GoodBlimey - Home to 2,748 mashups! » Personal

Introducing a New Toy to Buddy

Matt — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:53:09 +0000

Below is a video of my dog, Buddy, enjoying a new toy I had just bought for him.

I Got Quoted by MSNBC

Matt — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:09:54 +0000

Just wanted to share that I was interviewed by MSNBC and my answers were quoted in an article available online at their site, entitled “Games are serious business for Apple”. The article is about gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch, and whether or not Sony and Nintendo should be worried in regards to their PSP and Nintendo DS, respectively. The article was featured prominently on the front page of MSNBC, too.

Since starting FingerGaming.com two months ago, the site has grown by leaps and bounds as just a couple weeks ago Apple officially announced they’re entering the mobile gaming industry. I knew gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch was going to be a big deal, so this basically validated my gut instincts.

Here are the quotes by me in the MSNBC article:

Apple iPhone and Touch users can interact with games by touching the screens and by tilting the machines to and fro. “The possibilities are near limitless with what can be done in games using these unique methods to interact with games,” says Matt Burris, creator of the blog FingerGaming.com.

Additionally, when the App Store launched in July, it suddenly offered an easy way for iPhone and Touch owners to download a veritable smorgasbord of games (and other programs) onto their devices. And Burris points out, “These games are affordable, lower than any other games on the market. They range from free, 99 cents, all the way up to $9.99. You don’t have to go to the store to get them. All you have to do is tap on an icon, choose the game you want to buy, and within minutes you’re playing that game.”

And further along in the article:

Burris disagrees. “If anything, Nintendo should be excited. The iPhone and iPod Touch will be reaching even further to an audience that may not even consider themselves gamers.”

He says that most people who have purchased an iPhone probably didn’t buy it to play games. But now that they’re able to find and easily play interesting games, they’ll be pulled into the fold.

For their part, Nintendo is striking a nonchalant tone.

FingerGaming.com – Gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch

Matt — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:09:54 +0000

I’m announcing my new website I’ve just finished putting together and now unveiling to the public, FingerGaming.com. FingerGaming.com is all about gaming on the iPhone and iPod Touch, now that Apple’s new App Store is open to the public and cranking out games every single day. Mobile gaming a rapidly growing industry, and FingerGaming.com is going to be a part of that by covering everything games on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The reviews, the main features on the site, will feature videos I’ve recorded of me playing these games, screenshots, price, link to the developer of the game, and of course my thoughts on the game itself.

Already we’re seeing a slew of very fun, polished, widely talked about games. You have my personal favorites, MotionX Poker, a dice poker game with achievements, dozens of dice you can unlock and use, and gameplay mechanics that take advantage of the iPhone (multi-touch, accelerometer support, vibrate, etc.) There’s also Galcon, a fast-paced space strategy game that is incredibly addictive and easy to pick up and play. Labyrinth is an age-old game, with a modern approach. It’s the wooden box in a maze with holes that you have to tilt the iPhone/iPod Touch to avoid. It’s simple for everyone to pick up and enjoy, with over 500 levels to play through, with more that you can download over time.

All of these games can be had for $10 or less, some are even free, such as the excellent Aurora Feint. Portable gaming has never been this powerful, and intuitive, and now it’s here. Visit FingerGaming if you want to be part of this wonderful new world.

Being a better gamer: a guide to changing the world

Matt — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:52:45 +0000

Ars Technica has an excellent article, titled Being a better gamer: a guide to changing the world. It’s a great article worth reading if you’re interested in gaming in general, whether you’re a casual gamer into solitaire and Bejeweled, or a hardcore gamer into Call of Duty and Halo. It covers a lot of ground, and points out how gamers can help give all gamers a better impression in the media and to get politicians to stop their fear-mongering, ignorant ways.

If the mainstream media is to be believed, video games are about as healthy as cigarettes, except they cause psychotic breaks instead of cancer. Politicians use this artificially created fear of games as an excuse to pass legislation to criminalize the sale of certain games, although so far, each of these pieces of legislation has been successfully challenged and overturned in the courts. While more people than ever are playing games, and the audience for those games is expanding to include people of both sexes and all ages, the media’s reporting on the industry and its effects on children remains reactionary and woefully misleading.

Meyer: Harvin’s heel healing well after surgery

Matt — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:45:56 +0000

Meyer: Harvin’s heel healing well after surgery is the latest report from Sports Illustrated, which has me breathing a sigh of relief. Percy Harvins is easily the most exciting player to watch in college football. I didn’t get to watch Reggie Bush in action when he was in college, but from all accounts, Percy is more exciting and dynamic. His only problem is staying healthy, as he takes a beating considering the amount of times he touches the football.

I am seriously chomping at the bit for college football season to start. I’m excited for this year’s Florida Gators!

The Mood for Music

Matt — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:50:44 +0000

I wrote this in response to Monica, when she had asked if it was schizophrenia that she would listen to new music one day, and old music the next. I thought I’d share my reply on here:

Some day you’re in the mood for new music, sometimes you want a comfort listen, a lot like comfort food … well, comforts you. It’s familiar, soothing, has deep-seated memories attached to them whether they be happy or sad.

To me, music is a lot like photography. They remind you of a time, place, mood, taste, smell, sight, and a myriad of other feelings. They’re tiny little bookmarks that make us such incredibly complex and sophisticated beings.

New music need a chance to develop (like new photographs) while old music are fully developed, worn around the edges, but still maintaining their colors, warmth, and personality.

Some days I’m in the mood for new music, to me it’s like deep-sea diving, looking for treasure. When you finally do stumble upon a treasure chest full of all the glories that is ear candy, it’s worth its weight in gold.

Other days I’m in the mood for music of the past, that remind me of my childhood, a certain time and/or place, or just to revisit a familiar friend.

One day it’s indie rock, the next it’s reggae. After that I could have a irresistible craving for new age. Then I’ll go back to indie rock, only to explore the tiny little subgenres of rock; alt-country, bubble gum pop, folktronic, rockabilly, and so on.

We live in the best time in the world for the appreciation of music as a whole. There’s so much at our fingertips, it’s deliciously overwhelming!

Nightlights for Nerds

Matt — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:37:45 +0000

I have a bevy of electronic devices in my room that basically function as nightlights. When I get up in the middle of the night, even as bad as my eyesight is, I can see where everything is without bumping into anything. Here’s a list of devices, and the type of light they provide in order of brightness and type of lights.

Throbber for steady dimming/brightening, Flickering for rapid on/off, and Steady for staying at the same brightness indefinitely.

Hava Platinum HD Placeshifter (Steady)
8GB Sandisk Cruzer Flash Drive (Throbber)
500GB Maxtor OneTouch External Hard Drive (Throbber)
17″ Macbook Pro Notebook Computer (Throbber)
Xbox 360 Gaming Console (Steady)
Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router (Flickering)
2Mbps/200Kbps Roadrunner Cable Modem (Flickering)
HDTV Cable Receiver (Steady)
Headphone Amp (Steady)

You can see a picture of my electronic nightlights here:

On Being a Food Snob

Matt — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:49:48 +0000

Someone asked me just now if I’ve always loved veggies and gourmet food. Here’s my response that I thought I’d share on here:

No, I wasn’t always a foodie. In fact, I was a lot like you a few years ago. I’d eat Mac and Cheese all the time, hot dogs, and when I went out, I got the same old stuff all the time; hamburgers, pizza, subs, stuff I grew up with and knew well. I was never disappointed doing this, but I was never pleasantly surprised, either. I never explored, never ventured outside my comfort zone, never tried to be adventurous.

But then my sleeping habit went screwy, and I’d stay up all night and sleep most of the day. One night, nothing was on at 3 in the morning, I was switching around, trying to find something to watch while I ate some chicken wings. I stopped on the Food Network because they were grilling stuff, and what they were doing caught my interest. It looked so good, and suddenly I was enjoying my chicken wings more because what was on TV was making me hungrier.

I enjoyed that so much, I did the same thing the next night. Then the next night, and the next, and the next. So on, pretty much everyday, for 2 years. I would watch during the day, too. I started learning, and then I started to appreciate food I never did before. They SOLD me on everything! Their enthusiasm and passion wore off on me, on even the most simplest foods in the world. Corn? Pfftt, no big deal, I said. But no, they’d build it up and put it on a golden pedestal. They’d caress it and whisper sweet nothings into its ears. Told me why it was so wonderful, why it goes so great in certain dishes. They told me the love that went into growing it, cleaning it, cooking and then serving it.

I’d watch shows on Italian pasta creation, Southern grilling, Cajun seafood, anything that didn’t do with baking and sweets, I was into. I hate baking. It’s stupid. Casseroles? BORING. Anyway, I digress.

Basically, I was ignorant, and when I got the knowledge, suddenly a whole new world of happiness and pleasure and nutrition opened up to me, and I’m so, so glad it did. When I go to restaurants, I rarely order something familiar. I always try something I’ve never had, and 9 times out of 10, I’m pleasantly surprised and ecstatic.

My only complaint about this revelation in my life is that I can’t try all the good foods in the world before I die, but I sure as hell am gonna try my best to.

Clearing Your Throat for Attention

Matt — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:19:25 +0000

I gave up on clearing my throat to get the attention of others who are preoccupied. It has lost its effectiveness in these modern times, so as a course of action, I’ve evolved and developed a new method of getting attention.

I now make retching noises. This has a highly effective 100% success rate. No longer do you have to clear your throat multiple times to get the attention you deserve. My retching noise method is guaranteed to work, every single time.

As an added bonus, it will get the attention of multiple people if there are more than one person in the room with you. So if you have something really important to say, my method works wonders. Practice isn’t even necessary, a beginner will also attain a 100% success rate.

I highly recommend you try this method at your next family gathering or company event, and be amazed at how superior it is over the old throat clearing method.

Note: Disregard the look of sheer horror generated by this method, it is a necessary side-effect for achieving your goal — getting attention.

Ahead of its Time

Matt — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 15:56:49 +0000

When talking about albums that are ahead of its time, many people think of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, The Flaming Lip’s Soft Bulletin, U2′s The Joshua Tree, Radiohead’s OK Computer, Massive Attack’s Blue Lines, or David Bowie’s Low. However, one of my favorite that has withstood the test of time and still to this day sounds ahead of its time is Nine Inch Nails’s Pretty Hate Machine.

The day I first heard it was also the day I played my first first-person shooter. I played Doom on the Sega CD (those were the days) while listening to this amazing album. It heralded an era of consistently excellent releases from Trent Reznor over the years, all the way up to the latest album, Year Zero.

With PHM, I love every single song a lot, so ordering them is like a parent having to choose a favorite child. You love each one in a unique way, but you can’t really rank them. However, That’s What I Get and Down In It seem to get a lot more listens from me.

Here’s the song, That’s What I Get:

Download audio file (Nine Inch Nails – Thats What I Get.mp3)