What's Wrong With Today's Video Games?

A few days ago, I gave an interview (in Czech) where I mentioned my disdain for most of mainstream games of today.

Here I have two perfect examples of current high-profile videogames.

First, here is one of the levels of the latest Call of Duty videogame, played on "Hardened" difficulty. The player beats the level WITHOUT SHOOTING, just semi-randomly dodging bullets.



Even funnier is the following racing game using Kinect (i.e. controlling the car using your own body). Note that the player doesn't do anything during the whole race, not even pushing the gas. He finishes third out of 8 racers...



You can argue the second game is aimed at "casual" players... You can argue anything you want but I consider this to be very sad. And I consider it amazing that no high profile review mentions the interesting fact that you don't in fact have to play these games to finish them...

Whole Lotta Light Fun

For those dark moments with dogs, I got myself Philips Imageo TableLights. I like them a lot. Other photos are in this photoset.



(I only got 2 of them and photographed them between two large mirrors.)

And here is the self-explanatory video about how they work. After charging, they last for about 12 hours.



They still got them at Alza.cz...

Yo Ho Ho, I'm An MP3 Pirate!

I wanted to legally buy full MP3 album of Trent Reznor's Social Network soundtrack from Amazom.com. I wanted to pay my money to support Reznor & Co. and the price seemed more than fair ($2.99). I was glad they don't use any stupid pointless DRM and are offering the MP3 files.

I clicked on "1-Click Buy" and was greeted with the page explaining that I need Amazon's special downloader in order to downoload the MP3s. I thought "WTF, these files are freely copyable MP3s without DRM, why should I use any kind of downloader?" but I had good will. My OS (Ubuntu 10.04) was not listed amongst the offered version. I tried older Ubuntu version and the Debian version. Both gave me the "Error: Dependency is not satisfiable: libboost-filesystem1.34.1" error.

I could've probably solved this in some way but... Why the fuck should I attempt to fix non-working software whose sole reason to exist is to complicate perfectly simple task of downloading one MP3 album?

I cancelled my purchase and downloaded the MP3 album elsewhere, in a matter of seconds.

I hope Amazon is happy now...

UPDATE: One day later, I bought the same MP3 album directly, for $5. More precisely, I just gave them my $5 and I didn't download anything because I already had the MP3s on my drive...

Albert's New Friend

Two Android bits

I am now a proud owner of HTC Desire Android phone (I am very happy with it) and I would like to share two interesting bits of information with you:

1. Android 2.1 (at least on HTC phones) includes the option for USB Internet tethering. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out this works as a charm even in Linux (at least in Ubuntu 10.04). Just connect your phone to your laptop using USB cable, select "Internet Sharing" on the phone and that's all - your laptop now has full Internet connectivity. No need for any configuration or special drivers.
2. There is a nice site called AppBrain which allows you to install Android Market applications to your phone from your PC, using normal Internet browser. Amongst other things, it also suggests what apps to install and allows you to share with the world the information about what you have installed. See this link which shows what is currently installed on my phone.

Mel Gibson's Epic Rant Ringtone

Mel Gibson Really knows how to talk to a woman.



If you are a woman and/or if you like Mel Gibson's sexy voice, you can download this MP3 file I edited from his recording and use it as a ringtone or alarm sound.

And now, something for the ladies

Or for gay dogs...

Problem solved!

My mother informed me she is getting ready to kill herself but she is worried about what will happen to her goldfish.

My dear ex-girlfriend offered she will take the goldfish with her to her new flat.

I just love it when everything works.

The Rocket Man on Google Maps

I found it! Elton John's private airplane!

Yesterday, Albert was 8 years old. In other news...

...In other news, me and Jitushka have broken up today.

There is really nothing to add, except maybe:

• There is no "clear single act" that caused this, much less anything scandalous.
• We were together for almost three years. That's not bad!
• Any sort-of-clever aphorism or short summary I'd write about the reasons (e.g. "She was too good for me!") would trivialize the whole thing immensely and unjustly.
• In the foreseeable future, Jitushka will still live with me, until everything is sorted out. For example, we are preparing Albert's birthday party for our friends (and dogs).
• I am quite positive our age difference was not the main problem. Nor the fact she doesn't like Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
• No, this will not "be over in a few days" and we are not "going to be back together", at least not in the foreseeable future.
• I sincerely hope (although I cannot be sure, of course) that we are both the sort of people who can remain friends even if they are (currently) not partners.

This is all really just FYI, so that I don't have to answer similar questions again and again. If you are feeling miserable for me, please don't. I am fully capable of feeling miserable on my own.

• You really don't have to remind me about "all the good things we experienced together" and how intelligent and beautiful Jitushka is. I am aware of those things better than you are, thank you.
• You really don't have to ask me if I am sure I did the right thing, what will happen in X days / months / years and if there's life on Mars.
• You really don't have to tell me that you are sorry, you feel for me, "Time is the greatest healer", "You'll find better girl" and similar crap.

Of course I am not ordering you what to write / say, but these things won't help me at all so you really don't have to bother unless you really cannot control you goodwill ejaculations.

If you have original (legal!) suggestions about what to do with the spare time after I am done translating "Predators" and "Inception", feel free to suggest...