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Posted at 10:31AM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

I hope the microncontroller clicks with him - if he shows interest in actually making a board from scratch I recommend LadyAda's kits - easy to build, requires minor soldering skills

Posted at 11:01AM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

Thanks Purple Spheres is a very cool concept. I like the whole lo-tech attitude to hi-tech although I had to go to Wikipedia to find out what a multi touch interface was...

Posted at 11:16AM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

I love the parental advisory at the start of the Spore introductory video:

"Animated blood. Comic mischief. Fantasy violence."

Comic mischief!? What is the world coming to!?

I wonder if they slap the same warnings on the front page of Shakespeare's more light-hearted plays?

Posted at 11:19AM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

Yikes, having watched the remainder of the Spore video, it needs at least one more warning:

"May make children susceptible to ravings of crazed creationists".

Posted at 11:22AM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

I gather they played an "epic" three hours in Dunedin.

Without chemical enhancement, that's my particular version of hell. I say get in, get out, leave them gasping.

I wonder how I would have fared at all those six-hour Led Zeppelin shows in the 70s...

Posted at 11:38AM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

Comic Mischief would make a totally awesome band name.

Posted at 11:52AM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

Nice call on The Saints this morning....a brass section with loud guitars is hard to beat.

Hunters & Collectors encored their last Powerstation show back in the 90's with a version of "Know your Product" which was nothing short of stunning

Posted at 11:56AM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

a brass section with loud guitars is hard to beat.

Does that mean The Spelling Mistakes are gonna use The Newmatics brass section for a live take of Feel So good?

Posted at 11:59AM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

six hour Led Zeppelin shows

No Stairway

BTW, thanks for the pointer at Purple Spheres.

Posted at 12:35PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

a programmable microcontroller

Species? pic/avr/arm/8051/other

I show people this with great enthusiasm

Mostly I get confused looks and a few patronising smiles. It's a special kind of cool, Leo might get it.

Mind Lego.

Posted at 12:37PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

So the news is that Spore crashes at launch, reporting an "access violation" and a missing DLL -- after, of course, deciding it needs to update. Very disappointed boy.

Windows sucks balls.

Posted at 12:43PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

So the news is that Spore crashes at launch, reporting an "access violation" and a missing DLL -- after, of course, deciding it needs to update. Very disappointed boy.

And the download site has been stuck in some hell loading-loop for two days

Very disappointed girl..

Posted at 12:55PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

And the download site has been stuck in some hell loading-loop for two days

Very disappointed girl..

And there's a three-activation limit on the game purchase, and if we we try and reinstall to restore the missing DLL file, we use up another one of those.

We're not the only ones with these and other problems either.

I'm of the view currently that EA needs to be crucified over this. They've released broken software and made it very difficult to fix because of the way they've applied their DRM.

Wankers.

Posted at 1:00PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

because of the way they've applied their DRM.

Is that the same EA who screwed up my daughters computer so completely on a dozen different levels with their securom on The Sims 2 that I had to demolish the hard drive and reinstall everything to get it working again(she lost a bunch of long term homework in the process)?

I guess it is....

Posted at 1:10PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

Wow Neil - bit bashing video on an Atmel FTW!

Is this open source - like is there code and circuits?

My microcontroller art project is Dance Dance Decoration which uses a PICAXE to drive the paint sprayer motors.

Posted at 1:27PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

Sooo, I was engaged in my usual commuter stroll up Queen St yesterday with Hornblower when he deadpanned "oh look, we're in a Bravia ad". And sure enough, hundreds of purple sphere were rolling across the Queen/Victoria intersection. One plopped into my foot. "www.purplespehres.co.nz". Right. "Sounds like a Prince song gone wrong". Ho ho ho. Still, the design and innovation team at work were well curious.

My only hope: none of them ended up in the Waitemata.

And speaking of the environment, Green party campaign launch today:

http://www.greens.org.nz/election08

Why would you not?

Posted at 1:35PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

The youtube description says:

Full screen video, source code, schematics and more at: http://www.linusakesson.net/scene/craft/

Posted at 1:38PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

@Neil Graham :

Len Lye would've loved it.

Cheers,
Brent.

Posted at 1:40PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

hmmm the kooks really are a shocker of a band truely insipid although yes the cover of kids is ..er... okayish . Not a patch on the original though as John Peel would have said - really , whats the point ? As for BJM sounds like that could be a guietly evolving riot of a show , just tried to get tickets but alas its sold out apart form a few door sales . drat . The KA will be rammed and very up for it tonight I'd say .

Posted at 3:06PM on 5 Sep 08. Permalink.

Meanwhile, on Planet Loonytunes (considerably weirder than a Spore Planet), a would-be leader pronounces:

"I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth"

Sweet Jesus you couldn't make this shit up.