wipE′out @ 30

Zoe on 2025-09-29

I still remember my first play of the title. I was still a student, but I managed to grab some tickets to ECTS 1995 through friends already in the games industry.

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Sony had a large section of the upstairs dedicated to the PlayStation. You could tell the PlayStation was going to be a hit. The stand was very busy, and the machines running Wipeout were the busiest of them. I played Powerdrome and the original F-Zero, but the sense of speed in Wipeout was something different, coupled with the Designers Republic design. It did feel next generation. The show was so noisy, you couldn’t hear the music.

Any launch title is going to be rushed. Wipeout 2097 refined everything.

Especially the music (Hacker News discussion)

More recently, a book covering the design of the first title had been released with the A to Z of the Designers Republic being a nice companion.

The source code for the original game was also leaked a few years ago. Leading to a version for modern systems (Reddit and Hacker News discussions) and an enhanced PC version: WipeOut Phantom Edition, plus a version you can play in the browser.

Besieged by Druids

Zoe on 2024-06-20

It was the summer solstice some years ago. Just before lunch, an email went around to everyone in the office, saying they had locked down the site. The gates had been locked at all but one entrance. Security had set up a checkpoint to make sure we had our pass if we went outside, as they would be strictly checked. It was all very dramatic.

It turned out that some quite upset Druids were laying siege to us. Our office was in a complex with a number of other companies, one of which turned out to be English Heritage. They had blocked access to Stonehenge for the traditional solstice ceremony, and the Druids had come to show their displeasure. Lunchtime that day was a few Druids and many confused office workers.

Happy Solstice

Happy 50th Birthday Gatchaman

Zoe on 2022-10-01

科学忍者隊ガッチャマン (Science Ninja Team Gatchaman) was followed by Gatchaman II then Gatchman Fighter with various compilations, OVA remakes and film projects over the years.

Gatchaman Intro/Outro (Original format)

To people of a certain age, the show is better known as the 1978 American adaption, Battle of the Planets. Gatchaman was adapted again as G-Force: Guardians of Space in 1987. Gatchaman II and Gatchaman Fighter were adapted as Eagle Riders in 1997.

Battle of the Planets intro

Battle of the Planets made some cuts to Gatchaman for the US market. Toning down the violence

Battle of the Planets vs Gatchaman

and deaths

Difference between Gatchaman and Battle of the Planets

EHRC

Zoe on 2022-02-11

Dear MP,

I write to you in LGBT+ history month about the EHRC and the news of the leaked guidance today.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/3ab5my/leaked-ehrc-guidance-trans-people-gender-recognition-certificates

This is very worrying and seems at odds with the Equality Act 2010. A point of view backed up in both statute and case law over the last ten years.

https://www.lawcentres.org.uk/policy/news/news/kirklees-law-centre-wins-landmark-transgender-discrimination-case

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2021/1623.html

As a trans woman if this guidance became official. Removing my existing rights. I would be at risk in both genders’ toilets outside my home. Limiting my options of participating in society. This is all against a backdrop of increased attacks on LGBT+ people. Something I have experienced myself.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/03/recorded-homophobic-hate-crimes-soared-in-pandemic-figures-show

and the news of the EHRC holding meetings with anti-trans groups

https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxdzwn/ehrc-trans-rights-leaked-emails

I’m sure you have seen the recent Council of Europe report. Naming the UK alongside Hungary, Poland, Russia and Turkey. As countries with “extensive and often virulent attacks on the rights of LGBT+ people”.

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-01-26/uk-named-alongside-russia-in-lgbt-hate-report-due-to-transphobia

Seeing the Labour party come out is a small positive light, against all this worrying news

https://www.vice.com/en/article/3abq78/we-need-to-make-the-uk-safer-for-trans-people-labour-says

Being a dual citizen of Ireland and the UK. I can’t help comparing the two countries. The difference is quite stark.

On Trans rights. Ireland brought in their own Gender recognition act 2015. Without the secretive, discriminatory and medicalised process we have in the UK. In the UK, we had a consultation in 2018, with the finding delayed for years and then ignored.

I hope you can receive from the Government and EHRC an explanation for the very dramatic change by the EHRC

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-work/news/our-statement-sex-and-gender-reassignment-legal-protections-and-language

Yours sincerely,

Zoe

USB Controlled Relay

Zoe on 2020-10-14

As noted in my look at the ScreenBar. Not being able to control the light from my PC was one of the downsides. Since then I’ve got to some Elgato Key Lights. Since I spend an increasing amount of time on video calls. This moved lack of USB control from a minor point to something a little more annoying. That prompted me to go look for a solution. USB relays do seem to be a thing. Which gave me an idea.
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