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sage-nebula · 5 years ago

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Farm Beautification Efforts

As some of you may or may not know, I have become obsessed with Stardew Valley over the past month (having clocked 170+ hours into it), and during this time I’ve wanted to take steps and measures to beautify my farm, since I’ve seen some videos of people whose farms are truly gorgeous and it really makes me want to work on my own. Of course, there are a few problems with this. One, I’m not the best designer, and two, I’m playing on Switch, so I don’t have access to any mods, including cool ones like ones that allow you to put furniture on your porch or add cool items to the game. Nevertheless, I’ve been doing my best, and so I thought I’d share some screenshots of my efforts.

First up, the inside of my house! The top floor has the living room, along with the nursery which will be forever unused and unoccupied (save for two Junimo plushes) unless something is added that makes having the children actually worthwhile. I have a storage chest full of gifts blocking entry into that room for specifically that purpose. On the bottom floor we have the kitchen and dining area (complete with my in-game husband Sebastian), along with a little reading area over by the fireplace (which is on the bottom floor to help keep things warm in winter, because heat rises), and of course, the bedroom and Sebastian’s spouse room with his terrarium, computer, et cetera. The tea table in the bedroom is more for Sebastian than myself, since I learned recently that he loves jasmine tea, so I figured it’d be nice to set up a little tea area since I got a tea set as a gift from Pam. I also decorated with the idea that the house should represent both of us, although when Sebastian changed the wallpaper and flooring in the kitchen I immediately changed it back because his choices were hideous. Sorry, Seb.

Oh, and of course . . .

The basement is a starfruit wine cellar, too. ;)

Outside! Seb’s motorcycle is in the back, with Epona’s stable close by the house so I can have easy access to her. The crystal on the porch rings when you tap it; although no one ever uses it, I like to think of it as a doorbell. The decorations in front change every season.

The shed here is less a storage shed and more a production shed; I forgot to take a picture of the inside, but that’s where I have my kegs, five preserves jars, looms, mayonnaise makers, cheese makers, workbench, catalogues, furnaces, crystallariums, et cetera. At some point I might add another, but this works well enough for now. I also have the well there, and I suppose it’s useful, but since I have sprinklers set up everywhere I don’t need to water things as much, so that was mostly to fill space. I’m still trying to think of what to do around it.

The greenhouse, fruit tree grove, grandpa’s shrine, silos, and mill. I have some preserves jars right by the grove, as you can see, so I can easily chuck some fruits into them; even though standard fruit preserves don’t earn as much as starfruit preserves, it’s still worth it, I feel. The greenhouse exclusively makes starfruit, ancient fruit, and sweet gem fruit year-round. I would have taken a picture of the inside, but . . . I forgot again. :/ I decided to use wood pathways along the grove because I felt it better fit the nature feel of it. I do this in a few other places as well, such as . . .

The flower/beehive area. I learned recently that if you grow flowers near beehives, the honey is worth more, because it’s flower-flavored. So I set up a little area for that to happen. The lightning rod area is also there, but I’m thinking of moving that, or else possibly getting rid of it altogether since APPARENTLY lightning rods don’t guarantee that lightning won’t destroy shit. >( But we’ll see. It just looks so ugly compared to everything else . . .

Down here we have the lava eels in their pond of lava. The pond was actually a standard water pond at first, but the lava eels changed that soon enough . . . somehow. I’m not sure how. But then again I’m also not sure how a Dwarf Scroll III helps them be healthier, but that’s what they said would help them, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The ways of the lava eel are mysterious indeed.

This is the piggos’ area, and as you can see, at the time I took this picture the truffle hunt was in FULL SWING (or kind of wrapping up, since they usually go in around 5/5:30). Truffles aren’t appetizing to look at at all, but they fetch a high price, especially since I have a skill perk that makes all of them Iridium Quality no matter what (for those who don’t play, Iridium Quality is the highest quality). Although I’m not much a fan of piggos, I have twelve of them for this reason. Their names are Waddles, Grumpig, Cello, Rukie, Chetso, Nokaboo, Zuburu, Rollo, Kotso, Wilbur, Spoink, and Pignite. You can probably tell which ones I named intentionally, and which ones I just randomized lol. Also, normally I’d provide grass for all the animals, but finding truffles in grass is difficult, so the piggos just have to live on hay in the barn. It’s fine, they’re all just as happy, it’s not as big a deal.

This is the non-piggo barn area, and . . .

These are the community barn animals. As you can see, I have six cows, three goats, and three sheep. Unfortunately I did not manage to get a picture of the cows smiling, which sucks because they have the cutest smiles. Their names are:

Brown cows: Hershey, Nestle, Ferrero, Ghiradelli

White cows: Kabelle, Brime

Sheep: Wooloo, Dubwool, Mareep

Goats: Faff, Tellono, Knockell

Again, you can probably tell which ones I purposefully named and which ones were randomized. Fun fact, Ferrero and Ghiradelli are Nestle’s daughters. Somehow. I have no idea how because there are no bulls in this game. My working theory is that Hershey and Nestle are wives and somehow gave lesbian birth to Ferrero and Ghiradelli. Until ConcernedApe himself tells me I’m wrong, I’m right. (Note: Either Kabelle or Brime could be the other mother as well. The only for-sure lesbian mom is Nestle.) Also, I named all the brown cows after chocolate brands because brown cows make me think of chocolate milk. I have no idea why, they just do.

This is the coop area, and . . .

These are the coop animals! As you can see, I have five chickens, four rabbits, and three ducks. Yes, the coop outside area is much smaller than the ones for the barn animals, but the coop animals are much smaller themselves so they don’t need as much space. Anyway, these lovely little animals are named . . .

Void Chicken: Ghost

Blue Chicken: Cojiro

Brown chickens: Hetta, Bamello

White chicken: Winona

Rabbits: Cinnamon, Jazz, Lucky, Melody

Ducks: Goose, Zillo, Psy

Again, probably obvious to tell which ones I named and which ones I randomized. Also, for anyone who is like, “Scrawlers, ‘Cojiro’ should be spelled with a k,’ no, you are wrong, I did not name her after that fool of a man in Team Rocket, I named her after the blue cucco in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, whose name is spelled Cojiro, with a C. So. Just so we’re clear on that.

Finally, my crop area. Top right is growing red cabbages at the moment, I think, while the bottom right is SUPPOSED to have wheat(/hay) through this season and the next, but I forgot to go buy more wheat seeds before Pierre closed up shop. (: The top row is all blueberries, while that huge patch in the middle is corn since corn grows in both summer and fall and continues to reproduce after first harvest, so I don’t have to worry about replanting in that huge area again until spring. And then over on the left I have hot peppers, which (like the corn and blueberries) continue to reproduce after first harvest, and reproduce like every four days, which is nice.

And lastly, to check in with some of my scarecrows, THIS guy is a champion and truly earns his title of “deluxe scarecrow,” given how many he has scared away. And on the other end of the scale . . .

We have this guy, who has never worked a day in his life.

The duality of scarecrows.

#stardew valley #yes yes i know that the deluxe scarecrow probably negates the ability for the dwarf scarecrow to do anything but #let me have my joke #scrawlers moves to the valley

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muenchkevin · 3 years ago

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No dish. No box. No fuss. Sky Glass is the ultimate Smart TV

Imagine a TV that could stream all your Sky channels and had all your favourite apps too. A TV with a Quantum Dot Ultra HD display, 360-degree Dolby Atmos sound, superb speakers and a subwoofer. Imagine a TV with no cable clutter and no need for extra hardware. Imagine a TV you could buy just like you buy your phone.

You’ve just imagined Sky Glass, the incredible new streaming TV from Sky. There’s no dish, no box and no fuss.

Sky Glass changes everything.

TV has never looked so good

Sky Glass is gorgeous before you even switch it on. That’s because Sky teamed up with leading industrial design agency Map to create its beautifully elegant design, and while most TV firms’ colour options range from black to really dark grey Sky Glass is available in five rich colours: Ocean blue, Ceramic white, Racing green, Dusky pink and Anthracite black.

With three screen sizes (small, 43”; medium, 55”; and large, 65 inches) and a choice of wall mounting (via the clever integrated mounting bracket) or using the sleek colour matched stand, Sky Glass is going to look amazing in your home.

Spectacular screen and spine-tingling sound

(Image credit: Sky)

If you think Sky Glass looks great already, wait until you switch it on. Whether it’s the Premier League on Sky Sports or Squid Game on Netflix, Sky Glass enhances your entertainment with jaw-dropping picture quality and stunning sound.

Quantum Dot technology delivers vibrant colours and deep blacks, and the 10-bit HDR display supports all the key standards: HLG, HDR10 and Dolby Vision. And it comes with an incredible soundtrack thanks to its Dolby Atmos system: who needs a soundbar when you’ve got six speakers including a subwoofer pumping out immersive audio?

Whether you’re cheering on your team in the Premier League or getting stuck into the latest blockbuster, Sky Glass knows what you’re watching and optimises sound and picture for you. Sky Auto Enhance adjusts the picture and audio automatically to deliver the ultimate home entertainment experience.

The smarter TV with Sky inside

Inside every Sky Glass is the best Sky system yet, with far field voice and Glance Motion Technology to make finding the perfect programme utterly effortless. If you can’t imagine life without Alexa or Google Assistant you’re going to love Sky Glass’s integrated voice control. With a simple "Hello Sky" you can find your favourite channels, shows or movies and even switch to connected devices like games consoles using only your voice.

We think you’ll also love the brand new home page, which brings you all your favourite content from Sky, BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+, ITV Hub, All4 and more, and the personalised Playlist feature that makes it easy to add programmes with a single click. Forget trying to remember which show is in which Smart TV app: with your Sky Glass playlist you can mix and match from a wide range of apps and channels, live and on demand. And with Live Restart, if you miss the beginning of a live show you can jump back in time and watch it from the beginning.

The Smart TV that doesn’t cost the Earth

(Image credit: Sky)

Watching your Smart TV shouldn’t be a guilty pleasure. Sky Glass is the world’s first TV to be certified as a CarbonNeutral product, so everything you watch has an extra feel-good factor.

It reduces energy consumption by up to 50% compared to a similarly specified TV, sound system and Sky box, and even the packaging is environmentally friendly: it’s fully recyclable and free from single-use plastics.

Hi-tech. Low price

With Sky Glass you can buy your TV like a normal TV – or you can buy it like your mobile phone, spreading the cost with interest-free monthly payments.

With three different sizes, five rich colours and a whole world of content to choose from, we think Sky Glass is the ultimate TV for everyone.

We’ve seen the future of Smart TV, and it’s Glass.

Click here to find out more about the incredible Sky Glass and how it’ll change the way you watch – and buy – your TV.

source https://www.techradar.com/news/no-dish-no-box-no-fuss-sky-glass-is-the-ultimate-smart-tv/ from Blogger https://ift.tt/3wgSJ3C Source Link No dish. No box. No fuss. Sky Glass is the ultimate Smart TV

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w3onlineshoppingx · 4 years ago

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Best Bluetooth Headphones Doesn't Have To Be Hard. Read These Tips!

Marshall Major IV: This on-ear pair features the signature Marshall sound, which is generally described as “warmer”—there’s a bit of a gentle-but-broad bass boost with highs that aren’t over-emphasized. A small high-frequency bump gives some detail to consonants and avoids muddy male vocals, but overall the sound is smooth and pleasant. The padding is soft and comfortable, but the headband is snug, which means this pair will stay in place, but those with very large heads or folks with full hair might not be able to wear these for as long. A single multi-function knob handles tracks, volume, and calls and is very easy to use and find without looking. The input-output port means that you can listen to this pair with the included cable or string another pair of bluetooth headphones to the Major IV to allow for the sharing of a single audio device. Though chargeable by cable, this is the first pair of headphones that we’ve tested that have Qi wireless charging. It’s a little awkward to get the ear cup to lay correctly on a charge pad without support, but it does work—so folks who hate finding a cable may enjoy that as a bonus feature. However you choose to charge, the 80-hour battery life means you won’t be doing it frequently.

So let’s jump into the review helps you choose the right product to buy: Best Bluetooth Headphones

Want the weather, add to your shopping list, or find out who sings that song you can’t get out of your head? Just say the Amazon Alexa wake word or press the VPA button to access Google Assistant and ask. You can even access your phone’s default voice assistant, like Siri.

Being in a room with too many other Bluetooth devices can affect your bluetooth headphones, as can bad software. Maybe your phone is too old and your new bluetooth headphones will only use an SBC profile instead of the A2DP or aptX you were promised. Maybe you’ll suffer packet loss for no discernible reason, and your music skips. There’s lots that can go wrong with a wireless connection.

The best bluetooth headphones 700 feature a revolutionary microphone system that’s unlike any other headphones, with game-changing voice pickup engineered for making and taking calls in less-than-ideal conditions. Six mics work together to cancel the noise around you so you can hear the caller better, while four mics combine to improve the clarity of your voice so the caller can hear you better, first by isolating your speech and then by suppressing the most disruptive remaining sound around you. It all happens in real-time and adapts as you — or the source of the noise — moves.

Yes, they're expensive, but the AirPods Max deliver richer, more detailed sound than lower-priced competitors from Bose and Sony, and work very well as a headset for making calls. While I wouldn't recommend them for Android and Windows users, they're the ideal work-from-home headphones for iOS and Mac users who want to switch easily between their devices.

Don’t miss what’s new.Be among the first to get the latest Sony news in your inbox. Sign upBring instant shopping into the pictureIf approved, a temporary shopping pass that could be up to $1500 in available credit may be issued and sent to your smartphone, allowing you to shop online right away. Learn more

Once you’ve set it up, to access the Google Assistant, simply press and hold the voice assistant button to talk, and release it when you’re done. The Google Assistant will read you your notifications, like an audio lock screen. The Google Assistant also provides you with proactive notifications, such as an incoming text message, a meeting reminder, and many others. You can have the Google Assistant expand on these notifications with a single press or reject them with a double press. You can ask for things like: “Tell me the latest news.” “Call Thomas.” “Set a timer for 35 minutes.” “Add olive oil to my shopping list.”

Wired headphones don’t skip occasionally, nor are they hard to use with your phone. They don’t have trouble when there’s lots of other Bluetooth devices around, and they won’t default to a lower-quality standard of connection if your source is 2-3 years old. They may not be glamorous, but wired headphones are extremely reliable. They don’t have lots of points of failure, they’re cheap to fix, and they work.

VISIT: w3onlineshopping.com

#best gaming headphones #best over ear headphones #best budget headphones #best wireless headphones for running

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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PlayStation Executive Explains Why There Is No PS5 “Series S”

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In an interview with AV Watch (as translated by VGC), Sony Interactive Entertainment’s CEO Jim Ryan suggested that he’s not convinced budget, lower-spec consoles such as the Xbox Series S will make it in the long run.

“The first thing I would like to say is that I respect every competitor’s decision and their philosophies,” says Ryan. “One thing that can be said is that if you look at the history of the game business, creating a special low priced, reduced spec console is something that has not had great results in the past. We’ve considered that option and seen other executives who have attempted this discover how problematic it is.”

Ryan goes on to note that part of the problem with such consoles is that they don’t allow consumers to feel confident that the console they purchased will last them in the long-run.

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“Based on our research, it’s clear that people who buy a game console want to continue using it for four, five, six, or even seven years,” says Ryan. “They want to believe they have bought something that is future-proofed and not going to be outdated in two-to-three years. They want to have faith that if they end up buying a new TV that their current console will be able to support that new 4K TV they are considering buying.”

To be fair, other people in the industry have expressed concerns that the Xbox Series S’ reduced specs will ultimately hinder developers’ abilities to simply port titles to it as if it were another next-gen console. We could also see how the Xbox Series S could struggle in the coming years if more people start calling for 4K content to become the standard.

That said, there are a couple of aspects worth considering. The first is that the other “less powerful” versions of consoles that have been released in previous years which perhaps haven’t faired as well as their powerhouse counterparts also didn’t benefit from programs such as Xbox Game Pass or Project xCloud which help close the technological gap and also greatly increase the overall value of the device. Furthermore, the incredible success of the Nintendo Switch would perhaps partially suggest that modern consumers will buy a less powerful console so long as it offers certain other benefits.

Ultimately, though, time will tell whether or not the benefits of the Xbox Series S will encourage more people to buy an Xbox this generation.

The post PlayStation Executive Explains Why There Is No PS5 “Series S” appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3krjUld

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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kennethherrerablog · 4 years ago

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12 Secret Redbox Codes to Get FREE DVDs, Blu-Rays & Games

Maybe you’re old enough to remember going to the video store to rent a movie for the weekend. Although your town probably doesn’t have a video rental store anymore, there’s at least one Redbox machine in its place. Although Redbox codes are the most popular way to watch new movies for free, there are many ways using Redbox benefits your wallet.

Your local Redbox kiosk is no longer exclusively for renting new release DVDs. There are also Redbox codes to save money on Blu-Ray and video game rentals too. And, Redbox continues to continuously roll out new features so you can finally ditch your cable plan and even your current movie streaming plans too!

Finally, Redbox is a two-way street when it comes to making money. While many people pay Redbox to rent movies and games, you can turn the tables and make Redbox your ultimate side hustle.

Try These Redbox Codes to Rent Movies for Free

Some people use Redbox to rent new releases and stream on-demand content on another platform. Even though you’re not paying movie theater prices, movie rentals can still add up.

There are several codes you can try using to get free Redbox DVD rentals. Other codes can help you get discounts on Blu-ray and video game rentals.

Most of these codes can only be used once and are linked to your credit card or email address. For the rental to be free, you must return your rental the next day by 9:00 PM local time to avoid the next day rental fee.

Most Redbox locations are in high traffic areas, you can easily drop your movie off on the way to work or sports practice, so it’s easier to return the movie by 9 PM than you think.

12 Free DVD Rental Codes

Most Redbox codes are for DVD rentals. These are the cheapest and most common rental which means more codes. Some of these codes can work at any Redbox kiosk, while others are location-specific for a particular store or restaurant.

These codes should work at any Redbox kiosk:

BREAKROOM

DVDONME

DVDNIGHT

REDBOX

RENTONME

Input these Redbox codes when you’re at a specific store or restaurant. For easy reference, the codes follow the name of the store.

HEB Grocery: REDBOXHEB or RDBOXHEB

McDonald’s: DVDATMAC

Sonic Drive In: DRIVEIN

Walgreens: DVDATWAG or WALGREENS

Wegman’s: DVDATWEG

If you can use all of these codes, that’s 12 free movie rentals!

Text Redbox Codes to 727272

Texting the following codes to 727272 can help you score a free movie rental too. For these codes to work, you will first need to text SIGNUP to 727272 to join the Redbox Text Club. The club is free to join and you might even get a free rental just for signing up!

Once you join the club, you can begin texting these codes to get a free or discounted rental:

GAMEKIDS (Free one-day video game rental!)

APPNOW

DEAL

FREEBIE

MOVIE

MOVIE TIME

PUSH

As a Redbox Text Club member, you might occasionally receive other free codes via text message to use. These promo codes only work on the day you receive them so you will need to act quickly.

Join Redbox Perks

The Redbox Perks loyalty program lets you earn points for every Redbox rental or purchase. For example, you earn 100 points per night for every DVD rental and a free rental costs 1,500 points. You will earn more points for Blu-ray and video game rentals.

You will earn reward points with each rental:

DVD: 100 points per night

Blu-ray: 125 points per night

Games: 200 points per night

On Demand: 75 points per purchase

Your rewards points can be redeemed for one-night DVD, Blu-ray, or video game rentals.

Periodically, Redbox may send you an exclusive code via email for free rentals and other discounts too. Loyalty has its benefits!

Get Two Free Redbox Rentals When You Join Redbox Perks

The real reason to consider joining Redbox Perks is the opportunity to get free DVD rentals during your birthday month and when you initially join the club.

By renting at least 10 movies a year, you also qualify for complimentary Blu-ray upgrades and triple points earning days. Even if you don’t rent 10 movies a year, you still enjoy the free birthday movie every year.

As a Redbox Perks member, you can also get additional discount codes for renting multiple movies or games at the same trip.

Tip: Check out our list of over 150 free items on your birthday to go with your free birthday movie rental!

Visit the Redbox Website for Price Drops

Sometimes, discounts are in plain sight. Redbox has several scrolling banners advertising their current promotions. One banner might let you rent an on demand movie for only 99 cents! Most on demand movies cost $1.99 for older movies and $4.99 for new release.

These price drops help you save money on rentals and purchases without using a rental code. You only have to complete the purchase before the promotional period ends.

Scour Your Entertainment Book

If you like to visit restaurants or local attractions, an Entertainment Book can pay for itself every single year. A book only costs $12 and it includes more than 75,000 coupons for local and national companies. The Entertainment Book can help you save money on movies and has included a “Rent One, Get One Free” Redbox coupon in previous editions.

Buy Discounted Redbox Gift Cards

Another backdoor way to get free Redbox movies is to buy discount Redbox gift cards. Search for Redbox gift cards on Gift Card Granny. The savings can help you watch movies for free when you don’t have a code to use.

You can also use discounted gift cards to save money on other online and in-person purchases too including restaurants.

Use a Redbox Code Sharing Site

This option isn’t as surefire as the other suggestions, but it can still be worth a try if you’ve already used the other codes mentioned above.

When you’re ready to checkout, visit the Redbox Reddit thread to see if anybody is sharing their unused codes. These codes are single-use only so hopefully another user left a comment to say it’s been redeemed so you don’t waste precious seconds.

As a way of paying it forward, Redbox Perks members will share the codes they don’t use so they get used by someone else. The codes can be for a free movie rental while others are for a discount.

If you’re a Reddit user, please do other visitors the favor and leave a comment so they know the code has been used.

The Latest and Greatest from Redbox

Maybe the last time you used Redbox was when you could only rent DVD movies. Now, they offer Blu-ray and video rentals plus on demand streaming. You can even buy used movies and games from their kiosks too!

If you haven’t realized it yet, Redbox has come a long way from its humble origins in 2002.

Rent DVDs and Blu-Rays at Local Kiosks

Redbox is probably the best place to watch new release movies. Although streaming sites like Netflix or Hulu get some new releases immediately, it usually seems like you need to wait an eternity for many new titles to become available.

With Redbox, you can get virtually every new title immediately. You still need to wait for the movie to reach DVD, $1.75 a night is a fraction of the price you’ll pay for seeing it in theaters. With the Redbox codes mentioned earlier, it’s possible to see the movie for free!

If you prefer a high-quality picture, Blu-ray rentals cost $2 per night. Redbox offers many titles in Blu-ray, but still has a higher availability in regular DVD quality. At select locations, Redbox is also beginning to rent 4K movies too which is more advanced than DVD or Blu-ray.

To get the exact release dates of upcoming titles, visit the “Coming Soon” menu.

Rent Video Games

It’s also possible to rent video games on a nightly or three-night basis for these three platforms:

PS4

Xbox One

Xbox 360

Redbox is also renting Nintendo Switch games in six cities in the United States. You can expect this number to grow as their Switch game library grows.

You can see when Redbox will add new title by clicking the “Coming Soon” button.

Play an Entire Video Game for Only $7

Three-night rentals are the best value and perfect for games that only require a long weekend to beat and have minimal replay value. Most new video games cost $60, and you can pay $7 for a three-night rental. You play the game and save $53 in the process, that’s a win-win no matter how you look at it.

Maybe there’s a serious gamer in your life that blocks off a long weekend to play an entire game from start to finish. Refer them to Redbox so save some dough and maybe you can share a gift code too!

Most video game players probably have a large collection of games they paid full price to buy only to play through once. With Redbox, you no longer have this problem of overpaying for games that collect dust after the first week of gameplay.

Stream Movies and TV Shows On Demand

Cord cutters rejoice! One of the newest Redbox features is streaming movies and tv shows on demand. If you don’t benefit from a monthly streaming plan, Redbox’s a la carte digital rentals is an excellent alternative.

TV shows must be purchased on a per episode or complete season basis. Single episodes cost $1.99 and an entire season usually runs $17.99. Because you own the tv show, you have unlimited playback capability.

Movies can either be rented or purchased in standard definition (SD) or high definition (HD). If you choose to rent, the title remains in your library for 30 days. You have 48 hours to finish the movie once you begin watching it. It costs $4.99 to rent a new release SD movie compared to $1.75 to rent the DVD.

On-demand movies can be the more cost-effective option if you can’t return your DVD within one day and you want to save gas money.

It’s also possible to cancel your Netflix subscription by using Redbox on demand too. Instead of paying a monthly subscription, you only pay for the content you want to watch. If you don’t watch a lot of tv, spending a few dollars is a lot cheaper long-term than $10 a month for unlimited streaming you don’t use.

Rent Older Titles for $1.99

Redbox is known for their new releases, but the one downside is that you cant rent older movies that are kiosks. With the brand-new Redbox On Demand feature, you can stream the films you can’t find at your closest kiosk. If your kiosk is “sold out” of the most popular new release, you can also stream it for movie night too.

There are films from almost any decade that you can stream on Redbox including modern 90s classics like Speed or My Cousin Vinny. You can search their video catalog by typing the name of the movie into their website search bar. Their catalog is surprisingly large and will make you rethink your current $10 monthly streaming subscription.

This option can also be cheaper than the $5 movie bin at Walmart too. If you don’t want to clutter your house with movies you only want to watch once, Redbox On Demand is your new best friend.

Purchase Used DVDs

Redbox only stocks new releases at their kiosks. Because new movies are constantly being released they need to sell their older titles to make space.

You might choose to rent from Redbox because you only watch most movies once. If there’s a movie you want to watch again, you can purchase it for $8.99 at a local box for the DVD or Blu-ray.

This option can be cheaper than buying a brand new title from Walmart or Best Buy and paying $20 just to get an unwatched copy. If you don’t care about having the original DVD case or being able to tear off the shrink wrap, buying your movies from Redbox is another crafty way to spend less on entertainment.

You can browse the selection on the Redbox website in the “Movies for Sale” button. After choosing the title you’re interested in, find a nearby box to pick up your title.

Buy Used Video Games

Just like Redbox sells older movies to make room for the newest releases, it’s also possible to buy used video games for $14.99 or less. These games might not be the newest releases, but certain games are timeless and can be played repeatedly.

Instead of paying full price, you wait and scoop up a bargain. It’s that simple! Because new games cost $60, getting the same title used can save you a lot if you enjoy video games.

Download the Redbox App

To save time and get exclusive Redbox codes, you should download the Redbox app. In addition to free rentals, you can also watch on-demand programming in the app. You can also find your closest kiosk and reserve movies in advance.

Android app

iOS app

Use the Redbox Alexa App

It seems like one of the latest digital trends are Alexa apps. If you have an Amazon Echo, you can download the Redbox skill. Once your Alexa device has the skill, you can say, “Alexa, open Redbox.”

Alexa can research new movies and games to decide what you want to watch or play tonight.

This app is still relatively new and doesn’t have as many capabilities as the mobile app, but you can expect future improvements.

Making Money with Redbox???

The first two sections show you all the ways you can watch movies or play video games with Redbox, but this section shows you how to make money with Redbox.

Redbox is constantly hiring full-time and part-time employees. Part-time positions are available across the entire United States because Redbox has kiosks in nearly every American city.

If you need a job with flexible hours so you can take care of the family or go to school in the other hours of the day, Redbox provides many opportunities that help you make money without working a traditional, rigid job.

Restock Redbox Kiosks

Fairies don’t magically restock the 41,500+ Redbox kiosks while you sleep.

As a part-time side hustle, you can work as a Field Support Representative to restock the kiosks in your local area. You will use your personal vehicle to maintain your route. Some of your responsibilities include:

Maintain adequate inventory in each assigned machine

Keeping records of movies you remove and deposit

Perform basic repairs

Provide customer service to store owners and customers

Input information into a computer database

You must also have a vehicle with 50 cubic feet of storage space and the ability to life 50 pounds. This can be a perfect side hustle if you don’t want to be stuck in a cubicle and you like being active. Redbox also requires you to live within 10 miles of a Redbox kiosk.

Open positions are listed at Redbox Jobs. In case you’ve seen somebody stocking a Redbox kiosk before, their journey started by applying online.

It’s also possible to find other part-time Redbox jobs too if you can’t commit to being a Field Support Representative at the moment. Some of the other possibilities might include working in their warehouse or customer service department.

You know your strengths, so pursue the path that’s best to make extra money while having fun!

Buy Redbox Gift Codes

Giving away freebies is a creative way to attract new customers to visit your business or website. Even if you’re thinking about starting a blog, keep this idea in your back pocket to build your audience.

A unique idea might be having a Redbox codes giveaway where people gain entry by joining your email list, following you on social media, or referring friends to follow you too. Digital gift codes can be purchased for DVD, Blu-ray, or video game rentals in five code increments.

You can give the gift codes to one winner or split them between several contestants. No matter how you cut it, people get free movies and you get more people interested in your brand.

Redbox also offers gift cards that you can give as a gift for a personal friend too. Their eGifts can be given for business or personal reasons.

Get a Redbox Kiosk For Your Business

If you already own a successful business, you might consider getting a Redbox kiosk installed. To be honest, the application process is quite rigorous but well worth it.

You will need to have at least 15,000 weekly visitors and you need to have a prime real estate location. If you meet these two basic qualifications, you can contact Redbox and ask them to install a machine at your place of business. Make sure you include your weekly traffic numbers to ensure your query gets considered.

Redbox currently has 41,500 kiosks across the country. A few years ago, there were only 36,000 kiosks! Redbox is still a growing company and your storefront might be their next kiosk home.

A Few Random Facts About Redbox

Maybe you use Redbox on a regular basis or you’re on the other side of the spectrum and have only seen their red machines and never rented a movie.

It doesn’t really matter how many times you use Redbox each month, there are many ways to watch movies for free.

Right now Redbox has more U.S. locations than McDonald’s and Starbucks combined? It’s true! Redbox currently operates more than 46,500 kiosks across the United States.

There’s a good chance there’s a Redbox kiosk at your favorite grocery store, restaurant, or pharmacy. If you haven’t used Redbox in a while, here’s their current prices for kiosk rentals:

DVDs: $1.75 per night

Blu-Ray: $2 per night

Video games: $3 per night

You won’t pay a monthly subscription and you only pay for a rental based on the number of nights you rent a movie or game. Redbox can be cheaper than renting the same on demand movie from your cable provider, and it certainly costs less than going to the movie theater.

Summary

Now that you know where to look for Redbox codes, it’s time to start using them to watch free movies. With a constant opportunity to watch free movies, you may truly never have to pay for a movie rental again!

We Need Your Help!

If you have tried any of these codes and they no longer work OR you found some new ones, please share them with us in the comments below so we can keep this updated for everyone! Thank-you!

12 Secret Redbox Codes to Get FREE DVDs, Blu-Rays & Games published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

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darcyfarber · 4 years ago

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12 Secret Redbox Codes to Get FREE DVDs, Blu-Rays & Games

Finally, Redbox is a two-way street when it comes to making money. While many people pay Redbox to rent movies and games, you can turn the tables and make Redbox your ultimate side hustle.

Try These Redbox Codes to Rent Movies for Free

Some people use Redbox to rent new releases and stream on-demand content on another platform. Even though you’re not paying movie theater prices, movie rentals can still add up.

There are several codes you can try using to get free Redbox DVD rentals. Other codes can help you get discounts on Blu-ray and video game rentals.

Most Redbox locations are in high traffic areas, you can easily drop your movie off on the way to work or sports practice, so it’s easier to return the movie by 9 PM than you think.

12 Free DVD Rental Codes

These codes should work at any Redbox kiosk:

BREAKROOM

DVDONME

DVDNIGHT

REDBOX

RENTONME

Input these Redbox codes when you’re at a specific store or restaurant. For easy reference, the codes follow the name of the store.

HEB Grocery: REDBOXHEB or RDBOXHEB

McDonald’s: DVDATMAC

Sonic Drive In: DRIVEIN

Walgreens: DVDATWAG or WALGREENS

Wegman’s: DVDATWEG

If you can use all of these codes, that’s 12 free movie rentals!

Text Redbox Codes to 727272

Once you join the club, you can begin texting these codes to get a free or discounted rental:

GAMEKIDS (Free one-day video game rental!)

APPNOW

DEAL

FREEBIE

MOVIE

MOVIE TIME

PUSH

As a Redbox Text Club member, you might occasionally receive other free codes via text message to use. These promo codes only work on the day you receive them so you will need to act quickly.

Join Redbox Perks

You will earn reward points with each rental:

DVD: 100 points per night

Blu-ray: 125 points per night

Games: 200 points per night

On Demand: 75 points per purchase

Your rewards points can be redeemed for one-night DVD, Blu-ray, or video game rentals.

Periodically, Redbox may send you an exclusive code via email for free rentals and other discounts too. Loyalty has its benefits!

Get Two Free Redbox Rentals When You Join Redbox Perks

The real reason to consider joining Redbox Perks is the opportunity to get free DVD rentals during your birthday month and when you initially join the club.

As a Redbox Perks member, you can also get additional discount codes for renting multiple movies or games at the same trip.

Tip: Check out our list of over 150 free items on your birthday to go with your free birthday movie rental!

Visit the Redbox Website for Price Drops

These price drops help you save money on rentals and purchases without using a rental code. You only have to complete the purchase before the promotional period ends.

Scour Your Entertainment Book

Buy Discounted Redbox Gift Cards

You can also use discounted gift cards to save money on other online and in-person purchases too including restaurants.

Use a Redbox Code Sharing Site

This option isn’t as surefire as the other suggestions, but it can still be worth a try if you’ve already used the other codes mentioned above.

As a way of paying it forward, Redbox Perks members will share the codes they don’t use so they get used by someone else. The codes can be for a free movie rental while others are for a discount.

If you’re a Reddit user, please do other visitors the favor and leave a comment so they know the code has been used.

The Latest and Greatest from Redbox

If you haven’t realized it yet, Redbox has come a long way from its humble origins in 2002.

Rent DVDs and Blu-Rays at Local Kiosks

To get the exact release dates of upcoming titles, visit the “Coming Soon” menu.

Rent Video Games

It’s also possible to rent video games on a nightly or three-night basis for these three platforms:

PS4

Xbox One

Xbox 360

Redbox is also renting Nintendo Switch games in six cities in the United States. You can expect this number to grow as their Switch game library grows.

You can see when Redbox will add new title by clicking the “Coming Soon” button.

Play an Entire Video Game for Only $7

Stream Movies and TV Shows On Demand

On-demand movies can be the more cost-effective option if you can’t return your DVD within one day and you want to save gas money.

Rent Older Titles for $1.99

This option can also be cheaper than the $5 movie bin at Walmart too. If you don’t want to clutter your house with movies you only want to watch once, Redbox On Demand is your new best friend.

Purchase Used DVDs

Redbox only stocks new releases at their kiosks. Because new movies are constantly being released they need to sell their older titles to make space.

You might choose to rent from Redbox because you only watch most movies once. If there’s a movie you want to watch again, you can purchase it for $8.99 at a local box for the DVD or Blu-ray.

You can browse the selection on the Redbox website in the “Movies for Sale” button. After choosing the title you’re interested in, find a nearby box to pick up your title.

Buy Used Video Games

Instead of paying full price, you wait and scoop up a bargain. It’s that simple! Because new games cost $60, getting the same title used can save you a lot if you enjoy video games.

Download the Redbox App

Android app

iOS app

Use the Redbox Alexa App

Alexa can research new movies and games to decide what you want to watch or play tonight.

This app is still relatively new and doesn’t have as many capabilities as the mobile app, but you can expect future improvements.

Making Money with Redbox???

The first two sections show you all the ways you can watch movies or play video games with Redbox, but this section shows you how to make money with Redbox.

Redbox is constantly hiring full-time and part-time employees. Part-time positions are available across the entire United States because Redbox has kiosks in nearly every American city.

Restock Redbox Kiosks

Fairies don’t magically restock the 41,500+ Redbox kiosks while you sleep.

Maintain adequate inventory in each assigned machine

Keeping records of movies you remove and deposit

Perform basic repairs

Provide customer service to store owners and customers

Input information into a computer database

Open positions are listed at Redbox Jobs. In case you’ve seen somebody stocking a Redbox kiosk before, their journey started by applying online.

You know your strengths, so pursue the path that’s best to make extra money while having fun!

Buy Redbox Gift Codes

You can give the gift codes to one winner or split them between several contestants. No matter how you cut it, people get free movies and you get more people interested in your brand.

Redbox also offers gift cards that you can give as a gift for a personal friend too. Their eGifts can be given for business or personal reasons.

Get a Redbox Kiosk For Your Business

If you already own a successful business, you might consider getting a Redbox kiosk installed. To be honest, the application process is quite rigorous but well worth it.

Redbox currently has 41,500 kiosks across the country. A few years ago, there were only 36,000 kiosks! Redbox is still a growing company and your storefront might be their next kiosk home.

A Few Random Facts About Redbox

Maybe you use Redbox on a regular basis or you’re on the other side of the spectrum and have only seen their red machines and never rented a movie.

It doesn’t really matter how many times you use Redbox each month, there are many ways to watch movies for free.

Right now Redbox has more U.S. locations than McDonald’s and Starbucks combined? It’s true! Redbox currently operates more than 46,500 kiosks across the United States.

There’s a good chance there’s a Redbox kiosk at your favorite grocery store, restaurant, or pharmacy. If you haven’t used Redbox in a while, here’s their current prices for kiosk rentals:

DVDs: $1.75 per night

Blu-Ray: $2 per night

Video games: $3 per night

Summary

We Need Your Help!

If you have tried any of these codes and they no longer work OR you found some new ones, please share them with us in the comments below so we can keep this updated for everyone! Thank-you!

12 Secret Redbox Codes to Get FREE DVDs, Blu-Rays & Games published first on https://mysingaporepools.weebly.com/

0 notes

stacks-reviews · 7 years ago

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New Releases 11/14/17

‘Happy New Release Day! Today brings a few new manga and a graphic novel, along with a couple of new shows/movies, and even a new video game from Nintendo.

In Books --Fairy Tail Volume 62 by Hiro Mashima “During the chaos of war,the demon Acnologia slinks his way into the ranks. As Erza, Wendy, and Gajeel prepare to face their hardest battle yet, a strange woman shows up to lift their spirits! The woman knows the secret to sealing Acnologia away, but will the gang be able to execute her orders! Meanwhile, brothers Natsu and Zeref go head-to-head, with their lives on the line! The fate of the world sinks further into peril when Zeref reveals his ultimate mission: Neo Eclipse!”

I can’t believe this series is almost over (at least in the US). Just one more volume remains. I think I’m going to wait to pick this one up until volume 63 comes out so I can get them together. The last volume I read was somewhere in the early 50′s, I think. I started rereading the series but paused midway through volume 8 and will continue from there once the last volume is released.

--Forbidden Scrollery Volume 1 by Moe Harukawa “Where else would a girl with the power to translate any tome she sets in her lap reside except a library? Sure, some books may be more dangerous than others, but that's far from discouragement for a true bibliophile like Kosuzu Motoori!”

Books that are dangerous. That may or may not magical in some form. With artwork that reminds me of Cardcator Sakura. Sign me up. I really would like to try this series cause as I’ve mentioned before I’m a sucker for books that have books being a form of power in worlds. I did flip through some of this volume when it arrived early at my work. And it looks promising.

--Frau Faust Volume 2 by Kore Yamazaki “After narrowly escaping a battle with Lorenzo, Johanna falls unconscious. In her wounded state, the century-old memories of her first encounter with Mephistopheles run through her head. In these memories are answers Marion is beginning to understand: what is the nature of his master’s immortality, and how is her curse inextricably tied to the body of her demon? Faust, Marion, and Nico’s immediate aim is to find Mephisto’s right leg, a mission that becomes more urgent when evidence of a young girl using demonic power comes to light. To find the next piece of her precious demon, Johanna may even need to form a tenuous deal with Lorenzo...”

From the creator of The Ancient Magus’ Bride comes Frau Faust. I enjoyed the first volume of this series which included a cute short about a museum that houses invisible exhibits. I would like to see Yamazaki explore that short more in the future. The first volume follows Johanna as she tries to find the missing pieces of the demon Mephisto held captive by the church. Along the way she gains an apprentice named Marion and they meet up with Nico, Johanna’s daughter.

My favorite part of volume 2 was learning about how Johanna meet Mephisto.

--Rose Volume 1 by Meredith Finch, illustrated by Ig Guara “A classic fantasy tale about a girl trying to restore balance to a broken world. Rose must connect with her Khat—Thorne—to become the Guardian the world needs. But things aren’t easy for Rose and Thorne, the powerful sorcerous Drucilla has many powerful and demonic allies—all of them focused on stopping one scared little girl who’s desperately trying to stay alive and do what’s right.”

I have been waiting on this one since I first saw the cover to issue one earlier this year. A warrior-girl with her giant black panther companion. It was a good start to the series though the volume felt a bit rushed. A few of the pages cut off part of some sentences near the end of the volume. I am looking forward to volume 2 and hope that the pacing might find a better flow. I think it’s worth checking out.

In Movies/TV Shows --91 Days “Prohibition—a lawless era where bootleggers prosper and mobsters prowl. Avilio Bruno has grown up alone in this murky world after the Vanetti's murdered his family. One day, he receives a letter that holds the key to revenge. Befriending the don's son, Nero, Avilio works his way through the Vanetti family and sets his vengeance in motion.”

I haven’t had time to try this one out yet but I really want to. There is a standard and an LE edition. The LE has an art box and comes with a 40 page companion guide that has, “artwork, character profiles, background information on Prohibition, the Chicago mafia, period firearms, and more.” And a set of six art cards.

--Atomic Blonde “An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.”

I was really excited to see this one because of how they treated the main character. They made her fight how a woman would actually need to fight. And they made it also realistic by how bruised and cut up she was after all this was over. When she got punched in the face that bruise would stay there. Some of those fights were painful to watch just of the pain you see was being done to her. The fight scenes in this movie were just fantastic. But the plot was a little convoluted. Maybe it will make more sense during a second watch. Either way it was an enjoyable movie to watch.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/atomic-blonde-doesnt-pretend-women-fight-like-men-and-the-result-is-awesome_us_597b3c67e4b02a8434b5df58

--Blue Exorcist Kyoto Saga Set 1 “Born the spawn of Satan, Rin Okumura decides to hide his origins, and become an exorcist. He enrolls at the Exorcism Cram School, a training institute for exorcists located on the True Cross Academy grounds. But, his cover is blown during an attack by Amaimon, the King of Earth, and he is revealed to be the son of Satan. Terrified of Satan’s blue flames, his friends start to distance themselves from Rin…It is then that someone steals the Left Eye of the Impure King, sealed away in the deepest part of the academy, and Rin and the others find themselves embroiled in an unexpected crisis.”

The newest season of Blue Exorcist is starting to release. It was a pretty good season. And now I’m trying to remember if I finished it or not. I feel like I did but now I can’t remember.... Anyway. This is an Aniplex title so it is going to be a bit higher. There is a DVD edition and a Blu-Ray. They contain episodes 1-6 of this season. But if you buy the Blu-Ray it also comes with a booklet and some postcards.

--Doctor Who Complete Series 10 The final season of Peter Capaldi as 12 and with Steven Moffat as executive producer is now out as a complete set. Pearl Mackie was great as Bill Potts though sometimes I can’t help but feel like they could have done more with her character. Once I see the season again I might change my mind but for now that thought occasionally pops up.

My favorite episodes of this season are “Smile”, “Thin Ice” if only to watch the Doctor punch that guy over and over, “Empress of Mars”, and the two-part season finale.

--In This Corner Of the World “Based on the award-winning manga by Fumiyo Kouno, In This Corner Of the World tells the emotional story of Suzu, a young girl from Hiroshima, who’s just become a bride in the nearby city of Kure during World War II. Living with her husband’s family, Suzu has to adjust to her new life, which is made especially difficult by regular air raids. But life must go on, and Suzu - through the help of her new family and neighbors - begins to discover the joys of everyday life in Kure. Much is gained in Kure, but with war, many things cherished are also lost.”

This just looks fantastic. I’m really excited to see this one.

--Pokemon Indigo League S1 The original that started it all is out on blu-ray for what should be the first time. I love the Indigo League. It’s where I started with Pokemon. And it has some the saddest episodes I’ve seen from the series. At least up until the point where I stopped watching. I tried to pick it back up during the last season and the new Sun and Moon seasons but it has been sporadic.

This set has the first 52 episodes of the series. It also comes with a 64 page manga sampler, a recipe card, the complete Pokerap, and a “Who’s That Pokemon” gallery. I feel like they could have done more for this release as the extras just feel like a pull for you to start buying the manga and one of their Pokemon cookbooks.

I really hope they kept the other songs in at the end of episodes instead of just the Pokerap. I love the Pokerap but I also love the other songs. Yeah, I have them on one of the soundtracks but I’d still like to see them at the end of the episodes.

The box itself is really cool. It is designed to look like the original Pokedex.

--Preacher S2 “Jesse, Tulip and Cassidy hit the road in search of God, and quickly realize they're being stalked by a killer cowboy from Hell.”

I wasn’t as crazy about this season as I was the first. I’ve been that way with a lot of series this year. It is still a good series and had a great start to the season. And ended with a great cliffhanger.

In Video Games --RiME (Nintendo Switch version) “In RiME, you play as a young boy who has awakened on a mysterious island after a torrential storm. You see wild animals, long-forgotten ruins and a massive tower that beckons you to come closer. Armed with your wits and a will to overcome—and the guidance of a helpful fox—you must explore the enigmatic island, reach the tower's peak, and unlock its closely guarded secrets.”

I’ve been really excited for this game for a while. But I am conflicted. It is half price if I get it on my PS4 but I was really hoping to get it for my Switch. Visually it looks gorgeous and the OST is supposed to be really good. But I have heard that the puzzles aren’t very challenging. I still want to try it out. Now I just need to decide what console I want it for.

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ninnetta153gaming · 4 years ago

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How to make a macro with logitech gaming software

Top rated 22 Esports Blogs To Study Inked Gaming

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3 GAMING Secrets You Never Saw

Did you know that Mobile games now account for 51% of global revenues in the gaming industry followed by Console games (25%) and Pc Games (24%) 62% of smartphone owners install a game within a week of finding their phones and Mobile Games now account for extra than 43% of total time spent on smartphone. Check out our infographic on The State of Mobile Gaming Industry” for most current mobile gaming statistics and trends.

Game makers can support simple leaderboards very easily by using DynamoDB. One particular such use case is the capability to display top rated scores for a game. If a gaming company currently shops players' game state in DynamoDB, such as players' top rated scores, the ability to get top rated scores can be implemented by employing a worldwide secondary index.

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The advantages of this cloud model for gaming? The newest gaming hardware does not come cheap: hundreds of pounds for a console or thousands for a tricked-out Pc, plus the games themselves - and with gaming technology regularly evolving, upgrading hardware each and every couple of years is mandatory to delight in the most recent titles at their most effective. By connecting to devices in the cloud, charges are lowered to a subscription charge, and the provider requires on all the responsibilities of maintaining higher-finish gaming systems. With no require for on-site hardware, cloud gaming also saves space in the home and eliminates the noise and heat generated by gaming machines.

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Virtual reality is the future in all meanings of the word. The penetration of this idea in all vital sectors across the globe and the ever expanding numbers are testament to the reality that this is right here to keep. Things, workings, processes, and game engines all pertaining to the virtual reality market are continually improving every single day. With the intense proliferation of gaming platforms in the past years there are a quantity of game engines becoming created accessible in the marketplace for the development within this sector.

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123designsrq · 5 years ago

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XBOX ELITE WIRELESS CONTROLLER SERIES 2

4 years after Xbox's first pro-standard gamepad was launched comes a brand new iteration of their Xbox Elite Wireless Controller - the Series 2. So we reached have fun with one at Gamescom in Germany to determine if it feels or behaves any differently. We still make use of the original version with this Xbox One X, but they are searching toward pairing the console using the latest model because it has numerous more features making it more appropriate to today's modern games. Additional features To begin with, now you can store as much as three separate, custom profiles for various games, that are signified by three LEDs around the front from the controller. You are able to switch together having a tap on the button above them. Alternatively, you may also switch the 3 off and revert towards the standard, default profile - meaning that you could have as much as four separate configurations as a whole. The Xbox Accessories application around the Xbox One offers multiple other customizable options, including button mapping and deadzone adjustment settings. And, the thumbsticks (which there alternatives incorporated within the box) are in possession of adjustable tension, tweaked utilizing a special tool. As the trigger response could be tweaked to fireplace faster through shorter hair trigger locks. Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 initial review Whats different image 7 Bluetooth connectivity continues to be added, making us believe that, in addition to Xbox One and Home windows PC support, the information can connect with iPhone and iPad (once iOS 13 continues to be released) and Android - before the launch of Project xCloud. Design The look continues to be enhanced, in comparison with its predecessor. Not just may be the top different - having a solid construction more in-line using the second generation Xbox One controllers - nowadays there are rubberized grips throughout and hatching around the bumpers. Plus, you receive a rechargeable battery built-within this time - it does not depend on AA batteries. And, USB-C can be used now, with an incorporated charging pier, for faster charging. Xbox claims the controller can store as much as 40 hrs price of play, so that needs to be ample for any couple of sessions. Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 initial review Whats different image 4 Naturally, similar to the first Elite, Series 2 includes several interchangeable accessories: six thumb sticks as a whole, four paddles and 2 D-pads. We saw an additional circular D-pad during Gamescom that, sadly, will not be incorporated. All eco-friendly it included "Gamescom 2019" emblazoned onto it and, so far as we're able to tell, will not be accessible to buy. However, bar the white color and slogan, it's like the faceted D-pad you need to do get anyway, same with a purely cosmetic addition. Hefty feel and cost As we have already stated, we already make use of the original Elite controller so understand how the heft works within the hands. It provides a far more robust, heavier feel to Xbox gaming. This is also true using the successor. It's heavy, but less that you'll tire. It is a shame you cannot alter the weight through additional ballast, just like another premium controllers available on the market, however it does feel solid and comfy - just like a precision tool should. Obviously, another hefty feature from the Elite 2 is its cost, that might put some off. As the original was £120 - already a substantial investment for gamers - the brand new model is a mighty £160 if this releases on 4 November ($180 in america). Thinking about you will get a whole gaming system, the Nintendo Switch Lite just for £40 more, you'll need to be seriously interested in your gaming to think about one. First Impressions of the Xbox Elite But, strange as it can appear, we suspect that there are many individuals which are. In the end, PC gamers think nothing of spending greater than £100 each on the mouse and keyboard. And, from what we have performed to date during Gamestop, the brand new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 certainly has enough new features to warrant consideration a minimum of. We await a complete reviewable product within the near(ant) future and, then, we will be able to provide you with a better symbol of be it well worth the money. For now, we counsel you refrain from purchasing the previous edition just in situation. Read the full article

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genovera942vbucks-blog · 6 years ago

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Fortnite kicked off Season 7 with a coordinator of further road exchanges with skins to commemorate the getaway season. Study indicates that Fortnite can be highly addictive. Indeed, it has actually been gotten that Fortnite is as addictive as heroin , with individual often-repeated story telling of the son which stayed playing the game in the darkness of an approaching tornado. Now, Epic Games is leaving the cuts in place to bring these two worlds closer together, CEO Tim Sweeney told Business Insider in the conversation on the Ready Developers Conference before with Protest. Finally, he speaks, that map stands to take "Fortnite" past its origin, and make it a true online world.

All another season gets its Battle Pass which provides entrance to extra items, challenges, and in-game currency. While anyone really should be aware to how long is authority to run on a flavor, that a sensible investment if you discover the Fortnite bug. After all, 200 thousand people could be inappropriate. While the game itself is free to play, participants could operate V-Bucks to purchase cosmetic objects and unlock reports with "Fortnite." Yet the digital currency is a hot commodity — players spend more than $200 million a month with V-Bucks.

That a very predictable thing to happen, but that fact is worth celebration anyway - Fortnite Battle Royale PvP for 100 players is eventually interface to iOS, and Android mobile platforms with every PC version features included. This freedom shows, that cell devices may be functioned as tough units of full cost. The leaks include new gas for the already heavy sacks of conjecture that Epic Activities give a thing big arranged for the upcoming winter season in Fortnite, that several state predicted may enter snowy terrain.

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Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 8, Week 5 is today officially live with that one more batch of weekly concerns to destroy the pirate land into. Avast me hearties, 'tis time to earn Battle Legends with level up your Battle Pass. Complete 55 weekly obstacles and you'll unlock the mystery Discovery Outfit. Fortnite Battle Royale is available with Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Samsung Android devices while Save the planet is available in NOTEBOOK and systems platforms.

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Hi Fedor, quite interesting article, as a gamer myself I happen always looking for more affordable competition and now can not stop playing Fortnite haha. Whether you buy the Fortnite Season 8 Battle Move or maybe not, you can get your hands a a glider only open to season - entitled the Fortnite Season 8 Victory Umbrella - in showing well during a game.

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While the Rocket Launch event was likely the most "Fortnite Battle Royale" event so far, Epic Games has created many other interesting live events. Here's where to have three eliminations at pirate camps in Fortnite: Battle Royale. After doing this, pack the Epic Games Launcher and press upon the Fortnite tab. Having a Fortnite TELEVISION display is totally far-fetched, as the storyline is just like Hunger Sport and Battle Royale.

Experience Battle Royale throughout extra with special technique with each Limited Time Mode. Join forces with nearly 49 new players with 50v50 or deal with your encounters with only legendary loot with Concrete Gold. Anything is possible with Fortnite. Just like any other battle royale you have always played, Fortnite also shares the same point of view in allowing the players get things like fresh characters, new skins, new dress and much more with the help of a virtual currency called V-Bucks.

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caron517gaming-blog · 6 years ago

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'My Child Spent £150 On Fortnite'

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ciathyzareposts · 6 years ago

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Pimax 5K+ Impressions – The First of the Second Generation of VR

In case you haven’t figured it out, I am a Virtual Reality enthusiast. I’ve been looking forward to the coming of consumer-level Virtual Reality since the early 90s. I expected it a lot sooner than it got here, to be honest, but I’m glad it’s here now. I love that I get to work with it as part of my day job. Anyway, I have been willing to sink a bit of cash into it this hobby… to the extent that I pre-ordered a Pimax 5K+. Offering about the highest resolution out there and 170+ degrees of field-of-view, it seemed like a game-changer for PC-based VR.

My headset arrived a few weeks ago. Due to crazy work hours, I haven’t had as much time to play with it as I’d like, but I thought I’d share my impressions so far. The company and the PiTool software are still kind of young, so there’s plenty of room for both to grow. In fact, that’s probably the first alarm bell you should be hearing: There’s always a chance that one big disruption could cause the company and all its support of this product to disappear tomorrow. It’s no longer a “boutique” product, IMO, and has been growing to meet demand. My pre-order took months to arrive, but I understand that lately people have been getting their orders within 3-4 weeks. So… it’s improving.

Since it arrived, there have been a ton of announcements of new and impressive VR headsets for 2019. I’m going to state for the record that I’m calling this the second generation of VR hardware. Yes, annoyed pundits have their own list of demands for second-generation hardware, a bunch of revolutionary changes, but I call tough toenails. It is what it is, and the latest stuff coming out is definitely pretty exciting. I count the new Pimax headsets to be the first of this new generation. For the next couple of years, you’ll be able to treat yourself to much higher resolution, bigger field of view, inside-out tracking without the need of external sensors, untethered (or standalone) use, lighter weights, foveated rendering with eye-tracking, and improved frame rates for cleaner tracking. The problem is… I don’t know of any system coming out that will give you all of the above (or even a significant subset of the above), at least not at a consumer price-point.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to describe a VR experience. You can’t even show videos, really, that capture the experience properly. All I can do is offer comparisons and hope that it works.

Construction / Appearance: Construction feels a little more rugged than the Oculus Rift, but not as solid as the Vive / Vive Pro. It’s lightweight, though, in spite of its wide size and beefy lenses – less than the original Vive, I think. Anyway, I dig the LED Cylon-looking thing across the front. Maybe it makes me look less dorky or less like a hammerhead shark when I’m wearing it, but honestly, I don’t care. While it looks weird, it works. All is good.

Fit / Comfort: The strap that comes with the Pimax 5K+ is… well, functional. Kinda like the strap that shipped with the original Vive. I ordered some 3D-printed adapters for less than $10 that allowed me to hook up my Vive Deluxe Audio Strap to my Pimax, and it worked GREAT. I mean, really…. it feels like it belongs there. Pimax is coming out with their own version of the DAS for the Pimax, but I have a tough time imagining that it’ll be any better than this. I keep saying the Deluxe Audio Strap is a “must buy” for the original Vive, and it holds true here, too. With the strap, the Pimax is plenty comfy.

Some caveats, however: If you wear glasses in VR, you’ll need some thicker padding and adjustments to make it work right. Also, it seems to me that you really need to dial in your inter-pupillary distance (IPD) pretty closely… it’s not as tolerant as most headsets to being off by a couple of millimeters. If you don’t do this, you’ll probably see double and feel some eye strain after a while.

I’ve played for up to 90 minutes at a time with no significant feeling of eye strain or discomfort.

Setup: Getting things working with my computer is always a little bit of a chore, requiring software installation, reboots, etc. However, once it was set up, everything worked and kept working. Sometimes VR is finicky. The Pimax (currently) requires Lighthouse base stations (for position tracking) and controllers only available from HTC, which is great for an upgrade from the Vive, but not so great for new owners. However, Pimax is supposed to have both available really soon now, if they aren’t already.

Image Quality: Okay, here’s the biggest part – how are the visuals? In a word, fantastic. But you probably want more. Compared to the early 1st generation headsets, they are amazing. Compared to, say, the Vive Pro (which I have available for comparison), I think they aren’t quite as good. The LED display isn’t quite as bright and vivid, and the vertical resolution is about 10% smaller (1440 instead of the Vive Pro’s 1600). The horizontal resolution for the nearest 110 degrees (the standard FOV of headsets today, including the Vive Pro) is as good or better. The images do seem a little bit sharper than on the Vive Pro, and the screen door effect is hardly noticeable for me.

Of course, the selling point of the Pimax 5K+ is the wide field-of-view (FOV). It does not disappoint. The software allows three display modes: Small, Normal, and Large. Small FOV is about the usual 110 degrees that other headsets offer. If your game is having a really tough time running at higher resolutions at a decent frame rate, try this. “Normal” offers about 150 degrees of horizontal FOV, and it’s fantastic. “Large” opens up an extra 10 degrees on either side, giving you 170 degrees of horizontal FOV (they advertise 200 degrees “diagonal” FOV, which is a bizarre way to measure it that only marketing schmucks could come up with). Honestly, the difference between “Normal” and “Large” is hardly noticeable, and that last sliver is a little distorted by the lenses anyway. It’s really just good for catching stuff in the extremes of your peripheral vision. However, I didn’t notice a big difference in frame-rate for the large FOV, either, running on an RTX 2080Ti. So… YMMV. I may switch to “Large” mode in the future, but right now I’m extremely happy with Normal mode.

Normal Mode captures most of what your eyes see. You no longer feel like you are wearing blinders. It’s more like ski goggles than scuba goggles. This makes it much easier to “check six” in a flight simulator, or to catch a glimpse of bad guys attacking you from the sides in a shooter. Some people say they can’t go back after experiencing the wider FOV for a while. I don’t have that problem, but it really is nice. The higher resolution and sharp image quality make it easier to read the instrument panel in a flight sim, or to spot the details in Skyrim VR.

Looking at hard numbers: The original Vive and Oculus Rift offer 1080 x 1200 resolution per eye. The Vive Pro offers 1440 x 1600 resolution per eye… about a 75% improvement in resolution. The Pimax 5K+ has up to 2560 x 1440 resolution per eye – 184% better resolution than the original Rift and Vive, and about 60% larger than the Vive Pro… but it’s also spread out over a 55% wider field of view.

Software / Tuning: The Pimax 5K+ is compatible with SteamVR. I haven’t found anything that doesn’t work yet. However, you do need to run support software called “PiTool”. There are a lot of things to tweak here, in addition to the options inside SteamVR, in order to get the performance optimal for your tastes. Tweaking stuff in PiTool requires a restart of SteamVR for many of the changes to take effect. One of the most annoying issues is that a lot of older VR programs require the “Compatible with Parallel Projection” option to be activated. This forces a slower rendering system to avoid seeing double, and it’s a significant hit to performance. Unity games and the newest Unreal games don’t require this option (and, happily, neither does DCS). Sadly, IL-2 Sturmovik does require this option, and I can’t get a solid 90 fps anymore in this game. Still, I’m generally ranging near 80, so it’s not terrible.

Other options include changing the field of view, modifying the brightness of the display, enabling their own version of Motion Smoothing (“Smart Smoothing,” which I don’t like as much as the one for the Vive), allowing “hidden areas” to be left unrendered (which can sometimes be noticed in the periphery of your version, but increases performance), changing the frame rate target (to sacrifice max FPS for a smoother frame rate… very important) and a bit more. One size might not fit all games — particularly with Smart Smoothing and parallel projection compatibility. However, I like that they enable so many options to try and get the optimum performance / quality balance.

Overall: The VR landscape is about to get a bit more complicated, but as of right now, I’d say the Pimax is an excellent upgrade to the original Vive, if you have a machine beefy enough to keep up. You can keep your Lighthouse sensors and your controllers, and even keep your Deluxe Audio Strap if you have one. Put the original Vive in a box to remember it fondly, and rock on to the new, higher-resolution, wide-FOV new world. I consider it an upgrade over the Vive Pro, but not nearly as significant. The positives and negatives in the differences in visual quality probably balance each other out. The Pro has a wireless adapter allowing untethered gaming, but the wide FOV of the Pimax is a huge improvement.

If you do not already own the Vive “Lighthouse” base stations and controllers, it is a far more expensive system (even before you consider the costs of the PC). Pretty much the cost of a Vive Pro.

Is the high resolution and wide FOV a game-changer? Not exactly, but for some games it really makes a tremendous difference (especially flight sims). I think foveated rendering doesn’t make much sense until you go outside the 110 degree FOV window. It’s a big enough deal that my next VR upgrade a few years down the road will have to offer a similarly wide FOV. Nothing announced so far is giving me any semblance of buyer’s remorse. If I didn’t already own the Pimax, I might be looking very closely at the upcoming HP Reverb or the Vive Cosmos. Then, I still might choose the Pimax.

I think it probably represents the hardware limits of graphics cards for the next few years, and unless you really MUST have an untethered experience or the absolute bear minimum of Screen Door Effect, I think this headset looks like something that will grow with me for several years.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/pimax-5k-impressions-the-first-of-the-second-generation-of-vr/

#retro games #dos games #retro #crpg #adventure #amiga #oldcomputers #8bit #16bit #blog #repost

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dannylenihan · 7 years ago

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Why things cost what they cost...

In the last couple of weeks my little brand, 3 Legged Thing, launched a brand new Universal L Bracket - the QR11. For the most part, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Then, somebody sent me a link to a well known forum, where a conversation had started about the press release for the QR11. The comments were almost wholly negative with more than one contributor stating “You can buy this from **Insert website** for $7″ or “I got one from China for $5 and it works just fine”.

Fantastic. What you actually did is perpetuate a cycle of intellectual property theft, and put your own equipment at risk by using something that has zero accountability, or any certification, made with unknown materials, in a factory where you have no idea what the conditions are like. That’s what you did. I’ll take you through it, step by step, so you can understand.

1: Intellectual Property.

Firstly, we (manufacturers) all trip up on intellectual property from time to time. When you file a patent, it takes the examiners upwards of a year to do all of the searches required to see if any prior art exists. As a small company, we simply don’t have the resources or the time to do this kind of search, and neither do most larger corporations, but we try our level best to ensure that we are only filing utility patents for true innovation. From time to time every company inadvertently steps on another’s toes, which is why we have a licensing system.

Chinese manufacturers have little or no regard for intellectual property. They are well known for copying other designs. They just buy the product, scan it, pull it into a CAD system, and then load it up to their machining. Voila - product copied. Zero overhead, unless you count the cost of the product in the first place, plus the engineers time, reverse-engineering, and maybe two or three attempts for a production sample before it comes out correctly - or at least, how they perceive “correct”. The process probably takes a couple of weeks, if that.

So, basically it’s a counterfeit, that took the hard work of a small company like mine, and without any consideration for the legalities (yes, it’s illegal) they copied it, stuck it in a box and sold it. But sure, you can have an L Bracket for six dollars.

2: Design & Deliver - this is just to demonstrate the work it takes to bring a single product, like our new L Bracket, to market.

a: Design meeting - new product introduction. What are the objectives? What are we trying to achieve?

b: Meetings with camera stores. Measure every camera. This takes a couple of weeks

c: We make a box sketch for the underside, and left side aspects, taking in to account every camera we've measured.

d: With all of the data in place I create a simplistic design which offers the most universal coverage for all cameras. Is it perfect? No. But that’s not the point - the point is a one-size-fits-all bracket, which may have some limitations, but serves to do the job it was designed for - to enable a photographer to switch from landscape to portrait without moving the tripod or head, retaining the composition.

e: Then I start to design the mechanical necessities - usually I start with the rubber pads. This process can take a long time. The rubber pads are crucial to the final product. My goal is to create maximum surface contact and grip, to provide a stronger, more secure connection.

f: Innovation comes next - what other value can we add to this product? We add a number of extra functions to all of our products. This part of the process can take several weeks.

g: Once we have a final design, there are a number of stages. Filing patents or design registrations comes first - over the life cycle of a patent it will cost upwards of $100k for extending worldwide, annual renewals, legal costs, filing fees etc.

h: Making a short run production for samples is next, and handing these out to a number of Pro-Team members to test and try and comment on.

i: Build the asset library. The costs and time implications of this should not be underestimated.

Photograph the products - pack shots

Lifestyle Images - shots in use, in different locations and environments

Product Video

Product Information Packs for dealers

j: Packaging design and Instructions actually happens towards the end of the process. This can take a few months itself, as there are a number of things to consider - we write manuals in six languages, and our boxes and packaging have to comply to regulations in 206 countries - no easy feat.

k: Finally it’s the launch - Press releases, marketing, adding listings and writing copy for websites, blurb etc.

That whole process just took between 8 and 12 months, with thousands of man hours, and costs upwards of $100k in time, materials, legal fees, outsource costs etc.

The Bottom Line

The Chinese factory did it in two weeks, without any of the above effort. Is it any wonder they can produce something that looks similar for six dollars?

3: Factory Standards

Working conditions is an important part of our company ethos, as it is for most manufacturers in our industry. Sure, I could make things cheaper - the first factory I worked with, with one of my other brands back in 2005, was a total chop shop - I pulled out of there when I realised how bad the conditions were. That was a steep learning curve for me - since then, I inspect any factory for compliance to health and safety regulations before deciding whether or not to trial them, and I always, always stay at the factory for first production, to see that workers are treated fairly, provided with the necessary tools and safety equipment required to do their jobs properly.

"I always, always stay at the factory for first production, to see that workers are treated fairly, provided with the necessary tools and safety equipment required to do their jobs properly."

I’ve seen factories where the conditions are appalling. Where old ladies sit with woollen gloves, using their hands to knock burrs off die cast components, blood pouring up their arms. Where moulds that weigh over 600kg are carted around on rusty chains by workers with no safety helmets, wearing sandals or flip flops. Where workers using lathes or DMC’s sit with sparks flying at them, no goggles on, hands covered in splinters.

It’s inhumane. And for us, unacceptable. But sure, you can have an L Bracket for six dollars.

4: Materials

We use only the highest grade of materials. We use T6061 for aluminium with a 1.1% magnesium content. We use the highest grade of stainless steel for the safety pins and the camera screw. We’ve tested these to destruction, because we know that a 4mm shaft of stainless steel is the difference between holding your camera and losing it. Is the cheap, Chinese version free from materials that are restricted in most countries? Lead, cadmium and a few others besides?

Here I am inspecting the aluminium billets at the factory. Our QC process starts at materials in, and is duplicated through every stage of production.

"We use only the highest grade of materials."

Then there are the actual processes to consider. I saw one comment along the lines of “got one from AliExpress, CNC’d, so every bit as good as a brand version”. That’s just not accurate. A CNC machine is just a 3D drill that does what it is mapped to do. There are all sorts of other considerations - which kind of lubricant do they use? Is it toxic? Do they have sealed waste flushing and specialist disposal? What about the tolerances? Is it precision engineered? Unlikely. Being that the aim of the game is to be as cheap as is humanly possible, I doubt that any single item sits in a block for more than five minutes, meaning it’s machined crudely and cheaply. It’s also the difference between using a $2 drill bit and a $100 drill bit. Both will make a hole, but only one will do it smoothly and accurately.

How is it finished? Is it anodized? Anodizing is a horrible chemical process that requires strict controls and safety equipment, and extensive training. Even the Chinese government have started to close many of the non-compliant factories, because of the injury and fatality rates, and the dumping of chemicals into groundwater.

"We recycle every gram of waste - from swarf to filings, everything is collected, rinsed, packaged and recycled."

So, the materials are unknown, potentially full of non-compliant chemicals, made in a factory that’s possibly poisoning the groundwater of the local community, and might be responsible for many workplace injuries, but sure, you can have an L Bracket for six dollars.

5: Pricing

With months of development, huge legal costs for protecting designs and technology, thousands of man hours of labour, outsource costs, prototyping etc, this product has to make money. Contrary to popular belief, “profit” isn’t a dirty word. It enables everyone in the world who works in the private sector to have a job.

I have distributors in countries around the world. I need to sell the product to them, with a layer of profitability for my company. They need to sell it to camera stores, and also need to make a profit. The camera stores sell it directly to you, and they too need to make a profit, and it is this last link in the chain which is so at risk of extinction. Our industry has millions of employees around the world. We’ve already seen huge losses of jobs and stores since 2010, and we’re only just seeing small signs of recovery. A huge proportion of camera sales happen in stores - not online, and it is this facet that is most critical. The more stores that close, because they simply cannot compete with Chinese rip offs and off-the-shelf rebranded products, the less innovation will occur, and less production will happen, leading to higher prices and less jobs, until the economic viability of our industry is no longer sustainable.

The Reality

THAT is what you’re buying in to when you decide to get it cheaply. Far be it for me to judge anyone for their decisions - that’s not what this is about. This is about the disposable, throw-away comments that largely circumnavigate the actual circumstances of a product’s arrival in the market place.

Have you ever heard the expression “You get what you pay for”? Well, you do, if you buy something, anything, off the shelf in China, without any sort of verification process.

Anyway, I’m sure that any number of keyboard warriors will have something to say about this article. I’m not here to condemn anyone for their actions, far from it, I’m just trying to educate people to the realities of Chinese copies.

There are only really a dozen or so global brands involved in camera support technology. As the smallest of these we are, perhaps, less affected by the Chinese copies, so I’m not writing this to protect my own company. This is about all of the great manufacturers, past and present, who spend millions on product development every year, only to see themselves ripped off by unscrupulous factories who don’t have the vision, the skill or the tenacity to create anything themselves. This is for the tens of thousands of employees of those companies who work hard, in daily fear of their livelihoods thanks to the incursion of illegal copies into our market place.

Are we perfect? No. But at least we’re doing it ourselves, with integrity, with compassion, with respect for human rights, with regard for regulations and compliance, with one eye on our planet and recycling, and with a degree of passion for this great industry.

That’s why it costs $50.

Thanks to Simon Pollock for the factory images.

#manufacturing tripod china intellectualproperty

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gethealthy18-blog · 5 years ago

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Switching to Clean Makeup? Here’s Where to Start.

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/switching-to-clean-makeup-heres-where-to-start/

Switching to Clean Makeup? Here’s Where to Start.

I will be the first to admit that the clean makeup world can be overwhelming. I feel like you’re first introduced to it and then you want ALL of your products to be non-toxic! Which is totally understandable… the facts about conventional beauty really do make me want to do a complete overhaul. But might I suggest a better, less wasteful way to switch to clean makeup?

There is a strategy to switching to clean makeup, one that I’ve implemented and that has helped so many of you switch to cleaner makeup to. But first it starts with an audit…here’s how to switch to clean makeup!

How to Switch to Clean Beauty

1. Start with surface area.

This could look different for everyone depending on how much/what makeup you wear. Which of your most used products cover the most surface area on your face? This is foundation for most people but if you aren’t a foundation gal, maybe the product that covers the most surface area for you is concealer, blush or bronzer. This is is specific to you!

I suggest this as the first step because sure, it could be great for you to switch out your mascara but if you’re obsessed with your conventional mascara, keep it for now. It covers such a small part of your face, we can start with the bigger hitters first.

2. Transition products that are running out.

If you know you’re almost out of blush, make a mental note to buy clean next time! I love this method because it is far less wasteful than doing a full makeup kit swap. As you slowly work through your conventional products, aim to buy clean.

3. Invest in multi-use products.

If you’re tight on budget look for things that are multi-use. Lip and cheek products are a great option, as are bronzer and eyeshadow. Get creative! If you’re working with limited funds try to reach for products that offer a variety of uses.

4. Adjust your expectations.

Clean beauty has come a long way and honestly, many clean makeup brands are making products just as good as conventional, however you cannot expect a foundation made without preservatives to last as long or not experience any kind of separation. Sometimes products take a little bit of extra work or won’t last as long. That’s the price you pay for using something that is good for you.

Where to Find Clean Beauty

There are a few stores I love and trust when it comes to clean beauty.

Credo Beauty – Credo takes the cake when it comes to favorite places! I’m slightly biased because they have a store in SF that I love but I also just think they’re a great company. They have high standards for the products they carry and they have my full trust! If you’re shopping remotely, they have amazing customer service support online. They can even recommend shades for you based on other products you own and love!

AILLEA – This company started in Denver and has expanded to six locations across the country! Their product range reminds me a lot of Credo. Worth seeing if there is a store near you but like Credo they also offer online products.

Detox Market – Detox Market carries a lot of the same brands that Credo does but casts a larger net. They have more products which is awesome but also means you have to do a little research on your own.

Sephora – Yep, Sephora is upping their game when it comes to clean beauty! They carry Kosas, ILIA, RMS and Tatcha which all have my stamp of approval. I will say, they carry a lot of other brands that they consider “clean” which are actually brands that are greenwashing (*cough* Tarte *cough*).

Now before you ask me about Beautycounter, I’ll direct you to my Beautycounter review and let you decide if it’s worth the investment….hint: I don’t think it is!

Trusted Clean Makeup Brands

The world of clean beauty is rapidly growing which is amazing but also means you have to weed through the brands and products available a little bit. If you’re feeling completely overwhelmed by the options out there, I wanted to share my tested and approved clean beauty brands and products.

Vapour Beauty – I’m really impressed with this brand as a whole. Here are my top picks:

Foundation – I fell in love with this medium coverage foundation last summer. It leaves my skin with the perfect amount of coverage and a dewy glow that I’m obsessed with.

Bronzing Stick – I love this bronzer because it’s compact and perfect for on-the-go! Use on your cheeks and eyelids for a pulled together, bronzed look.

Highlighter – This highlighter leaves my skin looking glowy and dewey while still looking super natural.

ILIA – While not all of their products work for me, I’m full on obsessed with the ones that do. Here are my faves:

Tint Skin – This is a new-to-me product that I cannot get enough of! I’ve been wearing this for the past two months straight – I can’t quit it! It combines skincare with SPF with light coverage and I’m in love.

Concealer – A really solid concealer option. Similar to Vapour, it is an affordable option that is great quality and long lasting.

Color Haze – This multi-use stick has become another one of my go-to’s! I love the natural flush it adds to my cheek as blush and is also gorgeous on the lips and eyelids!

Mascara – This is one of my all-time holy grail products. If you’re scared to give up conventional mascara, get this one! Trust me.

HAN Beauty – This seems to be a lesser known clean beauty company but I have been really impressed with these two products:

Bronzer – This powdered bronzer is the first HAN product I tried and fell in love with. I can’t say enough good things about this product. It’s super long lasting, affordable and has great ingredient.

Blush – Since I loved the bronzer I had to try the blush and it’s a fave as well! I have the shade “bloom” which is a soft rose pink and gives the most refreshed, natural flush look that lasts all day long.

A few other mentions: Maya Chia, Juice Beauty, Kosas, Gressa, 100% Pure, Lily Lolo

Unsure about a product? Think Dirty, Skin Deep, and Good Guide are three apps designed to give you unbiased information about cosmetic and beauty products and can help you make more informed decisions about the safety of your products.

Like this post? Here are others you might enjoy:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheHealthyMaven/~3/a3C6FlH9kHo/

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cdrforea · 5 years ago

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Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K G2 Hands-on Review

New Post has been published on https://bestedevices.com/blackmagic-design-ursa-mini-pro-4-6k-g2-hands-on-review.html

Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K G2 Hands-on Review

Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K G2 to touch

"The hardware is great, but Blackmagic RAW is a game changer for indie and small budget productions."

Blackmagic RAW codec

120 fps 4.6K

Accessible user interface

Built-in ND filters

Cumbersome placement of the iris dial

Some nickel and diming for accessories

"Bear" is a fitting name for the beast that is Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K G2 from Blackmagic Design, the flagship of the company's cinema camera. But it is a well-trained bear. The Ursa is docile where other such machines appear fearsome in their complexity. I've never been so amazed at how easy a camera is to take professional pictures.

It really feels like cheating. Turn it on, point it at something, press record, and there will be a picture for the big screen. If you know how to use a DSLR, you can find out the Ursa in minutes.

Okay, it takes a bit more work. You first need to decide which record button to press – there are approximately four of them. But once you've chosen your favorite, there's nothing standing in the way of making your director's dreams come true. At least from a technical point of view.

Despite my love of techno, the Ursa remains outside my league – and yet not alien to my budget. I won't buy one soon for a five under $ 6,000, but it's a lot cheaper than comparable movie cameras from other manufacturers.

I'm not sure why a Red or Arri, the camera of choice in Hollywood, is worth tens of thousands more. But as someone who shoots video with a mirrorless hybrid camera, I can see the value of climbing to Ursa. Six giants are a lot of money. But here, with the Ursa, it feels like a bargain.

Design and user interface

The original Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K was the first Blackmagic camera to feel ready. After a few years of eye-catching and bizarre designs, Blackmagic landed on a familiar shape that bridges the gap between a cinema camera and an ENG camcorder.

The G2 refines the formula with small but important improvements to the electronics without changing what has already worked. The result is not only a professional video camera that shames my aging but trustworthy Fujifilm X-T2, but also the best value in the cinema world.

Blackmagic gets a low price by selling you a bare bones camera. A viewfinder, a battery and a handle are add-ons that can add hundreds or thousands to the price. This can make cameras like the Canon C200 cheaper for $ 6,500 with viewfinder and battery. However, the Ursa has a hardware advantage: 15 levels of the announced dynamic range compared to Canon's 13, higher frame rates and a more versatile RAW format.

Although not new, the built-in filter control with neutral density is a key feature of the Ursa – and many dedicated video cameras. You can select 0, 2, 4, or 6 stops by turning a dial, so you never have to deal with a screw-on lens filter. Think of sunglasses for your camera. ND filters reduce light and allow you to keep a slower shutter speed for smooth movements and / or a larger aperture for a shallower depth of field when shooting in bright environments.

The viewfinder may not be standard, but a touchscreen monitor is the most accessible user interface you can get with a camera. Blackmagic has set itself the goal of standardizing the user interface for all camera models. So if you have a pocket cinema camera, you will feel at home with the Ursa. The user interface is easy to learn if you have not used a Blackmagic camera before.

The Ursa has numerous physical buttons and toggle switches for access to frequently used functions such as ISO, shutter angle / speed and white balance. A complaint? The iris dial is hard to reach when the monitor is open, a design flaw that Blackmagic may have missed because cameramen who use real cinema lenses use the iris ring on the lens.

Not me. I used standard Canon EF lenses. Apart from the bizarre iris control, I love that about the Ursa. Camera lenses are much cheaper than their cinema counterparts, but often of no less optical quality. (However, the Ursa's autofocus features aren't good – stick to manual focus.)

For this test, Sigma lent me its 18-35mm and 50-100mm f / 1.8 lenses, a pair of zooms that make a strong case for being the only lenses you need. Together, they're worth about $ 1,900. Sure, that's a bit of a change, but it's a far cry from the $ 8,000 required for theatrical versions of these lenses. (In truth, this is still quite affordable in the field of cinema glass.)

In addition, the Ursa Mini Pro has interchangeable lens mounts. In addition to the active Canon EF mount, you can use PL (the standard for cinema cameras), B4 for broadcast lenses or even a passive Nikon F mount. The latter opens up the Ursa to a decade-long legacy of photographic lenses. I have a small collection of Nikon glass from the film era that I would like to have tested on the Ursa. Next time.

Of course, cinema lenses have some advantages – mostly they make you look like an ass – but Blackmagic's willingness to let you mount any old DSLR lens natively is a big plus for the indie and student filmmakers. From news gathering to film production, the Ursa Mini Pro can be configured to fill a variety of roles. The Digital Trends video team even used it on the floor at CES 2020.

Performance and picture quality

The updated electronics of the Ursa Mini Pro G2 are all about speed. Above all, this means new slow motion HFR (High Frame Rate) options. 4.6K footage can be captured at up to 120 frames per second, while 1080p can reach 300 fps. The 4.6K / 120 film material is recorded across the entire width of the sensor and automatically played back in slow motion (up to 5 times with 24p pictures).

It looks absolutely awesome. I also appreciated how the camera records audio in HFR mode, which many smaller cameras don't. This way you can either slow down the audio in the mail to adjust it to the footage (think of the dramatic “Noooooo!” Shouted by a character approaching a certain doom) or the footage back to real-time speed boot up and use it more or less -less like a normal clip if you have to.

The updated electronics increase the maximum ISO by 3,200. That's nothing compared to modern still cameras with ISOs by the hundreds of thousands, but it makes the Ursa usable indoors. It is important that this high ISO value is useful when shooting HFR footage. This requires a faster shutter speed and requires compensation by either opening the iris or increasing the ISO.

Footage shot with ISO 3,200 can look grainy, especially when you try to lift the shadows in the post, but I never thought it would look bad. It's what it is, and you should try to stay at lower ISOs if possible, but I appreciate having that extra stop when I needed it.

The readout time of the sensor is shortened due to faster processing, which means that the "Jello Cam" effect of the electronic roller shutter can be controlled. In practice, I didn't notice it at all, except in very fast pans where I specifically searched for it.

File quality and flexibility

When I tested the first generation Ursa Mini Pro 4.6K, it was before Blackmagic released its RAW video format. It could record Cinema DNG, an open RAW format from Adobe, but I didn't have the storage or processing power to handle it. With the G2, I have finally experienced the power of Blackmagic RAW first-hand and it is absolutely revolutionary.

This is a RAW video format for the rest of us. With selectable compression levels up to 12: 1, .braw clips can be recorded on standard SD cards. In fact, the bit rate at 12: 1 compression is lower than the 400 megabits per second non-RAW codecs in cameras like the Panasonic Lumix GH5s and the Fujifilm X-T3. You still want a fast V90 card to be secure, but you don't have to be a professional studio or have a big budget to work with RAW video. That's great.

Sample material taken with the Ursa Mini Pro G2 Daven Mathies / Digital Trends

I recorded all of my test material in .braw with 12: 1 compression and it looked great. I edited and colored the clips in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve 16 on my eight year old iMac and it worked. Performance was problematic after adding more than the most basic color adjustment, but the fact that it worked at all is impressive.

If you're worried about editing performance, Ursa can record proxy files in addition to RAW footage, so you don't have to create proxies when importing.

I am not an experienced colorist or even an experienced DaVinci Resolve user, but I come from the world of still photography, where RAW files have been common for many years. Working with RAW videos seems familiar to me. In some ways, it is easier than working with other codecs like h.264 or even ProRes, which are often recorded with a flat logarithmic tone curve to maintain dynamic range and look like garbage before color correction is applied.

In contrast, Blackmagic RAW material can be used directly from the camera. It is also flexible. Even at 12: 1 compression, I was amazed at how many details I could pull out of the shadows.

Not everyone needs RAW video, but as Blackmagic explained to me, Blackmagic RAW offers the best quality to file size ratio at any compression level compared to non-RAW formats. There is no reason not to use it. Well, unless you want to import directly into Final Cut Pro X, which currently doesn't have a plugin to support .braw files. (There is a plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro.)

Conclusion

The Ursa Mini Pro G2 is proof that we are living in an incredible time for photo and video equipment. I am jealous of today's film students who may have access to it. They can produce large-screen movies in their dormitories and never know how difficult it is to record and edit standard definition footage on MiniDV tapes.

Of course, for many of us, $ 6,000 could just as easily be $ 60,000. If it's out of your budget, it's out of your budget. However, some of the Ursa's most important functions – such as Blackmagic RAW – are available in the cheaper Pocket Cinema Camera series. The Ursa Mini Pro may still be a desirable product for people like me, but unlike a Red or an Arri, it's not a dream. I can at least afford to rent it.

Editor's recommendations

#46K #Blackmagic #Design #Handson #Mini #Pro #Review #Ursa #Product Reviews

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