Exam Season & Catchup on Stuff

Yeah, I know. I haven't posted another Blog entry for quite a while. So, I guess I've been too busy doing some other stuff, right? Well, I guess it's time I bring you up to date.

In this blog entry:

• My New Mac (and why)
• My New Bedroom (and progress)
• The end of the second year at Uni
  
• The end of a wonderful Anime series

My New Mac
So, let's start off with my new Mac. Yes. Let me repeat that for all out there: I have a new MacBook. So, why am I brandishing a lavish new MacBook? Well, the official reason is that I am now creating applications for the iPhone/iTouch. That's right! I get to learn the wonderful language of Objective-C.

For those who are interested, let me tell you that (from a newly-become Java developer) that Objective-C, apart from it's annoying memory management process (where's the garbage collector?), and the fact the interface and implementation is split, it is not a bad language. I love the Smalltalk-style syntax it uses for messaging; it just so beats everything hands down. And of course, it has all the benefits of Object-Oriented Programming.

What I don't like, is XCode. Apples programming tool. Sure, I have to use it, because at the moment Eclipse does not support Objective-C. But, compared to Eclipse, XCode just doesn't pull it. It is like going back in time; because it feels like I'm using some clunky old machine. Sure, it may do things Eclipse can't, as well as a few things that Eclipse can do, but it's just so difficult to use compared to Eclipse that those things don't matter much.

My advice to Apple: have a look at Eclipse and get into gear. It's time you caught up with how the rest of the world develops.

Moving out of development, and my MacBook is an awesome machine. You heard it from me: Mac OS beats Windows hands down! So, does that mean I'm a convert and am going to switch over to only using Mac? ... No. I still think Windows has a lot of huge advantages to it's OS. Not mentioning the wide use of the OS, the biggest advantage it has is the PC Game market. The amount of games on sale for PC just completely outstrips that of Mac: most major games developers who ship on anything but consoles ship to PC over Mac. Not to mention my Mac lacks a graphics card...

So no, I'm not ditching my Windows. But I do think Mac is better. Kapeesh? Oh, and perhaps when I get my website sorted out, you may see a few good Mac Apps that I like appearing there.

My New Bedroom
My bedroom is coming along nicely. The walls are done, the bed is in, and the wardrobe and carpet and soon to follow. And that's all I really have to say on the matter (yay! I love king-sized beds!)

End of the Second Year at Uni
As I said earlier, it's exam season. That means, for the next one and a half weeks, I will be revising hard! And for the next one and a half weeks after that, I will be revising hard and taking exams too! After the 14th May, I break up. That's when it's all over!

I can't wait!

But I must concentrate on getting past these exams and doing well. Remembering all the little things that matter in each subject. Practicing past papers. And doing work over playing with my Mac (and any related games).

Then I can concentrate on things like LCARS Terminal (RPG and Starship Commander), EVE Online (my trading), my various projects (such as my website), and the last thing to talk about, Avatar...

The End of Avatar: The Last Airbender
This July, the two-hour four-part finale of my first and by far favorite Anime series that I've really taken a heart to takes place. Avatar: The Last Airbender comes to a close.

For those of you who haven't started watching it yet: I suggest you watch the first few episodes (and I mean watch episodes 1, 2 and 3) to see if you like it as much as I do. It may look childish, but it has a lot of adult themes running through it, it's well animated with an absolutely delightful story.

There are whole websites and forums dedicated to the Anime, and a huge fan base (compared to similar titles), as well as my family and a few of my friends (who maybe aren't as big a fan as I am). But anyway, I leave you with the trailer, as well as a way to watch the series online if you're interested.



Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes

Happy Easter plus My Catchup on Stuff

For all who support and follow Easter: Happy Easter to you all! For all who do not follow this festival: Happy Chocolate Giving and Receiving Day to you all! Go out and buy lots of chocolate anyway!

This is going to be one long post. So I'm going to divide it up into sections.

Goldsmiths
So, what is going on at my university? Well, as you may or may not know: I'm on Easter holidays until the 21st April! So what you should be asking is: what has happened at my university?

And in fact, the last two weeks of Term (in fact the past two weeks) were so busy there were times that I thought I wouldn't have time to finish all that I had to do. Late nights and early mornings had ensued and it was only on the Wednesday just gone that everything came to a climax and then quickly fell again when deadline extensions thankfully came in for my two remaining projects. So what did I have to achieve?

Well, in Java we have put together, successfully, GooLife. In fact, it's so good I've even produced a YouTube video that shows off this fantastic application. This group project was fantastic; and it wouldn't have been the program it is today without all the contributions that people have made to it. From a personal point of view; it wouldn't have happened without them. Congrats to you all! It is of course going to still be in development, so who knows where it will go now?

In Website Design, I have built an PHP\MySQL\XSLT\XHTML based RSS News Aggregator that supports a backend database with a frontend PHP interface to allow for multiple users to register; choose from a variety of BBC feeds; and most importantly, filter, sort through, limit and hide chosen feeds.

In Software Engineering, I had to hand in a Project Report in regards to the LCARS Terminal Starship Commander. This report specified exactly what my plan was going to be in designing and building the program. I will, in due time of course, post up both this report and my presentation for private viewers who are related to this project (most specifically, LCARS Terminal themselves).

Finally, in Databases, which was a smaller group project, we have built a DVD and Video Game purchase and rental store. Although this project is the only project that is still ongoing (without being marked yet), it is nearly all finished. I intend to hand it in on Wednesday this week at the very latest, as this weekend has been extremely busy at home (as will be explained next).

Home
As said before, I have been extremely busy at home during this weekend. This is due to a very exciting change that is taking place before my very eyes: the redesign of my room. I first intended it to be a Star Trek bedroom as close to that from the USS Voyager as possible; but now I think it will more be a Star Trek 'themed' bedroom rather then an exact or even close to exact copy. This is due to three main reasons:

1. The fact that we are on a budget that doesn't support such a design
2. The fact that at current we have or have ordered furniture that isn't exactly found on a starship
3. And the fact that we live in the 21st Century; there really isn't that much demand for 24th Century designs

But it's still exciting and will still look like a darn good room when finished!

Website
My personal website will also be going another redesign. As I have learnt more at University, I intend to simplify and enhance my website by converting all of the current files from basic XHTML into PHP enhanced XHTML. This will allow me to not only have a single web page for navigation links (rather then at current having to edit each individual HTML page to change a single link appearing on all those pages) as well as to add in extensions that only PHP can provide.

In the present, I have just upgraded my Web Portal to that provided by Netvibes. This again will allow my Web Portal to become more then what it is, propelling it out of a webpage and into a miniature website in a single webpage. It will still be the centre of my web existence, but it will be greater then what it is now by a long way.

Of course this blog will adapt to service the new Web Portal, but don't worry, it's position in my web empire is to stay! I have no intentions of removing or replacing this blog anytime soon.

Final Note
As you may have noticed, I am extremely busy at the moment. And during the holidays, I get to take on more work! So I am perhaps even more busy now then I was during the University term. Anyhow, I want to inform all EVE Online people that my return to full-time gaming on EVE is imminent and won't be affected by my current amount of work that I have been given. See you soon in space!

Busy

Well, Reading Week has passed some two weeks ago. Hehe. So I've been extremely busy since then, as this is the half-term where assignments flood in thick and fast. And it's also a time that's busy for work as well.

I just wanted to say I've managed to find some time to update my website. The updates should be brought online later today, but don't expect too much: this update is really just laying the foundations for future updates, so to speak.

As for my gaming, I've found this wonderful new game called AudioSurf. You should check it out on YouTube as well. I've been playing it quite a bit during my free time.

I've also been doing some extensive Java Programming in designing the networking for our class Java Project, labelled GooLife. GooLife is about having these virtual tanks that have virtual creatures in them, and they connect to other virtual tanks on other computers over a network.

Anyhow, until next time...

Reading Week (Again!)

Dear me! Look how long it's been since I've last posted! I haven't even got my diary sorted out from South Africa... hopefully I can get that sorted out soon.

So, let me bring you up to speed on what I've been doing since I've returned from the Cape. Well, it's been University as usual up until this week, which happens to be reading week. During the past few weeks, I have done some pretty neat networking Java programs, studied normalising databases, learnt how to do some pretty neat stuff with PHP, and decided my 9-month long 3rd year project: none other then the LCARS Terminal Starship Commander.

This game, based off Star Trek, will allow prospective Captain's around the Alpha Quadrant to take on the position of commanding a starship. They will be able to choose their crew and ship, and then go off on missions whose very ending is affected by the decisions they make. That's right! These missions will provide for multiple endings, all based on the players decisions they make as the proceed through the mission!

Of course, the game wouldn't be complete if it didn't also have a fully operational mission editor, allowing players with good enough imaginations to come up with some pretty interesting stories to put into play. However, it is still a long time in production, so we shall see how far this gets.

In other news, in my online MMORPG EVE Online, my corp has moved. They are now stationed as 7th Sense, to avoid any confusion the old name had with us. Apparently there was another corp called Chaos Industries who were some pretty tough pirates, or something like that. Anyhow, as we are a non-PvP corp, we decided to move away from the name as we don't want to be associated with PvP. At least... not at present.

Now we finally get to his week... Reading Week. As you might have guessed, a lot has been done this week, but they are all trivial things. I spent a busy weekend with my family... went to see The Water Horse which was fantastic (despite mixed reviews, I guess it's a "you either love it or hate it" kind of film). Monday was spent doing a few things around the house, as will be tomorrow (although I will fit some Java in as well). Today was spent at work; catching up, sorting out a few things, and upgrading Firefox with a new look and feel with a new theme and some extra Add-ons.

I have continued to provide updates to the various websites I own. I just want to add here that I will be adding some extra Addons to my recommended Addons page, and removing a few too. I will also be adding a new page: my recommended iTouch programs. I have quite a few!

Well, for now, I will bid you farewell. And hopefully I will have some diary entries soon as to what I got up to in Cape Town!

South Africa... here we come!

I have faced the inevitable and come out victorious!! I have a passport that is valid, working and doesn't need to be replaced until 2018. It's greeeat!

So, I can officially confirm that I am off to Cape Town, South Africa, this Thursday 17th January and returning next Thursday 24th!!

Bon Voyage all!!

Preparing for the Inevitable

Well, I recently posted this on my Facebook account as my status, and I thought it deserved a little bit more then I put. So, I will post this on my blog now, and make this as public as I can.

This Thursday, there is a 50:50 chance that I will be going to South Africa. Why a 50:50 chance? Why not 100%?

It all started sometime last week. With under one week to go until we need to go to South Africa, my brother and I find out that our passports had expired. Not only had they expired, but they were children passports and we were adults. Under new British law, it is required that those needing new adult British passports for the first time have to sit an interview and possibly wait up to 6 weeks for the new passport.

But what was extremely strange was that our passports should have still been valid. We had 4 and a half year passports, and we should have had 5 year passports. A short call to the passport office, and we had an appointment booked for Tuesday (tomorrow).

So, the inevitable is that we are going to fail to get our passports, not be allowed to fly to South Africa, and not turn up for the wedding we are invited to go to. All in all, that's something that needs to be prepared for.

Here's to the inevitable being obliterated!!

Welcome to 2008!

Hello and welcome to 2008! A new year has arrived, a new time frame in the history of humanity, a new society driven time period for us to classify and enjoy!

So I wish you all a Happy New Year and good luck in 2008.

Now, I want to show you my pride and joy lying peacefully in my driveway: my new Honda Civic! Here are some wonderful pictures of my new car...

Some things to note before the pics are shown. Firstly, you have to press that nice shiny red button to start the engine, it's quite fun! There are two closed sunroofs in one of the pictures. The car comes with cruise control, a/c, a radio with CD Player, and various places to hide luggage and the like as standard; with blue underfloor lighting and really useful Bluetooth connectivity (with my mobile phone) added in. And finally, the number plates are digitally hidden ;)