Play Shadowbane free forever

(via Blue’s News)

If you’ve ever wanted to try out any of the available MMORPGs, you can play Shadowbane for free.  The cool thing is, the free period no longer runs out.  If you need the client, you can download it from FilePlanet.  I’ve not located the file at other download services yet, but I’ve only checked a couple others.  The link goes to the 25-day trial, but the trial does not run out.  This really is free as long as the game servers stay around.

[tags]Shadowbane, MMORPG, free[/tags]

Safe pr0n surfing

(via BoingBoing)

Something that will be of use for either of my regular readers, I’m sure.  No, it’s not a tutorial on surfing pr0n at work.  It is a guide on how to avoid some of the problems that can pop up when surfing adult sites.

I list the bad things that porn (and travel and pharmaceutical) sites do, things you can do to avoid them, how to clean up your computer when you’re done, and I offer basic tips on foiling stalkers and sites that cache your history. Not to mention basics, like not using your real name in fetish forums and marking your Amazon wishlist as private, should you decide to stash some sexy books for later that you don’t want *just anyone* to see.

[tags]Pr0n, porn, safe surfing[/tags]

Turn your profile into a dowel

(via BoingBoing)

This is really something that needs to be seen to understand. But as soon as you see it, you’ll say “Oh, I get it.” Or something like that. Site turnyourhead will take profile and spin a dowel based on it.

Like this:

turnyourhead1.jpg

or

turnyourhead-luci.jpg

At Turn Your Head, we fill the space between two opposing profiles of your face. By spinning that space into a three dimensional “visage” that follows the outlined silhouettes of your two profiles, we create the “Pirolette”.

Place the “Pirolette” to your face and it will match your profile. Locate it near a wall and the shadow of the “Pirolette” will be your silhouette.

Your profile captured forever in an object of art. An optical illusion of shadow and light, each one unique because it’s you!

The “Pirolette” is hand crafted from American Black Walnut, Cherry or Maple and is hand polished to a natural luster.

I may have to do this for my kids.  That’s pretty cool.

[tags]Turnyourhead, dowel[/tags]

42 Questions with Flagship Studios on Hellgate

(via Kotaku)

I’ve been watching Hellgate ever since reading about it last year. From some of the folks who did Diablo, it looks to be a really cool game. If you want to read an in-depth interview about the game, hit this 42 Question interview at Hellgate guru. Also, view the original thread from which this interview was put together.

4. Is there any sort of character evolution aside from the base concept of getting ph4t l3wt?

You thinking story-wise? If so, then not really. Players take on the role of character that partakes in a developing storyline, but aside from becoming an ultra powerful champion, that character will not really develop and have a mysterious back story of his or her own.

Ahhh, good. We get to stick to the action side here. I like that. Doesn’t sound like there will be too much story getting in the way. Sometimes, that’s what I want in a game, don’t you?

11. Will there be a hardcore mode?

Yes, there will be. That, at least, I can say.

This is a bleh feature to me, but I know a lot of gamers who like hardcore mode. Die, and that character is gone. I don’t have the time to get that good at the game, though.

Hit the interview and read all the questions – just like the answer to the ultimate question of the universe, there are 42.

[tags]Hellgate, Flagship Studios, gaming[/tags]

Bioware to build an MMO?

(via Joystiq)

Gamebanshee has an article up with some details on Bioware’s opening of a development office in Austin, Texas.  Word is the folks there will be working on a new massively multiplayer game (MMO).

BioWare Austin Has Already Begun Work On A Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG) title; the new game will mark BioWare’s debut in the Massively Multiplayer Online space. BioWare has recruited some of the top talent in MMO and RPG development, both to manage the development efforts at BioWare Austin and to collaborate with the experienced team at BioWare Edmonton, to develop a game that combines the best of BioWare’s great past games with a compelling persistent online experience. Joining the Austin team as lead designer is James Ohlen, BioWare’s Creative Director, whose previous credits include lead or co -lead design roles on Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic(.TM), Neverwinter Nights(.TM), Baldur’s Gate(.TM) and Baldur’s Gate II(.TM). Also leading the BWA team are MMO veterans Richard Vogel and Gordon Walton. Richard Vogel Brings 15 years of experience to BioWare Austin, previously serving as VP of Product Development for Sony Online Entertainment’s Austin studio, as well as launching Ultima Online(.TM) as a senior producer at Origin. Gordon Walton Recently Served As VP, studio manager and executive producer at Sony Online Entertainment as well as VP and Executive Producer at Electronic Arts.

If you don’t recognize those names, just let me assure you that’s some big-name talent coming in to the office.  Guess I’ll have another MMO to get in to once I tire of City of Heroes.

[tags]MMO, Bioware, Austin[/tags]

Blind must pass driver’s education in Chicago

Here is an excellent case of rules taking precedence over common sense.  In Chicago, apparently, no one on the educating side thought about fixing the problem with requiring the educated to pass driver’s ed, even if they are blind or sight impaired.

Most high school students eagerly await the day they pass driver’s education class. But 16-year-old Mayra Ramirez is indifferent about it.  Ramirez is blind, yet she and dozens of other visually impaired sophomores in Chicago schools are required to pass a written rules-of-the-road exam in order to graduate — a rule they say takes time away from subjects they might actually use.

Not everyone is oblivious to the problem:

“It defies logic to require blind students to take this course,” Meta Minton, spokeswoman for the state Board of Education, told the Chicago Tribune in a Friday story.

And here’s someone showing the typical bureaucratic response (that would be lay blame on the suffering party):

“I can’t explain why up to this point no one has raised the issue and suggested a better way for visually impaired students to opt out of driver’s ed,” said Chicago schools spokesman Michael Vaughn.

In other words, it’s not *our* fault these people have to do this – they haven’t asked out of it.  Never mind that it doesn’t make any sense. 

[tags]Driver’s ed, bureaucracy[/tags]

Don’t wear this belt buckle, you perverts

(via Kotaku)

OK, I know some gamer geeks somewhere will really like this belt buckle. I get the appeal of the retro gaming scene. I can see why someone would want to own the little joystick in this picture. But please, for the sake of everyone else in the world, don’t actually wear this thing. It’s not funny, and I don’t think anyone will have any problem figuring out what you are suggesting – and no, it’s not that you like playing Atari 2600 games.

joystick_belt_buckle.jpg

[tags]Gaming, joystick, retro belt buckle[/tags]