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[tamakun]

Something's slowing down my desktop, and I have a feeling it's something Javascript-related (since my computer really does slow down whenever I start running Java apps), so I'm gonna try to close a few tabs here. :)

In remembering the game Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It, I was wondering if there was a place where I could play old Infocom games. Of course there is! Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It and Suspended, two Infocom games I really would like to finish sometime, and I never got around to putting together that Suspended Gathering to sit around and play a game on the big screen, complete with a board to move the Robots about and keep us focused.

If any of you guys haven't picked up Crystal Towers 2 yet, you really should. davidn's just put it up on Desura, and as such, he's put it up at an introductory price - and come on, it's only $3 at this point! :D If you like side-scrolling adventure-like games, you owe it to yourself to see this four-year project!

Other games I've been playing recently is Child of Eden. The Kinect sensor goes crazy from time to time but otherwise the game is just gorgeous to look at. I thought Beauty was the best-looking level, then I saw Passion... so many gears...

Oh yeah, and while we're talking games and Javascript, have I mentioned I tried Minecraft awhile back? Since it was part of the Humble Indie Bundle (but only gave access until August 14th), I had a chance to try out the game, which resulted in me digging a hole deep into a mountain and making it look like a complex catacomb. I totally can see how that game got so popular so quickly. It's fascinating! (Unfortunately, my time is up to play it, and the last thing I did was uncover a monster's cavern in the deep underground, and got insta-killed.)

Here's your oddity of the day: Baguette Vending Machine in France has a number of par-baked baguettes that you can purchase - drop in a few francs, it finishes baking it for you and let you enjoy a "freshly-baked baguette". Christine and I saw a vending machine like this in Japan where we got hot Rice Balls (they were microwaved when we ordered them), but honestly, I don't think this statement is true: "It's like with banks: before, everyone went to a teller; now, everybody uses ATMs; it will be the same with bread: Today, everybody goes to the bakery. Tomorrow they'll go to the baguette dispenser." (At least, I sure hope not...)

Comments

[ravenworks.livejournal.com]

A little word to the wise - Java and JavaScript have nothing to do with each other ;) JavaScript's name was pure marketing.

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

Ah, crud! I thought if there was no relation, it would've come to a "your name dilutes our branding" lawsuit, and one company would be forced to change the name.

So what's Java, and what's JavaScript, then? Is Java a language and JavaScript some subset of HTML?

[ravenworks.livejournal.com]

JavaScript is a language for controlling the HTML in a webpage. It's based on ECMAscript, which Actionscript (Flash) is also based on. Java is a (very different) language for writing platform-independent applications. (Which was a bigger deal before things like Flash came along... Java is still much more powerful, but most people don't need all that power, which is why you hardly see Java applets any more.)

And in fact, according to Wikipedia, the name was seemingly more to PROMOTE their branding...