The Nukezilla Sunday Supplement – July 11th 2010

Every Sunday we’re going to post links to articles we think are interesting from the last week. Sundays are usually very quiet around here, so this seems like the best day to do it. We’re going to link to articles on range of subjects, including videogames, technology, movies, geek culture and much, much more.

If you’ve got cool links to share with fellow NZers, please do chuck them in the comments below!

Note: We were made aware that some tiny blog already uses “Sunday Paper” in a similar (but less awesome) post; hence the new title “Sunday Supplement”.

Technology

Supply Chain for iPhone Highlights Costs in China – The New York Times. Rising cost of labour in China could cause the price of consumer electronics to go up around the world. Without cheap Chinese workers, how can companies like Apple sell products at magic $199 pricepoints?

How good is the iPhone for the mobile web economy? – The Guardian. This article looks at the suggestion that HTML 5 is an option against developing on Apple’s restrictive App Store.

Televisions through the years – The Guardian. Analogue TVs are no longer on sale in British shops, this slide show takes you back to the first ray-tube TVs.

Just as iPhone owners were running out of apps to compare, the nice droids at Apple gifted them the iPhone 4 – The Guardian. Charlie Brooker talks about the new iPhone 4- err, sorry; “Jabscreen” and notes: “If you didn’t have a Jabscreen, it was hugely alienating, like being surrounded by new parents swapping baby anecdotes for an hour.”

Videogames

The Role of Hedonic Adaptation in Games Reviews – Gamasutra. A fascinating article which looks at how overindulging on games could affect our opinion of them. Psychologist Jamie Madigan examines the evidence and comes to interesting conclusions – especially relating to how it could affect reviewers.

Game Strategies: iPad vs. iPhone – Gamasutra. A look at how companies are selling their games for the iPad and iPhone, with some separating the two apps and some including both for a single sum.

A Light at the end of the Tunnel – LittleLostPoly.co.uk. – Half Life 2 mod Dear Esther recently got an update, with the third level now close to completion. Some very awesome screenshots and great video showing just what the Source Engine can do. Thanks to reader Ugly Duck for the tip!

Studies show that the excitement of video games makes playing them addictive. Parents of preteens hardly find this surprising. – The Parent Report. An interesting article about the addictive nature of videogames on children. As long as parents place reasonable limits, they can offer “real opportunities for puzzle solving, strategic and critical thinking” according to one professor.

Movies

Inside Pixar: ‘I haven’t thought about anything but Toy Story 3 for four years’ – The Guardian. A video insight into the world of Pixar. The Guardian talks to animators and directors about Toy Story 3 and what makes Pixar so immune to box office flops.

Internet

The Curse of the Nike Ad – Slate. Nike’s World Cup ad was aimed to steal the spotlight from event-sponsors Adidas. Now fans are looking for something to blame.

Facebook Makes Headway Around the World – The New York Times. Facebook’s growth continues to surge, with one billion users “almost guaranteed” by founder Mark Zuckerberg. This article looks at whether Google can take a piece of Facebook’s pie

No Secrets – The New Yorker. An extensive insight into the world of Wikileaks and its founders. It especially talks about the controversial “Collateral Murder” video showing US soldiers shooting Iraqi civilians and journalists.

Cool Stuff

7887 kHz, Your Home for Classic Cuban Espionage Radio – Slate. The alleged Russian spies apparently used short-wave radio to contact home. Slate looks at the counting stations with the assumption that “if they’re bothering to be on the air, there must be someone out there listening in on the other end.”

I’m just a jealous guy – The Guardian. A look at the evolutionary role of sexual jealousy. How can mistrusting and potentially lashing out at your partner be good for spreading your genes?

The Big Picture: Summer is here – The Boston Globe. More Big Picture awesomeness, this time covering summer.

Do you know this man? – The Guardian. This man woke up in a dumpster, naked. He doesn’t know his real name, where he’s from or if he even has a family somewhere. He’s been on national TV and in newspapers, and still nobody has recognises him. He just wants to know who he is.

Now get posting links in the comments! See something that should be in next week’s edition? Email Tips@Nukezilla.com with a link.