Program updates! ... except not.

I've had Apple Software Update for a while to get updates to the Safari browser. I saw it pop up not too long ago:

I have neither an iPhone nor any earlier version of the Utility, nor do I have QuickTime.

There has been earlier controversy about how new programs are placed in the updater. I think the separate "New software" list was the right thing to do (they have largely stuck to it in my experience), and I can't imagine they can accomplish monopolist goals with an "iPhone Configuration Utility", but vigilance is key to keeping programs from becoming disingenuous. (For those curious, Windows Vista doesn't list e.g. Windows Live Essentials separately in its Windows Update either, and I've set to "Ignore" the two Apple updates.)

Windows Live Writer Beta 2 test.

This post was mostly written using the very beautiful-looking (if not quite perfect) second beta of Windows Live Writer, available for download.

I especially love the splash screen, editing in the blog's style, and the Web Preview (View->Web Preview or press F12).

Long story short: I'll be using it.

(Via the Blogger dashboard; screen shot taken with Kenny Kerr's very awesome Window Clippings program.)

Blow MOAR sh*t up.

RAY-HOUND v0.900.91 is like v0.80 but with high score list, instant-replay, more options, new-game checkpoints every 10 stages, the apparent ability to ram and then "capture" enemies with the left mouse button—after which you can flail them around to somewhere else—and...cowbell please...SOUND!

My high score's below.

Replays (7z archive, 23 KiB)

Titanion.

Just what one expects* from Kenta Cho. (Via Independent Gaming.)

*assuming your expectations are high and of sheer awesomeness.

Quantized Blaze.

I played a game of Quantized Blaze yesterday. Results of that Normal Game below.

GRADLE-UNISON.

In this weird Hello World Project game, you move and then left-click your mouse (or press the Z key) to move your whatever-you-call-that-spinning-thing across a board. The longer you move between each click, the stronger the shock wave you make after the click. The shockwave destroys enemies and gets you points.

Harmotion.

Harmotion is truly a dream game: a beautiful, multiplayer shoot-em-up. (I'm ranked 69 as of post time.)

(via Shoot The Core)

Blow sh*t up.

I was checking the database for some shooters. It had the usual meh games. It also had two games of a BattleBlade series, which were good, and a great game called Hyperwars (I like its Gameboy-style graphics and it's even a bit funny).

When I saw Ray-hound in the list, though, I forgot about those three fast.

Hikoza.T.Ohkubo ("Hikware") made a game before Ray-hound, called Warning Forever, which I love for the gradually-tougher-bosses battles. Ray-hound is immensely different from that. There are increasingly difficult levels here, yes, but that's where the similarities end. You can't shoot, but you can use the left mouse button to slingshot dangerous rays of light back at cannons that launch them, or "flick" the mouse to boost the ship and reflect those rays. It's different from many games I've played, and while it does feel very different and weird at first, it's extremely fun, and even the deadly rays are a nice sight for sore eyes (though the other graphics are above-average at best).

No joystick is needed for the mouse-only, Windows-only game. It doesn't seem to have sound, instant-replay, or many options yet, but this also seems to be the first public version of it, and like wine, Windows, or anything else (except maybe Sony), it will certainly mature and age gracefully. I'll definitely be watching Ray-hound closely—I love it.

YeAAAAAuh.

I put up a second version of the Icon Maker, with full source code and installer sources.

Use 7-Zip, TUGZip, or other programs that can work with a 7z file, to unwrap my gift to you. ;)

See this previous post for more info.

Grid Wars.

Via Shoot the Core's "PC database", I found a nice shooter called Grid Wars. I love it.

So how do I thank the author? Simple: I create my own Gfx Set for the game based on The Guardian Legend.

The set is in gwtglgfx.zip, an 88.3 kilobyte zip file. (Usage instructions are included in its "readme.txt" file. Check the download for viruses before further use.)

This whole freaking post is out of date. Grid Wars was taken down after an e-mail from Bizarre Creations of Geometry Wars fame, and I probably won't restore my download either.

Take note of this development.

My favorite parts of Notepad++ are the “Switch Dialog” button on the Find/Replace dialog, and the ability to add custom languages. Emacs might be less constrained with the latter, but I'm not a fan of that.

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but to me it just feels like February was yesterday.

Image editing, for free.

The GIMP can make nice translucent backgrounds like mine.