A Professional Frame of Mind

Hey Guys,

Sorry for the lack of updates on here but as a graduate I'm taking my technical blogging over to my own domain now so you can keep up with that side of things here: http://brianbea.com

I'm sure I'll think of something to do with this one too though, maybe more personal blogs or something.

Brian Out! :D

Innovation in the Video Games Industry... does it exist?

In one of my fourth year modules, "Games Professional Awareness", we've been discussing innovation in the games industry, what it is, where it's most prominent etc and I've been forced to conclude that innovation isn't half of what we think it is...

Recreation should be free...

No, I've not gone over all obsessed about making everything in the world free. It appears a discussion is surfacing within Abertay about the financial procedures of societies and it's one that I definitely want to weigh in on.

Apps on Review: The New Spotify for Android

Well you really never know what you're going to get week by week from me I suppose and this week is no different.

So, I'd like to take a look at an app that has been causing me great pleasure every time I've used it since it's most recent major update. Spotify.

Why a community centric organisation should use Google+

This blog will explicitly refer to use within Students' Associations however it should be appropriate for any non-profit looking to learn about the people it represents or even any business wanting to know its customers with a little tweaking.

Is Google's latest Social Experiment just what you need?

Summer Time

So I think it's safe to say that the Summer Holidays have well and truly kicked off at Abertay - sun burn and working in a bar that was so hot there should be legislation saying I can't work in it included.

Never fear however I won't be jetting off to some hot country to forget all about Constitutional Amendments, Social Networking and the horrors that await in HLSL (it's not that bad really) Work beckons and so my summer will be spent working bar as ever, working as an entertainments/audio technician type person as ever and preparing the Union's social media presence for the coming year.

On top of this - as I am a glutton for punishment, I'll be moving flat and doing a couple of personal projects which I'll gladly share sometime in the near future I hope.

Anyway, that's this note concluded normal service will resume next weekend hopefully!

Brian, out.

Is Google+ a failed project or simply looking ahead?

Admittedly, most technology blogs and sites I follow have yet to comment on how (un)successful Google+ has been with a notable exception or two but you can feel it in the air, certainly among my friends (most of whom are reasonably technically proficient being on a programming based course.) Yet, I feel they are missing the point... Missing what it is that Google+ is really about.

Networking with the National Union of Students (NUS Networks Week)

Apologies for the late post - it is the end of the year here at Abertay so I've just come out of an extensive exam period. On top of this however, I had another treat. I spent last Monday in Aberdeen (my home town) for NUS Scotland's Community Network and the Thursday of that week at Dundee College's Gardyne Campus for their Priority Network.

NUS Referendum Season

It appears it's NUS Referendum Season in Scotland's Universities, whilst I am definitely biased on the topic of NUS, I'm still informed - or so I like to think.

How should the Exec interact with Societies?

So, I’m currently sat with Simon Patterson on a train to Doncaster, en route to Sheffield and eventually Sheffield Hallam University, all for the BFFS (British Federation of Film Societies) Student Cinema Conference. This, is of course, a trip on behalf of the Abertay Film Society – unfortunately it’s President wasn’t able to make it and so I feel the time is right for a blog I’ve been meaning to write. Where should the Executive be helping Societies and their Committee’s along the way…

Student Led Teaching Awards

So we're pretty much at the end of the year now and that means it was time for our annual Student Led Teaching Awards at the University of Abertay Dundee. 

Hands Off Abertay

"We shall not, we shall not be merged" - or so our chant went... but why not? It seemed obvious to the Executive Committee here and still seems obvious to me but I'm regularly asked why the merger was such a bad thing. So I'm going to (attempt to) objectively look at the situation here.

One year on at Abertay pt. 2 ...

So in my last post (read it here, if you missed it), I discussed the, almost complete, 11/12 Academic Session from the viewpoint of an Executive Officer.  However, the elections for 2012/13 have just passed and it's probably a good time to reflect on the year ahead so here we are.

One year on at Abertay...

My god how time flies when you're working hard - so apparently the last time I posted here in any capacity was just after handover last year. I am now, of course, approaching the end of my first term and already successfully elected for term number 2. So, perhaps it's time for some reflection and some looking ahead.

Officially Official: I am Exec but not a moment too soon

Yup, it's a studenty post again. So with the beginning of July, Handover at UADSA (and NUS, NUS Scotland, AUSA and pretty much everywhere else) is complete and my tenure as Executive Officer for the Students of Abertay Dundee begins, looking set to be a busy year already though.

Gamestation Rewards

Gamestation have always seemed the underdogs to my purchasing habits - they remind me more of a local game store - for Aberdeen natives a place like 'Solid Gold' than a national chain such as Game but this last trip I took to spend the £5 trade in card I won at the Abertay Games Pub Quiz in Dundee Gamestation has shown some changes.

E3, Exec & Everything Else

Well it's been a busy cupla weeks - highlighted by my delay in getting that technical post finished, still immensely enjoyable though. Trips Home, Freshers Week and a lot more about Sony's E3 Hardware revelations.

Connecting a PS3 Dualshock/Sixaxis Controller to your PC (and the basics of Programming with it)

Finally! Something a bit more technical - so yeah as the title describes I'm gonna go through the basics of installing your PS3 Controller on your PC and then accessing its input programmatically through DirectInput in C++.

End of Year 2

So year number two done and dusted.hurray! Now for a summer of...finding a job and working my ass off hehe. coursework got me back in the programming spirit however so after finally getting the phone on to Gingerbread and playing a bit of portal 2, I took it upon myself to find a driver for the ps3 controller, then connect through Direct Input and interface it with my opengl coursework. Very very pleased with the outcome and it was pretty straight forward, might post a wee guide on it later on, eager as I am to claim my share of c++ tutorialism.

Anyhoo, given I'm on my phone pending sleep I'm gonna wrap this up. :-)

Forgotten is just a state of mind ;)

Ok, It may be obvious but I'll admit it - I forgot about this - made one post realised I didn't like it deleted it and never came back... until now.

The New Blog

Hey,

So I'm Brian... 17 at time of posting and a student of Computer Games Tech at Abertay Uni in Dundee, Scotland and I've only just decided to give this blogging lark a go, Yes I know the title is cheesy but someone was gonna say it sooner or later(they always do.)

Anyway I'll keep this short and sweet and say heres to the first of many?

Brian