Veteran software developer / sysadmin and holds a PhD in Computer Science. Avid computer enthusiast (geek) who has been dabbling with technology ever since his Dad brought home an 8086 computer.
Videogames
In the last few years, the indie game scene has been bursting with great success. However, few have been as retro as Kickstarter [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yachtclubgames/shovel-knight] success Shovel Knight [http://yachtclubgames.com/shovel-knight/]. Inspired by great NES classic such as Megaman, Castlevania and Metroid, the game
Videogames
In the last two weeks, I've had the opportunity to try out a couple of demos. Here are a few quick impressions. Tuscany [http://sixense.com/sixensetuscanydemo] was one of the first demo available for the Occulus Rift, allowing a user to visit a beautiful garden house. I was very
Videogames
When it comes to 3D VR technologies, I am negatively biased. Products like the Virtual Boy and the Nintendo 3DS offered a disapointing 3D experience, and the only added entertainment I get from a 3D movie in theater is a pounding headache. The first time I placed a Oculus Rift
Gadget & Toys
The Ouya is one of the most important Kickstarter success story, gathering $8,596,474 in funding. Ouya's promise: the revolution would be televised. The console would usher a new world of Android games on TV. The product itself was released about a year ago, giving developers fair opportunities to
Videogames
About a year ago, I switched both my laptop and desktop to Mac computers. With Windows as the undisputed king of PC gaming, this decision was less than ideal for gaming. As such, my friends did not hesitate to tease me about my lack of gaming choices. However, is there
Music
When I last talked to my neighbors kid's, I was surprised to learn that they did not know what an audio cassette is. With the era of mix tapes behind us, the medium had faded to obscurity. Yet, one older music medium refuses to disappear into the void: the round
Jobs
Why talk about graduate degrees in a technology blog? A few weeks ago, while at a recruting event for graduate students, a student walked up to my kiosk and stated in distain: "You don't do research, why would you hire a graduate student?" This question bothered me on several level.
Videogames
Released in 2012 on PC, Mac and Linux, Faster Than Light is an spaceship management strategy game. Players pilot a single spaceships through a series of sectors, managing their crew and fighting a collection of hostile aliens. I am a big fan of spaceship strategy games, although I can count
Computer
Technological innovation is often a hit or miss business. For every successful product lies hundreds of failure in its wake. The business of innovation is a gold rush and only a select few will ever find gold. One such idea is the use of technology in toys. With components like
Gadget & Toys
Being from a Computer Science background, I learned essential skills in problem solving using computers. However, little of my training involves how a computer works at the electronic level. I understand the role of logic gates in a microprocessor and I’ve had some experience at micro-programming. However, don’t
Videogames
It may seem cliché to say this, but 2013 was a good year for gamers. This year was exceptional because of the unique titles that were released. These titles help highly some of the key purposes of videogames : to entertain, to distract and to reflect. This year, we pay hommage
Videogames
Building quests in a massively multiplayer online games is a daunting challenge. How do you craft a memorable experience for a player when sharing an environment with thousands of others? Many games resign themselves to a diluted experience by simplifying their quest line. Chop 5 woods to make a bow.
Videogames
Corona SDK is getting a lot of good press these days. With success stories like such as Doodle Jump, The Secret of Grisly Manor and The Lost City, Corona is fueling the App millionaire dream. Take a quick look at the home page and you'll find a catchy rallying cry:
Gadget & Toys
One controversial game that hit store in fall 2011 was Skylanders. The best description I saw at that time was “Pokémon where you need to buy them all“. This fall, with the release of Skylander Giants, this still holds true. However, it turns out that is not a bad thing.
Gadget & Toys
Amazon is set to shake up the tablet world with its new Kindle Fire tablet. At 199$, it’s an amazing little device with a 7″ inch screen and a dual core processor. I’m not sure if I am a fan of Amazon Silk web browser, which renders web
Videogames
If you haven’t heard the news, Bethesda is complaining about the name of a card game from the makers of Minecraft, Scrolls. Even worse, they are sending in the lawyers. I like to work on indie game projects. The first that I released was BlokPanic, on the App Store.