GradeCalc 1.0

About a year ago, when I got sick and tired of drudging along in Java, I decided that I need to make some programs just for kicks in C++ that people could use and would help me learn the language a little better. However, it occurred to me that people are needy and need graphics and buttons to direct them rather than just a command line as provided by console applications. You're all spoiled rotten! Anyway, I had three ideas, one of which will remain secret for now: trying to figure out my average is annoying so I wish I had a program for it, and learning Latin can get tedious so I also wish I had a program for that. Hence, I played around with a free set of libraries known as wxWidgets to create my first GUI application, and after much toil in trying to statically link it (you have no idea how many hours it took me to get it to build properly), I've come up with GradeCalc version 1.0. I'm sorry that this came after finals season, but it will no doubt help many of you in May when you're trying to figure out how much you really have to try on that final to pass your favorite class. I know that it's pretty dinky (it weighs in at under 1000 lines of my code), but it gets the job done and I'm perfectly willing to improve it with some good suggestions. I'm sorry if you're on a Mac, but I spent a good part of today trying to cross compile it and will continue to work to that end in the background. So now what? I will be dedicating all my free time until school starts again to the latter project, which I've affectionately dubbed Amore Latinae ("for love of Latin"). Cross your fingers for a January 17th release date.

It has been a while since we heard anything about Mr. Kai-Fu Lee, but it appears that they've reached a secret pact and so now Microsoft and Google are cool again, kinda. Alas, the guns can stop blazing for the holiday season in Silicon Valley. Also just in time for the holidays, Microsoft announced that all Xbox Live subscribers are eligible for a Diamond Card, which comes with a lot of free discounts and stuff. It's probably just a marketing tool, but anything free is good. Meanwhile, Google has been busy updating the TOS on its Google Video service and looks like it's veering towards selling and/or renting videos. I wonder if they'll try competing with iTunes. If you do have iTunes, by the way, there's a funny video that you can download from SNL about a lazy Sunday afternoon. If you remember the good old days when SNL was funny, you must check out this collection of Nick Burns and Celebrity Jeopardy videos because they will make you keel over in laughter. Lastly, there are some pretty out there case mods over here.

I'm going to talk about the most exciting news first: Quentin Tarantino will start working on combining the two Kill Bill movies in January, but won't show it in theaters until late next year and then he'll work on the super duper special edition. I'm dying to see Kill Bill again so he'd better release that DVD set sooner rather than later. AICN got the picture to the right here from Superman Returns. I'm going to revise my workout goals to that. We have some good news from Robert Rodriguez: he's planning on releasing Sin City 2 next August and would make five of them if it was up to him! So at least there's no lack of enthusiasm in the project, and if he keeps putting Jessica Alba in, the people will come. A small movie studio has confirmed adaptations of Tekken, Pac-man, and Castlevania, but I have no idea why. I wonder how long before they go bankrupt? I have a couple of trailers left, both of them involving family trips. The first is for R.V. featuring Robin Williams and is a pretty standard family comedy. The other family's trip goes terribly awry in The Hills Have Eyes, but at least you see Lost's Emilie De Ravin in a bikini top!

I'm going to try the Top 5 Friday meme this week:

What would be the Top 5 items on your Christmas wish list if money wasn't a factor?
5. 19" LCD monitor (my 17" MAG CRT is way too bulky, but it's good quality)
4. Sharp Aquos widescreen LCD television (at least 32")
3. 17-inch PowerBook (they're so dead sexy)
2. Canon Powershot SD500 (it's small and efficient)
1. A current generation 30 GB iPod (surprise, surprise)

I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas, and I'll likely delay my Sunday post to Monday morning. If you want something funny to show your family this weekend, then nothing beats an old classic.