DreamSpark for Free Stuff

Last week Bill Gates (you might have heard of him - used to run a software company as I remember) announced a new Microsoft initiative called DreamSpark. This gives all students (even those unlucky enough to be at places which are not in the Microsoft Academic Alliance) access to free Microsoft software, including Visual Studio 2008 professional, Windows Server 2005 and Microsoft Expression Studio. And they also provide students with free 1 year XNA creators club memberships. You just have to go on to the site and sign up. If your institution isn't listed as one of the authenticating places (for some reason Hull is not on the list) you can use your Athens username (which all Hull students have) to get access.

To find out how to do it you can read more at Ed Dunhil's blog, where he describes the process. I've just tested it (don't ask me how) and it works fine.

This is wonderful, since it means that any student with an Xbox 360 and Xbox Live membership can now write games for their console. And with the upcoming community developments it means that in the slightly longer term they will be able to publish them out to everyone on Xbox Live.

Earthquake Alert

Such is life. I've only been back from the San Andreas Fault ridden California a couple of days and we go and have our own earthquake in the UK. 5.3 on the Richter Scale too, whatever that means (in our house this equates to "Rattling of windows, scary whooshing sound and ponderings as to the brick resistant properties of an 11 tog duvet.").

Actually it was rather frightening but there doesn't seem to have been any damage done. For me the worst part was the silence afterwards. It really was eerie.

I Want Another Robot

I find the "naked" one rather scary

They had these in the GDC exhibition. They are called Pleos and are actually rather neat. Very like an Aibo, but with a much more organic feel to their movements and behaviour. You can get them in the UK, but they are of course at rip-off prices compared to their American cousins. Ebay beckons......

Early Radio

As luck would have it I was due to do an early radio thing this morning. With added jetlag. Fortunately things worked out quite well, as my whacked out body clock had me wide awake at five in the morning, and I actually got to the studio early. Things seemed to go OK, and I staggered into work for a rest. Or something.

Bright and early Hull

Back in Blighty

I got back bright and early this morning. And then spent most of the day asleep.

Getting rid of the last of the silly pictures, I wonder what the aircraft cleaners will make of it?

Thanks to these folks for making sure that I had some legroom on the flights.

Quite a nice SF sunrise to finish off with.