Summer here, Summer there

Okay Okay I know it. It's a lot I don't post. Almost 3 weeks.

There have also been people telling me "I kept checking your blog but no updates :( ".

I am sorry >:[

It's just that you know...it's summer! So I haven't exactly been much at home, and even when I were I had a ton of things to do (and even so, I couldn't do everything I wanted) and situations to decide/sort out with some people.
...and it also took a lot of time catching up with the many mangas I left on stand-by to read because I was at the CodeCamp and that kept piling up xD

When I got back from the CodeCamp I spent some time with my family, and it took a bit to tell them about the many things that happened to me in the previous weeks, supporting my narration with the pictures and videos we took.

Even after getting home I often talk with Giuseppe and Gianluca (btw he is in the USA right now, have a blast dude! :) ) on skype, I know it's not the same, but it's nice to hear them and have a good laugh together.

The News on the National Brodcaster...about us :)

Another really cool thing that happened in the previous days: I was on TV, on the National Broadcaster channel. Well I already sorta knew this was coming tho. They shooted some footage at the codecamp for the News; without us knowing, after lunch and after an intense table tennis match, while we were all sweaty and with a messy hair, we saw the cameras in the ExFadda. So the service was aired a few days ago, I posted part of the video on my FB. Journalists like to hype up things, so they called us... *shrugs* "Italian big brains" and *shrugs* "Italy's best super programmers".

Colosseum by night

I've also been in Rome for a few days to meet a certain person from my past. It was fun but it was also sooooo hot (for several reasons). But it was a good chance to meet this person, and visit the many wonderful places of Rome, even if, I have to admit, it wasn't exactly the best period to do so. Overall it was really fun, and I had a lot of little exquisite things to enjoy :)

The books I've ordered

Even if it was summer, I had to work with Enrico and Vic to our First Order Logic game. It works, it's playable, but we're still having a little trouble with the packaging. Once it's solved, I'll give out a demo and I can then hear your feedbacks on the gameplay :)

Beside the project we *had* to do, I am trying to learn about some other new technologies, so I started diving into HTML5 & CSS3 (I think those two will become really important and required skills in the next future), while practicing some more with jQuery and PHP RestFul Webservices (which I think can always come handy); I also bought a few new books about those subjects ( http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/8848127568/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00 & http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/8850331525/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00 ) and they should be shipped tomorrow.

The weather here is hot, and according to the news it's going to get even hotter up to 43 °C, but even so, I am trying not to waste any day, and jogging in the evening before dinner.

Microsoft's future products

In the past days I've also been experimenting with Windows 8, Visual Studio 2012, Office 2013. It's still a little too early to give out a complete opinion about them, I was favorably impressed by the new TaskManager but the whole  Metro UI takes a while to get used to, anyway, I am a person open to changes so I'll try to get used to it. There are many integrated features like msn, maps, or the login to the OS with your Live account.

GW2 is officially gonna launch the 28th...but I am gonna start the 25th! :)

GW2 is launching in 5 days (Hoorray for the 3-days headstart!!! Even tho it's 9 am D= ) and we're getting everything ready (that's also the reason why I am studying so early in August). We're most likely going to roll on Crystal Desert as server and everyone is really excited. In the past weeks there have been several stress tests that allowed us to play a bit, and there have been several changes to the skills and the traits, so I am still figuring out what my final build is going to be.

If you want to have fun, come and Mumble with us! :P

Thanks to Adam, we've also got a Mumble Server, and since a week, we're like always on it. It's going to be our main communication channel for GW2, but it's becoming our meeting spot, and if my pc is turned on, I am on it. We're using it to chat and almost every night to play LOL together (with the little Giuli, Adam, Stephie, Tay, May, Enrico, Ronky, Daniel, Ibrahyn, Simo, etc.). If you want to come and (audio)chat with us, just ask me the details and let's have fun together!

I realize I still haven't posted a lot of pictures and the videos from the CodeCamp (they are really funny xD) and if I'll have enough time before GW2 launch I'll try doing a blog post with them.

See y'all soon! :3

Code Camp: Day #12-13

Me, Enrico, Vic & Gianluca

The last 2 days of the CodeCamp were really frenetic, we didn't have much time to sleep, let alone to post a blog update, so I am writing this from home, following some notes/pointers I managed to sketch here and there.

Code Camp: Day #12

The day in which we had to present the results of our work. The morning was spent finishing what was left of each group's tasks and then integrating them in order to make the project presentable to the press and to the audience. In the afternoon in fact there would've been a lot of people to assist to the presentation, journalists included, just as example there were RAI's Videocameras (RAI is the italian public service broadcaster), San Vito's major, The vide-president of Puglia's region, the president of the Conf-Commerce association.

Talking during the presentation...

Vittorio had to leave before the presentation started, and at that moment I started feeling melancholic, it was kind of like, when a vacation ends and you realize you have to say goodbye to the friends that shared that experience with you. A few hours before the presentation started, I took the chance to shot a lot of pictures to the ExFadda and to our apartment with Gianluca's photocamera, because I wanted to have a memory of all the places where our adventure took place. I took a shower, and then headed to the conference, where I was called on the stage to discuss about the project first (with diagrams projected on my back) and the human aspects of our CodeCamp then (with embarassing pictures projected on my back). I came up with an...evocative sentence (it was about the chunks & fragments) that sounded more or less like "Regroup! Join up! Be a single thing!" (the original was: "Raggruppatevi! Unitevi! Siate una cosa sola!") that stroke the audience (in more ways than one xD). The presentation was a success, many congratulated to us, and Puglia's Vice-President personally approached me to congratulate.

Cavitielli (a kind of pasta) with seafood

Finished the presentation we proceded to have (a late) dinner to a restaurant, in which we recollected together all the good moments, and we critically analyzed what should be improved for a CodeCamp 2.0 . After eating several appetizers and a seafood first dish, we toasted (many times) and we ate the Cake we bought to thank the staff & some sweets that Giuseppe's family gave us.

The cake we bought...

After the dinner the staff went home, while we proceded for a last round to the bar, where the house offered us Tequila, Cinnamon and Orange slices & Japan Ice / Long Island's cocktails.

Tequila...

When we got back, we sat on the sofa, laughing but with a sad face at the same time. We didn't want that night to end. Before we went to sleep Gianluca gave us some ceramic magnets with pictures of his city printed on them, as gifts.

It was an...hot night with hot goodbyes, but someone was sleepy. :P

Code Camp: Day #13

When we woke up Domenico had already left to Brindisi, while Gianluca was coming back after going to buy some croissant and local sweets to have a last breakfast with us. Gianluca's just...great. When the time came we had to depart (his fly was in the morning) it was really sad, we got a little emotive. While he was walking away, we shouted behind his back. I am sure, I really am, we'll meet again.

I then proceded to pack my stuffs. It was kind of a mess, since I had even more stuffs than when I arrived. Luckily someone helped me to fold my stuffs and fix them in the bag, adding that someone's special touch to my otherwise messed shirts. Our neighbours came to say goodbye to us, and once our luggage was ready we left the house and we went around S.Vito for one last time...During the past days when we walked around the streets or the plaza we would often be recognized since the CodeCamp was a big topic among the citizens and our shirts would help getting pinpointed.

We had one last meal together, took some more pictures, and promised to stay in touch.
Uccio drove us to Brindisi where we would take our bus, so Me and Enri started our trip back home...

I have a lot (and I mean A LOT) of pictures and videos still to post, and I plan on doing it in the next days :3

See y'all soon!