OpenGL ES support complete

The experimental branch, where the OpenGL ES migration was being done, has just been closed and merged into the default branch of PySoy.

Thanks to Steve Anton, one of our Google Code-In 2011 students, for some of the last bits of work to complete the merge. We are now one step closer to mobile support! If you're a student ages 13-17 and would like to earn a Google tshirt and some cash by helping us with Android support, sign up for Google Code-In and claim this task.

Google Code-In 2011 is Open

Google Code-In has officially begun!

From today through January 16th students age 13-17 can earn up to $500 working on small tasks for software projects such as MoinMoin, SymPy, and PySoy!

Tasks include coding, documentation, graphic design, video production, testing, translation, research, public speaking, and many other kinds of challenges of varying difficulty.

Completing just one task earns a student a Google tshirt. Every 3 tasks they complete earns them $100, and the 10 top students worldwide will earn an all-expense paid trip to Mountain View, CA to receive an award at Google.

PySoy has over 75 tasks offered for the first half of the program and another 75-100 will be made available December 16th. Our mentors are on Freenode channel #PySoy ready to help students start earning their tshirt and cash today.

Sign up today and get started!

Rugby season nearly over, getting back to work

Wow its been a long time.

We wrapped up Google's Summer of Code 2011 in August. The Python Software Foundation did wonderfully overall, for PySoy 6 of our 7 students passed. A great year overall - thanks to all the mentors and students!

Rugby has been a life changer for me. My first game was in September, after floating in and out of practice for years and training pretty heavily since April. No serious injuries, but no shortage of pain; I've frequently needed to sleep in a reclining chair to keep blood from pooling in my shoulders and nurse bruised ribs, dislocated fingers and toes, shin splints, and pulled muscles everywhere. All so worth it.

These guys are like family to me. I know it sounds sappy, but I've come to trust the men in my pack with my life - in a way we all do every time we bind onto each other a scrum. Its not that big of an adjustment culturally though due to the large number of programmers, lawyers, and IT professionals on the team. When you work behind a desk all day its nice to balance it out with a physically intensive training in the evening and games on Saturday.

The climax of the season was Hellfest October 29th in Dallas, TX. Washington Renegades brought our B-side to compete and returned with the 1st place trophy. My teammate Jimbo has more pics on his blog of the tournament, I was wearing #23 as tighthead prop.

We have two more games this season before we settle in for the Winter and indoor off-season training at the gym. A group of us plan to do a 8-week program run by a professional rugby player this Winter to get ready for the Spring season and the Bingham Cup 2012 in Manchester UK next June.

Today the PySoy project was accepted to Google Code-In. We've got a number of student tasks lined up, with many more being worked on for the first batch set to release in less than two weeks. Interested students should hop on Freenode (#PySoy) and get oriented before the program starts so they're ready to jump right into their first task!