http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060714/D8IS0S98F.html

Not having to remember any telephone number or indeed any number more than five digits since the invasion of the mobile phone our brains are no longer required to remember the semi important medical milestones that someone will ask you when you least suspect it.

IF or should that be when, the rice sized microchip fitted with important medical history is implanted in everyone at birth.  Holding scannable data inside our skin might be open to abuse to everyone "Why did you miss the last appointment sir?" or "You really should be taking your medication Mr Lecture".

So something else that we can store and retrieve when needed and not have to remember.  Just what do we fill our heads with instead of telephone numbers, pin and account numbers, names of family friends and inlaws?

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060710/D8IP3TVG0.html

Is a link that will take you to the news story that I've read.  I'm not a technical kind of guy, but this is exciting news, wether it will actually find its way onto PC's is another thing, but it will certainly make those portable drives a lot more stable.

"Ultimately, the technology could displace the RAM found in PCs, enabling systems that boot up immediately because data don't have to be reloaded into the memory chips." AP News.

Are we REALLY this busy in our lives that we can't wait for about twenty seconds for the PC to boot up.  If your start up time is longer that's your choice of programmes, very rarely are they ALL required in every session.

Tell me if I'm wrong about the PC remark.  Sure it's faster and apparently has a larger capacity, but does PC's actually need RAM that remembers the information when you turn it off?  PC's can be slowed down ridiculously when there's too much data floating about, having yesterdays clipboard contents might be alright from a security viewpoint, but I think people who forget things like that should be punished rather than let off.

I'm heading out to the hardware and tech unions, see what they make of it.

Not normally two franchises that one would try to compare, however I believe they are very similar.

Both, when they were first released in their 3 dimensional forms created and recreated a "living breathing world" space for players to fulfil their fantasies.  Which is why we play games right??

Alright the settings are entirely different, Grand Theft Auto doesn't have magical spells, and The Elder Scrolls don't have automobiles, but they do have one important thing in common.  They allow the player to go their own route, as they see fit.  They both have their own main storyline.  Either of which could be turned into an engrossing novel should they wish to do so.

Anyone who has played the GTA franchise from the first pc version all the way up to the San Andreas chapter has for an hour or two, spent time rampaging, and trying to massacre as many people as possible.  Simply for the fun of it all.  I've heard that some Elder Scrolls players have also massacred the population of towns and cities across the land as well.  What this does for thier infamy and indeed their wanted level I hate to imagine, but it IS possible.  It's all to release steam and pressures of course, and there is no harm in venting off steam either.  It's just what the respective digital worlds allow the player to do.

It's also possible to play both games within strict limits.  Use only magic and magical items in Cyrodiil?  Certainly why not.  Use only the rifle in GTA, if you've got the ammo, certainly why not?  Creatively there's few things that you can't do in either game.

Question.  Why has GTA got such a bad reputation in the press for inciting violence, and the Elder Scrolls games haven't?  Is it their setting, medieval age compared to modern era, that allows people to overlook the digital slaughter of digital peasants compared to the digital rampage by digital flamethrower of digital shoppers?  Who knows, does anyone care?

Question.  Have you tried, succeeded or not, in playing either of these games within a self defined strict limit?  Some strange people have turned off fast travel in Oblivion, forcing them to use their horse and get lost/killed in the countryside even before they've got to the first stage.  I'm sure they've found a lot more than other people, but I also believe they've died a lot more often and have taken longer in the game too.

Please leave a message on either or both of those questions to see who's actually visiting these infrequent posts.  I look forward to reading your views.

And I'm still gutted about England always losing on penalty shoot outs.

I know in my heart of hearts that the eleven man team in a different formation would have been running behind the portugese defense like no ones business, but due to the linear, uninspiring and bland tactics of Sven they didn't get the opportunity.

I don't condone physical violence, but I hope the team laid into him after the game.  Sure the players have to take responsibility on the pitch so why didn't the players come up with their own tactics and formation.  I haven't seen any interviews or newspapers, I just hope that Sven has had a right talking to and I will feel sorry for any country or club he manages in the future, although maybe the same tactics will work in different countries, it just isn't an English way of playing football.

As for Steve McKlaren, I hope he's learnt from Sven at what NOT to do with world class players, all they should be told is get on with playing the game, score goals, keep posession defend.

Simple really, even a chimpanzee could do manage world class players, but not managing them at all.  It's not like they need to learn how to play, just make sure they turn up for practices they keep fit and eat the right stuff, the natural talent each individual possess will become apparent when they're allowed to gel as a team and play in their own individual comfort zone.  Hopefully for the future, two forwards will be used and we can still have five midfield players that can defend their line.

Let's talk about Big Brother UK first up.  Tonights five new housemates are settling into the house next door and Acetylene is being herself.  The new people seem so much more interesting and alive than the people in the main house.  Why has it taken so long to get interesting and intelligent people in the house??  My main problem is that there will be five people going back into the house and the numbers should be falling instead of getting bigger.

England match tomorrow.  IF they manage to scrap through this fixture the next game will be very tough indeed.  Hopefully the tactics and formations will allow forward movement and shots at goal, instead of Rooney running up the pitch for no reason, only to have to run back and win the ball himself.

The new manager will be very very welcome even if by some surprise or fluke we win the World Cup, Sven will not go down as a great manager.  He's a bit like a player who doesn't work out as he's supposed to, after the fee's and wages have been paid, I believe if England win the Finals, it will be despite Sven, not because of his decisions.

It's time for Rooney and Beckham to take the team on to the pitch and start calling it how they see it. You can be loyal to a manager, but only if there's respect there.  England plays well in an attacking formation.  That doesn't have to mean there is no defence, it does mean we need atleast two people, storming up the pitch and taking shots on goal, or kicking it in front of the goal.  I'd personally go with three forwards if we've got em and let the midfield wingmen run up alongside those.

On any given day, David can beat Goliath.  I just hope we remember to pack our slingshot and rock.

Italy vs Australia.

Good match, but Italy didn't deserve to win it, the referees decision to award a penalty that never was has cost Australia their rightful place to go through to the next round in the biggest football competition on the planet.

The Referees job is a hard and thankless one, but todays ref doesn't deserve any applause unless you're italian of course.  I wonder how bad he'll be feeling when he gets to see his actions again.

I wonder if the referee for Englands match will be on their side.  I doubt there's any such thing as an unbiased referee.  Why is there no video judge in the 21st Century?  Will it slow the game down?  Not necessarily there's already four minutes of stoppage time added on in most games and I doubt that number will increase with video replays.

I know these decisions are what people talk about but for the love of the game when the referee can't decide for himself and the linemen aren't in the position there's about forty cameras that are used in the game, with twenty million viewers knowing what the events were it still comes down to mere guesswork on the part of the referee.

Come on England, if and it's a BIG if, we get through to the finals, it will be despite Sven not because of him.  He's a manager who can't i) decide on a formation that the entire team enjoy playing in ii) can't change it up during a match and iii) has a team that looked in Sundays match like they didn't know where they were supposed to be or who they were marking.  Very awful to be in that position during a world cup, when it should have been ironed out during the qualifiers.  One forward with no support will not get goals from normal play.  Getting goals from set pieces is too cheap a way to be playing at the international level.  The only good thing about Sundays game was that there were chances.  Poor defense allowed England to get in range but there was rarely anyone in position to direct to.

Finally COME ON ENGLAND.

My gamespace banner for Eve Online has been accepted and put up.  For that I've got the Artistic Genius award too.

Unfortunately there's about four eve related game spaces which is a bit silly as it's the same the game, the three new ones are just new and free major additions to the game.

What else?  Oblivion is still going okay. Up to level 13 now.  Still haven't been able to obtain a chameleon spell though, but my Dark Brotherhood cloak and hood are usefull.  I swear the bugs in the game are messing me about though.  Namely finding characters but that's for the official board(s)....The land is so appealing to write for that even I must surely be able to come up with a short story set within the environment.  I'll sleep it on it.

Spore Mobile has been mentioned in an update, I have no interest in mobile games though. Still if it adds to the PC version than it could be a good idea.

Job hunting is a lousy form of existance though, especially when the cordless phone isn't placed on charged!  Still always emails :)  If any willing employer would like to send me a list of vacancies I'll be more than willing to look through them, and see what I can do.

Big Brother 2006 UK.  Boring.  World Cup. Great if you like watching football, otherwise there's not much on tv in the UK if you've only got terrestrial.

That's about all for me, unless I think of something else....nope.  Back to Cyrodiil then.

Is probably the best most fleshed out I've ever come across.  It can compete with any work of fiction and if Bethesda would bound different aspects in books there Should be a market for it.  Cross promo anyone??  Why not??

Coming up with a story is one thing, coming up with something that exists in its own world is another.  I am a Terry Pratchett fan whose books take place on the discworld.  There have been games based on it, but few if any have been big releases.  Use the construction set to portray the discworld and it's well known inhabitants is possible and if done to the high standard, would be worthy of a release.

Just how much immersive can computer games get?  I'm looking forward to Spore and GTA 4.  Both seem great ideas and Spore seems to be the biggest task in the history of gaming, only time will tell.

It's not graphics or even gameplay, Oblivion has it's shortcomings, that dictate how good a game is as long as it's playable, it's the immersive qualities that enable you to live out the character's life and deeds. While I'm not the best role player on the planet, I am personally able to justify murder/theft and genocide in a particular setting.  What do you think??

If you woke up in a fantasy land of your choosing where would it be?  If I woke up in Ankh Morpork would I survive? Would I want to come back?  Should I go to sleep tonight with a toothbrush or an axe?

Why does ice in a glass or even ice cream, "leak" through and wet the surface??  Here I am enjoying a party mix on i-tune and drinking whisky after watching two very drab games of football and I've noticed that in a glass without ice the surface is dry.  When ice is allowed to melt in the glass, wet surface.

And NO, I haven't spilt anything, the bottom of the glass is wet. Can anyone explain??

First of this is the director of games to movie films that always for whatever reason have been slapped down by critics and fans over the internet alike.

My main problem isn't that he's a bad director.  He probably isn't.  He probably likes what he's doing.  Taking a boxing match ultimatum to the critics is just a publicity stunt and after so much negative press who can blame anyone for cracking under the pressure.

My main problem is that he doesn't seen to understand his source material.  Games have devout fans who know the characters story forwards and backwards inside and out.  When someone comes along and makes a hash of the story they feel it on a personal level for ruining the good memories they have had in their gaming experience.  Who would like someone coming along and ruining a franchise you grew up with and remembered in the rose tint that good memories have?

Apparently Uwe Boll has more films in the pipe line, IF he's to satisfy the fans, there needs to be a stronger emphasis on keeping the film as close to the story and the setting as possible.  You don't actually need to create anything new for the film.  These days some games feel like a great story anyway (note Oblivion is a fantastic story and I haven't even done the main quests yet!!), if Boll can keep the setting and the story already included in the game little to no work needs to be done on the story and location, just a half decent scriptwriter or twelve can churn out good dialogue to drive the plot forward. I'll be interested to see what he does with the game to movie adaptation of Postal.  If you don't remember the game don't worry there wasn't much of a story or even plot, it was more about the shock content than actually making it a good game.

Does Uwe Boll actually play the games he's charged with turning into a film?  Is he a good gameplayer?

There have been several good game to film releases in the past, my personal favourites are the Tomb Raider films, and the surprisingly good Resident Evil.  Anyone know of other good game to film releases over the years??

Long post and I haven't even got to the differences between the film to game releases.  Oh well maybe another paragraph won't hurt.

Since Star Wars, films have been able to cash in by selling action figures of the characters, along with t-shirts, mugs, replica items abound.  The software industry is just another facet of this cross promotional trend.  The first movie to game I played was Batman, while the film has gone on to be a hit, the original spectrum version was the most expensive spectrum game probably ever, if you discount the ones that came with their own controller device such as the light gun.  The game play itself was a basic side scroller action type of game.  But it did stick pretty well to the movie.

Such is the state of the commercialisation there'll be more and more different versions until such time when people forget the actual origins of the original format.  Be it comic strip, movie or original game turned movie/comic/cartoon serial.