Social networks and apps are full of recommendations.  I can fire up Local Scout on my phone and get suggestions about nearby places, fire up Facebook and see people I may know, fire up Netflix or Zune and see suggested movies based on what else I’ve watched, see suggested people to follow on Pinterest…  The list goes on.

Of course, it’s computers and algorithms and, for the most part, they don’t really understand context.

For example, last year when my rabbit, Thumper, passed away, I signed up to Quora (a community Q&A site) and posted a question about how I should go about finding a companion for Walter.

This morning, Quora sent me a question they thought that I might want to answer…

God knows what they think I did to solve my situation…

And we’re almost ready to go.

On Thursday, we’re launching Zombies Ate My City on Windows Phone.

I feel excited and also anxious.  I’ve been living and breathing this game for about six months now, and I’ve been knee deep in it for about four.  The whole project is based around an idea I had and fleshed out around a table in Arivind’s old flat.  In reality, it actually spawns from a project we worked on at university back with the technology was way behind our ideas.

It’s been a whole lot of fun getting this idea made (you can read development diaries here) and I’m really happy with the results and, actually, it’s been a lot of fun going out and playing our own game when I really should be sick of it by now.

Ari and I always tend to end up with these crazy project ideas.  Timedancer, which is a transmedia app combining video, games, exploration and a sci-fi storyline, began with me asking Ari to come up with a story for a point and click adventure style game.  What we ended up with is something that is completely unique on any mobile platform.  Zombies started off with the idea of creating a location based game, adding a story to check-ins.  What we’ve ended up with is a mix of location, video and action-gaming.

My only fear, ahead of release, is that maybe what we’ve done is too different.  What if people don’t get it?  But on a platform with 50,000 apps you have to do something to stand out.  We could easily have churned out something a little more traditional (and I’m sure we will do some more traditional games in between these bigger projects) but if you want to get noticed, you need to be different and so we might as well take advantage of the skills we have, the people we know (the app features contributions from a bunch of talented friends and colleagues) and place our bets that people will be intrigued by the premise and enjoy something a little bit different.

We hope you enjoy it!

So, here goes.  You can read all about Zombies Ate My City here.

Image credit: Hugh MacLeod

And I’ll wear my cynicism like a tattoo

And while poets try to engineer definitions of love

Oh you know that all I can think of is you

And I just can’t wait to see you on sunday

Far from the traffic and the smoke and the noise

But for this evening I will play back every message that you sent

So I can sleep to the sound of your voice

I absolutely love this video.  I used to really like OK Go too a few years back and they totally dropped off my radar, but this music video has made me download the stuff I’ve missed.

OK Go–Needing/Getting

Apparently, it took four months to set up 288 guitars, 55 pianos and 1,157 homemade instruments.  It’s awesome.  There’s a behind the scenes video to go with it here.

And when you’re needing your space

To do some navigating

I’ll be here patiently waiting

To see what you find

…In one go.

Last year, there was nothing from the bands I follow.  This year, it looks like all my favourite bands are coming back at the same time…

Train

Train have been one of my favourite bands for years… I picked up their first album when visiting my best friend, Gemma, when she was away at university.  We finally saw them live last year.  They’ve often been the soundtrack to my life and I find myself listening to their different vibes at different times.  Their new single just hit the states.

Train–Drive By

Jason Mraz

I forget how I discovered Jason Mraz, but it was well before he became famous.  His songs always remind me of road trips (I think the first song I ever heard was “Curbside Prophet”)…  Then he became big over here a couple of years back with “I’m Yours”.  His new material is amazing…

Jason Mraz–I Won’t Give Up

Eric Hutchinson

I think I came across Eric because of Jason Mraz….  If I remember, Last.fm suggested him as somebody I’d like.  They were right.  His first album was awesome and the second one comes out any day now.

Eric Hutchinson–New Year’s Eve

Andrew Belle

I heard Sky’s Still Blue somewhere, loved it and tracked down his debut album.  His new album is also out any day now.

Andrew Belle–Sky’s Still Blue

The Fray

I think I came across The Fray when they were a featured band on Xbox Live just after the 360 launched.  They used to do an artist of the month, and I think The Fray were up first, which was weird because they had no material out over here.  I ordered their CD from the States and fell in love with the guitar/piano vibe.  Their new song matches up.

The Fray–Heartbeat

Sam Beeton

Another guy that I’m not sure how I stumbled upon.  But I did.  Grabbed his demos and his EPs. His new album is due out this year and he’s supporting Charlie Simpson (another of my favourites) in concert.

Sam Beeton–Under The Fence

Add me on Zune

This week has been insane.  Eighteen hour days, restless sleep, bad eating habits and I’ve ran out of money (and, worse still, coffee).  This week has been one of the best weeks ever.

For the past nine days, Arivind and I have been living like students.  Or maybe a startup.  Or living like a startup and eating like students.  Either way, he’s been crashing on my floor and we’ve been working, almost solidly, on Zombies Ate My City, our latest app coming to Windows Phone in February.

We’ve been surviving on noodles and McDonald’s (Super Size Me made me hungry the other night rather than disgusted which means I’m clearly back in student mode), we’ve rarely ventured outside (except for testing the app) and my brain is so fried that I’ve literally been dreaming in code (and solving problems in my sleep), and yet it’s exhilarating.  This is my favourite way to work…  With pressure, hardly any time and having somebody to bounce ideas off and share my pain/madness with and to make the app better with new ideas and stuff to go in it.

It’s been 18 months ago since I came up with the concept behind Zombies (whilst wrapping on Timedancer Episode 1) and it’s been fun expanding on the idea (bouncing ideas off friends, family, loved ones and anybody who would listen), watching Arivind flesh it out into a story and then seeing it turn it into an actual thing (with a lot of help and favours from a lot of really cool/talented people – actors, composers, editors, special effects and friends…).

And we’re nearly done.  The last of the big To-Dos was completed today and we’ve been out and about testing.  Tomorrow and Friday will be spent tweaking, polishing and adding to the app, making sure it’s as good as we can make it.  Then it’s having a week being tested in the real world before it flies the nest in time for Valentines Day.

And then it’s time for the next crazy idea.

And maybe some sleep.  And some vegetables.

If you missed it, BBC Click ran a feature on transmedia last weekend, and Zombies Ate My City was featured heavily on it… Video below!

Zombies Ate My City on BBC Click

Last year at BETT, I had the worst hotel experience of my life.  But I’ve spent so much time in hotels this year that I think I’ve finally cracked it.

My survival guide…

Step 1: Get a decent hotel

After paying, last year, for a hotel with a four foot long bed, no floor space, no window (a sheet of glass doesn’t count) and a bathroom in which you could shit, shower and shave simultaneously, I’ve figured it’s best to get somewhere half decent.  The easyhotel seemed reasonably price, but by the time you’ve paid for a window (yes, you have to pay for a window), parking, internet and bought a bottle of water from their vending machine, you may as well have gone somewhere nice.  I stayed in the Richmond Hill this year.  It was niiiiiiiiice.

First up, I was greeted by a personalised message on my TV screen and secondly they had posh soap.  I’m easily impressed.  But after the sleazyHotel, who can blame me…

Step 2: Pack stuff

My essential kit includes…

Phone – I’m currently sporting the HTC Titan. As well as the usual staying-in-touch and music and games, I would be lost without the GPS capabilities (After all, you need to find the hotel before you can stay there).  And, of course, Foursquare and Bing Local Scout are great for suggesting places to eat.

Kindle – Forget reading.  Fact is, if you’re travelling solo, there’s a good chance – at some point – you’re going to find yourself sat in a restaurant or cafe by yourself.  If you do the usual tactic of frequently checking your phone, you look like you’ve been stood up on a date.  If you bring out your Kindle, people will realise that you’re meant to be by yourself and stop looking at you with pity eyes.

Toilet roll – Unless you want to return from your trip with raw skin, bring you’re own.  Everyone knows that hotel toilet paper is made from expired newspapers from the table in reception.  I feel like such an old man bringing a toilet roll with me, but trust me…

Tablet/laptop – Load it up with movies and TV shows.  It makes the travelling go faster and, if you’ve been at a convention/exhibition, it’s a good way to take your mind off work.  Although I kept waking up with my tablet and my Kindle on my face…  I must have been tired.

Headphones – If you’re not going to take some sort of entertainment with you, at the very least bring headphones.  You never know who you’re going to get stuck next to.  If it’s somebody interesting, strike up a conversation.  If it’s somebody irritating, stick on some headphones and they won’t bother you.

Chargers – Fill your bag with chargers, cables and batteries.  You’ll need every single on of them (especially if you’re at an event).

Alcohol gel – Especially true if you’re going to a convention as you’ll be shaking hands all day.  But even if you’re just traveling around a city, you don’t want to catch angryrat disease or hobotitis.  Have you not seen Contagion?

Step 3: Take advantage

No hotel in their right mind expects you to leave empty handed.  Take their soap, their notepads, their towels and their dressing gowns.  Or, if you do end up in the easyHotel, take their sedatives.

I’m escaping.

The past week-and-a-bit has been madness.  A daily routine of 15-17 hour work days, juggling multiple projects whilst getting ready for my second year at BETT.

So I’m all set.

This week I built two web sites (one launched yesterday), made a prototype app for an international company, worked on the game within Zombies Ate My City, coded and released version 1.3 of Langeroo ahead of BETT (alongside promotional materials) and wrapped up a few games for TES.

BETT kicks off Wednesday at the Olympia in London and I’ll be there from Thursday, joining up with my distributors, UK2U to demo Langeroo.  I’m staying up there for a few days and hopefully my accommodation will be better than last year (can’t be any worse!).  I’m looking forward to it.

But before that, I’m taking a few days off to spend with Gemma, Mike and my godson, Alfie, in Center Parcs.  I absolutely can’t wait.  Taking a few days to cut myself off from the world (or, at the very least, work), and enjoy some downtime with my best friends.

Oddly, I always seem to end up there after a heavy workload, and it’s one of the most relaxing places I can think of.  Probably because there’s no phone signal.  Which works for me.

So, for the next few days, no work… Just me, my best friends, a log cabin and fun times.

Catch you on the other side.

I normally resist doing this sort of things,but I should write myself up some goals, plans and predictions for 2012… There’s a lot to do before we get burned to a pulp despite John Cusack’s best efforts to rescue us all with giant boats.

By February 2012

Zombies Ate My City will be released. Myself and Arivind will have drunk ourselves into a coffee coma and both The Royal and Coco will have doubled their business thanks to all the work we’ve been doing out of their venues.  Buzzing.

By April 2012

Timedancer Episode 3 will be released.  We will have been to Comic Con and myself and Arivind will be fat on Oreo flavoured Kit Kat Chunkies from the Cybercandy stall.  One of my best friends will have given birth and I’ll have already had at least one barbecue (I’m over Winter already and ready to embrace the Summer).

By July 2012

The American road trip will be in full swing.  Myself and Arivind will have successfully stalked our television and movie heroes for a few days and numerous restraining orders will have been filed against us my several celebrities at Comic Con…  We’d have lost all our spending money in Las Vegas casinos and will be working our way across the United States of America with our friends.  By this point, we’ll also hopefully be making up half our earnings from our own projects.

Oh, and I’ll be 30.  How did that happen?

By August 2012

We’d have hit Florida, and not only will I have have ridden every single roller coaster in Florida, but I’d have done it in those seats for extra large people due to having eaten at Taco Bell for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past four weeks.

By September 2012

Those Tacos will be burnt off in time for the annual trip to Weymouth.  The water will feel much colder this year.

By October 2012

Hard at work on some more apps.  Hopefully Timedancer Episode 4 will be close to release along with the release of a whole bunch of Windows 8 apps we’re working on.  My end-of-the-world bunker will be nearing completion.

By December 2012

Making the most of our final days on the planet by spending the holidays with friends and family…  Imagine we’ll be up North for Christmas this year.  No doubt there’ll be a Paris road trip.  Hopefully no road-side-breakdowns.

Our weekly Scary Movie Night/Shit Movie Night will have been replaced by Doomsday movies, keeping up with the theme.

By January 2013

We’ll all be fine.