We’ve all seen more and more of the software we use everyday migrate to ‘the cloud’. Spreadsheets, Word Processing, Desktop publishing and even whole entire operating systems are available to use via high bandwidth connections. But who would have thought the day would come so soon that we start seeing high specification computer games played via ‘the cloud’?  That time is now – well actually it was back in September 2011.

What exactly is ‘The Cloud’? Well, this post is about ‘Cloud gaming’ specifically so I don’t want to get too bogged down with technical nonsense – put simply ‘the cloud’ is everything your PC was previously required to process in order to achieve the same end result. But instead of your PC having to do all the leg work a super powerful server in another location does the number crunching. All your computer has to do is display the information received by the server. ‘The cloud’ also refers to data storage where all of the important numbers are saved away from your computers hard drive and backed up multiple times on remote servers. All of this wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the constant increases in speed and bandwidth from the frequently pushed internet service providers.

So what inspired me want to write this blog post? It was a thought I had in the bath the other day while playing Dirt 3 on my HTC Sensation XE – ‘this is going to revolutionise the entire computer games market’. I realise that’s a fairly bold statement and I don’t take it lightly. To put things into perspective; according to Wikipedia:

…a survey conducted by market watch firm Jon Peddie Research,[28] Nvidia shipped an estimated 33.00 million graphics chips in the first quarter of 2010, for a market share of 31.5%. AMD and Intel shipped an estimated 25.15 million units (24.0% market share) and an estimated 45.49 million units (43.5% market share) respectively. Nvidia’s year-to-year growth was 41.9%.

In August 2011, Nvidia predicted the growth of its revenues would be 4% to 6%, instead of 4%, as analysts said.[29]

In September 2011, Nvidia forecast strong sales for 2013 in the region of $4.75bn to $5bn, which surpasses analysts expectations of $4.45bn.

Keep this in mind, a HUGE amount of high end computers are purchased and built for the majority reason of playing the latest computer games. These figures are from Nvidia alone – that does not include AMD or Intel. And that’s just graphics cards, not to mention the amount spent on high end CPU’s, super fast RAM, high spec motherboards…so on, so on. Imagine this – you can play the latest games in full quality, at high definition resolution, anytime, from (almost literally) any location and on any device. Not only that but your save games are stored on ‘the cloud’ too. You dont need a £300 graphics card or a high spec (high cost) CPU. You dont need any more than 2gb of RAM (in fact, minimum specifications do not even list minimum RAM so you could even get away with less).

Of course, a fairly healthy sized portion of the graphics card market will be on graphics cards required for local video acceleration for professional application such as the Nvidia QUADRO and AMD FirePro range of desktop acceleration devices. Video editing, 3D animation, graphic design, music production all require serious number crunching ability at the source. But who is to say this cant also be available on ‘the cloud’ at some point? (that post is for another day!)

So putting the professional market to the side for a minute and talking only about the consumer market – what happens to this massive requirement for high spec hardware? It all goes to the cloud too?! Computers will need only basic computing power to be able to play the latest games – local graphics cards and video acceleration will become redundant and unnecessary. As long as your PC can display a video stream from OnLive (or similar cloud’ gaming site) you’re good to go!

Consumers will no longer need to buy high end hardware to play the latest games, instead they can save their pennies and redirect that cash into buying more games to play via ‘the cloud’. Games they’ll be able to play on all of their devices – Desktop computers, laptops, smart phones, tablets and even TV’s (with TV’s coming preloaded with the OnLive service software ‘ready to go’).

Nvidia and AMD will have to rethink their products and branding – calling for a new approach in consumer components. They’ll be selling truck loads of super powerful hardware to cloud services like OnLive. But for consumers local video hardware acceleration will be unessential.

Exciting times are ahead, OnLive is incredible and works really REALLY well. And with the announcement of Adobe making some of their powerful professional software like Photoshop and Lightroom available on ‘the cloud’ – soon an internet blackout will mean our desktop computers are left utterly useless.

These are just my thoughts anyhow, but with a valuation of $1.8 Billion (OnLive alone!) I would say ‘Cloud gaming’ is well worth investing in – both time and money.

I’ll be covering as much as one man can manage. Keep up to date with the video and photos I manage to shoot over the Sunseeker event.

If you’re still not familiar with the Sunseeker Rallye event check out http://www.rallyesunseeker.co.uk/

Rallye 25th February 

Event Highlights and Champagne Finish Ramp Ceremony

Highlights from the footage I shot in Ringwood and Champagne Finish Ramp Ceremony

Evo Camera Near Miss

The driver of this Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution took this corner a little fast and wide resulting a very close near miss to my camera placed on a tripod. My self and the marshals jumped behind a few nearby trees leaving my 600D to capture the action.

Please excuse the swearing, we were pretty pumped after that!

Filmed on the moors valley corner (near the wigwams!), Ringwood South.

Rallye Footage Ringwood South

Filmed on the moors valley corner (near the wigwams!), Ringwood South.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=50.848349,+-1.840559&num=1&t=k&vpsrc=6&ie=UTF8&ll=50.848548,-1.84051&spn=0.007871,0.021007&z=16&iwloc=A

Scrutiny Friday 24th February 

Photos

There’s an issue that effects millions of us everyday.

An issue that most of us are unaware is even going on

You might not know about it yet but you too might suffer from the effects of this distressing problem…

Voice over by Chris Bailey http://theboyinthecorner.co.uk/

Concept & Written by Luke Williams http://twitter.com/alukeonlife

Filmed & Produced by James Williams http://manychefsbroth.co.uk/

Shot on Canon 600D w/ EF-S 18-135mm IS.

Stills

I’m going to start this post by saying it isn’t important to understand the nitty gritty or the ‘in’s and out’s’ of SOPA or PIPA. However it is important to understand how it affects you.

We face a very real chance of losing a lot of our own communication liberties.

Personally I feel it is important to understand that governments and organisations are not happy with how information and intellectual property is easily and often freely distributed. The restrictions to TV and radio broadcasting exist for a simple reason; controlling the flow of information.

It just so happens that with the invention of the internet people have taken that control back. We decide what we watch and when – and for some of us WE control what we produce, upload and make available for others to watch. The governmental systems have very little control over what we say or what we do on the open internet.

This will change; by the means of SOPA, PIPA or something else in the future. People can only fight for so long before the systems in place apply smarter laws. Laws we might even be told will do us some good.

SOPA and PIPA even make it almost impossible to use I.P content under fair use.

Keep vigilant about your own views and liberties.

We’ll tell our children stories of open, free and uncensored communication and they’ll think we’re making it up.

If it’s not SOPA or PIPA it’ll be something else that reverts power and control over communication away from people and back to governments and organisations.

If you’d like to know more about SOPA or PIPA the guardian have compiled a great article which you can find here: http://bit.ly/w6OHBE

This year I’ll be taking part in Movember. An annual, month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues.

The money raised goes towards THE PROSTATE CANCER CHARITY, THE INSTITUTE OF CANCER RESEARCH and MOVEMBER FOUNDATION.

So, I’ll just be updating this little blog post once a week (or maybe more, if i get the time!) with updates on how the MO is GOING!

Please consider donating or if you would like you can even join my team and we can be MO BRO’s to help raise money and awareness together

DONATE

The Knights of Royal England Crest

Update 03/11/2011: The gang is growing! Two friends and budding Mo Bro’s Timothy Ward and Mraggle Fulholland have joined the team. I welcome you both with warm a …upper lip?

James Williams - Day One

Mraggle Fulholland - Day One

One Sunday while my Girlfriend played Zelda: Ocarina of Time; I decided to have my first go at creating a simple pixel art avatar. I used the following tutorial for guidance.

The base image was of me wearing super cool 80′s-esque shades

After defining my colour palette and painstakingly filling in each pixel to match the image it came out looking pretty cool, check out this 50px version.

To give you an idea of how this image is made up, take a look at this 300px version.

Monday 18th July 2011 22:50

TheSun.co.uk hacked by LulzSec?

I’m not certain of the cause but I managed to grab a screen capture just before the whole site was taken down (403).

Full image below

A full version of the Hacked website can be viewed here: http://twitpic.com/5s9xee

Update 18th July 2011 23:15 – (Lulz Security® (LulzSec), the world’s leaders in high-quality entertainment at your expense are admitting responsibility for the attack on TheSun.co.uk.

LulzSec Twitter feed states:

This is just as fun on the inside. We are battling with The Sun admins right now – I think they are losing. The boat has landed… >:]

TheSun.co.uk now redirects to our twitter feed. Hello, everyone that wanted to visit The Sun! How is your day? Good? Good!

Update 19th July 2011 00:19

LulzSec are saying they have also hacked News International’s website following a press released posted – this was quickly taken down and redirected to their twitter.

LulzSec:

11:39 18/07/11: Oh, we forgot to mention that we sailed over to News International and wrecked them too. Nearing 300,000 followers… full steam ahead!

11:37 18/07/11: So News International released this AMAZING statement on The Sun: http://t.co/0J4qLZU We improved it for them though!

People also stating on #hackgate that http://www.thetimes.co.uk/ has also been under attack – website is currently down but no confirmation from LulzSec.

Update 19th July 2011 00:43

LulzSec thank followers for the attention they received following the hacking of The Sun and News International Websites and state they quit:

00:41 19/07/11: Thank you for the love tonight. I know we quit, but we couldn’t sit by with our wine watching this walnut-faced Murdoch clowning around.

Following the relentless attacks from the hacking group LulzSec – News International servers have all failed and the company has been forced to shut them down. DNS lookup confirms this - http://www.just-dnslookup.com/index.php?vh=thesun.co.uk&c=&s=dns+lookup%21

Yea, so I made this little video just to upload to Google plus to test out the video function.
Test was successful, Google Plus video works well. Turns out it just uses the Youtube player. Might as well have just uploaded here and shared from Youtube. Oh well!

Update: 6/07/2011

Tim Ward nicely spotted that video playback isn’t currently support on the Android G+ application. Fingers crossed they add that soon.

Part of an ongoing series of How To videos. This month I look at the best possible way to extend your life in the mortal relm in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse.

[Production involvement: There are currently plans to continue "The Rapture" as a Zombie Horror 'Mockudrama' series. To get involved in production or as an extra, get in touch via the contact page.]

Survival Log:

Day One.21/05/2011

Hi my name is James from Many Chefs Broth

As you are all aware, today is the day of “The Rapture”

There’s quite a few sources out there saying there is an imminent zombie invasion.

SO the best thing you can do is be prepared.

1. Camouflage

We don’t know how Zombies see. But presumably they see like we do.

So I’m wearing a basic type of camouflage. This is ACU also known as MARPAT.

Its a great Disruptive pattern material. Its great for urban environments as well as woodland so something along these lines would be perfect.

2.Protection

We’ve all seen the films. We all know, if you ingest some blood, of a zombie; you’re gunna get infected.

Get yourself some protective equipment. Something like Guarder glasses, they can take a shotgun blast to the eye. They’re going to stop you from getting blood into your eye ducts.

The next best thing is a HAZMAT suit. A S10 respirator is perfect. It means that the air that I breath is completely filtered. And nothing can get into my eyes. No blood, no particles. Nothing. Nothing can get in and I’m completely safe.

3. Weapons

Next up, get your self as tooled up as you possibly can. Get something that’s going to penetrate the head well. A standard kitchen knife will do perfectly. or if you’ve got the means, try and get yourself some sort of Gun. Shotgun…a rifle. Anything.

I’ve acquired an M4A1 assault rifle. It has a retractable stock so if things get a bit close for comfort, I can pull in quite tight.

4. Boots

I know sounds simple, but its really really important. Good boots are a must! Get something that’s high up on your ankle, so it’ll protect them if you go over some rocky terrain.

Do up your laces real tight.

We don’t want to be running away from a zombie and you be losing a boot in some mud.

5. Tactical Illumination

Take some sort or rechargeable torch. I have a torch that uses kinetic energy to recharge.

6. Hydration

Take plenty of water, whether its in water bottles that you can buy from a store or its in a canteen. just make sure you get lots and lots of water.

There’s not going to be any refining facilities when everyone’s dead.

7. Outbreak Documentation

If you can, take a camera. Whether its a cheap disposable, a tiny digital camera or something like an SLR with a large telescopic lens.

if there’s going to be anyone alive at the end of it. its going to be great to be able to document it.

And you might even get paid for your photos.

8. Webbing Equipment

Take some sort of webbing equipment. that way you can strap loads of equipment to the front, back and sides of your chest.

Find one great for carrying magazines, extra ammunition.

I’ve strapped a cuddly toy to mine, when everyone is dead, your going to want something for comfort.

And also, if you’re going to go down then you might as well get pissed. Pockets that are perfect for carrying Scrumpy Jack come in handy.

9. Garrison

Try and keep yourself high. If you can, get into the upstairs of any building that you’re in. Or even get onto the roof.

Zombies may be slow but they can climb. so just be aware.

That’s it guys. Thanks for reading/watching.

Good luck … and … God speed.