2012
by The Smart Kid on Jan.05, 2012, under Uncategorized
Well, it’s 2012. I’d put an Apocalypse reference here, but you already know about it. Anyways, a new year means a new theme for the blog! I think that it’s nicer than the old one.
Using Google in School
by The Smart Kid on Nov.18, 2011, under School
Google has many tips and tricks that can help students, so we’ve collected some tips that relate specifically to education.
- Dictionary – Just typing the word you want to define won’t always bring up definitions for it. To get a definition for a word, search for “define:keyword”.
- Research – As you know, teachers (I’m looking at you, Mrs Caskey) only accept information from “reputable” sources. To get only .edu (restricted to Registered US Colleges and Universities) and .gov (restricted to the US Government) sites, search for “keyword site:.edu OR site:.gov”. This query can be modified to include sites like online newspapers and other authorities.
- Calculator – You don’t have to use a separate calculator for simple math. To evaluate an expression, you can just search it.
- Specialized Search – Google provided specialized search engines for patents and scholarly papers.
For more Google tips and tricks, visit http://www.google.com/help/features.html and http://www.lib.unca.edu/library/infolit/google_research.html.
Held Back
by The Smart Kid on Nov.16, 2011, under GT, School
Today Mrs. Caskey held us two minutes behind the bell. We had to go to the other side of school to Science, but the teacher had a note on her door saying to go to the computer lab right next to Mrs. Caskey’s room. So we all had to go all the way back to the lab. Even I can’t do that in two minutes!
So pretty much all of us were late. All because Mrs. Caskey held us back! 
I do not like being held back, especially when it comes to school. It’s a small thing, but it looks like it might be the start of a new pattern. And I do not want to be held back every single day. It’s not right!
Lorem Ipsum…
by The Smart Kid on Sep.22, 2011, under Uncategorized
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Arcade Shooter v4.0.0.0
by The Smart Kid on Aug.11, 2011, under Games, Personal, Programming
Arcade Shooter has been updated to v4.0.0.0! As promised, I added an in-game tutorial and a pause screen. However, I added something else as well: the ability to rotate the turret!
Now you can shoot in different directions! This adds a whole new dimension to the game, with so much more you can do. If you don’t like this new feature, you can turn it off in the Options screen.
Arcade Shooter v3.1.0.0
by The Smart Kid on Aug.03, 2011, under Games, Personal, Programming
Arcade Shooter has been updated to v3.1.0.0! In version 3.0.0.1, I fixed the inevitable bugs that would pop up after such a big change. In addition, I added a handy little button to view the high scores from the main menu.
In version 3.1.0.0, I added an options screen where you can change the quality. Additionally, you can now press the P key while playing to pause the game.
While I’m waiting for the other people to respond, I am going to add a pop-up that shows when you pause the game, as well as an in-game tutorial that will give you all the help you need without having to read the help on your own.
Arcade Shooter v3.0.0.0
by The Smart Kid on Aug.02, 2011, under Games, Personal, Programming
Arcade Shooter has been updated to v3.0.0.0! In version 2.3.1.0, I changed the “Click to Play” to “Press Any Key to Play” so you don’t have to leave your keyboard when playing.
In version 3.0.0.0, I created a menu system with a main screen, a help screen, and a game screen. I also added the ability to be able to switch between normal and heavy bullets (if you have them), and to see which one you are using and how many are left. I noticed scores actually went down when I added the powerup; this should make it easier now.
In a few days, I’m going to contact some other people to help out with the game, so you will most likely get better graphics, background music, and sound effects to be added soon. They will hopefully also help me out with Team Beam.
Arcade Shooter v2.3.0.0
by The Smart Kid on Jul.26, 2011, under Games, Personal, Programming
Arcade Shooter has been updated to v2.3.0.0! I’ve added a powerup called Heavy Bullets, which makes your bullets (which now have a golden arrow) go through any enemy without being destroyed. if you kill an enemy and it turns gold, you’ve got the powerup. To see it in action, play the game and survive until level 5.
Hopefully this update makes the game easier. I know that there are a lot of people out there who find the game very hard and frustrating, so this update is for you!
Arcade Shooter v2.2.1.0
by The Smart Kid on Jul.24, 2011, under Games, Personal, Programming
Arcade Shooter has been updated to v2.2.1.0! In v2.2.0.0, I added Mochi Leaderboards to the game, which means you can submit your high score for everybody to see! That’s the only exciting, the rest of the update consisting of bug fixes and performance updates.
In v2.2.1.0, I added MochiBot, which will allow me to get more details about how many plays I get and how much you like the game. I’ve just found out that MochiBot provides a way for you to submit feedback, so expect that very soon!
I’ve marked Arcade Shooter for distribution, so other flash gaming websites can put my game on their website. Who knows, you might see Arcade Shooter on Kongregate or Addicting Games very soon!
Arcade Shooter v2.1.0.0
by The Smart Kid on Jul.23, 2011, under Games, Personal, Programming
Arcade Shooter has been updated to v2.1.0.0! In v2.0.0.0, I added MochiAds to the preloader and encrypted the game. Unfortunately, I also created another bug that started the game at Level 2 every time except for the first.
In v2.1.0.0, I added more MochiAds that appear every time you restart the game, as well as some code to keep track of how many plays I’ve gotten. I also fixed the Level 2 bug. I’d love your feedback.
On Team Beam, I’ve already done player movement and laser firing. Next I’ll add the enemies. The game should be done in a month or so.