The MON Blogs

iPhone – the Pros

2 August 2007 – 12:34 pm

For all the hype about the iPhone and it’s good and innovative features, it also has a bunch of features which are really pretty crap.

First up though, some of the cool features of the iPhone that I like:

Built in 802.11B/G wi-fi
- Allows data to be pulled over a WLAN instead of over the more expensive mobile/cellphone network
Multitouch interface
- Pure shiny Apple here, if it really works as well as expected it should make interacting with cellphones much easier
Hi-res (320×480) screen
- For comparison the Nokia N95 has a 320×240 screen. The iPhone resolution is higher than many Windows PocketPCs
Safari
- A mobile browser with desktop levels of support for web-standards like XML, CSS and Javascript. It also supports some of the mobile web-standards for backwards compatibility.
Multimedia support
- It supports a whole load of multimedia formats (MP3, MP4, QuickTime, H.264 etc)
Very shiny design
- It’s interface is usual Apple shinyness and;
- It’s physical design is rather attractive too.

The iPhone cons are available over here.

By devslashtux | Posted in DECO1200, iPhone | Comments Off

Hello World!

29 July 2007 – 2:17 pm

A very imaginative first post for the DECO1200 Blog.

Originally I planned to use a new install of WordPress to run this blog, but after some suggestions from my fellow blogger Colonel, we decided that The MON Blogs could probably do with the additional posts – even if they are of a high nerd-quotient.

The “website” I will be using for the subject is at http://devslashtux.monproductions.com/, but I suspect there will be a lot of cross-posting between there and here.

For those who don’t know, I’m doing the Bachelor of Design Computing at Sydney University – and blogging is an assessment requirement for one of our subjects (hence the DECO1200 category [and I'm sure they'll mark it highly ]). Over the course of the semester, I’ll be developing a Web2.0 application for the iPhone and documenting my progress and revelations on this blog.

Hopefully by the end of semester there will be some nice shiny posts in here regarding the development of the iPhone project!

By devslashtux | Posted in DECO1200 | Comments (1)

The new front page is here!

24 July 2007 – 12:43 am

Of course you probably know that since you would have seen it when you clicked through to this post, but any way it’s here, a very new front page for our website.

The site has now been running since late 2005 so a fresh look was a bit overdue. And the new front page better reflects the original premise of the site by being a kind of gateway to the various Middle of Nowhere projects the team has worked on over the years.

Hopefully the new site will make navigating all that much easier.

And of course a big thanks to the official Middle of Nowhere web designer Devslashtux for putting it all together.

By Colonel | Posted in MON Productions | Comments Off

Update

18 July 2007 – 10:38 am

A quick update, the new MON frontpage is almost complete. Once finished we’ll have a much easier site to access. There’s still a few tweaks to work through so I can’t give an eta.

When the new site is done we’ll be dumping the existing news service and replacing it with this blog which will double as a blog and news updates.

In other MON team news Dex is currently overseas and I’m hoping he’ll post a trip report of his travels when he gets back.

Devslashtux has just got his new computer back from the shop for the third time so fingers crosses he’s worked through the kinks.

And I’ve just recently returned from a week at the snow which was awesome. If you’re interested I’ve posted a couple of photos at the bottom of this page.

By Colonel | Posted in MON Productions, Travel | Comments Off

More MON news

25 June 2007 – 12:56 pm

Well the MON team is finishing up its 1st uni semester for the year.

We’re hoping to get together during the break and put something together.

In the mean time there’s so small news to report. Devslashtux has put together a very flashy Zoltan comic which I’m hoping he’ll be putting up online soon.

We’re also hoping to get the new front page up and running in the near future.

And finally the MON team has entered the world of social networking having just created a Middle of Nowhere group on Facebook. We’re not sure what we’re going to actually do with it, but it’s there for anyone interested.

By Colonel | Posted in MON Productions | Comments Off

Some down right terrible comics

17 June 2007 – 10:02 pm

I was just going through some old files and I came across some images the MON team drew one day using paint.

They’re generally of a terrible quality and not funny at all.

Enjoy!

By Colonel | Posted in Entertainment, MON Productions, Random | Comments (3)

The Death of Palm

31 May 2007 – 3:45 pm

After 3 1/2 years of faithful service as an MP3 player, video player, internet browser, alarm clock and organizer, my trusty Palm Zire 71 died today after being crushed.

The faitful moment occurred in an elevator, safely packed (or so I thought) in it’s case. When two people crushed their way into the lift I was pushed against the wall and poor Palm had it’s screen broken.

Anyway, other party in question has offered to pay for damages so hopefully he’ll keep his word and a suitable replacement will be found.

I’m not going to have as much to do on train trip home though, I might have to read a book…

By devslashtux | Posted in Computers and Internet, Random | Comments (3)

Spiderman 4 Part 2

14 May 2007 – 12:14 am

(Act 2 written by Colonel not Dex, hence its superior awesomeness)

Talking Elk Man: Good thing that Aerosmith song never actually came, I don’t think I could have taken another song!

Talking Fridge Boy: Look out Talking Elk Man, it’s your arch nemesis Mr Arch Nemesis.

Mr Arch Nemesis: My arches could crush a thousand battle ships.

Talking Elk Man: Phew, it’s a good thing I brought one thousand and one battle ships.

Mr Arch Nemesis: Foiled by my arch nemesis, who’d have thought it.

Talking Elk Man: Another disaster averted by battle ships.

Talking Fridge Boy: Would you like a sandwich?

*Talking Elk Man and Talking Fridge Boy sit down and eat sandwiches together. Some time passes, followed later by some chives*

Talking Elk Man: These sandwiches are good. Where’d you get them?

*At that moment a meteor strikes Earth, which is good because this scene is taking place on Mars*

End Act 2

By Colonel | Posted in Random | Comments Off

Spiderman 4

14 May 2007 – 12:07 am

I’ve recently learnt that there will in fact be a fourth Spiderman film and that this film is actually going to be financed by Middle of Nowhere member Dex.

Now obviously this means Dex will have a lot of creative control over the film. I recently asked him about his plans and they include dumping the character of Spiderman from the film, to be replace by Talking Elk Man and his side kick Taking Fridge Boy.

With that in mind I present here (because Dex forgot his password) the preview script for Spiderman 4:

Spiderman 4:
TALKING ELK-MAN vs ALFRED MOLINA

Talking Elk Man: Didnt you used to be in better, more artistic but generally less high grossing films?

Alfred Molina: Quiet you! Cant you see I am controlled by a computer

Talking Elk Man: Obviously, but you didnt take into accound that not only do I talk…. but I sing!

*queue musical type music*

Editors Note: Here we discover that our author cannot write a song to save himself

Text: Many singings later

Alfred Molina: That was unnecessary, and what is worse we have lost our entire budget. Now I am down to just 5 arms

Talking Elk Man: Well, so much for my sidekick Talking Fridge Boy

*Flash to another scene, a fridge cries in a corner, forgotten*

But suddenly, a flash on the horizon, it is Flash Gordon!

Flash Gordan: I am often mistaken for various members of the powerpuff girls

Talking Elk Man: Never! After all, you battle both Ming the Merciless and Ming the Mercilessesser

at this point, we look up to the sky and see a meteor streaking down

Aerosmith: I feel a song coming..

*CUT TO ACT TWO*

Written By Dex