Snake in a QR Code • Hacker News Board

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#51

Post by J5892 » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 5:14 PM UTC

banana_giraffe wrote: post #40

rob74 wrote: post #8

Cool, so all the 1k demos/intros from Assembly ( https://archive.assembly.org/2019/1k-intro ) could also be distributed via QR code... the 4k intros unfortunately not. Maybe it's time for a new category ;)

Or a QR-code paging system. (I feel a little evil for even suggesting that)

The most interesting applications I've seen of QR-codes have been the most wildly impractical or useless.

When I still used my Pebble watch, my favorite watch face was just a QR-code of the time. So to tell what time it is, you have to scan your watch with your phone.

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#52

Post by paulpauper » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 5:16 PM UTC

gitgud wrote: post #28

I wonder if snake could fit in a data uri, like this: https://bytex64.net/code/datasnake/

that is amazing

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#53

Post by saagarjha » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 5:23 PM UTC

kevincox wrote: post #24

I wish more QR-scanners supported data URLs. I think it would be very cool to distribute tiny web-apps via QR code.

Sounds like https://developer.apple.com/documentation/app_clips except less proprietary, and smaller…

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#54

Post by 83457 » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 5:25 PM UTC

skrebbel wrote: post #12

If you want to see a variation of this concept in the wild, in active use by lots of people, check out PICO-8 cartidges. PICO-8 is a virtual game console. I.e. it's an emulator for an oldschool game console that doesn't exist in reality. It's designed to be easy to code for while maintaining the limits and aesthetics of old game computers PICO-8 games are, of course, distributed on cartridges. However because it's a…

This was the first thing that came to mind. If PICO-8 ever comes out with a mobile version, having a way to load a game by QR Code or some sort of game image would be cool.

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#55

Post by banana_giraffe » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 5:43 PM UTC

J5892 wrote: post #51

banana_giraffe wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or a QR-code paging system. (I feel a little evil for even suggesting that)

The most interesting applications I've seen of QR-codes have been the most wildly impractical or useless. When I still used my Pebble watch, my favorite watch face was just a QR-code of the time. So to tell what time it is, you have to scan your watch with your phone.

I love that idea. I couldn't resist mocking one up in Python:

https://pastebin.com/erFSAUvH

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#56

Post by kevincox » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 6:18 PM UTC

toyg wrote: post #30

kevincox wrote: post #24

I wish more QR-scanners supported data URLs. I think it would be very cool to distribute tiny web-apps via QR code.

Yeah, let’s make it even easier for people to run random executables that cannot be vetted, preferably on devices tightly coupled to their identities. What could go wrong?

It's not "another way" it's just existing web technology but skipping the download step.

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#57

Post by LordDragonfang » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 6:31 PM UTC

aelred717 wrote: post #50

svachalek wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is very cool, and gives me a thought, what if you did it without "cheating"? That is, what if the whole game including its rules were in the picture? Something like Conway's game of Life but less shape-dependent, maybe utilizing the color to generate behaviors.

The closest thing I can think of is Piet: https://www.dangermouse.net/esoteric/piet.html

>Richard Mitton supplies this amazing program which calculates an approximation of pi... literally by dividing a circular area by the radius twice.

>Naturally, a more accurate value can be obtained by using a bigger program.

That's delightful

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#58

Post by nacs » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 6:49 PM UTC

read_if_gay_ wrote: post #41

muxator wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the coolest thing in ages. The game's code is steganographically embedded in a PNG image containing the screenshot of the game! Wow

Steganography is cooler for sure, but can't PNGs already store arbitrary data in the header? IIRC, the game Spore did that so you can exchange creatures by sending images.

I think the issue with that is that many image hosting sites optimize their images or at the least strip unnecessary data and EXIFs.

So at any point while being copied from person to person, that game data could be lost.

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#59

Post by ant6n » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 7:02 PM UTC

dheera wrote: post #48

squid_demon wrote: post #39

Don't worry. There is no malicious code contained within this QR code!

Yeah I'd much prefer it be a javascript: URL that did all the magic in the browser. Much safer, cross platform, and it would probably work out of the box in existing QR reader apps.

But the snake in a QR code probably works offline

Re: Snake in a QR Code

#60

Post by ant6n » Fri, Sep 04, 2020, 7:03 PM UTC

read_if_gay_ wrote: post #42

toyg wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, let’s make it even easier for people to run random executables that cannot be vetted, preferably on devices tightly coupled to their identities. What could go wrong?

Smartphones are locked down pretty tightly, so I'm not sure how much could actually go wrong compared to what can go wrong with regular apps anway.

Well regular apps are vetted.