Thursday, April 24, 2014

Evermore Theme Park Coming to Pleasant Grove Utah

Evermore Theme Park
A new theme park, by the name of Evermore Park, was announced last week at the Salt Lake Comic Con FanX (April 17th-19th, 2014).  Evermore Park will be a fantasy theme park in Victorian London Era covering more than 45 acres.  Evermore is being described an adventure park, with a fully immersive theatrical experience to rival Disneyland.

Evermore will be opening in 3 phases, with the first phase to be completed in 2015.  Evermore will be open year around and covers 3 seasons: autumn fest (haunt attractions), winter fest (lighting displays), and summer fest (fantasy carnival).

The Park will include elaborate gardens, attractions, a bay and retail shops.  "The park will also feature a three acre lake, a 2 acre town square with a performance stage, four elaborate gardens, and five large attraction spaces, all staffed by a large cast of professional performers."  The main courtyard and retail shops will be free access with the individual attractions will be ticketed separately.

The Evermore Park vision comes from Ken Bretschneider, the creator of the Evermore Pumpkin Fest.  Ken registered the Evermore Park, LLC in September of 2012.  The Evermore Pumpkin Fest hosted more than 5,000 people at Ken's home in October for the Pumpkin Fest, to celebrate the announcement for the Evermore Park.

Area just north of Pleasant Grove Boulevard and North Country Boulevard

Evermore will be built in Pleasant Grove, just north of just north of Pleasant Grove Boulevard and North County Boulevard..

Construction is expected to start this spring with a goal of having a good portion completed by Christmas.  It is expected to fully open in 2015.




See also:





Tuesday, April 22, 2014

VMware OpenSSL (Heartbleed) Security Issue

VMware Security Advisory

VMware Security Advisory VMSA-2014-0004.6 reports that a number of VMware product suffer from the OpenSSL "Heartbleed" security vulnerability.  This includes ESXi 5.5, vCenter Server, VMware Workstation and a number of other products.  Patches are now available for download.

The ESXi 5.5 patch is available for download here: https://www.vmware.com/patchmgr/download.portal

The vCenter Server patch is available for download here: https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/info/slug/datacenter_cloud_infrastructure/vmware_vsphere/5_5

One can sign up for Security Advisory notifications by visiting: http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories

Monday, April 21, 2014

Video Games Live in Utah - Tickets on Sale Today

Video Games Live
Video Games Live is coming to Utah on September 6th.  Tickets have gone on sale today.  The event is being hosted by the Utah Symphony at the Abravanel Hall.

Tickets can be purchase for Video Games Live! at ArtTix.  There is an 11am and 8pm showing.  Prices start at $18.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

3.2 Magnitude Earthquake NE of Tooele, Utah

3.2 Magnitude Earthquake NE of Tooele, Utah
Not that a 3.2 magnitude earthquake is anything to talk about, but it felt like something to me.  ;-)

"Geological Survey reported a magnitude 3.2 earthquake that was felt in the Salt Lake Valley Saturday night.

The incident occurred at about 9:23 p.m., and a follow up press release form the USGS stated the earthquake occurred about 4 miles northeast of Tooele."

Bethany and I believe this may have been the first earthquake either of us can ever remember actually feeling.

References:



M3.2 - UTAH

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude 3.2
Date-Time
  • 20 Apr 2014 03:22:51 UTC
  • 19 Apr 2014 20:22:52 near epicenter
  • 19 Apr 2014 19:22:51 standard time in your timezone
Location 40.581N 112.215W
Depth 6 km
Distances
  • 8 km (4 mi) NE of Tooele, Utah
  • 16 km (9 mi) WSW of Oquirrh, Utah
  • 17 km (10 mi) SW of Magna, Utah
  • 17 km (10 mi) WNW of Herriman, Utah
  • 33 km (20 mi) SW of Salt Lake City, Utah
Location Uncertainty Horizontal: 0.4 km; Vertical 0.5 km
Parameters Nph = 68; Dmin = 8.3 km; Rmss = 0.28 seconds; Gp = 68°
Version = 3
Event ID uu 60065467

For updates, maps, and technical information, see: Event Page or USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

Reported by University of Utah Seismograph Stations

http://www.seis.utah.edu

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Untrusted - Hacker Puzzle Game

Untrusted - Hacker Puzzle Game

My brother introduced me to to this simple online hacker puzzle game by the name of "Untrusted" (or "The Continuing Adventures of Dr. Eval"). The game was written by an Alex Nisnevich and a Greg Shuflin.

Although the game is a "rougelike" game, there is a fundamental difference. Rouge was a dungeon crawler. Untrusted is a puzzle game requiring simple hacking skills.

The objective of each level's puzzle is to write Javascript code to hack the level's Javascript code, and allow the player character to reach the exit. As the hacker, you are only allowed to edit/add code in certain sections, marked by a black background. Code marked with a red background is not modifiable. You might think you could just simply modify the code to say "go to exit" (or placing an extra exit next to player, as you can on earlier levels), but the difficulty is that each level also has different validation and constraints that you must work around.


Author's Description of Untrusted

"Untrusted —or— the Continuing Adventures of Dr. Eval is an exciting Meta-Javascript Adventure Game wherein you guide the dashing, steadfast Dr. Eval through a mysterious MACHINE CONTINUUM, wherein, using only his trusty computer and the TURING-COMPLETE power of Javascript, he must literally ALTER HIS REALITY in order to find his freedom! You must literally edit and re-execute the very Javascript running the game in your browser to save Dr. Eval from this dark and confusing reality!
The game presents you with a roguelike-like playing environment and a console window with the JavaScript code generating each level. As loaded, each level is unbeatable, and most of the JavaScript is blocked from editing. The challenge is to open a path to the next level using only the limited tools left open to you." [source]

Friday, April 4, 2014

Windows XP End of Support


Windows XP End of Support is on April 8th, 2014.

My old Windows XP machine (kids gaming system) popped up a warning saying that support is ending for Windows XP on April 8th (this coming Tuesday).  What does this mean for those using Windows XP?

This means no longer receiving the following for Windows XP:

  • Technical assistance
  • Windows updates
  • Security updates
  • Microsoft Security Essentials updates


"As a result, after April 8, 2014, technical assistance for Windows XP will no longer be available, including automatic updates that help protect your PC. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date. Microsoft will no longer be providing security updates to help protect your PC. If you continue to use Windows XP after support ends, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses."

So, what does Microsoft recommend?  Upgrade ($$) of course.  Microsoft has provided a tutorial for upgrading Windows XP to Windows 8.1 (assuming your old hardware meets the new minimum system requirements).  If your old hardware does not meeting the system requirements, then that leaves only two options, continue to run Windows XP and hope for the best, or buy a new computer.

There is actually one other option: switch to Linux (check out this fun animation).  The system requirements are significantly lower, and the security updates are free.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Noah Man

Noah Man

(I want to preface this review by saying that if you are wanting to go see an uplifting classical version of the Biblical "Noah and the Ark" story, don't waste your money.  You will just end up with a hate for both Noah and the Creator.  But if you are just wanting to watch something that appears to be Marvel Comic's latest popcorn movie, this may be for you.)

Spoiler Alert

Marvel Comics has brought us Spider Man, Ant-Man, X-Men, Iron Man and now their latest super hero: Noah Man.

Noah Man is the ancient hero that would save the world by removing the biggest threat of all: mankind.  This film has everything, including super natural rock monster warriors, breath taking scenery, medieval knights, Eco terrorism, women's rights, attempted infantile murder, fire and water special effects, incestuous procreation and creepy animals of all kinds.  If you are wanting to watch Russell Crowe as a mad man like you have never seen him before, your biblical stories thrown out the window, watch Emma Watson basically carry the show, and end up rooting for the bad guys, then this is the movie for you!

Noah Man receives a dream that the world will be destroyed by water and to build an Ark.  To decipher this dream they travel to see Noah Man's grandfather Methuselah.

Marvel has brought in Thor's father (Anthony Hopkins) to be Noah's grandfather Methuselah.

Thor's Father Odin
Noah's grandfather Methuselah
Noah's grandfather even comes with super human powers and a flaming sword!

Methuselah's flaming sword
Methuselah was once an awesome warrior who protected these supernatural rock monster's called the "Watchers"  (yet another thing that looks like it came straight out of a Marvel movies).  Now he has been reduced to a senile old man craving berries from the forest.

It is determined that Noah Man's dream means for him to build a boat (ark) and save all the innocent animals of the Earth, while all mankind (including Noah Man's family) are to be exterminated.  So they sprout a magical forest and get to work on chopping down the trees.  (an action that seems very contradictory to Noah Man's tree hugging eco agenda, wouldn't you say?)

The supernatural rock monster warriors called "Watchers" (aka Nephilim), are fallen angels that came to help Adam, were punished by the Creator for doing so, end up helping Noah build the Ark and then defending Noah's Ark from the onslaught of hungry and starving men.  (interesting to note that there is no mention of these out of place supernatural rock creatures in any of the movie trailers, gee I wonder why?)

Watchers in their pre-fallen angel like state
Watches in their rock like form
The "Watchers" have a special power that when they die they explode.  In one heart warming scene, Noah's pet rock monster scarifies himself, by committing a suicidal self bombing (literally tearing himself open).  This needless self sacrifice clearly turns the tide of battle, as this inexplicably triggers the flood tide waters to fully commence.  (he he he, catch the double meaning?)

Watches suicidal bombing
And we of course can't forget Hermione Granger (Emma Watson)... I mean... oh, I can't even remember her character's name.  But needless to say Hermoine saves the day again. (update: she plays Ila)

Hermoine plays... someone
Hermoine plays the damsel in distress, who is barren and can't have children.  (which makes her less then a second class citizen, as it is repeatedly stated in one scene, that only "real women", who can have babies, are worth anything)  Hermoine then spends a good portion of the movie hiding from Noah, who is determined to kill (I kid you not!) her unborn baby(s).  (Wait what?  She's pregnant?  Didn't I just say she was barren?  Wait what?  Noah is a psychopathic killer?  Good old Thor's father Odin had thrown a curve ball, and had given Hermoine some magical pixie dust to make her go into heat in the next scene, just to throw you a curve ball to keep you from getting bored.  And she of course ends up pregnant.)

It turns out that Hermoine being able to procreate directly conflicts with Noah's eco agenda of mankind's extermination.  This causes the "good" Noah to go on a psychopathic homicidal attempted infantile hunting spree, as they bounce around on the water, long enough for her to come to full term.

Noah's Ark
In the end everything works out like a Disney movie, and everyone lives happily ever after (well besides the million/billion who died a few scenes earlier).  Through Hermoine's over the top acting and tears, Noah Man has a change of heart.  Noah Man is a complete failure and is unable to complete his Eco agenda of stopping the diseased spread of man kind.  As self punishment for his failures he gets completely wasted on muddy looking alcoholic drinks and ends up naked on the beach.  Another happy Marvel Movie ending.

* Note: all images were borrowed from Google Images