Poet Ponders the Digital

Zork I cover art (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley July 6, 2015 Deadline August 2015 Issue “This is an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. There is a small mailbox here. A rubber mat saying ‘Welcome to Zork !’ lies by the door.” These familiar words, which I once read on the blue screen of a Commodore 64, now appeared on my iPhone. Considered one of the first dozen computer games ever developed, Zork has a special place in computing history. Zork launched what is known as interactive fiction or text adventures. In 1977, four programmers working in the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science created the interactive fiction story “Zork.” Some of these friends would go on to create one of the earliest video game publishers, Infocom. From 1979 through 1986, Infocom was one of the leading game publishers, marketing games for every major home computer. Purchased by Activision in 1986, the Infocom brand and its classic games live on, a...

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley April 1, 2014 Deadline May 2014 Issue Tablet Tales: Not Quite Replacing a Laptop Tablets almost, but not quite, replace notebook and laptop computers. That’s my experience after four months with an iPad Air. Bad weather influenced the decision to purchase a tablet. I was using a rolling case for my computer, cables, adapters, textbooks and student papers. Ice and snow made it impossible to roll the cart up and down the hills of Pittsburgh; rock salt jammed the wheels. I attempted to carry my computer and supplies in a large case with a shoulder strap. My back and shoulders weren’t pleased. Trekking through the snow, I decided my computer weighs too much. I love my 15-inch MacBook Pro, the last model available with an optical disc drive and six ports, but all the options add a fair amount of weight. I still use and record discs for projects, and I prefer having a wired network connection at home for extra speed and security. When I lug the system...

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley November 4, 2013 Deadline December 2013 Issue Tablet Time: When Less is Best My next computer will be a tablet. Yes, I called it a computer because today’s tablets can replace a notebook system for many routine tasks. Though I sometimes need the power and features of a notebook or desktop computer, a tablet is perfect for surfing the Web, answering email, reading books and viewing presentations. When I upgraded from a 12-inch notebook to a 15-inch laptop, the portable computer replaced my desktop system. In return for the extra screen real estate and significant computing power, my carrying case gained weight. Walking across a university campus, the 5.6 pounds of a MacBook Pro plus the weight of its power supply and two video adapters starts to feel like 20 pounds. Most days, I don’t need the power of a laptop in my classroom. I use the laptop to show slides and pages of articles while lecturing. Students do ask to review work and grades, so ...

Special Wedding Column November 13, 2011 Deadline Special Issue There’s More than One App for Weddings, Too Brides and grooms, as you plan your special day you might find it reassuring that for everything from the guest list to the reception music the slogan is true: “There’s an app for that!” App developers know you need some assistance. More than three dozen iPhone and iPad apps match the keyword “wedding” when searching the Apple iTunes App Store . There are a dozen or so wedding applications in the Android Marketplace, as well. With so many wedding apps in the App Store and Android Marketplace, you should read the reviews carefully. Only a handful of apps receive four or five stars in the user reviews. Thankfully, apps are affordable so you can try several different wedding themed apps and still spend less than $25. An iTunes gift card would allow a bride-to-be to purchase complete set of wedding apps, including a game or two. Wedding Planners The most popular wed...