This is what I have been reading the past few evenings:

http://ref.x86asm.net/coder64.html

Thanks to the guys who do this stuff!

qbnut Coding for the Desktop, Cool Random

I’ve been after upgrading my Belkin OmniView Pro2 KVM Switch for some time now, basically cause it’s old, and doesn’t do DVI or USB. I have to keep a PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse on my desk for all of the stuff hooked up to it. I thought “I need a KVM with Dual DVI and USB support”. So after much hunting, I found that I could get one that did the former (Dual DVI) OR one that could do the latter (USB).

Until now; I’ve found exactly what I’m after! Shame it’s pre-order only (i.e. it’s not ready yet) and it well over £300, without the connector cables! I guess I’ll be holding off on this purchase for a little longer still:

http://www.startech.com/item/SV431DD2DUA-4-Port-Dual-DVI-USB-KVM-Switch-with-Audio-20-Hub.aspx

qbnut Cool Random

I like retro games from time to time, so I dug out my Sega Saturn the other day for a nostalgic blast on Fighters Megamix. I found my old Action Replay codes written on a slip of paper in the manual. Now I didn’t buy the Action Replay to cheat at games, I bought it primarily as it made a good memory card (so good in fact it had all my saved games from the 90s still intact on it!) but being a bit of a coder I would occasionally poke around in games to find hidden stuff. This is about the best weird thing I found:

(Screenshots are from the Yabause Saturn Emulator, as I couldn’t find a decent enough way to hook my real Saturn up to the PC to take screenshots )

Now I know you can fight against the Training Dummy, but did you know with a little poking around you can actually play AS the Training Dummy? OK, so what is that Green Blob with Akiras headband? Well, that’s a leftover collision detection test character I assume, as every time a limb touches an area on it, the area turns white (or for P2, where the Avatar is Red instead it turns Yellow). The programmers didn’t bother to give the Test Avatar a shadow, nor does it record any replay data.

Try this yourself, if you happen to have a Sega Saturn, Fighters Megamix, and an Action Replay Cartridge:

(Note these codes are for the PAL Version)

Master Code
F6000914 C305
B6002800 0000

Play as Training Dummy (P1)
160657F6 0040

Play as Training Dummy (P2)
160675F6 0040

Play as Test Avatar (P1)
160657F6 0060

Play as Test Avatar (P2)
160675F6 0060

qbnut Cool Random