Wednesday 3 October 2007

64squar.es - Realtime Ajax Chess

If Apple made an online chess app, it wouldn't be too far from 64squar.es. Really nice to use interface and a lot of features (more every day!): Customizable boards, realtime games (pieces move ajax style), chat (like Google chat), Chess 960 rules, game and opening analysis. Easy to find opponents (there's 3000). Tech: written in jQuery and Rails

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Monday 1 October 2007

The Kingdom

I managed to score some tickets to a free preview screening of 'The Kingdom' on Sunday morning (at the bright and early hour of 10:30am!).

The movie was great, with excellent performances from Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner (it was nice to see her kicking ass and taking names again - oh how I miss Alias).
Plot wise, it was almost too real, being centered around terrorist attacks on Oil Company employees based in Saudi Arabia.

The opening 10 minutes were an experience in sheer tension, after living in London during the time of the tube bombings. And the climax of the film literally had me (and half the cinema) holding my breath, urging the protagonists onwards.

My only gripe would be the camera work in certain scenes. It seemed to take a page out of The Bourne Supremacy's book, shooting the action without steady cam in an attempt to make things 'more real'. All I really found was that I was looking at a blurred jumble of light during a certain car crash... let's just say I'm not a fan of this filming technique, however don't let this dissuade you from seeing the film.

I would thoroughly recommend the film, however it's not for the faint of heart, being rather graphic and gut wrenching at times.

4/5 Stars