Arena.Xlsm, an RPG built using Excel

If you have your nose buried in spreadsheets all day at the office, you might enjoy a little change of pace even with Excel open. Cary Walkin, a chartered accountant up in the great white north, has created an RPG using just Excel’s macro system. It works on the Windows versions of Excel 2007 – 2013.

The story goes that you are captured by the Emperor and are thrown into an arena to fight for your life. On the left, you have your position and the enemies. On the right, your stats (blue) and the enemy’s stats (red) are shown. You can move using the arrow keys below your stats. You can also use melee and ranged attacks, heal yourself, or cast spells (after level 10).

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Linux distros portrayed as a world map

FabianInostroza has created a great work on his deviantART page that creates a map out of various Linux distributions and sizes them roughly according to their use. The map is great and is reminiscent of the maps you see at the start of great novels like Game of Thrones and Name of the Wind.

The images come in multiple varieties. A second version of the map was put out with various lighting effect. According to the details, the images were fittingly made with Gimp 2.8 and Inkscape 0.48.

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Using Newsblur as a Google Reader replacement

I had Newsblur sitting in my inbox since November, meaning to check it out as a new RSS feed reader. I wasn’t quite sure it was worth paying the premium price given the number of feeds I subscribe to but one fateful night when it was stated that Google Reader would be retired this Summer, I made the investment and the jump.

I was most interested in a cloud-based feed reader because I like to keep up with the sites I subscribe to anywhere, not just at home where I would have a desktop client installed or out of sync with multiple locations (home, phone, on-the-road). Newsblur fit the bill and seemed to offer a number of other features. One of my key considerations for a Reader replacement was having a good mobile app solution from the beginning. Reader’s mobile app didn’t seem to work out that well for me and I used the Android app Newsrob to sync with my Google Reader account for a better experience. Newsblur has an Android and iOS app that works quite well with some third-party options as well. The latest update to Newsblur’s Android app has it quite enjoyable.

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Can a professional mouse pad make you a better gamer?

With Logitech’s launch of their G series devices, it was interesting to see how many comments were asking for or recommending that Logitech produce a gaming grade mouse pad. Mouse pads have had an interesting life. They were all the rage with ball/mechanical mice and fell out of favor as optical and laser mice have made them less necessary. Since then, gamers have led an industry with their money to create premium mouse pads even though Logitech has not jumped onboard yet.

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Microsoft provides free Quick Start Guides for Office 2013 products

Office 2013 is not that big of a change compared to Office 2010 but it does have its differences. Get up to speed no matter which version of Microsoft Office you’re coming from with these free Microsoft Office 2013 Quick Start Guides.  They come direct from Microsoft and are available as separate PDF files to help familiarize yourself with the interface and get into some of the basic functionality.

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Libraries take the lead on bridging the digital divide with DigitalLearn.org

The Public Library Association and the Institute of Museum and Library Services have launched the beta of DigitalLearn.org. It is a website to provide some basic training into using technology. The site is a hub for those wanting to learn and those willing to help learners.

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Google Chrome Experiment makes Super Monkey Ball out of websites

The last Chrome Experiment called Super Sync Sports had you sync your phone with your computer for multiplayer racing, biking, and swimming. This new experiment utilizes your phone’s accelerometer to control a ball as it rolls over a website you specify turned into a maze.

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FBI on the next generation cyber-threats

John Boles, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, gave a statement earlier this month to the House Committee on the Judiciary, subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. The statement was to discuss the cyber threat and the FBI’s role in it. The statement, Investigating and Prosecuting 21st Century Cyber Threats, was only part of the pro-active role the FBI has taken on as cyber threats increase in prevalence. Last October, the FBI discussed National Cyber Security Awareness Month and the Next Generation Cyber Initative to coordinate the FBI-led investigation and analysis into attacks or exploitations and the motive of those behind it. In February, FBI Director Mueller spoke at RSA 2013 to discuss the FBI, the private sector, and safeguarding cyber security.

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