(this is a simplified, but complete, version of the “Entity System 1: Java/Android”) NB: this post is part of the community effort to make working, usable, free, source-examples of actual Entity Systems, found at http://entity-systems.wikidot.com/ Wiki link: http://entity-systems.wikidot.com/rdbms-with-code-in-systems Github source: https://github.com/adamgit/Entity-System–RDBMS-Inspired–Objective-C- I’m posting my original design notes here – also […]
Monthly Archives: December 2010
22 posts
I had a serious customer-support problem with Skype recently, relating to money they’ve taken from me. It’s proved excessively difficult to get a response from them – surprising, considering their size, their brand, and the fact it’s a paid-for service. It raises some interesting questions over Customer Support / Community […]
We’re starting a new client project, and the client uses Mercurial exclusively, all through BitBucket. BitBucket has a stupid user-accounts system, that demands you invent a globally-unique username. Oh dear lord – how amateurish are you guys? Aha! BUT! … they have a (very subtle) link to let you use […]
FAIL #1: Website denies existence of products, broken cookie-“cleverness” Canon recently (last few months) launched a new “prosumer” DSLR – the EOS 550D, a.k.a. Rebel T2i (because Americans need to feel “cool” and “rebellious”, apparently. Hmm. Marketing fail there too, perhaps?). According to Canon’s website, this does not exist. Try […]
NB: This technique is useful in precisely TWO situations: EITHER: you have a lot more RAM than you need (on OS X / Apple computers: at least 4Gb, more likely 8Gb), and you want your computer to run faster OR: you have an expensive SSD hard disk in your laptop, […]
Given how badly Flash is getting smacked-down at the moment, I find this hilarious. Right now, Adobe.com’s store page (where you get redirected if you google for Adobe products) doesn’t work in a mainstream desktop browser (Firefox). I go to the page, and suddenly my keyboard stops working, and the […]
Is your Macbook Air overheating? Here’s a technique I’ve been using for the last couple of years, works everytime. I suspect it still works on the new models – I *suspect* they have the same basic design flaws as the original, from looking at the case. Problem: vents in wrong […]
I now get to join the (sadly non-exclusive) club: My Macbook Air just snapped at the hinge, and now the lid WILL NOT close and WILL NOT stay upright – it just falls flat on the desk, like a book lying open. I’m blogging this purely for anyone with an […]
IMHO, Flickr/Yahoo has one of the best user-authentication systems I’ve ever seen. I’m sure it’s no accident that Twitter (eventually) moved to a system that is extremely similar. (NB: I don’t know if flickr copied if from someone else, but they were the first I remember seeing like this, many […]
I’ve written lots of apps for iPhone/iPad and Android. Recently, Nokia kindly gave me a new N8. So, over Xmas, I thought it would be fun to write some games for it. Didn’t get very far. Nokia “only supports Windows”, according to their developer site. There also seems to be […]
Removing words isn’t always the best route to UX design. Here’s an example (that just bit me) of Apple’s obsession with “remove words, look pretty” making their systems/applications unusable: “Copying 3,000 files…” “STOP! One or more of these files you don’t have permission to read. Stop, Retry, Continue?” Which one, […]
EDIT: no results on shopping sites, no results on Amazon … until someone told me to search for “keyboard 5000” or “keyboard 6000” – and suddenly appears this thing of awesome beauty: small, light, and Bluetooth! I can’t find them. All I can find is a MONSTROUS thing from Microsoft […]
I just tried to create a free wiki on Wikia, to help the developer commuity with Entity Systems. This has no benefit to me, it’s purely for other people. I figured a system like Wikia would welcome such a wiki. Wikia hasn’t yet implemented any of the common username systems, […]
Even if you own a Nintendo DS or a Sony PlayStationPortable, there’s a high chance you’re playing games on your phone instead: “27.2% of consumers who indicate that they play games on their phones only (and not on the DS/PSP) actually own a DS or PSP, but do not actively […]
Making a trivial ES … is almost trivially easy, once you know how. But usually it’s too trivial to be used in anything except small indie projects, and nothing too real-time. Making a production-quality one, including all the associated tools, suitable for a AAA game project … is a massive […]
Nicole Lazzaro’s XEO is looking for an iPhone developer (Bay Area/SF) Contact: hr@xeodesign.com If you don’t know who Nicole is, the design process for Tilt gives a good idea. She’s well known for her work on studying emotional reactions in people playing games (and designing appropriately): How we created Tilt […]
Today, I *almost* bought Civilization 5. The temptation was strong… …but they still won’t allow me to buy it. You go into a shop, and spend money, and they tell you you’re a pirate, that you’re a thief, and that unless you create a Steam account and connect the internet […]
Walk gently upon this earth For we are but passing through In our eyes the pains of life And in our hearts true love But all it is to be Is covered in a signal phrase: The meeting in ice and fire Of what we are and what others request […]
This week, I won a Nokia N8 at a game of pool (She Rides!). If you plug it in to a Mac, do you get: Access to your photos? NO! (no support for the USB standard for data-devices) Access to your calendar? NO! (this is a tough one; sadly, the […]
Via Mark Suster (@msuster): If China’s cables reporting their ambassador’s comments about US were on Wikileaks here’s what it would say http://nyti.ms/dPURse