#the free version of the app is already pretty great

[wiptw]

Pokémon Stadium Series

Nintendo 64 - Nintendo - 2000 to 2001

You as a Pokémon fan are absolutely fucking spoiled these days. Aside from the mainline games you have spinoffs and fangames offering different experiences, you have entire websites dedicated to documenting everything down to the internal maths of the series, there's no end to the free content you can access with an internet connection between emulators and battle sites like 'Showdown!', and it's now socially acceptable in most circles to be older than 13 and have something with Pikachu's face plastered on it (especially if you're female presenting, especially if your friend group is also infected with the Pokémon hype). Back in my day™ you had almost none of this. You had the anime on Saturday mornings, you had the early run Pokémon licensed merch which WOULD get you called a baby if you continued buying past 10-12, and you had the games. Those sweet, sweet games that indoctrinated a generation of young people into being gamers and awoke a horde of JRPG addicts.

Literally Me

So remember this when I tell you that Pokémon Stadium, both one and two, aren't great games because they do something back then that you can't get today; they're great for what they did back then. So Pokemon Stadium 1&2 were a duology of games from 2000 and 2001 respectively that allowed players to battle Pokemon in 3D, with the addition of some side content such as minigames included to prevent the game from being 100% Pokemon battles. Because otherwise, the game is in fact navigating a series of menus and completing Pokémon battles with 3D models.

Whether it's taking on the gym gauntlets, the marathon of battles in the Pokémon cups, or just free battles with friends and loved ones, 98% of the experience is either selecting Pokémon from a roster of pre-built 'rentals' or transferring them from a saved game using the Transfer Pak, then fighting them in a series of 3D environments. An experience which you can definitely do today using web apps but as I said earlier, we didn't have that.

The peak of Pokémon battles in 2000

So if you're buying Pokémon Stadium (either version really) you're already probably a Pokémon fan right? So that means you have Red/Blue/Yellow/Gold/Silver/Crystal, so why not just play that game and get the full experience? The fun of exploring, talking to NPCs, discovering new and exotic locations? Simple, because in those games battles looked like this

While in Stadium, battles looked like this

If you grew up watching the anime while playing the Gameboy games, there was this special kind of dissonance where you might find yourself saying "Yeah, (for the time) these graphics are RADICAL but I wish I had something closer to these cool Pokémon Battles they had in the anime." As you hide under the covers with your Gameboy Color worm light, nestled in your Ash Ketchum pajamas while you attempt for the 100th time to capture a ditto. Pokémon Stadium was the answer to this dissonance, providing you with vibrant 3D graphics unlike anything you'd ever seen before; bringing Pokémon to life in a way that would be unmatched until Colosseum came out during the Gamecube era.

So, to actual mechanics, you play both games pretty similarly; by building a team of Pokémon (either on your handheld or by using the rental mons the game provides) and take part in a series of battles to become the ultimate battle master. To use your own Pokémon, you'd need to use the aforementioned 'Transfer Pak' to plug in a copy of Red/Blue/Yellow (for 1) or Gold/Silver/Crystal (for 2) with a game saved to the cartridge; otherwise the rental Pokémon covered all released Pokémon (except for some hidden ones) allowing you to build your dream team, sans a few caveats here and there.

Evolved Pokémon have better stats but worse moves, while weaker Pokémon tend to have better moves to compensate

In terms of WHERE you can battle, there's two choices: Either in the Gym Leader Castle, or the Tournaments held in the center of the map on either game. Either way, the game will then have you battle through a series of 3v3 matches versus a set number of trainers who will also select 3 random mons from their full team of six.

A bit bare bones, but there's some spice to how things are run. For one, the rental system was a huge thing for us younger players back in the day. Even if you had the games some Pokémon were hard to catch, had evolution requirements some players couldn't complete (like the trade-mons), or were locked to a version you didn't have. The rental mons give you a list of every Pokémon (some exceptions, but not many) and then lets you build your dream team. Sure, you can't set their moves, EVs, IVs, and it's the era before abilities and natures but I CAN HAVE A MEOWTH/PERSIAN ON MY TEAM. Do you know what I had to do as a child to have this Pokémon outside of Stadium? I had to find someone in the American South who also enjoyed Pokémon, hoped they had Blue instead of Red, hoped they had a link cable, then get them to agree to a trade despite both of us being children (and therefore, objectively terrible) which likely meant giving away a rare Pokémon in exchange for what amounted to common garbage in their game because it was Version fucking Exclusivity™ and everyone seemed to know that meant you'd do anything to get that one fucking Pokémon you wanted.

In the handheld games, if you wanted to build your dream team then likely you'd have to put in some more effort than other games of the time would've required of you. With Stadium, your dreams come true, and if you already have that dream team you can just import them to fight in glorious 3D. Circumventing the fact that rental Pokémon are kinda terrible overall.

Don't feel like building? The challenge cup mode that gives you randomized team comps that has it's own charm (for masochists)

Not to say all of them were bad but construct a normal distribution of 'Good' to 'Bad' picks then that graph is gonna skew left so hard you'd be forgiven for thinking it was just a straight line. To keep every choice 'viable' Pokémon rentals were balanced around stats and moves. More powerful evolved Pokémon and Pokémon with high Base Stat Totals (BST) were given weaker moves and first form and low BST Pokémon were given generally better moves. Charizard might have better stats than Charmeleon and Charmander but his only fire type move is going to be something like Fire Spin. Conversely, Charmander might have Fire Blast but his stats are gonna make him an easy target for the computer's pokemon, which are not bound to the same builds as the rental mons you're using.

Once your team is assembled, then you're off to battle trainer after trainer after trainer with beautifully scored (for the Nintendo 64) soundtracks giving you an unearned sense of importance every step of the way. Battles themselves are conducted with a weird, but functional control layout where A and B access sub menus you then check with the R button before finalizing with the c-buttons, which on original hardware or a USB N64 controller is fine but on emulation with a more modern controller like Logitech, can be a little nerve wracking as you worry about whether your 'up' input on the control stick was up enough for the game or if you accidentally drifted right or left using an unintended move.

fun fact: the name of imported Pokémon affects their coloration in Stadium

Battles are also largely regulated by (at the time) tournament standard rules. Little and Pokecup have level restrictions, and all three non-random cups include clauses for sleep, held items, and repeat Pokémon. Additionally, in any cup if you win the round with all 3 Pokémon still in tact, you're granted a continue; meaning you can retry the battle if you lose. Additionally, there is no 'draw' outcome in these games. Use a move like Explosion or Selfdestruct and the game will register it as your loss on your final Pokémon, regardless of whether you took down the opposing fighter with you or not.

You'll be doing a LOT of back-to-back fights here against trainers with varied team comps, but even with over 246 Pokémon in the available potential lineup you'll get tired fast of fighting. This is, however, slightly mitigated by the 3v3 nature of the matches but even so be ready to here the same Pokémon noises, watch the same effects play out, and wait for the same health bars to tick down over and over as you claw your way to the spot of Pokémon Master.

The art style of non-battle scenes like the main map and minigame plaza have that nice, 90's charm to them as well.

If you do get tired of battling it out, then Stadium 1 and 2 both offer minigames for players to partake in. Either in a tournament format or by using the free-play browser, players are able to take part in a multitude of different Mario Party-esque (without the hand burning) minigames featuring the Pokémon as stars. Minigames consist of stick twirling, button mashing, and point collecting all while controlling fan favorite Pokémon such as Togepi, Eevee, Scyther, and Pichu with no real rhyme or reason behind why these game exist aside from a amusement park theming the minigame zones have for their icons and menus.

You won't get a real explanation as to why you're racing Donphans, cutting logs as Scythers and Pinsirs, or playing Simon Says with a bunch of Clefairy, but you don't really need that either. The games are fun, the models are charming, and watching Clefairy get smacked in the head for each wrong input brings me a level of joy I should probably talk about with my therapist. You won't likely spend hours in this mode, but it's a nice breather from the onslaught of battles otherwise.

fun fact: I still won't talk to some people because of the outcomes to Rampage Rollout over two decades ago. You know who you are.

Additionally there's a quiz minigame separate from the main selection of minigames with easy/normal/hard difficulty selections. Players compete to see who can be the first to get a number of questions correct before anyone else based on facts about the Pokémon (typing, size, silhouette, etc) or facts about the game (where you can find things in the game, names of routes and towns, names of figures in the game).

It's not the most challenging on easy or normal, but playing on hard the game will try to screw you with trick questions so playing with others becomes a balance of "do I let the question play out, or attempt to steal it before someone else can answer correctly?"

Sometimes even playing the game won't prepare you for how out of pocket the questions can get

The real advantage of 2 over 1 is that, in addition to minigames, the game has the trainer academy; a kind of in-depth battle tutorial to teach players not only the basics of Pokémon fighting, but also some secrets as well

You can learn about held items, a feature new to the second generation, as well as participate in mock battles to demonstrate the materials you've been reading and quizzed on. Some of this information for the time too was obscure or hidden knowledge, like the fact that using Defense Curl before using Rollout would boost the damage significantly or that using Stomp on an opponent who used minimize would double the damage.

Some type matchups just make sense, like Ground v Electric.

Overall though what really makes this game is the presentation. The soundtrack does a great job selling the feeling Nintendo wants you to experience, climbing the ladder in a tournament or the Gym Leaders Castle makes you feel powerful, and the little details on top of it all just tie it together in a nice package.

The fights, for example, are also narrated by "The Announcer". A bombastic voice shouting over every detail of a fight. When you score a crit, when you apply a status effect, even using certain moves will get the announcer loudly narrating each detail like a Pokémon prize fight. Seeing the ground rip apart when you use Earthquake is only half the charm, the other half comes from that man yelling in your ears "A DEVESTATING EARTHQUAKE ATTACK!". Clearing gyms or clearing opponents in one of the cups grants you gym badges, a dream for any child growing up on the handheld classics or watching the anime who wished they too could earn shiny bits of metal that gave them an inflated sense of importance.

I would literally kill everyone I came across if it'd get me a real life Zephyr Badge.

Stadium 1 and 2 aren't evergreen classics. They're stuck in Gens 1 and 2 respectively, the roster of Pokémon while impressive is largely useless and makes collecting trophies way harder than it has to be, and the games were made before things like abilities and double battles were introduced, leading to the Pokémon battling game missing out on the generation of Pokémon that made battling more fun (Revolution doesn't count, Revolution is dead to me and disappoints me more than I disappoint myself.)

But for the time especially, it gave fans an opportunity to experience a form of Pokémon more advanced than what the handhelds could output. It was a window into a world of potential that wouldn't be truly fulfilled until arguably the 3DS era of Pokémon released, and gave fans a fun little romp handcrafted for them at every twist and turn. Whether you were a gamer or you enjoyed the anime, there was something here for you.

Overall: 7/10 Sound: 8/10 (for the time) Graphics: 9/10 (for the time) Memorable Moments: Stadium 1: Hearing about Mewtwo, thinking he was an urban legend, then finding out he wasn't Stadium 2: Finally beating the elite 4 using only rental mons.

[crabsnpersimmons]

Hello there!

I'd like to know your advice on drawing tablets?

As in, what do you use for your digital art? Is there any you suggest?

I'm planning on getting one, but there are so many options, and I'd like to know your opinion and preference.

Thank you ^^

hi anon! thanks for the question!

i draw with a samsung galaxy tab s7!

BUT if this is your first time drawing digitally, then it's a good idea to test out if you like it with cheaper options first (so you don't drop a whole lot of money on a hobby/medium of art you don't enjoy)

some suggestions:

if you have a smart phone, try drawing with your finger using free to use drawing apps like ibispaint X or HiPaint (i recommend HiPaint cuz the UI is a lot simpler and less overwhelming, but both have a good selection of tools. i wanna say ibispaint has better text tools tho and there's A LOT more tutorials and resources online) drawing digitally with your finger is different from drawing digitally with a pen AND drawing traditionally, but this is a good way to familiarize yourself with digital art tools. a very simple entry point if you already have a smart phone.

if you don't want to draw with your finger (understandable, i personally couldn't stand it) you can try simple drawing tablets, which are the tablets that you plug into your computer/laptop, come with a pen, but they don't have a screen you draw directly on. they're actually a lot more affordable nowadays (i saw some for under $50 CAD, which is WILD), so that’s a good starting option if you want to draw with a pen. with a pen, you have more control with line weights than you do with your finger, but it takes practice to get used to. it also takes some getting use to drawing on a tablet and looking at your monitor, but this is where i started haha. i still have my old bamboo wacom create drawing tablet. but nowadays, other brands like xp-pen and huion are very comparable to wacom, so definitely consider getting a cheaper one to try out first. of course, if you go with a drawing tablet, you'll need an art program on your computer. i've used photoshop and clip studio paint and they're very good, but probably overwhelming for people who are new to digital art (they are loaded with tools and you have to really familiarize yourself with the menus and everything). there are probably simpler options available... but i'm not as familiar with them. oh wait, i think there are some drawing tablets that can also connect with your smart phone too nowadays. man, that's so cool. that's probably a better option instead of purchasing photoshop or clip studio paint right off the bat.

if you REALLY want a screen display experience, try a cheaper general tablet. iPads are a popular option if you're comfortable with the Apple ecosystem (i'm not 😅) but they can be pricey PLUS you have to buy the Apple pen separately. for Android, I'm pretty sure even the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is a solid choice and it comes with a pen unlike an iPad. the SPen is built with Wacom tech, so you know it's quality. and while iPad has Procreate, HiPaint is available for Android and it's basically a Procreate clone (i explain more about HiPaint here) otherwise, ibisPaint X is also good and infinite painter is probably the most sophisticated free to use drawing app i've encountered (sophisticated as in it does a pretty good job at imitating traditional media in their brushes. it's cool, but the free version is very limited).

also if you like watching videos, Brad Colbow and Teoh on Tech on YouTube are great resources. they specifically review tech from an artist's perspective.

why i suggest testing it out is because if you're used to drawing traditionally, then switching to digital is a different experience. some artists can't get used to drawing digitally, and that's fine. that's why it's a good idea to test it out with a cheaper option first to see if you like it and to give yourself time to familiarize yourself with drawing apps/programs. i actually kinda hated drawing digitally at first. i didn't have the same level of control that i was used to with drawing traditionally. and overtime i made a lot of bad habits with my digital art that i had to unlearn by switching back to traditional art for a couple years (some bad habits like: relying on the Undo button to make "perfect" lines; trying to draw really fast because the pen glides over the screen unlike a pencil has friction against paper) so... give it a try and just let yourself have fun. don't worry about making anything perfect, just have fun!

[corgitation]

resources I'm using for studying japanese

vocab/kanji:

wanikani: I use daily reviews to learn kanji and vocabulary using the kanji. This resource isn't free, but this has really helped me stay consistent. I like the UI and find the content helpful

renshuu: this is my favorite mobile app, I use this to learn JLPT-specific vocab and kanji. I use the free version

mochi srs: the best flashcard app! The UI is super easy to use and has lots of shortcuts for making and reviewing cards fast. You can easily create and edit templates for cards, and have cards reference other cards. I have a deck for kanji and one for vocab, and my vocab template references any kanji that are used in the vocab tab. There's also super easy furigana, lots of features for japanese.

grammar:

bunpro: really good for grammar, this has lessons for each grammar rule and divides them into groups through popular textbooks and their own groupings for jlpt grammar

genki textbooks: pretty standard textbook for learning vocab, grammar, and kanji

genki study resources: great site with activities for all the genki lessons

tokini andy genki reviews: extra practice for genki lessons, explains some grammar more clearly, introduces new dialogue.

reading:

japanese folktales for language learners and japanese stories for language learners: folktales are a really great way to learn, because these references come up a lot. I've seen references to urashimo taro in evangelion, and the new pokemon dlc is a reference to momotaro. This book has the japanese on one page and english on the other, with vocabulary after the chapter. (here and here on natively)

animal crossing new leaf tobimori: I've recently started playing this and it's so much fun. I'm already really familiar with the game so I don't depend on any of the text for playing, and it's good for more common expressions, differences in speech between polite/casual/male/female etc. I have a post describing how I'm able to play this here. (here on lingotrack)

listening:

japanese with shun: big fan of this podcast, it's free on spotify and youtube, which scripts on patreon. Each podcast is about a short subject, and they're all in japanese. (here on lingotrack)

learn japanese pod: some free podcasts on spotify with more paid content, this one is both about japanese and in japanese. It will teach phrases for specific scenarios, like ordering sushi or refusing situations.

tracking:

lingotrack: I started time tracking a couple of months ago and it's been so helpful! This site is great for quickly logging study activities and seeing how the time stacks up. It helps me identify which areas I'm spending enough time in and which ones are lacking. I also use the library section for keeping track of my japanese native content

toggl: I use this online stopwatch for tracking the time for different study activities so I can log them in lingotrack. It also has a browser extension which I usually use

finding native content:

natively: excellent site for finding comprehensible input content and tracking days read. This site has a lot of reviews for books so it makes it easy to find books that are on level. You can follow me here

lingotrack: collections in lingotrack provides user generated groups of content so that you can create an see groupings of native material content. There aren't as many reviews for material here as there are for natively though, so I find material there and then add them here. You can follow me here

other:

tofugu: this blog has everything. Use it for finding reviews on japanese language resources, learning grammar rules, etc.

jisho: dictionary app, I use it as my source of truth for vocab and kanji meanings

heisig's remembering the kanji: a different approach to learning kanji, this focuses on first teaching the simplest kanji and building from ones you already know. This is different from wanikani, which will make sure you know (its own) particles before introducing the kanji that uses them, but focuses on learning kanji and vocab in priority order. I'm listing it here because I don't use it much anymore

deepl: ai translator, works much better than google translate. You can also put sentences in chatgpt and ask it for broken down explanations. Take any translations from ai with a grain of salt - they are great tools but do not ensure accuracy

edit 3/10/2024: added tracking and native content sections, added links to lingotrack and natively for media

[turnstechgodhead]

i mentioned on stream tht i would make a shimeji-ee tutorial + how to revive old shimejis this way

so here

FIRST off red text is for things that im just showing you for clarity

it's not complicated, this is just long so i can get all the explaining out of my brain- feel free to ignore red text

anyway; go here and download this

got that? extracted it? great

it should look like this

[folder] conf [folder] img [folder] lib [text doc] licence [sic] [text doc] readme [jar file] shimeji-ee

what you're going to do depends on the kind of shimeji you downloaded

if its designed specifically for this version (ie: mine, which, hello to the future bc they arent out yet as of writing this)

then you SHOULD just have a file tht looks like this

[folder] a!dave

and on the inside looks like this

[folder] conf [14 pngs of post-scratch dave; though there will/should be more than this in the folder (i have blacked out some unused anims)]

if the folder called conf isn't inside this folder [a!dave], then read the next section about other shimeji

[xml] actions [xml] behaviors

the inside of the conf folder should look like this

what you're gonna do is get the character folder [a!dave]

and drag/move it into the IMG folder of shimeji-ee

[folder] conf [folder] img [folder] lib [text doc] licence [sic] [text doc] readme [jar file] shimeji-ee

it should look kind of like this inside the [img] folder

[folder] a!dave [folder] shimeji [folder] unused [png] icon

it should just work as is, but if it isn't, undo this back to the first step/the way things were when you downloaded it, and follow the steps below (if the shimeji you want isn't showing up and only the white oval guy is, just hang tight/scroll to the bottom.)

if the shimeji is old/different/for the browser version/whatever

now, for older shimeji/other shimeji, i'll use davechick as an example. the shimeji is 11-ish years old, and only is in japanese. this shimeji is from askdavechick (an old hs blog thas not active anymore)

so he is downloaded as a RAR file

this isn't a problem, go get 7zip if you dont already have a way of extracting .rar files.

right click on it duh

just do that [dropdown menu] [open] [7-zip] > [open archive] [open archive] [extract files...] [extract here] [extract to "rar-file name\"]

any of the extract options will do

extract

go into that new folder

[folder] Shimeji_davechick

this looks a little different

[folder] conf [folder] img [folder] lib [application] shimeji [jar file] shimeji [text doc] ライセンス

its fine. just ignore literally everything except for the first two folders, [conf] and [img]

inside the img folder it should look like this

[png] icon [35 pngs of davechick from askdavechick. though there will/should be more than this in the folder]

(the conf is missing, which is not what we want. if theres a conf in there, then cool. just install it like the previous section.)

go back here

[folder] conf [folder] img [folder] lib [application] shimeji [jar file] shimeji [text doc] ライセンス

youre gonna take the conf folder as is- no fucking with it or taking anything out, and drag it into the [img] folder right below it

now the img folder inside looks like this

[folder] conf [png] icon [16 pngs of davechick]

great, awesome. back out

now you have to rename the img folder

you can name it whatever i guess but its probably easier if you name it the character

[folder] img [RE-NAME] -> [folder] davesprite [folder] lib [app] shimeji [jar file] shimeji [text doc] ライセンス

when you have that, take the newly named [davesprite] folder, copy it or cut it or drag it

then you go back to shimeji-ee like the first section

and paste it into [img]

then it should work

if the shimeji you want isnt showing up and only the lil oval guy is

no problem, go down to your taskbar.

right click on [shimeji-ee]

cool dropdown menu- this is all pretty useful and i recommend checking out the settings and allowed behaviours if your computer sucks/ you dont want them to yeet your windows

but we want

[choose shimeji]

it'll open up this

select your guys

congrats they should be working

feel free to message me if you have questions about installing- i found these out through trial + error so i can trial and error porting over some browser shims i guess

[jenneyquinn]

𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐨𝐲

in which melody looks for a date to her cousin’s wedding

a/n: happy 10 years to soos and the real girl :’) yes, this is a reverse falls hc! and NO, there is no reverse!dipcifica here

so, for reverse falls, obviously melody would be the mystery shack’s handywoman (for a moment, i considered deuce—gideon’s version of soos, who is canon btw—to work for the mystery shack, but since he only existed for a gag, melody’s stepping in for soos’ role)

some background to reverse!melody: though she works for the mystery shack, she doesn’t have the same loyalty that soos has for the pines family in canon—but she is faithful to gideon (doesn’t like the abusive nature of gideon’s parents)

basically she shares soos’ trait of loyalty to gideon, pacifica, and robbie (who takes wendy’s role)

since melody has been loyal and a dedicated employee to the mystery shack for years, one day, pacifica wonders out loud what melody does in her free time

like canon!soos, she cares for her grandmother at home, leaving only little time for her to play video games due to all the responsibilities of her work and home life

well aware of how quiet melody’s social life is, that night, her grandmother mentions her cousin’s upcoming wedding—asking her granddaughter to find a date to accompany her

unbeknownst to everyone, melody has tried dating before—more than several times (pun not intended) anyways…

and after that magician, she’s pretty much given up—but for her grandmother’s sake, the handywoman could give it another try

the following day at work, due to the lack of spare time she has, melody gets some dating apps on her phone and starts her search

… only to just as quickly feel defeated when she finds out that all the guys that have swiped right on her, not only looked attractive, but had off-putting personalities—who knew that a bio could turn someone off just like *snaps* THAT

gideon is the one who notices that melody’s not as upbeat as she usually is at work, immediately drawing concern from the white-haired boy

melody, you okay?

no… *continues swiping left, the defeated look remains on her face as she gazes down at her phone* how am i supposed to find a dumb match when all these guys are creeps?

did someone say MATCH?

*cues a cutoff from the shack to the mall, where gideon and pacifica take melody to meet people in real life*

though melody actually does a great job at getting male attention, it’s the latter that needs to pick up their slack

but can you blame her though, is there like any guy in town that isn’t totally disgusting??

don’t worry, melody, you’ll find the right guy—you just need to stick *slaps a sticky-hand toy onto her face* with it! haha!

*sighs* could this day get any worse?

right on cue, melody spots her cousin and her fiancé from across the hall—promptly causing the former to panic and take refuge inside a video game store

you know what? maybe she’ll be perfectly fine playing video games for the rest of her life… she’s got a steady job, her work friends and family are enough for her already—she should probably let a good thing be, she thinks

however, not a moment later, gideon brings a video game to melody—romance academy 7

maybe you can take your mind off your cousin’s wedding with this?

who knows, it’ll probably help you get back out there?

i dunno guys… *inspecting the case* there’s a note on it that says “destroy at all costs”

okay… besides, we can probably try to find you a date before the mall closes

just when pacifica makes her suggestion, melody makes eye contact with some jerk that winks at her—yunno, in that cocky way that gives you the ick within seconds

so, the handywoman clutches the disc

actually, i think i’ll take my chances

that night, melody tries the game out, hoping the game doesn’t turn out to be made by similar creeps that try (and fail) to hit on her

hi there! i’m gifford, a student at school university. do you need help carrying your books?

as 3 options pop-up on the computer screen: yes of course!, i can carry my own books weirdo!, oh look a squid!—melody clicks on the second response

though the game buzzes, signaling that she chose the wrong answer, gifford’s demeanor doesn’t change

okay, this game’s dumb

oh don’t be like that, just try again! could i please help you carry your books?

figuring she could at least humour the game for one night, and gifford was at least asking nicely, melody clicks the first option and gets awarded 100 “love points”

what would you like to talk about?

despite the options that show up, melody replies out loud

samurais sound pretty cool…

i think you’re pretty cool, too!

okay, this game is officially weird, she thinks, then shuts off the game and goes to sleep

how can that game hear me?

the morning after, melody hits the mall with the kids again, trying to forget whatever happened the night before

as soon as they get inside, gideon’s already trying to hold his cousin back from running into the men’s room and pushing them outside to meet melody

she’s just about to go after the kids until a familiar aritifcial voice calls out to her

hi, melody!

after spotting gifford at one of the display monitors in the front of a tv store, melody starts to get weirded out again; many questions swarming her mind

then, once gifford explains his story to melody, she’s absolutely disturbed, rushing to get home and pick up the disc to return it…

… that was, until she bumps into a vendor in the middle of the mall floor

ah, gee, i’m so sorry about that

she apologizes with haste, helping the worker pick up some of the fallen product

no worries, dude. you seem a little panicky, though. have you tried the mini trains here? i like riding them on my breaks

she corner of her lip quirks up, laughing a bit at the guy

i haven’t, actually… they sound fun, but i guess, with being an adult and all, i should be going for the massage chairs instead

nah—if it’s fun, why not? i’d say do it

you’re right… for the record, i think it’s awesome how you totally own it! i’d never think anybody working at meat cute, let alone any adult, would be into riding tiny trains!

well, i wouldn’t say work’s a total bummer… extreme lunch meats are the food of the future

she nods, agreeing

i feel the same way. i’m melody, by the way

i’m soos

and that’s how melody ends up getting ready for a date with soos, the meat cute guy

feeling more relaxed, she goes home to pick up the cursed video game, then heads to hoo-ha owl’s pizzamatronic jamboree for her date

then, of course, everything goes well until melody discovers that gifford is stalking her and soos out of enraged jealousy and all hell breaks loose

i never agreed to be your girlfriend!

but think about it: real guys are nothing but self-centred creeps and jerks—do you really think that soos will forgive you after this disaster of a date?

melody does consider the guilt from her date… though gifford is clearly the reason she got herself into this mess, she chose to buy the game and use gifford to make her feel better

but was the guilt really worth installing her brain into the game and being gifford’s prisoner forever?

looking between gifford, the kids, and her date, melody knew she had to act fast: causing her to throw the disc into the fires of the oven—destroying gifford for good

after all the chaos, melody and soos are back sitting in the middle of all the wreckage

soos, i’m sorry for all this… i guess you must be scared of me now, huh?

believe it or not, this is the first date i’ve ever been in

really?

girls don’t seem to like me…

“well, i do…” she admits, staring down and smiling before looking back up at him:

“oh, hey, you wouldn’t maybe be interested in being my plus-one to my cousin’s wedding in a week? i promise there’s like zero homicidal animatronics.”

[hillbillyoracle]

Things that have been helping me lately in this high conflict relationship:

For Self Care

Learning about the Stress Cycle and how to complete it, that completing it does not require changing your stressors. 

Polyvagal strategies for self regulating more quickly, especially using cold packs on my neck and chest (see also: mammalian dive response)

Walking - even just around the apartment can help me work through the impact of a fight much much more quickly; walking workout on YouTube too.

CBD - it’s not for everyone but boy oh boy is it for me; I never slept great but during high conflict phases I would only get 3 hours of sleep for 12 hours of trying, with CBD I can get a solid 7 hours and recover from fights faster.

Tapping/EFT - It’s very woo and I don’t believe it does everything it says it does but I am almost always better at the end of a session than when I started so I keep using it; the free version of the app is working fine for me

Puzzles/Solitaire -  I have no clue why it’s helping but it really is, just so calming to sort something, put it together, and take it apart on my own terms. 

Stretching routines - mostly on YouTube; yoga’s not my jam but stretching out all these tight muscles is both satisfying and helps me move through the stress faster.

Microjournaling; I don’t have it in me to long entries so microjournaling has been pretty great; it helps to just dump my thoughts somewhere without bothering other folks

Dharma Talks; some of my favorite teachers are Ajahn Brahm, Ven. Robina Courtin, and Hillside Hermitage. Plum Village is also very good. 

Getting outside; I know it gets talked about a lot but yeah, it’s good. Very healing. 10/10 recommend. 

Find ways to give and contribute; I write letters for the World Needs More Love Letters, Letters Against Isolation, and Random Acts of Cards as I’m able

For Dealing with High Conflict Partner

DEEP - Don’t Defend/Engage/Express/Personalize; it’s so hard but every time I stick to this, I have much lower conflict days, helps me know how to handle an interaction I’m already in

SMART Contact - Stop PUSH behaviors, Manage business items together, Allow them to start conversations, Remain calm, strong, and gentle, Take it one day at a time; helps me know whether I should contact her if we’re not currently interacting

Medium Chill - similar to DEEP but more about a general approach to conversations; especially with drama or baiting involved

DEAR MAN - for when I need to set a boundary or make a serious request; still doesn’t always work but it helps me continue on when I get dramatic or abusive responses.

Having tried a lot of strategies, I don’t personally recommend Nonviolent Communication because it makes no good distinctions for how to deal with gaslighting/lying/manipulation. While it works great in other relationships, it’s invited more abuse in my high conflict relationship. 

“How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen” has been recommended to me enough times I feel like it deserves a spot here but I haven’t gotten the chance to read it yet. 

“How to Stop Walking On Eggshells” also has some good strategies if you’re comfortable with validating or over validating the High Conflict Partner; I have read that one and can vouch. 

Hope this helps someone else! 

[doniaqueta]

Hello, knitters and crocheters of Tumblr

I come to you with an app idea, not to start any sort of crowdfunding, I don't want to start the next Tumblr scam. This is just something I want to do (actually, already started to do because I have bad impulse control) and I want to see if anyone else would be interested in using it. Again, I am asking for $0.00 MXN (that's $0.00 USD), and it would be a free app, no ads, maybe I'll slap a link to my Ko-Fi in it but that's it.

I am not doing this for profit, I'm doing it because it'll be useful for me, because the idea goblin in my head in insatiable, and my hubris is immeasurable.

Details under the cut, and I'll be adding updates as I go at the end of the post

The idea is:

An app to help you keep track of current knitting and crocheting projects, projects (aka patterns) you want to get to, and materials you need for all that stuff.

The WIP section would have tabs for each project you started, because if you're like me, it won't be just one. Each tab would include:

A row counter

Information on the pattern, like its name, some notes, the section you're currently working on (for patterns with different sections where the row count is reset)

A timer for the time you've been working on that project, because you deserve fair pay if you sell your craft so you have to know how long you've worked on it

The patterns section would have, well, patterns. For at least version 1.0, I'm thinking a list of PDFs that are stored in your phone and open in your phone's PDF viewer.

Finally, the materials section would just be a good old fashioned shopping list. You input items manually, you check 'em as you get 'em.

---------------------------------------------

Update 29/01

I've finished the mockups and the design of the icons I'll be using in the app. I'm going to start moving into coding territory.

Update 06/02

I've started the development and it's going pretty well. I opted for React Native, and while I have experience with React, I was a bit daunted by the idea of going into React Native. But! It's been smooth sailing so far. I've got a sturdy project structure, a functional menu, and an almost functional shopping list.

Update 19/02

I missed last week's update because I was very sick. For most of the first week, after finishing the shopping list, I worked on code organization and documentation. Now that I was sure that I was going to use React Native, I wanted to make sure the project is organized and sturdy. After that, I've been working on the pattern list, which has been a bit of a pain because I want to respect the user's privacy and security and not access the entire filesystem if I don't need to.

Update 27/02

I got frustrated with my troubles with the filesystem, so like any good procrastinator, I put that part aside and started working on other stuff. Apart from tinkering with the style and some background work to improve performance, I've also added support for different languages (currently just English and Spanish because those are the ones I feel confident I won't fuck up the translations, but I'm thinking of later asking for help with more languages), and I've started working on the WIP section.

Update 08/03

I haven't been able to work on it a lot this week because I had a lot of work to do for my actual job (I had to do my job at my job, shocking, I know), but last week I finished building the first functional version of the WIP section. As it is, it's only for one project, but it should be relatively easy to add tabs for multiple projects. I also had the chance to do something like a demo with a potential user, which is just a fancy way of saying I showed what I've done so far to my cousin (a great knitter & crocheter) and she really liked it :D

Update 12/04

Gap in updates because I was a bit overwhelmed by my job so I gave myself a lil vacation on this project. This week I got back to work and now the WIP screen officially supports multiple projects in different tabs. This means the WIP screen is done! Which means I will soon have no choice but to stop procrastinating the pattern list and face my filesystem problems oh no.

---------------------------------------------

The poll has ended but I'm leaving the results up:

[adhdapp]

Hello! I already use this app and love it, but recommending it in case it could help someone else! It's called Daylio, it's for journaling and mood tracking. It's free to download and use, but there is a premium option, but I've only used the free version and never felt it was lacking. It has a daily streak incentive, mine is 1841, I've been using it since 2019, as well as some other accomplishments for various things. I find it easy to use and you can customize activities to be anything, like it comes with pre-set ones like "relax" and "friends", but you can add and change and delete them, so I also have ones like "Baking" and "excited...?". It's a nice way to look back at memories and a quick and easy place to record them. I write a lot in the notes section of the entry, but you don't have to, you can leave it blank, or add images or voice recordings (but I've never used those so I don't know how they work). And if I miss a day and break my streak, it's very easy to go and put one in for that day so my streak remains because I like it when the number goes up. As someone with memory issues, I find it a comforting habit to make a record of something everyday and these are my thoughts!! Have a great day :) !

Daylio: Mood Logging

This is actually another app I already have the premium version for, lol. I bought it before it became monthly (Really unfortunate that it became monthly)

Rating: Certified, If what you're looking for is a mood tracker and/or diary app

does feature a to-do list daily tasks options, but it's very much a secondary feature

cute, very customizable (especially with premium), easy to use

Celebrates milestones and gives you a lovely visual overview of things.

HOWEVER: While the achievements and the streak counter and the visuals are cute (especially because you can retroactively add things to keep your streak) this app works best if you're inclined to micromanagement and willing to update it at least once a day, and personally that's not something I can keep up too long

Red flags: none, no data shared with third parties, data safety all seems good, and the app itself comes with a pin-lock if you want to be extra cautious with your entries.

Dopamine hits: So the visuals of the emoji calendar are cute and fun and a nice layout, particularly if you've got the premium and have the extra emojis, and the ridiculously high streak counter and achievements are also nice, but personally this app doesn't give me enough from day to day to keep me going. You have to really enjoy the logging process or making the streak number go up to make this work. If you're the kind of person with a really long snapchat streak, this one's for you? otherwise, eh, it can be a bit touchy.

Features + Price

Major Events: Basically pretty milestones for you to record as big letters in your diary

Mood tracking: obviously the main focus, your moods are color coded so you can view sort of how you're doing mental health wise on a pie chart, which can be really handy if you struggle with a mood disorder or want to see how certain activities are correlating with other things in your mental health. Do you always feel like ass when you talk to your boyfriend? this app might be able to help you clock that trend

Visual calendar overview: pictured above

goals: the goals checkoff is actually a must faster process than logging your moods, which is a few screens of selecting one of your preset moods and then the activity you're doing and then maybe adjusting the time. It can be a little finicky.

so this is Freemium.

Premium: 4.99 a month or 35.99 a year (USD)

So i'll admit, I downloaded this app back before they Had important days and goals so I suppose there must be a limit on them for free users? I bought it so that I could add custom moods and track my migraines.

This app is fundamentally not really For to-do stuff. You can use it that way! But where I think i'd find this app has the most usefulness is if you're struggling with short-term mental health trends and you need something to keep track of how you're feeling and where your moods are coming from. As far as ADHD goes this is sometimes useful if you're struggling with RSD, or with sensory issues, or just not clocking which parts of your life are making you overstressed. That said, I could definitely see this working for someone who wants to keep a diary in a short simple easy way. However if you're just looking for text entries, this is also not necessarily the easiest way to do it, since it's focus is mood logging. which it is very good for! it does that job effectively! it's the other stuff it's a little eh about.

Roadmap: This app was updated at the start of this month to add easier searches, and has added a lot in the years since I opened it last, so I definitely believe they're committed to following through and keeping posted. I'm not so sure about the pricetag for premium, but if you're looking for a mood logger and the format works for you, by all means, keep on keepin on.

[zimithrus]

Writer asks yessssssssss!

Could I get 🤡, 🎢, ✨, 🛠️, ❌, 🎉, and ⌛, please?

🤡 What's a line, scene or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

This always gets a smile out of me at the very least! :) “We already left 15 minutes earlier than planned! I figured that would have been plenty of time!” Kotetsu frets, already scrambling to get out of the car, nearly falling out of it when he pushes the door open with his body. “Did you take into account how many stoplights were down the road to get here? You should have factored in enough time to hit every red light and still be early.” Barnaby sighs as he opens up his door and steps out (much calmer, of course). “I’m not thinking about how many lights I have’ta drive through to get somewhere!” He huffs back, shutting his car door with hurried gusto. “That’s your problem—you don’t think ahead enough, Kotetsu.” Barnaby chastises, tapping his index finger against his temple. “Can we not do this right now? We have 4 minutes to get up to the top floor or it’s bye-bye nice anniversary dinner!” Kotetsu points at the top of the building, feet already running in place. “Fine, but you really should have planned out getting here on time better.” “Chide me later, Barnaby, come on!!”

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

Wildest huh? Oh man, hmmm... well I've written some really off the wall shit in my earlier days. But most recently would probably be this one, a FFVII fic in which Sephiroth has extremely random fever dreams XD

✨ Give your writing a compliment!

I like the way I characterize my favorite fictitious guys and gals! I've gotten a few really nice and sweet compliments that express so, so that makes me pretty happy! 💚

🛠 What tools/apps/programs do you use to write?

I used to use the free version of WPS Office, then bought Microsoft Word by itself but it's been giving me a lot of problems like trying to correct my grammar when I write in my usual style among such other things lol!

❌ what's a trope you will never write?

Hurt with NO comfort. Absolutely not. I will literally write about murder, dismemberment, graphic depictions of violence and gore, detailed ABO, attempted/successful suicide and, *child experimentation*, but I draw the line at any kind of hurt without comfort! 😂😂 No matter how dark and bleak some of the things I write can be, there will ALWAYS be comfort!!!

🎉 What leads you to consider a fic a success?

For me I guess it would be a completed fic. It's really hard for me to complete or finish anything that isn't a one-shot, so any multi-chaptered fic I could ever finish would be a great success in my eyes!

⌛ How long does to take you to write a fic, or chapter?

A long time 😅 the short answer, anywhere from a few days to a few years 😂😂 Longest uploaded WIP - posted in 2016 and still going Longest non-uploaded WIP - started in 2018 and I don't even know if I'm at the halfway point yet XD

Thank you for the ask Isle!! 💚💚

[vyvesvi]

just started asia super young 😅 funny how a show can seem super popular when you're out of the loop but when you finally start watching it's crickets

this is my first time watching a youku show, i like the pacing BUT I HATE the fact that they cut so much from the free eps (free is 1 hr vip is 2.5+ 🫠). so like the irresponsible working adult i am i committed to monthly subscription (that i WILL remember to cancel the day the finale airs 😁). the other thing that i find really disappointing is that free voting on the youku app doesn't count towards their rank, it's just for extra promo 🫠 apparently you need to pay separately through their site or have a weibo associated with a mainland # (acc to fans based in hk w weibo accounts they can't even vote. when the show is filming in hk. and conducted half in canto.)

but i WILL be tuning in even though im desperately confused about everything. i watched eps 1 - 3 using the free version so im gonna do a quick recap and hopefully start catching up with the extra content tomorrow 🙏

ASY PICKS (based on ep 1 - 3)

ults: gemini (hoàng huệhùng/huang huixiong) & albert (aihe)

these two...how could you not say cunt. gemini is a 99 liner from vietnam, a short king, his nose is pierced, his dancing is clean, and his vocals are great. does he speak chinese? no. but does he serve face? like his life depends on it (because it does). he's already on my list of survival show contestants who will live on in my brain in perpetuity. aihe is the other main slayer from the same audition group (medusa). just look at him. he walked out and i went bitch???? he's like if hu yetao and xue bayi had a baby that was mad as hell. he's an 03 liner from xinjiang, pretty good vocals, and great dance skills. had to use that shitty laptop pic bc it just radiates his whole vibe.

i like you!: vic (zhang shengxi), orenda (shuhao), walker (wang kun), kong sonhei (jiang xinxi), & karl (ting tzelong)

vic is a 2000 liner & and member of enone. his rank is so oddly low bc he gets pretty good screentime and is very talented?

shuhao is a 2000 liner. he wasnt a pick until he did his solo rap but he's the best rapper, undisputed, on this show. plus he composed & produced & wrote & arranged their group's whole audition song? kingie.

walker is an 05 liner with a musical theatre background. to me he has a very broadcaster type face - kind and open. i noticed him mostly for how he was taking care of his younger audition partner, it was very very cute 🙄(🥹).

xinxi is an 02 liner & a member of the yuehua brigade. member of the bg boyhood (all of whom are competing) and i believe the theme song center. but more importantly, he's my birthday buddy!😁🥳 i'll admit to noticing him first bc of the bday thing - i was actually pretty unimpressed by boyhood's audition. still, he's a very good/solid boy group member to have.

karl (ting tzelong) is a 97 liner with roots in canada & hong kong. he's a Fantastic singer and was the runner up in the mr. hong kong contest? don't think he can dance but that voice, singing or speaking...

i know you & ur fun: ollie

ollie (06, under yuehua) was on boys planet so im very familiar with him (side note but this show has so many former iqiyi show contestants but none from tencent 😭). honestly he's not a pick for me but i like his energy, he's a great variety member. also i don't want to see him lose so 😭 that said i've always thought he raps like he's reading a children's book but he's graduated to slam poetry🎉

hmmm: sky (zhao tianyi)

so. sky's audition was iconic. this 14 y/o kid sang, rapped, played the piano, synths, talkbox, did streetdance, and jumped into a split. he clearly loves music & is very intense about follow this passion. but 1) he's 14. 2) he clearly wants to be a soloist, thus far i can't see a single team player bone in his body. these things combined have put him lower on my list (i especially didn't really care for how he interacted with gemini during the team selection but we'll see if that continues in ep 4). but he's here currently for his talent.

keeping an eye out: archie (sin ching fung), hugo (wong singcheuk) & service (sun xiaowei)

archie (98) is a singer, he sings! but honestly so many ppl on this show are good & he can't really dance so...we'll see

hugo (03, apex member) ...in his audition he looked like a member of my token bg POW lol. he has a lot of potential i just need to see more

service (03) i saw some star potential in his audition, we'll see

[the-bumbling-furby]

heyo! i wanted to make a post about my personal opinions on the 2023 Furby

[pt: heyo! i wanted to make a post about my personal opinions on the 2023 Furby /end pt]

first off: i do not condone any hate towards the 2023 Furby or the people who like it! the Furby fandom is all about embracing weirdness, and the reaction to the newest Furby shouldn’t be any different

out of respect for those who like the new Furbys, all of my negative opinions will be kept under the cut

i also will not be adding image descriptions as i don’t have the energy right now, so please feel free to add them on

that being said, let’s get into it!

things i like:

[pt: things i like /end pt]

the color palette

while it can definitely be a little bit overstimulating, i really enjoy all of the new Furby color palettes! they’re bright and fun while also not being too busy. i think that the colors work well together and look really neat

the lights

i honestly really liked the lights, especially how they glow through the ears! they look super neat and add a nice touch of personality. the range of colors as well as the transitions between were a pleasant surprise

customizability

the possibilities for customization of these Furbys are honesty impressive, and even in the few months they’ve been out i’ve seen so many cool 2023 customs! unlike the boom and connect (no shade to them), the eyes are fully able to be painted while still working. i honestly can’t wait until we get to see some oddbody and longified versions of these guys

[source 1] [source 2] [source 3]

the homage to 1998 Furby in the packaging

i'm not sure how many people actually noticed this as i haven’t seen it mentioned yet, but on the interior packaging there’s a gen 1 Furby on the shelf in 2023 Furby’s room! i thought that it was a super sweet touch and it made me smile as i was opening up my own 2023 Furby :)

no app!

it was honestly super relieving for me that there’s no app for the newest Furby. the apps for the boom and connect were great ideas, but they were very finicky and then got discontinued after the generation ended. i’m personally glad that the 2023 Furby can do everything on it’s own with no app add-ons

things i didn’t like (under cut):

[pt: things i didn’t like (under cut) /end pt]

the voice

honestly the voice gave me such a headache. i can’t quite put my finger on it, but the pitch combined with the quality of the voice just made it super hard to listen to. i know this is a personal thing, but it really made me enjoy this Furby a lot less than i could have. here’s a video of my 2023 Furby, if you haven’t heard one:

lack of animation/life

while the mechanics were pretty well done, i think that there was a severe lack of depth or life in how the 2023 Furby moves and looks. i won’t talk about the beak since everyone already has, but the lack of a moving beak is one of the many contributors to the overall lack of animation. with how many times Furby has been rebooted, i personally think that the (artificial) life of Furby has been deprived more and more

stereotypically gendered marketing

while i don’t like gender stereotypes, it’s very clear that Hasbro had a target audience for this new Furby. with both the language and design of the 2023 Furby, it is less enjoyable and socially acceptable for young boys to have. while i wish this weren’t the case, this kind of rigid and targeted marketing is unfortunately something that needs to be considered

repetitive and very little evolution

while each of the other generations had something that varied their interactions, i felt that this one had a lot less of that. with the 1998's learning of english, the 2005's range of emotions, the 2012's different personalities, and the 2016's different personalities and reactions to things, i felt like there was something missing in the 2023 Furby. The actions felt repetitive, and the occasional song addition wasn't enough to keep me really interested. the repetition started to get on my nerves a bit and i ended up turning my Furby off

thank you for reading, and remember this is just my personal opinion. please don't let this post dictate or change how you feel about the newest Furby!

[pt: thank you for reading, and remember this is just my personal opinion. please don't let this post dictate or change how you feel about the newest Furby! /end pt]

[dominiquewritesthings]

Disclaimer: Some of these apps have the option to pay for them, but I use the free version of most of these apps. Whether or not you wish to pay for them is up to you. I will mark with an astrick and clarify at the bottom of the page for what version I use and what features come with it. 

IBIS PAINT X - I use this app to create overlays, do minor editing to backgrounds, and create sneak peeks and more story marketing! I used to use this app to make Episode covers, but thankfully I have enough money in my life to commission someone. In my opinion, commissions look 10x better than my artistic skill. But, if you can draw (unlike me), IBIS could help you, since it's primarily a drawing app. 

Yes! I had to block out some things so you wouldn't get any sneak peeks. Since I'm kind, I figured I'd show you what The Other Half of Me looks like. You can't blame me for spoilers since I already wrote it, and it's been complete for some time now. 

Of course, no one needs to put this much effort into aesthetics, but it helps me write and direct later on. Also, it makes me excited about planning. That being said, if you want something plainer, Evernote will get the job done! 

Instagram - I use this app to help promote my stories. I'd say this is pretty self-explanatory because loads of people do this as well, but it's also a great place to network. 

Episode Forums - I don't use the forums as much anymore for selfish reasons. I typically step in once a week to see how everyone's doing and check for new contests. That being said, once you publish a new story it's always a great idea to share it there with those who are not on Instagram. Who knows, maybe you'll find a read for read or gem for gem opportunity. People may read it and give their opinion, too! 

Google Tasks/Taskboard - I use google tasks to keep on top of deadlines I set for myself. Of course, you shouldn't rush the writing process, but I will spend way too long on every step if I don't set small deadlines for myself. It also reminds me of what I should be doing, instead of working on something completely different. These are great for read for read deadlines (I always set them for a week later), chapters I'll be publishing, posts on Instagram, and more. You can use the app Taskboard for desktop, Tasks the mobile app, or find the pullout if you go to Gmail. 

Google Keep - I this for short memorandum-like notes for story ideas. I also try to keep my dreams in this before I transfer them over to my dream journal. What if my dream is so exciting, that I turn it into a story? You never know. 

[newsblog12]

Tech Tidbits: Artists vs. AI, Apple’s Latest Move, and Yahoo’s Big Buy

Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, Katy Perry and other musicians sign letter against irresponsible AI

AI News A group of 200 musicians signed an open letter calling on tech companies and developers to not undermine human creativity with AI music generation tools. The list of undersigned artists is so power-packed and wide-ranging that it could make for a great Coachella lineup — it features Billie Eilish, the Bob Marley estate, Chappell Roan, Elvis Costello, Greta Van Fleet, Imagine Dragons, Jon Bon Jovi, the Jonas Brothers, Kacey Musgraves, Katy Perry, Mac DeMarco, Miranda Lambert, Mumford & Sons, Nicki Minaj, Noah Kahan, Pearl Jam, Sheryl Crow and Zayn Malik, among others. “When used irresponsibly, AI poses enormous threats to our ability to protect our privacy, our identities, our music and our livelihoods,” the letter reads. “Some of the biggest and most powerful companies are, without permission, using our work to train AI models… For many working musicians, artists and songwriters who are just trying to make ends meet, this would be catastrophic.”

These artists are right. The AI models that generate new music, artwork, and writing function by training on massive datasets of existing work, and in most cases, asking to remove your work from these models is a futile exercise. It would be as if one of these artists tried to prevent anyone from pirating their music—it’s just not realistic. It’s already possible to make convincing deepfakes of popular artists, and the technology will only keep getting better. Some companies, like Adobe and Stability AI, are working on AI music generators that use licensed or royalty-free music. But even these tools could negatively impact artists who make scores for TV commercials or other beats that an artist might license for their work. Historically, musicians have gotten the short end of the stick as technology gets more and more sophisticated. First, it was file-sharing that made it easy to get music for free; streaming emerged as the answer for that issue, but it’s not one that’s satisfied artists. The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) has spent years working to secure better streaming payouts for artists—the artists in the guild estimate that Spotify’s average streaming royalty rate is about $0.0038, or about a fourth of a cent. So it makes sense that musicians remain skeptical of this emerging technology.

Authors have also taken a stand against the rise of generative AI. In July, over 15,000 writers—including James Patterson, Michael Chabon, Suzanne Collins, Roxane Gay, and others—signed a similar open letter, addressed to the CEOs of OpenAI, Alphabet, Meta, Stability AI, IBM and Microsoft. “These technologies mimic and regurgitate our language, stories, style, and ideas. Millions of copyrighted books, articles, essays, and poetry provide the ‘food’ for AI systems, endless meals for which there has been no bill,” the authors’ letter reads. But these tech companies aren’t listening. You can still go on ChatGPT and ask it to churn out a passage in the style of Margaret Atwood — it’s not necessarily good, but it does indicate that the large language model has ingested “The Handmaid’s Tale” and can spit out a degraded version of it. And since copyright law isn’t necessarily sophisticated enough to address generative AI, legal recourse is pretty useless at this point. “This assault on human creativity must be stopped,” the musicians’ letter says. “We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists’ voices and likenesses, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem.” SOURCE

Now Apple Vision Pro Personas can float freely across different apps

AI News As of today, Apple has introduced an enhanced feature for Vision Pro users – the “spatial Persona” capability, leveraging VisionOS 1.1. This update transcends traditional FaceTime interactions, allowing users to engage in a more immersive experience with Share-Play-enabled applications. Users can now collaborate, play games, or enjoy media together, simulating the presence in the same physical space. Originally previewed to developers last year, this functionality is now accessible in the Persona beta. It enables individual users to manipulate and reposition objects within their view, independently of how it affects another user’s perspective. Additionally, spatial audio technology aims to enhance the realism of the virtual environment, giving a sense of the other person’s location within it. To activate spatial Personas, users must update their devices to VisionOS 1.1 and select the option during a FaceTime call. The feature supports group interactions of up to five participants simultaneously. The effectiveness of this feature remains under evaluation, particularly due to its dependency on Share-Play and the relatively underdeveloped Vision Pro app ecosystem. The potential for reducing feelings of isolation through virtual companionship in activities such as movie watching will also be a point of interest in its real-world application. SOURCE 

Yahoo is buying Artifact, the AI news app from the Instagram co-founders

AI News Artifact, an AI news recommendation tool co-founded by Instagram’s creators, didn’t achieve widespread traction but is poised for a resurgence under Yahoo’s banner. Despite its innovative approach to curating news for readers, Artifact struggled to expand its user base. Yahoo, with its vast audience, sees an opportunity to inject cutting-edge technology into its services, aiming for a rejuvenation in the competitive news aggregation space. Yahoo has acquired the technology behind Artifact, not its team, with co-founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom serving as “special advisors” rather than joining Yahoo directly. The transition marks the end of Artifact as an independent app, a decision made three months after its creators announced its discontinuation, citing limitations in market potential as a key factor. Despite initial plans to move on without seeking buyers or additional funding, interest from several companies, including Yahoo, prompted reconsideration. Yahoo’s acquisition reflects a strategic move to harness AI for enhancing content personalization and recommendation, leveraging Artifact’s sophisticated algorithms. The collaboration promises to bring Artifact’s advanced content categorization and user experience design to Yahoo News, potentially expanding to other Yahoo platforms. This integration aims to significantly increase the reach and impact of Artifact’s technology, offering personalized news experiences to Yahoo’s 185 million monthly users.

As Artifact’s technology integrates into Yahoo’s ecosystem, the focus will be on gradual implementation, ensuring the sophisticated AI algorithms adapt effectively to Yahoo’s infrastructure. This partnership not only offers a new lease on life for Artifact’s innovations but also signals Yahoo’s ambition to pioneer a future-oriented news service, powered by state-of-the-art AI personalization techniques. Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom reflect on the journey and future possibilities, emphasizing their ongoing interest in AI’s transformative potential. While they explore new ventures, the successful integration of Artifact into Yahoo stands as their immediate goal, promising to redefine how users interact with digital content in an AI-driven world. SOURCE

Conclusion

The confluence of concerns from music artists about AI’s impact on creativity, Apple’s innovative expansion of Vision Pro’s capabilities, and Yahoo’s strategic acquisition of Artifact underscores a week of significant developments in the technology landscape. While renowned musicians advocate for responsible AI use, fearing for their creative integrity and livelihoods, tech giants like Apple and Yahoo are advancing the frontiers of AI and digital interaction. Apple’s Vision Pro introduces an immersive, spatial Persona feature, redefining virtual collaboration, while Yahoo’s acquisition of Artifact aims to revolutionize personalized news through advanced AI technology. Together, these stories reflect the ongoing dialogue between technological advancement and its ethical implications, highlighting both the potential of AI to enhance human experiences and the critical need for its thoughtful application. As the digital and creative worlds continue to intersect, the challenge lies in harnessing AI’s power to foster innovation while safeguarding the essence of human creativity and connection. Stay connected with Arcot Group for more AI News into how such collaborations are reshaping the tech landscape and paving the way for future innovations. For further reading on similar breakthroughs and the impact of AI and robotics, explore our blog.Post

[darael]

I'm seeing in the reblogs and tags that some of you aren't sure about format support, and I am here to help!

For dedicated e-reader devices, or for mobile/tablet apps you already use but aren't certain can open MOBI, MBP or APNX: do yourself a favour and download Calibre on your computer (all major operating systems are supported). Calibre is the best ebook management program you have ever used, and supports just about every format under the sun. Crucially, it can also convert between those formats, and has excellent syncing ability for your e-reader/phone/tablet connected over USB, too. This includes automatic conversion to whatever formats your device supports (a list which you can override if it doesn't already know the correct set).

For iOS devices, use Calibre as above in conjunction with whatever reader is supported on that platform (sorry I can't be more specific).

For Android phones and tablets, the app with which I've had the best experience has been Moon+ Reader. The free version does have ads (not while reading, but they show up when switching between books), but the format support is unparalleled and the library management is pretty great too. I don't often buy apps but this was one where I was very happy to pay for the ad-free "pro" version. If you use Moon+, you don't strictly need to bother with Calibre since it opens multiple of those formats natively

HEY Y'ALL WANNA READ DISCWORLD?

don't have the books? don't know where to get them? can't afford it?

here, all of you sweethearts. i got this from a friend a long, long time ago, and now I pass it to you.

Every discworld novel, numbered in release order, from Colour of Magic to Snuff, in MOBI, MBP and APNX e-reader formats. Have fun, and maybe later tell me what your favourite book was, eh?

[ruakichan]

I played “There is No Game: Wrong Dimension.”  It was definitely worth the play.

There is no Game (TING) started life as a short non-game for Deception Jam in 2015, and can be played for free on the various app stores and Steam to see if this sort of thing is your jam (snrk).  It ended up ballooning into a more full non-game known as There is No Game: Wrong Dimension, available for ~4.99USD (or free if you have GP pass) on said app stores and other digital storefronts, like Steam and eShop.  I played the jam version and that was enough for me to seek out the new edition.

The non-game’s basic premise is a point and click adventure, which, as I’ve mentioned in other reviews, were the bread-and-butter of my youth.  The non-game does a number of call backs to this bygone era, and if you have any familiarity with them and games within this and related genres, you’ll get some legit laughs at the gentle ribbing the non-game lobs in their direction.

The non-game’s art is very cute, aesthetically pleasing, and crisp and the voice-overs are fantastic, which is great since the Game, serving as your narrator Stanley Parable style, will be your guide if you ever get stuck (but there are subs for us hard-of-hearing as well). I never found the puzzles too hard to use the hint system, though there are a few  which require some out-of-the-box thinking or a bit of timing in use, but nothing too adventure-game-logic despite the narrator saying so. If you have any experience with adventure games, you won’t have any problem.  And you won’t get punished for failure; this isn’t King’s Quest.

The non-game itself doesn’t overstay its welcome; you can finish it in one long sitting or break it up by chapters, and overall it’s worth the admission fee. Toward the end, it even got some crying out of me, but I also cry at everything.  Regardless, it does get pretty sentimental for what initially starts off as a one-off gag, as you bond pretty well with your nagging companion; I think the slight meta commentary of the relationship between creator and creation poked me hard too, but then, I was one of those kids who totally believed you had to treat your toys nice cause they had Feelings.

Anyhoo, I do highly recommend it if you’re looking for a premium game to give you a few hours of entertaining laughs and puzzles, especially if you already have the GP Pass where it is available for free, and especially-especially if you love the adventure-puzzle game genre.  I never once felt bored or felt the puzzles were tedious; the non-game strikes a good balance in its pacing, while being charming and fresh.

[dominiquewritesthings]

Apps I Use For Episode (2022)

Disclaimer: Some of these apps have the option to pay for them, but I use the free version of most of these apps. Whether or not you wish to pay for them is up to you. I will mark with an astrick and clarify at the bottom of the page for what version I use and what features come with it. 

IBIS PAINT X - I use this app to create overlays, do minor editing to backgrounds, and create sneak peeks and more story marketing! I used to use this app to make Episode covers, but thankfully I have enough money in my life to commission someone. In my opinion, commissions look 10x better than my artistic skill. But, if you can draw (unlike me), IBIS could help you, since it's primarily a drawing app. 

Yes! I had to block out some things so you wouldn't get any sneak peeks. Since I'm kind, I figured I'd show you what The Other Half of Me looks like. You can't blame me for spoilers since I already wrote it, and it's been complete for some time now. 

Of course, no one needs to put this much effort into aesthetics, but it helps me write and direct later on. Also, it makes me excited about planning. That being said, if you want something plainer, Evernote will get the job done! 

Instagram - I use this app to help promote my stories. I'd say this is pretty self-explanatory because loads of people do this as well, but it's also a great place to network. 

Episode Forums - I don't use the forums as much anymore for selfish reasons. I typically step in once a week to see how everyone's doing and check for new contests. That being said, once you publish a new story it's always a great idea to share it there with those who are not on Instagram. Who knows, maybe you'll find a read for read or gem for gem opportunity. People may read it and give their opinion, too! 

Google Tasks/Taskboard - I use google tasks to keep on top of deadlines I set for myself. Of course, you shouldn't rush the writing process, but I will spend way too long on every step if I don't set small deadlines for myself. It also reminds me of what I should be doing, instead of working on something completely different. These are great for read for read deadlines (I always set them for a week later), chapters I'll be publishing, posts on Instagram, and more. You can use the app Taskboard for desktop, Tasks the mobile app, or find the pullout if you go to Gmail. 

Google Keep - I this for short memorandum-like notes for story ideas. I also try to keep my dreams in this before I transfer them over to my dream journal. What if my dream is so exciting, that I turn it into a story? You never know.