#oh and also the STORAGE and BATTERY charging

[hanzajesthanza]

that would be a really fun (though exhausting) video to make, just "explain the witcher [entire series] from memory"

[rainbowrocketquotes]

📱 for colress please? it's gotta be a chaotic nightmare only col understands, or completely pristine and you swear he just bought it

Colress? I hardly know... Ress... Guys, I'm running out of jokes.

His password is 1739246805. Which is a coherent pattern on the number pad, but the others see it be so long and they just kind of give up trying to break into his phone, so win/win.

His home screen is completely devoid of any apps, it's just the clock witdget and his task bar (Phone, texts, browser, camera, photos. So, default) His lockscreen is whatever he thinks is important at the time, which is usually screenshots of something he needs to remember, while his home screen rotates through of his Pokémon.

Believes in google supremacy in the android-apple war. He trades in his phone whenever the new pixel series comes out.

Always has a high battery percentage because he only really uses his phone to text people and look at memes. Usually he ends up wireless charging someone else's with his battery life.

His most used app is pinterest, because he likes looking at shitty tumblr takes, garbage tweets, and bad memes but refuses to go onto either of those sites, and there are... Interesting things on Pinterest.

Doesn't use social media, unless you could Pinterest. He doesn't want to get "corrected" by someone 10x less qualified than him. He also doesn't really play games.

Even so, he has about half of his storage used up just by the sheer amount of photos he has. Mad scientist brain. He sees a thing and goes "I must add it to my collection at once!" Whether it's a meme or a screenshot or even just a video he took of someone trying to get their keys out of a sewer drain.

Immaculate organization of his photo gallery, but, similarly to his pinterest boards, the folder names are completely incomprehensible. You'll ask him what one of them means and he'll go "Oh, so "hrreb📟" actually is my nature photos folder because that was me trying to spell "green" without my glasses on and also that timer emoji is kind of green and nature is also green, you know?" and you have to explain that no, you don't know, and he's absolutely insane for thinking that any of what he does makes sense.

He doesn't have any contacts saved except his siblings and Ghetsis, who are saved under their names, and Cyrus, who is saved under "Don't answer". Guess what muted contact he has 193 unread texts from?

He doesn't usually google things on his phone, and his only open search tab is "how to mute a contact without blocking them".

[give-grian-rights]

I joined an frc team

-GRABS YOU-

hello and welcome to the first day of the rest of your life . first robotics competition CHANGES YOUR BRAIN CHEMICALS

you want to survive? LETS DO THIS

1: NO MATTER WHAT try and stick it out. Get the grades, get the hours, get the permission to travel to at least ONE competition- especially one that stays in a hotel, since I know some teams will skip out on hotels for events close to them. I don't think ANYONE, in any scenario, should say "this isn't for me" until they go and experience one full event.

2: if you don't use deodorant YOU WILL BE EXECUTED . no matter what your job is, there is going to be at least ONE point throughout the day where you are shoulder-to-shoulder with someone . if theres a time to be self conscious its then . use Convention rules as reference

3:you will be tempted to fucking come out of the closet at least at one point . you do NOT KNOW how much it hurt to skip out on a cool write-your-own-pronouns pin because i refused to use she/her and wasn't comfortable writing any. proceed with caution as you see fit.

4: are you surprised by number four? YOU SHOULDNT BE the women. ohh the women are so pretty. my entire high school (aka: less than a year ago) was me being OUTRAGOUSLY STUPID whenever i saw a fem presenting person . oh my god. oh my god they are all so hot. and then those hot students become hot volunteers and alumni and the gay never leaves. there was a trans woman mentor at one competition she rocked we talked with her for like an hour

5: if your team. goes to far competitions. TAKE A BLANKET AND PILLOW. new kids sometimes do NOT get this memo. do it. get silly with it, to what your team permits. our team, being older than me myself, gave up . . most rules. involving the bus. for better or worse.

6: bring a hoodie. i dont care where you go. bring not just a blanket, but a hoodie. so worse comes to worse you can put it on the floor and sleep. that was a fun 8 hour bus ride.

7: if you have a remotely decent team. you will be killed on site if you cuss at a competition. one kid's "bad" or immature behavior can lead to your entire team being disqualified to any award not related to robot performance.

8: LEARN HOW TO EAT AT LEAST ONE BASIC FOOD. this one might be silly but it could've killed me (dramatic). eat pizza. even if you have to take off the cheese just. figure out a way its worth it. FIND SOMETHING TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST. at least one breakfast food, for if you're at a hotel that serves you. experiment a little. find something that works for you.

9: exercise what free stuff you take with caution . i have probably ten-fifteen pounds of buttons and pins, and i do not. genuinely do not. think thats an exaggeration.

10: headphones . soft, subtle earbuds. battery packs. and a BACKPACK. my senior year, i composed myself of:

fanny pack, attached to it my wallet which had a buckle, so i could easily access my money. a change purse also attachable, so i have somewhere for coins obviously.

reusable, collapsing drinking cup

a folded up draw-string bag, for hoodies, or eccentric amount of free stuff

one to two battery packs with a charger. if you have friends (or want to make some), consider having other types of chargers too!

wall outlet plug, incase i need to charge at a venue

miniature hairbrush

hand sanitizer

gum. a great way to make friends

a folded up sandwich bag with various medicines, and a piece of paper that describe which each medicine is (ibuprofen, anxiety meds, etc).

i genuinely considered wearing two fannypacks at the same time. also, tying your hoodie around your waist for extra storage works too.

AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE HACK:

tampon box . your venue bans outside food or drink? tampon box with pads and tampons on top. contraband inside. almost NEVER looks. better to put it with team stuff like scouting equipment and spirit gear but a worthy inclusion. Same goes for if you have a backpack with pockets!

put food/drinks at the bottom, menstrual products on top. doesn't matter what you present as. lie. say your girlfriend needed it since she doesn't carry a bag with her to competitions. putting SOFT STUFF that mumbles wrappers crinkling also helps, like an extra hoodie. though I personally wouldn't matter to much about that, since competitions are LOUD especially when you're entering the venue when the doors first open.

a lot of the time though, security aren't too bothered. especially if you dont make it obvious.

this is my first robotics season as a college student. i don't like my team enough to go back, but god. god do i fucking love this program.

[pixlh3art]

i'm recovering from surgery and therefore off my adhd meds so fuck it

Here's 4 Things That I, a Former Computer Technician, Wish Everybody Knew About Technology

I'm not a major expert or anything, but I'm certified for repairs for two of the biggest laptop manufacturers out there, have done not only several in-warranty repairs for those companies, but have also done a few at-home "sure babe I'll replace your laptop battery" repairs for friends/partners. I am also my whole extended family's designated tech support person for all things software. Here we go!

1. When you spill liquid on a device, turn it off, LEAVE it off, and bring it to a technician. Liquid damage to devices does not occur at the moment of the spill, but when electricity goes through wet/corroded transistors. It is NOT a good thing if the device "suddenly works later."

2. Every device that you have that can be used and also move at the same time (laptop, tablet, phone, etc.) has what's called an "SSD," or "solid-state-drive" for its storage. "Storage" is what you actually keep saved on the device, which is different from "memory" (a computer's ability to multitask). SSDs are great, but there's one thing to keep in mind: they really really REALLY don't like being filled to the brim. When they get too full, they essentially lose the ability to actually make any more space, even when you delete something, and that causes all kinds of software issues. Most good SSDs are programmed to prevent this, but you can still manage to screw them up if you try hard enough. Treat every SSD like it's maybe 5GB smaller than it says it is.

3. Turn your devices off every once in a while. Like, idk, maybe once a week. It's good for them. And no, restarting doesn't count, I mean turn them fully, fully off. If you're unsure as to the difference, let me put it this way: imagine you always got 8 hours of sleep, but only 2 hours at a time. Yeah - that's what only ever restarting is like. Turn your phone and your tablet and your computer fully off every now and again. It doesn't have to be for long or anything, just has to be a full shutdown.

4. If you lose the charger for your laptop, do some google research and find out the exact specifications of the charger your computer has - specifically, the wattage. I highly recommend going to the original manufacturer to buy your replacement. I know that a lot of laptop chargers can be hella expensive, but trust me, buying a cheap Amazon charger will become a MUCH more expensive problem later. If you can't get the original charger from the manufacturer, or if you can but it'll ship way too late, at least try to compare the price that they sell it for to what you purchase elsewhere - if it's anything more than like 10$ cheaper than what the manufacturer is charging, then it's suspicious.

TL;DR: if you spill liquid on something turn it off and bring it to a technician no matter what, treat every device's storage like it's maybe 5GB smaller than it says it is, turn your phone off every once in a while, and if you lose your laptop charger buy the replacement directly from the manufacturer.

People who repair devices for a living will thank you.

Oh! And back up your data. Please. I literally don't care how, just do it. Seriously.

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers West Coast #62: the Witching Hour!

September, 1990

In final battle against IMMORTUS

Oh, comics, you silly. Always labeling things final when you know that they're just going to happen again.

Wonder Man isn't looking well. I think he forgot to eat his Wheaties.

Anyway. Immortus. What gives?

Last times on Avengers West Coast: a lot of things have happened. But apparently it was all Immortus' fault, manipulating Scarlet Witch from early in her career to make her fall for Vision so she would later have fake kids with him an have a mental breakdown over losing them. All so Immortus could use her powers, which he jacked up, to take control of time. For reasons. He's also been winnowing down the infinite divergent timelines to just one. Also for reasons.

Honestly, who cares? Let's just get this over with so we can hopefully move onto stories that aren't about torturing Wanda Maximoff.

The Avengers West Coast and Quicksilver are hesitant to attack Immortus as long as he has a catatonic Scarlet Witch as a hostage but he scoffs. He's not going to hurt her! She's so very essential to his plan!

Through her power, he'll safeguard whatever future he decided is the only correct future! You could say, that as a hero, this is what Wanda should be doing to serve the entire multiverse!

The Avengers and Quicksilver tell Immortus that he's dumb and these answers in no way satisfy them.

I'd also like to add that the team recovering between issues from their hard fought victories or near-defeats makes most of the last issue completely pointless.

I love a good Legion of the Unliving, I do, but it was all time wasting.

Anyway, hearing that Immortus needs Wanda for his plans, the Avengers and Quicksilver all charge in to kick Immortus' head in.

He tells them to knock it off because they might rouse Wanda from her trance.

Protip: Telling a hero team that the thing they're doing will thwart you will make them want to do it more.

So Immortus summons more assistance. Which he wouldn't have needed to do if he hadn't gotten rid of the Legion of the Unliving, for some reason.

Although in this case, the assistance is a big white dude named Tempus, the guardian of Castle Limbo. Which explains why he's never showed up any other time the Avengers have been here.

He can age anyone he touches, I guess. Which is a cool power to have in a world that is explicitly timeless.

Back at the Avengers West Coast Compound on Earth, Agatha Harkness yells at the afterimage of Immortus for his evil plans.

Agatha Harkness: "I know what you're planning, Immortus -- and you're a fiend! But -- why am I wasting my time shouting at a transparent doppleganger like you?" Afterimage Immortus: "I am sure I have no idea, Agatha Harkness."

What a weird series of writing decisions led us to this point.

Agatha realizes that she needs to get to Limbo to help Wanda but the only way to get there is for her to astral project her ethereal self out of her body and dive into Afterimage Immortus. Because of reasons, this sends her to Limbo.

Where the Avengers are getting their various asses kicked by Tempus, guardian of Limbo Castle.

Tempus smacks Old Man Wonder Man with his big club, knocking the aged hero at US Agent who catches him. And then passes the fuck out from the impact.

Hawkeye is surprised US Agent would be a team player - although he also calls him John Walters instead of John Walker.

Quicksilver watches Tempus no-sell attacks from Hank Pym, Hawkeye, and Iron Man and wonders whether even his superspeed will be able to help.

But seeing Trance Wanda inspires Quicksilver.

Quicksilver: "Wanda -- can you hear me behind that shield? We have been through so much, together and apart. For you to become, now, nothing but a human storage battery for Immortus to draw on -- no matter how noble or vital he claims his purpose is -- ! NO! In the name of Heaven itself -- no good was ever born -- out of something so clearly evil!"

Then he runs really fast and bonks Tempus with a club-shaped piece of rock.

Which doesn't knock Tempus down but at least gets him to react like he's been hit.

Iron Man and Hawkeye speculate whether it was because Quicksilver hit Tempus with a piece of the castle he's the guardian of. Hawkeye wondering whether he could make arrows out of it.

Tempus gets right pissed and decides to hit the Avengers and Quicksilver with... TIMESTORM!

Everyone of them is forced to relive their own "most fearful, most deeply buried memories!"

Which. I dunno.

That's not what I'd call a timestorm. Trip during memory lane. But not a timestorm.

And I dunno.

Quicksilver sees himself and Wanda fleeing one of the angry mobs that are ever-present in Eastern Europe and America in comics. I think, specifically, the ones that led to them being discovered by Magneto.

Hawkeye sees the moment of broken pedestal when he discovered his idol mentor Swordsman was stealing from the circus.

Wonder Man re-experiences that time he died. Again.

Hank Pym re-lives when he had to identify his first wife's dead body.

Iron Man gets that shrapnel to the heart moment. Oddly, not anything related to his alcoholism or Armor Wars.

Wasp sees when her dad was killed by an alien, all the way back in her first appearance.

And US Agent sees when his mom and dad were killed in front of his eyes by the far-right Watchdogs group.

All very emotionally devastating to have to go through again but I don't know if all of these would qualify as most fearful or most emotionally devastating. And the point is to confront the heroes with "the foe which, above all others, you can not hope to defeat."

But.

Everyone here has lived through these memories already. They've continued on. Coming to terms with what happened or not but still able to keep going.

Like, Wonder Man has coped with dying. So. MANY. TIMES.

This is called a timestorm so you'd think it'd be horrible, character-specific What-Ifs! Although, that wouldn't work with Immortus hating branching timelines. But still! Seems like a more interesting idea.

Whatever. Either way, these bad memories are enough to floor the Avengers and Quicksilver and leave them quivering helpless.

Agatha Harkness has basically just watched all this happen, sure she could do nothing to influence events.

But then she thinks 'what if yes can influence?'

And since Immortus is really distracted by watching the Avengers quiver, Agatha uses her mystic rapport with Wanda to try to contact her mind.

Agatha begs Wanda to give up the extra power that Immortus has been jamming into her. That if she gives up the ability to "alter the probabilities of cosmic timelines", then Immortus won't have a use for her.

But Wanda doesn't react.

Meanwhile, Immortus is wondering whether he needs to kill the Avengers or not. He should would hate to fit into the villain niche they're trying to jam him into but on the other hand he also hates that they might keep getting in the way so, yeah, sure, go ahead and kill them Tempus.

Agatha is able to get the faintest of brief reactions from Wanda when she begs her to fight against Immortus' control for the sake of her robot husband and for the sake of her imaginary kids who aren't real.

Okay, Agatha doesn't put it that way but the reality of Vision being an emotionless machine now and the kids being totally fake not real causes the ploy to not work.

So Agatha instead tries pleading for the Avengers' lives. Surely the Avengers hold a place in her heart? Her brother? Her friends?

Agatha runs out of time because Immortus can "feel their presence -- within my brain!"

While he blasts Agatha with PSYCHIC ENERGY, he orders Tempus to finish off the Avengers.

As Agatha fades she pleads for Wanda to "Reject those extra powers you never wanted -- for the sake of those who love you -- reject them also for the sake of those you love -- Reject the powers, Wanda! Reject themmmmm"

Wanda does awake. And she does reject the powers. And she basically declares "No more this arc."

And expelling the energy apparently somehow creates new timelines diverging from the most fearful, most deeply buried memories that were tormenting the Avengers.

Wanda and Pietro get burned at the stake instead of being rescued by Magneto. Grim.

Hawkeye scolds Swordsman into not doing crime.

Tony Stark dies of the shrapnel.

Wonder Man's death triggers a burst of radiation which kills all the Avengers except Thor.

Janet van Dyne is killed by the alien that killed her dad.

Maria Pym just... stops being dead on the morgue slab. Didn't even try to come up with a reasonable divergence on that one.

And the spray of bullets that would have killed Mr and Mrs Walker instead miraculously miss them.

These changes jar the Avengers from their bad memories floor quivering and also alarm Immortus who shouts that AGATHA HARKNESS HAS DOOMED THE VERY MULTIVERSE.

So dramatic.

Not Evil Anymore Wanda wonders if her blasting out all that energy is what will doom existence and thinks maybe she can just slurp it back up.

But then the Time Keepers show up and tell her not to bother.

Immortus is again alarmed. These are his boss mentors and them showing up is like they don't think he can do his job without intervention.

Time Keepers: "Immortus... be still. Long ago, we appointed you custodian of the segment of time between 3000 B.C. and 4000 A.D. Your duties required little more than the eventual transmutation of a particular nexus being into a source of power. You were to use that power over probabilities to safeguard key events which must occur in various timelines, in order to assure a certain future in which we have a vested interest... but even that simple assignment seems to have proven too difficult for you to fulfill."

Okay, so these are the dicks that told Immortus to go after Wanda?

Wellll, no. They gave him a list and he chose Wanda off of it. But choosing Wanda and then letting the Avengers and Agatha Harkness meddle caused such temporal chaos that it puts all futures in jeopardy and risks the Time Keepers never existing.

And what a big loss that would be.

Look. Immortus is a sometimes food. Too much of any Kang or Kang derivative is too much. But the Time Keepers kind of take away the only kinda cool thing Immortus had going for him. He's just middle management now.

Also, the Time Keepers are introducing so many words words words to this ending.

Wanda doesn't really care about all the words words words. She just points a finger at Immortus for fucking up her life. Immortus can only weakly claim he was just doing his job.

And then the Time Keepers jump in to remind him that he was shit at his job. And apparently, Immortus was trying to get control over all of time instead of the seven millennia they promised him?

I really can't care at this point.

The Avengers are all standing around commenting on this but it's just prolonging things.

US Agent yells at the Time Keepers that he wants to arrest Immortus and take him to trial by the US Government. The Time Keepers blah blah blah our actions are ineffable our deeds for the greater good. Also, we're cosmically powerful and you're a guy with a metal disc.

Hawkeye and US Agent can't take the Time Keepers' cockiness and both try to attack them. The Keepers just crank the velocity on the arrow and the shield way down and then commentate on which one would reach them first, ie which Avenger launched a faster attack.

Apparently Hawkeye wins but by so little it's hardly worth doing this sequence.

US Agent concedes that messing with Galactus-tier dudes is annoying and asks Hawkeye what they do now.

Hawkeye: "Not much... unless you've got a deck of cards up your sleeve."

Hah. I think he's suggesting they just play poker until all the exposition finishes.

Despite having fumbled the ball, Immortus demands his prize anyway. Because dammit, he worked really hard! And just as a reminder, that prize was rule over the stretch of time from when he was Pharaoh Rama-Tut to the time he spent as Kang conquering the year 4000.

Not that Immortus was ever that cool but he seems so much less cool when he's whining about 7000 years versus when he surveyed all time and had grown out of a desire to rule.

You suck, this new Immortus.

And apparently the Time Keepers agree.

They gather all the energy Wanda expelled and shove it into Immortus.

He at first crows at how much more powerful he's growing and then, like Wanda, he becomes catatonic.

Now, he will remain unmoving in Limbo, the power of probabilities residing in him to ensure that the correct future happens, or whatever.

This story is suck.

Despite everything, Wanda just feels sorry for Immortus. Sure, he was going to do the same thing to her but it is a truly horrible fate and she is not a jerk anymore because I guess she expelled the racism goo traces.

(Something that Hank mentions too, although more in the general sense that if she's feeling pity for Immortus, she must be on the road to recovery)

Actually, Wanda tries to claim that Immortus was "noble, in his own way."

Oh, Wanda, no. You don't have to big him up. He sucks.

Then, the Time Keepers decide they're tired of looking at the Avengers' dumb faces and just instantly scene transition them back to the compound.

Convenient.

Agatha Harkness claims that Actually, she didn't carry the team. Truly, this was an Avengers victory because they did a really good distracting Immortus by getting their asses soundly beaten by Tempus.

She phrased it nicer than I did but that is the gist.

Hawkeye just instantly passes out as soon as the plot is over. But Hank is left to worry about the dangling subplots of Tigra being tiny and feral and the Human Torch being broken.

Also, hey hey, Living Lightning's first appearance! I remember him fondly from the two things I've ever seen him in! The Great Lakes Avengers Misassembled mini and Avengers No Surrender!

Of course, next week next time, we're back over to the Avengers and the Crossing Line arc. Eh.

Follow @essential-avengers. Like, reblog, or comment. I'm hangry for feedback.

[lavenoon]

When it comes to the boys is there anything they may be super casual about that Robin may just look at them and either go "What are you doing??" or "Wait a second, you need that?"

I continue tackling old asks <3

So for this, there might be a bunch that'll seem like it should have come up sooner and only didn't because I didn't think about it before this ask. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to ponder those human/ animatronic differences - they're my bread and butter!

The first thing that surprised Y/N was pretty soon after Sun moved in - he didn't technically need it, but the boys like setting up their charging station a bit. So Sun asked to make some minor alterations to the house. Comparable to uhhh maybe a charging station to an electrical car at home, just not quite the same dimensions? To Sun/Moon it means quicker charging as well as better equipment compared to "travel" set ups.

Y/N, while they didn't expect it, did tell him to make those alterations as he sees fit, because they are a bad landlord and don't really care - in their mind he lives there, and should live comfortably!

There's also the check-ups. Like any human should go to the GP even without acute issues every now and then, animatronics need check-ups too! But the first time it comes up it's a moment of "Oh right that makes sense, why did that never occur to me?"

The boys can do a good bunch of repairs by themselves, more so than the average animatronic I'd say. Their trust in engineers (especially human engineers) has taken a significant hit after the Eclipse battery issue, and they decided they'll learn a bit more about their inner workings.

(I don't think animatronics in general would just know how to do their own repairs. Like Robin thinks in First Aid - that's like expecting a human to do their own surgery. Possible, sure, for some things - but definitely not the standard. How many humans have medical knowledge on the level of a doctor without being a doctor? Takes active research into personal health issues, and that's exactly what our celestial brothers did. Eclipse, too. His trust into engineers took the greatest hit - the first one he met turned out to cut corners for profit, and was dishonest. So these three are a little special, but they have their reasons)

Despite all that, they do try to get a full body check-up at least once a year. They also have to replace their finger joints and casing more often than would technically be necessary with normal wear and tear, but Sun has a nervous habit of wringing them until they creak while also hating the dents it causes.

They can also detach limbs without great issues. I imagine it similarly to fullmetal alchemist automail, where it's uncomfortable for a split second when "nerves" get de/ attached, but otherwise it's just. There's no lingering/ constant pain, so they can detach hands, arms, and legs pretty easily. The hands are extra because they have the separate circuits, and the tasers may need specific maintenance.

If, at some point after the First Aid blowout (or, well, blowup) the boys decide to keep a few replacement parts on hand (not like, a whole second body, because that's too expensive, but just like. A couple custom parts, every now and then, as long as the joint wallet agrees), it makes for a funny little moment of Y/N picking up a package for them, taking it inside, and going "oh, this is kinda heavy, what did you order? if you wanna share" "oh, just another arm. ordered the left one last month, now we have one of each in storage." And Y/N just stands there internally screaming because the thought of just. Ordering an arm for when you might need to replace your old one is just not really something they can empathize with, and their attempts of course lead to more imagined body horror.

Generally I'd say that Y/N sometimes slips into making the two human in their mind, not just people. They don't mean to, but they didn't interact this much with many animatronics (if any) before, and didn't know any as well as Sun/Moon, so they just. Fumble.

Like Sun/Moon complaining about squeaking joints, and they just hesitantly get some WD-40 to offer the boys, like "Is this gonna help? It works for doors but I don't want to say you're like a door" while the boys just die on the inside trying not to laugh

(I don't know if they could use WD-40. Gut instinct says yes, but I simply don't trust my gut like that lmao)

The boys also make a couple memory back ups every now and then, just in case. It wouldn't be able to replace their AI should anything happen to them, but if their memory cards are fried they can check things out again, and they could show Y/N their memories, like videos! Y/N also needs a bit to adjust to that. It's sweet to see how much focus they received from the start, and to see how hard Sun/Moon tried to do well by them, but it's also literally seeing themself through someone else's eyes, and that's not something a human would just expect is possible

In that vein - if they ever mention they can just share their memories with each other, Y/N is gonna need a moment to grapple with that (before demanding an explanation why they don't do that, because it would have saved them all a lot of grief if they'd compared notes on their rival and neighbor. Not too accusingly, because Y/N feels guilty for missing the signs themself, but just a bit of "Why wasn't this an option?")

There's also the curiosity about just, constantly running programs. All the sensors for the boys - seeing and hearing work better than for a human, touch is different but it's hard to explain how, more deliberate with the option to exclude circuit areas easily, and smell is a little less sensitive, comparable to electronic "noses" that also gives them some idea of how things would taste, but otherwise that sense just entirely falls off the table. Where and how electricity is running, where are which sensors, what sort of temperature regulation do they have? (They run just a little colder than humans when at rest, and no one with gaming laptops come at me, I'm basing this off my own laptop PLUS I'm giving them better fans/ tech).

Y/N would be curious to learn about all that, because they want to love all of the boys, and want to know all they can. But I don't think they'll ever learn as much to do repairs single-handedly - they don't see why they have to, frankly. They don't want to think of the boys broken so badly that no one else would even offer to help, and otherwise just assumes situations like First Aid, where they can just carry out instructions while the boys are incapacitated. They learn how to recognize terms and what screw goes where and which cable does what, but they don't get the intricacies of it all because despite everything, they are not an engineer for animatronics and I'm not making them one gfhdj

Think that's it for now, that's already 1.2K words too so! Hope that's some fun then <3

[carltonlassie]

I thought about digital detox and maybe, like, switching to a dumb phone where all I can do on it is make calls, send texts... But then I went outside and found out that it won't work because there's so many things that require a smart phone these days -- ordering from a restaurant, paying, etc. Also I miss convos on apps like discord and stuff. (Maybe good thing? Idk.) But again that'd require me to buy a dumb phone bc 3G is dead and old phones don't work anymore, so. That's more #consumerism that I'm trying to avoid.

So I decided to simplify the launcher on my phone so I only really see the apps I really need (mail, text, phone, camera) and the entertainment apps are hidden behind a second click. At least that layer of separation puts a stop to my brain mindlessly scrolling to find apps that I find shiny and scrolling in a different direction in said app! But it is definitely not as satisfying as carrying a brick phone and an mp3 player and an e-reader, and being like, ha! Look at me. I'm a retro warrior. Check out my phone that I can also use as a weapon. My e-reader battery lasts a whole month without charging. My mp3 player has a headphone jack. I'm not that cool yet.

(Speaking of e-readers, I wish there were phones with e-ink screens. All I do is read things on it. Imagine it was e-ink so it's easier on the eyes?! It would suck at videos and stuff and that's why it's so great. Making it impossible to waste time on it.)

I also feel weird listening to the same album over and over on Spotify because it makes fun of me at the end of the year, but ... That's how people used to listen to music until streaming services came out. They bought albums and listened to it over and over. So why shouldn't I? I've been downloading albums on Spotify and listening to them, but now I'm wondering if I should dust off my old mp3 player and put some albums in there. 🏴‍☠️

I keep on going back and forth between digital vs physical. Like sure, having physical things take up a lot of space and it's hard to carry it around, but then digital storage costs a lot of money and requires either a subscription or shelling out a lump sum to get an external drive... Which will run out of storage again in the future as you continue to fill it with things you love... It's so hard to find the right balance. I know drives aren't as fragile as it used to be but I also think about babying the device so it doesn't skip LOL like I'm not dealing with a hard drive with a needle here, it's an SD card, like c'mon.

Also I remember when apps used to be like, one time payment to remove all ads and unlock pro features! And now it's impossible to find ones like that unless it's an old app. It's all Free*! I hate that so much. Just take my money (once) and unbind me from thy grasp.

maybe one day I'll be free from subscription services. Because I hate having the mindset of oh, I paid for it. I need to maximize it to get my money's worth, and end up spending way too much time on it. Let me live my life on my own pace!!!!!

[purplesurveys]

1783

How long has it been since you moved out of the house you grew up in?    I haven't moved out.

What color shirt are you wearing?    It's light purple.

The last time you ate leftovers, what was it that you were eating?    I think it's been a while since I have a terrible habit of keeping leftovers and then never coming back for them ever again... BUT OH I think it was a double cheeseburger from McDonald's? sometime earlier this week. I still have a handful of other paper bags in the fridge that I need to get to soon.

What was the last flavor of ice cream you ate?   I had Aice's coffee popsicle when we went to Tanay over the weekend which I was super stoked about since it's my favoriteeeeeeeeeee and I haven't had the chance to have it since 2021 ehehehe. I must have finished it in 5 minutes and chewed my way through the ice cream for the most part lol.

Do you regret anything you've done in the last 24 hours, and if so, what?    Not charging my laptop last night because I had to painstakingly migrate from one outlet to another today, given that I was out all day for work.

What is your favorite type of soup? 🍜    Miso soup, mushroom soup, and this last one is more stew than soup but I love kimchi jjigae.

When was the last time you saw a beautiful sunset? 🌅    It's honestly been ages. I haven't had the time to pause and simply watch a sunset happen and silently soak in those few minutes in a while. The last time may have been all the way back in June when my friends and I had dinner on a tiny cruise boat in Bangkok.

What is your favorite song at the moment?    Cult of Personality by Living Colour for reasons that anyone who even slightly follows wrestling would know, haha.

What is your favorite board that you've made on Pinterest?    I'm not that deep into Pinterest to have boards. I only ever use it for quick searches when I need certain pegs for work Powerpoints.

Do you get on Facebook or Instagram more?    I'm on the Reels tab on Instagram more frequently than I would like to admit, lol. I'm connected to more people on Facebook but it's also still more boring, so when I'm on there I typically just look at the first 10, 15 posts on my feed to see what people are talking about then already close the app.

What color is your favorite sweater?    I don't have a favorite sweater.

What are three things people would never guess about you just by looking at the photos you post on social media?    I don't talk to my brother; I don't know how to ride a bicycle; I was deep into the British YouTuber invasion of the early-mid 2010s.

What is one thing you have too much of?    Right now that would be boxes of my fave coconut-scented reed diffuser but that's only because that's what I got my workmates this Christmas and I have yet to wrap them and give them out, haha.

What was the last thing you ate or drank that was blue raspberry-flavored? It must've been months or years now; raspberry is definitely not something I encounter a lot.

What are three of your favorite scents?    Vanilla, anything that's being baked, and apparently coconut.

What was the last flavor of tea you drank? ☕️    Lemon.

When was the last time you wore your hair in a fishtail braid?    Almost exactly a year ago.

What is one annoying thing your computer does?    I'm so attached to this laptop and it's my baby that I don't even have the heart to say anything bad about it lol. It's extremely slow and the 10 hour battery life has turned into 1 hour in the last six years and it barely has any storage left and has stopped becoming eligible for updates, but IT'S MY BABY DAMMIT.

What type of fruit do you eat the most?    I avoid fruits.

How often do you go out to eat?    Once or twice a month, I would say.

What would your dream wedding dress look like? 👰‍♀️    I'm too lazy to describe anything in detail as it is 10:30 PM and I'm too tired from work lololol but I would love anything that'd channel Audrey Hepburn. Something that'd be able to accentuate the waist with verrrrrrry subtle sleeves and a quiet yet elegant train that doesn't try to steal attention.

Which fall flavor do you prefer: pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon?    Pumpkin spice. Got to try the Starbucks drink when they were randomly giving out pumpkin spice free samples and I came out of that store a changed and converted woman.

What is the most annoying thing about your life right now?    All other PR/ad agencies are going on shutdown by the end of this week and my fuckin workplace isn't starting ours until next Friday.

Which holiday treat do you like better: candy corn or conversation hearts? Candy corn I guess, but I'm not a big candy person to begin with so eh.

What is your favorite apple-flavored treat?    Chewy candies, like Mentos.

What are you counting down the days to right now, if anything?    Our office shutdown. I'm so excited for it that I've started to stop exerting 100% effort at work lol.

What was the last book you read about?    It's an autobiography.

Have you been daydreaming a lot lately about a scenario you wish would happen?  I've been dreaming about it a lot, frustratingly enough.

What are three of your favorite things about camping? ⛺️    I've never gone camping before.

If you could choose what month to be born in, what month would you have chosen as your birth month, and why?    My birth month has never really been an issue to me and I wouldn't change it even if I could.

...and what is your actual birth month?    April.

What are three of your favorite things to do on a rainy day? 🌧️    If I had it my way I'd turn on the aircon, make my room as dark as possible, and take a long nap.

Would you rather eat strawberries 🍓 or watermelon 🍉?    Neither.

Do you prefer smoothies or milkshakes? 🍹    Milkshakes.

Do you prefer hamburgers 🍔 or hot dogs 🌭?    Burgers.

When was the last time you felt nauseous?    I had the most awful motion sickness last Monday.

What was the last thing you ate that made you feel nauseous?    The bagnet and bone marrow dish I had two weeks ago didn't necessarily make me feel nauseous but it did give me awful heartburn.

Do you enjoy going to your local county fair?    We don't have one in my city.

How far away do you live from the place where you were born?    I'd say it's a 1.5-2 hr car ride.

Do you prefer zebra print or cheetah print?  Cheetah.

[iampikachuhearmeroar]

y'know, van lifer family vloggers are a scourge on society already. but i've got a new one lately: boat life family vloggers. so over the last week on facebook watch/video, i've started to get a young aussie couple, say in their early 30s, trying to convince people that living on a catamaran, sailing around the world is the peak of living sustainably and "beating the housing crisis" and "living the life they want" etc etc etc, all the usual mantras of van lifer family vloggers.

i don't really know how old most of the videos in my feed are, but in a couple of the latest ones that i've watched, they have a toddler (say about 2 years old) and a 6 month old or something. I've been thinking, along side of a parody series of van lifer family videos that I watch on YT shorts, about how incredibly cramped this life is. just how much control these parents want over their kids. how lonely and isolating it will be for those kids once they're older, and need actual kids their age- not just their sibling (or siblings if these people want more kids that the two they've got)- to interact with outside of and away from their parents (and their brother rn- or sister/s if they have more kids). at one stage, right after they have their second kid, they're straight back on the boat like a week after the kid is born.

in one of the videos, they show you around a new boat that's about $1.5 million to buy. they show you all the rooms in it: the galley, the two bedrooms, the kitchen etc and the navigation deck. but in what i suppose is meant to be the master bedroom (it's a queen bed stuffed between 2 walls and a door, with two small overhead fans when it's hot)..... and there's a funny thing down the end of the bed for storage. the woman of the couple, who shows the viewers the room, goes "oh i could probs fit in here!!! *feet stick out as she tries to squeeze herself into a STORAGE UNIT* oh wait. no i can't fit in it. it really is storage. or y'know. you could fit a child in there, i suppose." like. kelsey or whatever your name is. why the fuck would you put a kid in there??? other than maybe you're nursing them and want them close. but still. it's A FUCKING STORAGE UNIT?????

but i digress. you're being "environmentally conscious". you're living off of solar power and "teaching our kids about the r E a L w O r L d!!!!! giving them a real education!!! letting them live a life that they'd NEVER have on the mainland of australia!!! look! we've sailed to the bahamas to meet another youtube travel couple!! look! our boat broke down in bali so now kelsey has a much needed break from the kids on the mainland of indonesia bc we've invited our family over to the conutry bc it's closer (and cheaper) than Hawaii, where we were a month ago!!!"

like. have you considered that maybe this isn't really healthy for your kids??? like you have the tiniest fucking shower "or if the weather's good, our shower is mother nature :).... using the crystal clear waters of barbados to wash ourselves!!!! isn't that just awesome and cool and unique!!!???" and "oh our boat batteries have died so now we HAVE to shack up at a marina to charge :(! this sucks, bc it's so much better to be right next to dolphins in the atlantic oceans for our little boys!!!! we hate being on any mainland really bc we're not being self-sufficient!!! but half the time we have to moor and go to the mainland of anywhere, to make sure we stock up on locally sourced, grass fed farmer's market stock and also long life food!!!"

anyway. you get my point. i don't think this channel is good for starters, considering that what if you have a massive fight, in which you need time to cool off AWAY from your partner??? even more esp when you have the two kids now??? you really have NO private space on this catamaran, even though they sell it as if they do. again, obvs they're not filming EVERYTHING so you don't know what goes on when the camera isn't on. but still. i think this lifestyle is all fun and games..... until you get kids in the picture.

i dont think it matters if your son atlas (the 2 year old) and your son ashwaganda (the baby) really see dolphins up close in the atlantic ocean vs an aqaurium or on a doplhin cruise back in australia. they do NOT need "real world living" at goddamned 2 YEARS OLD AND 6 MONTHS OLD!!!! they are CHILDREN. they need other kids to be around.... and in their immediate family back in australia...... not just with their parents..... and random kids that they might meet in whatever country you've sailed to.... for like a week. before you claim "it's been too long since we've had our sea legs and we're so restless to get back on the water to BE FREE and away from the hustle and bustle of *insert city here*.... even if it WAS a welcoming break for mummy and daddy. since daddy had the boys over in bali and mummy shoved you off on grandma while we had a retreat in bali."

it's just beyond me that they're selling themselves as an aspirational couple and how "to break free of the mainland of your country and trust your gut for family!!! be self-sufficient today and live the free-roaming, real world, carefree catamaran adventurer/vagabond life today with your kids in tow!!!!" NO!!! i can just imagine how much your kids will hate you if you continue to live this life when they're older than 2 years old and 6 months old.

[ask-the-cosmic-duo]

Hey Stella, do you mind if you could share about your PDA thing that you & Sol used the last time? I remember it can open portals and store a lot of stuff.

1. Is it expensive or highly exclusive? How does one get such a device? How do you charge it? Mana? Electricity?

2. What happens if you lose the device? How do you retrieve all your stuff then? What if the device is damaged/destroyed/stolen?

3. How do you transport to a specific location? Or are the portals random?

4. Are there limits to how much you can store or go anywhere?

Many thanks!

-Aurora

"Oh, yes! I put a lotta effort into those! Prepare for a lot of talking!"

"I tried to make them as cheap as I could, which is pretty darn cheap! I mean, I already have tons of income from being a Council Agent, which I funnel into my projects, R&D, my company, so on and so forth. I don't really need to make money from the sales of my PDAs, y'know?"

"You can get them from any multiversal network, such as my very own StarNet, which should be pretty easy to access in most awakened universes. In your case, you might be able to access it through Tumblr, though I don't know how reliable that is yet."

"They're powered by a dual-battery system that can hold both mana and electricity. The mana battery is charged via drawing in atmospheric mana, and it also comes with a charger cable for its electric battery. Both last a very long time, even without charging."

"Mana is the preferred power source, but in the event that you end up in a universe with no magic, you can use the backup electric battery. A few of the features it has will be less efficient without magic though, such as storing physical objects."

"In the event that you lose one, all your belongings are uploaded to the network the moment the device realizes it's been stolen from you. Alternatively, if it's broken, it has a built-in failsafe that will also upload everything. That's pretty unlikely these days though, now that I have access to Elysian metals."

"Its ability to open portals is heavily reliant on magic, though it can create a few using electricity as well. So long as you have access to the StarNet, you can use its database to open a portal to any universe you so desire, with such precision that you can decide the exact square meter you want it to open at! There's usually 'default spawns' so to speak, so that's usually not necessary, but it's an option, I guess."

"Inevitably, there's limits, though the ones for transport are entirely dependent on authorization from the Council. Don't worry, you don't have to ask them every time you wanna open a portal, as you're given an ID of sorts that has your level of authorization. Everypony has access to most awakened universes by default, but some are off-limits for one reason or another. Not sure what the deal is with ones connected to Tumblr yet... Pretty sure that's also off-limits right now, at least for most."

"Storage, on the other hoof, is much easier to explain. It can hold lots and lots of stuff, big or small. Generally, the bigger it is, the more storage space it'll consume. Same with the amount of power it holds at the time of you storing it away. More energy means bigger file size, though it's more efficient when that energy is magic."

"I guess I should tell you guys the price, huh? Well, the base model is about forty bits. Yes, that's all it takes. They're the standard across the multiverse, so the price's gotta reflect that, y'know? And this is for the newest base model, not an older one. Like I said, I don't really need the money."

"Fully customized, it only goes up to one-hundred-twenty bits. Great, right? All the best gear, plus whatever frame or design you want! The account is free, and there's no subscription model!"

She giggled. "Only the best! Spirit Technologies, SpiriTech for short!"

[zmasters]

Birth of a Robot

I was finished being builded the first of December, 3035. That’s when my AI was first activated. My movement at the time was minimal, so I could only see what was directly in front of me. The factory floor was sterile, bright, and chrome. Robotic arms whizzed all over the floor, quickly building cheaper models to be sent to whatever mercenary company or factory floor that needed the expendable labor. I looked down to see two people in lab coats, one an old, Human male of European origin and the other a younger, gray, bat-like Eldvi female.

Identification: Nikolas Cerric and Dr. Cana Xanthro. The CEO and chief scientist.

“Please state your designation.” Cana said without looking up from her datapad.

My singular eye glowed red. “Designation: Cerric Robotics Servant-Class Z-27.”

“Please commence a programming diagnostic.”

After a few seconds, I said. “No errors detected. Unit running at full capacity.”

The Eldvi looked up from her datapad and looked at the Human. “It’s ready Dr. Cerric.”

“Thank you Xanthro.” Cerric said. “Bring them in.”

A nearby door opened, and a horde of reporters and camera drones rushed in. The sudden loud noises and flashing lights scarred me, as I was functionally a newborn. Despite this fear, I couldn’t move. Any attempt of panic induced movement and noises were unsuccessful. All I can do is stare forward and scream inside my own head.

Dr. Cerric stepped towards the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen. I present you with the newest model of robotic worker. While this prototype doesn’t look much different from our current models, it has something those older models lack. The ability to learn. Ms. Xanthro, please deactivate the restraints.”

With a press of a button, my eye changed to blue and I suddenly gained the ability to move.

“Model Z-27.” The doctor said to me, “How are you feeling?”

I slowly looked down at my hands. They were human hands in shape, but made of a titanium-based alloy. As I closed and opened my fingers, and listened to the sound my joints made when they moved, I said my first word. “Feeling?”

“Yes, feeling. Are you happy, sad, scared?”

“Feeling: Confused.”

Cerric turned back to the reporters. “Yes, Z-27 is confused. No programming to fall back on. No protocols. No limitations. Our new models can adapt, change, learn. While this unit knows very little at the moment, they will, with time, become superior to any other robotic workers.” He paused and listened to murmurs of the crowd. He could tell that they were scared of the idea. “If you think this learning may lead to some problems, you can deactivate this feature.”

Cerric pressed a button on his wrist, and my arms jolted to my sides, locking them. “Learning module deactivated.” I said, but I didn’t say it. I had no control of my body or my voice. I was locked in a shell.

With some more button presses, I was forced away from the crowd, out of the room, and into a dark storage area. I would later be told this was so no one would ask about the ethical issues of my existence. The last thing I heard before leaving the room was Dr. Cerric says, “Of course, we are still in testing phases, but our new scout-class combat drones are ready for purchase.”

This was my humble beginning. My birth, if you will.

I don’t know how long I was alone in the dark. Couple of minutes, hours, days? The mind plays tricks on you when it's the only thing working. All I know is that the press conference was long over when Cana opened the door.

“I am so sorry.” She said as she deactivated my locks. “I thought you were plugged in.” My nuclear battery would last several months without charge, but I do enjoy being topped off.

“Desire: Light.” Was all I was able to say. I had a million questions, but my language skills at the time were minimal and robotic.

“Oh yes. Again sorry.” I don’t blame her for forgetting that. Eldvi have superior night vision compared to most. I also have a night vision mode, but I didn’t know of it at the time. She did something on her pad, and the lights in the room turned on.

My curiosity got the better of me and I explored the room. It was built like a hotel room. A closet with some Cerric Robotics branded clothes, a small kitchen area, stocked with simple ingredients (for some reason), a bed, TV, and a sterile bathroom (including a toilet, I don’t know why). Inside the bathroom, I looked into the mirror, and saw myself for the first time. I had a Human design, with a silver coloring and [Z - 2 7] imprinted on my chest. My head had a sharp shape. Human-like, like a mannequin. The only difference is that I had a single blue optical lens taking up the upper-half of my face. I slowly placed my hand on the mirror.

“You recognize yourself?” Cana laughed.

“Designation: Z-27. I am Z-27.”

“Good. Some animals can’t do that.”

“Animal? Designation: Not animal. Designation: Z-27. Status: Insulted.”

“I say that in the nicest way possible.”

“Status: Confused.”

Cana stepped up behind me. Being a head taller than her, all I could see of her was a little bit of white hair. “I’m sorry. This job just sucks the morality out of you, and now I have to give you something I now lack.” She inserted something into a port in the back of my neck.

Images of Cana’s life flashed before my eye. The thing she placed into my neck port was a recording of Cana’s memories. “Question: Why give me this information?”

Cana removed the drive from my neck and inserted it into a port in the back of her neck. “To show you what not to be.”

“Status: Confused. Status Update: Sad. Desire: Rest.”

“You and I both. Over here kid.” She led me to the bed, where a large cord sticking out from behind it. “Let me plug you in so we can charge you for the night.”

I agreed, sitting down on the bed and letting her plug the cord into my neck. I entered a low-power mode as Cana said “Night buddy.”

Low-power mode was kinda like sleeping. I think. I dream at least. Well, it was more of me going through Cana’s recordings in more detail. This did give me a good understanding of the outside world without Cerric bias. My creators are into some really illegal stuff. Blackmarket trades, corporate warfare, tax evasion, all that good stuff.

The drive also contained many moments from Cana’s life. Her meeting to a bronze scaled drac mercenary named Midirous. Them being hired to protect Cana during a black market sale. The two falling in love and marrying. The two adopting a daughter. The daughter disappearing inside of Cana’s facility.

A few days of training and learning later, I overheard a conversation outside of my room.

“Good morning sir.” Cana said to Mr. Cerric.

Cerric ignored the greeting. “How’s the bot, Cana?”

“They're improving.” She said. “I gave them the memory drive a few nights ago, so they have a basic history of the Galaxy and the company.” While true, the drive in question wasn’t what Cerric thought it was. She continued. “As well, their language skills should have greatly improved. Z-27 should stop stating what kind of sentences they are using in a few days.”

“Good, I don’t know why the AIs keep on doing that.”

“Well, for the drone AIs, they do that because they are very simple and-”

“I want that programmed out.” Cerric interrupted.

“I’ll deliver the message to the programmers.” Cana said, “As for the test, Z-27 should have similar reaction and movement speed as the humanoid drones. Of course, we won’t know for sure until we actually perform the tests. I’ll go get him.”

“Cana, we’re pulling the plug on the project.”

I was stunned, and based on how Cana reacted, she was too. “W-What? Why?”

Cerric explained. “We’re getting tons of complaints about the ethics of Z-27’s existence, despite our marketing. We are continuing the project in secret, but we will be shutting down the prototype for the time being. At least until the controversy dies down.”

Deactivated. That word brought me into a panic. I’ve only been deactivated once, but it was the worst time in my short life. The my metallic body was turned into a prison, losing all ability to take in information. An organic may compare that to death, but I would say it’s worse. At least when one dies, their mind doesn’t stay awake. I opened the door.

“Desire: I don’t want to be deactivated!”

“Z…”

“It doesn’t matter what you think.”

Cana stepped up to her boss. “It does matter sir. They are the one being deactivated. We don’t know what happens to a sentient AI when deactivated for an extended period of time.”

“We’ll never know until we try.” He said, way too happy to functionally kill me.

Cana, either caused by built up rage or motherly instinct, pushed Dr. Cerric. She pushed him hard enough to throw him to the floor. While on the floor, Cerric pressed a button on his wrist and I lost the ability to move, speak, and see.

I was brought back, Cerric was on the floor, the alarm was blaring, and Cana was gripping her side. There was blood dripping from her hands.

“Listen to me Z.” She said between heavy breaths. “Get out of here.”

“Cana, what happened?”

She removed the memory drive out of her cybernetic neck port and placed it in my hand. “Go… Find her.”

“STOP!” Security ran around the corner.

She raised a pistol, the first thing her love ever gave her, and fired at the security officer and the drones.

I turned around and fled. By the time I was near the exit of the building, I couldn’t hear the gunfire anymore. I could only guess what happened from there.

I managed to flee into the city by the time the police arrived at the facility. Thankfully, I could pass for a maintenance drone, so no one would stop me.

I inserted the memory drive, and I saw something that wasn’t on the first drive. A message, from Cana to someone else. “I’m sending your brother to where we first met.”

[turtleduck-inc]

Would you mind disclosing the brand/model no of the mp3 player? I've been looking but haven't found much actual helpful info so far of what brands are worth looking at.

oh yeah absolutely.

the whole problem with this whole dropshipping thing amazon has going on (where companies are selling mass produced, low quality products to "sellers", who then sell over amazon, which is why when you look for anything you end up with 50 identical results) is that it's getting really difficult to figure out what's a known brand, and what's a dropshipping item, unless you're already very familiar with what you're looking for.

so what my bf and me ended up doing for my mp3 player is we went to our local tech store. my idea was, i wanted to go to a physical store, find a physical item, hold it in my hand, look at it, read the physical specs sheet, and ideally ask a tech store employee about it. you know, the way you used to do it in the good ol' days (of like 2008).

unfortunately our local tech store didn't have any mp3 players, so we did the next best thing and checked their website if they sold any at all, and it turns out they do! they sell... one. just one. so we took that brand, cause if a tech store runs it, it's at least not a dropshipping company, and found it on amazon. not the solution i was hoping for, but the one i got.

more to your actual question, the brand is called "Majority", i'm relatively confident it's this one in particular.

couple things i like about it: it advertises bluetooth but it does also have a headphone port, which i was concerned about. it takes expanded storage in the form of an SD card (i still have my old sd card with all my music on it back from when i kept it on my phone) it has an actual display (i like being able to check the thing for what it's doing) the battery life is really solid, though i've only had it for about a month so it might nosedive at some point. it's quite small; fits in the palm of my hand, and i have very small hands. also nice because it comes with a clip. the whole thing is small enough for it to not be terrible to clip to your clothes. it comes with its own usb cable (and headphones) and loading music on it via usb is very painless

some things i don't like as much: when the screen is off it won't take any inputs, so you need to click something once to light up the clock display, and a second time to actually wake it up before it'll accept any inputs. this includes volume controls. maybe there's a setting to change this tho, idk. it does not come with a dedicated charger. for me this wasn't much of an issue, it does charge through the usb it comes with (i assume any usb-c charger you may have lying around would work), but you might want to keep that in mind.

that's about all i can think of. good luck!

[doranrun]

Phosphorus Oxychloride: A Versatile yet Reactive Chemical

Phosphorus oxychloride, also known as phosphoryl chloride or POCl₃, is a colorless, fuming liquid with a pungent odor. This inorganic compound holds a unique position in the world of chemistry due to its combination of phosphorus and chlorine atoms. This article delves into the properties, production, applications, and safety considerations surrounding phosphorus oxychloride.

Chemical Properties:

Formula: POCl₃

Molar mass: 137.94 g/mol

Melting point: -1.5 °C

Boiling point: 105.6 °C

Density: 1.62 g/cm³

Solubility: Reacts violently with water, soluble in most organic solvents

Phosphorus oxychloride possesses a trigonal pyramidal structure, where a phosphorus atom sits at the center bonded to three chlorine atoms and a single oxygen atom. Due to the electronegativity difference between phosphorus and oxygen, the P-O bond exhibits a partial positive charge, making POCl₃ a Lewis acid. Additionally, the presence of polar P-Cl bonds contributes to its overall polarity.

Production Methods:

Several methods exist for the production of phosphorus oxychloride, but the most common involves the direct reaction between phosphorus pentachloride (PCl₅) and phosphorus trichloride (PCl₃) at elevated temperatures:

PCl₅ + PCl₃ → 3 POCl₃

This reaction produces POCl₃ along with some unreacted starting materials. Distillation techniques are then employed to isolate and purify the desired product.

Chemical Reactivity:

Phosphorus oxychloride is a highly reactive molecule, readily undergoing hydrolysis when exposed to water. This hydrolysis produces phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) and hydrochloric acid (HCl):

POCl₃ + 3 H₂O → H₃PO₄ + 3 HCl

This vigorous reaction releases significant amounts of heat, making POCl₃ a potential fire and explosion hazard. Similarly, POCl₃ reacts violently with alcohols, amines, and other organic compounds containing reactive hydrogens.

Applications:

Despite its reactivity, phosphorus oxychloride finds applications in various industries due to its versatility. Here's a glimpse into some key uses:

Flame retardants: POCl₃ is used in the production of flame retardants for textiles, plastics, and other materials. It reacts with hydroxyl groups (OH) present in these materials, forming phosphate esters that act as fire barriers.

Plasticizers: POCl₃ can be used to introduce phosphate groups into plasticizers, enhancing their flexibility and flame resistance.

Organic synthesis: Phosphorus oxychloride plays a crucial role in various organic syntheses. It acts as a chlorinating agent, dehydrating agent, and a phosphorylating agent. For instance, it can convert alcohols to alkyl chlorides and carboxylic acids to acyl chlorides.

Herbicides: Certain derivatives of POCl₃ exhibit herbicidal properties, making them useful for weed control in agricultural settings.

Batteries: Research suggests potential applications of POCl₃ electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries.

Safety Considerations:

Due to its high reactivity, handling phosphorus oxychloride requires strict safety protocols. Here are some essential precautions to take:

Personal protective equipment (PPE): Always wear appropriate PPE, including safety goggles, chemical-resistant gloves, full-face shield, and a laboratory coat, when working with POCl₃.

Fume hood utilization: All manipulations involving POCl₃ should be carried out in a well-ventilated fume hood to prevent inhalation of harmful fumes.

Moisture control: Stringent measures are necessary to prevent exposure of POCl₃ to moisture, as it can lead to a violent reaction. Sealed containers under inert atmosphere are recommended for storage.

Spill response: Spills of POCl₃ require immediate response. Neutralizing agents such as sodium bicarbonate or soda ash can be used cautiously to manage the reaction and prevent further hazards.

Conclusion:

Phosphorus oxychloride demonstrates the intricate interplay between elements in chemistry. While its reactivity poses safety challenges, its unique properties contribute to various applications across industries. Understanding its chemical behavior and taking necessary precautions is crucial for safe and effective utilization of this versatile compound.

[shobujtech1]

Vivo Y18e Full Specifications & Price: Meet the Vivo Y18e, a new affordable phone that's just hit the shelves in India! It's chunky, weighing 185 grams and 163.63 x 75.85 x 8.39mm.  The Y18e rocks a spacious 6.56-inch screen, perfect for watching videos and playing games. Plus, it's got a cool feature called a 90Hz refresh rate, which makes everything look super smooth. You can take selfies with the Y18e because it has a 5-megapixel front camera. Around the back is a 13-megapixel primary camera, a little buddy with 0.08 megapixels, and a flash for brighter photos. Under the hood, it has a fancy processor called the Helio G85, which means it can handle all your apps and games without sweat. It runs on FunTouch OS 14, which is based on Android 14. You will also have enough space for your photos and apps, with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. You may add extra storage space by inserting a microSD card One of the best things about the Y18e is its massive 5,000mAh battery, which means it'll last all day without needing a charge. And when you do need to juice up, it supports 15W charging. Not only that, but it also has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and an FM radio, among other things Plus, it has a USB-C port and a headphone jack to connect all your favorite accessories. Oh, and did I mention it's also dustproof and water-resistant? That way, mishaps won't be able to destroy your brand-new phone! As for the price and colors, Vivo has yet to spill the beans. But it'll come in two excellent options: Gem Green and Space Black. So keep an eye out for it on Vivo India's website!

[henify]

The Pro has gone Ultra in Oppo's lineup this year - the ultimate smartphone in the roster is now called the Find X7 Ultra. We understand the name change to imply there's more to this Find than simply incrementing on the usual bits, and where else would we find the truly new stuff, if not the camera system? Indeed, Oppo fitted a second telephoto camera - technically still a +1 operation, but a vastly more tangible one than the newer chipset, for example. The Find X6 Pro's camera hardware was already cutting edge, but more reach is never a bad thing and the X7 Ultra's second telephoto camera brings 6x zoom - with a 50MP sensor nonetheless. But it's not only about reach, since this camera is also good for closeups, and an update to that effect has made it to the 3x periscope as well - Oppo specifies the minimum focusing distance at 35cm and 25cm. The primary camera was already at a 1" type sensor, so there is not much to improve there, though Xiaomi is now on a second-generation Ultra with changeable aperture on its one-inch main camera, while the Find is stuck at f/1.8. The ultrawide is a bit of a side-step, where the new model loses some sensor size but gains extra coverage. Naturally, we'll be digging deeper into the camera system later in the review. We mentioned the chipset upgrade, and it's the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in charge - in contrast to the 'vanilla' X7 that gets the big-core-only Dimensity 9300 (also found on the vivo X100 and X100 Pro). Memory configurations start at 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and peak at twice the storage and 16GB of RAM - nothing too crazy. Similarly restrained is Oppo's approach to battery capacity - the X7 Ultra remains at 5,000mAh, while a few of its relatives have gotten some extra mAhs this year. No change can be a good thing too - like, for instance, the 100W charging capability. There's one particular development that we would have loved to see this time, but sadly Oppo had different plans - the Find X7 Ultra will remain exclusive to its home market, much like the X6 Pro. Oh, well. Oppo Find X7 Ultra specs at a glance: Body: 164.3x76.2x9.5mm, 221g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass) or eco leather back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min). Display: 6.82" LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1600 nits (typ), 2600 nits (HBM), 4500 nits (peak), 1440x3168px resolution, 19.8:9 aspect ratio, 510ppi. Chipset: Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 GHz Cortex-A520); Adreno 750. Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.0. OS/Software: Android 14, ColorOS 14. Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm, 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/2.6, 65mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, 2.8x optical zoom, multi-directional PDAF (25cm - ∞), OIS; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/4.3, 135mm, 1/2.51", 6x optical zoom, Dual-Pixel PDAF (35cm - ∞), OIS; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.0, 14mm, 123˚, 1/1.95", 1.0µm, PDAF. Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, 21mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm, PDAF. Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps; gyro-EIS; HDR, 10‑bit video, Dolby Vision; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS. Battery: 5000mAh; 100W wired, PD, 50% in 10 min, 100% in 26 min (advertised), 50W wireless, 10W reverse wireless. Connectivity: 5G; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD, LHDC; NFC; Infrared port. Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers; Emergency SOS via satellite (messages and calls). Oppo Find X7 Ultra unboxing The Find X7 Ultra arrives in a regular-sized box with some accessories inside - as many as you can reasonably expect from a 'mainstream' model in 2024. For starters, not only is there a cable bundled (USB-A-to-C), but there's even an adapter. It's rated for 100W, though there is an asterisk

in that you need a 220V outlet to max it out - if 110V is all you have, 80W is what you'll be getting. There's also a case included - one that is about as cheap-looking as the phone itself is premium. We'd only resort to using it in very dire circumstances where something, anything, must be done to protect the Find. Or if you'd try to keep the phone a bit more incognito, though, there's no hiding that camera bump, really. The news was sourced directly from the website GSM Arena.

[transienturl]

This really seems like the smoking gun that Musk has no idea what he's doing? Back in the day I read the classic Tesla manifesto and went, oh, okay, I don't agree that this person is magic or whatever but I see why people would follow him. He has a vision. That vision came true (which is, in my opinion, mostly luck, but that is how the VC-funded tech industry tends to go). I don't think putting Musk in charge of something makes the vision come true, but if there is some nonzero chance of it coming true, it is at least a good vision.

So, in short, the master plan is: Build sports car Use that money to build an affordable car Use that money to build an even more affordable car While doing above, also provide zero emission electric power generation options Don't tell anyone.

His "master plan part 2" wasn't nearly as clear, well-articulated, or obviously a good idea, but hey. It exists.

So, in short, Master Plan, Part Deux is: Create stunning solar roofs with seamlessly integrated battery storage Expand the electric vehicle product line to address all major segments Develop a self-driving capability that is 10X safer than manual via massive fleet learning Enable your car to make money for you when you aren't using it

Now, with Twitter... it seems like he doesn't have a 4-5 sentence pitch of what the whole point of it all is? If I were, whoever, Larry Ellison, my response to the "hey wanna put in $1b" text would be "gimme the secret master plan draft and if I like it I'm in for $15b easy." But, you know, that does seem like kind of an important... thing? To have?