Looking for a web messenger of Windows Messenger? Or better yet, one that works with the Wii’s internet browser? Messenger FX, http://www.messengerfx.com/, has you covered. This nifty website allows you to control a lookalike of MSN Messenger, complete with rearrangeable and maximizable windows.
As the above image says, “You can use your MSN® Messenger account for login. Your passwords encrypted with 1024-bit RSA keys.” I’ve been using this site for quite some time, and can ensure that it does not harvest and steal passwords.
As seen above, you can change your font, font color, do bolds/italics/underlines, add users, change your status, etc. All windows are fully draggable and resizable.
All in all, MessengerFX is pretty much bug-free. One noticeable bug on the wii is that you must wait several seconds after you log on before being able to send messages. This bug doesn’t seem to affect computer users. (that I know of)
Also known as a WebOS. What are these, you ask? WebOS is, basically, a virtual operating system that runs in your web browser. It’s a set of applications meant to mimic a computer OS. (think Windows XP) Quite useful when using your Wii’s internet channel.
I’ve managed to try a few, cover a few, view a few. Below will be a review of some of the better ones.
As far as functionality is concerned, this one is a real winner. There are several thousand different applications you can choose to install to your OS. (by browsing a list) By default, the client comes with web browsers, an RSS feed reader, trash bin, chat software, a word processor, and several other programs. The applications can be moved accross the desktop, and the interface works similarly to Linux. You can set desktop wallpapers, drag items to the trash bin, etc.
The OS definitely lacks in the design department; everything is rather bland. The main point to this webOS is its functionality. Additional programs such as paint, games, and IM clients can be installed.
Rating - 9/10
Additional:
Best online operating system so far, as far as functionality and diversity goes.
Works with the Wii Internet Channel.
OOS is designed to mimic Windows XP. And it does a damn good job–albeit a simple one. There’s not much in the way of applications here. You’re given an extremely simple file browser, internet browser, word processor, notepad, music player, PDF viewer, and calculator. Not much in the way of functionality, but the interface is great.
Rating - 7/10 Not many applications, great design.
So! We got bored in class today, during poetry recitation, and I started doing a parody of The Raven (Edgar Allan Poe) regarding cheese curls. Yes. Cheese curls.
The results of what happened may be found here.
The Cheese Curls
(parody of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe)
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I ate my cheese curls,
Over many a quantity and crunchy bag of cheese curls,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my cheese curls.
`’Tis some rat,’ I muttered, `tapping at my cheese curls -
Only my cheese curls, and nothing more.’
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying cheese curl wrought its cheese upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my cheese curls surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant cheese curl whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple cheese curl,
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic flavors never tasted before;
So that now, to still the growls of my belly, I stood eating
`’Tis some mouse entreating entrance at my bag of cheese curls -
Some late mouse entreating entrance at my bag of cheese curls; -
This it is, and nothing more,’
Presently my hunger grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
‘Rat,’ said I, `or Mouse, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was eating, and so gently you came beating,
And so faintly you came repeating, beating at my cheese curls,
That I scarce was sure I heard you’ - here I opened wide the bag -
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there hungry, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming of cheese curls no mortal ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Cheese!’
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back a word, `Curls!’
Merely this and nothing more.
More may be posted later, at the parody poem’s permanent page.
Amazingly enough, I got Super Smash Brothers Brawl today. This is great, yes? Yes. I’ve tested the game out, and as far as I’m concerned, this a league better than Melee (In comparison, Melee was perfection. What does that make Brawl…?)
I won’t write a review, exactly, but I will say this:
Graphics 9/10 - The graphics are all very polished and crisp. Everything is vibrant. Possibly one of the best wii games I’ve seen yet. Backgrounds to stages are just… Christ. For screenshots of the game, visit IGN’s Brawl Images.
Gameplay 10/10 - Imagine Melee but faster, larger, better. More items, more fields, more characters, more diversity, more _____. The core gameplay is still the same, which is a good thing. You are now given four different ways to play: the wiimote, the wiimote and nunchuck, classic controller, and gamecube controller. Music 10/10 - The music is godlike. Really. Go download the 314 track OST if you’d like to hear, or visit SSB Dojo. Tracks range from the original scores to new ones that have been remastered or orchestrated.
Sound 9/10 - Sound effects fit perfectly. Each item’s sound effect is taken from the original game. Online Play 7/10 - Online is a very nice addition but has issues. (more on this below) Extras 9/10 - New coin launcher game is amazing; the addition of classic games as well as all of the new features are great addons to the Melee formula. Subspace Emissary is DEFINITELY welcome.
Online play is slightly dissappointing in my case. I use a Wifi connection, and the game lags horribly on large fields. Smaller fields happen to do nice, with only a fraction of a delay when you press a button. I’d recommend hooking the wii up directly to the internet via a wired connection, this should greatly reduce your lagtime. Lag at this time could also be because of the huge strain caused by the mass amount of people connecting to their servers.
Subspace Emissary sortof adds a “storyline” to Brawl, which was lacking previous games in the series. It does its job well, topping out around 4 to 5 hours of gameplay. Cutscenes in this are also well made, the CG is stunning; the only problem is the 10 second delay to wait on said cutscene to load.
Overall, Brawl is very well polished. I’d recommend it to anyone that owns a Wii, srsly.
If you’d like to join me in a match, post a comment below with your Brawl friendcode.
Mine is: 1805-2072-8762.
Username: Syl.
And of course, my preferred character among them all:
WordPress.com (the free and official hosting provider of WordPress blogging software) have updated their administration/dashboard software. When I logged into my blog today, I was immediately taken by shock. It looked so much cleaner. The front page now displays statistics of your blogs in a more orderly fashion, and is overly satisfying.
WordPress Dashboard’s New Look
WYSIWYG Editor - Almost every page has been improved in some way. One of the neatest new upgrades, as far as old features being improved goes, is the WYSIWYG editor. The new one doesn’t mess with the HTML code, and does a great job of doing, basically, what you want it to do. You can now add media (video, images, songs) quickly.
Friendlier visual post editor — I’m not sure how to articulate this improvement except to say “it doesn’t mess with your code anymore.” We’re now using version 3.0 of TinyMCE, which means better compatibility with Safari, and we’ve paid particular attention this release to its integration and interaction with complex HTML. It also now has a “no-distractions” mode which is like Writeroom for your browser.
WYSIWYG Editor’s New Look
Gallery - In addition to this, a new code, [*gallery] (without the *), will place all of your images into a clickable gallery with caption displays. As the official update says:
Built-in galleries — when you take advantage of multi-file upload to upload a bunch of photos, we have a new shortcode that lets you to easily embed galleries by just putting [ gallery] (without the space) in your post. It’ll display all your thumbnails and captions and each will link each to a page where people can comment on the individual photos.
All in all, this was quite a warm welcome to an already amazing blog host. If you haven’t already, take a look at WordPress’s new features. (obviously, this requires an account, as you have to log in to reach the dashboard)
Oh, what a great April 1st it’s been today here on the internets. Below are some of the best ones I’ve found today, although there are probably way more than this. If you wish to add more, please leave a comment.
For thousands of years, the human race has spread out across the Earth, scaling mountains and plying the oceans, planting crops and building highways, raising skyscrapers and atmospheric CO2 levels, and observing, with tremendous and unflagging enthusiasm, the Biblical injunction to be fruitful and multiply across our world’s every last nook, cranny and subdivision.
An invitation.
Earth has issues, and it’s time humanity got started on a Plan B. So, starting in 2014, Virgin founder Richard Branson and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be leading hundreds of users on one of the grandest adventures in human history: Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars.
This one was hilariously evil. I was actually looking forward to it. Virgil was a project to colonize Mars. If this were real, I’m sure a hell of a load of people would sign up, or give their support.
This one was a mockup (very, VERY well done mockup) of a Legend of Zelda movie. It seems they actually put a lot of time into this one, as the trailer shows.
Few videogame properties hold the cachet of The Legend of Zelda. As a film project, it’s on the scale of Lord of the Rings. But no one has tackled a live-action adaptation of the storied franchise… until today. Production Company Rainfall Films has asked IGN to premiere the very first footage from their live-action Zelda film — a very literal adaptation of the magical epic — and, of course, we said, “Yes!”
A new Guitar Hero-esque class for WoW? Definitely an April Fool’s joke. The 3D model and screenshots were indeed hilarious.
The deeds of every great hero inspire countless songs of triumph, virtue, and epic adventure. But although a hero’s glory endures in song, the creators of those songs are seldom remembered. After ages spent singing of the heroic exploits of others, the bards of Azeroth are finally stepping into the spotlight on their own terms, proving once and for all that while just about anyone can pick up a sword or cast a spell, only a true hero can vanquish evil with the power of ROCK!
The most played MMORPG, World of Warcraft, is now coming to consoles!!11!one!11eleventyone!11
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announces its long-awaited return to console gaming with World of Warcraft: The Molten Core™, a spinoff of the 40-person raid dungeon from its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), World of Warcraft®. World of Warcraft: The Molten Core will allow players to experience the excitement of the hit raid dungeon in a completely new format, with new challenges and new rewards.
The graphics are so primitive that I’d possibly be able to play it with this computer. (I can’t play the actual WoW, sadly.)
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I’ll add more as they come. If you’d like to alert me to one, please post a comment.
Additional:
http://retro.ign.com/articles/863/863612p1.html - IGN Retro’s Top 10 Tuesday. This one is the “Bottom 10 SNES Games” and bashes the greatest SNES games of all time, as an April Fools obviously.
Youtube: There’s no link now, but every youtube video on the front page led to a video of Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, major Rick-roll much?
DeviantArt: The Administrators changed every profile’s icon to a little 4chan meme:
Well, it’s been several months since KKRO Niflheim (http://sylvaron.wordpress.com/kkro/serverinfo/ for more info) went down. Recently, there was a poll on a revival, in which, if we got 20 votes saying yes, Magus (our admin) would bring the server back. This was done, and Niflheim is being planned for a rerelease.
I’ve been working quite a lot with Photoshop lately, a screenshot is posted below of my current desktop:
If you also want the actual wallpaper that I made, I’ve included it below:
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Memento Mori Forums has been pretty active lately, since its recent revival (On Feb 28, 2008). Not many new members, yet, however. If you’d like to join, please register.
That pretty much concludes this multi-update post.
Edit: Also, I’m working on a website for the forums/this blog. If you’d like to see an early, under construction version, visit here: http://mm.synced.org
So! We got bored in class today, during poetry recitation, and I started doing a parody of The Raven (Edgar Allan Poe) regarding cheese curls. Yes. Cheese curls.
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