, (pseudo)organic pet and I don’t know what else. Oh and besides all that, just plainly eccentric.

It’s called Skinbag and I don’t know whether to love it or hate it right now. It reminds me of those strange living computers in David Cronenberg’s movie eXistenZ, which I also never knew whether to love or hate.

Go ahead, take a look at it. It really looks like human skin although it’s made of latex.

Anyway besides being a revolutionary fashion accessory, the fact that it’s made of “synthetic human skin” (read “latex mock-up of human skin”) requires some special care from the user. This special care includes avoiding long exposure to Sun and heat, washing with lukewarm water and soap and even… putting some talcum powder on it!

Kind of twisted, in’t it? I’m starting to appreciate the idea. Not that I have any sick fantasy with talcum powder mind you.

Hussein Chalayan’s Morphing Dresses

I came across this, I think it’s awesome. For more than one (the more obvious, maybe) reason, mind you.
Link:

• Hussein Chalayan’s Morphing Dresses Video (Windows Media)
• Hussein Chalayan’s Morphing Dresses Video (RealPlayer)
• We make money not art – What was beneath Chalayan’s Morphing Dresses

This fashion designer is responsible for the smile on my face right now. First because the idea of autonomously morphing clothes is really cool but it’s even cooler when put to practice. Second because there is naturally something about beautiful girls wearing dresses that raise themselves – without any need of strong wind or human intervention – that just makes me smile; I’m sure you understand 🙂

Yes, yes, I know, their design is meant to reflect a transition between different styles over time and not to please sick and twisted voyeurs like me. But hey, I’m just here for the ride. And believe it or not, I am raising an interest on wearable technology – although in this case the girls are distracting.

Especially the last one 😉

Snowing!

It started snowing in Linz today! Thought you’d like to know… 🙂

Constructing machines, deconstructing men

Now it’s raining sleet in Linz, but that’s nothing compared to the awesome things I did this last week.

Disclaimer: hey, no one said they’re THAT awesome to you; that’s why you’re living a life of you’re own, to start with.

From flashing-back to my high school times as student of electronics to the godlike feeling of peering into the mysterious code from which we are all generated, I’ve been SO occupied that the blog has been somewhat neglected.