On Shopping For Games

From …on pampers, programming & pitching manure comes an interesting point on where we find games and the growing popularity of casual games.

I found myself at Target recently.

Holy balls! Look at the PC game shelf! Approx 1/3 traditional PC hardcore fare (not shown), 1/3 kids & adventure (e.g. Dora, Nancy Drew, etc - also not shown) and 1/3 $20 casual download titles.

Once the domain of Mumbo Jumbo and a couple others, now every downloadable title to have proven itself beyond a given threshold (not sure what that might be - 100k units? half that maybe?) graduates to physical retail.

I wonder whether this is a nice secondary market or whether it’s “the big leagues”. I’m guessing the former, but who knows!?

Via …on pampers, programming & pitching manure: Evolution of retail

On Betatesting…

I saw this short post today on a new addition to my blogroll: Hacking for Christ It really sums up the differences between IE and Firefox, and I’m not just saying that because I’ve spend the last few hours tinkering with a lovely webpage to make it friendly to ancient versions of IE.

A contrast in approaches:

The IE team says “If you wish to be a part of making IE better by contributing great bug reports then please email us at IESO@microsoft.com and tell us a little about yourself including why you’d be a great beta tester.”

The Mozilla team says “Our community is made up of a few different types of people… which ones do you want to be a part of? … Anyone can help us test!”

(Emphasis mine.)

Via Hacking for Christ: Two Ways To Become a Beta Tester

Chinese Twitter Meme

Are you on Twitter? Join this Olympics-themed meme from the Chinese Twittersphere.

There’s a Chinese Twitter meme going around now, Twitter users — I’m supposed to say “Twitterati” and not “Twits” — are adding #080808 to their icons and tweets. David Feng explains more on CNReviews, and Ryan has a collection of #080808 twitter icons.

Via Simpson’s Paradox — Meme Sheep #080808

Free Geek Shirt

Saw this on Building The Alpha G33k Nation - G33k 411, I thought the Hypergadget crew would be interested. To get your shirt, just mention what you think is the coolest new tech.

Rise above the establishment. Join the crusade to unite the ALPHA G33K Nation.

By bringing your friends into the “ALPHA G33K Nation”, you will be hooking them up with a FREE G33K 411 subscription and plugging them into a world created exclusively for true Alpha Geeks. Not to mention you’ll both be getting a free “ALPHA G33K” T-shirt*.

Enter your friend’s e-mail address and G33K 411 will send them an introduction into the ultimate geek world. Both of you will receive a free “ALPHA G33K” T-shirt and your friend will thank you profusely for the rest of your life.

Via Building The Alpha G33k Nation - G33k 411

New Orleans Sno-Cone… Online!

Famous New Orleans Sno-Cone… preserved online.

Allison King, a masters student at the University of Texas at Austin, has created a great online history of the Hansen’s Sno-Bliz iconic snowball stand.

Created with the help and cooperation of Ashley Hansen, granddaughter of the late founders Ernest and Mary Hansen, the Web site is a living multimedia document and a rich piece of nostalgia. There’s a Flickr site for the Hansen family photos (check out the shots of Mrs. Hansen with Willard Scott on The Today Show), a blog, and an online multimedia exhibit.

Allison has even set up a YouTube page with some great footage — check out this home movie taken at Hansen’s in 1991:

An excellent use of technology! Makes me hungry for a sno-cone!

Via Best Of New Orleans Blog » Blog Archive » A history of Hansen’s Sno-Bliz

Gustav Stickley On Facebook

I saw this today on the Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms site:

The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms is now on Facebook! Come see us on Facebook, and you’ll be able to get Stickley news and updates and upcoming events via Facebook messages and interact with members and friends of the museum. You can also view our photos or share your own. Please visit our Facebook page, and tell us what you think!

That’s right, a museum Facebook page! (There’s also a Flickr group) Great to see a historical society moving with the times, and using web 2.0 instead of file cards.

Via Stickley On Facebook

Dork Toys!

A popular game most of us play at one time or another is: imagine you have a million dollars and no one to please but yourself. What would your home look like? For a gamer, it would of course be full of games. The latest consoles, computers, and electronics. But what about the rest of the house? You have to have furniture and fixtures, so you might want to “game” those, too!
111space-invaders-door-mat.gif

You know something is different about this house as soon as you get to the front door and see this LED Space Invaders doormat. Yes, it lights up! But only when someone is near, thanks to a motion-sensor.

There are loads more! Check out the Mental Floss post for game-inpired shelves and quilts and more!

Via mental_floss Blog » The Retro Fun and Games House