Friday evening..

Posted Friday, March 31st 2006

Well, it’s friday night, almost 11 pm, and I’m too tired to go out. Had a quiz today, on a rather dull topic - Difficulties in Simulating the Internet. Not hard, just a bit dull - and the paper is a bit outdated, which is odd, when it’s for a module called Contemporary Issues in Telecommunication. Overall, a well-written and usefull paper, but since it was written back in 2000/1, it’s just slightly outdated and dull.

Anyway.. Easter break is coming up, and I certainly am looking forward to it. I need some time to relax and take my mind off things. University obligations are becoming a bit hectic and I certainly am looking forward to finishing with lectures and exams. Just three short months left. Or less, actually. Then there’s the issue of the MSc thesis, but all in good time. I believe I shouldn’t have any problems with it.

So anyway yeah.. The weather is finally getting better - I actually wore shorts today. Can’t wait for some warmer weather and some sun. I intend to spend a good deal of this summer at some beach, or at least travelling around. Ya.

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Stuff dreams are made of..

Posted Wednesday, March 29th 2006

Every now and then, an automotive concept comes by that completely blows me away. Gorgeous, revolutionary cars that really grasp the essence of what driving is all about. And over the past few days, I’ve been drooling over the Saab Aero-X concept.

It’s an amazing feat of automotive design and engineering. Jet-fighter-like cockpit, with various aerospace touches, an amazing design that almost looks like a Transformer, and not to mention a BioPower eco-friendly bio-ethanol engine. A 2.8 litre, twin-turbo V6 putting out 400 horsepower, and making trees sing and puppies smile while doing it. It’s simply astonishing.

Very unlikely to go into production, but still an extremely important car. This is most likely the future, and it looks good.

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What I have to do..

Posted Monday, March 27th 2006

One thing that I have to do before I croak, is drive an Aston Martin DB9 up and down the Stelvio Pass.

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A quote #2

Posted Saturday, March 25th 2006

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To copy-protect, or not to copy-protect?

Posted Friday, March 17th 2006

Admit it - you’ve used pirated software. Everyone has. It’s nothing to be ashamed of - everyone knows your (not so) dirty little secret. Piracy is basically an unavoidable aspect of software - and sooner or later, a way around is found for any copy protection system.

Those of you that I’ve talked to either online or IRL, you probably know my deep deep hate for StarForce. For those that don’t know what it is - check out the Boycott StarForce page. I’m not going to get into technicalities on how StarForce works, but if you are interested, the Boycott Starforce page provides a number of links to sources.

The thing is, the gaming industry (StarForce’s main source of income) approaches the piracy problem from a wrong angle. And yes, I will admit that it is a problem. I fully respect game developer’s work and fully understand their wish to protect their work. However, in an era when an adequate gaming graphics card costs ~$150, charging $50+ for a game is too much. Anyway - back to my point - instead of trying to prevent piracy, developers and publishers should try to promote their games in a more approachable way. And it’s not like the gaming industry is short on cash - it makes more money than Hollywood (if you don’t consider rentals). Maybe instead of angering and alienating paying customers, the industry should try and attract gamers - and this can be done in a multitude of ways. One idea is to sell games cheaper. Or to provide bonus content over time.. But I personally know a number of people there were put off from buying a game just because they know that the copy protection system that comes with the game will cause problems.

Furthermore, just like the music industry (up yours RIAA), the gaming industry has to realize that NOT every instance of piracy is a lost sale. A lot of people will download a song, or a game, try it out, and if they like it, they will do the right thing, and buy a legitimate copy. And that’s commendable.

A few days ago, I picked up an original of Far Cry for $15. Brand new. It’s a great game. Did I have to buy it? No. But I like the game, and it was cheap. And it doesn’t use a copy protection system that will break down my machine.

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