20 Websites To Help You Learn and Master CSS: "CSS can be both a tricky and easy to learn. The syntax itself is easy, but some concepts can be difficult to understand.
This article features 20 excellent websites to help you 'grok' CSS. There’s a wide range of websites included – from blogs to directory-style lists and websites that focus on one particular topic related to CSS."
Our department decided to create a digest for tech talk and tracking. If you have new technology to share with the group, add a post here. Maybe you figured out a short cut on production, or discovered some tech trick. If you think it’s techrific please share. Don't forget to use labels it's much easier for sorting. Labels in Blogger=categories. If you need help getting started with Blogger let me know.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Making sites look "Web 2.0"
Want to make your web site look all "Web 2.0"? Check out this Web 2.0 how-to design style guide.
Normally, I'd say trying to make your site "look Web 2.0" is vapid, since what people generally mean when they say "Web 2.0" is that it is service-rich. But I have to say, this article impressed me, mainly because the number one suggestion is "Simplicity". Of all the things that characterize the latest design trends in the web industry, the best thing is the realization that a simpler web site is a more powerful web site.
Sure, the article also talks about starbursts, reflections, and cute icons, too, but the site has a lot of good web design advice.
Normally, I'd say trying to make your site "look Web 2.0" is vapid, since what people generally mean when they say "Web 2.0" is that it is service-rich. But I have to say, this article impressed me, mainly because the number one suggestion is "Simplicity". Of all the things that characterize the latest design trends in the web industry, the best thing is the realization that a simpler web site is a more powerful web site.
Sure, the article also talks about starbursts, reflections, and cute icons, too, but the site has a lot of good web design advice.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
SanDisk releases 30MB/s SDHC cards
Clicky for more:
"SanDisk Extreme III SDHC 30MB/s Edition cards are expected to be available worldwide in September. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is U.S. $64.99 for the 4GB card, US $109.99 for the 8GB card, and U.S. $179.99 for the 16GB card.
SANDISK BOOSTS SD CARD SPEED BY FIFTY PERCENT —
SETS NEW SPEED RECORD FOR SD FLASH MEMORY CARDS"
"SanDisk Extreme III SDHC 30MB/s Edition cards are expected to be available worldwide in September. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is U.S. $64.99 for the 4GB card, US $109.99 for the 8GB card, and U.S. $179.99 for the 16GB card.
SANDISK BOOSTS SD CARD SPEED BY FIFTY PERCENT —
SETS NEW SPEED RECORD FOR SD FLASH MEMORY CARDS"
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
WoW on treadmills
[:Mana Energy Potion:] | RL Race Across Azeroth
The guys over at Manapotions.com went to great lengths to estimate the actual speed of their avatars, then built a surprisingly effective apparatus out of some old treadmills, bikes wheels and optical mice (for speed tracking). The results was kind of like the ultimate expression of the Wii "get involved in the game" ethos, except with 1000% more exertion and 97% less fun.
Monday, August 25, 2008
TouchKit: the open source, multi-touch screen developer's kit
The kit:
"But not all multi-touch work is being undertaken on a corporate scale - R&D studio NOR_/D (NORTD) have released a cheap and simple hardware/base software package that gives open source developers all the tools they need to create, run and share their own multitouch applications."
"But not all multi-touch work is being undertaken on a corporate scale - R&D studio NOR_/D (NORTD) have released a cheap and simple hardware/base software package that gives open source developers all the tools they need to create, run and share their own multitouch applications."
My Weight Loss Coach
Ubisoft Montreal's new game in the My Coach line is now out. 'My Weight Loss Coach' comes complete with a pedometer, and it's getting decent reviews too.
My Weight Loss Coach Official Site
IGN review of My Weight Loss Coach
Creation Kits Based on the 80's EA Game Creation Utilities
Here's another potential game development system that might be a good fit with the gamelab kids: the Adventure Construction Kit. It's a GUI-based app that lets you easily build top-down 2D adventure titles, using either GUI-only authoring or scripting for more complicated examples. It's based on the excellent (if primitive) Adventure Construction Set that was released by Electronic Arts in 1985, apparently with the encouragement and mentorship of the original's author. If it's anything like the original, it will be relatively easy to use after a little bit of exploration. It comes with pre-made tile sets for different genres.
The original Adventure Construction Set was itself an outgrowth of the first Electronic Arts game making offering, the Pinball Construction Set, which was itself a groundbreaking title. Apparently, LittleWing, makers of some good pinball sims, are working on their own pinball construction game, and the core language they developed to make it, Ypsilon, has been released.
Both of these construction sets would probably be nice resources to have for the game lab.
The original Adventure Construction Set was itself an outgrowth of the first Electronic Arts game making offering, the Pinball Construction Set, which was itself a groundbreaking title. Apparently, LittleWing, makers of some good pinball sims, are working on their own pinball construction game, and the core language they developed to make it, Ypsilon, has been released.
Both of these construction sets would probably be nice resources to have for the game lab.
iPhone GUI Photoshop resources
So when we finally start working on iPhone games, these Photoshop resources of iPhone interface elements may come in useful for mocking up screens.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Head tracking using the Wii remote
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw
Using the infrared camera in the Wii remote and a head mounted sensor bar (two IR LEDs), you can accurately track the location of your head and render view dependent images on the screen. This effectively transforms your display into a portal to a virtual environment. The display properly reacts to head and body movement as if it were a real window creating a realistic illusion of depth and space.
Using the infrared camera in the Wii remote and a head mounted sensor bar (two IR LEDs), you can accurately track the location of your head and render view dependent images on the screen. This effectively transforms your display into a portal to a virtual environment. The display properly reacts to head and body movement as if it were a real window creating a realistic illusion of depth and space.
Speed Force Wireless™
You know me... I loves me racing games. I like force feedback racing wheels too.
Logitech & Gaming & Wii™ & Speed Force Wireless™
Logitech & Gaming & Wii™ & Speed Force Wireless™
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Interview with Paul Farley
iPhone 3G Game News, Games for Mac from Apple
Originally we pitched it internally as a standard J2ME/BREW mobile game over a year ago. At the time we put it on the back burner because we didn’t feel we could do it justice on the platform and doubted how appealing the concept would be to potential publishers or phone operators. It’s very difficult to launch games on mobile right now without a large brand or license attached, so we agreed to return to the idea once either the market shifted or the technology improved. The iPhone addresses both of those issues with the technical performance of the device and the open nature of publishing direct to the appStore. This allows Tag to take an original game to customers direct and gives them, not the phone operators, the opportunity to make it a hit if they like it.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Open-source multi-touch: Touch�- The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
Open-source multi-touch: Touch�- The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
Pretty cool... they even provide a link building your own FTIR input device . It does not look easy or cheap but still awesome.
http://lowres.ch/ftir/
Pretty cool... they even provide a link building your own FTIR input device . It does not look easy or cheap but still awesome.
http://lowres.ch/ftir/
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Alternative Controllers
When we were doing the Scratch training w/ the kids, we talked about creating custom controllers for exercise games. I was looking at force sensors among other things. I found some info on creating fabric bend sensors. Check out the link. We could make a fun installation w/ a suit you wear to control a game.
Fabric bend sensor
Here is another
Flexible Fabric Pressure Sensor
I think a great museum installation could be made w/ these and other ideas we have had.
Fabric bend sensor
Here is another
Flexible Fabric Pressure Sensor
I think a great museum installation could be made w/ these and other ideas we have had.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Turn Dieting Into an RPG
Games Without Frontiers: Fun Way to Lose Weight:
Interesting article that compares Weight Watcher's online point counter to an RPG. I also liked McGonigal's mention of game language and system.
"This puts me in mind of the talk that Jane McGonigal -- a brilliant and pioneering alternative-reality game designer -- gave at this year's South by Southwest conference. She argued that game designers ought to put their skills to use in the real world by reshaping dull, everyday activities into fun challenges. Why not a game that gives you points for walking your dog or jogging?
'Games are an incredible language and system. They should be everywhere,' she said. 'Why are we making games only for the bound pages for a computer screen or console? Why aren't we doing that to help people navigate and understand the world around us?'"
Interesting article that compares Weight Watcher's online point counter to an RPG. I also liked McGonigal's mention of game language and system.
"This puts me in mind of the talk that Jane McGonigal -- a brilliant and pioneering alternative-reality game designer -- gave at this year's South by Southwest conference. She argued that game designers ought to put their skills to use in the real world by reshaping dull, everyday activities into fun challenges. Why not a game that gives you points for walking your dog or jogging?
'Games are an incredible language and system. They should be everywhere,' she said. 'Why are we making games only for the bound pages for a computer screen or console? Why aren't we doing that to help people navigate and understand the world around us?'"
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Eloquent JavaScript
Contents -- Eloquent JavaScript:
Understated and awesome, the Eloquent Javascript is a nice tutorial on the language that I am having fun learning with. One of the most impressive features is the built in compiler. You can mangle the sample code right there on the fly. Very neat. Check it out.
Understated and awesome, the Eloquent Javascript is a nice tutorial on the language that I am having fun learning with. One of the most impressive features is the built in compiler. You can mangle the sample code right there on the fly. Very neat. Check it out.
Valve Software's Chet Faliszek talks about playtesting
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19523
Valve Software is the development studio behind the hit game Portal, as well as Half-Life 1 & 2, Team Fortress 2, and the soon-to-be-released Left 4 Dead. In this interview with Gamasutra, Chet Faliszek (the writer for Left 4 Dead) talks about Valve's approach to playetesting and its importance in helping deliver a quality final product. Apparently, Valve often begins playtesting their games as little as 1 week into the development cycle.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
10 colour contrast checking tools to improve the accessibility of your design
http://www.456bereastreet.com/archive/200709/10_colour_contrast_checking_tools_to_improve_the_accessibility_of_your_design/
Zooming
When you are in Safari, hitting [command and +] or [command and -] will make your webpage larger or smaller.
In your system preferences, in the keyboard/mouse panel, under 'trackpad', you can click the "zoom while holding _____" and select a button to hold down. Then, to zoom, hold that key button down, and place two fingers on the track pad and move them up to zoom the whole screen larger and down to make the whole screen larger.
In your system preferences, in the keyboard/mouse panel, under 'trackpad', you can click the "zoom while holding _____" and select a button to hold down. Then, to zoom, hold that key button down, and place two fingers on the track pad and move them up to zoom the whole screen larger and down to make the whole screen larger.