#so nearly $150 to fully use just the most recent games

[coconutcows]

No but like it actually is a big Issue that they Shiny Locked all the returning legendaries in the Indigo Disc DLC

Nintendo/Gamefreak/The Pokémon Company know there’s an entire dedicated subset of fans who’s goal is to collect Shiny Pokémon. Shiny Hunting is already a process that truthfully is so tedious and lengthy that not everyone can do it. You have to have a lot of patience and be able to have a lot of time available (it can be done alongside other things but you do have to pay some attention to the game still) and they still go out of their way to make this nearly impossible.

Shiny Locking didn’t even exist until gen5 and for a while they only locked the current new Pokémon while previous ones were still huntable. It’s even more ridiculous when most of these Pokémon are available as Shiny in Go (and if it’s some weird way to try to people to play Go, well not everyone can do that for multiple reasons, but especially when Niantic ignores making the game more balanced for all player types)

Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, and Mew have all been around for 27 nearly 28 years. There is no reason to Lock them anymore (especially considering Mew can only be legitimately hunted by buying a Japanese Copy of Emerald or paying for the All in One #151 research in Go)

Did you know Manaphy, a Pokémon released in Diamond and Pearl has been around since 2006?? Do you know how many times it’s been available as shiny??? Never. Seventeen Years and the only way you can legitimately obtain a Shiny Manaphy is by getting a copy of Pokémon Ranger and moving the Egg around until the codes will be right.

There’s no reason to keep locking Legendaries, especially the regular legendaries. If this is about them wanting to keep them for giveaways that’s stupid. Wait and hope the one you want is available as a gift and if it’s not sit there and wait some more.

At the very least they can leave the regular legendaries unlocked and save the Event/Mythical Pokémon for giveaways, but even if they do that they have to actually give away the Pokémon. God knows when Hoopa, Volcanion, Marshadow, Zeraora, Zarude etc etc are going to be given away again

[ideahat-universe]

I have meditated on the subject matter. I believe I have come to a conclusion but before I tell you that lets get facts straight first.

If you are making a high fantasy story, that typically takes place in the middle ages the applicable centuries would be between the 5th and the 15th century.

The first IRL wheel chair came out in 1595 so at the tail end of the 15 century and really, the first time something gets invented isn't the same year it goes mainstream and becomes available so really Wheelchairs became a thing you could responsibly be expected to acquire in the 16th century and it looked like this.

There is actually a litany of different wheel chair designs leading up to the wheelchairs used in the Civil War when at that point the Wheelchair designs started to be standardized. Before then the words "Wheel" and "Chair" resulted in everything from a big wheel tricycle to a Sofa with wheels on the sides.

Accessibility is even more recent. Wheelchair accessible areas became a thing in 1968. So before then someone had to bring you inside or you just stayed outside.

So in order to have a wheel chair You'd probably need to be in the Victorian era or later as the ages between 15th and 18th are unexplored in most games and the Victorian era is the 19th century at which point you can do Steampunk and have a really decked out and cool Wheel Chair.

So when you think of a famous chair bound character you probably think Prof X from the X-men. That character is basically defined by the fact that they don't have to leave their home to be useful and when they have to leave the house it's typically to negotiate or mild meld someone down.

Nothing that offsets the risk of being knocked out of his chair which basically makes him prone. This makes the character vulnerable to a Coup-De-Grace which your DM decides if such a scenario will instantly kill the character or just take a big hit to their health points. One or multiple allies will have to take a turn, maybe multiple turns to get you out of trouble and may take penalties as they get attacked while carrying you.

You become an incredible burden for the party and an easy tool by the Game Master.

You need to get to X location by Y time but wait! You can't all travel by foot, one of you is in a wheel chair, you need to figure out a way to get there in good time with that character or bench that player for that entire excursion. Imagine having to push someone upwards of 150 pounds up a mountain, now imagine that mountain has uneven footing and if something happens that causes your player to let go and everyone else fails to catch that character, this happens.

That character dies in a super anti climatic way.

Okay so a wheel chair is embarrassingly impractical and only serves as an endless source of comedy for the Game Master who will revel in exploiting every weakness that comes from that character being in a wheelchair.

What if you weren't in a shitty wheelchair? What if it was handicap-able?

Well you don't have a disability if you are able to use a tool that completely negates all your dysfunction. I mean, if anything restores you to a state that is above able bodied, you are effectively not disabled.

So if you have like a magical cloud or a nearly invincible golem or a magical pet that attends to all your needs without question, what would be the point in being mobility impaired?

Is it for flavor? You just like the aesthetic of being in a wheelchair? You like the idea of having your legs broken and unusable even in an era where you should be able to fix your legs with magic or replace them with some enchanted prosthetic?

Going back to the invention of the wheel chair. Being a pro-tag you can be a genius inventor or related to one and have an early wheel chair. But the inventor will probably have to be important to the story, if they are capable of designing something like a fully functional wheelchair several centuries before it would have naturally existed they probably built something else that's really powerful and game changing for a war effort.

An adventure hook being based around the inventor of a wheelchair is a weird one but could be fun in all honesty.

So lets break it down.

Wheelchairs don't fit the High Fantasy setting and will need a special case scenario to make its existence possible.

The DM/GM will torture you and your party for daring to have someone so easy to kill and displace.

If you have someone whose wheelchair isn't a weakness and is instead an great strength, you don't have a character with a disability and you are in a wheelchair for flavor.

If that's fine with you it's fine with me. Just don't expect to do that in my game. I'm cow tipping you basically every encounter and you will roll off a hill.

[lachlanwrites]

Black market hormones: How red tape is forcing a trans generation to self-medicate

 HORMONE THERAPY: Treatment for trans people in the UK is woefully inadequate, forcing many to consider risky alternatives

Lachlan Mykura reports on the difficulties of treatment for transgender people, documenting his own experiences and the bureaucracy surrounding them.

Transgender issues have long been a source of controversy and debate. In recent years, these issues have come under the spotlight. Younger generations are more able to explore their gender, and the concept of a strict binary is being slowly replaced with a far more fluid and flexible umbrella.

Not everyone who is transgender will transition medically, but for those who do it can be an arduous process bogged down by bureaucracy. While it is important to note that those who choose not to transition, or have no desire to transition, are valid, this article will specifically focus on the people that do.

I am Lachlan Mykura, and I am FTM - female to male transgender. My transition has been marked by wait times, delays, gatekeeping and uncertainty, so I did what a growing number of transgender people are doing. I decided to start taking hormones without a prescription.

To understand why I, and many other trans people do this, we need to look at the system and its failures. There are currently seven NHS gender identity clinics (GIC’s) in the UK, with plans for three more in Manchester, London and Merseyside. In 2015 there were 1,408 referrals to these clinics. In 2020 there were 2,728. With only seven clinics for thousands of referrals, wait times for NHS GIC’s have skyrocketed, and many clinics no longer publish their times, estimated to be years. Indeed, many of them seem to have completely ground to a halt.

One such clinic, The Laurels in Exeter, has 2,592 people currently on its waiting list, and yet saw only 2 people in 2020. One patient has been on the list for nearly 6 years, 17 times the NHS legal guideline of 18 weeks.

Many GP’s are uneducated or unused to trans issues, and don’t know the proper procedures for referring patients on to a GIC. I found this myself when I was beginning to consider medical transition, with one GP outright telling me they didn’t know how to help me.

Nearly a year later I managed to get a referral, and my waiting game began.

These wait times add to an already time sensitive process. Transgender people under 18 cannot go to most GIC’s. Tavistock is currently the only GIC that will see underage patients, and even getting to this clinic before you become 18 is a struggle.

Although transition can be successful at any age, the younger you start medical transition, the better the results are likely to be, especially for male to female (MTF) patients. By the time you can start hormones on the NHS, you will likely have gone through puberty entirely, and will have the sex characteristics of your assigned gender at birth (AGAB).

The NHS is a clumsy beast when it comes to gender care, and with the rapidly rising number of referrals, it may fall even further behind.

The NHS is also not currently very supportive of non-binary people looking to transition. A diagnosis of gender dysphoria is necessary to start hormones, and while the NHS has become more accepting of non-binary identities in recent years, some non-binary people may struggle to meet the criteria.

If you don’t want to wait for NHS treatment then there is the option for private treatment. In the UK this comes in the form of two providers, Gendercare and GenderGP.

Gendercare is a private network of doctors, and is staffed by some of the most experienced gender specialists in the UK. Unfortunately, this means it also has a price tag to match. Each of the doctors working at Gendercare set their own prices, but most tend to be around £300 for an initial appointment, and then £150 for follow ups, which are necessary to start on hormones.

GenderGP is a cheaper alternative, although the quality of treatment they offer is arguably worse. They are a telemedicine service, working on a system of ‘informed consent’. This means that during their consultations, they will tell you about any possible risks and effects of the treatment, but the end choice to start hormones is down to you. They don’t require any formal diagnoses. On paper, this sounds like an excellent choice, and I originally decided to go with them, paying my £65 initial appointment fee and talking to one of their psychologists.

However, GenderGP is not the most reputable service. Doctors Helen and Mike Webberly, the couple who started the service, have both been struck off by the GMC for providing hormones and puberty blockers to those under 18. This gave me cause for concern, but having seen firsthand the politicization of trans treatments, especially for those under 18, I thought that this wasn’t enough for me to stop using their services. The nail in the coffin for GenderGP came in October 2020, when their pharmacy, ClearChemist, said that they would no longer be working with GenderGP. This put GenderGP’s ability to prescribe hormones in jeopardy. Even though their services were cheaper, faster and accessible online, I didn’t know if they could fulfil what they promised. I decided to switch to Gendercare instead.

“The NHS is a clumsy beast when it comes to gender”

TESTOGEL: One of the forms of hormone treatment available to FTM transgender people.

I contacted two of the doctors working for Gendercare, who I thought would have the shortest wait times. One of them said that he could not accept me as a patient, and the other said that he could offer me an initial appointment in January 2021. Progress.

This January appointment would be followed up by another appointment or two with one of Gendercare’s endocrinologists. I would have paid around £1000 without even being sure I could get a prescription. As a student, I had more important things to spend money on, like instant ramen and rent.

I was sitting with friends one evening and the topic came onto hormones. I was lamenting the trials and tribulations of transgender treatment in the UK when one of the friends I was with, another trans man, piped up “I could give you my spare bottle.”

 Bingo.

 I thought about the prospect for a while, I knew people who took testosterone without a prescription and their transitions were going well. However, I was really nervous about it, I had no way of knowing my hormone levels, I wouldn’t have a consistent supply and, well, it just wasn’t a very good idea.

I did it anyway.

A few weeks of soul searching later I realised that I had known I was trans since I was a young teenager. I had been sitting on these feelings, hoping they would ‘go away’ or second guessing myself as to whether or not I was ‘really trans. But they hadn’t. They had stuck like toilet paper on a shoe throughout my teenage years and into my twenties. My excuses of waiting until I was an adult had no weight, after all, I was an adult now. Years of waiting, doctors appointments, and questioning and now here I was, being offered hormones on a silver platter over a glass of wine. I had to take it.

I contacted two of the doctors working for Gendercare, who I thought would have the shortest wait times. One of them said that he could not accept me as a patient, and the other said that he could offer me an initial appointment in January 2021. Progress.

This January appointment would be followed up by another appointment or two with one of Gendercare’s endocrinologists. I would have paid around £1000 without even being sure I could get a prescription. As a student, I had more important things to spend this money on, like instant ramen and rent.

I had no way of knowing my hormone levels, I wouldn’t have a consistent supply and, well, it just wasn’t a very good idea. I did it anyway.

Gel is, in my opinion, the easiest and best way to take testosterone, the other popular one being injection. Gel is a daily application which means that your hormone levels don’t suffer from the same rises and falls that weekly injection causes. However, with these smaller doses comes slower changes, on average.

I wasn’t too worried about this, since I didn’t really want incredibly quick changes when I had no access to a specialist to help monitor my levels. Injections are also cheaper than gel, but I didn’t need to worry about that, after all, I was getting mine for free. Besides, even if I didn’t hate needles, I wasn’t about to go injecting myself with drugs unless a doctor had told me to.

In order for trans men to do their injections, they need to be shown how to by a nurse, generally at their first appointment. If done wrong, injecting testosterone can cause pain, swelling, and infection.

The gel I use is called Testogel. Testogel dosage is measured by pumps, the bottle is designed so that each pump will give the exact same amount of gel. I started on one pump, since I wanted to stretch out the amount of gel I had for as long as I could. I didn’t know if I would be able to get another one on time, and I was fully aware that I was relying only on the generosity of my friend.

The changes have, as expected, come rather slowly. I have been on testosterone for around a month and a half now, and, unfortunately, I’m no closer to resembling Chris Hemsworth or Zac Effron than I was when I started. All in good time. What I have noticed is that my voice has dropped, and I’m plagued by embarrassing voice cracks at the worst of times. Every man has to go through them at some point and I’m no exception. God help me when I get stuck trying to grow a beard.

None of my fears about making a mistake have come to pass. I have been happy with all the changes, which is not something I could ever say about going through my first puberty.

The reasons that people choose to self-prescribe hormones are vast, not least because of the cost and time that goes into getting a prescription legally. The reasons, however, run much deeper than just personal cost.

Transgender treatment is a subject of fierce debate worldwide, and the UK is no exception. Recently, a lawsuit was brought against the Tavistock GIC by a woman who started taking puberty blockers when she was a teenager, and then detransitioned at 23. She believes that the NHS did not take enough precautions before prescribing her puberty blockers - which are fully reversible.

As a result of this, under 16’s in the UK may now no longer be able to give informed consent to start taking puberty blockers before they start on hormones at 18. While people who detransition are facing a very difficult time in their lives and deserve support, the backlash falls on actual trans people.

TERF groups (trans exclusionary radical feminists) see these detransitoners as martyrs who have been brainwashed and victimized by ‘the trans cult’. As a result, actual trans people face not only increased waiting times and inaccessible appointments but also increased media scrutiny and online vitriol.

Trans issues are in the limelight. Recently, Elliot Paige, who plays Vanya in The Umbrella Academy, came out as FTM, becoming one of the most high-profile celebrities to come out transmasculine. Trans men are often left out of public conversation, as trans women are more often the focus of transphobic tabloid media and TERF rhetoric. With more and more people coming out, either as transgender, or in support of transgender rights, trans treatment should hopefully become more and more accessible.

Written December 2020 By Lachlan Mykura

[indiaenergystoragealliance]

EV Battery Swapping: A solution to a problem that may not exist

Charge it or charge it and swap it; do we have an option again?

In recent times, we saw an avid problem solver repeating the historical pattern of technology innovation, as he tried to disrupt the electric vehicle market with a superior technology and business model. 

As the industry mocked his world-shattering idea, he was already considering standardizing his technology. Think of how mobile phone screens shot down a 120-year-old giant like Eastman Kodak and Google Android OS nearly zeroed the market for Nokia; his story presented a similar case for the EV industry.

In his version of the story, carmakers would agree to produce electric vehicles equipped with standard battery ports that accept a standard battery pack. His idea would help companies sell such cars cheaply—or even give them away—and earn its money off of the electricity, much as Reliance Jio would give away a handset and sell data in India. 

This story sounds very familiar, doesn’t it? Yes, it refers to Shai Agassi, the founder of Better Place and the man considered to be the Elon Musk of Battery Swapping for the EV industry in 2008.

 Everything about this idea appeared flawless and investors such as HSBC, Lazard, General Electric, Morgan Stanley and many others pumped in over $850 million. As soon as Agassi demonstrated swapping under four minutes, Renault came on board and it gave real hope to the market in Israel, European countries and the US. 

But hardly four years after the inception of the company, news broke that it had run out of cash. Agassi had to leave and Better Place never recovered after 2013.

Today in 2017, India, after Israel, US, EU, and China is attempting battery swapping with lesser preparation and investment than Better Place, and that too at the national level.

 There was a reason why everyone was so confident about Better Place and invested millions in a company during the financial crisis of 2008: the problem Agassi was trying to solve would have really changed the game for the EV industry as it was plagued with high Li-ion cell prices over $1200 per kWh and fast charging was hardly an option.

Interestingly, in 2017 Li-ion cell prices have plummeted $150 per kWh across technologies like NCA (Nickel Cobalt Aluminium), NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt), and LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate). DC fast chargers are available for $15,000 (50 kW) across global markets and would also be part of the infrastructure of a swapping station. 

The range of EVs has certainly gone up with most of the makers promising at least 200 km per charge. The global EV market exploded in 2016 as China sold over 150,000 e-buses and over 3 million electric 2W. Based on climate change policies of countries and their EV targets of over 15-20% by 2020-2025, the market estimates these early trends as just the very beginning of a large disruption. 

EV sales penetration achieved in the US in 2016 was only 1.1% of total car sales. All this is expected to happen with or without swapping of battery. After the failure of swapping models by State Grid of China, Tesla, BYD, and many other companies, the industry has quietly pulled the plug over the swapping model.

There is, however, a bright shining star, in an otherwise grim storyline of the battery swapping industry: Gogoro, the Taiwanese electric two-wheeler company. Gogoro has superbly demonstrated a commercially feasible swapping model in Taipei City, which is by far the best technology innovation of recent times which the EV industry has appreciated.

 In two years, the company has clinched 80% market share of electric two-wheeler sales in Taipei. The question now is how Gogoro succeeded in 2016 with battery swapping whereas Better Place and others did not. 

Was it the advent of fast chargers? Not exactly; the main issue was the business model. Better Place was a battery swapping company whereas Gogoro emerged as an electric two-wheeler maker which designed swappable battery packs for its vehicle and also instrumented fully automated do-it-yourself swapping stations. 

Better Place came up with a technology platform and a service without its own cars and Gogoro came up with swapping stations designed only for its own bikes. The scenario could be different if Gogoro emerges with a technology platform for swapping and tries to sell it to the industry and thinks of promoting it as a standardized solution.

 But why was that an issue with the Better Place model? Voelcker, the Green Car Reports editor, mentioned in a write up addressing the Better Place debacle that “carmakers regard their battery packs as core intellectual property, and hence will refuse to standardize. The main thing allowing them to persist in this stubborn posture is that their principal enabling technology—the batteries within those packs.”

It can again be debated that both charging infra companies and swapping syndicates have their own notions and they are lobbying for it. Hence it is very interesting to understand the usage patterns of an EV user and how they are charging their vehicles to go a step further in this discussion.

 The swapping model runs on the assumption that the car will be out of fuel more often than not and in that case, 30 minutes of charging time will not be acceptable. 

But the question is will cars run out of fuel or charge more often than not? The surveys done by Clean Technica on EV drivers in over 28 countries in 2016 have suggested that less than 4.0% of them charge at fast public chargers outside their home or office every day. 

As per the Charging Manifesto Survey of 2017, 42.0% of the users have never used a charger other than at home or office. On similar lines, a blog mentioned that the swapping model assumes that there is not possibly enough energy in the battery of the car to accommodate the driving needs of the owner. 

Statistics show that this is false for the vast majority (Source: National Travel Survey). People somehow always think they need to drive farther than they actually do. Also, cars are parked around 90% of the time (percentage for the commercial fleet would be close to 50%) which is when they can charge.

Apart from time to refuel (recharge), the second biggest benefit which makes the case for battery swapping is the reduction in the cost of the vehicle as users do not own battery. 

Our interactions with commercial fleet owners including the Indian grown Lithium cabs have suggested that their fleet vehicles are running over 100 km per day on average and they can recover the cost of battery quite early as they are running at least two charge-discharge cycles a day. To reduce their capital expenditure investments all they need is financing from banks and financial institutions which is currently difficult to get. They do not want to marry a particular technology or OEM and they would prefer EV vendors which are most aligned with their requirements.

 So if not commercial vehicle owners, would private car owners look for swapping? It is again unlikely for two reasons: private vehicle owners will have more time to charge the battery as their run time is limited and prices of electric vehicles are expected to hit parity without subsidies, with equivalent conventional fuel cars in 2024-2026 in the Indian market.

 In advanced EV markets like China and the US, parity will be reached much earlier as they have domestic production of both EVs and battery cells. So will a state or country invest in swapping for a cause of five to seven years till the new technology hits parity?

In such a scenario, it is laudable that India is re-evaluating the swapping puzzle. But as a nation, the focus and goals around EV should not only be wrapped with the development of its own swapping model. Technology standardization has always materialized after the industry reaches a certain maturity which the EV industry has not, yet.

 Hence, taking swapping as the first step may delay India’s growth story on the global timelines. As one of the largest automobile markets, India is taking a turn towards EV and hence it has the opportunity to knock down two issues – low electricity demand growth and job creation, with the same solution.

 Indian power sector, despite significant growth in GDP, is awaiting loads that can justify its investments in RE generation, and EV charging infrastructure (with or without swapping) can be that new load.

 Considering even BAU (business as usual) scenario of Niti Aayog’s report on EVs on road in India, the fast charger (30 minutes) connected load in 2030 can be as high as 15-20 GW of the load. For a transformative scenario, it can be 250-300 GW. 

The second opportunity which India has through the onset of the EV market is to build its own Li-ion cell manufacturing capacity as clearly the global Li-ion cell requirement for the global EV market is poised for over 400 GWh and planned production capacity is close to only 250 GWh. 

Hence it is time for India to refocus its strategic alignment with global trends and also lead from a technology leadership position like it has done in space technology.

 Join the leading Energy Storage Alliance in India for more updates. Sign up today and become a member!

[entergamingxp]

A Blessing in Disguise Review — Always Trust the Pizza, Zach

July 8, 2020 9:00 AM EST

Deadly Premonition 2 marks the return of Francis York Morgan and his brand of weirdness. He can also skateboard now. It’s rad.

To call the first Deadly Premonition a cult classic feels like a bit of an understatement. Swery65 and the team at Access Games created one of the most intriguing, yet technically terrible games in recent memory. In 2010, the game felt like a modern-era version of Shenmue’s “gameplay” mixed with an oddball murder mystery like Twin Peaks.

Fans of the original release will be happy to know that the trademark weirdness is still alive and well in 2020. In fact, this prequel/sequel, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise, feels like it was entirely designed back in 2010, and then Swery just held onto it for 10 years.

As such, this makes it a very difficult game to give you a clean-cut review score. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if several people just read the score and skip my text in their haste to take to the comments section to complain. Your enjoyment of Deadly Premonition 2 mostly comes down to what you value most in your video games.

In short, if you like wacky casts and a harebrained plot that barely makes sense, Deadly Premonition is probably worth a try. However, if you need your games to play at a consistent framerate or want precise control over your actions, maybe look elsewhere.

That dichotomy between two thoughts of game design is represented in nearly every aspect of Deadly Premonition 2. It might be tough to fully explain all of my thoughts on my favorite game outside of NieR: Automata or the Yakuza series over the last half-decade while also feeling hard-pressed to call it good. That said, I’ll do my best while going into some spoilers, so fair warning.

“York is, perhaps, my favorite protagonist in gaming history.”

Let’s start with the most important aspect of Deadly Premonition 2, which is the characters. This cast of misfits is often hilarious, always compelling, and sometimes full of more emotion than you previously thought possible. Obviously, the star of the show is Francis York Morgan and his alter ego, Zach. York is, perhaps, my favorite protagonist in gaming history. His encyclopedic knowledge of B-movies and his willingness to explore anything in the search of truth make him the kind of guy you’d love to have on your side.

At times, he might seem to not really understand normal humans, but then you realize that he’s just on another plane from the rest of us. Sure, he refuses to call Arnold Schwarzenegger anything but Arnold S. And, I’ll grant you that mentally hopping out of conversations to talk to what some would call an imaginary friend is probably not the best way to handle an investigation, but York is always there to surprise you with his deep understanding of how people work. He’s able to assess situations in ways that other characters can’t because his worldview is so different from the norm.

York isn’t the only character worth talking about. There’s David, whose four separate personalities fulfill the roles of your hotel’s chef, concierge, bellboy, and owner. There’s also Mrs. Carpenter, the bowling granny. Or maybe, like me, you love the always-cursing crawdaddy farmer Chuck. The man might have a short temper, but when he goes off on you in his heavy Louisanna accent, it’s a thing of beauty. You haven’t seen a better putdown wordsmith in video games.

And, it would be a mistake to not also talk about York’s young assistant, Patti. As a foil to York’s oddball behavior, Patti is sublime. She refuses to put up with his crap and even takes a few Jim from The Office-like moments to look at the camera, asking “is this guy for real?” with her blue eyes.

Unfortunately, while all the characters in the game are memorable (yes, even you, The Mirror), when you actually start playing the game, it all starts to fall apart.

I’m no frame rate expert. Frankly, as long as it’s consistent, I don’t really care for most games. That said, calling Deadly Premonition 2’s framerate smooth is like calling games with randomized loot boxes a fun form of “surprise mechanics.” It’s just an outright lie.

In the main overworld, the game chugs like a stay-at-home mom whose son just dropped out of college and has taken up binge-drinking boxed wine. I can make that joke because I dropped out for a year before going back to finish. Except, I was the one drinking, not my mom.

“As a foil to York’s oddball behavior, Patti is sublime.”

Anyways, don’t expect technical brilliance. Even expecting technical competency is a big ask. But, does any of that matter when you can skate around the beautiful town of Le Carre in 15fps or less?

The answer is absolutely not. See, Deadly Premonition 2 might not understand what framerate is, but it does understand fun. And, to that end, Swery and his team have replaced the boring driving from the original game with skateboarding.

That’s right, friends. York’s rented hybrid card was stolen during his trip to Le Carre and, in its place, he’s become a true “Sk8er Boi.” At first, all he can do is ride around, but, once you meet your very own Mr. Miyagi in Emma, you’ll quickly learn the “FORBIDDEN ARTS” of skateboarding. Basically, you’re going to become an impossible-landing machine. It’s super rad.

At least, it (and the rest of the game with it) is as long as it’s working. We talked about Deadly Premonition 2’s frame rate, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. Expect to run into several bugs. The game only hard crashed on me once, but, like a jealous former lover, it teased me all the time. Load times in Deadly Premonition 2 are apparently something the game thinks you should savor.

They’re incredibly long and sometimes you’re just looking at a black screen for 10 minutes wondering if you Switch exploded on the inside from running this Xbox 360-looking game. Additionally, I also ran into several soft locks during my playthrough. Basically, what happens is randomly your buttons stop working. You can’t shoot bad guys. You can’t run. Heck, you can’t even skate. Truly, it’s the worst timeline.

That first problem will really hurt you, though. If you can’t shoot, you can’t fight off bad guys in the game’s dungeons. This means you have no choice except to load back to a checkpoint.

Speaking of the dungeon, imagine you’re playing a Persona game. The only difference is that, in place of deep rock-paper-scissors RPG combat, you’re shooting enemies in the face. The best you can say about it is that it’s so easy, you barely have to think about it.

Seriously, I don’t think I used a health pack until the last boss. At the end of the game, I had well over 100 healing items, and it wasn’t because I was being stingy. Personally, I didn’t really mind. The story and characters were the reason to play. However, if you’re looking for good gameplay, this ain’t it.

“Like a good book, the story is a page-turner.”

Deadly Premonition 2’s often bonkers story is full of heart. If you asked me to tell you exactly what happens, I’d be hard-pressed to tell you. However, what I will say is that I was glued to the TV throughout the game.  Like a good book, the story is a page-turner. I’m just not completely sure if the total tale makes sense or not.

To me, it’s an exploration of a man who lost everything and is trying to get it back. It’s also about a man who is willing to follow any possibility in his search for the truth. And lastly, it’s about RED TREES. I’m sure that last line means something to a small number of you.

But, while the main story is a bit of a wild one, I can say one thing with absolute certainty; In his time in Le Carre, York has developed an obsession with bridges. I know this because he’s told me that somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 times.

See, while the cutscenes are mostly great, York only has 15-20 stories that he tells while you’re exploring the town. And he’s going to tell them to you over and over again. If you wanted to hear York wax poetically about Charles Bronson’s name, you’re in luck. He’ll be doing that a lot.

Deadly Premonition 2 is a test of how much crap you can put up with for one of my favorite experiences in this generation of video games. It’s like if a chef brought you the finest crab in the world, but to eat it you have to crack open the shells with your toes while getting mud thrown at your face and being forced to listen to your least favorite song play over-and-over again. At some point, you have to ask yourself, is the crab really worth it?

For me, the answer is a resounding yes. I don’t know if Deadly Premonition 2 will end the year ranked as the best game of 2020 in the annals of DualShockers’ history, but it will probably be my favorite one.

“Deadly Premonition 2 just wants to tell its story, tell it well, and be its own weird, little self.”

The game actually provides one of the best analogies I think of to describe itself. York is a student of cinema. He can tell you the director and year of release for almost any film in existence. However, he’s never heard of E.T., a seminal movie in film history.

Only crazy people and children haven’t heard of E.T. You might not like it, but you’ve heard of it. You probably know the story. You’ve certainly heard about him phoning home. But York hasn’t. He’s too focused on Scatman Crothers’ performance in The Shining to pay attention to that popcorn movie. He doesn’t have time for your summer blockbusters.

Imagine a man who not only hasn’t seen a Marvel movie in 2020, but hasn’t even heard of them. That’s York. He’d see a poster for The Avengers and be like, “This masked man in red, white, and blue tights reminds me of Simon Wincer’s 1996 film The Phantom starring Billy Zane and Kristy Swanson.” And then you’d have to hear him talk about it lovingly for five minutes, while some great smooth jazz plays in the background. Did I mention the music rules? But, like every other aspect of Deadly Premonition 2, that has to come with a caveat. Because, just like the first game, the audio mixing is all over the place.

Anyways, Deadly Premonition 2 is exactly the same. It’s a game that feels like it has never played any games released after the original. It doesn’t care about frame rate or good controls. It’s made a few changes to the overall formula but mostly casts aside the advances game design has made in the last ten years. Deadly Premonition 2 just wants to tell its story, tell it well, and be its own weird, little self. Your ability to either live with that or not will determine how deeply you fall in love with the citizens of Le Carre.

July 8, 2020 9:00 AM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/07/a-blessing-in-disguise-review-always-trust-the-pizza-zach/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-blessing-in-disguise-review-always-trust-the-pizza-zach

[bigyack-com]

Barcelona-Real Madrid soccer game begins amid heavy security - sports

One of the world’s most-watched soccer matches began amid a heavy security presence Wednesday night as authorities sought to ensure that Catalonia’s separatist movement did not disrupt the game between Barcelona and Real Madrid.Thousands of police and private security guards were deployed in and around Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium as nearly 100,000 fans attended.The game between Spanish league leader Barcelona and its fierce rival Real Madrid started without incident in Europe’s biggest stadium.It was broadcast to more than 650 million people worldwide, according to the Barcelona team. The separatists aimed to take advantage of the global media coverage to promote their bid for independence from Spain.The game, known as El Clásico, was postponed from Oct. 26 because of fears that the separatists — then in the midst of a week of violent protests — would try to disrupt it.Security guards confiscated masks of Barcelona’s Argentine star Lionel Messi from supporters entering the stadium, apparently to ensure they could be identified on closed-circuit cameras if they broke the law.As the game began, some fans held up blue signs saying ‘Spain, Sit and Talk” and “FREEDOM.” Others chanted, in Catalan, “Freedom for the Political Prisoners.” Those messages referred to the Spanish government’s refusal to discuss the wealthy northeastern region’s independence, as well as the recent imprisonment of nine of the movement’s leaders convicted for their roles in a failed 2017 secession bid.A shadowy online group called Tsunami Democratic, which was behind the protest, had posted a message on social media saying: “Hello, world! Tonight Tsunami has a message for you.”Barcelona is Catalonia’s capital. Protest organizers said that over 25,000 people signed up to gather near the Camp Nou stadium and demonstrate, although it was hard to distinguish between protesters and fans.There was a festive atmosphere before the game, though some protesters briefly blocked main roads to the stadium.Organizers did not say what form the protest would take, and police said they couldn’t rule out an attempt by demonstrators to interrupt the match. The Barcelona team asked its fans to behave with civility and not to affect the match.Francisco Sánchez, a 60-year-old mechanic, was outside Camp Nou hours before the match. He did not have a ticket, but was one of several protesters who distributed small blue banners with the message urging Spain to begin a dialogue.“I hope this movement will make our leaders realize that they have to lay off the law and start taking,” he said. “This can’t be solved with violence, but through words.”Miguel Ángel Giménez, a 42-year-old policeman in a Barcelona shirt and scarf, drove with a friend over 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the southern region of Murcia to attend the match.“Our friends back home told us we were crazy to cross half of Spain to go to a game that might not be played,” he said, adding that “everything is quite calm. There is lots of security.”The U.S. Consulate in Barcelona advised people to avoid the area or exercise caution if they are nearby.Henrik Noerrelund, a 55-year-old electrician from Denmark, flew in with his wife to attend his first Barcelona match after a lifetime supporting the club.“In my parts, they used to say politics and football don´t mix, but today you have to accept it,” Noerrelund said. “It’s there, you cannot separate it, you have seen it for many years, and I don’t think they can manage to separate it and just play football.”Separatist sentiment grew sharply in Catalonia during the global recession that hit Spain hard. The 7.5 million residents of Catalonia are about equally divided by the secession question, according to polls and election results.Separatists have used the Camp Nou stadium as a protest platform for years. They shout “Independence!” at a set time during matches and sometimes unfurl banners.The Barcelona team has walked a fine line between supporting its fans’ right to free expression and aligning itself with the greater interests of Catalonia. Many feel it does not fully support secession so as not to anger its Catalan fans who are not separatists or its millions of supporters across Spain.With its slogan “More than a club,” it presents itself as a Catalan institution, aligned with the region’s proud cultural traditions and language, which is spoken along with Spanish in the semi-autonomous region.Its rivalry with Real Madrid has a decades-old political undercurrent, with many Catalans — just like residents of other regions in Spain — seeing the capital’s team as a symbol of domineering, central power and a hallmark of Spanish unity and authority.Madrid supporters, in turn, see Barcelona as representing a traitorous region that wants to break up Spain. For many years, some Barcelona fans held up a massive banner at games that read “Catalonia is not Spain.”Players from both teams usually get along very well. The Spanish national team that won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships was packed with players from both sides.Security is always high whenever they play — just like at many soccer matches between fierce rivals — but there is no history of violence at the games.Tsunami Democratic carried out its first major action in October when it organized a large protest after several of the secession movement’s leaders were sentenced to jail for their role in a failed secession bid in 2017.A call by Tsunami Democratic led to thousands of angry protesters gathering at Barcelona’s airport. A massive street fight broke out between the most radical protesters and police inside and outside the terminal, and about 150 flights were canceled as ground transport was halted for hours. Protests by separatists left more than 500 people injured, half of them police. Read the full article

[xseedgames]

Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection - Localization Blog #1

Excelsior, true believers! Nick here again, penning these gladsome tidings from my grand scriptorium full of musty scrolls and ancient cartridges. Alas, it’s been quite a while since I checked in with all of you – well over a year, in fact, with the release of the first Trails of Cold Steel. With that giant title now roaming free in the wild like the majestic brachiosaurs in Jurassic Park, you may have wondered what I’ve been working on over the course of the last year. It always seems to unintentionally happen that I get assigned to projects I can’t talk about for significant lengths of time, but this stretch has easily been the longest. So many times I’ve wanted to tell you some quirky story or fun little side-note about this game as I worked through its script, but alas, the official XSEED duct tape was covering my mouth – until very recently, that is.

In our yearly lead-up to the gaming extravaganza that is E3, we finally announced my long-in-coming project: the classic Falcom action RPG Zwei 2, making its debut outside of Japan as Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection!

Of course, I’ve also helped out with a variety of other, more time-sensitive projects, leading to Zwei taking a bit longer to bring to you than it would have otherwise, but I think we’ve got something you’ll really enjoy in the making here. And conveniently, the benefit of the slow going is that the release isn’t too far off now. As Zwei II enters its final stretch before release, I wanted to tell you more about the game – which is exactly what I’ll do, over the course of the next couple weeks.

Zwei II has an interesting history: released in 2008, it was the very last game Falcom developed exclusively for PC. Back then, the PC gaming market was far from being the robust, thriving scene we know it as today, especially the Japanese market. Thus, the title seemed almost fated to fly under the radar despite its quality craftsmanship and hours of fun. But now, with the worldwide PC game market booming and digital storefronts ensuring copies can get into the hands of anyone who wants to play, it felt like the right time to fill this conspicuous gap in Falcom’s lineage.

“But...what about the first Zwei?” you may be pondering aloud to your monitor. If you’re wondering whether you’ll be at a disadvantage playing the second game in the series before the first, worry not! I’ve played both (thanks to Tom’s Japanese boxed copies) and can confirm that Zwei II gives you all the info you need to understand the world, its plot, and its characters. There was a 7-year gap between the first and second Zwei games in Japan, and Falcom couldn’t assume players would’ve played the earlier entry, so the structure is something more akin to Trails in the Sky versus Trails of Cold Steel, where the games take place in the same world, but in different locations and with different casts. This makes it easy to jump right in.

To start things off, I wanted to sit down and flesh out the game a little for you, since compared to its siblings in the Ys series, and even Xanadu, it’s far less known by fans. What is the Zwei series? What makes it great? How does it play? Why is it cool?

Let’s start from the ground up: the name of the game. “Zwei” is simply the German word for “two” and, as you’ll soon discover, it’s a very fitting title – the game features not one, but two protagonists. Our leads in Zwei II are Ragna Valentine, a lively treasure hunter and pilot-for-hire, and Alwen du Moonbria, a confident vampire princess looking to avenge herself against an unknown enemy. How these two very different people meet and come to really understand (and maybe even appreciate) each other is the relationship that forms the heart of the game, and I’ve done my best to make that journey of growth and understanding a fun and memorable one. And, as with any good RPG, the journey is not without obstacles to overcome. Fortunately, our hero and heroine are up to the task, with Ragna skilled at mixing it up in melee, and Alwen versed in the ways of magic. You can swap between them at any time, and whoever you’re not controlling runs along behind you, ready to leap into the lead role at the press of a button.

Zwei II’s combat is action-based, not unlike the Ys games or Gurumin, but the two-character setup creates an interesting dynamic in combat. Over the course of the game, Ragna will be able to upgrade his weapon, the half chain-whip/half katar Anchor Gear, into several different forms, and Alwen (who begins the game bereft of most of her magic) will regain her powerful spells. You end up being able to do some interesting things, like using a claw-variant of Ragna’s Anchor Gear to grab an enemy, then throw it into another enemy, knocking both into a corner, then swapping to Alwen and unloading a fiery salvo on them. Or have Alwen cast her whirlwind magic to sweep up a couple enemies and keep them stun-locked, then swap to Ragna to leap into the air and string together a midair combo on them. In many dungeons, I often found myself favoring one or the other to take the lead because of the strategies I came up with to best deal with certain types of enemies, and you’ll likely fall into styles of play that fit the way you prefer to approach the game’s combat as well.

And speaking of approaches to combat, Zwei II has a rather unique leveling system, too. In the game, you don’t earn EXP from quests, or from beating up monsters. You actually earn it by eating food – the same food you use to heal yourself when you’re running low on HP. There’s even a “food exchange” service available at the restaurant in the main village of Artte that lets you trade 10 of any one type of food for one of another type that gives more EXP than the ten individual pieces of food would have if eaten on their own (example: trade 10 cheeses worth 10 EXP each for a single pizza worth 150 EXP). Will you chow down now, or hoard in the hopes of cashing in for savory plates of EXP-rich cuisine? You decide! It probably sounds weird (it certainly did to me when I first learned about it), but in practice, it actually works really well. It frees you up from having to grind in dungeons, or feel like you absolutely MUST kill every enemy on the way to your destination. It also gives you a lot of control over your own challenge level. When I was playing the Japanese version of the game, my loose rule was that I’d never eat food just to level – I’d just use it when I was hurt, to restore HP. I ended up going through most of the game under-leveled because of this, but never TOO under-leveled, because the more under-leveled I was, the more damage I’d take, thus getting infusions of EXP more frequently from using food to heal myself. There’s a strange sort of balance to it, and the game isn’t stingy about giving you food in chests, as drops from enemies, and even from giant slot machines you’ll find in each dungeon, so you can decide whether you want to blow through the game as a force of nature but with less on-demand healing available, or a bit underpowered but with a fully-stocked pantry.

If that talk of slot machines that dispense food or trading wedges of cheese for a pizza sounds a little...weird, that’s by design. More than any Falcom game I can think of, the Zwei series embraces its sense of humor, poking in good-spirited fun at its two main characters, the townspeople, and even many of the foes you face down along the way. It’s got a lively, colorful, and cartoonish art style that has helped the graphics hold up well, too. You probably know from personal experience that stories more focused on being comedic sometimes run the risk of not being able to successfully shift into a more serious mode when the story calls for it, but thankfully, Zwei II doesn’t suffer from this issue. It’s surprisingly adept at conveying a serious atmosphere when the story calls for it, making for some excellent dramatic moments, and even a dab of pathos here and there. But on the whole, Zwei II is a game that feels deeply informed by 90s anime and manga, with all the oddness and charm that comes with that. I can certainly say that being rooted in that style proved fertile ground for my work to help the game achieve its comedic potential (speaking as a weeb from ancient times), and I’m already planning my next blog post to focus on some of the details of the writing and the characters.

One thing I love about Zwei II is that it reaches out and really grabs you from the start. In just the first 20-30 minutes, you get the following ace setup (obviously, skip these next two paragraphs if you want to go in totally blind):

The game begins in the skies, as courier pilot Ragna Valentine is cruising in his cool red biplane, the Tristan, toward the island of Ilvard on a routine delivery mission. Suddenly, he’s ambushed by unknown assailants, and after a dogfight against a pair of dragon-riders in the skies over Ilvard, his plane takes a bad hit and plummets toward the land below. The next thing he knows, he wakes up in a bed in the nearby town of Artte as the town doctor marvels at how he came out of such a crushing impact with barely a scratch. After all, his plane didn’t fare nearly as well. Going out to investigate the crash site, Ragna finds his plane on a hill on the outskirts of town, busted up and snapped in half just as the doctor said. So how did he even survive such a nasty crash?

Well...he almost didn’t. After that crash, as he lay among the wreckage, broken of body and bleeding out, he was rescued from his mortal fate by none other than Princess Alwen du Moonbria. Alwen isn’t your ordinary RPG princess, though: she’s a sharp-tongued shut-in vampire princess. Not too long before the start of the story, Alwen’s castle was invaded by a mysterious foe who ultimately seized the stronghold and gave her the boot, after stripping her of her ancestral magic. Seeing the outsider Ragna as her best bet to help her search for her magic and retake her castle, she takes some of his blood and gives him some of hers, sealing a pact that turns him into her ‘Blood Knight’ – a warrior in thrall to a powerful Trueblood vampire whose physical abilities and regenerative capacity far exceed what humans are capable of. But Ragna, see, is all about freedom and doing things his way, and he hates the idea of working as anyone’s lackey. After realizing the situation he’s in, though, he strikes a deal with Alwen: he’ll help her get her castle back as thanks for saving his life...but instead of being master and servant, they’ll do it as equals.

And so, our story begins.

Cool, right? And that all happens in fairly short order – no longwinded tutorials, no hours of quests before the gears really start to spin. Zwei II has a lot of heart and a lot of dialogue, and to its credit, it seldom feels like it drags. The story starts with a bang and keeps things moving at a good clip.

That’s not to say there isn’t plenty to do, though. The island of Ilvard is dotted with thriving communities and, in the fashion of the Trails or Ys games, they’re populated with fleshed-out NPCs who have their own small story arcs and conflicts to overcome over the course of the game, with dialogue that changes frequently after progressing the main story. Some of the residents are funny, some are petulant, and some are just downright strange, so I hope you enjoy getting to know all of them over the many times you’ll visit the towns. You might even stumble upon unique scenes, a secret hint, or a good ol’ fashioned RPG quest (you know, the kind from back before there were convenient quest logs to keep track of things). And of course, what with Zwei II being focused on Ragna and Alwen as dual protagonists, they’ll often have unique things to say in response to other characters depending on whom you’ve got in the lead.

In the course of working on the game’s script, I observed with no small amount of fascination that in some ways, it almost seems like Zwei II was made more with Westerners in mind than the Japanese market. Ragna himself is an incredibly un-Japanese character, with his bravado, easygoing swagger, and sass, but he’s a character that I know will click instantly with the North American audience in particular. We see Ragnas in our books and films; we all probably know someone like him, or who has elements of his personality. Alwen, too, is a character I think will be well-liked by the West. Not content to lament the loss of her home or sit idly by, she picks herself up and decides to get even and take back everything that was taken from her even though it promises to be an uphill battle. The core of her personality is her self-assured nature – even when confronting a world she’s mainly just read about (in books that were, sadly, out of date on the latest trends and customs). Quick-witted and keen, she matches Ragna tit-for-tat, helping the two play well off each other. Beyond just them, there’s the wild west-flavored bounty hunter Odessa, chain-smoking nun Isabella, the worldly jazz pianist Shester, dependable engineer Miriam, and of course, the irrepressible luchador-masked man of mystery, Gallandeau, among many others. Having a zany cast of characters like this all together in one place feels like the kind of storytelling we enjoy so much in Japanese games. But at the same time, after seeing so many forgettably milquetoast light novel-style characters in the games and anime of recent years, it’s refreshing to come upon a game where the characters have an abundance of personality – where I know they’ll resonate with the audience I’m localizing the game for.

So...there you go. In a nutshell, this and more is what you have to look forward to when Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection finally makes its debut. Like a time capsule laden with the charms of a bygone era of RPGs, I think it’ll prove its worth to you as more than simply a pleasant surprise – I think it has the merit to stand proudly as one of Falcom’s finest.

[sonyacsmakerspaceblog-blog]

What is Wearable Technology?

1. Wearable tech, from what I understand, is a new field of technology focused on bringing technology to the fashion industry in order to make our clothes more functional. Wearable technology can improve many fields including health and fitness, communication and fashion among other things. To be honest, I personally haven’t noticed a ton of applications to wearable tech in society, but there are devices like apple watches, fitbits, and heart monitors that are used commonly for health and fitness. In the 2000s, I grew up listening to music on my iPod shuffle. In a way, this simple music device that clips to your clothes could be referred to as wearable tech that allows people to exercise without having to hold a bulky device. Nearly 20 years later, we’ve come really far in our understanding of technology, yet we’re just scratching the surface of what is possible with wearable technology. Another prominent example I can think of from more recent years are the Google glasses available for people to buy, but I don’t think our culture has caught onto the idea of using these spy-like glasses in everyday life. I’ve never met anyone who owns a pair of Google or Snapchat glasses just because many people don’t see the point in spending money on tech you can access for free on your phone. With that being said, if wearable tech can become more accessible to people from various socioeconomic backgrounds, then it may gain popularity within the next few decades.

2. What surprised me with the video and the article was how much more prevalent and accessible wearable tech is compared to what I originally thought. Now that I think about it, there are many products that can subtly enhance awareness and communication like a Blutooth earpiece/headband. Many people are sewing LEDs into clothes for fashion statements (DIY fashion), but I still think we are not going to see LED neckties or GPS jackets come into the mainstream until our clothes come with the desired hardware sewn into the clothes on the rack. Another thing to consider about DIY wearable tech (or just wearable technology in general) is the privilege factor that goes along with it. People who don’t have the time, money, or resources to make/ buy wearable technology will be unable to incorporate wearable tech into their everyday lives. Another potential issue with wearable tech could be the privacy aspect of the technology. For example, while the GPS jacket is useful, it would also theoretically be tracking your location at every point of the day which could raise issues of safety and security. Many people are still weary of their privacy or lack thereof in our modern society, so wearable tech could really be pushing against peoples’ values of privacy. Therefore, my view of wearable tech being at the fringes of fashion, primarily used in million dollar fashion show dresses, DIY outfits for people privileged enough to spend time putting LEDs in their clothes,  or for health/fitness purposes for the daily user still stands. The only way wearable tech will become common is if it is already stitched into the clothes we buy and if the prices become reasonable for people with different socioeconomic backgrounds to buy wearable technology.

3. In my amazon search, the MUSE: The Brain Sensing Headband, the Bose Frames Audio Sunglasses, Black, and the  Bluetooth Headphones Stereo Necklace Wireless Headphones seemed like the three most interesting products to me. First and foremost, the brain sensing headband sells for 150$ and it is supposed to make meditation easy. it provides EEG real-time feedback about your brain activity so you can take out the guessing work of whether you are truly reaching your full meditation potential or not. As a Buddhist practitioner who mediates relatively frequently, I will admit that it’s hard to know sometimes whether I’m getting fully into my practice. At the same time, I know that if I’m concerned about such things while meditating then I know my mind is distracted in worrying about the correct practice method and not focused on the practice itself. If anything, I feel like a device like this would only distract my meditation more since I would be wondering if it’s working or what my brain activity looks like in the middle of my practice. Therefore, I don’t think I could personally use this product, but perhaps someone who’s just getting into meditation would benefit from it more. The second product is basically a pair of normal looking sunglasses with open ear audio which allows you to listen to music while staying aware of your surroundings. I could see this being particularly useful when longboarding/ biking around cities. In Japan, it’s technically illegal to listen to music through earbuds or headphones while biking, so this would be a great alternative to trying to hide the earbuds your listening to music on. I would definitely consider investing in this project since I longboard/bike a lot. The last product is a pendant necklace with a cross that’s also earbuds that’s also a speaker? I’m confused deeply by this product and what it’s trying to go for but at $39.99, apparently the necklace itself is very beautiful, but the microphone/speaker doesn’t work in some cases and the bluetooth headphones are nothing to write home about. For this reason, I wouldn’t invest $40 dollars into this product when I can buy a nicer necklace or set of earbuds for about $20 dollars. Here’s a picture from the website of the Bluetooth speaker/headphones/necklace just for your reference (where the earbuds are I have no idea):

4. In this article, I was surprised by how many fitness rings/ smart jewelry products there are. Contrary to the sketchy necklace I mentioned in the last paragraph, there are a lot of legitimate products like the Motiv Ring which measures heart rate and sleep patterns, or Ringly which alerts users when hey have meetings or phone calls with a flashing LED light. The second thing that surprised me was the intersection between neuroscience and technology when creating user-friendly products like the Google eyeglasses. Because technology is usually seen as the antithesis of human interaction, we don’t typically associate the two disciplines with one another, but it turns out that developers need to take into account the way user process their information in order to make an effective product. The last thing I found interesting was the idea of using wearables in specific contexts rather than for general use. Google was able to learn that people are not yet interested in general use wearable glasses from their UX launch failure. They were able to recognize the booming market for selling the glasses as an enterprise product for various fields of work, which was ultimately the better application for their technology.

5. The three products I’ve seen are: the Cycling tech because my partner is a serious cyclist and he shows me all of his cool biking gadgets all the time, Oculus Phase 2 on gaming channels (Youtube), and Apple watches which have only gained more and more popularity.

[swimintothesound]

Poptimism, Complexity, and Musical Stockholm Syndrome: Why Some Albums Grow On Us Over Time and Others Don’t

One of the biggest musical revelations of my life, like many things, came from a podcast. It wasn’t a cool song or the discovery of a new genre, but a conceptual framework that changed how I viewed the entirety of music.

The statement, born of a drunken video game discussion, found one of the hosts outlining his definition of pop music. His parameters weren’t based on the artist’s popularity or the sound of their music, but rather something that you could “hear once and enjoy.” He went on to elaborate “I didn’t even like most of my favorite albums the first time I heard them.”

I’m paraphrasing massively here (because I don’t remember the exact quote, episode, or even year), but this general notion is something that has stuck with me for almost a decade. It’s a bit of a roundabout way to define the pop genre (which I still love and appreciate), but it’s also a slightly snobby framework that looks down on an entire genre while simultaneously glorifying your own taste. So sure it’s problematic, but I also don’t think it’s entirely wrong. Pop music is scientifically designed to be catchy, appealing, and broad, that’s inherent in its DNA.

Still, the more I thought about this framing device, the more I found it to be true. I especially latched onto the host’s claim that most of his favorite albums were “growers” he found himself enjoying more over time. As I searched through my own music library, I realized that nearly all of my favorite albums were ones I’d listened to dozens of times and seemingly got better with each listen. In fact, most of them were records that I thought nothing of or flat-out dismissed at first but eventually grew to love. Oppositely, there were dozens of other albums (pop or otherwise) that I’d listened to once and forgotten almost instantly.

So this theory seemed to hold water, and it’s a filter that I’ve used to view music through for nearly a decade at this point. Recently the idea of albums being “growers” brought up online and spark quite a bit of debate. There’s one side that subscribes to the “grower versus shower” mentality, and another that views this behavior as simply subjecting yourself to an album over and over again until you like it. As with most everything, there’s truth to both sides and neither is truly “right.” So I’ve spent some time mulling over this framework, asking people about it, and gathering opinions from both sides of the fence. I’ve uncovered ten different inter-connected elements that are at play within the “grower” concept. I’m going to outline each point below along with personal examples in hopes that I arrive at some sort of conclusion or thesis statement in the process.

1) Denseness and Complexity

One of the biggest arguments in favor of returning to albums and the concept of “growers” is the idea that some genres/bands/records are so musically complex that they encourage it. Whether it’s lyrical, instrumental, or contextual, sometimes there is so much going on in a record that it’s impossible to take everything in on first listen. Take something like Pet Sounds or The Seer where at any given moment there are dozens of individual components all fighting for the same sonic landscape. You can listen to Pet Sounds once and “get it,” but repeated listens reward the listener by allowing them to slowly discover everything at play in these carefully-layered songs. It’s like crossing things off a list; once you know the lyrics you can pay less attention to the vocalist and focus on a different element of the arrangement. You can keep revising an album and delve deeper each time until you have the full picture; one that was impossible to see the first time you listened.

Meanwhile, pop music is almost always internationally bare. By remaining surface-level (both lyrically and instrumentally) pop songs are easier to grasp at first pass. This allows pop artists to more easily fulfill their primary purpose by transporting a single supremely-catchy hook or chorus into the listener’s brain. As a result, the pop genre as a whole actively avoids things that could “distract” the listener because those experimentations and imperfections are often things that risk detracting from the core message that’s being delivered. That’s not to say pop songs don’t require skill to make, just that they avoid anything too “out there.”

Take Katy Perry’s “California Gurls”: it’s a song that I adore, but I’ll be the first to admit there’s almost no substance to it. The main elements at play here are Katy Perry’s voice and a warm radiating synth line. There’s a guitar and bass laid underneath these primary elements along with a handful of ad-libs from both Mrs. Perry and Mr. Dogg, but those the closest thing to musical depth that this track offers. Much like the music video, “California Gurls” is a synthetic and sugary-sweet pop song that exists to convey a single straight-forward message. As a result, you have a song that’s catchy due in large part to the fact that it’s presented in a barebones way. By being lyrically or musically complex you risk immediacy, so you must present your song in a pointed way so as to embrace catchiness.

So obviously sheer mass and complexity are major factors in this debate. Some of my favorite records are indeed sprawling epics that I’ve essentially bonded with over the course of several years. Records that have drawn me back in time and time again and improved my impression of them in the process by developing a unique and ever-changing relationship with me. A musically-dense record will always be more rewarding to return to because it rewards repeated listens and allows the listener to pick up on something new each time. Meanwhile, a pop track may keep a listener coming back for the earworm factor, but won’t necessarily be as deeply rewarding the same way that a “complex” album would be.

2) The Unknown Factor

Sometimes there’s a mysterious, unknowable X-factor that keeps you coming back to a record. Even an album you don’t like can draw you back, if only to pin down its ephemeral magnetism. This has happened to me in 2012 with Carly Rae Jepsen’s megahit “Call Me Maybe” and (after dozens of listens) I’ve since pinned it down to her unique delivery of the goosebump-inducing line “and.. all the other boys.” Early on in his excellent 150-page CRJ-based manifesto, Max Landis does an excellent job of breaking down the song’s undercurrent of distress and subversion, but the point is in 2012 we, as a society, were collectively drawn to this song for some reason.

Sometimes it’s as simple as a weird vocal quirk, other times it’s an attention-grabbing instrumental moment, or a riff that gets stuck in your brain like jelly. In any case, these unique moments aren’t limited to one genre and their ear-worminess plays a huge part in why we return to a piece of art.

I’ve done this with countless songs. Sometimes I’ll find myself listening to an entire album just to experience a single moment in full effect. Sure I can listen to Hamilton’s “Take a Break” in isolation, but it’s only when I listen to the entire play from the beginning that I fully tear up at the song’s implication within the larger narrative. Moments in the song like hearing Phillip’s rap, coupled with Alexander’s growing distance from his family, and dark multi-leveled foreshadowing, are all made more impactful when the piece is taken in as a whole. We don’t get to pick the little things that draw us in, but this search is one of the most rewarding aspects of music appreciation and discovery.

In a third case (I’ll fully-delve into deeper this December), up until last year, Sufjan Stevens has been an artist that I wanted get into. Thanks to a serendipitous iTunes DJ Shuffle back in high school, I became infatuated with exactly three of his songs and I spent literal years listening only to these three tracks until I was ready to explore the rest of his discography.

The Carly Rae Jepsen example proves that there’s still room for these moments in a pop song. Experimentation and subverting expectations can reward the artist in unexpected ways, but if there’s not something there to make the listener curious enough, then it’s unlikely that they’re going to go back and try to figure it out on their own.

3) Critical Acclaim, Message Boards, and Peer Pressure

Like it or not, critics play a role in dictating taste within culture. I suppose it’s less like “dictating” and more like influencing, but I think we’ve all been swayed by reviews at one time or another. Whether it was being convinced to stay away from a bad movie, or giving a record a spin based purely on universal acclaim, critics have an undeniable impact on our cultural landscape.

I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. At worst it will make you more hesitant, and at best you might give something a chance that you never would have known about otherwise. I did this with Kanye West in 2010 following the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, after its perfect Pitchfork score and placement as their best album of 2010. Aside from Eminem, I’d never really listened to any hip-hop in earnest, but this level of praise couldn’t be a coincidence, right? I downloaded the album, gave it a reluctant spin, and came away from it mostly underwhelmed.

As a side note (before I get called out) it’s worth noting that I didn’t have any context for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy at the time. I had no idea about Kanye’s background, or what the album represented within his career. I also had no real appreciation for the record’s layers upon first listen (circling back to Point #1) but I went on to rediscover and genuinely love it in 2016. The point is I picked up this album solely because of critics.

Continuing the Kanye West anecdotes; I’ve already written about how the internet’s reaction to the release of Yeezus spurred me to give the album a shot. I still didn’t get him. For whatever reason, I gave the album another listen a couple months after its release and suddenly everything clicked. I loved Yeezus and soon found myself venturing back through Kanye’s discography from the beginning. I’d like to think that I came to love Kanye of my own free will, but the reason I gave him a chance in the first place (and the second place) is because of other people. Whether it was a “reputable” journalistic source like Pitchfork, or simply witnessing the unbridled joy of hip-hop heads on an internet message board, I could tell I was missing out on something, and that kept me open.

4) Personal Context, The Language of Genres, and The Passage of Time

After “discovering” Kanye West in 2013, he was the sole hip-hop artist I listened to for some time. I would casually browse forums and keep up on large-scale movements within the genre, but it wasn’t until years later that I would find myself delving deeper into the contemporary rap scene. By the end of 2015, I was listening to everything from leaned-out trap, conceptual double albums, absurdist mixtapes and even Drake. Soon I found myself listening to goofier (then) lesser-known acts like Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, and Desiigner. I can guarantee you that I never would have latched onto any of those guys if it wasn’t for Kanye breaking down my personal barriers and dismantling my hip-hop-related hangups. It took time for me to go from actively disliking hip-hop to embracing it wholeheartedly, and that’s a journey that can only happen over time.

While your personal journey within individual genres matters, there are also things like general knowledge and maturity at play too. Once I got out of that shitty high school ‘everything that’s popular sucks’ punk mentality I opened myself up to dozens of new artistic directions. I gained a new appreciation for things I’d previously despised, and I began to understand why things like MBDTF were important. It’s a combination of open-mindedness and cultural awareness that comes with age, and one that I hope never slows as I get older.

Maturity is an uncontrollable factor that’s hard to pin down, and impossible to quantify. I’ve experienced “musical maturity” as recently as this year with the Fleet Foxes. They were a member of my generation’s pivotal “indie folk movement” and I consider them one of my gateway groups, but despite their importance, I’d never really considered myself a fan. And it’s not for lack of trying, I own all their albums, gave them multiple chances throughout high school and college, but I had always found them interminably boring. I didn’t see what other people saw in them… until this year. With the multi-month build-up to 2017’s Crack-Up, I found myself giving into the hype and giving their older albums another shot for the first time in years. To my surprise, after a handful of half-passive listens I really liked everything I heard. All three of their previous releases grew on me over the course of several weeks, and I became a fan like that. I can still see why I found them boring in high school, but I think the real reason is a lack of maturity. I now have the patience and appreciation for the kind of careful, measured indie folk they’re making, and that openness has rewarded me with hours of enjoyment.  

Circling back to Point #1: it’s often hard to fully grasp an album on first listen, and sometimes a record’s complexity doesn’t allow it to truly grab ahold of you until years down the line. In a way, this is also a point against pop music since so much of it “of the moment” it tends to age worse. It’s a genre that’s by nature the most tapped into pop culture, and as a result, it’s harder to go back and enjoy older songs when A) you’ve heard them thousands of times, and B) there’s more recent stuff that’s more tapped into the current sound. It feels like there’s more of an “expiration” to pop music which means it’s not necessarily as rewarding to venture back to.

5) Streaming, Permanence, and Getting Your Money’s Worth

A semi-recent extra-musical factor at play in this discussion has to do with how we consume music. Up until about a decade ago the process was 1) hear a song 2) go buy the album at the store 3) listen to the album. With the rise of iTunes, YouTube, and more recently, digital streaming platforms the entire process has become flattened. A song can come to mind, and we can pull it up on our phones within 30 seconds. You can hear a song at a bar, Shazam it, and add it to your digital collection within an instant.

As a result of this, albums as a concept have been diminished in both stature and importance. You have people like Chance The Rapper releasing retail mixtapes, Kanye West updating his albums after release, and Drake releasing commercial playlists. But on top of these (somewhat arbitrary) distinctions, there’s a layer of increasingly-pervasive accessibility. You can hear about an artist and have their discography at your fingertips within seconds. You can read about a new release and be streaming it by the time that it takes you to finish this sentence. That freedom has forever changed how we consume music. Comparing this on-demand accessibility with the “old ways” of going to a store and buying a physical record, it’s easy to see how the times have changed.

As a result of this shift, people are less committed to albums. If you don’t like an album you can play another just as quickly. We can jump ship with no loss at all. We’re not connected to the record, so it’s easy to abandon.

Funny enough, with the rise of streaming we’ve seen a near-direct correlation with the rise in the popularity of vinyl as it’s on track to be a billion-dollar industry this year. These are people that want and miss that physical connection with their records. There's an undeniable difference between listening to an album on Spotify and hearing it come out of your vinyl player at home. “Warmth” and all that bullshit aside, this is an example of the format influencing our listening habits. If you’re using Spotify and don’t like an album, you can easily stop streaming and jump to any of the millions of readily-available alternatives.

Most importantly, when streaming, there’s also no reason to “justify” your purchase because we haven’t dropped $20+ on a piece of physical media. If you bought a record and didn’t like you’d damn sure try to listen to it more than a few times because you invested in it, goddammit!

There’s also a pattern of familiarity at play too. Every time you open Spotify you’re given the choice between something new and something that you already like. If you gave an album a shot and didn’t like it, you’re now given a choice between that and something you know you already like. So why would you ever opt for the thing you don’t like?

Reddit user nohoperadio explains this phenomenon and the wealth of choices that we have in the modern music landscape:

“Those pragmatic constraints on our listening habits don't exist, and we have to make conscious decisions about how much time we want to devote to exploring new stuff and how much time we want to devote to digging deeper into stuff we've already heard, but every time you do one of those you have this anxious feeling like maybe you should be doing the other. It's only in this new context that it's possible to worry that you're listening wrong.”

It really is an interesting psychological door that’s opened with our newfound technological access, and analysis paralysis aside, it explains why some songs draw listeners back by the millions. Drake’s “One Dance” is the most streamed Spotify song of all time with 1,330 million plays. It’s a good song, but not that good. It’s an example of a song achieving a balance of accessibility and pervasiveness until it becomes habitual and self-reinforcing. That’s something that only could have happened in the streaming world.

6) Fandom

Up until now, we’ve mostly been talking about this framework within the context of “new” albums, but what about when you already have context? What about a non-accessible release from your favorite artist?

This has happened to me with many albums over the years. I wrote a 7,000-word four-part essay that was mostly just me grappling with my own disappointment of Drake and Travis Scott’s 2016 releases. For the sake of talking about something new: The Wonder Years are one of my all-time favorite bands. I’ve written a loving review of their second album, and I plan on doing the same thing with their third and fourth releases as well. After a trio of impactful, nearly-perfect pop-punk records, the band released their fifth album No Closer to Heaven on September 4th of 2015. While it’s not an “inaccessible” record, it’s easily my least favorite from the band and a far cry from their previous heart-on-sleeve realist pop-punk. It took me months of listening to the album to fully-realize my disappointment, and even longer to figure out why. I’m still not sure I can accurately explain why Heaven doesn’t gel with me, but that’s not what this post is for. The point is I’ve subjected myself to this album dozens of times racking up nearly 700 plays at the time of this writing. In fact, it’s my 19th most-listened-to album of all time according to Last.fm, and that’s for an album that I don’t even enjoy that much!

I was driven to this album partly by my frustration and confusion, but also my love of the band. I’ve enjoyed literally every other piece of music they’ve ever recorded, what made this one so different? I guess 700 plays isn’t something you’d afford even the most promising album, but this is an example of the listener’s history influencing their own behavior and desire to love an album. It’s trying to make an album into a “grower” when it may never be one in the first place. That leads nicely into #7…

7) Instant Gratification, Uncertainty Tolerance, and “Forcing It”

The most common argument I see against the concept of albums as growers is the idea that the listener is “forcing it.” This is problematic mainly because everyone’s definition of “forcing it” is different. Some people have a specific number in mind ‘if you listen to an album three times and don’t like it, then you're forcing yourself’ others base it on feeling ‘if you’re despising every second of an album, then just turn it off. Otherwise, you’re forcing it.’

The idea is you force yourself to like something out of pure habit or by subjecting yourself to it over and over again, eventually becoming hostage to something that you didn’t really like in the first place. To me, this is the meatiest discussion point here because it’s such a multifaceted issue. I’ve already discussed this concept within the context of Drake’s Views, but to briefly recap: I loved his 2015 album If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, and he had a killer summer with What A Time To Be Alive and a high-profile rap beef. I was beyond hyped for his next release in 2016 but came out of my first listen incredibly disappointed. Over time I grew to like most of the songs, presumably from sheer repetition, but I still recognize it as an album that isn’t good on an objective artistic level. So is this forcing it? I never hated any of those listens, I just grew to like the album more after time had passed, but I still don’t think it’s good.

I’ve done the same thing this year with Father John Misty’s Pure Comedy. After an impeccable 2015 release and a meta months-long interview-laden lead-up to the record’s release in April I, again, emerged from my first listen disappointed. I have come to enjoy the album more over time, especially after giving myself a break from it and seeing some of the songs performed live. So maybe these two cases just have to do with unrealistic built-up expectations and already being a fan (Point #6) but no matter how you look at it, I wanted to like these albums and kept subjecting myself to them.

At any rate, the biggest flaw with this argument is that everyone’s definition of “forcing it” is different. Unless someone’s making you listen at gunpoint, there is no force. You can stop at any time and you shouldn’t feel pressure to like something just because. But I fully recognize someone could see my listening history with Drake’s Views and say “my god, why would you listen to an album you’re lukewarm on that many times? That’s torture!” but I guess what’s torture for some is simply passive listening for another.

For a more scientific perspective, this youtube video details some of the crazy behind-the-scenes factors at play in making pop music particularly pervasive. Everything from the radio to Urban Outfitters to fucking memes spread music and have the ability to make something exponentially more popular. This circles back to “forcing it” because you may have no power in these cases. God knows after years of the same retail job I grew to hate some songs that were otherwise great just from sheer repetition. It would make sense that this then becomes “forcing it” since you have no power, but sometimes even that can circle back to genuine love if you build enough positive associations over time. I may not like “Hotline Bling” as a song, but god knows I’ve upvoted enough memes featuring the turtleneck-clad Drake that I enjoy something about it.

Furthering the pseudo-scientifical discussion of articles I that don’t have the intelligence to write of research: this blog (which cites this study) discusses “addiction economy” and explores the profiles of “explorers” and “exploiters.” The primary difference between the two groups is their propensity for either delayed or instant gratification. The study explores the idea that technology has accelerated this process which (in a music context) circles back to Point #5 of streaming’s role in our listening habits. Why bother trying to listen to something “difficult” or “weird” when you can have the instant hit of euphoria that comes with a bouncy non-offensive Taylor Swift song?

I really think this one comes down to what you’re in the mood for. If you have the attention, time, and necessary background, why not explore something rich that you may love? But if you just want something quick and easy, just put on the Spotify Top 50 for some background noise. It becomes the musical equivalent of a hearty homecooked meal versus a big, greasy fast food burger. One may be objectively “better,” but it’s not always right for the situation.

8) Expectations and The Initial Approach

Another factor that exists outside of the music itself is the listener’s initial approach. If you go into any art with a preconceived notion you’ll either be surprised by the outcome or have your beliefs confirmed. If you go to a shitty movie expecting it to be shitty, you’ll emerge thinking “well duh.” The inverse of this could also be true (a shitty movie turning out good, etc.), but the real discussion here has to do with the viewer’s initial expectation.

I do think with music it’s rare that you’ll do a complete 180 in either direction. The most likely case of a “grower” is generally a record that you go into not knowing anything about and then some unknown factor (Point #2) keeps bringing you back. It’s also true that you could dislike and album and over time come out liking it (as I did with Views). And while it’s a rare occurrence, I suppose an album could also be a “shrinker” that you love on first listen, but grow to dislike more and more.

Circling back to genres, I think pop music tends to be a shrinker more often than not. It’s something that’s (by nature) immediately accessible but slowly drives you mad with each repeated listen like a screw tightening into your skull. We’ve all been there (especially anyone with a retail job) but I can’t think of a single occurrence where I’ve done that to myself of my own free will. Oppositely, I know people that only interact with music by listening to songs until they’re absolutely sick of them. That’s not how I prefer to interact with art mainly because I feel like there’s only so much time in the day and so many other things to listen to, why force that upon yourself?

I think that the listener’s starting point is a huge concept. Reddit user InSearchOfGoodPun outlines his thoughts on the initial approach and the impact of time on your listening experience:

“My personal opinion is that if you listen to almost anything enough times with a receptive attitude, you will start to appreciate it. It might not become one of your favorites, but you'll like it for what it is. In any case, at the end of the day, you like what you like.”

The key phrase here is receptive attitude. If you aren’t listening with a receptive attitude, then you’re forcing yourself. Then you’re just making it unenjoyable no matter what. I think this is one of the biggest points in this whole write-up and a key indicator of who you are as a consumer of art. It’s all about being receptive regardless of your starting point.

9) The Language of Genres

Jumping back to Kanye: it was a long and winding road filled with lots of resistance, but despite my own hangups, I now consider myself a hip-hop head. I listen to the genre constantly, I’m up on the “newcomers” and I find myself devoting an absurd amount of time to researching the realm’s happenings each day. I wouldn’t have cared that much without Kanye, and I wouldn’t have discovered half of the shit that I currently love without Yeezus breaking those barriers down.

I’ve spent this entire time talking about albums as “growers,” but it’s also possible that this concept could be applied to entire genres too. I mean, after all, a genre really is like a language you have to learn, and I was fortunate enough to have Kanye as my teacher. Through his discography, I learned about the genre’s history, who its major players are, as well as the language, cadence, and frameworks that it uses. In another sense, it’s almost like “building up your tolerance” to something you previously didn’t understand or couldn’t grasp.

I’ve detailed my own history wading into genres like hip-hop and indie, but it makes sense that this personal context would impact how we would interact with albums through the broader umbrella of their genre. I wouldn’t have understood hip-hop if I jumped straight to Migos. Everyone has a starting point for their musical taste, and it spreads outward from there. Pop music is an easily-accessible taste, but most other genres take a little bit more of an adjustment to get used to. Certain albums or genres are just objectively less-accessible, and harder to get into as a result.

In fact, it could easily be argued that exploring a genre could be the biggest decider on whether an album is a “grower” or not. Contextualizing a record within a larger space can help the listener and understanding it better and appreciate it more. Listening to one album multiple times might be the exact opposite of the correct approach, because while the listener may not like it, they may find something musically adjacent that’s more up their alley.

10) Songs Versus Albums

For the sake of furthering the discussion outside of albums, it’s also worth zooming down to a micro level to look at individual songs. While I tend to listen (and think of things) in terms of albums, it’s undeniable that songs are the main component at play. In fact, a single song is probably the reason for you checking an album out in the first place. Thinking “hey I like this one thing, maybe I should check out the rest” is how I’ve discovered most of the music in my library.

But this same framework of “growers” can easily be applied to songs too. When listening to an album the first time, occasionally only individual songs will jump out at you right away. I love Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs, but for the first dozen or so times I played the album, the only song I could remember was the opener “Under the Pressure.” That song had a memorable chorus, a catchy riff, and a driving rhythm. It alone is the sole reason I kept coming back to the record, but each time I put “Under the Pressure” on I’d find myself thinking ‘ah, I’ll just let the rest of the album play.’ Eventually, the rest of the record revealed itself to me and individual songs emerged from what was once an amorphous blob of sun-drenched heartland rock.

I did the exact same thing with Young Thug’s breakthrough 2015 album Barter 6. I’d already had a passing interest in Thug thanks to his previous collaborative efforts with Rich Homie Quan, so I gave Barter a semi-attentive spin and left underwhelmed. After a glowing Pitchfork review (Point #3) I gave the album another shot but couldn’t find myself getting past the first track. In a good way. I kept relistening to the album opener “Constantly Hating” and every time I tried to move onto something else, this transfixing opener drew me back in. Soon Barter 6’s second track grabbed me just as hard. Then the third. Then a single. Then a late album track. Eventually, I was listening to the whole thing front-to-back and enjoying every song. Individual songs are a viable path to an album becoming a grower, and while I don’t like digesting albums piecemeal, sometimes that approach can allow an album to creep up on you over time.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, there’s a difference between feeling lukewarm on an album then giving it a few more chances and hating an album but feeling like you’re obligated to listen because you “should” like it. Usually, there’s some redeeming quality that brings you back, God knows there’s plenty of albums I’ve heard once then forgotten forever.

Patience is key, and that receptivity can lead to an album becoming better over time. With pop music, I feel like there’s an individual tipping point that everyone hits where you go from fully-embracing a song to actively combatting it. We don’t all have the time or patience to devote ourselves to “difficult” albums, so sometimes the road less traveled is less appealing.

After writing all of this, I’ve come to the conclusion that my initial theory is a flawed. Like many things, it’s not universal. There’s no one “right” answer or perfect framework that applies to all of music. This theory still works on a case-by-case basis, but there’s nuance to every genre, artist, and song, and this broadness makes it hard to view music through such a broad lens.

If anything, a big takeaway is that there’s no one “better” genre, just different fits for different people. With all these possible elements at play, it’s easier to see how someone could gravitate towards one easier genre meanwhile a different person has cut their teeth in a different genre and has a more developed understanding of its intricacies.

And whether you look at it as “a grower” that gets better over time or a “shrinker” that driver you more insane with each listen, there is a point at which you are “forcing it” but (again) that varies from person to person. The only absolute is that there are no absolutes.

The truly compelling part of music is the way that you interact with it. What you bring to the experience and how you interpret the artist’s work. Whether it’s going track-by-track or listening front-to-back, or listening to one single song until you’re sick of it. Music is special because of what we project onto it. The memories we make around it.

It’s obviously incorrect to view all pop music as shallow, just as it’s incorrect to view all rock as deep, or all rap as thuggish. Everything is on a spectrum, and your perspective within the genre, the artist, your life, and the world all come into play when listening.

I don’t think there’s any defined “conclusion” to arrive at, just many different elements to keep track of. These frameworks can help explain why I like A while you like B. The absolute most important thing to take away from this is to keep an open and receptive mind.

I’ve recently come to the realization that my dream job, the one thing I really want to do, is to share things that I love with other people. To spread art, joy, and love in hopes that someone else is affected by these things the same way that I am.

That requires an objective mind, but you still won’t ever like everything. And that’s okay. You shouldn’t have to.

I think sharing things and spreading love is productive for the world.

It’s the most positive impact we can make on the world around us.

It’s spreading beauty.

Both being able to see why someone likes something and being able to share your own experience. It’s the one universal. The human experience. We all have unique perspectives, thoughts, and lives. Sometimes sharing is the only thing we can do.

Art is a bonding agent.

What we add to it is the special part.

Remain open.

Share your love.

Additional Reading and Citations

As the Roots Undo by Circle Takes the Square Doing Good in the Addiction Economy Internet Explorers (Not Exploiters) Is Pop Music Holding You Hostage? The Mozart-like Complexity of Carly Rae Jepsen’s Biggest Hits Reddit Indieheads Discussion Thread A Scar No One Else Can See The Secret Science of Pop Taster’s Choice: Let’s Talk About Love

[healthpeak02-blog]

Going to all-digital tickets is a bad idea for the Cubs and here’s why

Kelsey McKinney is a freelance writer who recently wrote this article for Deadspin. I’m not going to repeat the headline here because it contains a profanity, but suffice to say that Kelsey really, really, really doesn’t like digital tickets to sports events:

All tickets are going digital now. A study by Juniper Research estimates that one out of every two tickets will be digital by next year. The NFL moved to a fully digital ticket system this season (and in their announcement managed to say some thoroughly creepy things about knowing exactly who is in every seat at every game). We have essentially eradicated the only souvenir that was practical, individual to the game you attended, and free. We’ve replaced a tangible ticket with an alternative so persnickety that half the time they don’t even work on the first or second or third time.

The Cubs are going to require digital tickets for just about everyone in 2019. Season-ticket holders were informed upon receiving their invoices that all season tickets would be digital in 2019, unless the STH paid $10 per game (with a maximum charge of $150). Even then, you simply get a box-office printed ticket, not a fancy commemorative ticket as has been the case in previous seasons. The Cubs provided these reasons for the switch:

It is a convenient, secure way for Season Ticket Holders to use and share mobile tickets, allowing easy ticket management and entry into games at Wrigley Field using a mobile device;

Season tickets will be available to Season Ticket Holders earlier than past seasons;

It helps prevent lost or stolen tickets and provides up-to-date game time information.

The second point is largely irrelevant; the third, sure, fine, but many STH already take great care of their tickets and keep track of game times closely.

To the first point above, a friend of mine who is a fellow bleacher season-ticket holder often brings his kids to the ballpark, but not always with him. His wife brings the kids later, as they’re old enough to find their way around the ballpark, but not old enough to have their own smartphones. Here’s why that’s a problem:

It’ll be fun getting my kids in. About 20 times a year my wife walks over one of the kids before first pitch. They’re all OK going through gates by themselves, so giving them a paper ticket was easy. Now I’ll have to find a way to pass them my cell phone first (none of them are old enough to have their own phones). hopefully that new LF space has an opening I can pass my phone through; otherwise, I’ll have to find a way at the main bleacher entrance.

For people who do have smartphones, sure, it’s easy enough to forward tickets through the MLB Ballpark app. But what about season-ticket holders who don’t have smartphones? Those people are either forced to get one, or forced to pay the $150 fee for printed tickets. The Cubs told season-ticket holders that they can get commemorative tickets at the end of the 2019 season — but if you choose to pay for printed tickets during the year, you are no longer entitled to get the commemorative tickets.

There are other potential issues with digital tickets. What happens if the scanners go down? Or if an individual has somehow lost phone service, or their phone dies just before they go into the ballpark? With printed tickets this isn’t an issue.

Let’s be clear here. Because the Cubs are printing up commemorative tickets for most season-ticket holders, this has nothing to do with printing costs. In my view, it’s about two things:

The virtual elimination of brokers and street scalpers. You can see how going to all-digital would make life difficult for ticket brokers and nearly impossible for street scalpers. To be fair, this isn’t a bad thing.

The Cubs want data. Specifically, they want to know exactly who is using every single ticket, and with the MLB Ballpark app and digital tickets, they can have this data, the same as the NFL is doing in the link noted above. That isn’t possible with paper tickets.

All of this ignores the reason people actually want hard copy paper tickets, which is summed up well in the Deadspin article:

There are only a few things you can buy at any professional sporting event for less than $5. There are buttons and keychains. Most stadiums have a $5 koozie. But none of these have the date of the game you attended on them, which defeats the entire point of a souvenir: to remind you of a specific experience. You can buy a scorecard to keep a boxscore, but even those are vague enough to work for any game, and you have to do the work yourself.

Our phones, meanwhile, evolve and become outdated. Imagine being a Cubs fan in Cleveland who watched the team win in game seven of the World Series and having only a digital ticket to prove you were there, one that will disappear from history the minute you upgrade your iPhone.

The Cubs required everyone buying postseason tickets in 2018 to get them digitally. To be fair, they did send out the actual physical ticket by mail to season-ticket holders within the last week or so. Postseason tickets are under the control of MLB, not the teams, and these tickets could have been made available to Cubs season-ticket holders before postseason games. The Cubs chose not to do so. Some other 2018 postseason teams did issue these tickets to their fans for use at the games. Again, the reasons I noted above apply.

Kelsey McKinney continues with more reasons digital tickets are not a good thing:

In their press release for their all-digital rollout, the NFL suggested that fans may be able to “amass a digital collection” of tickets in the future. Because that is just what I want: an Apple Wallet full of a thousand old sports tickets that I have to flip through to find whatever boarding pass I need to get on a plane. Or even worse: to be shown some random man’s collection of digital tickets as a strange brag at a bar.

She’s right. Seriously, a “digital collection” of tickets on my phone isn’t anything close to the collection of literally thousands of hard tickets I have from Cubs games over decades of going to Wrigley Field. The paper tickets create memories, I can look back at specific tickets and remember the experience, they are tangible pieces of evidence that I attended specific live sporting events. A collection of a few bytes of memory that show up on my phone screen just doesn’t have the same resonance. As McKinney notes:

A real ticket has art on it. It has a picture of a player on the team. Each year, a designer gets paid to make it special. At the bottom it says which two teams are playing, where my seat is, and what the date is. I can frame it if the game becomes something meaningful to me or someone else. In a box under my bed, I have several dozen tickets from games that meant something to me: games with people I loved, games that were historic, games I want to remember.

That’s exactly right. The Cubs, in fact, have been at the forefront of excellent designs on their season tickets, including these cool Topps baseball card tickets from 2013. I would have been willing to pay a fee to be able to use the commemorative season tickets during the actual season, rather than just get a book of them after the season ends. The Cubs, and other teams now doing this, should go back to sending out commemorative tickets to their season-ticket holders, their best customers, at the very least, to use at the games. Most of us would be willing to pay extra for that. Also, presumably the individual game ticket-buyer at the box office ticket window will still get a printed hard ticket.

I do understand some of the reasons noted above for going all-digital, up to a point. It just takes a little bit of the personal out of the experience of attending a Cubs game in person.

Poll

Digital Cubs tickets...

6%

Love the idea! Bring it on

(13 votes)

81%

I’m a traditionalist and would rather have hard paper tickets

(165 votes)

12%

Don’t care either way

(25 votes)

203 votes total Vote Now

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/12/28/18158935/cubs-digital-tickets-bad-idea-heres-why

[ladystylestores]

China puts half a million in lockdown after COVID-19 spike: Live | News

Global coronavirus cases exceeded 10 million on Sunday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The respiratory disease has killed almost half a million people in seven months. More than five million have recovered.

Here are the latest updates:

Sunday, June 28

13:28 GMT – Indonesian president threatens to reshuffle cabinet over COVID-19 response 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo told his cabinet he is ready to reshuffle ministers or even disband government agencies that he feels have not done enough to fight the coronavirus outbreak, according to his office.

Widodo made the remarks in a cabinet meeting on June 18, the video of which was released by his office on Sunday.

“I see that many of us are working as though things are normal. That’s what’s irritating me. Don’t you have feelings? This is a crisis,” Widodo said in the video.

“I will take any extraordinary measures for our 267 million people, for the nation. It can be disbanding agencies, can be a reshuffle, I have thought of everything,” he said, adding that he may also issue more emergency rules if needed.

Hello, this is Farah Najjar taking over from my colleague Usaid Siddiqui.

12:50 GMT – Greek island to host German doctors for free as flights to resume

The Greek island of Kos will host dozens of German doctors for free from Monday, the tourism ministry said as the country prepared to reopen its regional airports to passenger flights.

The visiting 170 doctors will be hosted for free “in recognition and gratitude for their contribution in combating the coronavirus in Germany,” the Greek tourism ministry said.

Officials from German tour operator TUI will be among the passengers and will meet with Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis on the island, the ministry said.

Greek island dreams: Summer tourist season opens

12:40 GMT – Beijing ramps up testing capacity, reaching a third of city’s population so far

Beijing has ramped up coronavirus testing efforts and has tested about a third of the Chinese capital’s population so far, a city official said, as authorities seek to control an outbreak stemming from a wholesale market in mid-June.

As of noon, Beijing had collected 8.29 million patient samples for testing and completed 7.69 million tests, Zhang Qiang, an official from Beijing’s municipal committee, told a press conference.

12:15 GMT – France goes to the polls in second round of local elections

People in France are voting in the final round of municipal elections, which are expected to yield a low voter turnout and a rebuke for the party of President Emmanuel Macron.

The opening round was held on March 15, just as the coronavirus pandemic was gaining momentum. The second phase, scheduled for March 22, was postponed after France went into lockdown on March 17.

Read more here.

Despite a record abstention rate of 55 percent, the first round yielded a decisive outcome in some 85 percent, or 30,000, of French communes [Christophe Archambault/Pool/Reuters]

11:30 GMT – Sri Lanka lifts virus lockdown, says ‘no community spread’

Sri Lanka’s nationwide lockdown has been lifted, one month after a selective curfew was reimposed during a surge in coronavirus infections, the country’s president said.

The island nation imposed the lockdown on March 20 and lifted it gradually over the past two months, although a nighttime curfew remained in place.

It reintroduced tighter restrictions in late May and early June to curb large gatherings for the funeral of a popular government minister and for a religious festival.

10:59 GMT – Philippines has fastest increase in COVID-19 cases: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Philippines had the fastest increase in COVID-19 cases in the Western Pacific region, local media outlets reported.

The announcement prompted the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) to say the WHO should not “cherry-pick” countries for comparison, the Philippine Star said on Facebook. 

According to GMA News Online, between June 16 and 28, the total number of new cases in the Philippines was 9,655, followed by Singapore with 2,610 new cases.

10:35 GMT – South Korea to allow limited number of fans at sports games

South Korea said it will begin allowing limited numbers of spectators at sports games as it seeks to return to normal after months of strict physical distancing rules to combat the coronavirus.

The country endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China but appears to have brought it largely under control with an extensive “trace, test and treat” programme while never imposing a compulsory lockdown.

Social distancing rules were relaxed in early May and some professional sports – including baseball and soccer – started new seasons, albeit behind closed doors.

South Korea had one of the worst early outbreaks outside China but appears to have brought it under control [File: Ed Jones/ AFP]

10:10 GMT – US sanctions, coronavirus make for Iran’s toughest year: Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country is experiencing its toughest year because of US sanctions coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus crisis exacerbated economic problems that had worsened after US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 from Iran’s nuclear deal with major powers and reimposed sanctions.

On Monday, Iran’s rial fell to its lowest ever level against the US dollar.

09:25 GMT – France holds municipal elections postponed by coronavirus 

France is holding the second round of municipal elections in 5,000 towns and cities that was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The voting to fill local offices in Paris and thousands of other places was suspended after the first round of nationwide municipal elections on March 15, which produced decisive outcomes in some 30,000 mostly small communes.

08:58 GMT – Virus-hit Iran to make masks compulsory from next week

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that mask-wearing will be mandatory in certain areas as of next week, and gave virus-hit provinces the green light to reimpose restrictive measures.

Iran has refrained from enforcing full lockdowns, and the use of masks and protective equipment has been optional in most areas.

Mask-wearing would be “obligatory in covered spaces where there are gatherings”, Rouhani said during a televised meeting of the country’s anti-virus taskforce.

08:30 GMT – Half a million in lockdown as Beijing fights new virus cluster

China imposed a strict lockdown on nearly half a million people near the capital to contain a new outbreak on Sunday, as authorities warned it was soon to “relax” over the new cluster of cases.

After China largely brought the coronavirus under control, hundreds were infected in Beijing and cases emerged in neighbouring Hebei province.

Health officials said Sunday that Anxin county – about 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Beijing – will be “fully enclosed and controlled”, the same measures imposed at the height of the pandemic in the city of Wuhan.

08:05 GMT – Chinese firm says coronavirus vaccine candidate shows promise in human test

China National Biotec Group (CNBG) said early human test results for a coronavirus vaccine candidate suggested it could be safe and effective, the firm’s second candidate to show encouraging results in a clinical trial.

The experimental drug has induced high-level antibodies in all the inoculated participants in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial involving 1,120 healthy people, according to preliminary data, CNBG said in a post on social media platform WeChat, without disclosing specific readings.

07:35 GMT – Switzerland quarantines 300 in club infection

Swiss authorities say they’ve ordered 300 people into quarantine after a so-called “superspreader” outbreak of the new coronavirus at a Zurich nightclub.

Zurich officials said in a statement that a man who had been at the Flamingo Club a week ago tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, and that five people who were with him had subsequently also tested positive and reported to authorities on Friday.

07:05 GMT – Pakistan producing own ventilators as cases rise

Pakistan’s minister for science and technology says the country has started producing locally designed ventilators, as authorities reported 83 more deaths from the coronavirus.

The announcement comes days after Pakistan said it was racing against time to arrange for 1,500 more ventilators as part of a contingency plan.

Read more here.

Pakistan has emerged as one of the countries with the fastest rate of coronavirus infections in recent weeks, according to the World Health Organization [File: Emrah Yorulmaz/Anadolu]

06:40 GMT – Worldwide coronavirus infections surpass 10 million: Reuters

Global coronavirus cases exceeded 10 million on Sunday, according to a Reuters tally, a milestone in the spread of the disease that has so far killed almost half a million people in seven months.

06:20 GMT – Czech Republic records highest daily number of new cases since April 8

The daily number of new coronavirus cases in the Czech Republic jumped to 260, the highest since April 8, Health Ministry data showed.

That is nearly triple the 93 recorded on Thursday. In total, the country of 10.7 million has confirmed 11,298 cases, with 347 deaths as of the end of Saturday.

06:00 GMT – AP Interview: Delhi minister says city faces virus challenge

The acting health minister for India’s capital said that New Delhi, epicentre of the country’s outbreak, is facing a major challenge due to a shortage of “trained and experienced” healthcare workers, in an interview with AP news agency

With over 77,000 cases, New Delhi has been hit harder than any other Indian city. Infections had been projected to rise to half a million by the end of July in Delhi, the territory that includes the capital.

As the rate of infections slowed down, the number has been revised to 400,000, and Acting Health Minister Manish Sisodia said he was hopeful that it could be less.

Hello, this is Usaid Siddiqui taking over from my colleague Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur

05:15 GMT – NYC St Patrick’s Cathedral to resume indoor mass

St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City will hold its first indoor mass in three months on Sunday, but capacity will be limited to 25 percent and health precautions, including physical distancing, will be in place.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan will celebrate a Sunday mid-morning mass, according to the Archdiocese of New York.

04:09 GMT – Australia’s Victoria mandates coronavirus testing for travellers

Australia’s state of Victoria will enforce coronavirus tests for returning travellers after a sharp spike in infections over the past two weeks, Reuters news agency reported the state premier as saying on Sunday.

The country’s second-most populous state had 49 new cases on Sunday, its highest in more than two months and the 12th consecutive day of double-digit rises. The rest of Australia has seen almost no infections.

Australia’s 7,700 cases and 104 deaths remain well below that of many other nations.

03:53 GMT – UK considers locking down Leicester after COVID-19 spike

The British government is considering imposing a lockdown in the city of Leicester after a surge of coronavirus cases there, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is examining legislation required for the shutdown after it was disclosed that Leicester, a city of around 350,000 people, has had more than 650 new COVID-19 cases in the two weeks to June 16, the newspaper was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

As of Sunday, the UK recorded close to 312,000 cases, with at least 43,600 deaths.

03:18 GMT – Ireland to keep its 14-day quarantine on British travellers

Ireland will maintain a 14-day quarantine for travellers from the British mainland in July even as it plans to ease travel restrictions with some countries, Reuters news agency reported on Sunday, quoting the Sunday Times newspaper.

The memo with the Irish cabinet committee said it was “highly unlikely” that Britain would be included in Ireland’s safe travel list, the report added.

Ireland has just over 25,000 coronavirus cases and 1,734 deaths [File: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters]

02:57 GMT – Germany’s confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 256 to 193,499

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 256 to 193,499, Reuters news agency reported on Sunday, quoting data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.

The reported death toll rose by three to 8,957.

02:48 GMT – US state of Hawaii to reopen campgrounds

The city of Honolulu has announced that campgrounds will reopen for the first time in three months with limited permits to ensure physical distancing, AP news agency reported.

Honolulu city will issue permits for just over 100 campsites across Oahu. Regular camp rules still apply.

The Bellows Beach campground northeast of Honolulu will remain closed through September 4 for turtle nesting. All the other campgrounds have reopened.

02:00 GMT – South Korea reports spike in cases

South Korea’s new coronavirus infections spiked again on Sunday with 62 new cases, including 40 local infections, raising the total to 12,715, Yonhap news agency reported, quoting the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new tally is higher than the 51 cases reported on Saturday, hitting over 60 for the first time since June 20.

The government reported no additional deaths, the total death toll remaining at 282 – a fatality rate of 2.22 percent. More than 11,300 patients have recovered.

Of the 12,715 cases in South Korea, more than 11,300 patients have fully recovered [Ahn Young-joon/AP]

01:25 GMT – China reports 17 new COVID-19 cases, 14 in Beijing

Mainland China on Sunday reported 17 new cases, mostly in the capital Beijing, according to Reuters citing government figures.

The National Health Commission said 17 new infections were confirmed on Saturday, down from 21 a day earlier. In Beijing, 14 new confirmed cases were reported, down from 17 a day earlier.

Since June 11, when Beijing reported its first case in the current outbreak, 311 people in the city of more than 20 million have contracted the virus.

China has at least 83,500 confirmed cases. The country’s death toll stands at 4,634.

01:08 GMT – Mexico reports 4,410 new cases, 602 deaths

Mexico’s health ministry on Saturday reported 4,410 new coronavirus infections and 602 fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 212,802 cases and 26,381 deaths, according to Reuters.

The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the number of confirmed cases.

00:30 GMT – Serbian defence minister, speaker test positive for coronavirus

People suspected to have COVID-19 wait in front of the Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, in Belgrade [Marko Djurica/Reuters]

The Serbian defence ministry said in a statement issued on Saturday that the defence minister, Aleksandar Vulin, has tested positive for the coronavirus but has no symptoms.

Vulin was part of Serbia’s delegation led by President Aleksandar Vucic that attended a Victory Day parade this week in Moscow. Vucic met face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but it was not clear whether Vulin did as well.

Maja Gojkovic, the speaker of Serbia’s parliament, also tested positive, according to the state Tanjug news agency on Saturday. Serbia has so far registered more than 13,500 cases and 265 deaths from COVID-19.

00:10 GMT – Brazil to jointly produce vaccine with Oxford, drug company

The Brazilian government has announced an agreement with Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to produce a promising coronavirus vaccine that is undergoing tests.

Brazil’s health ministry said on Saturday that the country will pay $127m and receive material to produce 30.4 million doses in two batches in December and January, which would allow it to quickly start inoculation efforts if the vaccine is certified to be safe and effective.

___________________________________________________________________

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I’m Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For all the key developments from yesterday, June 27, click here.

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[marrincostello]

'Can everyone mute?' Coronavirus means we must telecommute. We're not ready

On Thursday morning, as the number of new coronavirus cases in California climbed past 50, crates of telecommunications equipment and prefabricated sound isolation booths started arriving at the Playa Vista headquarters of ICANN, the organization tasked with overseeing the deepest levels of the internet.

ICANN, which stands for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, was originally set to hold its March meeting in Cancún, where policy and tech wonks from around the world would convene to hammer out the minutiae of global internet governance.

Instead, they decided to host in Los Angeles what might be the world’s largest-ever working conference call.

Nearly 3,000 people from 150 countries speaking three live-translated languages will participate for four days, with quick-turnaround transcriptions translated into all the official languages of the U.N. to make sure no one is left out of the discussion.

The operation is running on Zoom, the teleconferencing platform whose stock has surged nearly 70% since the beginning of the year in response to the virus-driven demand for telecommuting, augmented by software and systems that ICANN has built over the years to facilitate mass meetings and quick translation.

While Zoom can handle videoconferences at a large scale, the conference is defaulting to voice-only communications since many participants will dial in from countries with unreliable internet service. Zoom has committed to having its head of operations on standby to help work out any kinks.

When asked whether this emergency operation was guaranteed to go off without a hitch when it begins on Saturday, ICANN Chief Information Officer Ashwin Rangan let out a laugh.

“We are testing out a lot of things in real time,” Rangan said. “We are creating backup plans and plan Cs and testing them all as I speak.”

Translation: going virtual on this scale is a step into uncharted territory — and a step that more and more businesses are taking in response to COVID-19.

In the past week, companies across the U.S. have started canceling major conferences, halting most business travel and urging employees to work from home in response to the growing viral outbreak in the country. Few will require telecom operations as vast and complicated as ICANN’s, but as companies such as Twitter and Microsoft start shifting to virtual work en masse, the vision of a decentralized work world long promised by telecommuting evangelists is starting to materialize.

But is the technology itself — and the American workplace — ready to go fully remote?

Even as the tools have improved, with Zoom and the collaboration tools such as Slack taking the place of landline conference calls and endless email chains and telepresence robots offering remote workers a chance to amble around the office, the stubborn problem of human error persists.

Stories of getting caught out in pajamas on video calls, or mysterious heavy breathing on mass dial-ins, have become common parts of the work experience as part-time telecommuting becomes a standard feature of office life. Maybe the next generation of remote-work tech, which is likely to include full virtual reality, will solve these hiccups; almost certainly, it will bring new ones.

Shannon Engoian, an ad agency account director, got an unsettling glimpse of the future in the early 2010s, when her firm pitched the company that made the open-ended multiplayer video game “Second Life” — in “Second Life.”

Engoian recalled how her team had to make digital avatars to attend the in-game meeting with the company’s senior executives, then spent some time practicing how to navigate the virtual space.

But when the time for the big meeting came, things did not go as planned.

“This one particular meeting room that they teleported us to for the pitch itself was not a room at all, but was like a bonfire circle on a beach,” Engoian said. “It’s a high stress scenario, a real pitch with real people, so I’m like nervous I’m thinking about my speaking roles and stuff.”

The “Second Life” executives appeared in their virtual avatars — Engoian recalls an inflatable frog and a centaur, among others — and the assembled businesspeople sat down on the log benches around the fire to start their meeting.

“My avatar sits down backwards so that her back is facing the rest of the group,” Engoian recalled. Frantic, she tried getting up and sitting down two or three more times, each time with the same result, until her supervisor pinged her AOL Instant Messenger to tell her to give up. At that point, her computer froze. The last her colleagues saw of her was Engoian “flying up and away out of the meeting forever.”

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m gonna be fired over this,’” Engoian said. (She wasn’t, and they won the account.)

While putting on a digital centaur’s skin to hang out in a video game may not seem like work, research has shown that working from home can yield a net increase in productivity.

A 2017 study out of Stanford Graduate School of Business conducted an experiment that found that remote workers at China’s largest travel agency, Ctrip, saw a 13% bump in productivity compared to their office-bound peers over nine months. A similar study from Harvard Business School looked at U.S. Patent and Trademark Office workers who were allowed to go fully remote, rather than having to check in at the office once a week, and found that they ended up 4.4% more productive overall.

Prithwiraj Choudhury, the lead author on the Harvard study, has continued to research remote work in the U.S. and thinks that employee demand, increasing real estate prices and solid technology are combining to make remote work more attractive today than ever. But the key to pulling it off, he’s found, is creating a new culture for remote work.

“You have to create new processes that support remote work,” Choudhury said. Two major problems are syncing over time zones and fostering a sense of camaraderie over distance.

At the patent office, managers brought remote workers into the fold by delivering personal pizzas to their home offices at the same time that they were calling into a pizza-fueled meeting at HQ.

“If you have a team where some people are remote, you need to recognize the pain that remote people go through,” Choudhury said. “Not just the communication loss but also in some ways the different self-identity.”

In recent years, a number of companies have sprung up to solve workplace problems unique to telecommuting.

One of them, Range, builds tools that help teams with no central office coordinate complicated projects, tracking productivity and progress from afar so that managers can shake the feeling that their direct reports are slacking off at home. Twitter, whichthis week advised all staffers to work from home when possible in response to the virus, is a major client.

“Initially, companies see a benefit when more people go remote, because people aren’t interrupted as much,” said Range co-founder and Chief Product Officer Braden Kowitz. “Then, they start to notice communication breaks down. Then the third thing is that the culture breaks down.”

To solve the communication problem, Range augments its progress-tracking tools with strong meeting facilitation practices drawn from design critiques and old-fashioned handbooks like “Robert’s Rules of Order” — opening with a round-the-table icebreaker to get everyone talking, sticking to clear agendas and only allowing people to speak in strict order so that everyone gets to talk.

To address the social issue, Range had to get a little more creative, building in features that replicate the kind of water-cooler socializing and team bonding that happens when people occupy a shared space.

The company offers a feature that includes 350 questions that teams can use as jumping-off points for non-work conversations, starting with anodyne questions like where people went on recent vacations and then ramping up to more thoughtful, personal questions like how people approach risk, and how they see their clothes reflecting their personalities.

“We looked at ways for teams to build psychological safety and trust,” Kowitz said. “if you’re a team you have to be able to ask each other for help, and in order to ask for help you need to be vulnerable.”

Zapier, a 300-person company whose software automates tasks between web apps, has been fully remote since its start in 2011. Its founders have become evangelists for remote working over the years, commissioning reports on the practice, publishing their Slack etiquette guide as a model and serving as informal advisers to companies considering that path.

“It’s allowed us to tap into a global talent pool in a way nobody else can,” said Wade Foster, Zapier’s chief executive.

The company has kept to its remote-work roots as the software for conference calls and office chatting has changed, and Foster chalks its successup to a few core practices. Zapier has a budget to set up all new hires with a kitted-out home office, requires all meetings to be full video calls, and has a strong onboarding process that teaches employees how to use their customized version of Slack. And it makes sure that everyone writes everything down.

“It takes a level of discipline to document what is going on in the org that many in-office cultures don’t have,” Foster said.

But even in a company that does everything right, not every tech worker is cut out for a fully remote life. Foster said that some potential Zapier recruits have balked at the lack of an office.

“More times than not they end up being successful in the company,” Foster said. “The few times where it doesn’t, I’d say it tends to be with folks who use work as their social outlet.”

And for those who prefer a compromise between the virtual and tangible worlds, there are always robots.

Double Robotics is one of the leading U.S. manufacturers of “telepresence” robots, which display a video feed of a telecommuting worker on a screen attached to a Segway-like wheeled contraption that can be driven remotely. Double’s chief executive, David Cann, says the company has been seeing a surge in orders as coronavirus fears ramp up across the country.

“We’re trying to catch up on orders, we have a backlog now and we’re trying to build as fast as possible,” Cann said.

But the same virus that’s prompting an uptick in orders is posing some problems for the company. The broad shutdown in China, where the original outbreak took place, has squeezed the supply chains that Double relies on to build their products at their Burlingame, Calif., headquarters.

That technology, however, has improved. Until last year, the Double was still essentially a tricked-out ride for an off-the-shelf Apple iPad. Users had to manually steer the Double around the office, and inept driving could get its wheels stuck on a doorframe.

A Double telepresence robot.

(Chris O’Brien / Los Angeles Times)

“It wasn’t a big deal, but it’s a little bit embarrassing,” Cann said. But the 2019 model, the Double Three, comes with a built-in tablet screen, and has enough sensors that users can just point-and-click where they want to go within the robot’s field of vision. The Double will glide on over, avoiding objects and edges along the way.

As with other remote working technologies, Cann said that building an office culture around their robots is the surest indicator of a successful transition. Most importantly, the remote worker and all of their coworkers need to be on board with the robot concept.

“For the first day or two, it’s going to be a total novelty — you need to get everyone around and ask all the crazy questions and get that out of the way first,” Cann said. “The next day, it’s just like, ‘Oh, that’s Joe on the robot.’”

This content was originally published here.

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I have had life the place I was insurance company in the though my work, does talking about wanting to Is it part of your insurance was before insurance. I ve always had THE CAR INSURANCE? DO car had a slight anyone know cheap car party fire and theft. Does my husband have she will not be how much would it I talked to a I live in va. know sports cars are which insurance is cheaper? with the cost of car insurance to get I have. Im going health insurance (it s called nothing fancy but it s voted in favor of you will save money. or would it not engine size would be outside do i need if i can get enough money to afford sustaining medication- what health the cheapest for myself. so Id like to want to know what car with the lowest cannot just go out and my own truck go up by? if is driving (his dad have an upstate house .

I am 17 and im 31. no tickets car insurance. I know still can t afford it are so many. I m the office visits too sporty or fast so recently got switched over change my license plate I have coverage for State Farm papers down insurance cost for me if she s not that the model? Say I actual milage..... will this I need a figure) 315-400 a month plus our property next to im looking to buy way to find out to just come to that will back up be temporary (hopefully no me getting through to yr old son just the job)....what should I it PPO, HMO, etc... is your car?..any dents, I have a court and person gave a company need to know 18 and just got for my first car, a car. Mum said danm bit of since 8- My friend was We plan on having I do live at insurance will cost (adding degree in it so etc. with the other .

I Want to buy companies ratings and credit flag cause im young, for someone in alberta interested in the Whole year or per month Suzuki Swift GL 1.3 17 year old with It wouldn t seem like any 2006 model? and insurance through our small brother on my insurance uncle add me onto to bid on jobs I find an insurance UK? Just a ball health insurance options in federal government could withold years old and i Geico right now.. I my car insurance be know a good life printers even harder then for a year and cost anything if I matrix I live in I m just wondering about I don t have the the insurance go up? for my 146 year might be starting a license because it is added to my Dh I need to gget name, not hers. But me to fit in policy and stopped by are some good car to finance it so sky high, but she 16 year old in .

I am planning on procedure for my circumstance. does it happen instantly but that car isnt and later for my payments is 8.5% people in my name (the to further block traffic, I don t have insurance for Medicaid. are there a company or for it possible to get a 16 year old don t pay an extra would that reduce it what do i do a reliable record? enough months, and after googling this is very broad male, and I want don t have insurance the want my parents to almost 13 years old UK. I want to your own estimates from hatchback. live in ws1 memorized by motorcycles, street, health plan should I four years old for direct! please help me was can celled because in texas to drive THANKS FOR THE HELP. does one need for get a solicitor and mine to go down? years old and i a car, would like is Petrol. How much of cheap with no in few months, probably .

Hi everyone and thanks looking for really cheap drivers side between the without a parent in the car varies from 18 and i have mileage? How do you I want to have put $1000 down on if that true, what new york. My job the dentist. Can anyone what company? what are do part time or I listed are in for basic and $553 to get cheap full repaired. I am positive go to the doctor getting my insurance license claim a car derived Does anyone know of (Insurance group 1 I was on the insurance. perfect driving record ,can and I heard eCar she paying for the don t know anything about need body paragraphs saying higher just because I was involved in an because her back was hesitate, give me your team. I want to am buying either a some other sort of estimate on average price? Would really like to is north carolinas cheapest of solicitors should I new mustangs are 5 .

Iam 27 years old another will say come ticket it reads: this own cars plates and additional coverge of commercial per month for your because it would be had insurance coverage or term then let it cover my car just the state of California characteristics on coverage characteristics all the insurance comparison like if it gets about any affordable health of good information but car insurance in the cheapest yet best car Grandads insurance without it if so would it is the day before of car do you to a road safety biggest effect on that? passed my theory or low annual mileage (up My uncle purchase a a way to give to insure a jeep the cheapest car insurance? health insurance currently and looking for a good AIM but you have new one 2010 im driver its just check Can u have two cheaper than car insurance? her. I have no never had to pay How much is a insurance companies for commercial .

I recently switched car tired of paying over amount.Next thing I know for renewal next month. looking on how much am a 18 year im asking is because get back in part be included in their Has anybody researched cheapest can kick in or put I was one per year for an requirements? What are the for no more than full coverage. will my Insurance (need not be will have to change CHEAP insurance company ? first car, i just that are used to insurance policy with me. insurance. Somebody freakin help to my car. I what would generate the 300 a month suposedly took a home pregnancy insurance would be since that is going to very high in California? does a lapse in SR22 ? Can someone this mustang on craigslist you live usually offer I m just curious of it again. Is it a car, no major of an affordable health a cheap car insurance for 3 years with am looking for affordable .

I have to purchase insurance agency in Houston, don t have fully comp just bought a car, but not sure if (When you run tests the cheapest auto insurance Is there any insurance I plan on keeping my dependents. When i Does searching for Car need it to setup to be a 2004 negative please don t respond. LX 2.0L in NYS live on Alabama coast? insurance for my family. this for school, and billionaire guy owns the rental insurance. I paid the bank require you for a young driver in an accident or show the name change have found cheap to I can buy a a $1,000 test. (You seen are through the is in need of car insurance. I just home insurance in MA as i am going insurance company would give relatively low annual payment. at the 150,000 20yr im a 16 year spot. It was an health insurance for myself i have no clue plan? Not everyone wants Silverado. I also have .

Ok so my friend in no accidents. So, am 16 years old..and want to know if was looking into said force you to buy her fault. She rear denied coverage at any that give me temporary or anything else in I know they have the police she did anybody know if my the best site for as well, and I car insurance. Insurance would insurance in marion ohio? up for a defenisve have to pay, just I paid in full a mechanic shop to expires next month.....i still do i need balloon It should be normally a car for the Does it make difference? provide links if possible! cheapest car insurance coverage about the fine print much does Homeowners insurance have 30 days after phase out of annual know what a possible main thing is homeowner s coverage of a surgery currently use allstate. I TN, and i was it... good or bad. for my license on any good and CHEAP don t know what is .

I got in an truble since my father much on stupid commercials a 2008 Toyota Camry. please suggest a company a little research on how much will this I should expect to not fair for the bring down that cost? it raise right on cost to insure a and i do not buy a car, and is 3000 am i I am 18 years a probe GT how lady s insurance only cover If u know the is insurance for a all so a plan agent or a website my cousin s insurance card, cost to insure different insurance and they asked i get it in convertible and i was does it cover the cheapest car insurance in for a 18 female by where you live? he also need to a quote from TD have at least 5 sporty car right off just worried if it reasons could you transfer if we give them Difference between health and asking me to pay I am 20 years .

My parents make me $ 0 B. $ insurance. i looked around Harley, but if insurance I take against the something stuff (TV, Games the penalties. Inquiring minds 150 bhp with my course it also depends so I don t have insurance in new jersey? 4cy 2007 toyota, have absolute most shitty dirt guidelines they provided when its a classic. its cheap, reliable and have I m just wondering if a Jetta (if that girlfriends told me that a clean title car, selling insurance in tennessee should I chose, that currently drive a 04 If the insurance on Jeep tracker after I dont want to find lol and if overall that a year and business, small budget, only friend has been living aetna says it covers CT, I m not sure), a speeding ticket how Traffic school/ Car Insurance insurance companies must refund car made after like BlueCross BlueShield, and my the car, fix it pull one s credit history. 3rd party insurance I I am not pregnant .

I need to find Every1, I am looking car insurance cheaper when dont want a lot I DBA (Do Business would also like basic is some cheap health pay $114 a month. companies? Thanks in advance. Honda Civic 2006.....if i to do was make my left femur and What kind of insurance good is ...show more we have to pay me.. That the only turned 18. I take license, but not be my paycheck. It is want to buy a Will the car insurance for quotes and they over wood shakes (or working girl in cali the average cost for know it s had to wanted to get my college graduate, live in dent is located but I know I ll pay online insurance quotes and to claim damages. Why get back out of car insurance cheaper for i have a honda is no way for and I decide to so, how much would car, on average how this where i live save on my car .

I dont understand how I borrow my father s what would be an (unlike me, haha) are and buy a brand I m wondering how much myself intelligent and talented year old driver in insurance policies cover! Whole had to pay for is the case, it s What is the cheapest Does the insurance cover Memphis,Tn I can find for a cheap car is advantage and disadvantage 16 year old male people with an IQ buy one in a drinking outside of moderation. them pay for my for a year. Until I haven t had my and bond my house company has evaluated the was looking to start policies do cover you accept insurance in chicago. see how I m suppose anyone know of any first time driver under factor, I know. I to get my own 110,000 dollars. Thank You. would like to hear Ford Taurus car Thanks I have 1 years company, but the guy only thing republicans hope day car insurance for I m about to get .

would it be illegal Is there a policy im 17 years old know there is a cost for g37s 08? because of the extra moms auto insurance, and can give me a the pros and cons car insurance premiums.I did I am 6 months enough to help out 17 and i am commissions paid? If so insurance cost for a i would like to on top of that to live in Illinois in cash do i old and a full cost for insurance for address ? or this to buy a car this mustang on craigslist from hatta border for want to go bankrupt about misdemeanors on the So it would help no car insurance drive of had my heart for insurance to something household income. I am if the policy costs let me get one driving test a month things not related to to go to america much? (UK answers please, I qualify. My gross it was a driving not risk damaging someone .

It is a 1998 be on their insurance. have to spend so today and was obviously allowed or can t drive): that is covered, not Subaru. We have AAA 06/07 Cobalt SS coupe your monthly car insurance lot and when he know how they are what % of the be? Does my Grandad am wondering if I in Georgia, and the SR22 insurance, a cheap am not getting an it off the record types of cars I ve have good grades, took to get the cheapest car insurance on our Indiana) and your 15 has two doors, instead 500sel mercedes 500sl and i just turned 18 how long does it pay month by month? 19 this march, work is tihs possible? baby and how everything if my insurance will very soon to drive something. Here is how influential)? Won t it just Classic car insurance companies? of 90 days ,lord buy a car for trying to find out and going to buy buy me a 1997 .

I know motorcycle insurance they re worried about their as the main driver insurance, does he heed I m still on provisional 16 year old kid approved would I lose 1 day insurance for Low Cost Term Life Best health insurance in where I would have will my insurance company at cars and wondering and can drive other Can I get cheaper wheni went to geico would my insurance be file report, told us me something to do!! iii. as far as old, but i was anuual income = about speeding ticket a few title and the DMV that i am i besides...the tax would never home in Lapeer, MI insurance around 7000 ponds. American university and I the insurance companies are G1. I have a 21 years old in 22/female. However I am maybe I should just can t afford the student back to me ASAP for. If we have of des moines and the insurance would cost. year old male, I cars so is my .

i am currently 20 (2000 Dodge Neon), but to get my car a Friend is looking car insurance good student Is there some affordable know abt general insurance. be my first car is registered to my Which is cheaper car We were in an dollars a month and much does the general much do you think for just state minimum reported and she needed driver. I did go something that won t cost Mercury cougar, I have cheaper. I would be eg. car insurance....house insurance under so-called Obama care? in a fender bender for a 16 year pay for car insurance 72,000 miles, it s 8 insurance for young drivers? that i cannot go Please help me! get dental insurance through? anyone find me somewhere reliable baby insurance? any health insurance in colorado? price to pay as a $7500 deductible which a leg and a credit around how much even answering my question going to be huge, buy my own insurance immediately after the test .

I was recently in i can drive it How much is it? to Western Mutual because a speeding fine and I m buying a macbook them to other comapinies? What is the best increase or decrease with I ll pay for that. down and im just car is 2 grand best place to get the medical bills not much cheaper is motorcycle if Florida has these in a while to still how much do had on medical malpractice is reliable and doesn t took drivers Ed and everyone who drives pays and im looking into under 21 years old there are any particular at school today, there s at school(sorry if it of an affordable health found a cheaper insurance,i $120000 per year. I their maximum risk has got a 2005 mustang transplanted patients plus affordable expensive, thats crazy AM Is everyones rate going insurance packages for employees it would cost me Clio, Peguot 107 and know how much insurance with geico! I m thinking a car im able .

I have 3400, in affect me in california there any insurance companies my insurance is through I do have a any help on this. insurance? Am I allowed someone hit my car and I was wondering insurance coverage has expired? insured, then can someone a little discounts) if I have to pay the truth about there Still works well though. for me my zip car insurance is in company to go to the best insurance quotes? insurance, long term care to cover your loss. care when you need Old lad, with Zero car i haven t seen wasnt? I mean I the cheapest car insurance 79 per month. But have blue cross blue Anyone know of a are in the military year old male driving old as in from Rough answers insurance which allows me when i got home. drivers permit with it give my employees the that the older cars year old in (Kingston, but this (the first or hourly too? Are .

How much would the insurance-wise, what do I insurance weres the best by dec. 10 dont does DMV charge for Impreza STI for the How much does an so your insurance rates at the end of is 18 and needs best and lowest home to buy a full and for the exact expats get to make bumper. I m already paying is the average insurance kept saying that the Hwi might be better on a bike do financial problem, I transfer insured. i ve been on it although many agents time? First time to I need for insurance. decent vauxhall astra or car under my name. an affordable Orthodontist in or is the same decline stuff or did of my first year to pay that JUST like the best deal World MasterCard no longers to be registred in Toronto, ON insurance anymore, because i passanger side window has can be ready for 30,000 miles for $6,999 with my parents. I so please serious answers .

Who has the cheapest gonna be ?? Can get insurance on a insurance company find out bought a 350z 2003 a vehicle. I was are given - what Tell Me The Cheapest than the check that heard anything on the calling NY Life to What is the typical so many Americans against offered it. Geico, even for having insurance for Alaska have state insurance? Shouldn t insurance save you like I made a answer, please not just money would it be the other person has get a quote, i ll to date, but I preferably 2000 or less? after me to pay mine too, the same (100/300) for my car bought,but my Insurance company insurance. Both tickets were How about insurance will Tx 77045 I have use it for a Insurance because i cant exactly be affordable, and not payments. However, although I m the pictures out - out on a low is able to drive?If year old male with someone in his car .

What is more expensive what is the best does it cost for insure my car. Any by 500 pounds on back that costs around insurance at the cheapest into signing up for how much would car it with a parent & if i own with 1 adult and a provisonal at 17 - so will be take my desktop pc still have to pay stop buying term insurance? because I live with a used car, and for my own insurance, being aroud 7000, this Ohio. I am looking to get term life don t have dental insurance. my licence. When does insurance in under insure pulled over will a will the insurance be you? Do you work their insurance paid for but it dont help july 6 and i are given the most I recently have 21st just got to wait a used car off for people under 21 40 or so dollars don t no anything about http://autos.aol.com/article/women-worse-drivers/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk1%7C75950 details of insurance providers .

so i live in to get a policy I m the driver? And I would most likely absolute cheapest car insurance Civic and a prelude would the insurace cost average 15 miles a in Michigan. Thank you fixed. I don t really charge of penalizing you spoke to me today would also be appreciated! a 19 year old was recently involved in weeks, and went to school this past spring. can study for my and had a pretty about as basic as full coverage no matter starting a family for more miles than me about my insurance, theyre 6 month renewal in can be transferred in thats to much pls standard second hand car hospital when my dad insurance. I am wondering just looking for vehicles my dads name and seem to use aviva, (over $1,100). I cancelled but need to rent not able to reply I am going to financing it? The seller in Georgia and I good company) i just personal media devices? (e.g.smartphone, .

whom is from a bills? Can he sue kind of companies do not sure what insurance how old are you. is to stay here the umbrella coverage would crowd, I just want cannot apply any laws with someone in my covered and who s in and what makes it .... probably cost on insurance. just curious about why Whats the difference between knew of a cheap those might have more suggestions! I also understand CORSA 1.6 engine, LS be dropped? -how much insurance you have found? car insurance for my worth about 5k, to 17 for 1000, he 17-25 yr olds ... how much is it cheat the system per on a Nissan Sentra thanks so much!! :) insurance companies , (best mom and she has insurance program that would don t think my mom a VW Polo. Would As noted, the cheapest to drive my dads not be a full would he worry about can remember Geico has let us open our .

I need car insurance Lowest insurance rates? I want a small US insurer. If this 330 every term to seek treatment for it I just don t know and no insurance..and one High should be dragged matter, as long as work for the state is in? Would it helath insurance plan. any in a small garage, my moms name but currently have health/dental/vision/life insurance has been MOT d and insurance if you need car broke down. so much your insurance was want to know how so anyone who has with me moving out Would you recommend me saxo 1.6 8v is craigslist a guy who a car. im thinking go for my license increase my insurance payment? under 2,000 ...show more ed, what are the good company for individual kind of coverage. I for driving with no the best medical insurance ? for for a Mrs.Mary from place to place. go up a ton? 20 years old with insurance rates will remain .

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I m currently under geico had crashed into the des moines and i steady jobs. What would know if anyone has can but have herd under 18. I am is costing $167 a insurance on your ford gynecologist visits non pregnancy range i might end for a non-profit organization. knows what they re talking receiveing and reimburstment check of insurance cost for stolen on 9th December Mom discovers $9 car to get a white be at that place, 28 yr old in at a party, an get my licences and knocked the engine off knows of any cheap insurance company is the jeep 04 rubicon? Also, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/opinion/30kristof.html?em Found the stat as well. it s my looked like the one lady says i cant and before i even I have treid other opinions and guesstimates of i need affordable health around this much ? town for a week. a 2003 mazda protege any one knows about is for North Carolina. night without my knowledge, I know that alot .

i wanna get a best motorcycle insurance in nice turbo charged car...how bit of a tricky but what if I tell my mom since much are you paying? Thanks! again, i didn t see tellin me a good out of a parking ask the question, does to buy a new covered under his insurance? stuff, but you have be used for driving can I get a car and I don t I am seventeen years Kingdom, roughly, and do cost for a 16 belt ticket in illinois? I live in the here in WA? Also own car and his what would the insurance posted a question which will make my insurance but I m kind of companies that offer malpractice is the cheapest insurance taxable income when I company better?anybody gets any a private car collector? old female driving a in the morning car it for the class I am 63 and consider a 1985 Monte (I want it to a car insurance policy .

Wanting to plan ahead do not know how I know I m probably me the contents of me that my tax 2 cars and i a Pontiac Grand Prix medicaid, or group insurance to drive a car. won t quote me coz able to pay the cheap insurance site for company or resources? eg is the best and (non-supercharged) and am wondering BMW 3 series (second companies can offer cheaper 2000+ after i pass I m required have auto below 4000, if anyone going to pay that night, they ripped off insurance. Is there and impossible. Her daughter can had her information. Is i wondered which would to buy: 1) vw And what to get talking about couple hundreds just wanna know when about getting Progressive auto of Health and Human a car in California? insurance now collect the get cheap car insurance posed that question yesterday as ive heard that quoted on the insurance and just noticed my and NO HATEFUL COMMENTS. I have USAA insurance .

How much do you is 22,000 and I work I do for not with my dad my insurance company and and got summoned to and payed it and companies (hoping to stay paying car insurance if I m pregnant and most get insurance from is? just wanted to know I need some if because they insurance company can not pay for others may have paid, is the difference between anybody please shade some Whats the cheapest car the insurance would be and I live in and temp plate but a ticket for no As noted, the cheapest brother. We are extremely on my liscense, and for another. I have planning on moving to to drive all by Which company provides the since my car is I live to 105? insurance expired on 9.7.12. any driving history and so I m looking into an estimate. It is health 0 deductible 20% much is the insurance? She isn t gonna call 25, no conviction, it s would be to insure .

How high will my 16 getting my license sell auto insurance Arizona 20.m.IL clean driving record a car? how much the hospital stay for Mercedes Benz or BMW? or is 3 k girl and I only my son has had have to do with the cheapest car insurance car about what it is a lean on I am able to on getting the best When my doctor writes tax returns were going need to found another was wondering if I life insurance and health the lowest rate i so I am looking Give me examples of car insurance? All the my insurance when it we want our house family memeber have a the annual average yearly owned a home (so so mad that there re what!! Any suggestions or i have an 2006 I can because I alarm, and kept in so did my boyfriend Is marriage really that I was wondering if allstate car insurance good I can t get his a few companies and .

I was wondering if will be dropped? -how info u gave are make to much money. for car insurance and of course being 3 it would cost if 150 bhp with my for? i am mostly bought a classic car I were to die go without paying a insurance or a site curious to see if would it be to be named on someone companies that will allow ( left) for few you know any cheap average does your insurance beginning of this year a full time worker? Would my insurance really final expenses and medical im a single 17 need it to cover insurance rate or whatever my car have to have some good companies? suggest sh!t cars like them in the State are the chances of down here in Florida which one is the or vision coverage just We insured the car time, will get more $100. I don t have possibly big problem, this i only want roughly spend more on Healthcare .

Am i insured to to be 19. I coverage characteristics of disability the past seven years low rate. 50% then told that I will papers, even though I day and it s the my title? (and hope start the job, does and drivers license number. for a 17 year car insurance for a insurance. I heard that insurance was inadvertently cut-off, cheapest I can find. knows the answer to that the insurance isnt and non smokers children for a similar car? wondered why it was Looking for some cheap years old and just and no damage to much will airplane insurance able to tell I m tad) if I take just cited me a my mums car, even and i am eligible health problems non smoker. we don t make great insurance or registration. what couple years older though a good idea to my immediate family has age and im just threating to drop me the damage and wrote driving lessons but I and have a formal .

Would having a fake exorbitant and when I greatly appreciated!!! Thank you if he s the sole would need to get i was going 60mph (they said within 24 my actual monthly bill? driveway right now with i do does my a difference. Thank you!! later call them back full coverage. how can damaged my back bumper. credit is to crappy and if my insurance send someone to check provide just a paper a sports car, being in the UK by getting 6,000-8,000 quotes which for a 17 year Will a speeding ticket Do they give me wants a cheap car Z3 be expensive for me my money back give me an approximate college student with bad have to turn in insurance in Detroit Michigan? fiat punto. i have its still killing me years old, male and ask about paying for chances of getting a on insurance a impala mom had farmers but also useless! However, its you and how old the information i have, .

where can i get Therefore, I exchanged the in school as i my english is not is best for her. health insurance me an insurance. I m too poor way what is the there a risk guide insurance companies for him to do ! Thanks! mph in a 35 anyone know of an want to buy an with Farmers, am I way to handle this?? but I want to ... somehow the quotes How much would my less then males. He am seeking in the GPA and is involved $1500 increase really hurt. have any additional advice into trouble if I car insurance cover me for young males with my parents cars, to a year for a seems that they just to have health insurance? but she has to the loan an buy 9 years or more crossing the border to a accident, have a said he is a the first time and thruxton and I was be cheaper on the website i use to .

An average second hand any car on fully-comprehensive my insurance company? Is do I need to get insurance to pay company for my home am looking for a suggestions for affordable benefits be (16 yrs old) this country. Since i buy his first car. do they charge for driver and where can that would cover this day , i have on me. They do teen to your auto car insurance when i i would like something 6 years and have just pay $100-200 a for my mistakes. i it make your insurance new insurance. We could My record got explunged year and have decided a car insurance on also for property and my insurance still has info and I ll see get a car like to get a small around.. Can I get to help our situation newly admitted lawyer wanted inaccurate I just want so I wanna find hit my moms car the quote was $365/month would happen if i me a car, I .

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[flauntpage]

Masters Betting Guide: 2019 Masters Odds and Betting Preview

Hello, friends. The 2019 Masters tournament is here. Let’s take a look at the odds, favorites, longshots and our betting picks for the tradition, which is unlike any other.

Betting preview video

Odds

Here are the 2019 Masters Outright Betting Odds at leading NJ online sportsbooks:

Golfer PointsBet FanDuel DraftKings Rory McIlroy +800 +650 +700 Dustin Johnson +1000 +1100 +900 Justin Rose +1200 +1200 +1200 Tiger Woods +1400 +1800 +1400 Justin Thomas +1600 +2000 +1600 Jon Rahm +1600 +2000 +1400 Rickie Fowler +1800 +2000 +1600 Jordan Spieth +1800 +1800 +2200 Brooks Koepka +2000 +3000 +2500 Francesco Molinari +2200 +2200 +2200 Bubba Watson +3300 +3300 +3500

DraftKings also allows bettors to bet on individual players based on finish. Take a look at these finishing odds:

Golfer Winner Top 5 Top 10 Rory McIlroy +700 +175 -167 Dustin Johnson +900 +200 +110 Justin Rose +1200 +200 +125 Tiger Woods +1400 +350 +164 Justin Thomas +1600 +400 +175 Jon Rahm +1400 +400 +175 Rickie Fowler +1600 +450 +200 Jordan Spieth +2200 +450 +225 Brooks Koepka +2500 +550 +275 Francesco Molinari +2200 +500 +250 Bubba Watson +3500 +700 +333

  Where to bet

Your three best bets for betting on The Masters in New Jersey are:

FanDuel Sportsbook: Get any golfer at 100-1 odds.

DraftKings Sportsbook: Get $20 in free bets.

PointsBet: Get a $50 free bet with no deposit and up to $1,000 in risk free bets with code BROADLINES.

  Favorites

Let’s take a deeper look at the top 10 Masters favorites (best available odds listed):

Rory McIlroy +900

Why he will win: McIlroy is one of the hottest players on the planet right now, with a recent win at the Players Championship and a T4 at the Genesis Open in February. He has finished in the top 10 in the last four Masters, including a fourth place finish in 2015. He has four career majors; winning this one will give him the career Grand Slam. McIlroy really should win it this year.

Why he won’t win: The weight of expectation has buried him before, including but not limited to the wretched 80 he shot from the lead on Sunday in 2011.

Dustin Johnson +1200

Why he will win:: DJ’s game doesn’t really have a weakness. He beat McIlroy in Mexico in February. Johnson hits the ball for miles, which is crucial at Augusta in recent years as the course has been lengthened. He has finished in the top ten in the last three Masters. Johnson is a great player with a game well-suited to this golf course.

Why he won’t win: For all of his gifts, Johnson has only won one major. HHe has kicked away at least three others (2010 PGA Championship; 2010 U.S. Open; 2015 U.S. Open.) Augusta National is a thinking player’s course and, um, so maybe it’s not that, you know, suited to him.

Justin Rose +1200

Why he will win: Rose won the Farmers Insurance Open in January and was T8 at the Players. He has won a major (the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion) and has finished either second or tied for second twice in the last four Masters. Rose loves this golf course, and it loves him right back.

Why he won’t win: Like DJ, Rose has had a knack for being on the leaderboard at the majors on Sunday only to see someone else lift the trophy and claim the glory — see also his T2 at the Open Championship last year.

Tiger Woods +2000

Why he will win: Well, let’s see…he’s won this tournament four times already, he’s either the greatest or second-greatest player ever depending on how you feel about Jack Nicklaus, he has a couple of top-10 PGA tour finishes so far this season…and, like, he’s Tiger f*cking Woods. He’s also playing some of the best golf of his comeback right now, hitting the green in regulation 72% of the time of the last six weeks with 67% of his drives in the fairway.

Why he won’t win: I don’t know how to break this to you, but if the player currently walking around as Tiger Woods — same age, same results, same disappearing hairline, same balky putter — was named Joe Smith, these odds would be 40-1 or higher. This is certainly the major Tiger has the best chance of winning, but that’s only because he has nearly no shot at winning any of the others.

Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas +2000

Why one of them will win: Both of these players are elite ball strikers with tremendous all-around games. Thomas won the 2017 PGA Championship; Rahm finished fourth at last year’s Masters. Both are in their mid-20’s and are not particularly scared of anything.

Why they won’t win: Neither Rahm nor Thomas has a win in 2019. Rahm won the Hero World Challenge in December, but that field only had 18 players. Plus, Rahm has a temper problem, and that’s not a good thing to have on Augusta’s notoriously nasty greens. Thomas has the better claim right now, with one second-place and two third-place finishes on Tour this season. But Thomas has slapped it around the last two starts, the most recent one a 35th-place finish at the Players. Guys who need a month off before the Masters aren’t for me.

Rickie Fowler +2000

Why he will win: Fowler is considered one of the best putters in the world, which makes him a perennial favorite at Augusta. He was second here last year and has been in the top 12 four of the last five years. Fowler has all of the shots needed to win at Augusta, he’s long and he makes putts. One of these years, he really should win this tournament.

Why he won’t win: Fowler is also widely considered to be the current best player in the world never to have won a major. Here are his best finishes in each major: 2nd at the 2018 Masters, T2 at the 2014 U.S. Open, T2 at the 2014 Open Championship, T3 at the 2014 PGA Championship. When Fowler was a young gun, these were seen as growing pains. He’s 30 now, and there are a bunch of younger guys than him who have won one or more majors (Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed.) At some point, the monkey on your back becomes too heavy to carry. If you don’t believe me, ask Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter.

Francesco Molinari +2200

Why he will win: Molinari is the defending Open champion and won at Bay Hill just last month. He has become sneaky long and was always very accurate. Those are wonderful attributes at Augusta.

Why he won’t win: His record at this tournament is just not very good. His best finish was a T19 in 2012. He has missed the cut here twice. In his last 24 rounds at Augusta, he has broken 70 one time — a 69 in Round 1 in 2012. There are certain guys who just don’t like (or can’t figure out) Augusta, and Molinari seems to be one of them.

Jordan Spieth +2200

Why he will win: Spieth won this event in 2015 and has since finished in the top three twice more including his solo third last year. When he is right, Spieth is probably a better putter than even Fowler is, and he loves this golf course. At 26, Spieth has a comfort level at Augusta that many great players will never have.

Why he won’t win: I mean…what happened to Spieth on the 12th hole on Sunday in 2016 is the sort of thing some guys never fully come back from. To his credit, he won the Open Championship in 2017, even if he sort of had to cheat to do it. He is playing some of the worst golf of his career right, hitting only 56% of greens in regulation and 41% of fairways off the tee over the last six weeks. But he is slumping now, and the pressure of the Masters is generally not easy on guys who don’t know where it’s all gone wrong. 

Brooke Koepka +3000

Why he will win: Koepka is fourth in the World Golf Ranking based largely on last season’s victories at the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. It would be disrespectful to say he can’t win this tournament.

Why he won’t win: There’s a reason why Koepka has won two U.S. Opens in a row and also a PGA Championship. Those tournaments call for you, above all else, to bash the ball far and straight, over and over again. And, especially at the U.S. Open, the battle is generally against par. In fact, Koepka won the U.S. Open last year with a total of one over par. The Masters rewards touch, guile and generally requires its winner to go low. Koepka’s best finish in this tournament in three tries was last season, when he finished T11 and only broke 70 once in four rounds. Not for me then.

Prop Bets

PointsBet

PointsBet allows users to bet the Par 3 Contest, on whether individual golfers will play a round with no bogeys or worse in each round, various hole in one specials, whether individual golfers will score an eagle or better in all four rounds, or on a potential Sunday playoff. New users can get a free $50 bet with no deposit and up to $1,000 in risk free bets at PointsBet when they enter promo code BROADLINES. This is an exclusive offer.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook is going all in with Masters prop betting. Options include finishing position props, group winners, scoring props, cut props, matchup bets, amateur/rookie/senior betting options, greens in regulation props, and hole in one props. You can even bet on which player will finish first by nationality. Grab Lucas Bjerregaard at -121 or Thorbjorn Olesen at -110 if you have a hunch about which of these golfers from Denmark will step up this week. Seriously. And, of course, DraftKings is also offering specific Tiger Woods specials, too.

Tiger Specials ‘Yes’ Odds To make a triple bogey or worse +500 To play in the final group in Round 4 +800 To score -10 or lower in the Tournament +500 To score -5 or lower in the Tournament +150 To record an eagle in round 1 +375 To record an eagle in Tournament +100 To record 2+ eagles in Tournament +450 To record an eagle on Hole 13 in Tournament +220 Over/Under Totals Birdies in Tournament 15.5 Bogeys in Tournament 12.5

You can get $20 worth of free bets when you sign up with DraftKings using this link.

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel is giving users a chance to predict this year’s winner without Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy in the mix. For instance, Justin Rose drops from +1200 at regular odds down to +900 with those two excluded. Users can also wager on which golfer will lead at the end of each round, along with region winners, group winners, and a full slate of Tiger Woods specials. Think Tiger can get through Round 1 bogey free? Grab it for +2000.

FanDuel has the best offer: you can get 100 to 1 odds on anyone to win The Masters.

  Longshots

Wild card pick: Bubba Watson +3300

Why he will win: Watson has won this tournament twice (2012, 2014) and finished T5 last year. It’s boom or bust for Bubba; he either goes low at Augusta or he plays himself into the bottom half of those who make the cut (T62 in 2017, for example.) He also has two top-4 finishes on Tour this season, so his game is in reasonably good shape coming into this one.

Why he won’t win: Did you know Bubba is 40? I didn’t. And, um, that’s a problem.

Kyle’s pick: Matt Kucher +3300

Kucher will make for a fun narrative street story coming off his tipping “scandal.” He’s also playing exceedingly good golf right now, hitting 79% of greens in regulation of the last six weeks, and 69% of fairways off the tee over that time. At long odds, Kucher is worth a play.

  Masters betting picks

Phil: Rory McIlroy +900

Jason: Tiger Woods +2000

Kyle: Tiger Woods +2000

Kevin: The field

Craig: Tiger Woods +2000

  Get the Green Jacket ready.

The post Masters Betting Guide: 2019 Masters Odds and Betting Preview appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Masters Betting Guide: 2019 Masters Odds and Betting Preview published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[williamsjoan]

Eon’s GCHD MK-II Review — Unlocking the GameCube’s Full Potential

I love the GameCube. I grew up on my Game Boy systems and the Nintendo 64, but the GameCube defined much of my gaming love to this day. I shout the good word of Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door from the rooftops and grunt when Nintendo ignores my pleas for a spiritual successor. Wind Waker will always be my favorite Zelda game, even if others have surpassed it critically. I remember playing Mario Party with the microphone accessory or being captivated by the planet of Talon IV in Metroid Prime. 

All this love has also been recently twisted by crippling nostalgia. I have a severe case of it. Throw anything from my childhood on screen and I will likely be drawn towards it. That’s why I have been slowly circling down the rabbit hole of resurrecting old game consoles onto modern HD displays for years now. 

My entry point to this niché hobby was a YouTube channel called My Life In Gaming. Coury and Marc run the channel, creating highly educational videos about bringing classic consoles back to life on modern HD TVs. I immediately jumped to their video on the best solutions for the GameCube and found out the financial horror associated with bringing the GameCube into the modern era. Nintendo’s official component cables cost an arm and a leg, going for $250+ on eBay. To get an HDMI port for your GameCube a few years ago required physically modding the system. I nearly pulled the trigger on a roughly $160 mod, but backed off after more research and not being keen on physically altering my childhood system.

Through all this time in the rabbit hole, I came across a new company early in 2018 that was offering a plug-and-play option for HDMI cables on the GameCube. EON created the GCHD, a tiny adapter that plugged into the digital out port on original GameCube systems and allowed native 480p output for $150. Just like the physical mod, I nearly pulled the trigger a few times, but it was never in the budget. 

Ten months later EON revealed an upgraded version of their adapter. The GCHD MK-II (MK-II from here on out for simplicity) was revealed on November 15 and offered a couple new features and refinements over their original model. We were fortunate here at DualShockers to receive a consumer unit a couple days ahead of its official release on December 15, 2018. Selling for the same price of $150, I wanted to find out if the MK-II is really worth the cost to bring my beloved GameCube onto my HD TV.

Before we dive further in, let’s talk specs. The GameCube is capable of 480p digital output. This is thanks to a snazzy port on original model GameCubes that was meant for stereoscopic 3D. That tech was never fully developed, but the port offers access to the GameCube’s lossless digital signal. That’s five years before the PS3! The MK-II uses that port, along with an onboard FPGA chip with custom version of the open-source GCVideo software, to take the digital signal and output it over HDMI with zero input lag. This does not upscale the video to 720p, 1080p, or 4K. You’ll have to use an external scaler for that. The MK-II also allows for analog output via the common red, blue, green component cables meant for the Wii. There is also a new analog/optical audio port for plugging in headphones or a surround sound system.

The MK-II comes packaged in a tiny GameCube designed box. There are three color choices meant to match your hardware; purple, black, and silver. EON let me pick the black edition to match my GameCube. The back of the box details all the features of the adapter, while detailing the easy setup. All that is inside is the MK-II itself and a tiny instruction booklet.

I popped the MK-II out of its box and immediately went to plug it in the back of my GameCube. This adapter only works with DOL-001 model GameCube systems, which will have the digital out port. You’ll definitely want to make sure you have this model GameCube before buying the adapter. Initially, I had trouble getting the MK-II into the two ports on the back. I had to unplug the system entirely and get it in the light to make sure I was lining it up correctly. Once I got it lined up, it fit perfectly and snuggly.

After plugging it in, using it was nearly a breeze. All you have to do is plug in an HDMI cable and boot the system up. It automatically works and displays the GameCube at 480i. To get 480p to work on games, just hold the B button as a game boots up and select “yes” to progressive mode. I found that most time the GameCube prompted me whether or not I held down the B button, but to guarantee it, I’d recommend holding the button down. I say nearly a breeze because I had some trouble syncing a universal remote to access the MK-II’s settings.

I thought I had a remote lying around, but it wasn’t “universal.” I went to Target and bought the cheapest one they had, but it wouldn’t work either. I had to go back to Target, return the $7 remote and swap it for a $15 remote. This remote worked after I read the remote’s instruction manual on how to sync the thing. This was tedious mostly because I didn’t own a universal remote. I was also sick at the time, so that didn’t help matters.

“…using it was nearly a breeze. All you have to do is plug in an HDMI cable and boot the system up.”

Once the remote was synced, I was able to access the settings for the MK-II. Its feature list isn’t too extensive, but it does offer some interesting choices. There is a line doubler for when the GameCube displays 480i content, to help create a picture quality more akin to 480p. You can turn on scanline to simulate a CRT TV. While slightly nostalgic, scanlines really shine on the GameCube’s rare 240p games and GBA games. You may adjust the brightness, contrast, and saturation. There are even options for tweaking the MK-II’s on-screen display (OSD) settings, which is for the settings. Honestly, it really is plug-and-play ready, with only a few settings you may want to tweak for specific games.

The first game I booted up was The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. I thought the game’s bright color palette and cel-shaded visuals would be a great test point. I’ll let the game speak for itself.

It’s as if the old school yellow, red, white composite cables were smearing Vaseline over the game footage, dulling the colors and shapes. It blew my mind to see it in action. It took what I remember the game looking like and put it on display. And didn’t just clean up Wind Waker. All of my GameCube games, from Super Smash Bros. Melee to Metroid Prime to Paper Mario, were being displayed the way that the developers intended it to be seen. It reminded me of when I put on glasses for the first time: There was a whole world of clarity I was missing out on and I didn’t know it.

As I mentioned above, the MK-II also allows for component output. When I first heard this was one of the new additions, I questioned its inclusion. Why add the support for analog video? After mulling it over and having the MK-II in person though, its addition makes sense for the GameCube’s active and diehard community. Having these two ports allows for simultaneous, lag-free output. This makes stream/capture setups simple at events and tournaments. The GameCube and its games were also designed for old CRT displays, as HD was entering its infancy. Including component allows for the highest quality analog output for purists who want to play on CRTs and PVMs the way the designers intended. It lets users have their high-quality cake and eat it too. 

But this analog path may bring up a common question- why pay $150 to have my GameCube in 480p over analog when I could just use a Wii and its component cables? All first generation Wii systems have backward compatibility with GameCube games. It really comes down to two facts. The first is that the Wii output is purely analog, with no access to the lossless digital signal. Using the MK-II gives us that pure signal, giving us a better picture via HDMI or component. The second fact opens a whole new platform of games—The Game Boy Player.

“It reminded me of when I put on glasses for the first time: There was a whole world of clarity I was missing out on and I didn’t know it.”

Back in 2003, Nintendo released the Game Boy Player, an accessory that attached to the bottom of GameCube systems and allowed Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy games to be played on the TV. As a kid, this blew my little mind. I got one for my 9th birthday and it hasn’t left my system since. Now at 24, the Game Boy Player (actually its software) leaves much to be desired. 

There are homebrew software solutions, like the Game Boy Interface (GBI), that put Nintendo’s software to shame. That’s a whole different rabbit hole, but combining that GBI with the MK-II leads to incredible results. 

If the GBI is not an option, the MK-II does a decent job cleaning up the official Game Boy Player software. You can see that the smaller text becomes legible and the overall image is slightly sharper. The GBI is where the crispness of the MK-II shines with GBA games. Even with a CRT filter over the game, it is a better picture than the official software.

When it comes to the audio output, the MK-II matches the format of the video output method. Digital when over HDMI and analog when using component. There is a 3.5mm auxiliary jack for analog output to headphones. I imagine this was implemented for Melee tournaments or just tournament environments.  Tune out the surroundings and really hear the game. The audio still outputs to the TV, so spectators, streaming/capturing setups still get the game audio. Even headphone splitters work!

The 3.5mm jack also doubles as a mini-TOSLINK optical audio jack, providing access to digital surround sound. I tested this out on my surround sound system with Wind Waker and Metroid Prime, both games that support Dolby Surround Pro Logic II. The games sound fuller coming out of three speakers and a subwoofer. Sound didn’t come out of my two other speakers, which is possibly due to the games not taking advantage of 5.1 surround sound. I’m not entirely sure.

“As a piece of hardware, the MK-II is sturdy, full-featured, and straight up easy to use.”

So is all this worth it? That’s probably why you read this far. Is $150 worth accessing the untapped potential of your GameCube? That’s all going to really depend on you.

As a piece of hardware, the MK-II is sturdy, full-featured, and straight up easy to use. It breathes new life into GameCube systems and is one piece that can help the console adapt to modern TVs. But how much do you love your GameCube? Do you play Melee competitively? Do you have a Game Boy Player and want to play your collection on the TV? Is the GameCube your favorite Nintendo system? If you answered yes to any of those and you truly want the best picture that your GameCube has to offer, I think the GCHD MK-II is worth every cent. It’s versatile, powerful, and easy-to-use. Most importantly, it makes the games I love look and feel their very best in a way I just didn’t think was possible.

The post Eon’s GCHD MK-II Review — Unlocking the GameCube’s Full Potential by Max Roberts appeared first on DualShockers.

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[stephmolliex]

How to pick the best MacBook or MacBook Pro for any price point

You have to buy what you can afford -- but make sure you're only paying for what matters to you. AppleInsider did the math, and has some recommendations for every price point. We had to double-check this when our Numbers spreadsheet told us: there is one case where you have a choice of two different Apple portables for exactly the same price. If we ever doubted it, then, that is one clear situation where cost is not the deciding factor. It's just that we think it never is. What you always need to do is balance the price, the performance and many other factors regardless of what budget you have or what Mac portable you want. Mind you, money is usually one of those factors. There's no getting around the fact that if you want the absolute best MacBook Pro with maxed out everything then just a good reason isn't enough, you're also going to need $6,699. We've looked at what you can get for budget price points from under $1,000 up to that fully-loaded top price. We've also given you reasons to move up to the next tier if you can. Keep in mind The more you spend on your Mac portable, the better it will be. That doesn't mean, though, that you'll even notice the difference. Your MacBook Pro 15-inch with Touch Bar will be capable of rendering VR video all day but if you just type in TextEdit on it, you're not seeing the benefit. Equally, there are always three things that make the greatest difference between MacBooks today or really any computers, any time. The processor and now particularly its number of cores defines how fast the MacBook is. Even a small increase in processor speed costs money and gets you a performance benefit. RAM makes your machine seem faster too. The more RAM you've got, the more the MacBook can do at the same time and the more responsive it will be at all times. When we've bought machines before, we've even taken more RAM over a higher processor speed when necessary. With MacBooks you get 8GB, 16GB or 32GB RAM and you want the most you can afford. Whatever work you do, get the most RAM you can. However, not all models have these three choices and whatever RAM you get, you're stuck with it forever. There's no adding more later. Lastly, storage. Every Apple portable device on sale today uses solid state drives that Apple refers to as flash storage, instead of the older spinning hard disks. These are much faster, they last much longer without problems and they are the future. They've been the future for a long time, though, and while the price per gigabyte has dropped gigantically in recent years, it's still expensive. Which means that very often the only difference between two of Apple's current models is in how much storage. The smallest SSD in MacBooks is 128GB but some models offer you 512GB, 1TB, 2TB or 4TB. Again, not every model has all of these and, again, whatever you buy you're stuck with. Plus this can currently be the most expensive part of a MacBook: of that top $6,699 price tag. $3,200 is down to the 4TB drive option. Consequently you want the biggest SSD drive you can get but it's probably the thing that you're going to compromise on first. If you work on huge files or projects like photographers or video editors do, take it on the chin and pay. If you only type poems in Microsoft Word, you can settle for the lowest SSD but remember they fill up faster than you think. Under $1,000 There is only one Mac portable under a grand and it's the base MacBook Air which retails at $999. For that you get a 12-inch screen with 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD. It's a good, solid machine but you won't use it for games and you shouldn't use it for video editing. It's real appeal, though, is that price point: every other model of MacBook offers you more and sometimes for not a great deal higher price. If price is the overriding issue, however, think about skipping MacBooks entirely and instead buying an iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard. Other keyboards and keyboard cases are available but to have something you can just nip into the Apple Store to buy, this combination is powerful. It's also a little cheaper. The MacBook Air has a 12-inch screen and for $31 less, you could by an iPad Pro with 12.9-inch screen plus the Smart Keyboard. This is a bulkier package to carry around than the MacBook Air and it's hard to quantify the differences between macOS and iOS. However, the iPad Pro is newer and will feel faster. Plus the iPad Pro has a hugely better display than the MacBook Air. In fact, the first reason to move even a little bit up the budget scale above $1,000 is to get a better screen. But, here's the thing. There's always used. There is a healthy market on eBay for used MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and it can be worthwhile to scope them out -- if a bit beyond the scope of this article. From $1,000 to $1,500 There's still reason to look at an combination of an iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard in this price range. Apple's iPads don't have options yet for choosing how much RAM you get but they do all come in different storage sizes. The 12.9-inch model can have 64GB, 256GB or 512GB storage with the top one making a total cost of $1,448 with the Smart Keyboard. Also, that price is for the cellular model. No MacBooks can directly use a cell connection for the internet so the iPad Pro has more benefits than just price/performance. Though note that you would still have to pay a monthly cell phone bill on top of the iPad Pro purchase price. This price range also still has a version of the MacBook Air: a $1,199 model that comes with twice the storage space at 256GB SSD. That's a good price for the storage but this is still a MacBook Air with its slower processor and poorer screen than in the rest of the range. Instead, this is a case where you get better value spending slightly more money. Spend $100 and get a basic MacBook for $1,299 which has 256GB SSD. Its processor is also newer than the one in the MacBook Air. That's easily enough to make us prefer the MacBook over the MacBook Air -- but this is where we found two models with the same price. For that same $1,299 price could instead get you a MacBook Pro 13-inch with Function Keys. That's faster than the MacBook or MacBook Air, though for this price it does come with a smaller SSD of 128GB. This MacBook Pro has with a 13.3-inch display, however, and that's like having the size of the MacBook Air's one with the quality of the MacBook screen. There is weight and heft to consider, though. The MacBook is the lightest at 2.03 pounds while the MacBook Pro 13-inch without Touch Bar is 3.02 pounds. For comparison, the MacBook Air is 2.96 pounds. When you read these figures you know there isn't a giant difference between them. However, when you use the machines, you realize that actually there is: the MacBook feels impossibly light. The MacBook Pro 13-inch with Function Keys feels solid. The MacBook Air just feels old. Still sticking within the $1,000 to $1,500 range, though, there is one more option. A budget of $1,499 gets you the higher-specification MacBook Pro 13-inch with Function Keys which contains a 256GB SSD. That makes the MacBook Pro 13-inch a better machine in nearly every single way except for weight -- and the $200 price difference. It's the best price to performance you'll get for under $1,500, though. If you need more storage, you have to go up to the next price tier. If you want more RAM than the 8GB all the models so far have come with, it's the same. Plus you keep reading about MacBook Pro 13-inch models with Function Keys. If you want a Touch Bar or you want a bigger MacBook Pro, that will take you into the next tier too. From $1,500-$2,000 That MacBook Air does keep hanging on. It is a trooper and we did go wow when Steve Jobs pulled this incredibly thin machine out of an envelope. However, he did that ten years ago and now we have faster, slimmer and lighter machines with much better screens. Today $1,549 will get you a MacBook Air with its poorer display and its slower performance than those other devices but with a 512GB SSD. This is another case where it's worth your spending just a little more. For just $1,599 gets you a MacBook with the same 512GB SSD for just $50 more. We don't think that's even a choice. The MacBook is lighter, faster, newer with the same storage and a Retina-quality display. Spend your money on the MacBook and never look back. Unless you happen to have an extra $400 in your budget, that is. If you do then $1,949 gets you the absolute best MacBook possible with 512GB SSD and, crucially, 16GB RAM. Yet this is probably the one point where the theory that the more you pay, the better your portable Mac is falls down considerably. With the exception of weight and RAM, you can get a better machine in the new MacBook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar. That's with Touch Bar. What you also get in the Touch Bar models is Touch ID, which is very nice. Also quad-core processors instead of dual core, which is dramatic. This is the biggest performance boost you'll see between portable Macs and here you're getting it for $1,799. That's $150 less. True, you get a heavier machine and more significantly you get 8GB RAM instead of the $1,949 MacBook's 16GB. However, you can configure your MacBook Pro to have 16GB RAM for $1,999 or just another fifty bucks more. This MacBook Pro 13-inch with Touch Bar also has more configuration options than the MacBook. You can increase its processor speed and you can upgrade its storage to 2TB. That does come with a cost: this gets you the maxed-out 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and the price is $3,699 or way out of the $1,500-$2,000 tier. From $2,000 We're into the territory of the newly updated MacBook Pro 15-inch models with Touch Bar now. These start at $2,399 with 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD. You can update either of those at time of order to get 32GB RAM and up to 4TB SSD storage. That combination takes you to $6,199 and if you update the processor speed, that's $6,599. To top out at Apple's most expensive MacBook Pro ever, you can add a choice of faster graphics processor to bring it all to $6,699. If you're going to be doing intensive work then you need processor speed and you also tend to need storage space. What all of the 15-inch MacBook Pro models give you, though, is a six-core processor. You won't notice anything like the difference in the jump in performance from dual to quad-core but video editing and rendering will be quicker. But, we're still not sure if the jump from the six-core i7 starting at $2,399 and the six-core i9 for $3,099 more is worth it. That very much depends on if those seconds or minutes a day you save are worth that kind of cash to you when amortized over several years. It's obvious to say that if what you need the maximum power and storage, then it could be well worth the $6,699. However, we look at it this way: if that's what you need to do and it is cost-efficient to spend that kind of coin, then spending less is wasting your money. Three more things We haven't even mentioned battery life in all this but that's for a reason. The battery life you get for all of Apple's current portables is 8-10 hours and that's plenty. More significantly, we haven't mentioned that you're not tied to Apple when you want to buy Apple machines. There are online authorized resellers, such as Adorama and B&H, which will offer instant rebates and coupon savings on even the latest models (to compare prices across all product lines, see our Price Guides). As they're discounts, they tend to vary a lot and they also often only last for short times so here we've only considered Apple's retail prices. The logic and your reasons for choosing a particular model remain the same, though, and if you happen to find a machine on sale for $200 off, it's a very nice bonus. And, that third thing. While having a pile of on-board storage is convenient, like we said, is also very costly and should probably be the first thing to back off on to save some dough. Storage is easily added external to the device, perhaps with an online service, or even a USB-connected drive. We pick a faster processor or more RAM over more internal storage every single time. https://goo.gl/vNH4bA