mead5432

I will be joining a new project in the next couple weeks which will basically be like starting a new job as it's a new code base, new infrastructure, etc...

Any tips for how to get up to speed quickly so I can shorten the learning curve?

I've been thinking a lot lately about how to maintain relationships with "weak" connections (former colleagues, classmates, etc...). I think they can be very valuable and I'd like to stay in touch but don't really want to reach out and see if they want to hang out on a Saturday night so having them in my phone contacts seems a bit much.

I think it is important to take notes to help remember things to bring up later like things about family, hobbies, etc...

What tools do people use to manage these connections? Does anyone use any tools or am I over-thinking this?

I brainstorming ideas for a hackathon at work and looking for ideas of cool new technologies to experiment with.

So... what new tech would you want to experiment with for 3 days?

I've been kicking around an idea for a mobile game but am getting outside feedback before digging in too much.

Here is the gist: --- An immersive, story-driven mobile game where you are the main character and the real world is the game world. The game will bring together media such as video and voice with the technology on the smart phone to bring the story to life and make you feel as if it is really occurring. The game will be somewhat localized, requiring you to visit areas of your city (for example, if in Denver: Union Station but if in SF: Chinatown).

Throughout the game the you will make choices that will impact how the rest of the game will play out. Choose X and you are all of a sudden working with the bad guys but choose Y and you save the world. It is like a choose-your-own-adventure book but plays out in the world you live in and facilitated by your phone, not just in the pages of a book. ---

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.