Retro Arcade Action 2011
Posted by Chris in Video Games on February 7th, 2011
If, like me, you grew up in the early 80’s and were into video games you will surely remember the video arcades. In Australia, the biggest chain was probably Timezone. I can remember catching the train into the city to waste much money in the George St. arcades (Sydney, NSW). Recently, I have been reliving these days via the MAME emulator which allows you to play many of the arcade favourites on your PC.
There is a website called Twin Galaxies which has been keeping track of high scores for many of these classic arcade games and each year they run a MAME Decathlon where classic gamers can compete against other enthusiasts over a selection of 10 games.
I have signed up for the first time this year and encourage anyone who is interested in reliving their childhood to do the same. The more the merrier as they say.
This year the Decathlon is running during the month of February so better get your skates on if you want to compete. The game list is as follows: Cheeky Mouse, Ladybug, Cosmic Alien, Cosmic Avenger, Mr. Do’s Wild Ride, Nova 2001, Snap Jack, Jumping Jack, Space Raider, and Space Panic. The hardcore among you may recognise a theme.. they were all published by Universal.
You can visit the MAME Decathlon 2K11 forum for more information including how to get started and also chat with the other competitors.
If you want to see how I am going check out the current scoreboard.
The mystery of the Thylacine
Posted by Chris in Uncategorized on December 11th, 2010
A friend with the email thylacine recently wrote but the email address you gave does not work so I can’t write back. Please leave a comment on this post with your email so we can get in touch.
My first Internet encounter, 20 years on.
As the end of 2009 draws very close I have been racking my brains trying to think of something to add to this blog to sum up the past year. It dawned on me today that it has been 20 years since I first used the Internet.
Back in 1989 I was heavily into the Commodore Amiga scene and BBS’s (Bulletin Board Systems), and to communicate with others around the world we had to dial up a BBS in another country. For reasons that I have long forgotten I happen to be dialling into a BBS in the Netherlands called HackTic (or something similar) and one of their features was a thing called ‘email’. Curiously, I signed up for this ‘email’ and was given a bizarre string of characters - jacknife@utopia.hacktic.nl. Jacknife being the alias (or handle) I was using to logon to the BBS. I had no real idea what I was supposed to do with this string of characters and unfortunately, I don’t remember if I ever actually used the address but if I did it was probably just to contact someone else on the same BBS.
It wasn’t until 1992, when I first attended university and got ‘proper’ access to the Internet that I realised what I had been given back in 1989 at that Dutch BBS - a small part in what was to become something enormous. The Internet has been a constant in my life even since that day and I have witnessed some incredible changes, both good and bad.
Sony STR-DA5300ES Receiver
Posted by Chris in Home Theatre on March 24th, 2009
My latest upgrade of my home theatre setup sees me replace my aging Sony STR-D915 AV receiver with a brand new STR-DA5300ES beast. Although I had initially put a budget limit of around $1000 on my AVR upgrade I decided to go that extra bit to get everything I ever wanted. To say I’m blown away by this AVR is a total understatement. Considering my previous AVR purchase was way back in the early 1990’s this new machine has so many new features that it will probably take me another 10 years to fully come to grips with all it offers.
The STR-DA5300ES is a 7.1-channel receiver rated at 120 watts per channel and features a full array of Dolby and DTS surround processing modes including the latest Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. It’s connectivity options are incredible with a total of 16 available inputs including 6 HDMI v1.3 inputs enabling support for 1080/60p and 24p video formats, Deep Color, and x.v.Color (xvYCC). Other inputs include 3 component, 5 s-video, 3 composite, 4 analog audio, 1 phono, 5 optical audio, 3 coaxial audio, 7.1 multi-channel audio, a RS-232c port, and a Digital Media Port which can be used for such things as a Bluetooth Audio Adaptor or a Wireless Network Audio Adaptor.
It’s physical design is slick and features an all aluminium front panel. It is available in a silver or a black finish and I chose the black mostly because it fits in better with my other components and also because I believe it is less likely to date. The LED display is subtle and a nice blue light appears when the audio source is multi-channel.
The STR-DA5300ES’s video-upconverting capabilities are a strong point. All analog signals can be upconverted/upscaled to the HDMI output using Faroudja® DCDi™ Cinema Technology, and you can select an output of up to 1080p if your TV supports it. Unfortunately my TV can only go to 1080i but sometime next year I will be upgrading and I’ll be sure to get one that supports full HD (1080p).
The STR-DA5300ES features Sony’s Xross Media Bar (XMB) inspired Graphic User Interface which is somewhat reminiscent of the interface found on the PS3. Once you press the menu button on the remote you are able to control most functions of the receiver right there on the TV.
The STR-DA5300ES also includes Sony’s new Digital Media Port (DMP) which essentially is a type of proprietary USB or Firewire port. The marketing blurb claims you will be able to connect things such as a Sony Walkman or other MP3 player, mobile phones, other Bluetooth devices, and even Wi-Fi devices to the Digital Media Port. The slight catch is that you cannot actually connect the device straight to the DMP but rather you need to buy another accessory which provides the connection between the device and the DMP. Some accessories already on the market are the TDM-IP1 iPod dock, the TDM-BT1 Bluetooth audio adaptor, TDM-NC1 Wi-Fi network audio adapter for streaming music over a wireless network, and the TDM-NW1 Network Walkman cradle.
Another feature that is new to me is the ability to perform automatic speaker calibration. At first I thought it was probably more of a sales gimmick than anything but after using it I find that it actually incredibly smart. Sony’s name for the automatic system is DCAC (Digital Cinema Auto Calibration) and allows you to perform tasks such as checking the speaker connections, adjusting the speaker levels & frequencies, and measuring the distance of each speaker from your listening position. Basically, you plug in the supplied optimiser microphone and place it at the position where you will be listening/watching from, then hit ‘Calibrate’. The AVR then runs through a optimisation process by emitting a series of sound beeps and measures the speaker responses. After completion it allows you to review the results and accept or deny the suggested settings (with or without any tweaks you add yourself).
Overall, this machine is awesome. The audio and video quality is superb and the connectivity options are second to none. I am a very satisfied customer.
Counting your DVD’s online - an alternative to DVDSpot.com
Posted by Chris in Internet, Technology on November 20th, 2008
As I have become quite a collector of movies over the last 6 months as a result of the High Definition format war I have also become involved in some of the online activities that go along with it. One such area is that of the cataloging of DVD’s that you personally own for others to see.
One of the most popular sites for this purpose was called DVDSpot.com but recently it was shut down by its owners to pursue other endeavours. Unfortunately, I had never actually had my list published on DVDSpot but couldn’t help notice the outcry over its disappearance.
Anyway, as I thought it was about time to put my own DVD list online I started mucking around with writing my own software to do the task. After an intensive week or so I had whipped up a fairly barebones PHP/MYSQL cataloging system.
I thought that other people might also find it useful so I chucked it up on a newly registered domain and invited a few beta testers to give it a whirl. While it didn’t compare to the old DVDSpot it was quick and easy to use and did the job. Anyway, I’ve been working on it now for the last month or so and it has been posted in a few forums which has increased its exposure greatly. We are now getting close to 100 members.
The project can be viewed at DVDCount.com and it’s free to join!
My personal catalog is available here.
Klipsch Quintet III Home Theatre System
Posted by Chris in Home Theatre on November 12th, 2008
Hot on the heels of my headlong dive into HD I felt it was about time to invest in a decent set of surround speakers. I had up until this point been using my beloved pair of Advent floor standers so had been missing out on the whole surround experience. Of course like any other purchase I was on a budget and could not even consider justifying the many thousands of dollars needed for the best of the best.
After doing quite a bit of research on the net I came across the Klipsch Quintet III from their Synergy Series of speakers and was quite impressed with some of the reviews I had read especially this one from Cnet and this one from Audioholics. I also recently found out that they won the Best Home Theatre System Of The Year Under $2000 in the 2008 Sound + Image Awards.
Living in a regional area made it impractical for me to be able to listen to the speakers before buying even if I could find a shop that stocked them but nevertheless I decided to take a gamble on this system and the optional Klipsch Sub-10 Subwoofer.
The next step was to find the best price. The RRP for the complete set seemed to be up around the $2000 mark so I was more than happy to pick up a brand new one, including the Sub-10 subwoofer, for ~$650 delivered from the Grays online auction website.
So what’s the verdict?
Suffice to say I am over the moon with my decision to go with this system. It really has an excellent sound quality and the punch you get from such a small set of speakers is mind blowing. I guess like many people I had the opinion that small bookshelf speakers lacked power but not anymore - if the speakers weren’t visible you would never guess they were responsible for the sound you are hearing. The standard package only comes with the 5 surround speakers (left, right, centre, back left, & back right) so definitely needs to be accompanied by a subwoofer as the speakers do lack the ability to produce the rumbling bass. The matching Sub-10 subwoofer completes the set perfectly and it is slightly surprising that it’s not included as standard.
So if you are in the market for a reasonably priced high quality home theatre system you will not regret putting the Klipsch Quintet III set on your shopping list.
Another change is in the air!
As the end of each year approaches I tend to devote some thought to what I want to do in the new year. The obvious choice this year is to continue with my Bachelor of Social Science but I have to admit that it turned out to be a little different than what I was expecting. The endless reading and reading just bores me silly and while I found some of the subject matter to be quite interesting I don’t think I want to make a career out of it.
So where do I go from here?
If I am to stick with what I know the only two avenues are computing which I have mentioned before in previous entries and teaching or more specifically assistant teaching. Back in 2002 while looking for some extra work I took up a part-time position as a teacher’s aide at a local primary school. I must admit that I really enjoyed working with the students especially those with special needs and considered myself quite fortunate to be able to offer my help and support to a community. With my experience in the IT field I quickly became a bit of a go-to guy when the “computers went down”.
Before this I had never really thought of getting involved in the education field but found the work very rewarding and many existing teachers suggested I look into doing some further study to get qualified as a teaching assistant or even consider going all the way and becoming a proper teacher.
Over the next few years I got plenty more work as a teacher’s aide and found myself accepting positions in another 2 primary schools and most recently in 2 secondary schools. The contrast between primary and secondary was incredible - talk about chalk and cheese. Unfortunately, I eventually started to notice some serious issues in the education system and became quite disillusioned and frustrated with the whole thing. In fact, my experiences in the education system probably deserve a separate entry or two.
So to sum up, I’m burnt out with computing, disillusioned with teaching, and bored with social science. What on earth to try next?
PS: Happy birthday to me!
I Won A Wii !!!
Posted by Chris in Video Games on October 12th, 2007
With the cashing in of some of my universal karma points and a little bit of luck one of my entries was selected by the nice people at Cottees in their We Love Cottees promotion.
That’s right! A brand spanking new Nintendo Wii is only between 4 and 6 weeks away from my grubby little hands. Not a bad reward for the purchase of a couple of bottles of cordial. Grape Crush and Raspberry if I remember correctly.
It seems Nintendo has taken a new direction with the Wii instead of trying to compete head on with the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3 and I’m quite eager to see the results.
Perhaps one of the most novel differences is in the way the Wii is controlled. It’s controller, the wireless Wii-Mote, can detect its position and orientation in a 3D space. In other words, you can wave it all about and the machine will respond. In addition to the standard controller there are a host of other similarly novel controllers available like tennis racquets, snooker cues, nunchuks, swords and shields, etc.
Not long after I got the good news, Big W, a local supermarket was having a sale on their Wii games and I managed to score The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess for $44.00 down from $93.84 - that’s less than half price! How could I resist?
Now it’s a waiting game… tick tock tick tock… Wait! Is that the courier?
Spring Session 2007 at CSU
The new semester has started and I am only doing one subject this time. The subject is called Government and Police and apparently it will help me develop an understanding of the relationship between government and policing, with particular emphasis on policing in liberal democracies. As it is my only subject this semester I’m going to really make an effort to stay ahead of the program and see if it makes a difference in the long run.
By the way I received a CR (credit) and a PS (Pass) for the subjects I did last semester.