#120 Screen Dimensions

[azuregold]

THE DAY IS FINALLY HERE!!! OBERON HAS ARRIVED!!! I'm so glad they didn't make us wait until the 17th :')

I wanted NP5, which I did not get this time, but I'm happy enough with my results. 5 tickets and two multis in:

☆:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:☆ Yesssssss! ;u;

Another multi and two tickets got me NP2, then three tickets and seven multis for NP3. 10 tickets and 300 SQ total. I still used the full 900 (+90) I'd saved for this banner, but even if I didn't get any more Oberon copies, I got a bunch of other cool stuff and NP3 was my minimum goal, so I'm still happy.

Other cool stuff I got:

Multiple copies of all four SRs (OG Gawain really likes me, apparently, because he went NP0 > NP5 on this banner. Everyone else is NP2 or 3), plus a Valkyrie spook

NP1 > NP2 Napoleon spook Whyyyyy couldn't that have been NP4 Oberon, or at least Ozy or another spook I actually wanted? Oh well.

The new Muramasa CE

Three kscopes, which let me MLB + 1 since I already had three

Aaaand…

Black Grail!!!! (Actually, TWO Black Grails!) It took almost four years, but finally, finally I have it! Excellent timing, too, since Oberon makes it even better.

What a great start to the day :D

[see-arcane]

The Vampyres--The Bones and Blood of the Book

Good news! I’m not dead and the book isn’t either! Just shambling slowly through the wasteland of the publication process. It’s been a bit since I last waved this bloody morsel around. So, consider this a progress report on the state of the novella, the prospective publishing options, and a few other questions that have been bouncing around in the inbox.

EDIT:

I have a website now! For some reason.

It's See Arcane Scribbles.

Smaller Edit:

Got a Spotify too for story soundtrack goodness:

COVERS

First things first—and the first part of a finished book is the cover. Here are some mockups I’ve been juggling, starting with the original placeholder. They��re far from perfect, but I’m proud of what I managed with a fairly skinny graphic art skill set.

FINISHING, FORMAT, AND FINANCE*

*(OR, THE HEADACHENING)

Copyright: Technically speaking, you have the copyright to your own writing once you put it to paper or screen. But this is somehow a different thing from a legally-binding registered copyright, which everyone declares is a must-have if you want your work to be protected with more than a non-textual trust-fall exercise, hoping nobody steals your work and runs.

That said, electronic registration with the copyright office is $65, or $45 to register one work by one author.

ISBN: I only recently learned the words behind this acronym. ‘International Standard Book Number.’ It’s the ID on a book that marks it as unique and helps commercial booksellers and libraries circulate it. Each iteration of a book—paperback, digital, hardcover, new editions, et cetera—has its own ISBN. When you’re publishing on your own, you purchase ISBNs through a service called Bowker.

One book/version’s ISBN costs $125.

There are better bargains the higher the number of books and/or versions you go, starting at a bulk of 10 books for $295. But as I only have the one (1) skinny novella on the table, that’s a no-go. Which begs the question of how many ISBNs are in store for this little monster. It depends on how many formats I go with.

eBook: The quickest and most cost-efficient option across the board for any self-publication service. Short, sweet, no printing pains of trim sizes or distribution costs or formatting, oh my. Nice.

Paperback VS Hardcover: …But I am now and forever a sucker for physical media. Even though it’s a teeny brochure of a thing, I want to hold a physical copy of The Vampyres in my hands! So bad! And every service I’ve looked through has stated the obvious: Hardcover costs more than paperback. My heart won’t break if I have to stick with paperback to spare everyone’s wallets—hardcovers are pricy in both directions!—but I am a little torn. Especially as physical size might affect the price too.

Here we have two of my favorite quick reads, an anthology of Poe stories and Clive Barker’s novella, The Hellbound Heart.

The Poe book is a clothbound hardcover. 6.5 x 4.5 inches, a bit over 120 pages.

The Hellbound Heart is roughly 8 x 5 inches (about standard for a novella), at 164 pages. But unlike Poe, it looks like Barker took some liberties with the spacing and font size.

Standard size dimensions cost less than unique cuts, which means that whether paperback or hardcover, I sadly have to say goodbye to the petite palm-sized edition I was hoping for. On the upside, good news to us crap-vision readers—the font’s going to get H U G E in order to make the book more than a pamphlet with delusions of grandeur.

Audiobook: The fact is, my voice is not up to the task of reciting anything with appropriate gravitas and I think we’ve all been spoiled by @re-dracula and assorted other podcasts’ skill in orating. I don’t have the cash to hire a professional and I’m not about to accept anyone’s freebie offers. I won’t pickpocket friends for their talent. If an audio version ever comes along for any story of mine it’ll be down the road when it proves worth the format’s effort and cost.

REVIEWS (and a Foreword!)

It was the best of times (People reading the thing! Commenting on the thing! Good good good—), it was the worst of times (The Mortifying Ordeal of People Reading and Commenting on the Thing). Time for what every advice site declares a book absolutely must have the moment it’s thrust into the wild.

Reviews, reviews, reviews.

I’ve already bitten several bullets and passed copies out to a handful of fellow scribblers to scrutinize, their reviews destined to be hung up like literary gold stars on their bookselling site of choice, my own included. Now comes my preliminary grovel to readers en masse to please drop a review, a comment, a blurb of any shape or size where you can once The Vampyres drops. I’ve already gotten some early comments that have consisted mostly of screaming. Screams also count as a review.

As an aside, there are two folks in particular who I reached out to who exist in the stratosphere of Coolest People in the Vampiric Lit scene. They promptly exploded me into disbelieving giblets when they told me, yes, they’d be happy to read my little story and offer up a review and a foreword for the book respectively.

I’m not sure what the decorum here is, but for safety (and surprise’s) sake, I’ll not name names. But they are names I’ve been happy to come across for the past two years while neck deep in the undead book club. I’m infinitely grateful to both of them and am waiting on pins, needles, stakes and kukri blades by my inbox so I can pin their words up inside the book itself.

FUTURE SCRIBBLING

To get one of the biggest questions out of the way, let’s talk about Barking Harker.

My very own object lesson on sunk cost fallacy.

I wrote my way through a goddamn cinderblock of text without even grazing the finish line of the first section of the story. A story made of so many convoluted triple-decker layers of subplots and side characters that it had the structural integrity of a monolithic Nature Valley granola bar, just waiting to fall apart under its own weight. Such is the hubris and curse of too-many-words-itis. The Vampyres remains a miraculous fluke, jotted down during an overdue break from BH’s slog. Not just because I tripped and fell into finishing the story, but because it’s comparatively compact! Brevity at last!

For those still craving the assorted gothic and ghoulish promises of the initial novel idea, don’t worry, those aren’t going anywhere. I’ve just crumbled the metaphorical bloodstained granola by my own hand and have done the sane thing of parsing out the various subplots to become the foundations of their own stories. Which they really should have been from the get-go. Insert 100+ clown emojis here.

On that note, I am turning into WIPs Georg over here. Good god.

I hesitate to throw myself all-in again and make promises of X Story that may leave me spinning my mental wheels or ballooning the plot out into a behemoth that can’t be steered back on course. Even so, here’s a peek at a few ideas I currently have on the brain.

So.

Not exactly lacking for stories. It’s just a matter of seeing which of them breaks ahead of the herd and squeezes out into the publication ether first.

LAST BIT  

Blah, blah, requisite reminder that I have a Ko-Fi where you can donate a buck or commission my best attempt at art, blah. Any pennies are a help.

But I’m betting very few of you came around here for my doodles. Somehow, a good amount of people tripped into this pit with me because you enjoy the rambles and horrors I’ve written over the years. Maybe some of you will even buy my book once it’s out. And you, there, on the other side of the screen—you’re reading this right now. You made it all the way to the bottom of this pile of exposition just because you wanted to. So, thank you.

Thank you for reading this far. Thank you for reading before and reading what’s to come. Thank you for giving me the confidence to even consider shouldering my own work out into the wider world.

Thank you.

P.S. If you want to re-read the preview, go here!

[fettesans]

Top, screen capture from Material Witness OR A Liquid Cop, Ed Atkins, 2012. Watch (ubu is back btw). Bottom, Roman Signer, Wagen, 1998, 120 x 108 x 60 cm. Via.

--

The social dimension of pain is thus suppressed and repressed. Chronic pain, a pathological phenomenon of the burnout society, does not give rise to protest. In the neoliberal society, tiredness is apolitical. It is a tiredness-of-the-I, a symptom of the overstretching of the narcissistic subject of performance. Tiredness isolates us instead of binding us together into a We. I-tiredness must be distinguished from We-tiredness, which is the product of a community. I-tiredness is the best defence against revolution.

Byung-Chul Han, from The Palliative Society, 2021. Via.

--

Accelerationalism began life as the British cousin of the Californian philosophy of Extropianism, which also began in the early 1990s (as I wrote here). There’s a similar anarcho-libertarianism, hyper-capitalism, worship of new technology and expectation of a sudden leap beyond the human. But this wasn’t California, it was Coventry — and Accelerationism was much darker and more nihilistic than Californian transhumanism. After all, Land’s first book was called ‘Thirst for Annihilation’.

Land has said: ‘I have no interest in human liberation, or liberation of the human species. I’m interested in liberation of the means of production’. In other words, Accelerationism had nothing to do with expanding human potential. This was not Californian self-help. This was about liberating the machine from the human. Accelerationism aimed to push capitalism further and faster, until it’s just machines whirring round in a lifeless universe. Pure Fordism.

The CCRU grew out of cybernetics, and the sense that humans are agents in a world full of other agents — machines, ecosystems, DNA, perhaps demons as well. All these entities have desires. Machines have desires. Why foreground human desires and aspirations? The obvious answer is because we’re human. But that’s not enough for post-human philosophies. For Accelerationists, the aim is the liberation of What Technology Wants. Here’s a quote from a good write-up by Yuxi Lin at LessWrong:

our world, with its cars, finances, AI, and other industrial technologies, has a clear goal of its own: a future dominated by more upgraded versions of these technologies, with humans becoming extinct or irrelevant.

You can come across this idea in Californian transhumanism / Extropianism too. It’s humans’ glorious destiny to be supplanted by AI machines. But transhumanists typically imagine super-intelligent spiritual machines, far smarter than humans. It’s a worship of intelligence. With Accelerationism, at least in Land’s case, I get the feeling it’s more a misanthropic hatred of the human condition and a desire to annihilate consciousness and replace it with the machine. It’s philosophy as modish death-wish.

Jules Evans, from Accelerationism, amphetamine philosophy, and the Death Trip, January 21, 2023.

[benoitblanc]

ages and ages ago @jaeyxns asked for a tutorial of how to overlay gif effects onto edits, so i am finally here! thank you so much for your patience. from the bottom of my heart, my bad.

we're going to look at two very similar scenarios here: overlaying a gif effect onto a still image and then onto another gif.

onwards!

as mentioned in this great tutorial for the same effect on photoshop by @camwritesbooks, your first step in either case is going to be to find your overlay gif. you can do that by searching for the effect you want (smoke, snow, etc) on google or youtube- in this case, you may have to make your own gif- or searching for overlay gifs on tumblr. i got my falling snow gif from here. for the purposes of this tutorial, your overlay gif will work best if it includes a dark background (black is best) with light effects.

next you want to upload your gif(s) and, if relevant, image(s) to photopea. crop/resize as needed so that they're the same size by going to image in the master menu, then "image size" and plugging in the desired dimensions:

(to crop, you use the crop tool in the editor menu on the left!)

next, duplicate your overlay gif onto your base image/gif. you can do this by right-clicking on the folder in the workbar to the right, then selecting "duplicate into" and choosing your base from the dropdown:

now go into your base gif. you should just see the overlay gif on top of it. to rectify this, select the folder of the overlay gif in the workbar, then go to the blending mode dropdown just above it (it will likely say "pass through") and change the blending mode to screen.

(if your overlay gif has a light background with dark effects, i THINK you can get the same effect if you choose darken instead, but i'm not completely sure.)

if your base is a still image, you're all done! you can go to file in the master menu and export as a gif.

if your base is another gif, you've got one more step. you need to merge your gifs. i cover how to do that in this tutorial, but if you need a refresher, your first step here is to select the folders of both the base and overlay gifs at the same time. then, go to layer in the master menu, scroll down to "animation," and select "merge". DO NOT select "merge layers."

now you should be good to export your gif! if your base and overlay gifs weren't the same number of frames or the same framerate, it might look a little clunky at first, but you should be able to easily adjust the speed in the export window to make it look cleaner. i ended up speeding scully up to around 120%. there's a way you can completely fix the problem but it's really time-consuming and involves a lot of math, so i won't get into it here. if you'd like me to explain it in more detail, let me know!

as ever, let me know if you have any questions!!!

[kaiowut99]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX Episodes 120-121 Subbed (Finalized)

(Previously: Episodes 117-119 Subbed [Finalized])

(Check out my Subbed!GX Stream Masterpost!)

TURN-120: A Battle in a Different World! The Gem Beasts VS Harpie Lady

Upon opening his eyes after his life-or-death bout with Cobra, Judai finds himself in... a desert--a desert in which only the Duel Academia school building stands, making this an odd situation. Well-versed in geology, Jim posits that the Duel Academia has been flung into a different world, the strange circumstances causing disorder among the Duel Academia's students. Things turn for the worse as the Monsters made real in this world come to attack. Johan confronts the Harpie Lady invasion, but...

TURN-121: Survival in the Desert! Johan VS the Antlion

Something has caused Rei to sustain a serious injury. To acquire medicine to treat Rei, Judai and co. head for a submarine that Misawa saw, having to traverse the desert in order to get to where the submarine is. A materialized Titan appears before Judai and the others there, obstructing their way. A battle begins between Titan and Johan, and as Titan materializes his Sand Doodlebug to attack him, Johan responds with his Gem Beasts. However, with Titan summoning a Monster that is at its best in the Desert, Johan is gradually cornered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Does anyone else have sand in their everywhere

Slight delay aside, episodes 120 and 121 are now up and finalized! With Cobra out of the picture, we shift into a bit of a transition arc as we get more setup for the second half of Season 3, with a little dimension-hopping as our crew gets warped to a Desert world (featuring three suns like the Gravekeepers' world) and come face-to-face with materialized Monsters. I do appreciate how this shakes things up and gives us a setting that's away from the Academia island, and also getting the glorious [yet random] return of Misawa, 5-o'clock shadow and all; 120 effectively serves as setup for how this new world works, as well as finally getting Samejima back [as Chronos notes, he never is around for times like these] with Pegasus coming to join him, and the glowing boy getting his hand on Martin, with 121 showing us more, and also a hint at who might be behind the arm ("This pain... is your love, isn't it?"). Also, materialized Winged Kuriboh is precious.

Animation error-wise, there actually wasn't too much overall! (Which is nice since I can keep it all to one post, lol.) Though that would happen since these don't have too much going on all told. 120 gets two small fixes with the Ojamas-in-bed scene and Sapphire Pegasus's second ATK/DEF counter, while 121 gets a handful of mostly quality-of-watching ones, with one card fix and a couple of on-screen translation edits. Details under the cut below for the interested!

Quick housekeeping: I re-finalized episode 46 after an "I activate an Quick-Play" typo was brought to my attention (a holdover from my "Instant Magic" days--thanks to Lyeat Akiyama over on NAC for the heads-up [pls let me know if you find typos while watching!]), as well as 119 after missing an update to the Program Marketing credit in the ED (Kenrou Utsumi taking over from Machiko Ishii as of 119). The 119 link in 117-119's release post now links to the re-uploaded version, as does 46's in its post; I've updated both links in the Masterpost and will be posting the re-finalized hardsub/script/MKV for 46 and hardsub for 119 on NAC soon as I post these.

Anywho, enjoy! With these done, I'll be getting into the ZEXAL stretch of TFSP for a bit as I revise what I'd already worked on for Yuma's story and then start on the next one, as well as getting my ARC-V "Dub-Uncut" edit for episode 1 finally off my backburner (subsequent episodes shouldn't take that long lol--though it's funny, I wasn't going to sub ARC-V since Crunchyroll's done so, but in revising their subs to use with my DU releases [since I want to release dual-audio versions], I still revised quite a bit like it'd be my own take anyway lol, so I guess I am in some way 🙃). After that, it'll be onto GX 122-123 as we get into the Invasion of the Body-Snatchers Duel Zombies stretch of this arc--stay tuned!

Fixes & Edits! (120)

As Manjoume gets up from his Infirmary bed, he pushes the bed sheets down to the foot of the bed, revealing the Ojamas--now materialized--under them. But as the sheets pass over them, there's a quick frame of sheet movement (lasting for three frames) where the sheets are drawn over Ojama Yellow's eyes (partially over his left eye and fully over his right). A quick fix in Sony Vegas by masking Ojama Yellow's eyes from the prior frame on top of the sheets.

As a persistent Harpie Lady comes back for an attack, Johan re-summons Sapphire Pegasus to take her on--but for a quick frame just before his ATK/DEF counter disappears, we can see it start decreasing. A quick fix in Vegas as I masked in the counter from the frame just before to hold it in place (couldn't just hold the frame prior as a whole as the scene started to fade into showing Johan and co. on this last counter frame).

Fixes & Edits! (121)

As Titan asks Johan if he will be his opponent, their split-screen levels up as it becomes a split-screen of their Disks activating, but the split with Titan's starts sliding in a frame before Johan's, causing both to be uneven as they slide in. Fixed in Vegas by masking in Titan's Disk split to start its slide-in with Johan's Disk split.

After the eyecatch, Johan bemoans how his Gem Beasts are at a huge disadvantage on the Desert field effectively in play, before Titan slides in on a split-screen to gloat about how there's nowhere to escape in this world of endless sand--but Johan starts moving for his slide-in a frame early; fixed in Vegas by editing Titan's slide-in for 3-4 frames to time it with Johan's moving. Then, as their split-screen splits to show Cobalt Eagle being summoned by Johan, Johan's split takes a frame longer than Titan's to slide offscreen; fixed in Vegas by just replacing this frame with the following no-split one.

For the hardsub: as Amon sneaks around in the Garam submarine, he finds his bio information on a computer, which he goes on to delete; I set up this edit back when handling his bio in 111 to get it out of the way, applying my translation of his bio to this screen using the CC Power Pin effect in AfterEffects, masking in the edges for blending. (And, of course, edited a dub version for reasons.)

Later, to deal with the Devil Scorpion onslaught, Judai summons Clayman in Defense Mode to hold them off, but the card's reversed as he plays it on his Disk, with its name box facing to the right. Fixed using AfterEffects to apply a correctly facing proxy, masking Judai's fingers onto it and using some motion tracking during the initial rapid blurry zoom-out, while also masking the original card border around it for blending; I then used Vegas to re-zoom the post-rapid-zoom-out fix into the remaining bit of the shot to keep the card consistently edited (since the motion tracking didn't come out perfectly for that part).

After 8-Claws Scorpion's able to take out a face-down Clayman, Johan summons Amethyst Cat and Topaz Tiger to corner and deal with all the Scorpions, but for a quick frame after they're summoned, as they start to split apart from their split-screen, Amethyst's isn't given a border (it gets a border in the frame after). Fixed in Vegas by applying a quick border to her split, masking in part of the following shot of Johan behind the two splits.

For the hardsub: in the preview for 122, as we see Manjoume hanging out in the Food Storage facility, there are posters with Mrs. Tome behind him, saying "Our Food's Important" and "No Stealin' Allowed 🧡"; wanting to translate these in 122 proper--madman that I am as there are about 22-23 total shots I'll be editing--I worked on translating these there first. I worked off the best front-facing shots of them that there were in the episode and made a full translated copy of each poster, repainting Tome as needed to cover up the Japanese text (annoyingly, I couldn't get the border on the heart to blur nicely but oh well), which I then used AfterEffects to Power Pin into place, masking in only the bits with the translated text. Then, for this shot, I used some motion tracking to track the panning across the shot, and then applied that tracked motion to the edit.

Also for the hardsub, the subsequent shot after #6 shows Manjoume with the Ojamas fading in to join him, with the poster on the right behind him; I applied my translation for that poster there, masking in the top tip of Manjoume's hair over the edit as needed.

Also also for the hardsub: during the "Just After This!" preview clip before the best card segment, we see Manjoume prepping his Disk in front of that second poster; I applied my edit to this scene, as well, masking in Manjoume's hair over it, but I also had to take some of the frames and touch them up in Photoshop, since the color of the original text was bleeding into his hair. The poster on the left also appears in the shot as Manjoume plays Tribute to the Dead/Doomed; I applied my edit there as well, masking Manjoume's shoulder over it and dimming it as the shot dims while the light from the card radiates out.

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

Suffren (3151 nuSLDF refit)

Mass: 540,000 tons

Use: Destroyer

Technology Base: Mixed (Experimental)

Introduced: 3153

Mass: 540,000

Battle Value: 76,177

Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-F

Cost: 22,254,066,000 C-bills

Dimensions

Length: 590 m

Fuel: 4,000 tons (10,000)

Safe Thrust: 3

Maximum Thrust: 5

Sail Integrity: 4

KF Drive Integrity: 12

Heat Sinks: 486 (972)

Structural Integrity: 60

Armor

Nose: 163

Fore Sides: 135/135

Aft Sides: 119/119

Aft: 77

Cargo

Bay 1: Fighter (10) 1 Door

Bay 2: Small Craft (2) 1 Door

Bay 3: Cargo (84086.0 tons) 1 Door

Ammunition:

96 rounds of LRM 20 (Clan) Artemis V-capable ammunition (16 tons),

400 rounds of NAC/40 ammunition (480 tons),

400 rounds of NAC/20 ammunition (160 tons),

80 rounds of Screen Launcher ammunition (40 tons),

48 rounds of Gauss Rifle [Clan] ammunition (6 tons)

Dropship Capacity: 4

Grav Decks: 2 (125 m, 125 m)

Escape Pods: 100

Life Boats: 150

Crew: 42 officers, 175 enlisted/non-rated, 43 gunners, 30 bay personnel, 252 marines

Notes: Equipped with

lithium-fusion battery system

1 Mobile Hyperpulse Generators (Mobile HPG)

1 Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Large)

2 Space Mine Dispenser

1 Naval C3

648 tons of lamellor ferro-carbide armor.

Weapons: Capital Attack Values (Standard)

Arc (Heat) Heat SRV MRV LRV ERV Class

Nose (1,038 Heat)

1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/40) 135 40(400) 40(400) 0(0) 0(0) Capital AC

NAC/40 Ammo (100 shots)

1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/40) 135 40(400) 40(400) 0(0) 0(0) Capital AC

NAC/40 Ammo (100 shots)

3 Naval PPC (Heavy) 675 45(450) 45(450) 45(450) 45(450) Capital PPC

2 Gauss Rifle 2 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 0(0) AC

Gauss Rifle Ammo [Clan] (24 shots)

4 ER Large Laser 48 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) Laser

2 LRM 20+Artemis V 12 2(24) 2(24) 2(24) 0(0) LRM

LRM 20 (Clan) Artemis V-capable Ammo (24 shots)

3 Laser AMS 15 1(9) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS

3 Small Pulse Laser 6 1(9) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Pulse Laser

1 Screen Launcher 10 15(150) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Screen Launcher

Screen Launcher Ammo (10 shots)

FRS/FLS (258 Heat)

3 Naval Laser 45 210 14(135) 14(135) 14(135) 14(135) Capital Laser

4 ER Large Laser 48 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) Laser

RBS/LBS (318 Heat)

2 Naval Autocannon (NAC/20) 120 40(400) 40(400) 40(400) 0(0) Capital AC

NAC/20 Ammo (200 shots)

1 Naval PPC (Medium) 135 9(90) 9(90) 9(90) 9(90) Capital PPC

2 LRM 20+Artemis V 12 2(24) 2(24) 2(24) 0(0) LRM

LRM 20 (Clan) Artemis V-capable Ammo (24 shots)

3 Laser AMS 15 1(9) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS

3 Small Pulse Laser 6 1(9) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Pulse Laser

3 Screen Launcher 30 45(450) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Screen Launcher

Screen Launcher Ammo (30 shots)

ARS/ALS (258 Heat)

3 Naval Laser 45 210 14(135) 14(135) 14(135) 14(135) Capital Laser

4 ER Large Laser 48 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) Laser

Aft (363 Heat)

1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/40) 135 40(400) 40(400) 0(0) 0(0) Capital AC

NAC/40 Ammo (100 shots)

1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/40) 135 40(400) 40(400) 0(0) 0(0) Capital AC

NAC/40 Ammo (100 shots)

2 Gauss Rifle 2 3(30) 3(30) 3(30) 0(0) AC

Gauss Rifle Ammo [Clan] (24 shots)

4 ER Large Laser 48 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) 4(40) Laser

2 LRM 20+Artemis V 12 2(24) 2(24) 2(24) 0(0) LRM

LRM 20 (Clan) Artemis V-capable Ammo (24 shots)

3 Laser AMS 15 1(9) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) AMS

3 Small Pulse Laser 6 1(9) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Pulse Laser

1 Screen Launcher 10 15(150) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) Screen Launcher

Screen Launcher Ammo (10 shots)

Features the following design quirks: Combat Computer, Easy to Pilot, Improved Communications, Improved Life Support

[pokeraigmm]

Sum Pokédex entries and stat stuff for the Namos

bc they are Pokemon (fakemon) lol

Namoping (National No. : Unknown)

Type: Electric 

Tera type: Electric

Species: Chaos Volt Pokemon

Ability: Evasion (User has a higher chance of avoiding higher accuracy and more powerful attacks)

Hidden ability: Competitive (raises the user's special attack when hit by a stat-lowering move)

Info: This Pokemon was born in another dimension far from this one, its incredible speed makes up for its poor defense, also, make sure to feed it so that it joins you on your adventure!

Gender: 0% male, 100% female

Base stat total: 650

Hp: 95

Atk: 100

Def: 50

Sp. Atk: 120

Sp. Def: 75

Speed: 210

Held item: Electroshard Crown (Greatly increases power of electric type attacks as long as the holder is also an electric type)

Level when encountered: 100 (MAX)

Namoping(Dust) (National No. : Unknown)

Type: Electric 

Tera type: Electric

Species: Chaos Volt Pokemon

Ability: Evasion (User has a higher chance of avoiding higher accuracy and more powerful attacks)

Hidden ability: Anger point (raises the user’s attack to its maximum level when they receive a critical hit)

Info: This Namoping from an alternate universe was starved to insanity, it won’t stop clawing at its prey before decapitating and devouring them, maybe some berries would help calm it down…

Gender: 0% male, 100% female

Base stat total: 650

Hp: 95

Atk: 105

Def: 50

Sp. Atk: 125

Sp. Def: 75

Speed: 200

Held item: Dusty gem (Increases defense but lowers speed in turn)

Level when encountered: 100 (MAX)

Namoping(Unique) (National No. : Unknown)

Type: Electric 

Tera type: Electric

Species: Chaos Volt Pokemon

Ability: Evasion (User has a higher chance of avoiding higher accuracy and more powerful attacks)

Hidden ability: Defiant (Raises the user’s attack when hit by a stat-lowering move)

Info: This Namoping from an alternate universe is clearly unbothered by everything around it, but don’t let that fool you, it might have some tricks up its sleeve.

Gender: 0% male, 100% female

Base stat total: 650

Hp: 90

Atk: 95

Def: 55

Sp. Atk: 120

Sp. Def: 80

Speed: 210

Held item: Unique scarf (Increases special attack and special defense)

Level when encountered: 100 (MAX)

Namoping(Techno) (National No. : Unknown)

Type: Electric 

Tera type: Electric

Species: Chaos Volt Pokemon

Ability: Evasion (User has a higher chance of avoiding higher accuracy and more powerful attacks)

Hidden ability: Technician (Increases the power of weaker moves by 50%)

Info: This Namoping from an alternate universe, although less willing to fight than its alternate counterparts, would stand up for what is right and would never be in a bad mood…or will it?

Gender: 0% male, 100% female

Base stat total: 650

Hp: 100

Atk: 90

Def: 70

Sp. Atk: 105

Sp. Def: 80

Speed: 205

Held item: Tech goggles (Increases accuracy of all attacks)

Level when encountered: 100 (MAX)

Namoping(Gear) (National No. : Unknown)

Type: Electric/ Steel 

Tera type: Electric

Species: Chaos Temporal Volt Pokemon

1st Ability: Evasion (User has a higher chance of avoiding higher accuracy and more powerful attacks)

2nd ability (both 1st and 2nd ability will come into play at once): Temporal eye (The opponent’s status (including moves like stealth rock, light screen, reflect as well as protect), stat-lowering and terrain/weather changing moves and abilities will not affect the user (for terrain it means that if a certain opponent’s attack/defense is buffed by the terrain/weather, the opponent will still continue to do the same damage as without the buff/ the user will deal the same damage, ignoring the opponent’s defense buff, same with things like hail where the user isn’t affected by it)

Info: This Namoping from an alternate universe has absorbed the power of its native time god, now it’s not only the embodiment of chaos but also time itself.

Gender: 0% male, 100% female

Base stat total: 710

Hp: 110

Atk: 110

Def: 75

Sp. Atk: 120

Sp. Def: 85

Speed: 210

Held item: Sacred band (Increases defense and accuracy of the user)

Level when encountered: 100 (MAX)

Namoping (Adoptable) (National No. : Unknown)

Type: Electric/ Fairy

Tera type: Electric

Species: Chaos Volt Pokemon

Ability: Strength in numbers (If there is more than one ally Pokemon with this ability in battle, their attack and defense will increase sharply)

Hidden ability: Evasion (User has a higher chance of avoiding higher accuracy and more powerful attacks)

Info: Don’t let the size of this Namoping fool you, one might seem harmless, but many would be your doom.

Gender: Genderless

Base stat total: 450

Hp: 68

Atk: 68

Def: 68

Sp. Atk: 68

Sp. Def: 68

Speed: 110

Held item: None

Level when encountered: 75-85

[evilwickedme]

So like, the love triangle/extremely complicated shape timeline in the buffyverse is something like

1753: Angelus gets turned by Darla. They're together for the next 150 years or so

1860: Drusilla is sired

1880: William has feelings for Cecily, who turns him down. Spike is sired. They're together for the next 120 years or so

Sometime in the middle there: Spike and Angelus have sex "that one time"

Sometime in the middle there: Angelus and Drusilla have sex multiple times

1898: Angelus gets cursed to have a soul, although he doesn't fully leave the whirlwind until after Spike kills the boxer rebellion slayer in 1900

1980s-1990s: Xander and Willow become friends, they "date" in kindergarten, Willow develops a proper crush later in life

1997: Buffy moves to Sunnydale. Xander develops a crush on her. Buffy and Angel begin their doomed love affair. Angel kills Darla. Xander asks Buffy to the dance, and she turns him down; he tries to get Willow to go with him instead, and she turns him down also, for very different reasons.

1997-1998: Xander starts dating Cordelia. Willow starts dating Oz. Buffy sleeps with Angel, then kills Angelus.

1998-1999: Buffy dates Scott for a short while before he dumps her, has a weird situationships with Faith, and starts dating Angel again. Drusilla breaks up with Spike off screen. Xander and Willow cheat in their SOs with each other, leading to Cordy dumping Xander. Xander sleeps with faith. Faith kisses Angel, and then who she believes is Angelus. Cordelia and Wesley have sexual tension, then the worst televised kiss of all time. Xander and Anya go to prom together. Angel and Buffy break up.

1999-2000: Buffy sleeps with Parker. Anya and Xander start dating. Harmony and Spike date on and off. Oz leaves Willow because he cheated on her with werewolf girl. Willow starts dating Tara. Oz comes back into town, only to leave again, for good this time. I Will Remember You doesn't happen. Buffy starts dating Riley. Cordelia and Doyle kiss, only for Doyle to immediately die. Cordelia kisses Angel, Wesley, and a bunch of other guys, trying to get rid of the visions.

2000-2001: Spike realizes he's in love with Buffy. Riley is the worst for half a season, then leaves after he sluttily lets every vampire in town bite him. Darla comes back to life and Lindsey falls in love with her, rip. Darla and Angel sleep together, leading to Angel's wasted attempt to give her a second chance at life instead being turned into a pregnancy. Lindsey leaves town. Drusilla tries to get Spike to come back to LA with her, but Spike wants to kill her to impress Buffy, so that doesn't work out. Harmony also leaves him over this. Xander and Anya get engaged.

2001-2002: Cordelia and Angel develop feelings for each other. Upon finding out Buffy is alive, Angle and Buffy go out to "a place" and do something, for sure, we'll never know what - not sex though, since Angel still has his soul. Spike and Buffy start sleeping together. Wesley develops a crush on Fred. Fred and Gunn start dating. Darla kills herself so that Connor can be born (can we reverse that somehow?). Willow and Tara break up over Willow's abuse of magic. Cecily is Halfrek, Anya's best friend, and the two of them recognize each other, although they don't expand on it. Riley comes back into town with a wife nobody can seem to dislike, leading Buffy to break up with Spike. Xander leaves Anya at the altar, but still wants to date. Connor gets kidnapped into a demon dimension and returns the world's worst teenager. Anya comes back as a vengeance demon, but can't get anyone to curse Xander; instead she sleeps with Spike for comfort. Everyone finds out about Spuffy. Willow and Tara get back together, then Seeing Red happens. Spike leaves town and gets his soul. Cordelia and Angel agree to meet to finally talk about their feelings, only for her to get ascended to a higher plane and for him to get trapped in a box at the bottom of the ocean by the world's most ungrateful son (does anybody like Connor? Are there people for whom he's like, their fav?).

2002-2003: Spike comes back to Sunnydale ensouled and insane. Cordelia comes back from being in an upper plane of existence, but has total amnesia. Spike and Xander are jokingly implied to have slept together. Buffy goes on a date with Wood, Xander goes on a date with a demon lady who tries to sacrifice him to the seal in the school basement. Cordelia gets her memories back but is acting incredibly strange, including *sleeping with Connor and getting pregnant*. Xander and Anya have breakup sex. Fred and Gunn start having problems and eventually break up (I'm not actually up to this in my Angel rewatch and I usually skip season four so I don't remember this in detail). Willow starts dating Kennedy. Willow goes to LA to help give Angel back his soul and bring Faith over to season seven of Buffy in the only good arc in season four, and she and Fred have insane chemistry, leasing to Willow letting Fred down easy ("I have a girlfriend"). Angel finds out about Spike and is jealous. Spike and Buffy share one last night together, although it's left purposefully vague what they did in that basement. Spike dies. Connor gets erased from all Angel Investigations' memories, and Cordy is in a coma.

2003-2004: Spike comes back to unlife, and when he gets corporeal form again, he has enthusiastic sex with Harmony, who is Angel's secretary. Magic makes Angel and Eve sleep together, although it's revealed Eve is together with Lindsey (I don't remember how that plot is resolved). Buffy is rumored to be dating some guy both Spike and Angel hate called The Immortal (iirc), and they both decide not to chase after her, although not until Spike alludes to that one time he slept with Angelus. It's generally a very homoerotic relationship all throughout the season. Cordelia wakes from her coma, kisses Angel, then is revealed to have died in her hospital bed (You're Welcome is so good but less than she deserved). Fred and Wesley finally get together only for Fred to be killed and replaced with Ilyria the next episode or something like that. When Wesley dies, Ilyria puts Fred "on" like a mask to comfort him as he passes, and she's sad that he did.

I purposefully skipped Giles, since he's not actually involved with any of the other main cast members, and therefore not part of the love... Whatever this is

Comic canon (just a few highlights): Buffy didn't actually date The Immortal, that was a body double left to party through Europe to foil assassination plots or something. Buffy sleeps with a younger slayer and it's never brought up again by anyone except the fandom. Buffy and Angel have sex in the middle of the apocalypse or something? Season eight was confusing to me and I last read it almost a decade ago. Spuffy become the canon couple for the rest of the comics. Dawn's season five crush on Xander turns into a relationship, which I find gross for different reasons than TikTok fans do. Anya comes back from the dead as a ghost for a while? I didn't actually read past s9 so I don't know what happened in any of that.

Did I miss anything big?

[pico-digital-studios]

IAB! Game Concepts

Don't get your hopes up too much. I did state a few months ago that a game adaptation of IAB! is pretty unlikely, but I wanted to share some of the ideas that could work out if there ever was one.

To start off with, we'll look at the World Entrance!

Based on the same area from Sonic 1: Extended Edition, this will be where you can hop between save files, erase any you don't need, access bonus modes or configure settings early on. Think of this as the starting main menu when you hop into the experience.

Now, as for the checks the game does for a save file before you hop in. As you can see on the first mockup, the signs are from Extended Edition, @ SAGE 2010 and Omochao Edition, as a way to see a bit of your progress before the HUD appears to give you a further rundown.

At the top-left is where the game keeps track of your global ring total, how many Coins you've got on hand at the moment in that file, how many of the Red Star Rings you have gathered out of a total (the number's not definitive in my ideas yet), the global time you've spent in that save file, and how many characters (out of 120, akin to LEGO/TT games) you can play as.

In the top-middle is what appears to be Time Stone and Chaos Emerald indicators, but those are actually there to let you know what stories and sub-stories are currently available to play in that save file. For instance, the far-left top icon is for the Prologues, and the far-left bottom icon is for Mr. Needlemouse in "Captured Hog!". Below that is the global score for the save file, summed up by the high scores in regular stages.

And on the top-right is where the game logs your upgrade progression, like how Frontiers did it, specifically your ring capacity (starting at 400), top speed, attack power and defence durability.

Next up, I'm gonna show off the Chapter Intro Screen.

I imagined this showing up at the beginning of chapters in the game, like what Sonic ERaZor did before levels, hence why it's in the S1 text style.

Not much else to explain with that one, so I'll get right to the major stuff. First off is the Exploration side of the game.

This is where the majority of game progress will take place outside of traditional levels. Here, you can wander around the areas to your heart's content with no (out-of-universe) rush, and it'll be how you visit the various dimensions in the game. In the Free Roam mode, you can switch between any character you've unlocked to test their skills in other places and find stuff you might not see otherwise.

Coins are awarded after beating a level or a mission, the output of which depends on your ranking (signified by medals, like seen in that top mockup). You can use them to purchase different stuff, like extra characters, cosmetics, and even upgrades.

Speaking of these non-level missions, they can vary a lot in what you set out to do. For example, one mission could have you in a race with a character, another could give you varying Hunt quests (like uncovering treasure or retrieving missing stuff), and there could even be ones with small obstacle courses to traverse for the Red Star Rings.

The way these Red Star Rings are earned depends on varying criteria as a whole.

For every main game stage, one Red Star Ring is awarded for finishing the stage. Another is available for beating it with certain criteria (like not letting a single SWAT Bot see OMT!Tails and OMT!Mina in Robotropolis up to a set point), and three can be located in each level and collected.

Red Star Rings can also be awarded for completing missions, as stated above.

For the side-stories, for the most part, there are only 2 Red Star Rings to collect, due to most consisting of one major stage outside of Exploration gameplay. The Funkinverse crossover one is the only exception, as its Red Star Rings can be earned through beating any songs there. There are 17 of these in total to get.

In the toggleable menu in Exploration, you can see more about the dimension you're currently in, change characters (in Free Roam; a toggle is available in the story Explorations), and check the upgrade status for a few characters.

Finally, let's go over the point you've likely been waiting for; the Action Stages.

All stages will be preceded with a title card akin to this, telling you what zone you're about to enter, alongside the dimension that zone is from.

Like in traditional Sonic games, your aim here is to finish the level to progress the story, and while most have the usual Sonic gameplay, some have additional mechanics to utilise (pictured above with a Stealth trick to keep out of the line of sight of patrolling SWAT Bots).

Now, as for those medals I've talked about. In the Action Stages, they stand in for the ranking system from modern Sonic games, and which one is granted to you in this case will depend on how quickly you finish the stage, with any longer than the Bronze requirement giving you the No Rank. Don't worry, though. The time limit is absent here (even if the timer only goes as high as 9:59.99), same with lives, so if you're struggling a bit, you'll never have to worry about Time Overs or Game Overs.

The medals are also awarded for the missions, which also involve their own requirements to get. For instance, with the Hunt missions:

Bronze: Find all the required things.

Silver: Find the stuff without using any Hint Rings.

Gold: Find all the stuff within a set time.

Platinum: Same as Gold, but don't take any damage.

Each mission has their own objectives to get the medals, and I even thought about an Omochao mission where you need to keep him from saying too much (without slowing the game down).

Well, that's all the ideas I could put down on paper right now. Take all this how you will, of course! See you all later!

[govindhtech]

Is Mediatek Helio G99 Good For Gaming? Lets Go To Details

Mediatek Helio G99 processor

The DC-1 is the first tablet with a 10.5″ LivePaper Display in the world that, when its LED backlight is turned all the way to amber, can operate without emitting any blue light at all. You can use this innovative display for an extended period of time because it functions at a super-smooth 60 frames per second, is easier on the eyes, and doesn’t flicker or glare outside.

Apart from the powerful, eight-core MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, the DC-1 is equipped with a large 8000mAh battery, fast Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. Even better, a USB 3.1 Type-C to Ethernet converter can be used to Ethernet-tether it.

MediaTek Helio G99 6nm

Outstanding 4G gaming smartphones at 6nm with amazing power efficiency

The next generation of 4G gaming smartphones is introduced by the MediaTek Helio G99. This  processor, which is based on the incredibly effective TSMC N6 (6nm-class) semiconductor manufacturing process, allows for all-day gaming, large cameras, quick displays, seamless streaming, and dependable international networking. Partners can modify the MediaTek Helio G99 platform to fit particular needs for their markets or devices.

Mediatek Helio G99 phones

The TSMC N6 (6nm-class) chip production process, which we used to enhance the Helio 4G series, allows the G99 to be incredibly power efficient and opens up new possibilities for device makers to produce gaming smartphones that last longer than before.

Mediatek Helio G99 ghz

Fast-moving 120 Hz screens with intelligent display synchronisation

Without the need for additional DSC hardware, device manufacturers may produce gaming smartphones that are lightweight and thin with Full HD+ 120Hz screens that are sharp and clear. Even 4G smartphones are now expected to have 120Hz displays, which offer an incredibly smooth everyday experience with noticeably smoother webpage browsing and app animations.

Through dynamic refresh rate adjustments, MediaTek Intelligent Display Sync technology increases the power economy of these rapid screens by only enabling greater speeds when they are most needed.

108 Megapixel Primary Camera

Large 108MP cameras are available for device makers to employ, enabling users to take the highest detailed pictures. When compared to other MediaTek Helio series chipsets, photographic results are better thanks to dimensity-class picture quality technology. Highly detailed bokeh captures in dual selfie and multi-camera setups are possible with twin cameras up to 16MP with ZSL.

Mediatek Helio G99 octa-core

With two powerful Arm Cortex-A76 processors that can reach 2.2GHz in frequency, the MediaTek Helio G99 is equipped with an octa-core  CPU and a powerful Arm Mali G57-class GPU. Accelerated data access using fast UFS 2.2-class storage and high speed LPDDR4X memory up to 2,133MHz maximises performance in games, apps, and daily tasks.

Gaming technology powered by MediaTek HyperEngine 2.0 Lite

2.0 Resource Management Engine

Longer-lasting, more fluid gameplay is ensured by an intelligent resource management engine.

 CPU, GPU, and RAM are intelligently and dynamically managed based on active power, thermal, and gameplay measures.

improved performance in difficult scenarios, high-stress games, and game engines that load slowly

High FPS power savings prolong battery life without compromising user experience by combining hardware and software improvements to lower power consumption during high FPS gaming situations.

2.0 Networking Engine

To make sure you’re always connected, the networking engine provides more dependable connectivity and quicker reaction times.

Call and Data Concurrency enables users to postpone conversations while playing games without the data connection failing, and WiFi antenna shifting modifies the signal between antennas to maximise throughput and minimise latency.

Two 4G VoLTE in tandem

For optimal power efficiency, a fast Cat-13 4G LTE modem is built inside the chip. Supported are global bands and IMS services; additionally, cutting-edge features like 4×4 MIMO and 256QAM offer dependable connectivity even in densely populated locations. While VoLTE and ViLTE services offer great call and live video experiences with faster call setup and substantially better quality than conventional calling, essential dual 4G SIM offers a seamless experience with fast data services from both connections.

Mediatek Helio G99 Benchmark

AnTuTu Benchmark

Overall Score: Around 350,000 to 400,000

 CPU Score: Around 100,000 to 120,000

GPU Score: Around 90,000 to 110,000

Geekbench 5

Single-Core Score: Approximately 500 to 600

Multi-Core Score: Approximately 1500 to 1700

3DMark (Sling Shot Extreme)

Score: Around 1800 to 2200

Mediatek Helio G99 price

Since manufacturers buy the MediaTek Helio G99, its mid-range chipset price is rarely listed. However, cellphones and devices using this chipset can give us an indication of its pricing.

Helio G99 Device Price Range

MediaTek Helio G99 smartphones are inexpensive to mid-range. These gadgets’ estimated prices:

The Helio G99 can be found in $150–200 smartphones. Mid-Range Smartphones: $200–$300 models with this chipset have more features.

Device Examples

Around $250 for Infinix Note 12 Pro. The Tecno Camon 19 Pro costs around $230.

Prices vary by model, RAM and storage configurations, features, regional pricing, and store pricing strategies.

Conclusion

Despite the MediaTek Helio G99 chipset’s price being unknown, devices using it cost $150 to $300. This line matches its mid-level mobile device affordability.

MediaTek Helio G99 Specs

 Processor

 Processor

2x Arm Cortex-A76 up to 2.2GHz

6x Arm Cortex-A55 up to 2.0GHz

Cores

Octa (8)

 CPU Bit

64-bit

Heterogeneous Multi-Processing

Yes

Memory and Storage

Memory Type

LPDDR4X

Max Memory Frequency

4266Mbps

Storage Type

UFS 2.2

Connectivity

Cellular Technologies

4G Carrier Aggregation (CA), CDMA2000 1x/EVDO Rev. A (SRLTE), 4G FDD / TDD, HSPA +

Specific Functions

4X4 MIMO, 2CC CA, 256QAM, TAS 2.0, HPUE, IMS (VoLTE\ViLTE\WoWi-Fi), eMBMS, Dual 4G VoLTE (DSDS), Band 71

LTE Category

Cat-13 DL

GNSS

GPS / QZSS L1+ L5 / Galileo E1 + E5a / BeiDou B1C + B2a / NAVIC

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 5 (a/b/g/n/ac)

Bluetooth Version

5.2

Camera

Max Camera Resolution

108MP

16MP + 16MP

Capture FPS

32MP @ 30fps ZSL

16MP + 16MP @ 30fps ZSL

Camera Features

3X ISP;  AI Face Detection; HW depth engine; AINR; Single-Cam/Dual-Cam Bokeh; Hardware Warping Engine (EIS); Rolling Shutter Compensation (RSC) engine; MEMA 3DNR; Multi-Frame Noise reduction;

Display

Max Display Resolution

2520 x 1080

Max Refresh Rate

120Hz

Graphics & Video

GPU Type

Arm Mali-G57 MC2

Video Encoding

H.264, H.265 / HEVC

Video Encoding FPS

2K 30fps, FHD 60fps, HD 120fps

Video Playback

H.264, H.265 / HEVC, VP-9

Video Playback FPS

2K 30fps, FHD 60fps, HD 120fps

Read more on govindhtech.com

[deusvervemakesgames]

Project RBH Devlog 0022

Well it’s Labor Day so I better make this quick before I diminish my power of collective bargaining.

I’ll just come out and say it: last week was a complete success.

The system is deceptively simple, making use of the same array randomization that I was using for the previous version with the tiny menu in the corner of the screen. Right now, the system is manually drawing a rectangle instead of using a sprite, but I can change that later easily, so I’ll have that to look forward to, but it’s good enough for now. And if the mouse is inside one of those rectangles, they change colors, as well as changing colors when they’re clicked on.

I don’t have too much to say about the code that makes the Upgrades actually upgrade your bullets because it’s barely changed from the previous version. However, I have fixed the removal system, so every upgrade can now be set to have a finite number of uses before it stops appearing in the list. Previously, due to a coding oversight, it would remove the wrong upgrades from the list, which I hadn’t noticed until I had all my debug code in place as well as the Upgrades actually visually listing how many times I’m supposed to be able to pick them. Basically, my For Loop that removes the perks from the list was iterating past where I needed it. Always remember that if you change the length of the For Loop you’re going to have to change the iterated variable as well!

This also means that it’s possible to run out of upgrades, crashing the game. My current solution is hardly the most elegant but it’s fine. Several powerups have been set to be ‘Unlimited’, meaning that they’ll never run out. Like I said, hardly the most elegant, but it works.

I also fixed a bug that I had in that previous menu system that appeared again. See, that last menu was supposed to be in the center of the screen, and not the bottom corner. This version, when I first set it up, had the collision for the mouse and the images set up inconsistently. The mouse needed to be below the card and to the right for it to recognize you clicking on it. Turns out that the ‘Room’ I had set up for the menu wasn’t set to the right dimensions for the camera and that was throwing everything off. Easy fix.

Not that you can see it in the GIF above because I also copied the system and tweaked it so that I could bring up the Upgrade Selection Menu at any time. This means I can dynamically award Upgrades to players, or have shops that sell you a free pull from the Upgrade pool, etc. It’s also an extremely useful bugtesting tool, so I can bring up that menu whenever I want.

Which brings us to this week and what I’ll be doing. Which is, somewhat ironically, not anything in-engine. Instead, this week will be spent in Excel making a spreadsheet so that I can plan out the game’s Upgrades, what they’ll do, and how many times you can pick any of them. Once I’ve done that, it will be much easier for me to organize the frankly alarming amount of data I’ll be writing into the Upgrade system so that they’ll all be actually available for Player use.

And since I now can show their descriptions, this means I can have more complicated upgrades that have different effects, like increasing one stat while decreasing another. The goal for the final build of this project is over 100 upgrades, probably closer to 120 or 150.

That’s a lot of spreadsheet entries.

Until next Devlog!

-DeusVerve

Special thanks to my Tier 3 Patrons, Haelerin and Christos Kempf!

Support me on Patreon to get Early Access to builds!

[shobujtech1]

Vivo X100 Series Teaser Hints Possible Indian Launch: Vivo's newest main series, the vivo X100 Series, has just been released worldwide. Now, the most-anticipated line of smartphones is making its way to India. The company just released a new preview video for the Vivo X100 Series in India, which makes it look like the product will be available soon. The product's home page has also appeared on the e-commerce site, letting people know it's available on Flipkart. Details About The Vivo X100 Series The Vivo X100 and X100 Pro have a 6.78-inch curved-OLED LTPO display that can be as bright as 3000 nits, a refresh rate of 120 Hz, and a resolution of 1.5K. Android 14 with OriginOS 4 runs on the X100 line, with optical fingerprint scanners built into the screen, LPDDR5x RAM, and UFS 4.0. The Dimensity 9300 processor is built into it. Connectivity options include an X-axis linear motor, NFC, Wireless 7 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C (USB 3.2), and an IR blaster. Selfies are a breeze with the X100 line's 32MP front-facing camera. The phones include two speakers and an IP68 classification, making them resistant to dust and water. The X100's primary camera is a 50MP Sony IMX920 VCS with optical image stabilization (OIS), and the ultra-wide lens is a 50MP Samsung JN1 with a 150-degree field of view. The periscope zoom camera is also 50MP with OIS. The other two models are differentiated from it by this. The back of the X100 Pro has a 64MP modified OmniVision OV64B 100mm periscope zoom with OIS. A 50MP Samsung JN1 ultra-wide camera with a 150-degree field of view, and a 50MP 1-inch Sony IMX989 VCS primary camera. It's 164.05 mm long, 75.28 mm wide, and 8.91 mm thick, and it weighs 225 grams. The Vivo V3 chip powers it. It also comes with a 5,400mAh battery that can be charged with a wired connection or wirelessly with 50W. The device is 164.05 mm long, 75.19 mm wide, and 8.49 mm thick. It weighs 206 grams. The battery can be charged at 120W and holds 5,000mAh. There needs to be more information about when it will start in India. But the goods will be available in India by the middle of January 2024.

[henry-jwell]

JWZ-BM30/50/100Blow Molding Machine

Performance and advantages 1. Suitable for producing different kinds of car urea box, tool box, automotive seat, auto air duct, auto flow board, bumper and Car Spoilers. 2. Adopt high output extrusion system,accumulating die head. 3. According to the different material, optional JW-DB single station hydraulic screen-exchanger system. 4. According to the different product size, customized the platen type and size. 5. Optinal hydraulic servo control system. 6. Optinal bottom sealing,take-out robot. Hydraulic system as a part of mechanical and electrical integration, which is achieving automation, providing the labor production efficiency, reducing production costs, and playing a decisive role in the modern industrial production. JWELL company has the professional hydraulic design team, who has been committed to the design and manufacturing adopting the advanced concept, also has achieved product diversification, standardization and mature technology to create a good economic benefits for customers. Technical Parameters Model Unit BM30 BM50 BM100 Max product volume L 30 50 100 Dry cycle Pc/h 600 450 360 Die head structure Accumulating Type Main screw diameter mm 80 90 90 Max plasticizing capacity (PE) kg/h 120 180 190 Driving motor Kw 37 45 55 Accumulating volume L 5.2 6.2 12.8 Oil pump motor power Kw 15 18.5 22 Clamping force KN 280 400 600 Space between platen mm 400-900 450-1200 500-1300 Platen size W*H mm 740*740 880*880 1020*1000 Max.mould size mm 550*650 700*850 800*1200 Heating power of die head Kw 20 28 30 Machine dimension L*W*H m 4.3*2.2*3.5 5.6*2.4*3.8 5.5*2.5*4.0 Machine weight T 12 13.5 16 Total power Kw 95 110 135 Note: Informations listed above are for reference only, the production line can be designed by customer’s requirements. Product image display I don't know which one is suitable for me? Please tell me 1) Your materials (For example: PP, PE, ABS, PET). 2) Outline dimensions of your product? 3) Weight per product? 4) The output（kg/h）you need. Read the full article

[atplblog]

Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] Product Description Bullet Points for the realme P2 Pro 5G realme P2 Pro 5G specifications :- 6.7-inch (2412×1080 pixels) Full HD+ curved AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate,2000Hz instant touch sampling rate, 2160Hz PWM dimming, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, up to 2000 nits peak brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protectionUp to 2.4GHz Octa Core Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 4nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 710 GPU8GB / 12GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (UFS 3.1) storageDual SIM (nano + nano)Android 14 with realme UI 5.050MP rear camera with 1/2″ Sony LTY-600, OIS, f/1.88 aperture, 8MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, LED flash32MP front-facing camera with Sony sensor, f/2.45 apertureIn-display fingerprint sensorUSB Type-C audio, Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res AudioDust and splash resistant (IP65)Dimensions: 161.34×73.91×8.21mm; Weight: 180g5G (SA:n1/n3/n5/n8/n28B/n40/n41/n77/n78; NSA:n1/n3/n41/n78 bands), Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6 802.11 ax (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.2, Dual -frequency GPS/ GLONASS/ Beidou, USB Type-C5200mAh (typical) battery with 80W fast charging Eye-friendly 120 Hz Curved Display Experience unparalleled visual brilliance with the realme P2 Pro’s 120Hz Curved AMOLED Display. This screen boasts a bright and eye-friendly technology, ensuring vibrant colours and deep contrasts for an immersive viewing experience. This display features a high dynamic photo technology, it delivers stunning clarity and lifelike details, making every image and video come alive with remarkable precision and brightness. Whether you’re gaming, streaming, or browsing, enjoy a display that sets a new standard for excellence. 80 W Fast Charging with 5200 mAh Battery The realme P2 Pro takes charging performance to the next level with its innovative battery technology. By combining high energy density graphite with fast-charging graphite, it significantly enhances both the overall charging efficiency and energy density of the cell. Equipped with the segment's only 80 W Fast Charging and a robust 5200 mAh battery, it offers faster charging and extended battery life. This durable battery remains rejuvenated even after four years of use, providing you with a larger capacity and longer-lasting power. Experience higher charging power and quicker recharge times, ensuring your device is always ready when you are. Snapdragon Chipset with 680K+ AnTuTu Equipped with the cutting-edge Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, built on a 4 nm high-efficiency process, this beast features an octa-core architecture clocked up to 2.4 GHz. With an Antutu score soaring past 680,000, expect lightning-fast app launches, minimal waiting times, and seamless performance even under heavy loads. Whether you're gaming or multitasking, enjoy stable frame rates and uninterrupted smoothness that keep you ahead of the game. AI Smart Removal 2.

0 The AI Smart Removal 2.0 feature in the realme P2 Pro 5G (Parrot Green, 512 GB) (12 GB RAM) revolutionizes photo editing by making it easier to remove unwanted objects from your images. Whether it's a person in the background or an object that disrupts the perfect shot, this AI-powered tool intelligently detects and removes distractions with a single tap. It fills the space with surrounding textures, ensuring a natural and seamless result. The process is fast, effortless, and doesn't require professional editing skills, allowing users to instantly enhance their photos for a cleaner, more polished look, without relying on external apps. Accident-Proof Design The Accident-Proof Design of the realme P2 Pro 5G (Parrot Green, 512 GB) (12 GB RAM) ensures that your phone is built to handle everyday mishaps with ease. Crafted with a durable middle frame and reinforced corners, this smartphone provides superior protection against accidental drops and bumps. The screen is safeguarded with toughened glass, offering enhanced resistance to scratches and cracks. Additionally, its oleophobic coating helps prevent smudges and fingerprints, keeping your device clean and easy to handle. Whether you're outdoors or on the move, the accident-proof design adds peace of mind, ensuring your phone stays in great shape even in tough conditions. Rainwater Smart Touch The Rainwater Smart Touch feature in the realme P2 Pro 5G (Parrot Green, 512 GB) (12 GB RAM) ensures that your phone remains responsive, even in wet conditions. With advanced touch sensitivity technology, the display is designed to function smoothly despite water droplets or rain on the screen. Whether you're caught in a sudden downpour or using your phone with wet hands, the Rainwater Smart Touch minimizes disruptions and maintains precise control, allowing you to scroll, tap, and navigate effortlessly. This feature is perfect for outdoor use, ensuring that weather doesn’t hinder your smartphone experience. GT Mode – Unleash Maximum Power and Performance Take your mobile experience to the next level with GT Mode on the realme P2 Pro 5G (Parrot Green, 512 GB) (12 GB RAM). Engineered for users who demand top-tier performance, GT Mode maximizes the capabilities of the powerful Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, allowing the phone to operate at its full potential. With just one tap, you can enable this mode to unlock enhanced speed, responsiveness, and power efficiency, specifically tailored for intense gaming, heavy multitasking, and running high-performance apps. Key Benefits: Enhanced CPU and GPU Performance: GT Mode optimizes both the CPU and GPU to deliver lightning-fast processing speeds and smoother graphics, perfect for gaming or using resource-heavy applications.Faster Touch Response: GT Mode boosts the phone's touch sensitivity, ensuring that every swipe, tap, and gesture is recognized instantly, providing a more responsive and fluid interaction, crucial for gaming and fast-paced tasks.Reduced Latency: Whether you're playing high-frame-rate games or navigating between multiple apps, GT Mode reduces input and display latency, offering you a real-time, lag-free experience.Intelligent Power Management: While GT Mode enhances performance, it also intelligently manages power to ensure that your battery remains optimized for extended high-performance usage without overheating or rapid drainage. Why GT Mode?GT

Mode transforms the realme P2 Pro 5G into a powerhouse, making it the perfect feature for gamers, creators, and power users who need the absolute best in speed and efficiency. Whether you're conquering the virtual battlefield, editing videos, or juggling several apps at once, GT Mode ensures you stay ahead with unmatched performance and smooth functionality.Get ready to unleash unrivaled power with GT Mode and experience the realme P2 Pro 5G like never before! REALME CARE – Comprehensive Support for Your realme P2 Pro 5G With REALME CARE, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your realme P2 Pro 5G (Parrot Green, 512 GB) (12 GB RAM) is backed by a reliable and efficient service network. Designed to offer seamless support, REALME CARE ensures that your device is well-maintained and functions smoothly. Key Features of REALME CARE: 24/7 Assistance: Access support anytime through multiple contact channels to resolve any queries or technical issues related to your device.Nationwide Service Centers: A wide network of service centers provides you with easy access to expert technicians for quick and reliable repairs.Convenient Pickup & Drop Service: Enjoy the convenience of doorstep pickup and delivery service for any required repairs, ensuring minimal disruption to your routine.App-Based Assistance: Get real-time help, software updates, and device optimization tips via the realme Care App, designed to enhance your experience with quick solutions.With REALME CARE, your realme P2 Pro 5G receives top-notch service and support, ensuring long-lasting performance and an optimized experience. Powerful Performance: Equipped with the Snapdragon 7s Gen2 Processor for seamless multitasking and gaming. High RAM & Storage: 12GB RAM, expandable up to 24GB Dynamic RAM, and 256GB storage for all your apps and media. Immersive Display: 6.7-inch Curved AMOLED Display with vibrant colors and smooth visuals. Advanced Camera System: Sony LYT-600 OIS Camera for professional-quality photography. Fast Charging: 80W Fast Charging ensures quick power-ups, minimizing downtime. VC Cooling System: 4500mm² Vapor Chamber Cooling for sustained performance during gaming and heavy usage. Sleek & Premium Design: Eagle Grey finish with a stylish, ergonomic build. Enhanced Security: In-display fingerprint sensor & face unlock for quick and secure access. 5G Connectivity: Supports next-gen 5G networks for ultra-fast internet speeds. Optimized Software: Runs on realme UI based on Android 14, delivering a smooth and customizable user experience. [ad_2]

[howzitsa]

Hisense 80cm (32″) LED Matrix TV Image display Active display area, horizontal dimension: 697,685 mm Active display area, vertical dimension: 392,256 mm Screen size (rounded to nearest integer): 80 cm Screen size (rounded to nearest integer): 32 inch Display technology: LCD / LED lit Backlight source: LED Matrix Resolution (Horiz x Vert): 1366 x 768 pixel Colour depth: 8bit Image refresh frequency: 60 Hz Smooth motion rate: 120 Maximum brightness of white: 300 cd/m2 Native contrast ratio: 3000 : 1 Viewing Angle (Horiz / Vert): 178 / 178 Degrees Response Time: 6,5 ms Connectivity RF – Radio frequency input: 1 AV input: 1 USB interface type 2.0 (Qty / List ….): 2 / USB 1, USB 2 Optical digital audio output (SPDIF): 1 Earphone jack: 1 HDMI ports HDMI inputs: 2 HDMI type 1.4 with HDCP version 1.4: HDMI 1, HDMI 2 ARC – Audio Return Channel: HDMI 1 CEC – Consumer Electronics Control via HDMI: Yes Digital TV reception Television system (DVB-T / DVB-T2+S2): Yes / Yes Video decoder (MPEG2 / MPEG 4): Yes / Yes AC3 Surround sound decoder: Yes Subtitles: Yes Analogue TV reception Colour-Sound systems in VHF band: PAL B Colour-Sound systems in UHF band: PAL B Stereo sound decoder A2, Nicam, ….: NICAM Subtitles: Yes Image processing Zoom function settings (4:3 / 16:9 / Auto / Zoom 1 / Zoom 2): Yes / Yes / Yes / No / No Sound Audio power output per channel: 6 Watt Number of speakers (Tweeter / Midrange / Woofer): 0 / 1 / 0 Automatic volume level (AVL): Yes Audio equalizer: Yes Dolby Digital: Yes Features: On / off timer: Yes Power off if no signal: Yes Sleep timer: Yes Program lock: Yes User interface: Linux Software version OSD indication: Yes Legal requirements: Disclaimer / Acceptance of Terms: Yes / Yes Favourite channels list: Yes USB media player Personal Video Recorder: Yes Time Shift: Yes DTV Recording (EPG scheduling / start from Standby): Yes / Yes DMP – Digital media player content (Music / Video / Photos / Text): Yes / Yes / Yes / No DMP File allocation table (FAT / FAT32 / exFAT / NTFS): Yes / Yes / No / Yes PVR File allocation table (FAT / FAT32 / exFAT / NTFS): Yes / Yes / No / Yes Hotel lock Protected Hotel lock submenu (Password / fixed code): No / Yes Sub-menu lock, including tuning lock: Yes Power on RF channel selection: Yes Power on mode (On / Standby / Last): Yes / Yes / Yes Inputs access (Enable / Disable): Yes Maximum volume lock: Yes Power on volume: Yes Power on, apply default sound / image settings: Yes Power on source selection: Yes Hardware Processor / Cores: MSD3666 Colour (Front bezel, rear, stand): Black / Black / Black Standby consumption: < 0.5W Compact packaging: Yes Supply range [Voltage / Frequency ]: 100 ~ 240V / 50, 60Hz Installation Power cord length: 155 cm Stand area (Width / Depth): 671 x 160 mm Wall mount dimensions (Horiz x Vert): 100 x 200 mm Wall mount, screw thread: M6 VESA compliance: Yes Accessories Remote controller (Technology / Part number ): IR / EN2T30H Battery (size / quantity): AAA / 2 User manual (Available online) / Quick setup guide (Print): 1 / 1 Warranty [In User manual | In separate sheet]: In separate sheet Dimensions Dimensions with stand (W x H x D): 717 x 469 x 160 mm Dimensions without stand (W x H x D): 717 x 427 x 86 mm Carton box dimensions (W x H x D): 811 x 129 x 515 mm Net weight (with stand / without stand): 3.6 / 3.7 kg Gross weight: 5,5 kg EMC – Electromagnetic Compatibility: Yes CB – Electrical safety: Yes HDMI: Yes Dolby Digital: Yes

[jaimecarrillo]

Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro Review: It Made Me Ditch My Oven

An absolute unit with absolute precision.

Welcome to the future, where we fry things with air. Breville’s new Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro is the latest iteration of a countertop oven line celebrated for its reliability and power. It takes its name from the popular sous vide device Joule, and looks to mimic the same precision cookery immersion circulators are known for.

The oven works in conjunction with a new smartphone app (available on App Store and Google Play) to automate entire recipes once it comes time to put your food in the oven. Are these glitzy new features worth shelling out the clams for, or is it mostly hot air? In short: yes. Hot air, after all, is sort of a given when you’re talking about ovens. Here’s our Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro review.

What is the Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro?

Specs: — Dimensions: 21.5 inches W x 17.3 inches L x 12.8 inches D — Weight: 23 pounds — Power: 1800 watts — Voltage: 120 volts — Temperature Range: 80-480 degrees Fahrenheit — Settings: Toast, Bagel, Bake, Air Fry, Broil, Roast, Pizza, Cookies, Proof, Reheat, Slow Cook, Keep Warm, Dehydrate — Accessories: 13-inch non-stick pizza pan, 2 wire racks, 9 x 13-inch broiling rack, 9 x 13-inch enamel roasting pan, air fry/dehydrate basket

Design

The outside shell of the Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro is made of brushed stainless steel, and the inside of the oven is lined with a non-stick coating. More on that later. Each oven comes with three wire racks, two regular ones, and an air-fryer basket that doubles as a rack. The regular wire racks can be inserted one of two ways in four different slots, providing up to eight different oven positions to suit whatever recipe you’re making. On the right side of the oven, a large fan helps circulate the air to where it needs to go. Across from the fan is a big, bright light which can be turned on via a small button on the device’s control panel. Speaking of which, you can control many of the cooking functions via a gorgeous LCD screen. Like any solid device that’s going to be used to make a lot of toast, there’s also a removable crumb tray.

The outside shell of the Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro is made of brushed stainless steel, and the inside of the oven is lined with a non-stick coating. More on that later. Each oven comes with three wire racks, two regular ones, and an air-fryer basket that doubles as a rack. The regular wire racks can be inserted one of two ways in four different slots, providing up to eight different oven positions to suit whatever recipe you’re making. On the right side of the oven, a large fan helps circulate the air to where it needs to go. Across from the fan is a big, bright light which can be turned on via a small button on the device’s control panel. Speaking of which, you can control many of the cooking functions via a gorgeous LCD screen. Like any solid device that’s going to be used to make a lot of toast, there’s also a removable crumb tray.

Tech and Power

The Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro comes with thirteen different cooking modes, it also works in tandem with a companion app, Joule Oven. Like the Joule Sous Vide app, it’s filled with guided recipes for everything from buttery croissant-style crescent rolls to air-fried buffalo cauliflower wings. Each recipe includes a detailed parts list, prep and cooking time, difficulty, and even serving size. Step-by-step instructions even come with detailed video components so there’s little to no guesswork. When making a recipe, the oven will even help begin the preheating process, an often overlooked step by many home cooks (including myself). Certain recipes take advantage of Joule Autopilot, which cycles any given recipe through different temperatures and modes totally hands off, so you don’t have to futz with the oven until the cooking’s done. Once food is finished, the oven will send an alert to your phone, so you can rush over and pluck your perfectly cooked creations out. Like other countertop ovens in the Breville line, it’s powered by the Element IQ system, which distributes heat around the oven, eliminating cold spots and cooking food a little more precisely than a typical oven.

Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro Review: Is it Worth It?

First Impressions

This oven is big, a real heckin’ chonker. With a device this flashy, I always make sure to actually read the instruction manual, as there’s usually a recommended list of things to do when first firing it up. And considering this is a massive countertop oven with its own smartphone app, there was in fact a setup waiting for me, all of it done through the Joule Oven app. After starting an account, I connected my oven to my home’s WiFi and performed the recommended first firing. After heating the oven empty for a little more than 15 minutes as Breville recommends, the oven was ready to use. 

Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro boasts many capabilities, but I figured I’d gauge the simple stuff before I dove deep into the fancier features. After letting the oven cool down completely, I timed how long it took to go from zero to 480 degrees Fahrenheit, which is as high as the oven goes. Using the “Bake” function, the oven took almost exactly five minutes to preheat. Not too shabby. But the oven sports multiple functions, so it’s only fair to try out another one. “Air Fry” was next, complete with its convection setting. Once again, it took five minutes to preheat. This oven is consistent and quick when it comes heating up, at the very least.

Truly “Super” Convection

On the right side of the oven is a massive fan which offers two different convection settings, regular convection and “Super Convection.” The latter makes the oven operate a little louder than usual, with a whirring noise that echoed throughout the kitchen as I heated the oven for the frozen french fries to come. “Air frying” is the most clever marketing term since “blast processing.” These devices are little more than small ovens with big fans. And while air frying isn’t nearly as delicious as anything deep fat fried, it’s still something I do at least a few times a week. It’s easy, it’s quick, and when done right, incredibly satisfying. Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro comes with a fryer basket, which is a must for any device with “air fryer” in its name. These baskets allow for hot air to come at food from all sides, which is essential if crunchy food is your aim. After laying out some frozen french fries in a single layer, I slid the basket into the center of the oven, which was on full blast, 480 degrees.

Most countertop air fryers are enclosed, so you can’t watch your food cooking and check on the progress of it becoming golden brown and delicious. But that’s not the case with the Joule Oven. Watching french fries through the big glass screen on the Joule oven was mesmerizing. The “Super Convection” fan made the small amount of fat on the fries bubble up, like it was actually being fried. After eight minutes and a quick shake of fry seasoning, I scarfed down the best batch of air-fried potatoes I’d ever eaten. Later on that evening, I tried to see if other frozen favorites like mozzarella sticks and chicky nuggies would render similarly tasty results. Luckily, they did. “Super Convection” is no joke. Because the air circulates quicker with “Super Convection” I can’t imagine never not using it whenever a convection setting is called for in a recipe, especially in air frying.

Highs and Lows

Countertop ovens are great at dishing out energy a little more efficiently. After all, whenever you make a batch of cookies, how much of your oven is actually used? I’d bet less than 30 percent of the given space. That’s a lot of wasted energy, not to mention time. That said, on the whole, the oven on your stove can get as hot as 500 degrees, sometimes as high as 550 degrees Fahrenheit. And while the Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro doesn’t reach these high temps, it does go very, very low. As low as 85 degrees Fahrenheit, in fact.

If you try to dehydrate meat or fruit inside a regular oven, there’s a good chance you’re cooking it, not drying it out. When buying groceries, I tend to overbuy fresh fruit, with every intention to start a habit of health-conscious snacking. While bananas haven’t spoiled in my kitchen in months, there’s always a stray pineapple or mango that goes ignored until it’s within a day of spoiling. Using the air-fryer basket, thin slices of almost rotten fruit become properly dehydrated within a few hours. The “Dehydrating” function on the oven runs a little hot for my taste, but The Breville Joule allows you to adjust the heat on any setting. The “Super Convection” function helps circulate the air, turning fruit into delicious leather in as little as three hours. 

The oven also comes with a non-stick pizza pan, which is a fantastic accessory. It makes perfect Toll House cookies straight from the fridge, and because it’s non-stick, also works as a surface for nachos, disco fries, croque monsieurs, or anything smothered in cheese, without the need to waste aluminum foil. What it’s not good for is actually making pizza, that is, unless you like your pizza on the blonde and saggy side. Non-stick surfaces just don’t dish out heat very well. Sadly, my 14-inch cooking steel (my go-to must-have pizza pal) didn’t fit in the oven. Luckily, my versatile cast-iron griddle did. Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro made pizzas as good as my big oven, granted, a little smaller. The cast-iron griddle in conjunction with the “Pizza” function on 480 degrees Fahrenheit dished out enough heat for a nice charred crust with a satisfying crunch. And without heating up the entire kitchen, no less. 

Joule App Capabilities and Pratfalls

Many kitchen appliance smartphone apps are afterthoughts, a cynical selling point that usually doesn't amount to much more than heartache. I went in with hope, considering this is the second device bearing the name Joule. The Joule Sous Vide app is what makes that immersion cooker so perfect, with built-in recipes, guided videos, and alerts to keep you connected with your food every step of the cooking process. The Joule Oven app works similarly, complete with a bounty of recipes. Every recipe listed includes cooking time, serving size, and a visual parts list, which automatically makes it one of the best cooking apps available. After surfing through the available recipes, I had to try one that took advantage of Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro’s smart capabilities: Set-It-and-Forget-It Rotisserie-Style Chicken.

The app promises a chicken with a juicy interior and golden skin, much like the kind that gets folks to splurge on a Costco membership. After gathering the ingredients, I got to work, following the guided recipe to the tee. I was immediately annoyed that I had to truss the bird. Handling raw poultry is one thing, but wrestling with string is a whole other one. I can’t trust to save my life, which is why I typically take the “Mortal Kombat” approach with birds and rip out the spine, which in my opinion, is much easier than fumbling around with knots. Was it impossible? Of course not. What was annoying was something I didn’t account for: time. The bird would take five hours to cook. However, it truly was a set-it-and-forget-it experience. After seasoning it, I shoved it in the oven and using the patented “Autopilot” mode, let the oven do the rest. 

It was interesting watching the Joule Oven cook. Harnessing highs and lows of temperature, it more or less mimicked the way a rotisserie works. Yes, it took five hours, but the results spoke for themselves. After a quick temping of the dark meat, I let the bird rest for fifteen minutes. Then, despite having already eaten dinner, my partner and I devoured half the bird over the counter it was resting on. It was perfectly cooked, even though it required cumbersome string and the equivalent run time of one-and-a-half “The Godfather” films to cook. 

There’s one thing about the app that I do find a bit annoying. You can turn the oven off using the app, but you can’t turn it on. And unless you’re using a recipe, you can’t even set a temperature for the oven to preheat to. Turning on the oven must be done manually. A safety issue, I imagine, but similar “smart” ovens let you turn the oven on via the app. I’d love to place sliced milk bread slices in at night and set the oven to toast as I slink out of bed and brush my teeth, so breakfast is waiting for me by the time I trudge into the kitchen. Despite these minor gripes, I’m excited to see more recipes roll out from the app and try them out. 

A Few Other Fabulous Features

I’ve used a handful of other countertop ovens and as flashy as they are, there are some things that are often overlooked. No appliance, no matter how smart, is worth using if it’s difficult to clean and maintain. Anytime I cook chicken thighs, bacon, or other splattery foods, I let the oven cool down completely, and wipe it down with a towel barely wet with all-purpose surface cleaner. The non-stick interior is a godsend, and there’s a good chance I won’t ever have to break out the Easy Off to keep the Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro pristine. Unlike similarly-sized ovens, the door is incredibly easy to clean as well. I took a lot of joy watching food as it cooked to perfection. And the incredibly bright oven light makes everything made in the oven camera-ready, in case you want to flex on the haters for your Instagram.

Other ovens in Joule’s class cynically make you buy extra accessories to take advantage of all features. Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro comes with two oven racks, an air-fryer basket, a non-stick pizza pan, and even a broiler pan complete with rack, everything you need to put this machine through the ringer. And because the inside of the oven is so spacious, it can fit oven-ready cookware you already own. My four-quart Staub enamel dutch oven fits with room to spare on all sides, even with its lid.

Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro Review: Final Thoughts

The second, in what I hope eventually becomes a long line of kitchen appliances bearing the name “Joule,” is a resounding success. This oven is large enough to compete with your main oven, and is a good bit smarter too. After almost three weeks of intense use, I’ve started using my main oven to store extra pots and pans. Its lows are gentle enough to proof bread and dehydrate fruit, and its highs are enough to dish out surprisingly good pizza. While it’s great alone, pairing it with the Joule Oven App unlocks serious precision potential, and with guided video instructions, you may even pick up a few skills along the way. Those looking for a countertop oven with serious potential, look no further than Breville Joule Oven Air-Fryer Pro.

Originally published on Futurism.com.