[ASTRO] Re: legos, and stuff...

[Michael Kepler <kepler@metro1.com>]

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WARNING: No Astro-content, but plenty of LEGO content.  There is some
reference to Robotics, which could relate to Servotron or Coco (he's
made of Atari parts, after all).

I, too, have seen the Lego software on the shelves.  They've
come out with about three software-only titles, and this totally
rad looking robotic engineering set, and a couple of add-ons to
that.  They robotic stuff is waayy expensive, like 2 hundred bucks.
I've asked Santa for it, so I'm pretty sure I'll get it for Christmas.

The coolest software-only looks to be "Lego Constructor", which is just
a straightforward 3D virtual Lego construction environment.  It also
lets you wander around inside your creation from the POV of a little
Lego dude.  It looks like it just gives you generic legos and maybe
some "city" theme elements.  I'd like it better if they added 
virtual bricks and other pieces for the other themes, especially
"space".  They'll probably come out with that stuff as add-ons.

I hadn't seen any of this stuff before a few days ago and now its
everywhere!

There's even a knockoff from another company. I don't remember the
name of the software or the company, but I'm going to try to find
it next payday.  It was similar to the Lego Constructor software,
but about half the price.

Awhile back, there was a project afoot to make a free virtual
Lego construction set.  I think it was an add-on to the free 3D
rendering system POV-ray.  I should check to see if that project
ever got finished.

Speaking of Microserfs, I saw Doug Copland on his book tour for that
book.  It was at a local film school, so they showed a documentary
that he helped make and which was pretty cool.  Then Copland talked
a little and took questions.  Instead of signing books (back on
the autograph subject) he handed out these cool prints of different
retro-tech things which had his signature and this embossed 
authenticity seal thing.  I have them put away right now, but should
probably get them framed or something.  He also gave away official
Microserfs moist toweletts, suitable for removing sneeze encrustations
from computer monitors (it says so right on the packett).  I think
those are still in my pencil drawer.  Not sure what to do with those,
but I can't bring myself to use them.

Another tangent in this long email: at that same film school I saw
a way cool documentary about found-sound artists called "Sonic Outlaws",
after which one of the members of Negativland talked and took questions.
I don't do cool stuff like this anymore because my cool friend who
somehow knew about all the cool stuff going on changed jobs.

Lord, I was born a rambin' man...

Mookie

On Tue, 10 Nov 1998, L H White wrote:

> .. begin astro-transmission [X-HJIKE27.W5]
> 
> Carolyn Curtis asks:
> 
> > Has anyone else read Douglas Coupland's Microserfs?
> > I bought it because I had read all the rest of his books
> 
> I've read it.  I liked it almost as much as _Shampoo Planet_, and a 
> little bit more than _Generation X_.  Does he have any other 
> novels that you'd recommend?  
> 
> In _Microserfs_ the protagonists are working on developing a 
> Lego-like software program.  Meanwhile, here in the real world, there 
> really is genuine Lego(tm) software for kids now.  Has anybody tried 
> it?
> 
> --Moon Dawg
> 
> 
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> 
> 
>  
> 



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