Wednesday, January 30, 2008

    Fight the New Mexico Video Game Tax

    A video game tax has been proposed in New Mexico, that says video games purchased in the state may become subject to an additional tax like cigarettes and alcohol. The tax has been proposed by the Sierra Club of New Mexico who believe that video games should be taxed in order to fund a government campaign to promote outdoor education among kids.

    This proposed video game tax not only levies a burden onto to video game enthusiasts and the growing game industry in New Mexico, but if any game tax bill were to pass into law, it would set a very dangerous precedent. The Sierra Club also wants to tax televisions as well, so why limit it to TV and video games, as they could also set their sites on movies and books?

    It is unconstitutional to single out video games and video game enthusiasts with a "special tax." Why should they be taxed any differently than other forms of entertainment, like movies, books, and music? By singling out video games, these interest groups and politicians are passing judgment on our preferred form of art and entertainment. Let's leave the parenting to parents, not new government programs which once again unfairly target video games. Help prevent this dangerous precedent from being set, spread the word now.

    Spread the word to your Friends and Family in New Mexico!

    Monday, January 28, 2008

    Hiring a New College Grad in Chandler, Arizona

    Title: NCG Software Test Engineer-Chandler
    Location: Chandler

    Brief:
    The primary responsibility will be to perform certification testing of Development Tools and create test suites to support detailed testing of these tools. In addition, the engineer will work closely with the development groups to produce products of high quality. Responsibilities will also include test automation using scripting languages and automated testing software.

    Minimum Requirements:
    The candidate must be very knowledgeable in 'C', ANSI standards, and assembly languages. They must have knowledge of scripting languages such as Perl, Python, TCL to be used for test generation and automation. The candidate must have excellent communication skills and be able to create clear and effective testing strategies based on technical project requirements. They must be familiar with working in integrated development environments, have good troubleshooting and team-player skills and be technically astute. The candidate must also have a good understanding of electronics and possess good hardware troubleshooting skills.
    • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer and Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience is required.
    • Strong analytical and problem solving skills
    • Ability to effectively isolate and identify technical issues.
    • Familiarity with use of microcontrollers and embedded applications.
    Essential Function:
    • Plan, develop, and execute certification and stress tests that will effectively verify the quality of software tools, such as compilers and assemblers.
    • Automate testing of hardware through the use of Automation software and scripting languages.
    • Support internal and external customers by answering questions and analyzing customer issues.
    • Support and maintenance of existing validation test suites.
    • Conduct user and peer reviews of test strategy documents.
    • Address deficiencies in delivered functionality and effectively communicate issues to development staff.
    • Analyze software requirements and develop corresponding testing requirement documents.
    • Perform certification testing of new Microchip microcontrollers on Development Tools hardware.
    Follow this link for application instructions.

    Sunday, January 13, 2008

    Green Hills Software Announces Software Development Solution for Microchip Technology's PIC24 MCUs and dsPIC DSCs

    [Source: Marketwire]
    Green Hills Tools Available for Microchip's Entire 16-bit Portfolio

    SANTA BARBARA, CA--(Marketwire - January 8, 2008) - Green Hills Software, Inc., the technology leader in device software optimization (DSO) and real-time operating systems (RTOS), and Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP), a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, today announced that Green Hills Software's integrated development environment, MULTI, is now available for Microchip's 16-bit PIC24 microcontroller (MCU) and dsPIC® digital signal controller (DSC) families.

    "This expansion of the Green Hills Software toolchain gives engineers an opportunity to take advantage of the advanced features and capabilities of Microchip's dsPIC DSC and PIC24 MCU products, using one of the most recognized and productive environments in the industry. Within the MULTI integrated development environment, users can now easily migrate between Microchip's 16-bit devices and 32-bit PIC32 MCUs," commented Derek Carlson, vice president of Microchip's Development Tools group. "Together, MULTI and the Microchip MPLAB® REAL ICE™ in-circuit emulation system enable embedded software developers to maximize performance and reduce development time."

    The Green Hills Software solution for Microchip's PIC24/dsPIC DSC family consists of the following components:

    -- MULTI integrated development environment -- providing the most comprehensive DSO tool set for embedded software developers

    -- MPLAB C30 C Compiler

    -- MPLAB REAL ICE Emulator -- providing reliable and efficient debugging

    -- Microchip PIC24 MCU/dsPIC DSC instruction-set simulator

    "Green Hills Software and the MULTI integrated development environment offer the kind of features and performance embedded engineers worldwide have come to expect," said David Kleidermacher, chief technology officer, Green Hills Software. "Microchip's dsPIC DSCs and PIC24 MCUs bring high-powered performance and value to the 16-bit market. They are a natural complement to our tools and product line, and we are pleased to make this addition."

    Read the full press release on Marketwire.

    Tuesday, January 08, 2008

    Can't Wait to see Dark Knight in Imax

    Over the holidays, I got a chance to see I Am Legend on an Imax big screen. Prior to the movie, Imax presented the first 10 minutes of the upcoming Dark Knight Batman movie. I have to say it was pretty exciting to see the action on the giant Imax screen. I can't wait to check it out this summer and I'll definitely be driving the extra miles to see it in an Imax theater. There's a trailer and an Imax behind-the-scenes clip embedded below.


    Paramount Denies Report It will Drop HD DVD

    Early today, The Financial Times reported that Paramount plans to drop Toshiba's HD DVD format and support Sony's Blu-Ray high-definition video-disc format. Paramount can defect because of a clause in its contract with the HD DVD group that allows the studio to switch to Blu-ray if Warner Brothers dropped its support of HD DVD.

    However, this afternoon, Bloomberg.com reported that Paramount Pictures is denying the speculation.
    Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures denied a newspaper report that the studio is poised to follow Time Warner Inc. in abandoning Toshiba Corp.'s HD DVD technology. "Paramount's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format,'' Brenda Ciccone, a spokeswoman for Paramount, said in an e-mail today.
    Only time will tell if Paramount will follow Warner's jump to the Blu-ray camp. Either way, the Blu-Ray supporters are finally claiming victory in the high-def video-disc format wars.

    McDonald's Blames Childhood Obesity on Videogames

    Speaking to The Times Online, Steve Easterbrook, the chief executive of McDonald's UK, blamed video games for childhood obesity.

    From the Times Online:

    “I don’t know who is to blame,” Mr Easterbrook says. “The issue of obesity is complex and is absolutely one our society is facing, there’s no denial about that, but if you break it down I think there’s an education piece: how can we better communicate to individuals the importance of a balanced diet and taking care of themselves? Then there’s a lifestyle element: there’s fewer green spaces and kids are sat home playing computer games on the TV when in the past they’d have been burning off energy outside.
    Surely, Happy Meals can share part of that blame, right?

    Friday, January 04, 2008

    Warner dumps HD-DVD and goes Blu-Ray exclusive

    Read the press release at The Digital Bits.
    Warner Home Video will continue to release its titles in standard DVD format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until the end of May 2008.

    "Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices," said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. "Today's decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner."
    Also read some commentary over at Cnet's Crave blog.