Fri, 17 May 2013 08:17:33 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/ Glide Underground Backend en-us http://www.glideunderground.com/images/logo.gif http://www.glideunderground.com/ http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4258 So... quick miniature movie review. I may sit down to do a longer one soon but for now this is where it's at. Star Trek Into Darkness. So... first thing. We already know this is a reboot. This is not your mother and father's Star Trek. This is not a TV series, this is not shiny happy utopian-future. Things in the background are different, character motivations are different, some characters actually GET to have motivations now instead of being setpieces. Go with it. Second thing. Yes, they brought back a villain. Yes, it's exactly who you think it is. Yes, the reveal happens pretty early and no, you won't care. Again: things are different. The federation has gone in a different direction because they got the #$%#$ scared out of them twice and pulled a Brave Sir Robin when Kirk was still in diapers, and have proceeded to go all Sir Lancelot The Homicidally Brave since the destruction of Vulcan. The Klingon scene is brief but it's good to see them get screen time and it's good to realize they can be a creditable villain again. Yes, there are shout-outs to fans in this movie. Nods to what has gone before and nods to what is different. You know what? I don't really care. This was a GREAT movie. I enjoyed the heck out of every minute of it. I enjoyed the realization that this isn't going to be the same Trek we've seen before, and I enjoyed the idea that this might, actually, have some chance to start the series getting back to TV where it really belongs. Go see the movie. Set aside the worries, set aside the "but that's not canon", set aside the differences. Enjoy it for what it is. Second star to the right, straight on til morning. Fri, 17 May 2013 08:17:33 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4257 Here's an interesting theory on why Microsoft's kernel isn't updated as often as the Linux kernel family is: See, component owners are generally openly hostile to outside patches: if you're a dev, accepting an outside patch makes your lead angry (due to the need to maintain this patch and to justify in in shiproom the unplanned design change), makes test angry (because test is on the hook for making sure the change doesn't break anything, and you just made work for them), and PM is angry (due to the schedule implications of code churn). There's just no incentive to accept changes from outside your own team. You can always find a reason to say "no", and you have very little incentive to say "yes". There's also little incentive to create changes in the first place. On linux-kernel, if you improve the performance of directory traversal by a consistent 5%, you're praised and thanked. Here, if you do that and you're not on the object manager team, then even if you do get your code past the Ob owners and into the tree, your own management doesn't care. Now, this might be inherent to business - after all, Linux doesn't have companies demanding that patches don't break their entire business model. Sat, 11 May 2013 12:46:53 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4256 Story submitted by user Laromicas: A new version of this glide wrapper is out. nGlide is a freeware Glide wrapper for Windows and DOS games. It allows you to play 3Dfx games on modern GeForce/Radeon graphics cards. Some of them are Diablo 2, Need for Speed 2-5, Carmageddon 2, Tomb Raider, Turok. All three API versions are supported, Glide 2.1 (glide.dll), Glide 2.4 (glide2x.dll) and Glide 3.0 (glide3x.dll). Glide wrapper also supports high resolution modes. More information in its web. Link Sat, 11 May 2013 12:44:53 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4255 He's not really gone. Just making movies spookier in a different way. But alas... RIP Ray Harryhausen, 92 years old. Tue, 07 May 2013 13:23:00 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4254 This is just too juicy an analogy not to explore. But maybe Microsoft can turn it around, if the analogy works. And if they don't insult customers further by trying to force us into "what they think we want" rather than giving us what we actually want. Mon, 06 May 2013 09:27:49 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4253 Here are some indie game developers with their own take, plus a little trickery. Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:54:11 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4252 I'm amazed this idea came from a Republican - the thought is to make grade-appropriate science fiction mandatory reading in schools. I agree. Let's stimulate some young minds! Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:40:27 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4251 Ever wondered what happens when you rely on "the cloud" too much? One reporter recently found out: A few minutes into my Google-less existence, I realized how dependent I had become. I couldn’t finish my work or my taxes, because my notes and expenses were stored in Google Drive, and I didn’t know what else I should work on because my Google calendar had disappeared. I couldn’t publicly gripe about what I was going through, because my Blogger no longer existed. My Picasa albums were gone. I’d lost my contacts and calling plan through Google Voice; otherwise I would have called friends to cry. ... Sure, it had occurred to me when I had moved my work and memories into the “cloud” that I was relying on other people to keep them safe on their servers. But I figured a company with $50 billion in revenues and the modest aim to “organize the world’s information” had to run a tight ship. Anyway, it seemed implicit that in allowing Google to use my data, I could rely on Google to hold on to it—and to give it back. In reality, I discovered, Google assumes no responsibility over user data nor is it required by law to do so. In the same notice informing me that it had disabled my account, Google told me for the first time that it reserves the right to “terminate your account at any time, for any reason, with or without notice.”Emphasis added. Moral of the story: don't rely on "the cloud" for your storage. It can easily turn on you. Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:51:22 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4250 This is an absolutely brilliant and nigh-exhaustive rendition of the list of EA's crimes against gaming. You owe it to yourself to read it. EA's done the gaming world an amazing amount of hurt, and even I'd forgotten a lot of this. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:47:06 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4249 Word from the sales arena isn't good - Windows 8 is apparently responsible for a massive drop in PC sales. The problem? Touchscreens are not just inwieldy in a desk environment, they add to costs of a PC. All signs so far point to Windows 8 being a flop. "Unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only didn't provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market," IDC Vice President Bob O'Donnell said. The newest version of Windows is designed to work well with touch-sensitive screens, but the displays add to the cost of a PC. Together, the changes and higher prices "have made PCs a less attractive alternative to dedicated tablets and other competitive devices," O'Donnell said. Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:31:19 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4248 Thief. This could be interesting. Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:35:57 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4247 You owe it to yourself to check out this 4 billion pixel panorama from the Mars Curiosity Rover. Don't wait. Just do it. Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:19:27 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4246 The Pentium chip is now officially 20 years old. Amazing how long it took Intel to jettison that brand name in favor of "Core." Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:36:15 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4245 Capcom is remaking Ducktales, the old NES game, as a 3d-rendered title. The gameplay looks surprisingly sharp. Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:43:36 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4244 EA just fired their top man. Yes, that's right. Chucked him right out the door. First casualty of the insanity of the launch of SimCity. No word yet on whether or not EA will chuck the sort of DRM schemes that created this situation along with him. Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:58:18 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4243 Because it needed saying, and I can't say it any better. We should be able to unlock anything we own. Seriously. Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:30:39 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4242 A few reviews are in the works for "soon": Nu No Kuni - not done with it yet, but thoroughly enjoying it as it stands. Also: Hell of a plot twist. Dishonored - just finished this one. While it's great, solid story and wonderful world and the gameplay is definitely a worthy spiritual successor to either Thief or Deus Ex, I don't think I'm going to be replaying it. Borderlands 2 - so far, this is a mixed bag. Is there a lot to do? Yes. Is there a good reason to play it online with friends? Yes. Are there an incredible number of things that Gearbox half-assed and otherwise missed opportunities on? Most definitely. We'll see if they can fix some of the worst of it with the upcoming 4th expansion. Sat, 16 Mar 2013 23:50:41 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4241 A word from the management: These guys are freaking awesome. Why? Because they made a zero-budget movie, using entirely borrowed or donated stuff. And they're now giving away the movie itself. Through TPB, or KAT, or free streaming on Youtube and Vimeo both. Statement from the makers: Ahoy, pirates! Here be "The Amateur Monster Movie", the first feature film by Kyle Richards and King's Tower Productions. We are willfully providing it to you for the taking because we are uninterested in distribution-as-usual. Here's why: Let's look at what a movie is once its digital: it's data. Data that can be endlessly replicated and distributed throughout the world for a cost that could be considered "insignificant". It certainly doesn't cost us anything for you to download it. And it didn't cost us anything to upload it. It seems logical that in this scenario, there would be no money involved, as the only costs are the operations of computers that would be running regardless. With this in mind, we believe the future of film, television, music, and all media distribution is changing. As we move towards fully digital entertainment and away from DVDs, Blu Ray, and the like, the costs of distribution dissipate. And the price of acquiring said media should dissipate for the viewer as well. This is our little contribution in striving towards a world where all movies, television, music, and media are accessible at no charge to anyone who can access the internet. An internet which we also hope will be available at no charge to everyone who should seek it out, worldwide. This is the best way for everyone to share and learn about one another's thoughts, ideas, cultures, creativity, inspirations, and more. If the technology exists and the will to make it so exists, then it is only a matter of time. We choose to take that path now, in hopes that we may provide a cost-free, ad-free alternative to increasingly expensive and ad-filled media from the big corporations, despite their lowered costs of operation. It may seem like a far-fetched idea now, but every big idea had to start small. This movie was made in that mindset. No money was spent on cast, crew, locations, or equipment. Only food and small items for props and makeup were purchased all the way through the entire shoot. Come editing, it became inevitable to accumulate some larger costs, the greatest being time cost, three and a half years were put into this movie, but we also do have financial debts to repay. The good news is they are not insurmountable and the future bodes brighter. Increases in technology continue to cut down on lengthy turnaround periods, and in time we hope to produce higher and higher quality films at a lower and lower cost, eventually arriving in a situation where there is no cost to either see the film or make the film; eliminating money, intrusive advertisements, and internet "tollbooths" from the equation entirely. The creative possibilities such a scenario would allow for in all media are practically limitless. Though we have no illusions or desires of striking it rich off this movie, we are working to help pay off our expenses and if you enjoy the movie, purchasing a DVD at http://www.spadeheartclub.com is a great way to help us out. The DVDs contain two full commentary tracks, a behind the scenes featurette, an outtakes reel, and six deleted and extended scenes. There are no unskippable trailers or ads; there are no trailers or ads, period. It is just a pure, jam-packed, content-loaded DVD. We made it so people who loved the movie could have a copy of their own and know more about how it was made. And we're selling it at the best price we can, and will continue to do so until there's a way to make it free as well! Another, maybe even better way to help us, is to review the movie somewhere online once you've seen it. Go to our imdb page, do a write-up in your blog, post a link on your facebook, or anything else/all of the above! The farther we can spread the word, the better! We ain't in the business of makin' dollars; we're in the business of building an audience, the business of beginning a revolution of free digital media worldwide. It's time for us to stop artificially creating a supposed monetary value on that which costs its makers nothing to distribute. It's time to end prosecution against file sharing. Help us keep things rolling in that direction by telling everyone you know about "The Amateur Monster Movie" and where they can watch it for FREE! Thank you, Kyle Richards King's Tower ProductionsWell? What are you waiting for? FREE. But do maybe donate to the guys, okay? They deserve it. Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:03:27 -0500 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4240 An article through Gamasutra; according to the same metrics that say "violent video games make kids violent", a load of other things that create the same effect. Snakes. Pictures of bacon. The aggression they define in their study is a short-term increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and aggressive or competitive thoughts and actions. A reaction familiar to anyone who’s ever played a competitive sport. It’s also a familiar physiological response for anyone who’s ever seen a photo of a snake or dangerous predator; it’s a typical arousal response enhanced by competitive stimuli and excitement as indicated by any number of empirical studies on human autonomic responses. Music, films, TV, even books can elicit such a response from an average individual.This is what happens when bad science gets credited with being valid... we just heard about the fudged, falsified research that was the basis for the crusades against comic books decades ago as well. Sat, 09 Mar 2013 12:15:09 -0600 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4239 Cooler Master says they've made some serious hardware that recreates the feel of the old IBM battleship keyboards. Oh, to get my hands on one. Literally. Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:54:11 -0600 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4238 Well, so much for SimCity 5 being an option to play. The online requirement for a single-player game is killing it. Just say no to EA and online-tied games. Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:09:22 -0600 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4237 Here's an interesting one from the world of politics: a petition to the White House leads to a response in favor of re-legalizing unlocking phones to make them transferable from carrier to carrier. Consumers will be forced to pay exorbitant roaming fees to make calls while traveling abroad. It reduces consumer choice, and decreases the resale value of devices that consumers have paid for in full. The Librarian noted that carriers are offering more unlocked phones at present, but the great majority of phones sold are still locked. We ask that the White House ask the Librarian of Congress to rescind this decision, and failing that, champion a bill that makes unlocking permanently legal.That... is stunning. Hopefully it'll get fixed. Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:41:27 -0600 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4236 The book industry's got a bit of a scandal on its hands. Anyone else thinking this kind of pay-for-listing probably happens in the games industry too? Not to mention in the review categories on most of the high-professional sites. We all remember the Kane&Lynch debacle. Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:31:40 -0600 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4235 I have nothing to say other than you have got to see this. First time I've ever seen the term "metric duckload" used to describe tape and glue. Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:33:21 -0600 http://www.glideunderground.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4234 So apparently, the mob dynamics of a mosh pit are amazingly similar to the physics of a 2d gas at equilibrium. This makes for some crazy math. Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:21:52 -0600