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mostlysignssomeportents · 1 month

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Subprime gadgets

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me THIS SUNDAY in ANAHEIM at WONDERCON: YA Fantasy, Room 207, 10 a.m.; Signing, 11 a.m.; Teaching Writing, 2 p.m., Room 213CD.

The promise of feudal security: "Surrender control over your digital life so that we, the wise, giant corporation, can ensure that you aren't tricked into catastrophic blunders that expose you to harm":

https://locusmag.com/2021/01/cory-doctorow-neofeudalism-and-the-digital-manor/

The tech giant is a feudal warlord whose platform is a fortress; move into the fortress and the warlord will defend you against the bandits roaming the lawless land beyond its walls.

That's the promise, here's the failure: What happens when the warlord decides to attack you? If a tech giant decides to do something that harms you, the fortress becomes a prison and the thick walls keep you in.

Apple does this all the time: "click this box and we will use our control over our platform to stop Facebook from spying on you" (Ios as fortress). "No matter what box you click, we will spy on you and because we control which apps you can install, we can stop you from blocking our spying" (Ios as prison):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar

But it's not just Apple – any corporation that arrogates to itself the right to override your own choices about your technology will eventually yield to temptation, using that veto to help itself at your expense:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/28/microincentives-and-enshittification/

Once the corporation puts the gun on the mantelpiece in Act One, they're begging their KPI-obsessed managers to take it down and shoot you in the head with it in anticipation of of their annual Act Three performance review:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/08/playstationed/#tyler-james-hill

One particularly pernicious form of control is "trusted computing" and its handmaiden, "remote attestation." Broadly, this is when a device is designed to gather information about how it is configured and to send verifiable testaments about that configuration to third parties, even if you want to lie to those people:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/08/your-computer-should-say-what-you-tell-it-say-1

New HP printers are designed to continuously monitor how you use them – and data-mine the documents you print for marketing data. You have to hand over a credit-card in order to use them, and HP reserves the right to fine you if your printer is unreachable, which would frustrate their ability to spy on you and charge you rent:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/02/hp-wants-you-to-pay-up-to-36-month-to-rent-a-printer-that-it-monitors/

Under normal circumstances, this technological attack would prompt a defense, like an aftermarket mod that prevents your printer's computer from monitoring you. This is "adversarial interoperability," a once-common technological move:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

An adversarial interoperator seeking to protect HP printer users from HP could gin up fake telemetry to send to HP, so they wouldn't be able to tell that you'd seized the means of computation, triggering fines charged to your credit card.

Enter remote attestation: if HP can create a sealed "trusted platform module" or a (less reliable) "secure enclave" that gathers and cryptographically signs information about which software your printer is running, HP can detect when you have modified it. They can force your printer to rat you out – to spill your secrets to your enemy.

Remote attestation is already a reliable feature of mobile platforms, allowing agencies and corporations whose services you use to make sure that you're perfectly defenseless – not blocking ads or tracking, or doing anything else that shifts power from them to you – before they agree to communicate with your device.

What's more, these "trusted computing" systems aren't just technological impediments to your digital wellbeing – they also carry the force of law. Under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, these snitch-chips are "an effective means of access control" which means that anyone who helps you bypass them faces a $500,000 fine and a five-year prison sentence for a first offense.

Feudal security builds fortresses out of trusted computing and remote attestation and promises to use them to defend you from marauders. Remote attestation lets them determine whether your device has been compromised by someone seeking to harm you – it gives them a reliable testament about your device's configuration even if your device has been poisoned by bandits:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/05/trusting-trust/#thompsons-devil

The fact that you can't override your computer's remote attestations means that you can't be tricked into doing so. That's a part of your computer that belongs to the manufacturer, not you, and it only takes orders from its owner. So long as the benevolent dictator remains benevolent, this is a protective against your own lapses, follies and missteps. But if the corporate warlord turns bandit, this makes you powerless to stop them from devouring you whole.

With that out of the way, let's talk about debt.

Debt is a normal feature of any economy, but today's debt plays a different role from the normal debt that characterized life before wages stagnated and inequality skyrocketed. 40 years ago, neoliberalism – with its assaults on unions and regulations – kicked off a multigenerational process of taking wealth away from working people to make the rich richer.

Have you ever watched a genius pickpocket like Apollo Robbins work? When Robins lifts your wristwatch, he curls his fingers around your wrist, expertly adding pressure to simulate the effect of a watchband, even as he takes away your watch. Then, he gradually releases his grip, so slowly that you don't even notice:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/ppqjya/apollo_robbins_a_master_pickpocket_effortlessly/

For the wealthy to successfully impoverish the rest of us, they had to provide something that made us feel like we were still doing OK, even as they stole our wages, our savings, and our futures. So, even as they shipped our jobs overseas in search of weak environmental laws and weaker labor protection, they shared some of the savings with us, letting us buy more with less. But if your wages keep stagnating, it doesn't matter how cheap a big-screen TV gets, because you're tapped out.

So in tandem with cheap goods from overseas sweatshops, we got easy credit: access to debt. As wages fell, debt rose up to fill the gap. For a while, it's felt OK. Your wages might be falling off, the cost of health care and university might be skyrocketing, but everything was getting cheaper, it was so easy to borrow, and your principal asset – your family home – was going up in value, too.

This period was a "bezzle," John Kenneth Galbraith's name for "The magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it." It's the moment after Apollo Robbins has your watch but before you notice it's gone. In that moment, both you and Robbins feel like you have a watch – the world's supply of watch-derived happiness actually goes up for a moment.

There's a natural limit to debt-fueled consumption: as Michael Hudson says, "debts that can't be paid, won't be paid." Once the debtor owes more than they can pay back – or even service – creditors become less willing to advance credit to them. Worse, they start to demand the right to liquidate the debtor's assets. That can trigger some pretty intense political instability, especially when the only substantial asset most debtors own is the roof over their heads:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/06/the-end-of-the-road-to-serfdom/

"Debts that can't be paid, won't be paid," but that doesn't stop creditors from trying to get blood from our stones. As more of us became bankrupt, the bankruptcy system was gutted, turned into a punitive measure designed to terrorize people into continuing to pay down their debts long past the point where they can reasonably do so:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/09/bankruptcy-protects-fake-people-brutalizes-real-ones/

Enter "subprime" – loans advanced to people who stand no meaningful chance of every paying them back. We all remember the subprime housing bubble, in which complex and deceptive mortgages were extended to borrowers on the promise that they could either flip or remortgage their house before the subprime mortgages detonated when their "teaser rates" expired and the price of staying in your home doubled or tripled.

Subprime housing loans were extended on the belief that people would meekly render themselves homeless once the music stopped, forfeiting all the money they'd plowed into their homes because the contract said they had to. For a brief minute there, it looked like there would be a rebellion against mass foreclosure, but then Obama and Timothy Geithner decreed that millions of Americans would have to lose their homes to "foam the runways" for the banks:

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2012/08/how-treasury-secretary-geithner-foamed-the-runways-with-childrens-shattered-lives/

That's one way to run a subprime shop: offer predatory loans to people who can't afford them and then confiscate their assets when they – inevitably – fail to pay their debts off.

But there's another form of subprime, familiar to loan sharks through the ages: lend money at punitive interest rates, such that the borrower can never repay the debt, and then terrorize the borrower into making payments for as long as possible. Do this right and the borrower will pay you several times the value of the loan, and still owe you a bundle. If the borrower ever earns anything, you'll have a claim on it. Think of Americans who borrowed $79,000 to go to university, paid back $190,000 and still owe $236,000:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/04/kawaski-trawick/#strike-debt

This kind of loan-sharking is profitable, but labor-intensive. It requires that the debtor make payments they fundamentally can't afford. The usurer needs to get their straw right down into the very bottom of the borrower's milkshake and suck up every drop. You need to convince the debtor to sell their wedding ring, then dip into their kid's college fund, then steal their father's coin collection, and, then break into cars to steal the stereos. It takes a lot of person-to-person work to keep your sucker sufficiently motivated to do all that.

This is where digital meets subprime. There's $1T worth of subprime car-loans in America. These are pure predation: the lender sells a beater to a mark, offering a low down-payment loan with a low initial interest rate. The borrower makes payments at that rate for a couple of months, but then the rate blows up to more than they can afford.

Trusted computing makes this marginal racket into a serious industry. First, there's the ability of the car to narc you out to the repo man by reporting on its location. Tesla does one better: if you get behind in your payments, your Tesla immobilizes itself and phones home, waits for the repo man to come to the parking lot, then it backs itself out of the spot while honking its horn and flashing its lights:

https://tiremeetsroad.com/2021/03/18/tesla-allegedly-remotely-unlocks-model-3-owners-car-uses-smart-summon-to-help-repo-agent/

That immobilization trick shows how a canny subprime car-lender can combine the two kinds of subprime: they can secure the loan against an asset (the car), but also coerce borrowers into prioritizing repayment over other necessities of life. After your car immobilizes itself, you just might decide to call the dealership and put down your credit card, even if that means not being able to afford groceries or child support or rent.

One thing we can say about digital tools: they're flexible. Any sadistic motivational technique a lender can dream up, a computerized device can execute. The subprime car market relies on a spectrum of coercive tactics: cars that immobilize themselves, sure, but how about cars that turn on their speakers to max and blare a continuous recording telling you that you're a deadbeat and demanding payment?

https://archive.nytimes.com/dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/miss-a-payment-good-luck-moving-that-car/

The more a subprime lender can rely on a gadget to torment you on their behalf, the more loans they can issue. Here, at last, is a form of automation-driven mass unemployment: normally, an economy that has been fully captured by wealthy oligarchs needs squadrons of cruel arm-breakers to convince the plebs to prioritize debt service over survival. The infinitely flexible, tireless digital arm-breakers enabled by trusted computing have deprived all of those skilled torturers of their rightful employment:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/02/innovation-unlocks-markets/#digital-arm-breakers

The world leader in trusted computing isn't cars, though – it's phones. Long before anyone figured out how to make a car take orders from its manufacturer over the objections of its driver, Apple and Google were inventing "curating computing" whose app stores determined which software you could run and how you could run it.

Back in 2021, Indian subprime lenders hit on the strategy of securing their loans by loading borrowers' phones up with digital arm-breaking software:

https://restofworld.org/2021/loans-that-hijack-your-phone-are-coming-to-india/

The software would gather statistics on your app usage. When you missed a payment, the phone would block you from accessing your most frequently used app. If that didn't motivate you to pay, you'd lose your second-most favorite app, then your third, fourth, etc.

This kind of digital arm-breaking is only possible if your phone is designed to prioritize remote instructions – from the manufacturer and its app makers – over your own. It also only works if the digital arm-breaking company can confirm that you haven't jailbroken your phone, which might allow you to send fake data back saying that your apps have been disabled, while you continue to use those apps. In other words, this kind of digital sadism only works if you've got trusted computing and remote attestation.

Enter "Device Lock Controller," an app that comes pre-installed on some Google Pixel phones. To quote from the app's description: "Device Lock Controller enables device management for credit providers. Your provider can remotely restrict access to your device if you don't make payments":

https://lemmy.world/post/13359866

Google's pitch to Android users is that their "walled garden" is a fortress that keeps people who want to do bad things to you from reaching you. But they're pre-installing software that turns the fortress into a prison that you can't escape if they decide to let someone come after you.

There's a certain kind of economist who looks at these forms of automated, fine-grained punishments and sees nothing but a tool for producing an "efficient market" in debt. For them, the ability to automate arm-breaking results in loans being offered to good, hardworking people who would otherwise be deprived of credit, because lenders will judge that these borrowers can be "incentivized" into continuing payments even to the point of total destitution.

This is classic efficient market hypothesis brain worms, the kind of cognitive dead-end that you arrive at when you conceive of people in purely economic terms, without considering the power relationships between them. It's a dead end you navigate to if you only think about things as they are today – vast numbers of indebted people who command fewer assets and lower wages than at any time since WWII – and treat this as a "natural" state: "how can these poors expect to be offered more debt unless they agree to have their all-important pocket computers booby-trapped?"

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/29/boobytrap/#device-lock-controller

Image: Oatsy (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/oatsy40/21647688003

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

#pluralistic #debt #subprime #armbreakers #mobile #google #android #apps #drm #technological self-determination #efficient market hypothesis brainworms #law and political economy #gadgets #boobytraps #app stores #curated computing #og app #trusted computing

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soundbluster · 23 days

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for a while since i got into transformers 3 years ago and i loved the franchies instiantly even since i was a kid especially the designs of transformers and Seeing fan arts and fan Designs and fans make thire own continuity made me me want to start learning to draw when im ready but i don't know how to draw cybertronians so do you have any tips and advices for someone who want to learn to draw transformers characters both Traditional & digital art?

Biggest advice I can give is: "Break a character apart into simple components!"

Drawing bots is honestly not that difficult, I find it much easier than people because you can more easily break a character apart into simplified blocks.

When it comes to designing characters it can take a few times to get one you're happy with so doing lots of basic sketches can help. References are always useful too! Every artist uses references.

Here's how I do it (In this case I'm doing an alt design for tfe Nightshade):

(It's not a definitive guide as you kinda have to figure out what works best for you both in terms of technique and art style. I'm aware my art style is definitely not for everyone, as it veers more on the cartoony side. I've had comments about how my faces all look effed up etc XD)

Initial sketch

Break a bot down into basic shapes, circles and sausage shapes for more rounded characters and boxes for squarer ones. I normally start with the head and draw the rest of the body down from it (torso and arms then legs then any back kibble that might be visible) Think of it like the protoform beneath the armour.

To help with figuring out a pose I'll often use my toys. It can help you visualise where their arms and legs etc go along with whether part of a bot is actually visible from a certain angle. For example in this case:

(Yes that's my cat chilling in the background)

This can help you to figure out if a certain design can pull a given pose, for example would a bot with kibble on their hips or arms be able to move their legs or arms a certain way. I used POTP Elita one as a reference for my SG Megatron a lot for example as they've got very similar builds. But this is not essential.

(There are mannequin apps on mobiles etc. you can use to help with pose references too, and image searches are always useful for references.)

For more dynamic poses it helps to think about how the character is moving, so add a curve to the torso/spine to add to any implied motion etc.

Details

Once I'm happy with the basic shape and pose I typically add the armour over the top. Again the head is usually the first bit I do. You can see I got a bit lazy with their left hand and just did a scribble here XD

Inking

Normally when inking I do the edges of each armour piece first then add any details on afterwards in a finer pen. Generally I'll do one body part at the time eg. fully ink the arm before doing the head etc. Its best to make sure you do parts that are in front first!

Here's the finished picture:

Though it'll need some digital cleaning up at another time.

As for digital art...

I can't really give much advice on starting a drawing digitally as I never quite got the hang of it (colouring and corrections I do digitally but all my line art is traditional), I need the feedback of a pen in my hand and pressure on the paper to get it right.

These days the Hardware I mainly use is a refurbished huion art tablet (it was about £120 when I bought it) that's probably the cheapest your going to find a graphics tablet with a screen. BUT it's really not essential to get one especially if you're just starting out. Basic graphic tablets without a screen (just a pen and a pad) are much cheaper or you can use a mouse. I used a mouse for ages when I was first starting out.

In terms of software, for colouring and edits on the PC I use GIMP (I've been using it since like 2009 so I'm not really going to change any time soon!). It's freeware software and can do a lot of stuff, but it's user interface isn't the most user friendly especially if you're not familiar with graphics software but there are plenty of tutorials available for it. I'll try to remember to make a post showing how I use that another time :) as I'm not at my computer at the moment.

There are plenty of alternative image manipulation/graphics software to use as well, some free, some free but with ads, and some paid for (either one off payment or subscription). It's best to see what other artists have to say about them though as I've never really used them!

#my asks #my ask box #fan art #art stuff #how i draw #my ask is open #ask me stuff #nightshade #transformers nightshade #earthspark #transformers Earthspark #tfe #tfes #nightshade malto

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you-found-my-profile · 1 month

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Ok so here is a detailed ref sheet of my Sun and Moon designs for the au:

They can now emote a little bit more with their faceplate: Eyes are fully articulated with eyelids, the swirl that acts as their eyebrow is fully mobile, outer mouth plates are switched for a silicone layer and underneath, for stability, is an aluminum alloy that allows for a little bit extra movement. They are still stuck smiling unfortunately, but they can control how wide or crooked it is most of the time.

Hardware:

Their back wiring is now covered by a small metalic box that's waterproof. They needed that long ago anyway. They have "retractable claws" that are there more for show than anything else. Yes, they are kind of sharp but they can't exactly rip flesh off of bones. They were installed more or less to make moon look intimidating in case he comes upon an intruder on his patrols or while nap time. (Like it matters anyway, they are literally animatronics. Made out of metal.)

They can make a few soundboard effects from their voicebox. Why? They are jesters and they are caretakers. Entertainment honey.

They are directly connected to the internet as long as a wifi router is nearby. Also they can connect to bluetooth devices. The backup memory and RAM memory in their AI was upgraded aswell because let's be honest, how could they save all those guest profiles, children's preferences, allergies, special needs, intruder profiles etc.? deleting old information because "they are just some old files that we don't need anymore!" Is not the best way to approach it.

Software:

Unique features:

Sun: His rays can tilt 90° on each axis, they can retract but they cannot spin unfortunately (honestly it would be kind of hard to make it possible considering the amount of wiring inside his flat faceplate). He has pupils, they are just not visible in a brightly lit room, wich is ironic in a way or another, but that can be used to his advantage oftentimes.

The small embroidery on his pants was a last second detail he wanted to be added just on his design, the technician didn't ask why and he still won't dare to ask.

Moon: His hat and pants are made from the same material. The cape acts as a back-up blanket: it preserves heat and also can be cooled down easily. It was originally intended for aesthetic purposes only but after a little session of fuck around and find out the technician figured that the cape can fit 2-3 toddlers underneath.

The cape and hoodie parts have little magnets on the inside part of the textile, (they were supposed to be pins but because of another "accident" that idea was scratched) wich hold the two pieces together neatly and secure.

Now you may wonder: "Well then, how can Moon use his wire if that cape is in the way?" Good question! I literally have no idea, but he does it somehow.

That is all for this post, for now at least. If you have more questions feel free to leave me an ask! Also I will update this post once I make more references and sketches :)

#fnaf daycare attendant #sun fnaf #fnaf moon #daycare attendant fnaf #fnaf au #dca au #mentally eclipsed au

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solradguy · 1 year

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Dengeki PlayStation F2, April Special Issue, Volume 19 ( April 10, 1996)

Archive.org upload w/webview .PDF and .ZIP of the full resolution scans: archive.org/details/dengeki-play-station-f2-vol19

I bought this magazine for the Guilty Gear beta article (which I hope to translate soon), but it's absolutely loaded with interesting early fighting game reviews/previews as well as a decent Final Fantasy 7 preview article.

Translation of the table of contents with the English title in brackets (where applicable):

[LEFT COLUMN] Dengeki [electric shock/attack] PlayStation April Special Issue F2 SPECIAL REPORT - A volley of big titles! �� Exclusive screenshots of the hottest new wave of fighting games! GUILTY GEAR….8 ● The latest information on the PS version of the latest popular Neo-Geo title!

[SNK Special] The King of Fighters '95….13 Samurai Spirits: Zankoro Musouken [Samurai Shodown III]….14 Real Bout Garou Densetsu [Real Bout Fatal Fury]….15

● Super latest information on very big titles that we can't wait until December FFVII [Final Fantasy 7]….148 ● The latest RPG from the tag team of SCE and MediaVision Wild Arms….154 ● Simulation romance in which a vampire protagonist plays an active role in high school life BLOODY BRIDE ~Imadoki no Vampire~ [Today's Vampire: Bloody Bride]….158

Kiokusoshi [(computer) storage element] F2 Strategy and data of fighting games post-release Street Fighter Zero….74 Toushinden 2 [Battle Arena Toshinden 2]….84 Suikoden….90 Goukouji Clan 2….94 Fire Pro Wrestling: Iron Slam ‘96….98 Don't Lose! Magic Kendo 2 [Kendo Rage 2]….100 Sora Ninku….102 Champion Wrestler: Jikkyou Live….103 …and more―

[RIGHT COLUMN] Unrivaled Lightning Combat! The hottest hand-picked PlayStation fighters of today.

Tekken 2 Tekken 2 for PS is here, with numerous special modes and amazing high quality CG movies, far surpassing the arcade version! Really useful in-depth strategy, Part 1….18

● The PS version of "Tekken 2" has finally been released with a reputation as the best bishoujo fighting game! Advanced V.G. [Variable Geo]….34 ● The latest information on this title that all PS users have been waiting for! Vampire [Darkstalkers]….46 ● Easy controls and a variety of action! A very promising title in the bishoujo fighting genre!! Asuka 120% Special….56 Galaxy Fight….62 Mobile Suit Gundam Ver.2.0….66 Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Super S. [Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon SuperS: All Members!! Championship Contest]….68

Arcade Special: The arcade wave is sweeping over the PS… ● Report on the entertainment system trade show, which will occupy the entire game scene in the future. AOU Show Reported '96….116 ● A preview of the latest installment in the classic and very popular series. Street Fighter ZERO 2….122 ● The latest arcade fighter on the System 11 board. As expected, a PS port for… Soul Edge….124

[BROWN LOWER BOX] New software schedule….6 [Manga] Tekken 2: Hajimete Monogatari [The First Legend/Story]….106 [Patient Corner] F's Servants….110 Readers' Survey….114 Dengeki Soft Station….127 Software Maker Question Box F2….144 Dengeki News Station….146 Dengeki PS extra issue preview….160 Next issue preview + Game Index….161

#guilty gear #final fantasy #tekken #my scans #guilty gear scans #king of fighters #real bout fatal fury #darkstalkers #playstation #dengeki playstation

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ultragift · 4 months

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FROM: @vidra-comprehends

TO: @gayrhys

Two robots stare at the old paper. It has legible words on it and is more or less intact compared to the other pages lying around, which the two have already checked. Despite the halcyon weather, V1 keeps it pinned under its foot while V2 reads it out loud.

To my dearest friend!

My fingers are swiftly losing their mobility as I am writing you this letter. Forgive me if it is not very pretty.

While you are scorched by the Sun, I am to suffer its eternal absence. Those around me still moving are banding together, trying to find warmth in the others’ presence, but our bodies only radiate more coldness.

From time to time, the Lake’s ice carries to us the echoes of a great scream. It is terrible, but not at all terrifying. Still, should I venture too close to the middle, I would surely witness something unfit for a human soul. The only other sounds are the heavy steps of souls and the singing ice.

Even as the Greatest Cold overtakes me, I stand by my decision; letting you continue would have been an even greater sin. I hope you will find it in yourself to acknowledge why it was necessary as I will likely never again have the ability to think like a capable man, and so, I could not change my mind even if I wanted to.

With no remorse nor disdain left to warm me-

V2 looks up to see V1 already walking towards the edge of the frozen lake. "You read quickly." V1's rusty speech box spits out a few words. "REMAINING TEXT: IRRELEVANT.”

A strange sensation not unlike overheating registers to the red machine. How dares it? V2 wants to shake it by the shoulder and scream. His fury overpowers his common sense as he takes a few quick steps towards the blue machine, who - in the meantime - has started stomping on the thin ice by the shore.

"Irrelevant? What is wrong with you?! What is wrong with you in general?!"

A quick shot of its revolver makes him freeze in place. He is not at all sure that V1 missed on purpose. His steps are very careful as he catches up to it, but his voice is still full of anger. And condescendence. "You don't get to say that. They matter so much. Do you hear me? They matter! This letter meant something to someone. Hey, are you listening?"

V1 seems to be more invested in the chunks of ice it managed to free.

"Seriously, even after everything we've witnessed on our way down here...? Don't you see? There is so much harm...or there used to be so much harm in the world. No. There still is. These souls are suffering. And the best we could do was k-" An inexplicable error in the speech software. V2 doesn't start again, but he is unable to take the pain out of his voice. "We were built to protect them, you know."

V1 finally looks up, but it simply points a cold finger at V2. Of course. He was built to protect.

"Why did you repair me?" It was built to kill.

The V models are incapable of shrugging, but V1 does something similar enough. "DAMAGED." "Hm? What do you mean?"

V1 is clearly not comfortable speaking, but V2 has to know. He has to know the truth if they are going to end here. Or at least one of them will. This layer welcomed those who were willing to go to any lengths for a little personal victory. "REPAIR PROTOCOL. FAILED TO...SEPARATE."

V2 thinks for a few seconds. "Did you believe you were repairing yourself?" This wins him a thumbs up.

It was like tying a tie on someone else for the first time. The blue machine knew how to work on itself, but when the protocol kicked in under the pyramid in Greed, it found that the body is seen from an irregular angle. In the end, V1 resorted to holding the other machine to its chest to be able to work properly.

"But you know now that I'm not you, right?" Another thumbs up. V2 doesn't force the conversation further. He focuses on the ice instead. The written pages scattered all over the area don’t stop at the shore, partly or fully frozen like semi-aquatic plants during a harsh winter. The hole V1 made is rapidly freezing up, but something is still clearly visible at the bottom.

“Did you have a chance to see what that is?” Instead of an answer, V1 gives the fresh ice a good kick, splashing water all over the place.

“Hey, watch out! This can damage both of us! Especially your absorbent plating. It would be smarter to- What is that? Is that a fishing rod?! Where the Hell did you get that?” Its hands occupied, V1 nods. “What?!”

The thing they saw at the bottom is soon reeled to the surface. It is a book. Unfortunately, it immediately freezes as it is removed from the water; there’s no chance of opening it without destroying the paper. V1 doesn’t seem satisfied until it brings up half a dozen books, all acting the same way. It doesn’t give V2 much time to consider any implications or greater meaning the scene might have, heading deeper towards the middle.

“We should prepare for that fight thoroughly,” V2 warns. His predecessor doesn’t react. Its steps are light and it gently swings the fishing rod from side to side as it walks. Not for the first time today, V2 feels very lost. “If you’re not going to fight... What are you even looking for?”

Speech has never been so easy for V1 as it is in this moment. “FISH.”

#ultragift 2023 #ultragifts

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sexyirish7 · 1 year

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Animals Wallpaper

This is a wallpaper set created in anticipation of the upcoming addition of more infant interactions to Sims 4 base game.

There are 10 swatches: Bear with hearts, Cat with hearts, Cow, Dog with bones, Fox with acorns, Koala with eucalyptus leaves, Monkey with bananas, Pig with clover, Rabbit with carrots, and Squirrel with leaves.

UPDATED MARCH 12, 2023 Added ability to search catalog using search terms: sexyirish7 and si7 Added customized thumbnail

DOWNLOAD for FREE:

SFS no ads

OR at Patreon*: https://www.patreon.com/posts/animals-77245108

*You must be over 18 to access my Patreon page.

Creations by SexyIrish7

This wallpaper was produced as a standalone recolor of Base Game Pure Expressions Paint using Sims 4 Studio, Gimp, and Inkspace.

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CREDITS:

Software credits:

Sims 4 Studio v. 3.2.0.3 (Star): https://sims4studio.com

GIMP v. 2.10.32: https://www.gimp.org/

Inkscape v. 1.2: https://inkscape.org/

Thank you to the creators and moderators producing tutorials and answering questions!

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Image Credits:

Animal Pattern art images purchased from Etsy seller ASDigitaleStudio

Image credit ©ASDigitaleStudio https://www.etsy.com/listing/885453902/animals-digital-paper-animal-scrapbook

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Credits for CC used in Screenshots:

Onyxium https://www.thesimsresource.com/artists/Onyxium/

Onyxium Edison Rug

Onyxium Sleepi Teddy Bear

@pierisim

Pierisim https://www.patreon.com/pierisim

Pierisim Domaine Du Clos Part 3 – Door Single

https://www.patreon.com/posts/domaine-du-clos-74404702

@simcredibledesigns

SIMcredible https://www.patreon.com/SIMcredible

SIMcredible! Spinning Joy Mobiles Sheep

SIMcredible! Naturalis Decor Crib

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TOU:

Do not re-upload and claim as your own

Do not re-upload and hide behind a paywall

#Wallpaper #the sims 4 #the sims 4 cc #ts4cc #sims 4 #sims 4 cc #kids #infants #SIMcredible #Pierisim #Onyxium #animals #cute animals #cartoon animals #SexyIrish7

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pillowfort-social · 1 year

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Site Update - 4/17/2023

Hi Pillowfolks!

Our developers have pushed a large update to the site which includes the launch of Pillowfort Premium and an update to our platform’s framework. We will be monitoring closely for any unexpected bugs.

We are also expecting the potential for higher than average volume of customer service inquiries with the launch of Pillowfort Premium. Our Customer Service Team is working as fast as possible to answer all support inquiries in the order they are received. Thank you for your patience.

New Features

Pillowfort Premium - Introducing Pillowfort Premium! Pillowfort Premium is our solution to building a more sustainable form of income that doesn’t rely solely on donations and registration key purchases. Details, including Pillowfort Premium’s refund policy, is available in this post.

To access Pillowfort Premium, click on the “PF Premium” icon located in the left-hand sidebar. This page will allow you to convert your legacy donation to Pillowfort premium, edit your subscriptions, and more.

The first wave of Pillowfort Premium features include:

Multiple Avatars ($1.99USD / month) - Upload up to 200 avatars that you can choose from when making a post or comment.

Higher Image Upload Limits - ($2.49USD / month) Pillowfort Premium Users will be able to upload up to 4MB rather than 2MB. We recognize that this feature being part of Pillowfort Premium rather than free may upset some users. Unfortunately, multimedia data fees are one of Pillowfort’s top expenses, and so in order for us to host larger images we need to make sure we can cover the higher fees that will result.

Avatar Frames ($1.49USD / month) - Decorate your avatar with premium frames. All existing frames that have already been released will remain free. We will continue to add more premium frames in the future!

More Pride Profile Badges - Added MLM Pride, Two-Spirit Pride, and a new version of the Polyam Pride Flag. We are still taking suggestions for additional badges to add.

Lightbox for Image Post Types - Users can now view post images full-size in a light box, rather than having the image open in a new tab. Note: This update currently applies only to images uploaded through the Picture Post-type grid uploader, not images that are inserted through the rich text editor.

Bug Fixes/Misc Improvements

We’ve made various updates and improvements to our server software and configuration, to ensure that the site stays secure & efficient.

Fixed a bug where Community posts wouldn't load past the first 15 posts on mobile devices.

Fixed a bug that generated the error message “there are no posts in this community" before posts were actually fetched.

Updated the Site FAQ.

We want to thank all of you for being so patient as we’ve worked on this update. We know some of you have been waiting a long time to see certain features and improvements made to the site and we value your feedback. Now that the subscription service is out, we will post a survey soon where you can let us know what you’d like us to work on next, and we have already gotten started working on some highly-requested items. Thanks again for your support!

Best, Staff

#pillowfort #pillowfort.social #pillowfort premium #pfstaffalert #site update

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stevebattle · 24 days

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AMP "Automated Music Personality" by Hasbro and Sega, developed by OLogic (2008). Sega Toys and Hasbro (Tiger Electronics) worked with Ted Larson and Bob Allen, the founders of OLogic, to develop AMP the anthropomorphic robotic music player. It uses inverted-pendulum technology to balance, and has 2 obstacle-detection sensors, 14 touch sensors, 49 LED lights, and 62 sound effects. Its turntable hands can be used for volume control or DJ-style scratching. AMP can also be used with portable mp3 players. There are 5 different operating modes: Dance Mode (moves to the music via internal beat detection), Drive Mode (remote controlled movement), Track Mode (points its speakers in your direction), Follow Mode (follows whoever holds the remote), and Park Mode (stops & deploys kickstand).

"The product was to be named AMP, for Automated Music Personality, or AMPbot for short. It was a balancing robot, but it also had a pretty sweet boom box inside it, so it was a mobile speaker system too. It came with software so it could dance along to the music being played. At this point it was 2008, and AMPbot was scheduled for release in early 2009, but that was not to be. The financial crisis of 2008 changed the priorities for all the toy companies, and after only about a dozen preproduction prototypes were made, AMPbot was cancelled by Hasbro. By 2010, we were wishing there were ways we could revive the AMPbot project. We got permission from Hasbro to take it to market on our own if we could find enough investment to make it happen. We reinvigorated the stock of limited prototypes we had built, and took AMPbot to the Demo Conference in 2010 and tried to launch it as its own project. We found lots of robot enthusiasts who wanted him in their homes. I mean, who doesn’t want a cool music-playing robot?" – Ted Larson, From HomeBrew to Hasbro: How two friends hacked a balancing robot and wrote a toy story of their own.

#cybernetics #robot #sega #2008 #OLogic

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netscapenavigator-official · 9 months

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Idk how to explain this without being long-winded, but it’s my blog so whatever.

Basically, I have a 2011 MacBook Pro 15”. I’ve replaced the battery and upgraded the RAM and replaced the 500GB HDD with a 500GB SSD. It’s great! The machine is truly the fastest mobile computer I have.

The 2011 MBP was let go from software updates a while ago, meaning, natively, macOS High Sierra is as high as I can get the thing.

Luckily, this computer is from an era when Apple actually made computers and not eWaste, so I just erased macOS off of it and flashed Zorin OS (an Ubuntu-based Linux distro) onto it. The computer is now even better! It’s my primary productivity machine. The display, speakers, battery life, and thermals are all pretty bad, but it’s just so snappy and problem free I can’t help it.

Now, when I set up Zorin OS I used LVM Encryption to encrypt the entire disk. Basically, upon booting, before anything happens, I’m prompted with a password box. Once I put in the encryption key, the computer would continue booting and bring me to my usual login screen. Great! Easy peasy, extra secur-sy. Well. That was the case.

Somehow, in my efforts to find a way to stop Linux from using my MBP’s Discrete GPU in favor of its Integrated (more efficient, less power hungry) one, I broke something in the EFI or SMC idk. Reinstalling didn’t help. MacOS Recovery mode didn’t help. The only way I fixed it was by wiping the device, running the installer USB, downloading the script I used to fuck it up, and then running it to undo what I previous had it do. This worked. Luckily, I was keeping the machine backed up with Timeshift. So, I wiped the computer again and installed Zorin OS, fresh, reinstalled Timeshift, and restored from backup. The only problem?

When I reinstalled Zorin, I didn’t use LVM Encryption because I was tired of having to manually type in that 25 randomized character password I chose. As a result, now every time I boot the computer, I’m prompted with a “Waiting for encrypted device, (name).” That prevents the machine from booting for about 5 minutes until it just randomly decides “ope, never mind” and finally takes me to my login screen. It does nothing in prohibiting me from using the computer expect prolong it. It’s just annoying and weird as hell, and I have no idea how to get rid of it.

Clearly, the way Timeshift resorted the device has it thinking it’s still an encrypted volume, and I have no idea how to tell it that it is not.

But anyway, it just aggravates me, and I needed to ramble and vent about it. Carry on.

#rambles #computer #computer operating system #os #software #linux #zorin #zorinos #zorin os #annoying #annoyance #apple #fuck apple #macbook #macbook pro

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lucid-outsourcing-solutions · 2 years

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IT Consulting Services Company

#content box development services company in india #coldfusion development services company in india #Remote Team Services #Custom Software Development Company #Mobile App Development Company #iPhone mobile app development company #Cross-platform mobile app development company #web design services company #web development services company #Web Design & Development Services Company #Amazon Web Services Company #IT Consulting Services Company #IT Outsourcing Services Company

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wetalkgoogle · 12 days

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A Jolly Good Look at the Google Pixel 8: A Proper Review, Innit?

Oh, 'ello there, chaps and chapettes! Today, we're diving into the wondrous world of the Google Pixel 8, the latest marvel from the tech wizards over at Google HQ. Let's have a butcher's at what this blighter has to offer, shall we?

First off, let's talk about the design. The Pixel 8 is an absolute stunner, boasting a sleek and sophisticated look that's sure to turn heads. The build quality is top-notch, with a nice heft to it that screams premium. It's a proper posh piece of kit, if you ask me.

Now, let's get down to brass tacks - the camera. Good golly Miss Molly, the camera on the Pixel 8 is the bee's knees! With its fancy-schmancy technology and impressive AI features, you can snap photos like a pro without even breaking a sweat. Whether you're capturing a picturesque landscape or a cheeky selfie, the Pixel 8's camera won't let you down.

Performance-wise, this little rascal is a powerhouse. With its snappy processor and oodles of RAM, you can breeze through apps and games like nobody's business. Multitasking? Piece of cake. Gaming? A walk in the park. The Pixel 8 can handle it all with aplomb.

And let's not forget about the software. Running on the latest version of Android, the Pixel 8 delivers a smooth and intuitive user experience that's second to none. From the seamless navigation to the myriad of customization options, this phone is a joy to use.

All in all, the Google Pixel 8 is a cracker of a phone that ticks all the right boxes. If you're in the market for a new mobile that exudes class and performance, look no further than the Pixel 8. It's the mutt's nuts, I tell ya!

That's all for now, folks. Ta-ta for now!

#google #google pixel

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disabilityhorizons · 9 months

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Feathertail - Ergonomic wireless wearable mouse

Brand new, stock has arrived and orders are shipping out.

£118.00 with VAT exemption for qualifying conditions.

Coping with either Repetitive stain injury, carpal tunnel or a disability is a difficult challenge. Using your PC shouldn’t be. Introducing the revolutionary Feathertail – a comfortable, flexible, pain-free way to interact with your computer.

The Feathertail can be worn and used around your palm, wrist, shoe, hat or headset. Discover new ways to control your devices.

Plug and Play – The Feathertail uses universal input meaning it can be plugged in to any device no drivers required!

Rechargeable & Long lasting battery – The Rechargeable Li-Po (850mAh) battery lasts up to a week on one charge.

Customisable – Any 22mm watch strap can be added to the device, allowing to choose what’s most comfortable or stylish for you.

Simple and Intuitive – The Feathertail requires no calibration and works upside down or at an angle, allowing you to wear it on your head, wrist, shoe arm etc, get creative!

Adjustable sensitivity – Sensitivity can be adjusted using the pointer settings on your device

Lightweight – Just 28g, as light as a feather!

Read our interview with the inventor of Feathertail Zhey Grudov.

Scroll down to read more and see the Feathertail in action

Freedom to work as you like!

Feathertail is a wearable mouse that fits around you quite literally. You can use it on your wrist, palm, foot or attach it to a hat or headset. The Feathertail can be used in whatever way is most comfortable for you.

Feathertail is designed to be easy to use for people with limited mobility. It requires no buttons to use, and with the included Velcro straps you can attach it to your shoes, hat, or headset. It opens up a variety of different ways to interact with your tech.

All day comfort

At 28g, the Feathertail doesn't put unnecessary strain on you, helping you to quickly recover from your injury and use the device for many hours a day without fatigue.

Great with wrist braces

Feathertail works great with wrist braces and wrist supports, helping speed up your recovery following an acute or repetitive strain injury.

Intuitive movement

The 3D orientation software runs inside the Feathertail. So when you move, the mouse cursor moves with you. There is no need to worry about keeping the device straight, or calibrating it for different working positions.

Long lasting battery & Plug and Play

The rechargeable battery that lasts more than a week between charges, so you don't have to worry about the Feathertail going flat when you need it most. Whether you're working sitting down, using a standing desk, or relaxing in bed you can control your PC with ease. Since the device doesn’t take up space on a desk or require setup, it’s easy to use on the move or from any a location.

Precision and speed

Having RSI or a disability shouldn't mean you need to use an inferior product. Feathertail is fast and it's accurate. There are three high-precision sensors inside the device – a gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer. The sensors provide data hundreds of times per second, so even small movements can be detected. Accuracy and smoothness of movement are further improved by the proprietary sensor calibration and data fusion software.

Feathertail communicates with your PC using a 2.4 GHz radio connection, so you can experience similar responsiveness as from any top-tier ergonomic mouse.

Works out of the box

Feathertail is plug-and-play. Using the USB HID protocol means there's no need to install drivers and the device works on all popular OS - Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS and even Android.

You can adjust the sensitivity of the mouse to your preference and have a choice between several options for clicking the mouse. For example free dwell to click, or voice dictation software.

The Feathertail is designed with this in mind. It’s a mouse you can use in a variety of different positions throughout the day, unlike traditional ergonomic mice. This helps the affected tissues rest and changes the biomechanics of the repetitive movements you do.

In particular, having the option of using a mouse you don’t have to hold can be instrumental in recovery from carpal tunnel, de quervain's thumb and other related conditions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QOtjHmZhDM

Dimensions.

Wearable mouse Height: 36mm Width: 55mm Depth: 14mm Weight: 28g

Technical specifications.

Sensor technology Bosch BMX160 low noise, high-precision absolute orientation sensor (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer)

Connection Type 2.4 GHz USB receiver Wireless operating distance: 3m

Battery Rechargeable Li-Po (850mAh) battery Battery life: Up to 1 week on a single full charge

System requirements.

Required : Available USB port Windows 7 or later macOS 10.15 or later Chrome OS™ (supported on most ChromeOS distributions) Linux® (supported on most Linux distributions) Android 9.0 or later

Package contents.

Wearable mouse USB dongle 22mm x 300mm NATO strap 22mm x 360mm NATO strap Charging cable Instructions

http://disability-health-shop.myshopify.com/products/feathertail-ergonomic-wireless-wearable-mouse

#wearable mouse #head mouse #ergonomic mouse #buy ergonomic mouse #foot mouse #mouse for disabled people #ergonomic wireless mouse #mouse for carpal tunnel relief #carpal tunnel relief #mouse to prevent carpal tunnel #air mouse #feathertail mouse #rsi mouse #mouse for carpal tunnel #left handed ergonomic mouse #gyro mouse

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