nicholaschan.net http://nicholaschan.net :D Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:20:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Problem: Server side mark-as-read tweets http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/problem-server-side-mark-as-read-tweets/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/problem-server-side-mark-as-read-tweets/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:47:52 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1064 I check Twitter on my iPhone/iPad/Mac/PC. All four platforms need to be manually marked as read. Thankfully Tweetbot partially solved this problem with iCloud (for iOS devices so far).

]]> http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/problem-server-side-mark-as-read-tweets/feed/ 0 Problem: Data Execution Prevention System http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/problem-data-execution-prevention-system/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/problem-data-execution-prevention-system/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:46:05 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1062 I can’t remember a time when I needed this feature. However, I can remember many times of when I needed to manually add exclusions to the DEP list so that I can run certain applications (after hours of figuring out why they won’t run of course).

]]> http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/problem-data-execution-prevention-system/feed/ 0 Problem: Late Night Push Notifications http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/problem-late-night-push-notifications/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/problem-late-night-push-notifications/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:44:06 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1060 Dear iOS game developers: I do not want to receive push notifications at 3-4AM with a loud gun shot noise notifying me that I can get bonus credits if I jump in the game now.

Dear Apple: Please let me set the time of when notifications are allowed to be set off.

]]> http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/problem-late-night-push-notifications/feed/ 0 Hey Microsoft, Why not…(episode 1)? http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/hey-microsoft-why-not-episode-1/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/hey-microsoft-why-not-episode-1/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 23:45:21 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1056 So I’m going to start this series:

]]> http://nicholaschan.net/2012/04/hey-microsoft-why-not-episode-1/feed/ 0 Checking Tic Tac Toe moves efficiently using bitmasks http://nicholaschan.net/2012/03/checking-tic-tac-toe-moves-efficiently-using-bitmasks/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/03/checking-tic-tac-toe-moves-efficiently-using-bitmasks/#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:49:08 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1050 So I’m sitting here reviewing stuff for my Blizzard interview coming in a couple of days. I’m looking at the tic tac toe problem, and probably the only challenge here is how to check the tic tac toe moves efficiently.

Of course there is the brute force method but there is a way to do them faster. I drew this out on paper (didn’t have my iPad). Here it is:

Should be self-explanatory. You’re simply converting the stage to a bit mask and comparing that to the winning moves bit masks. This also applies to games where full rows/columns/diagonals need to be checked.

]]> http://nicholaschan.net/2012/03/checking-tic-tac-toe-moves-efficiently-using-bitmasks/feed/ 0 Doctor Search http://nicholaschan.net/2012/03/doctor-search/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/03/doctor-search/#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:59:07 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1033

Summary: An app to search for nearby doctors. The work involved a 3 million record database that did not have coordinates of the location. Therefore, I needed to do some work with Google Maps’ API. I couldn’t use iOS 5′s new geocoding API due to compatibility issues with older iOS devices. This is also my first universal app. (iTunes link)

Tools:
Xcode (4.2.1)
PHP/MySQL Web Service
AFNetworking

Development time: 5 Days

]]> http://nicholaschan.net/2012/03/doctor-search/feed/ 0 Alternative Fuel Station Locator http://nicholaschan.net/2012/03/alternative-fuel-station-locator/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/03/alternative-fuel-station-locator/#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:46:26 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1024

Summary: An app to search for nearby alternative fuel stations. It was my first time working with Core Data to utilize a built in database rather than using a web service. (iTunes link)

Tools:
Xcode (4.2.1)
Core Data
Inferis View Deck

Development time: 4 Days

]]> http://nicholaschan.net/2012/03/alternative-fuel-station-locator/feed/ 0 iPad 3 http://nicholaschan.net/2012/02/ipad-3/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/02/ipad-3/#comments Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:11:39 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1019 I wrote a long post just now but I decided to start over the post with a summary:

-If the iPad 3 doesn’t have a quad-core processor (I think the A5X is going to be a dual-core processor) and less than 512mb ram, then I’ll pass and wait for then next revision.
-I sold my iPad 1 already since it was too slow to open the Mail app.
-If the iPad 3 does have quad core but only 512mb ram, then it’s a maybe.

Happy Wednesday!

]]> http://nicholaschan.net/2012/02/ipad-3/feed/ 0 Imagining… http://nicholaschan.net/2012/02/imagining/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/02/imagining/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:01:52 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1015 Imagine Netflix bought Redbox. Current Netflix users can use the Redbox machine to exchange their movies for free. Save on shipping.

]]> http://nicholaschan.net/2012/02/imagining/feed/ 0 App Submissions http://nicholaschan.net/2012/02/app-submissions/ http://nicholaschan.net/2012/02/app-submissions/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:18:32 +0000 Nick http://nicholaschan.net/?p=1009 Quick update: two new apps + updates to 3 old apps submitted to the app store. Working on a second game for the iPhone.

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