It’s sort of like the “what if an unstoppable force hit an immovable object” thing, except much, much more ridiculous.

I have more wordy posts coming up, so don’t worry about slipping back into video world. I just can’t get over this. I love the whispered “gosh” at the end…that hunter has more restrain than I do.

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As I hinted at in a comment to my last blog post, release candidate 1 for Rails 2.0 has just been released with a number of improvements and bug fixes and in preparation for the final release it is recommended that anyone that is using the pre-release upgrades there applications - but how can you do that? Well it is much easier than you think, and you can be selective about which applications get the makeover.

Although you can reference the Rails libraries in a common path via gems, you can also install specific versions on an per-site basis. Rails will automatically look for a rails folder in the vendor directory - if it finds it, it will use that.

Freezing Rails

Probably the easiest way is to use the freeze rake task. Running the following in the root directory of you application should do the trick:

rake rails:freeze:edge TAG=rel_2-0-0_RC1

Piston

If you are more adventurous and want to play with the bleeding edge, you can use Piston to help you manage all of your rails plugins (including the core!). Now if you are a good little developer you should be using some sort of version control repository, my personal choice is subversion (SVN). This just so happens to be the choice for the Rails core team as well as many (if not most) Rails plugin developers.

But what happens if you want to version your application, and easily keep up to date with the updates on your favourite plugin? Well, in the past you would have used the svn:external property, which allowed you to keep multiple code trees with in the same repository. Sure it’s easy enough to do, but why not make it even easier? Enter Piston.

The Piston page better explains how it all works and how to set it up, so I’ll leave it up to you to read through, but to check out the edge version of Rails, all you need to do is:

piston import http://dev.rubyonrails.org/svn/rails/trunk vendor/rails

Then just run

piston update vendor/rails

to update it!

This article provided by sitepoint.com.

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Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Deals, Scripts, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels

Guillermo del Toro is the champion, my friends. Or rather, Variety has reported that del Toro will write, direct and produce a science-fiction action film called Champions — based on the ’60s spy series, The Champions. The premise: a plane carrying a group of secret government agents crashes. Usually. this would mean bad things. In lateral thinking puzzles, planes crash on borders and bring up the problem of burying survivors. In real life and on film, a downed plane could also mean a scary case of cannibalism. But the champions, they somehow got the plane-crash jackpot.

As the premise goes on the television series, three agents crash into the Himalayas. Lucky for them, they don’t have to eat each other to stay alive — they are rescued by a secret civilization. Instead of just saving their lives, the rescuers give the agents superhuman powers like ESP, precognition, and enhanced physical abilities, and then they send the group out to be “Champions of law, order, and justice.” It’s like The Greatest American Hero…just without the sexy suit, manual, and aliens. I’m not quite sure how I missed the original show, but it starred long-time General Hospital star Stuart Damon, Alexandra Bastedo, and William Gaunt. This could be one sweet production… What do you think?

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Filed under: Cellphones

The kind folks at Conceited Software / TouchFree have just dropped their 1.1.2 jailbreak GUI on the freedom-lovin’ iPhone world. According to Erica at TUAW, the OS X software siphons data from your downgraded (or pre-existing) 1.1.1 iPod touch or iPhone, upgrades it with the Jailbreak, installs Installer.app and SSH.app, and then ups the whole shebang to your device. As mentioned, you’ll need to have 1.1.1 on your system (if you’ve upgraded or purchased a device with 1.1.2 installed), and this won’t fly on units that have been “hactivated” (i.e., it only works with iTunes-activated devices). Hit the read link and learn all about sticking it to Apple… proper-like.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Gaming

Sure, 2.00 might sound like a magical milestone, but in reality there’s not a whole lot here that’s going to revolutionize your gaming experience, and sadly nothing yet to bring online communication and play to parity with Xbox Live and Xbox’s handy dandy dashboard. That said, Sony is strengthening some of the PS3’s unique features, like the new Remote Start function that lets you fire up your PS3 remotely when you’re accessing it with your PSP, and playlists for music and photos. One of the biggest “additions” is DualShock 3 support, but that’s so laughably last-gen that it’s hardly worth noting. Sony is also packing in the ability to create and share your own Themes for XMB, and a news ticker that will eventually make way for the importing of your own RSS feeds. Sony also added a new XMB group to the main menu to pave the way for Home and other internets-friendly features, and — oddly enough — Canon printer support to really round out the package. The update will be available in the States tomorrow, November 8th.

Update: PS3 Fanboy has some exclusive screenshots of the new interface.

[Via Joystiq]

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

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Filed under: Interviews, PlayStation Store

The upcoming Rat Race surprised everyone when it was announced a few weeks ago. Now, Greg Easley and the rest of the Rat Race team must figure out the finer points of comedy, as they venture into new, unknown territory. See our exclusive interview below.

The game is currently announced for PS3. Do you intend on keeping it a PS3 exclusive, or will it appear on XBLA as well?
Rat Race is a first-party Sony title and will remain a PS3 exclusive.

What was the inspiration for an episodic comedy game?
Back when we were a tiny startup, a friend of the company suggested we avoid traditional genres and set our sights on making a totally original game. Knowing what our engine could do, he suggested setting the game in an office and incorporating over-the-top comedy. It didn’t take long to figure out nearly everyone on the planet has funny and outrageous office stories to tell. (Don’t you? Admit it!) We realized that with material this rich we should just go for it.

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Did the team originally intend on an episodic model?
One of our primary goals from the beginning was to make the video game experience feel like a TV show, especially sitcoms. We wrote and designed Rat Race as a series of individual episodes, so it wasn’t a huge leap to offer those episodes on the PSN. We are huge fans of digital delivery, and the instant gratification of clicking, downloading and owning a game.

How do you view the success of a game like “Sam & Max,” which is also an episodic comedy game? Do you view the franchise as a direct competitor?
We’re glad to have Sam & Max out there creating awareness for the episodic model, but we don’t think of it as a competitor to Rat Race. First, Rat Race is less of a traditional adventure game, and more like an interactive sitcom: our goal is to give you the experience of “playing” inside your favorite TV show. Second, Rat Race is a console game at heart and we believe the gameplay strongly reflects this.

What kind of gameplay will be featured in the game?
As I mentioned above, the gameplay is console friendly and occasionally intense. Just because the action takes place inside an office doesn’t mean all hell doesn’t break lose. In addition to various puzzles and conversation games, we use crowd-pleasing mechanics such as stealth, racing (on foot) and even shooting.

Is there an option to simply eat popcorn and watch the game?
Nope, you’ll need a controller in your hand. If we’re doing our job, you’ll want a controller in your hand! Humor in games can be quite difficult to achieve.

Will different “episodes” leave you in the shoes of a different “cast member” or are you just the one person?
At this point you play the game as the same character through the episodes we’ve designed up to this point. This could change in the future, especially if player feedback warrants it. Also, the Rat Race experience is more about the characters around you than the actual player character.

How will your team approach the varying taste of gamers, many of which are quite cynical?
We work with incredibly talented writers and actors who get paid for being funny. These people are not repurposed game developers but professional comedians you see performing under spotlights. They are also writers with credits on some of the best shows on TV. Our people have appeared on or written for Comedy Central, HBO, MTV, Conan O’Brien, My Name Is Earle, Saturday Night Live, South Park, Flight of the Concords, Sex in the City, and Ugly Betty, to name a few. Fans of those shows are likely to think our game is funny.

When’s the first release, and how often can players expect episodes? How much will they cost?
The first episodes will be released this winter, with episodes following regularly. I can’t really discuss pricing yet, but our goal is provide major bang for the buck.

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Filed under: Google (GOOG), Cisco Systems (CSCO), Time Warner (TWX)

An interesting little factoid, or opinionoid, came about today, concerning Quigo, which was just purchased by AOL.

On today’s “Stop Trading” segment on CNBC at 2:45 PM, Jim Cramer was discussing the hit in tech stocks and the markets. Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) was addressed since it has suffered a 5% drop (nearly $40 a share) and is back under $700 today.

Interestingly, Cramer tied some of Google’s weakness to Time Warner Inc.’s (NYSE:TWX) action of having the AOL unit acquire Quigo for its contextual advertising platform. Cramer said he’s evaluated Quigo and said it is actually better than Google’s ad platform.

I have heard that the system is a great one, but I haven’t heard an independent voice that say this as of yet. (Full disclosure: BloggingStocks is an AOL unit and Cramer and I both write for BloggingStocks, so neither of us are completely removed from AOL).

Of course, on a day like today, Cramer’s Quigo plug isn’t generating much help for TWX shares, which are down 2% at $17.50 as of 3:15 pm

A separate point from the CNBC segment today: While Cramer noted the earnings report from Cisco Systems inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) was a negative indicator for technology, he said he’d actually buy Cisco here since the conference call wasn’t all that bad.

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Filed under: Computers, Advice

It’s confirmed: Online dating is the way to go if you’re looking to get lucky. According to a recent survey published by the Sexuality Research and Social Policy research journal, one-third of women who meet people online have sex on the first date, and a whopping three-quarters of those surveyed do not use a condom. Meanwhile, a mere 27-percent engage in oral sex on the first day.

That’s right, online dating is like grazing a lush field of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs).

The high likelihood of sex on the first date is partially attributable to an increased comfort level. According to the survey, having extended or multiple conversations with a person online can decrease the tension and general awkwardness that accompanies a first date. The sense of familiarity not only increases the chances for intercourse, but it also will make a person more likely to cast off better judgment and go sans condom. That, and, of course, alcohol.

They neglected to mention that pretty much 100 percent of men will have sex on the first date — if given the chance.

Okay, you can stop giggling now.

From News.com.au

Related Links:

• Five Things to Avoid When Dating Online
• Sex Less Important Than the Web for Many Americans
• Senior Singles Hooking Up Online

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Filed under: Blu-ray, Business, News

Even though Howard Stringer may see the next-gen HD format war of senselessness as a ’stalemate’ right now, you’ve probably been wondering how things are going in pie chart form. Luckily, we’ve got just the pies and charts you’ve been seeking. From the chart, additional data is extracted — like SpiderMan 3 on Blu-ray continuing to outsell HD DVD’s Transformers, and four dual format films making the top ten list thanks to Blu-ray, but their HD DVD counterparts didn’t even sell enough to get on the top ten.

Even though it’s still a completely niche market, these movie studios need to take heed and see that one format is continuing to outsell the other, despite high-profile title releases. It’s just hurting the consumer in the end, unless they have both HD movie players.

[Thanks, AG23!]

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