25-27 August 2006 The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is the essential annual event for everyone working in television. Shaping the future of our industry by debating the key issues of the day, the Festival opens doors to learn from the best in the business and build relationships within the TV community. Engaging, vibrant and fun, EITF is a sociable experience that celebrates success and is committed to the development of new talent. Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Scotland http://www.mgeitf.co.uk/
Simon Perry
Commodore 64 Emulated In Flash
How fantastic is this? A couple of turbo-code monkeys have written a Commodore 64 (C64) emulator that runs within Flash on a Web browser.Darron Schall from Pennsylvania and Claus Wahlers from Brazil have been working together to create this beauty.
The Flash code emulates the C64 main CPU, the 6510 (a derivative of the 6502) and most of the other chip-ery, allowing the loading of old Commodore 64 programs and run them.
The C64 was a revelation when it was first released in 1982, opening up personal computing to a whole new generation, offering the shockingly large 64k of RAM and the ability to load and save programs to a trusty audio tape recorder.
Software emulating old computer circuitry has been around for quite some years, with MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) being a very strong example that’s coming up for its 10th birthday.
MAME was a huge revelation when it first arrived, letting users load up the ROM sets from old arcade machine and play them as if it was on the original hardware.One of the problems with the original approach was a need to write a different version of the code for each hardware platform. This, over time, lead to MAME on Dos, MAME32 on Windows xMAME for unix-based machines, and MacMAME for Mac OS X.
The benefit of writing it in Flash is that, by writing it for a software platform (Flash), it should work on all machines that run Flash, without it needing to be re-written.
All of the emulators are a clear demonstration that the power of hardware has increased tremendously.Software like FC64 reminds us that any hardware, or software that runs on it can, in time, be emulated as processors continue to become powerful. Beyond the fun of video games, security system can also be emulated, an argument used by those who oppose their blind use.
(via BoingBoing)
EIEF06: Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival
21 – 22 August The Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival gets to the cultural and creative heart of games. With an expert team gathered from across the interactive entertainment business driving the festival, Edinburgh provides two days of stimulating and forward thinking debate, great networking and the chance to experience the wider context of games as part of the world’s biggest cultural festival. EIEF is designed with simple core objectives: to help you know more, to help you ask the right questions and to challenge the way you think about the future of games. From groundbreaking sessions to a wide ranging screenings event covering four major cinema screens, it is unrivalled in terms of value and benefit. Some of the world’s leading developers, companies and brand leaders will be in Edinburgh to share their thinking, their ideas and their vision. We went last year and were really impressed. Edinburgh, UK http://www.eief.co.uk/
Polycom Communicator Review: Handsfree Skype (83%)
The Polycom Communicator (C100S) first caught our eye at the Skype-day in London. It’s a well-formed handsfree speaker/mic kit that connects to your PC via USB, letting you make trouble-free calls on Skype.Polycom aren’t new to the field of handsfree. You may well have used their SoundStation in telephone conferences. They’ve leveraged this experience to tune the Communicator to minimise feedback.
What’s it like to use
Getting it setup is breeze. When you’ve carried out the one-off process of installing the small piece of software on to the PC and authorised to allow it to work with Skype, you’re away.We found it very easy to use, not only that, but were highly impressed with its performance.
Conversations flow more naturally, as if you were in the same room as the person, because you’re not holding a phone handset. The extra auto-echo-cancellation that has been built into it, also lets you use it without the other party realising.
For those who are keen on secrecy, there’s a standard 3.5cm headphone socket in the right by the mic.
When you’re travelling and need to make a series of calls from your hotel room, the Communicator will be a boon. Forget using the cellular with an ear piece, this lets you sit in your hotel room and make your calls while taking advantage of Skype’s low-cost calling too.
The Communicator also has a life beyond Skype calls. Due to its high quality speaker, it’s great to use to play your music through, or use during a presentation with audio in it. A great advantage.
Design
It’s a well designed solid piece of kit that’s had a lot of thought put into it. This is amply demonstrated by its surface-finish (which comes in either blue or grey), which just through its touch gives you confidence in it.With its size being similar to two packs of cards sitting next to each other (3.24″ x 5.25″ x 0.85″/ 85 cm x 135cm x 25 cm), you would have no hesitation in chucking it in to your bag when you’re on a business trip.
The centre-top is dominated by a high quality (22 KHz) speaker, with twin microphones on either side of the bottom front corners. This not only gives excellent sound reproduction (actually beyond Skype 16KHz capabilities), but the dual mics make it easy for many people around a table to take part in the conversation. The microphones are independently balanced, so a person sitting a distance away from one would not be drowned out by another sitting close to the other.The middle section of the unit has a collection of five buttons arranged within a circle. On the left is a blue Skype-logo’s button, that when pressed, makes the Skype software on your PC become active. The button on the opposite side of the circle connects and disconnects calls. Volume controls are at the top and the bottom, with a mute button in the centre.
Around these buttons is a circular LED that gives progress on the call – it flashes green when connecting the call, glows green when on a call and red when the conversation is muted.The back is hinged to provide two features – holding the 79 cm (33″) long USB lead that wraps around the back, and to act as a stand for the unit when it’s in use. Like the rest of the unit, it too, has a reassuringly-solid feel about it, with a hinge that feels like it will last.
The intelligent design touches continues on this flapped hinge with its rubber corners, minimising movement where it rests against the table.
Summary
A great, quality device that works easily and well, providing you with a better way of making Skype calls.Score: 83%
Ups
Great quality calls on Skype Superb speaker for music-listening Well designed and compactDowns
No Mac or Linux support yetCost
US RRP $149Buy it at Amazon UK (Blue)
Google Music Trends in GTalk
When upgrading their Instant messaging (IM) and VoIP software released earlier this week, Google has taken the opportunity to introduce a new feature – Music Trends.The idea of letting people know what music you are and have been listening to has been around for a long time, with bloggers using various plug-ins to show the information on their blogs.
Through Google Talk, Google have taken it to an even more immediate level. With the latest version of the software on their machines and switching on the option, people who are listed as your friends within GTalk can see the music that you’re listening to at that moment, displayed on the status line.
It currently works with four pieces of music playing software iTunes; Winamp; Windows Media Player and Yahoo Music Engine, with is anticipated that more will be supported soon.
So what? you may say. Google say it’s an interesting way to discover new music, which we’re sure has nothing to do with one of the other features of GTalk, file transfer – “cool tune, man, can you IM it over?” Surely not. Would be a great way to get people buying music, through a long rurmoured Google Music-buying site though wouldn’t it?Google are also grabbing all of the information of which tracks are being played and compiling them in to a chart of top songs, broken down into genre and country (only USA currently).
We can just hear the clatter of keyboards as memos shoot around record companies insisting that all of the employees load up the software, and play the latest boy band that they’re trying to promote.
UK Government Jumps On YouTube
The UK Government have put two of their videos up on YouTube – for all the world to enjoy.Senior executives at the UK Cabinet Office have posted their first two short films – ‘Transformational Government‘ and ‘Sharing the leadership challenge‘, a slightly longer clip concerning Whitehall plans to save money by consolidating service departments and the leadership challenges this poses for managers.
I know, I know … given that description, you all want to shoot over to the see them without a delay, but stay with a little while longer.
Ian Dunmore, Director of Public Sector Forums broke the news saying: “This looks like the first time a government anywhere has used YouTube in this way. It’s a ground-breaking move and one other governments might well follow.” We have to admire the him keeping his head by adding, “However we don’t expect the videos to surge to the top of the popularity chart just yet.”
The Death of YouTube?
Is this the death knell for YouTube? How could a service be any less cool than to have the government using it? The truth is, of course, that YouTube welcomes all no matter how stiff the video provider.YouTube is becoming a cross-section of society, globally. This is borne out by Peter, the self-declared geriatric1927, the 78 year old widower, living alone in the county in the middle of England. His twelve videos documenting events of his life have been watch over half a million times in the last two weeks.
For a long time Governements have been looking around for way to get their ‘messages’ out to the public without the bothersome annoyance of journalists asking difficult questions. They may see YouTube as the fix for this.
What they may not have taken account of is the video replies or text comments that people can leave in response.
Extreme Sports Channel Added to Sky Mobile TV
UK satellite operator, Sky is building on their video offerings on the Sky Mobile service, by adding the Extreme Sports Channel.Sky and Vodafone have been offering video content on their 3G network since October last year.
The latest addition will offer made-for-mobile content including a series covering the best and worst slams and profiles on the ultimate extreme sports legends as well as existing content such as the acclaimed Tips & Tricks series.
Sports has been popular content on Sky Mobile TV, so as Stephen Nuttall, Director of Business Development at Sky says, “we’re giving customers even more of what they enjoy.”
We suspect that Sky is adding the extreme sports to attract a different sort of subscriber to the service, which they’re not increasing the price of, leaving it at £5/month for unlimited access.
All of this content is currently only available to Vodafone 3G subscribers, but it is expected that other networks are in discussions with Sky and it’s expected that they may offer it on their networks.
Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival: Strong Lineup
You’ve no doubt have noticed that we had the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival (EIEF)
As a reader of Digital-Lifestyles, you well know that Convergence isn’t just about your mobile phone and toaster becoming one (!), it’s also about content types coming closer together and, in some cases blending. At the extreme, we think it’s arguable that TV could be in a whole heap of trouble when video games become photo-realistic. Why watch TV when you can _be_ in the programme?
We went to EIEF last year and were impressed with the quality of the sessions and the delegates, who were all jolly friendly.
As you’d expect, we’ll be covering it from the ground next week, not hiding in an office waiting for the press releases to arrive like many other publications.
Set over Monday 21st and Tuesday, there’s a host of strong conference sessions arranged, covering a wide range of subjects, not just the obvious. Here’s our highlights.
In the Monday Keynote David Gardner, Executive V-P and COO of EA’s World Wide Studios is delving in to the challenges and opportunity of developing for the next gen consoles, such xbox360, Sony PS3, Nintnedo Wii.
The UK press has occasionally thrown a fit about the realism of video games, in some cases leading to the changing of blood colour in some games. This is basis of the Green Blood vs Red Blood session which will debate the implications of HDTV and photorealistic graphics for the games industry. Wise to debate it in advance, rather than wait for the censors.
Ben Sawyer of Serious Games explores “Games That Heal � the medicine of interactive software.” Examining how games are being used to help patients with conditions ranging from cancer to post-traumatic stress disorder.
To end off the night, Edge will be holding their Award and networking party at the Jam House.
Tuesday
If you’re living your Digital-Lifestyle, you’ll be aware of Machinima – where computer games are used to create films. One of the original was Red vs Blue where the footage was grabbed from Xbox mega-title Halo and voiced-over to create a drama. This has now grown to have many episodes – at least 83 we’re aware of.In the session, find out just how far Machinima has gone into the mainstream and yet has managed to retain its rebellious and experimental approach.
The icing on the cake of this session is the world premiere of a live machinima performance from Rooster Teeth, the creators of above mentioned Red vs Blue.
The other session highlight is ‘When Alice Met Elvis’, which explores taking games beyond the screen, into other medias and how it impacts the creative process.
Author Kate Pullinger will unveil the World Premiere of the third part of her Inanimate Alice series, a ‘unique kinetic experience’, part game, part novel, part film.
When you want to bring all of those elements together, it’s not something that’s going to happen if you leave it to the last moment. To bring this into focus the founders of Velvetelvis will share their experiences in trying to encourage the “fusion” of all potential commercial elements � film, games, music, web, books – at the very beginning of a new project.
As if all of that wasn’t enough to keep you busy, there’s a series of screenings at the Odeon cinema on Lothian Road of Lord of the Rings� Online: Shadows of Angmar; Reservoir Dogs video game; Spongebob Squarepants; and Crackdown from Dave Jones, creator of the Grand Theft Auto series and Lemmings.
We told it was a strong line up, didn’t we? See you there.
N93 Short Shot By Gary Oldman Released
Hollywood hot shot Gary Oldman is today releasing his new short film, shot on the Nokia N93 we’re told.He’s taking the short label pretty literally, as the puppy is two minutes long, featuring what is described as “a round reflection in rippling water set to a haunting soundtrack.” Sounds lovely.
We’d imagine that this has cost Nokia a pretty penny, but it all goes towards burning into your brains that Nokia is about film. Creating it as we’ve seen here and watching it on their handsets too.
To that end, completely unprompted (we’re certain), Gazzer said, “Mobile video devices like the Nokia N93 allow us to capture the extraordinary moments in our ordinary days and share them with the world. The image in Donut is one such fleeting moment I happened upon that inspired me to grab my mobile video device out of my pocket and record it to share with others. I hope my film encourages people to do the same and I look forward to seeing the results on the Nokia Nseries Studio.”
Mr Oldman’s short will be premiering online on the neatly mentioned Nokia Nseries Studio, where from today (another coincidence?) anyone can upload short films to share with the world.
Happy Slapping
Camera phones have been used by some on the streets to make their own films, sadly many with violent overtones. Unfortunately the Hollywood violence that these youth had been subjected to for the whole of their lives (in the name of entertainment) wasn’t staged as it is in films, but real. Happy Slapping video’s stormed around school playgrounds about 18 months and featured members of the public getting assaulted, while those with the camera phones recording it laughed.DVD quality or not?
Nokia appear to be back tracking a little on their definition of the quality of the onboard camera. When the N93 was first mooted, it was DVD-quality, it’s now being labelled DVD-like.Nokia aren’t calling the N93 a phone with a camera on it, but a multimedia computer. You may mock, but this isn’t too far from the truth – it’s got a ton of processing power on board and a 3.2 megapixel lens with Carl Zeiss optics, DVD-like video capture and 3x optical zoom.
DV camcorders beware
Discussion of DVD-quality or DVD-like aside, the N93 shows the direction that camera-phones are taking, despite this early example being pretty bulky. The quality of these is approaching that of a standard DV (Digital Video) camera putting pressure on the DV manufacturers. The response to this from them is the introduction of HiDef camcorders. Expect this to become the standard.Tiscali Take Over HomeChoice
HomeChoice have agreed to be taken over ISP Tiscali in exchange for 11.5% of their new owner.The tenacity of HomeChoice has always impressed us. They’ve been going for years and have just refused to give up. Getting started in the days when Video on Demand meant asking to rent a video from your local video rental shop, they’ve been through quite a number of investment rounds, some so severe that the investors ended up with nothing.
Never hitting big numbers, the writing has been on the wall for them, what with Sky getting into broadband, NTL re-enlivining themselves with Virgin mobile and BT Vision on the horizon.
HomeChoice has been settled on around 45,000 subscribers for quite a while now as they’ve been restricted to operating within London and some areas to its north. They just haven’t had the investment available to unbundle anymore exchanges beyond the 145 they have to spread their service. Their original expansion was hampered by the huge cost BT used to charge them for the Visionstream service they needed to run the service.The last murmur about HomeChoice was that Sky was casting their eye in their direction, but we suspect that this was floated by the company itself to try and flush potential suitors out of the wood work.
As to why Tiscali has bought them …
It’s likely that Tiscali feels they need to move fast to avoid becoming sidelined by the other companies putting themselves forward as the Big Boys in the ISP/IPTV/Phone market.
By buying HomeChoice they’ll start with something they can build on, rather than having to start from scratch, giving them a time advantage. This is made very real by gaining 145 unbundled exchanges within London taking Tiscali to a total of 330 country-wide.Homechoice has also spent quite a lot of effort in the last year building up their content relationships, creating niche programming.
As to the backend iron that HomeChoice is using to power the VOD – it may be that is getting a bit long in the tooth these days.
Don’t forget Tiscali don’t actually have to put their hands in their pockets either, just swap stock.
How fantastic is this? A couple of turbo-code monkeys have written a Commodore 64 (C64) emulator that runs within Flash on a Web browser.
MAME was a huge revelation when it first arrived, letting users load up the ROM sets from old arcade machine and play them as if it was on the original hardware.
All of the emulators are a clear demonstration that the power of hardware has increased tremendously.
The Polycom Communicator (C100S) first caught our eye at the Skype-day in London. It’s a well-formed handsfree speaker/mic kit that connects to your PC via USB, letting you make trouble-free calls on Skype.
What’s it like to use
Design
The centre-top is dominated by a high quality (22 KHz) speaker, with twin microphones on either side of the bottom front corners. This not only gives excellent sound reproduction (actually beyond Skype 16KHz capabilities), but the dual mics make it easy for many people around a table to take part in the conversation. The microphones are independently balanced, so a person sitting a distance away from one would not be drowned out by another sitting close to the other.
Around these buttons is a circular LED that gives progress on the call – it flashes green when connecting the call, glows green when on a call and red when the conversation is muted.
When upgrading their Instant messaging (IM) and VoIP software released earlier this week, Google has taken the opportunity to introduce a new feature – Music Trends.
So what? you may say. Google say it’s an interesting way to discover new music, which we’re sure has nothing to do with one of the other features of GTalk, file transfer – “cool tune, man, can you IM it over?” Surely not. Would be a great way to get people buying music, through a long rurmoured Google Music-buying site though wouldn’t it?
The UK Government have put two of their videos up on YouTube – for all the world to enjoy.
The Death of YouTube?
UK satellite operator, Sky is building on their video offerings on the Sky Mobile service, by adding the Extreme Sports Channel.
Hollywood hot shot Gary Oldman is today releasing his new short film, shot on the Nokia N93 we’re told.
Happy Slapping
HomeChoice have agreed to be taken over ISP Tiscali in exchange for 11.5% of their new owner.
HomeChoice has been settled on around 45,000 subscribers for quite a while now as they’ve been restricted to operating within London and some areas to its north. They just haven’t had the investment available to unbundle anymore exchanges beyond the 145 they have to spread their service. Their original expansion was hampered by the huge cost BT used to charge them for the Visionstream service they needed to run the service.
By buying HomeChoice they’ll start with something they can build on, rather than having to start from scratch, giving them a time advantage. This is made very real by gaining 145 unbundled exchanges within London taking Tiscali to a total of 330 country-wide.