owenSoft.net - Technology

Tomb Raider (2013) on xbox 360 Review (Technology)

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:47:44 +0000

I popped this in after completing Watchdogs (gave it 8/10 cool game). The graphics are ok. This feels like the game that transitioned laura to full circle Drakes Uncharted. Tonnes of QuickTime events, scripted scenes and white paint telling you where to jump up. I played for about 15 minutes and the entire thing was on rails apart from a little section where I had to jump from a ledge onto a crane to raise a flaming bunch of garbage. It was insane but slick in it's execution. The early game is sectioned off so it auto saves often which means that there is not much freedom to mess up during this early tutorial section. We will see if it opens up as we go along.

Even in the early game there are popups for progression for basically doing nothing - wish I could turn these off. This is a bad sign but I should not be surprised as this game probably started this modern trend. I even took a look at the achievements which was basically "kill 30 enemies", "craft 20 weapons", "hunt 2 large animals". lol, this game feels like it is going to be a gigantic waste of time. But we will see.

The game is pretty straight forward with lots and lots of little cutscenes/QTEs as I mentioned before. The game funnels Lara into a constant mix of awful situations. There is jump paint, animals to harvest, scrap to collect so you can upgrade weapons and skills. The skill tree is gated so that you cant "over power" anything too soon. In so doing it ends up being a liner checklist of things to click on - which sucks.

It's a collect-a-thon game that is fluid and most jumps are easy to make without worry. The game feels like Uncharted + Horizon Zero Dawn mixed with Banjo Kazooie. This is why I play on easy. The bow feels nice. I am mostly using the bow. Silent and deadly.

The game is good, the flow is good, the bow is deadly. Some areas have a bunch of enemies but not to an extreme. The game flows nice without many road blocks in the way. Its just one torture scene after another. I dont know how laura or any woman could survive this all. But this is video game logic.

I like the sections with fire. Fire in this game looks really good. Though the fire sections are few and far between - they are impressive to look at. The game does not balance very well for the bow, so you might get forced to use the guns in a few spots - especially if you are not efficient with your arrow consumption. This is disappointing because I had planned to use the bow throughout my entire play-through.

Conclusion

Good game. 8.5/10. Worth the time. Innovative. Nice set pieces, nice fire. Lots of stuff to collect. I might buy Rise of the Tomb Raider to see if it holds up. The game is fun on easy with nice set pieces and not too much bloat. Would recommend. Must have in any collection. Going to play Aliens vs Predator next.

Strategy

Play on easy, bow and arrow all the way. I completed the game first time with a 75% completed. So the game is not a collect-a-thon. You can replay the game afterwards to collect everything you missed if you so desire. Playing bow only feels good and is a bit more stealthy if thats what you are into. I only upgraded the bow to 100% and ignored everything else. Had 5000 scrap left over in the end.

by Anonymous comment

My Thoughts on the new Ricoh GR IV / GR4 (Technology)

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 09:33:01 +0000

The gr4 has finally been announced and its dropping September 2025 for a MSRP of $1500 USD. I am not surprised at the price considering how things are nowadays in the economy but it is what it is. At least it has not reach leica levels of expense. Hobbies are expensive and photography is up there on my most expensive hobby. Anyway lets dive into my thoughts on this new release.

New MicroSD Card slot

MSD cards are tiny and easy to lose. That being said I think you should always have external storage because of you destroy you device you are basically knackered. At lease with a SD card you can remove the card and rescue the data. So I will definitely get a SD card even with the new upgraded internal storage. I am not sure how much the fancy new cards will cost but this is just another expense that I will need to get setup.

Slightly more megapixels

Getting 1.5 more mp is really disappointing trash. I was hoping for at least 32mp but I guess I will have to wait 10 more years for that. So the GR4 wont be improving the resolution by much if anything. When I purchased by GR3 I was going from 16 mp to 24mp so i saw a big bump in quality. Sucks but not such luck this time around.

Faster Processor

This is pretty much the only reason to get the GR4. Even the improved battery life does not compare to being able to focus and shoot faster. Less missed shots should translate to higher hit rate but I will have to wait and see how that turns out. Combined with the faster storage this should translate to near instant reaction-shot time.

Everything else

The thinner camera really doesnt matter much but I wish they kept the old battery form factor so I can keep using the old batteries. Who knows what these new batteries will cost when they comes out. I bought alot of accessories for the gr3 which will no longer work with the gr4. The new profiles dont matter to me as I still to positive or negative film. The new buttons dont matter. The 5 axis IBIS should help avoid missed shots which is good.

The Ricoh GR3

My current GR3 has served me well with 80k shots over the 4 years that I have owned it from new. The scroll wheel is buggered even though I rarely use it. The hand grip is very soft and feels lose at time. The camera has been through alot, I pretty much carry it in a case every day and have dropped it several times accidentally, including that time I fell into a river and it go submerged for a few seconds. I think I have spare 6 batteries now; half of which hold very little charge. Batteries which cant be used in the new Gr4 so basically e-waste unless I get it sold.

Conclusion

Since my GR3 is well used there is no point in selling it because i would have to explain all the quirks/defects that it has developed over the years due to constant use and handling. It is not broken but I doubt I could honestly get more than $400 usd for it. I could pad up the sale with the accessories that I bought but I dont know. I personally dont see the point in re-buying a Gr3 unless you never had a GR camera before. If you never had a GR then the GR3 is fine. The GR4 is really a speed bump release. The differences are not significant enough to warrant the extra cost. For me the GR4 would basically be a hardware refresh. Lets see how long before its easily available to purchase.

by owen comment

Bought a lens adapter and some filters (Technology)

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 07:49:04 +0000

Mostly for the beach and when I am not being incognito. 3 filters came in the case. 1 is clear, the other is diffuse and a variable nd. I am not sure why I would want to make my pictures blurry on purpose so that one will be staying inside the case forever. I already have issues with bad light, add blurry blown out high lights and its disaster.

I also bought a yellow filter but after the fact it seemed to be pointless in a digital world. May 2023

by owen comment

Taking care of a Ricoh GR3 (Technology)

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:07:44 +0000

After 40 thousand pictures and dropping the camera 4 times I am surprised the camera still works. It is a solid device. I even slipped and fell into a river which caused it to be submerged for approximately 2-3 seconds. I immediately took the batteries out and wrapped it in tissue paper - after a few days it was kicking again.

Accidents aside here are a few things I do to protect my camera;

Buy the stick on UV glass to help reduce the chance of dust getting into the front.
When not in use I keep the camera in a Polariod glasses case - its lightweight and just the right size but any case will do.
If the camera is inside my jeans pocket it in a glasses bag with a draw string. I have 2 of these that I wash and reuse every couple weeks to reduce dust build up.
I did try the JJC metal lens cap but it added a little extra bulk to the camera making it hard to fit in my pocket. A dust bag made of silk does a much better job while keeping the camera compact.
Every few weeks or after a long day of shooting I use a air blower, small brush and an alchol wipes to remove extra dust and hand grease from the camera. Be careful not to let too much liquid get into the body and the plastic parts.
I never use the usbc port because opening and closing that little flap is bound to get destroyed at some point. So I charge my battery in an external charger brick.

Thats pretty much it. Its a good camera. If at some point it breaks I would definately buy another or maybe go for the X.

by owen comment

Microwave ME21F707MJT ghost touch issues - FIXED (Technology)

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 09:50:46 +0000

It started happening about a year into the 4 years of owning the microwave. Mostly at night you would hear the beep of a number being activated. This would happen at nights most once or twice a week. Over time it progressed to the 3 touches, which could usually be ignored until it started activating the LED light, then the vent fan and finally it started to start the microwave itself which was a clear sign that it could not longer be ignored.

First thing I tried was searching online which led to several dead ends. I Went to the local shop that I bought it from and they said that 4 years is a good run for a microwave and quickly suggested I buy a new one. I was willing to replace the door but had no luck finding them online. Its kind of a curse or a blessing that the touch sensitive pad is in the door.

Next step is dismantling the door itself. If I disconnected the door cable the ghost touches would stop indicating that the problem is definitely in the door. It seems that even the motherboard itself is inside the door. Dismantling the door is a test of patience itself - I suggest you search for a youtube video. The first time I took the door off I removed and reconnected the ribbon cables. Some people online say that this is a quick fix because sometimes the cables become twisted or disconnected slightly. After that I reassembled the door and waited patiently. After about an hour the random ghost touches returned with a vengeance.

At this point we started unplugging the microwave and plugging it in only when we needed to use it. But this was a temporary fix as the microwave started to cancel itself while food was being heated, lol. There is an option to turn off the beeps but that bearly when you never know when the microwave is going to activate something that makes a sound like the fan or the light. So with all my options exhausted I had to go back into the door.

The solution that worked for me

So I waited until I had a day entirely to myself - empty house. I took the door off the microwave, carefully rested the parts and the screws in the couch. The pan for this trip is to clean the circuit board with a can of circuit board cleaner. Since I did not have that particular cleaner on hand I used regular rubbing alcohol. When you dismantle the door carefully unclip and remove the ribbon cable from the main circuit board. I placed some alcohol in a small cup then I applied it to the circuit board with a soft makeup brush. The main purpose of the alcohol is that it evaporates quickly and the soft brush is to gently apply the alcohol without damaging the board. I cleaned the whole board, back and front, both ribbon cable tips and then I let everything air dry.
After it dried I brushed it with alcohol again, all the leads, circuits then let it dry again. I clean the brush after every wipe to ensure that any residue/dust gets removed instead of slushed around. After all that I reassembled everything and the ghost beeps stopped. The touch pad has also become more responsive since the clean up. No more missed touches. So far its been 3 weeks. Problem solved.

Additional thoughts

I think that over time dust and static might have built up on the circuit board. These electronics must be suffering from heat death or something. Since the fix I have been unplugging the microwave at night since there is no real reason to leave it plugged in when not in use. There is easy access to the power plug for all the users so this is not much of an inconvenience. I hope to eke out another 2 years out of the microwave because otherwise its a perfectly good device.
I hope this helps someone out there save some money and not contribute to the world's waste.

Update Nov2023

Roughly 8 months later the dreaded ghost beep has returned even with the routine unplugging of the microwave when not in used. I promptly removed the door again and redid the procedure. We will see how long it lasts this time. Note that the plastic grill (the first thing you unscrew) at the top of the microwave is very brittle so you want to be careful with that - mine is already broken in 2 places.

Update Jan2024

Spontaneous after a quick cleaning of the front with windex all the buttons except 2 have stopped working. I am not sure if its the windex that cause the this new issues since the entire interface is just glass but I am forced to divide into the door again because the touchpad is now entirely unusable.

Update Feb2024 1

So cleaning the motherboard with alcohol and reseating the ribbon strip works to restore the functionality but I have no clue why it happens so I unplug the microwave after every use. Might need to invest in a switch.

Update Feb2024 2

Microwave went dead again almost a week after the previous cleaning. I figure that its time to buy a new one but I was not ready to give up as yet. I figured that there is something that I am missing. So I got up early in the morning after the wife left for work and started a process of taking off the door, cleaning one part then reattaching the door in order to test what started working. I took the door off ten times. lol. Only a patient man rides a donkey. Anyway on the 5th attempt I noticed that I was losing function in some buttons and by the 9th I only had 2 buttons left. Cleaning the board the connectors and ribbon cable did nothing. Until I took a look at the ribbon cable for the 2 sides of the panel.

It appears that the ribbon cable is decaying at the contact point where it clips down onto the motherboard. If you look care fully you should see a discontinuty need the edge of the cable where the clip presses the connectors. So what did I do? I cut off 4 mm off the edge of the ribbon cable. This allowed it to sit deeper into the socket. I cut the same amount off each side because both sides of my microwave were equally dead. It would seem at cleaning with alcohol really did not do anything but really all you need to do is reposition the ribbon cable. First step reposition, then clean and in the worst case cut it VERY CAREFULLY with a sharp, small scissors. Make sure the cut is perfect straight or you will have alignment problem.

I am typing this right after doing the procedure and everything seems to be working fine again - instantly apart from 2 unimportant buttons. Will report back if it fails again but I think this will be good for another 6 years. At while point I possible have space for one more 4mm cut. Peace and love.

Side note: replacing the ribbon cable seems impossible as it goes into the door that is sealed is someway (probably glue). so do not mess up the CUT!

Update March2024

So its still going strong. I put some painter's tape over the connectors on the underside of the motherboard. I feel that moisture is getting onto the exposed connectors. If you notice on the motherboard there are areas which have this protective wax over certain parts. It seems that whoever was incharge of painting this on missed some parts. I have no access to this wax thing so painter's tape is my best bet. we will see how long this lasts.

Update August 2024 - FINAL UPDATE

Dead again with only the clock button working. Gonna jump in for another ride.Well it seems like this is the last rodeo for this pony. Once you run out of the copper tip that is basically it (this is why I suggested earlier that you trim only 2 mm from the edge each time). The rest of the flat flex cable is so thin it was practically impossible to create a contact surface without going straight through to the plastic on the other side. RIP microwave. Planned Obsolescence or bad design?

by owen comment

New Camera Ricoh GR III + quick review (Technology)

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 08:45:30 +0000

*I should have published this revew from Sept2020 but better late than never?

After roughly 6 months of online searching I settled on the Ricoh GR III a fixed 28mm point and shoot camera. Of course no piece of equipment is perfect there is a high chance of dust getting into the lens, the battery life is poor, overheats on hot days and it will probably die if I drop it. But guess what? No one lives forever.

So far I am loving the speed of the camera and the extra resolution. 24 mp is double that of the previous camera. Plus the quality of the APSC sensor means that I miss fewer shots. Over the pass weeks of having the camera I already filled my SD card because I am shooting in RAW+JPEG which is a new problem I discovered with the new camera; the image files are HUGE. The raw file is 30+ mb and the jpeg is 10mb (6000x4000px).

All these issues together I had to invest in a few accessories to go along with the new camera;

32 gig HS-1 SD Card
JJC metal lens cap - to reduce the dust
2 Wasabi Batteries and charger - I like external wall chargers, the ricoh only comes with a usbc cable charger to charge the camera while its plugged into a socket - I am not about that risky life.
JJC thumb grip - makes a world of difference - buy it right away.
JJC stick on UV filter - more dust protection,
JJC LCD screen protector - scratch prove the touchscreen

Everything was bought on Amazon and should be easy to find by searching. Add a comment below if you need specific answers. That is a long list, lol but the only accessory you really need to buy right away is the thumb grip and the wasabi batteries. The ricoh comes with 2 gigs of built in storage so you can live without an SD card for a little bit.

I mentioned the dust concerns so some accessories I bought after using the camera for a couple weeks;

JJC Cleaning kit - I wanted the rubber dust blower because they say you should not use your mouth to blow dust off the lens.
UNI SD card reader with usbc+full usb. - for reading the above card because I wanted something that could both connect to a phone as well as computer.
JJC Auto lens cap - bought the to test it out

The ricoh has wifi which is useful for transferring images to a phone but I am old school so I take the SD card out of the camera which is why I bought the card reader.

Other reviewers suggested I get a Fujifilm X100V but that camera is practically twice the price of the Ricoh GR3 and it is NOT COMPACT. Shipping and Import Fees to Jamaica would have literally killed my budget. Plus it's the size of a brick.

The ricoh gr3 is a unique camera; no zoom, no flash and no view finder. Having no zoom is something I am getting accustomed to and the 28mm focal length is weird and wide. The camera is certainly not for everyone but personally a hip shooter like myself is having a blast. I can now enjoy advanced features like spray and pray, exposure bracketing, high contrast black and white, chimping, double exposure photography, in camera raw editing, cropping, resizing just to name a few of the things I could not do on my previous Canon powershot. I dont even need a computer.

The downsides of the camera include; it will get hot if you spend a long time in raw development or you have it on for long periods on a hot day. These are things I have grown accustomed to. I usually take a couple shots at a time and then turn the camera off. Most times I am shooting with the LCD off. Because of the dust issue I keep it in a bag whenever I get home. Or with a lens cap on if I have it in my pocket. Worrying about dust is constant because I live in a dry dusty climate.

Conclusion

Overall I like the camera and have been using it for 2 years so far exclusively. I have taken 33,000 pictures with it since I bought it, which is a record in my book.

Reference Links

Ricoh GR for Travel Photography Review: Around the World in 80 Photos

Street Photography with a Compact Camera (feat. the Ricoh GR II)

THE GR PROJECT

by owen comment

Bought a mini Vice Grip (Technology)

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 08:35:41 +0000

I have seen vice grips everywhere throughout my life but I never needed one until a recent bathroom roller fix that I had to do. I always thought there were just complicated pliers. But low and behold these things are magic. After a quick tutorial from Sulph this became and essential part of my tool kit for getting those pia stuck bolts.

by owen comment

Multi-Battery Charger (Technology)

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 09:06:17 +0000

My old Wasabi plugin charger was getting a bit flaky so I bought this 3 battery usb charger for my camera. It definately is more useful to charge 3 batteries at the end of the day instead of juggling 1 at a time. I also bought 2 new Wasabi batteres because I thought my current 2 were on the way out but it turns out that the fault was the old charger because they are charging fine now. I always charge my batteries outside of the camera just incase they swell or explode. You never know.

by owen comment

External DVD Drive (Technology)

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 16:01:23 +0000

Picked this up off amazon because my new desktop did not come with a CD disk drive. It is impressive how small these things have gotten. I actually still have one of the old IDE disk drives in the closet in case of an apocalypse.
The hardware feels cheap but it does the job while being easily packed away when not in use.

by owen comment

Review - JJC Auto Lens Cap for Ricoh GR III (Technology)

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 08:27:04 +0000

Dust is something to worry about so from the first time I saw a video of the JJC Auto Lens Cap I knew I had to test it out. Bought it on Amazon and after using it for 3 weeks I can safely say it kinda works and yet it kinda fails. I give it a 5 out of 10. Not for everyone.

The benefits

It works as advertised. Fits secure onto the camera and does not fall off.
Lightweight plastic, much lighter than the metal lens cap.
When closed the lens cap is perfectly flush with the bottom of the camera. This allows the camera to stand perfectly upright.

Disadvantages

It is slightly thicker than a normal lens cap which means I could no longer slip the camera into my jeans pocket. :(
Pointy edges
The sharp plastic edges on the back of the doors make 3 slight scratches on the edge of the stick-on UV filter.
There is a tiny gap between each door which means that the cap is not 100% dust proof. Unavoidable but I had to note it.
When the doors are open it makes the front of the camera more visible because of the shape that the doors create.

Conclusion

So in the end, the auto lens cap did not work out for me. Main reason is because I like to put the camera in my pocket. I reverted to my old JJC mental lens cap. Despite the inconvenience the normal lens cap does a better job of keeping the camera pocket-able and dust free while on the road and air tight while the camera is at rest (in a pockets, drawer etc). The auto lens cap is fancy but slightly too big to be useful. Final review score 5/10. It works but its not perfect.

by owen comment

What I am want in a new camera (point and shoot) (Technology)

Sat, 22 Aug 2020 12:36:48 +0000

I could always keep using my old camera until the stars align ( it still works ) but its definitely time for an update. As usual I make lists. Lists are simple;

Smartphones are trash

I have said it before. But the gish is that its not really about "the camera you have on you" - its about how average you want to be. If you want to be like everyone else then use average tools. Otherwise fts. These people who recommend smart phones are using red cameras to make youtube videos. You will spend more time watching their videos than creating your own.

Small + Inconspicuous

The camera has to be small and be able to fit in my jeans pocket. Obviously it is not going to be as small as my previous Powershot elph 300HS but it has to be small while still taking good quality photos. This rules out the Fuji X100V - I do not want to get jacked on the streets. As for Leica it must be nice.

Bigger image sensor

I am done with small sensor cameras, for years I wondered why the quality of my photos never got better even though I was constantly upgrading to higher megapixel cameras. A few features improved but Canon was simply shipping the same tiny sensor while doubling the resolution. 3.2mp, 6mp, 12mp, Canon fts. Fool me once, fool me twice.
The Canon G7x is too big, (plus I never do video) so I then was looking into the the G9X but it seems than Canon is never going to release a Mark3 for that camera. Canon fts.

New hardware + Updateable

I keep my cameras for years. I think my current camera has been going strong for 6 years. Too many devices get released with micro usb ports and never get updates. Canon and Sony fall into the group of neglecting their cheaper cameras. I know personally that I do not have the money to buy a 2000$ camera so fts. Nothing should be released in 2020 without a USBc port.

Processing speed and In body stabilization (IBIS)

I need stabilization. Its something you never know you need until you experience it. I mostly take candid photos. Or I am in a location where I am the only person taking pictures and everyone wonders wtf. So it is rare that I have the opportunity to fully compose a shot. Which means I need to run and gun. So the camera has to be able to keep up with the kind of pictures I take. IBIS will hopefully reduce the amount of blurry pictures I have to delete at the end of the day.

Conclusion

Obviously all these things will come at cost and trade offs but only patient men ride donkeys. There are not many options in the point and shoot camera market - well not many "good" options - so compromises will have to be made but thats pretty much how life is. The best iphone is $1100 right now but its a consumption trap that will surely develop a random problem within 2 years. It is obvious that if I want the best quality I have to buy a big camera but the point is not to achieve perfection but escape the trap of average consumer tech. And maybe - just maybe get better at taking pictures. When you try your best and you dont succeed....

by owen comment

Time to buy a new camera (point and shoot) (Technology)

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 17:39:09 +0000

my trusty canon powershot ( 12.1 MP, f/2.7, 1/2.3") is beginning to show its age. I originally bought it in 2014 for $150usd (released in 2011). It is my 4th canon powershot. I have to applaud canon for their cheap p&s pocket cameras that are able to stand survive 6 years of use, 4000+ photos so far (2015-2020). The firmware unfortunately never gets updated and the soft plastic lens ring around the self closing blades now get stuck in a open position. The camera I had before had a metal enclosure.

Preface

Pictures on the internet nowadays are hyper filtered and surreal - I am not a fan - I can see why people like the smooth, fake color look. But sharpness has always been a problem with small sensor cameras like the canon powershots. If the light is not perfect and colours are not bright you are going to get muddy/fuzzy pictures.

It is hard to find a camera that is both small and good quality - its probably against the laws of physics. But I am willing to compromise. Fast auto focus and IBIS is also important. I dont want interchangeable lenses. I have been watching lots of youtube.

The search

So after a couple months of searching around I reduced my options to the canon g9x, a small camera with a bigger 1" sensor (four times as large as my old camera) costing 3 times as much at 450$ usd. At the this point the cost increase was expected because I want make a big jump in quality/speed. I need to leave the tiny sensor market. Things are moving fast and I need to shot and run - in a manner of speaking. Plus I keep watching old videos of film photographers from the 1940s whos pictures still look good 60 years after they were taken. My old pictures are so low quality I dont even bother to go back into the archives. So if I am going to be taking pictures I want to at least get a nice quality.

To whom much is given, much is tested. I also got interested in street photography so the small size of the canon g9x and the increased resolution should prove to be an asset. But there was a snag; the canon G9x is currently on version 2 or Mark2 which was released in Jan, 2017. That is a full 3 years ago. If you know anything about modern tech you know that buying old tech is a losing battle. USB-C ports are far better than micro-usb.

So i waited for canon to release a new version. waited and waited. no new version. Still waiting. Other cameras in the same lineage such as the g7x and g5x got a mark3 update in 2019 so I figured the g9x was next in line. I patiently watched the news feeds and rumor sites. While Canon released new cameras, printers, crowd counting cameras, all sorts of tech - pumping out new cameras costing upwards of $5000 usd. Yet no G9X mark 3 with a USB-c port. #Shame

I rarely edit my photos; partly because my computer is slow, and have too many hobbies, so post-processing or video is no more room. A couple years ago I started using auto-contrast in picasa3 but thats pretty much all I do. I never crop my images - because I am lazy. So when I am taking pictures with my point and shoot I need to make sure the picture looks "good enough" the first time I take the shoot. Right now I am averaging 60% good pictures - IMHO. This may seem high because I have been taking pictures with these tiny cameras for YEARS and I know what they can and cannot do. The problem is whenever I go wild and I try to be fast or artsy my "good" picture rate goes down to 10%. This fact limits my range of pictures. So I need to up my game.

Some people say the best camera is the camera you have with you - which usually means a smartphone camera. The problem I have with smartphone cameras is that the pictures lack detail - the look fine on the phone screen but trash in print or on a large screen. The ergonomics of using a phone is off-putting. Not enough options and it gets costly if you want better quality.

Anyway while I hunt for a new small camera you can browse my old pictures (taken with my current canon 300HS) or look at a few I took recently with my cellphone below (edited in black and white because my phone camera is trash 8 MP, f/2.2, 31mm);

by owen comment

Deep dive into windows 7 support ending (Technology)

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 07:30:11 +0000

I am sad this morning because #Windows 7 told me I will no longer be getting updates, security patches or tech support. I will miss those tech #support guys that I used to call at Microsoft when I was lonely and wanted new features to enhance my quality of life. #rip

Support is one of those memes in technology which has been coming up more and more in the modern age of software as a service (SAAS) and security through never ending updates (STNES). In the old days you could only buy software when it was tested and completed. Nowadays to buy software with LTS. Few people attempt to explain what it actually means to have "no support". It is assumed that bad things will happen - malicious software will attack you from all angles. If you are using windows 7 you most likely see the quoted message below popup on your screen when you log in;

"As of January 14, 2020, support for windows 7 has come to an end. Your PC is more vulnerable to virus and malware due to:
* No Security updates
* No software updates
* No tech support
Microsoft strongly recommends using windows 10 on a new PC for the latest security features and protection against malicious software."

I will attempt to go over this message in fine detail and try to explain it to the best of my knowledge. Every user on your entire network of Windows 7 machines will have no doubt seen this message by now.

"The end date"

The January 14,2020 date means that you will stop getting those annoying requests to install updates to your computer. This does not mean that the updates will totally stop but consumers on the lowest level of the food chain can hope to get less and less of them and be able to turn on their PC without stress.

"You PC is more vulnerable to virus and malware"

This is one of the most over used meme. The fact is everything connected to the internet is vulnerable to virus and malware at all times, Wednesdays, Thursdays, everyday. It is no more or less with or without support. Everything is a in a state of waiting to be hacked or you yourself might install malicious software that deletes all your data.

"No Security Updates"

Security updates protect you from known viruses. Most of the viruses are unknown which is why there are so many security updates. The severity of the virus, when, and where it will affect Windows is also unknown so with or without support a windows user is really hoping that Microsoft finds out about the virus before it hits their computer. It is essentially a catch-22 situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules and limitations of time and space. You will get hacked.

"No Software updates"

I have been using windows 7 for several years and have NEVER seen a significant update to the base explorer that I could identify. It is as if the windows 7 explorer is frozen in time once you buy it. I am not even sure what "Quality of Life" updates mean because it certainly is not obvious. Facebook is hacking you through your friends.

"No tech support"

Wait is there someone at Microsoft that you can call to fix your Windows when it segfaults? Ok. Well if you did have someone that number will be disconnected and the twitter account will nolonger stalk @you when mention #windows #problem.

"Microsoft strongly recommends"

The word strongly in there suggests that some kind of urgent action is required on the part of the user at this very moment.

"using windows 10 on a new PC"

So the strong recommendation requires that you use a new operating system called "windows 10" and on top of that you buy a "new PC". Imagine driving down a road in a car that suddenly flashes across the dashboard "We strongly recommend that you buy a new car!". This is hard to imagine because this does not happen with cars. Automobiles are highly regulated, very expensive and can be maintained in serveral ways without the need aid of the original manufacturer.

"latest security features and protection against malicious software"

So "security updates" has been changed to "security features" in this section. And "malicious software" has been added instead of "malware". Most of this seems to point to you only getting new security features if you buy a new operating system. Protection seems arbiturary and does not specifiy what level of protection will be provided or the types of malicious software that you will be protected against. This seems to be just another ride on the never ending support cycle.

No Guarantees

Few people in Technology talk about the fact that computers are a "use at your own risk" medium. Software is eating the world and enabling children in Africa to make water from air. Simply nothing that exists on a computer is guaranteed. They work; when they work, while they work, if they work and if not, then you are out of luck and you can go dead a bush somewhere with no compensation. The few users that get some form of compensation need to prove the scenario in a world of chaos are akin to lottery winners.

This is the nature of personal computers and computer hardware from the beginning of time. There are particular areas in computing which need a higher tolerance such as the medical and automotive industry but in recent time even those industries have been show to be prone to glitchs after two fatal Boeing plane crashes were to a result of cost cutting software upgrades and price justification by addons. All software/hardware is covered by an End-User-License-Agreement (EULA) which reduces the chance of liability in case you die as a result of using the devices.

This EULA allows consumer computers to operate at in a environment that is often less reliable and cheaper since they do not have to do rigorous testing and quality control as would be needed in the medical and automotive fields. Smartphone batteries can explode or RAM can sporadically crash in certain unexplained circumstances and you just have to live with it, reboot and restart. Park at your own risk.

So in this context of cheap hardware and "no guarantees" what is support? Or what specifically is "windows support"? There is no wikipedia page. If you go to the Support website you will see a gigantic search box with more that 41,400,000 results if you search for "windows". The first result from the search is a link back to the page with the big search box.

Conclusion

With all this being said there are many kinds of support. Support is this nebulous/catch-all phrase that has a hidden timeline attached to it. If you told a consumer before they bought a new PC/OS they would probably think twice. This is one of reasons these messages do not popup on smartphones - it is more profitable to spend money marketing totally new versions and dumping/recycling old phones into poorer markets. PCs are harder to dump so why bother?

It does not matter what version of windows you are running because you are not secure and the hardware is not secure and your passwords are weak sauce. That fancy new bluetooth mouse you bought is not working? You will get 100 new mice drivers in the next update or you will get none - no one is really sure. You buy hardware+software, you enjoy it for a couple years then you are forced to buy something new - this is the way.

The long and short of it is that While you could continue to use your PC running Windows 7, without continued software and security updates, it will be at greater risk for viruses, trolls and malware. Going forward, the best way for you to stay secure is on Windows 10 or 11 or an apple device. And the best way to experience Windows 10 is on a new PC (so you should throw your old windows phone into the trash). It is possible to install Windows 10 on your older device, it is not recommended.

www.fsf.org/windows/upcycle-windows-7

by owen comment

Stadia is trash (cloud gaming) (Technology)

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 09:06:53 +0000

Stadia was launched recently in the usual "lets throw it out there and see how many bored techies will hype it up". The claim is that it will allow gaming on any device (phone/laptop/desktop/washing machine) with "no hardware acceleration" which is a lie because browsing the web or watching video in a browser at any resolution above 480p requires some form of modern graphics card or you get a slideshow. The next big feature is allowing developers to write custom "cloud games" because console hardware is holding game developers back. lol I am not sure what is holding them back or back from what? world domination?

Stadia is going to "#change #gaming" seems to be the hashtag but these pundits have not finished a full game in 10 years and probably spend all their time re-spawning constantly in fortnite. Their brain is hooked on the unpredictability of game, the actual game itself is pretty repetitive. There are too many games and not enough time to play them. VR gaming is never going to get better. No matter how hard you pray. Stadia comes with high internet requirements and If you can afford to pay for the internet then you can more than afford buying games on other platforms. So the target make for this is kinda confusing but there are other issues;

All games should be cheap/free

I wish I could buy 5 BMWs but I cannot afford to buy everything I want or need. I would not even rent a BMW because renting is for people who never learn to buy. It is the same with video games just because they are expensive does not mean that they should cheap. If somehow they become cheap then it is some form of trap. If they can't catch you with $59.99 they will catch you with $9.99 a month for 10 years until you realize that you are wasting your time playing trash games instead of buying and playing only the good ones you like. Playing only the games you like is cheaper and gives you more fulfillment. Variety may be the spice of life but you cannot survive eating cinnamon alone.

Hidden Costs

The cost its not just $9.99, you have add the cost of internet into the mix - thats what? Roughly $50 a month? There has never been a more exciting time to be a developer - slaveSo you paying $9.99 for Stadia, $50 for internet and $2 per game to rent it per month? $60 a month to play fifa. While you watching advertisements between every match, lol. I dont see the costs netting out at all. At least console FIFA only releases a new copy every year. On Stadia they can release a new version every month - they could even sell you DLC teams that are priced based on real time ranking. The possibilities for micro transactions are endless.

Better graphics on the cloud

We have been chasing the graphics monster since the 90s. PS1 games are pretty much trash if you try to play them now. We had the Xbox360 red ring of death issue because we ran the consoles too hot. Now consoles use 8 gigs of RAM a jump from 256 mb the last generation. Game consoles use as much electricity as desktop PCs. Games are getting more expensive to make because they require more 3d art. We are basically playing 70s pacman with better graphics. Now we want to jump to the cloud so we can get better graphics - everything else be dammed.

Virtual Goods

I see people selling PS4 and Xbox accounts with 15 DLC games bought online. lol. Why try to sell your virtual trash unto someone else? Just keep it or give it away. It is so easy to buy games as DLC so no one wants to buy your crappy virtual game collection with 4 copies of FIFA and 3 Cod games. Luckily Stadia will certainly save these people some money in the short term but they will spend more money keeping the service active even when they get bored with it - too many options. There wont be a console gathering dust under your tv to remind you of wasted money - it will only be a monthly line on your bank statement - dust free but ever present. The good thing with Stadia from my point of view is that when these people finally realize that there are wasting their money and time then they will have nothing to re-sell so no more threads online trying to sell virtual goods that have no real value.

All that is old is new again

We are slowly going back to the days of blockbuster and game arcades where you rent videos games or you put a coin into a machine to play. The popular arcade games would cost more because more people wanted to play them so the arcade owner would bump up the price of the tokens. We stopped doing that when home consoles came around and we could pay a set price for our games and play them forever. In a arcade setup some times your favourite game would disappear because it was not drawing a big enough crowd. This will be the reality of gaming on Stadia: most games will be made as multiplayer first - battle royale or mobile trash because developers will avoid less profitable genres. Profitability will be tied to popularity or some other blackbox ranking system or A.I. or whatever.

Conclusion

I personally would rather not be totally dependent on something I have to pay for monthly for my entertainment. And you certainly know that advertisement are going to be inserted directly into your games if the service takes off. It will no longer be about what games you like to play but what games work best as multiplayer. Consoles bring diversity to gaming. Platforms like these are only interested in keeping you hooked on the fear of missing out. If you cancel your subscription - you will miss out. Bad habits that cost money are the worst kind of habit to pickup.

by owen comment

Modern life-living in the future is a money pit (too many hobbies) (Technology)

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 18:57:34 +0000

Seriously I cannot afford to buy the new iphone and a data plan because I have too many hobbies. Too many hobbies is like having a disease that you constantly need to buy medication to treat. A disease that never gets better because the medication has side effects. So I end up in a circle or a square or an endless shape that folds back onto itself.

I am distracted but I must have those new t-shirts that just dropped because they look and feel so awesome on the java script online start-up my friend on facebag just launched. I simply must have them but I need to get a credit card or some mobile money.

I should get 4k HDR monitor too but my computer cannot push that many pixels so I will have to wait until I can buy a new video card. Maybe I should just buy a whole new computer because since I upgraded to windows X I have been having all sorts of issues. The new computer will finally fix those driver issues and allow me to play all the free games I got on the steam summer sale on super-ultra settings. Or I could just get one of those new pro consoles? But then I would need a subscription to play online. Too many hobbies.

I could skip the iphone cult and join the Android cult but there is no guarantee that it will keep getting updates or it will not brick itself in 6 months. I have all my songs in itunes. If I go android I have to buy the absolute most expensive version on the market. Or skip the whole smartphone thing altogether but how will I get a girl if me no have a phone and whatsapp and lots of likes on instagram? I will certainly be lost without my favorite apps that allow me to follow everyone everywhere every minute and every second while I sit at home doing nothing.

Worse if I have a tendency to drop phones in toilets and at a bad angle on concrete causing the screen to smash. There might be drugs available for this sickness. Or I could take up tennis or juggling to improve my hand eye coordination. Struggles. My life will be incomplete if my phone does not feel good in my hand.

Scratch all that I will just keep my old phone. Who really needs VR? And mobile data plans are too expensive, I will just get the 4k smart TV and subscribe to an online video streaming service so that I can watch movies at 4k at home in peace while paying a small fee every month. If I need data on the road all I need is to go into a coffee shop and leech off their free wifi. But then I will need to buy food there or they will catch on to my leeching ways. The 4k tv is going to be hard to hide under my shirt.

I totally forgot that streaming 4k video is going to require a really fast home internet. hmmm. There are some good deals on broadband internet but I probably will have to get a bundle with phone+cable+internet just so that I can get decent internet speed and that will run me into even more expense and extra crap.

Better yet I could simply stick to browsing instagram on the cheapest package but I am not sure I want to stare at hyper embellished photos all day. I better avoid instagram because it is just another looker pit with auto-play video advertisements. I might not beable to resist the temptation to buy everything I see and red eye people. I just want to do my hobbies in peace without waiting 5 hours for my playstation 4 to download a 50 gig update for a game I bought on disc.

I could start a youtube travel channel or something. All I would need is a really good camera and join the gym so I can look ripped and meet a hot fashion model who has an apartment in the center of town. Get a car so I can visit all the cool places to take pictures and videos for my subscribers while I go to all the parties and make money from my side sponserships.

But alas. I got too many hobbies.

by owen comment