→ Expiring Dates for Streaming Titles No Longer Available through Netflix’s API

Until now, the API provided the exact expiry dates but Netflix has now made the decision to *not* provide the exact expiry dates unless a title is expiring in the next two weeks. For all other titles, Netflix will show a far-out, made-up date irrespective of whether it expires 3 weeks out or 6 months out.

Another WTF decision by Netflix. Scathing Comments here.  Particularly for TV series a knowledgeable customer doesn’t want to start something and not have the time to finish. For power users instantwatcher.com and the like are necessary and a change like this helps nobody.

→ Twitter is Tracking you on the Web

Basically, every time you visit a site that has a follow button, a “tweet this” button, or a hovercard, Twitter is recording your behavior. It is transparently watching your movements and storing them somewhere for later use.

Some of this web tracking stuff is confusing I’m trying to learn more myself.  I suggest installing the Extensions Disconnect and Keep My Opt-Outs for Chrome users to stop at least some of this behavior. Also see Do Not Track hopefully being able to stop this stuff gets easier and widely adopted.

→ As I Lay Dying The Blinding of False Light (Innerpartysystem Remix) (YouTube)

I LOVE THIS REMIX! It makes dubstep sound good.
Dakotak131

I don’t know shit about Dubstep but I do know metal. AILD has a new CD with four remixes and strangely I like them all. The song above has some nice drops, that’s what the kids call them right? 

→ Return (YouTube)

good gameplay and great montage man. good job!
kishawiboi

These type of gameplay montage videos are rather addicting particularly the Modern Warfare ones.  Here’s another good one and one more for good measure. Need to get a capture card some day.

→ Welcome to Apple

“What greets you on your first day at Apple. I’ve had this taped to my dresser for two years. Words to live by.”

Only posted this to infuriate vanberge…

→ The Hipster Hunt (Vimeo)

Jon Christopher
Hipsters are cultural elitists. They don’t have money, but they have better taste than you. Everyone is a little bit hipster.

Nobody has a clue what a Hipster is but nobody wants to be one. Brunch anyone?

→ What Your Favorite Video Game (Series) Says About You

Metal Gear Solid: You think that suicidal people should just go on cool death-defying missions.

Sounds about right. Click though and make sure to check out Wii Sports, Bioshock, and Deus Ex. The Bioshock one made me laugh.

→ High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being

We conclude that high income buys life satisfaction but not happiness, and that low income is associated both with low life evaluation and low emotional well-being.

I could have concluded that without having to poll 450,000 people.

→ The Madness Behind the Game for Horrible People

Cards Against Humanity, self-described as “a party game for horrible people,” is an awful version of Apples to Apples. By awful, of couse, I mean amazing, clever, and delightfully insane.

In a perfect world all my favorite people would congregate with finely craft beer and Jets Pizza and partake in a few friendly rounds of CAH.

→ Adobe CS6 Installer: Continuing a proud tradition of user hostility

Against my better judgment, I have opted, once again, to upgrade my current version of the Adobe Creative Suite (5.5) to the new version (6.0)

What a disaster. The CS4 install story is the best read but still, Adobe needs to pick it up.

→ Epic 20th Anniversary Original Soundtrack

To celebrate we’re giving away 20 of the best Epic tracks from our games over the years.  We’ve hand picked and remastered a soundtrack that includes everything from Jazz Jackrabbit to Unreal Tournament.

Click though to download free high quality MP3′s. Worth checking out for the excellent ‘Hope Runs Deep‘ from Gears of War 2 and the ridiculous ‘Cole Train Rap‘. Side note, everybody should spam their friends with Dom and Maria’s portrait.

Whatever happened in February, it must have been awesome.

Not much this week…deal with it…

→ Foursquare Adds Another Search Feature: Check-In History

Today the company launched the latest of several search features that continue to position Foursquare firmly as a formal local search engine: a fully searchable history page where users can review their entire check-in history, including photos, tips and who else was there.

This goes along with my thoughts a few days ago about Twitter search history. I understand for Twitter the past is not their focus but as it appears Foursquare shows how it should be done.

→ Facebook urges users to share organ-donor status

Starting today, users can add donor plans to their profile, just like they already note a hometown or alma mater, Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, said on a blog post. There will also be a link to the official donor registry, the Menlo Park, California-based company said.

Nice initiative but does EVERYTHING about us have to published on profiles?

→ TAXING MY PATIENCE

I’ll conclude with this: If you read The New York Times arti­cle and found your­self outraged at Apple, take a step back and real­ize that being angry at Apple does noth­ing here. Instead focus that anger toward elect­ing rep­re­sen­ta­tives — at all lev­els of gov­ern­ment — who are not beholden to cor­po­rate inter­ests. That’s where the real change will come from.

That article mentions Apple 92 times, Microsoft 3 times, Google 6 times. Same case as previous Times/Apple Exposé’s. I’m no money man but I’m sure all these large companies do their best to sidestep any taxes they can.

→ The Brooklyn Nets: I Call Technical Foul

Whether Jay Z opened up Adobe Illustrator and set the type on a curve himself or not remains a mystery but one thing is for sure: the logo family is technically worthless and embarrassing.

Don’t really have much of an opinion on the Brooklyn Nets new logo but I thought that line was rather humorous.

→ Go right (YouTube)

this is the best video ever.
jjvictor66

If you watch this and feel nothing, you cannot feel. Awesome video simple concept and anything with a reminder of the epic Game Over screen from Zelda 2 gets a thumbs up from me.

→ We Need Historical Hashtag Data By Larry Press

According to my research, tweets only remain searchable for ten days.

→ Get to know Twitter: New User FAQ

Why can’t I see all my Tweets? Are they lost?

We store all your Tweets. However, we currently only allow you to see the 3200 most recent Tweets you have posted via your account.

Still surprised not to see more thoughts about this topic. Why contribute to something where ones work and contributions just go away? Hopefully they really are working to “improve this issue“.

Field report request

By: Burgetta for burgetta.wordpress.com

I think the biggest problem I have with Battlefield 3 is that it was made well known this game was to “compete with Call of Duty.”  I played previous Battlefield entries, and they were good.  They weren’t great, but they were fun shooters (for the most part).  They were a change of pace from Call of Duty.  Since you claimed to want to “compete with Call of Duty,” I now have no choice but to judge your game against the Call of Duty series; before they were two separate franchises, each with their own bright spots and flaws, but separate franchises.  Your game is not as good as Call of Duty.  I understand you probably weren’t trying to make a CoD clone, but they definitely play much better.  They are fast, they are fun, and they are challenging. The controls are tight, and for the most part, this is key, everything works.  Your game is almost completely devoid of any action at all for long stretches.  Spawns often require you to run a ridiculous distance to an objective.  These are 2 things that do not add up to a “fast and fun” gaming experience.  As far as your game being challenging, I find the hardest part is to make it from point A to point B without being sniped from a rock or a window.  Nevermind getting kills, or capturing objectives, you can’t even get to them.  This is probably the number 1 biggest problem I have.  It is the exact opposite of fun.  Your game is being dragged down immeasurably by those who select the sniper class, then find a spot and sit there.  Why would they move?  There is absolutely no penalty at all for camping.  The killcams are a joke.  I have long held the belief that there should be much harsher penalties for play like a bitch in this manner, or AT LEAST a separate game type where camping is not an option.  If you do not move from where you are within a set amount of time, say 10 seconds tops, you die.  Good idea, right?  I’m sure you will fuck it up.  Battlefield’s controls are far less responsive than that of CoD, I would even say they are muddy.  CoD has it’s moments, but for the most part they work.  Your game was and is horribly broken.  You want to compete with Call of Duty you say.  You release an embarrassingly bad beta, and a game that requires a 2GB patch to play.  2GB?  2GB.  There is also another somewhat sizable patch I have not yet downloaded, and never will.  People paid you real actual money for your game, and you weighed down their hard drives with 3GB worth of patches, because you chose to release a game that didn’t fucking work.  Brilliant.  Fuck you.

“You have an opinion on Battlefield 3™. And we’re listening. Your feedback will help shape the future of the game. Take the Survey.”

→ The Slow Decay Of The Microsoft Consumer

Consider this: Apple’s iPhone business alone is bigger than all of Microsoft’s businesses combined.

Slightly snarky article I really don’t agree with fully but the above line is insanity. Also check out Apple’s Second Quarter Results. “Net Profit Increases 94% Year-over-Year”. Who is buying all this stuff?

→ Spectrum Health unveils plans for 23-acre medical facility

The Spectrum Health System has officially unveiled its plan for construction of a multi-use medical facility at Three Mile Road and the East Beltline in Grand Rapids Township.

Of course they do…

→ Trials Evolution Earns Highest Grossing Day-Sales in Xbox LIVE Arcade History

Publisher Microsoft Studios is proud to announce that after the first 24 hours of sales, Trials Evolution has set a record for the highest grossing day-one sales in Xbox LIVE Arcade history.

Honestly well deserved. For $15 dollars I cannot think of RedLynx giving a better value then what is packed in that game. Also see Penny Arcade comic “Resignation“.

→ You’re Worth More Dead Than Alive

It’s a grisly subject, but it’s one that’s becoming ever more present in the medical world, and it shows no signs of disappearing yet.

Like the title and the .gif they put together for their infographic is rather good.

→ Dredg-Litho_5min.mov (YouTube)

An excerpt from the “Making of Catch” documentary.

Hopefully this sees the light of day. Video starts slow but stick with it the last few parts are awesome. Got some time you can watch a show where they play “Catch Without Arms” in its entirety and again it’s awesome. They have two shows in California in June that again, would be awesome to attend.

→ Obama attack video: Too “cool” to be president

The spot, which is called “cool,” shows the president dancing with Ellen DeGeneres, criticizing Kanye West, “slow jamming the news” with Jimmy Fallon, drinking a beer and singing an Al Green song.

Republicans reminding the public President Obama is human alongside all of us.  Obama’s job is not solely 100% of the time be working on making  ”your life any better”. Make your own damn life better. Absolutely abhorrent…

→ People Who Don’t Know How to Spell “Cologne”

Jessica Howard ‏ @Howie_lovee
I love it when you can still smell your boyfriends colon on you

Also make sure to see Capitals Joel Ward Scores Game 7 Overtime Winner – Bruins Fans Unleash N-Word Barrage on Twitter. The Cologne thing is just a spelling error but come on people these Bruins fans deserve to be called out and feel your scorn.

Another new Google offering and a new icon that looks like it was ripped from a game. First it was Google Chrome now it’s Google Drive. One of their graphic designers at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway must be gamer. 

For people who haven’t played the games Abstergo Industries is evil.

→ Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?

In 1950, less than 10 percent of American households contained only one person. By 2010, nearly 27 percent of households had just one person. Solitary living does not guarantee a life of unhappiness, of course.

Of course it doesn’t but an interesting metric never the less. The whole article is filled with good metrics. Must read of the week.

→ RIM’s Sole Stand-Alone Outlet Serves as Reminder of Failed Corporate Strategy

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.—On a gray stretch of highway 25 miles northwest of Detroit, in a strip mall next to an OfficeMax and a dry cleaners, sits the only stand-alone BlackBerry retail store in North America.

Just read the article and check out the photo. Don’t watch the video the guys are dicks. “Even in Farmington Hills there’s lot’s of competition”. Like there isn’t money in Oakland county.  Assholes.

→ Twitter’s “Innovator’s Patent Agreement”

The Innovator’s Patent Agreement is a nice sentiment, but the loophole potential is simply too great, and it doesn’t (and can’t) address the fundamental problems and dysfunction in the patent system.

Good look into Twitter’s Innovator’s Patent Agreement. I should patent ‘Friday Links’  and grant everybody goodwill to do their own Friday Links posts even though I stole the idea from somebody else.

→ Twitter / @jeffgerstmann

Netflix has really made friends lists on consoles a boring place to visit. Oh, hey, great, a list of people streaming movies. Useful.

Agreed…fully… especially since everybody has changed their privacy settings to no longer show what they are watching.

→ Head Shaving – Making the Most of Nothing

In this millennium, however, it’s a whole new bald game. Head shaving has gone prime time. And not a moment too soon for guys like me, who would never have had the guts to take such a drastic measure if so many men hadn’t acted so bravely to make an odd look so mysteriously hip.

The one thing they don’t mention is the economics of cutting ones own hair. The article talks about the “bic” domes (full razor shave) but most people I think just buzz their hair down #1 and reap the benefits of saving hundreds of dollars a year in haircuts.I’m fairly certain it was Stephen Richards from Taproot that got me into doing the buzz cut for a decade.

→ Are TV and Video Games Making Kids Fat?

Children burned roughly twice as many calories playing Tekken 3 as they did sitting in one place, which translates to an extra 40 to 80 calories burned every hour. In other words, this traditional, “passive” video game was itself providing children with a form of exercise.

That is awesome. Also see ‘Is sugar toxic?‘ and ‘The Crisis in American Walking‘. The ‘everything is killing you and bad for you’ post of the week.

→ Flood Of Trials Evolution Players Take Down Microsoft’s Servers

The game went live yesterday, and over 100,000 players downloaded it and began posting their scores to the leaderboards. Because of the onslaught of new users, servers went down and resulted in error messages when leaderboards were accessed.

Good stuff. Looks like vanberge wasn’t alone having Trials Evolution issues. This should be fixed and everybody should pick up the game. Well worth a measly $15 bucks. Skip a fat burger lunch and get some Trials instead. Better for the ticker…but barely.