Technology Bytes

Whether in the form of People, Camps, Casts, or Cast-ready devices, pods have entered out geek vernacular in a big way over the last two years. If you’re all about all things pod, you might want to consider heading out Peter’s way to attend Podcamp San Antonio on May 19th. This free event is an unconference where everyone is the speaker as well as the audience. Podcasters will get together with bloggers, vloggers, and new media folk who are all interested in getting their message out. Hit podcampsanantonio.com to register as either a presenter or registrant. And if you’re without a place to stay in San Antopnio, hit up Peter soon, as his San Antonio house is sure to fill up fast.

This weekend is also the last weekend of iFest. If the weather holds, the Houston International Festival might be the one day you go out into the big blue room. Taking place both Saturday and Sunday in downtown Houston, this year’s celebration centers around China. No word as of yet as to whether or not the WiFi routers serving the area will be filtering content. For more info you can hit www.ifest.org.

This next one is a little bit in the future, but I think that it warrants a mention. Our own Dwight Silverman will be speaking at next Month’s Houston Area Apple Users Group about his own experience making the move from his windows centric worldview to the adult onset apple syndrome that he is now fully in the throes of. That takes place at the Rice University Media Center on Saturday, May 19th. I’ll have more information for you as the date approaches, but if you absolutely can’t wait, you can hit www.haaug.org.

And getting back to this weekend, if you’d rather spend your Saturday indoors with a group of linux geeks, you’re in luck. The Houston Linux Users Group will be meeting this Saturday from two to four in the afternoon at the HAL-PC Headquarters. Hit www.hlug.org for details and directions.

And to end on a slightly odd note, a new game for the Nintendo’s DS is coming out called Doki Doki Majo Saiban. From the kotaku.com site:

“Plot elements for SNK’s witch-toucher Doki Doki Majo Saiban have surfaced over at Famitsu. The game stars naughty Akuji Nishimura, who is commanded by an Angel Lulu to search for [witches] lurking in his junior high school. When the search is narrowed down, the suspected junior high school witch is examined with the touch pen.

How do you know if the little girl is a witch? Usually, there’s a “witch’s crest” hidden somewhere on her body which can appear in “Witch Check Mode.” The goal: Make her heart beat quickly. Players use the stylus to touch the girl, whose expression will change depending on how her heart beats. The background with change as well. However! Rush things, and the girl does not respond. Players must take it slow with the touching — these witches are flowers, or something.”

Odd fare for Nintendo, but not really that odd for Japan in general. Whether your weirded out by this or think that it’s kinda cool, one thing is certain. A new gaming genre has been born: “touch-a-girl-to-see-if-she’s-a-witch”. Game on.

That’s it for your touch and tell presentation and that’s that for BarretTime.