Hitting the Books: Amiga and the birth of 256-color gaming

With modern consoles offering gamers graphics so photorealistic that they blur the line between CGI and reality, it's easy forget just how cartoonishly blocky they were in the 8-bit era. In his new book, Creating Q*Bert and Other Classic Arcade Games, legendary game designer and programmer Warren Davis recalls his halcyon days imagining and designing some of the biggest hits to ever grace an arcade. In the excerpt below, Davis explains how the industry made its technological leap from 8- to 12-bit graphics.       Santa Monica Press©2021 Santa Monica PressBack at my regular day job, I became particularly fascinated with a new product that came out for the Amiga computer: a video digitizer made by a company called A-Squared. Let’s unpack all that slowly.The Amiga was a recently released home computer capable of unprecedented graphics and sound: 4,096 colors! Eight-bit stereo sound! There were image manipulation programs for it that could do things no other computer, including the IBM PC, could do. We had one at Williams not only because of its capabilities, but also because our own Jack Haeger, an immensely talented artist who’d worked on Sinistar at Williams a few years earlier, was also the art director for the Amiga design team.Video digitization is the process of grabbing a video image from some video source, like a camera or a videotape, and converting it into pixel data that a computer system (or video game) could use. A full-color photograph might contain millions of... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2021-12-25 16:30:11 UTC ]

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Summer Scares Is Back to Celebrate Horror In Libraries (And Beyond!)

The Horror Writers Association, in collaboration with United for Libraries, Book Riot, and Booklist are excited to announce Summer Scares 2021. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-11-05 11:35:00 UTC ]
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As Covid-19 Cases Surge, PRH Again Extends Temporary E-book, Digital Audio Terms for Libraries, Schools

Penguin Random House executives this week confirmed that the publisher is extending its "temporary" digital license terms for e-books and digital audio in libraries and schools through March 31, 2021. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Reach aims to document more inclusive history with free picture archive Memory Lane

Tool contains publisher’s image libraries while encouraging public to upload their own photographs. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2020-11-04 14:41:51 UTC ]
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Vandalization at Major Libraries Aims At Voter Intimidation

Three libraries, including two major metropolitan downtown facilities, have seen vandalism related to voter intimidation in the last two weeks. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-11-02 11:35:00 UTC ]
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5 Haunted Libraries in 5 Different Countries

Take a virtual tour of some of the world's most haunted libraries, and learn the history behind the hauntings of these bookish spaces. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-11-02 11:30:00 UTC ]
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The Skillset Podcast #3: Politics and Libraries with EveryLibrary's John Chrastka

With the election days away, this is the perfect time to remember that public libraries exist in a political as well as a civic space. In this episode, hosts David Lankes and Nicole Cooke talk to John Chrastka, head of EveryLibrary, the country’s only political action committee for libraries,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Why this Brooklyn library is betting on a future that’s bigger than books

Brooklyn’s Greenpoint library and environmental education center, by Marble Fairbanks and Scape, points to a climate-literate future. Here’s how. I have spent a lot of time in libraries in my day. But not one like this.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-10-23 12:15:29 UTC ]
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To All the Libraries I’ll Miss When I (Finally) Move

Six years after moving to D.C. and deciding it's not for me, there’s still something holding me back from leaving: the libraries. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-19 10:30:00 UTC ]
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McKee shares the secrets of Elmer success after lifetime achievement win

David McKee’s now-revered picture book Tusk Tusk was once banned in a number of libraries in the UK, the illustrator said after celebrating winning this year’s BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-18 16:44:34 UTC ]
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Introducing ‘The Skillset Podcast' with R. David Lankes and Nicole A. Cooke

Each week 'The Skillset Podcast' will illuminate the complex issues facing libraries and other key institutions in these unprecedented times. Episode One, available now, features hosts David Lankes and Nicole Cooke in discussion with Tamara King, Head of Community Engagement at the Richland... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Getting an MLIS While Working Full Time

Getting an MLIS to work in libraries while working a full time job can be challenging, and this librarian shares her experience. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-12 10:30:00 UTC ]
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A Fraternity of Dreamers

The anxiety that libraries can sometimes give me is of a cosmic nature, for something ineffable affects my sense of self when I realize that the majority of human interaction, expression, and creativity shall forever be unavailable to me. The post A Fraternity of Dreamers appeared first on The... Continue reading at The Millions

[ The Millions | 2020-10-09 10:00:48 UTC ]
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A Reset for Library E-books

In the wake of the pandemic, can publishers and libraries finally hash out their differences? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Zoom Into A Good Read: 4 Ways Libraries Hype Books Virtually

This librarian has seen some truly creative ideas for how libraries hype books virtually, and she's here to share the wealth. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-10-05 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Libraries Week features nationwide Haig event and Bonnier book club launch

Libraries Week kicks off today (5th October), featuring behind the scenes looks at authors' bookshelves, a nationwide live reading of The Midnight Library by author Matt Haig (Canongate) and the launch of a Bonnier book club. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-05 05:45:33 UTC ]
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How to back up your computer to Google Drive

Syncing with Google Drive is one of the easiest ways to safeguard your data. And you can even specify how much of your internet connection’s bandwidth to use. As our digital libraries get larger and larger, we’re fortunate to be living in a time when cloud-based storage keeps getting cheaper and... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-10-01 00:00:11 UTC ]
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World Book Day plans outreach with book club and library collaboration

​A new monthly book club and greater outreach to public and school libraries are among the World Book Day plans for 2021, the charity’s c.e.o. has revealed at this year’s Bookseller Children’s Conference.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-28 19:52:05 UTC ]
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Beyond the Pandemic, Libraries Look Toward a New Era

With a shift to online resources well underway, “the most trusted civic institutions” are in a good position to deal with the changing future. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-09-24 09:00:14 UTC ]
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A Little Library Life: On Finding Sanctuary in On-Campus Libraries

One reader on finding solace and sanctuary in college libraries as a transfer student. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-09-17 10:39:00 UTC ]
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Searching for Little Free Libraries As a Way to Say Goodbye

A reader on saying goodbye not only to the books she can't bring on the next phase of her journey, but to her roomie, her sister. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-09-15 10:35:00 UTC ]
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