Notices by atomicpoet (atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org), page 8

@goatsarah @upmultimedia @imabuddha They were largely right about the technical specs. What they didn’t account for was the human bullshit that would abuse those specs.

@goatsarah @upmultimedia @imabuddha Yeah, bit rot has plagued several of my video game CDs. I loathe it!

@upmultimedia Not a stretch at all. Have you ever heard a type 1 that utilized Dolby NC on a Nakamichi? I have, and it’s glorious.

@imabuddha @upmultimedia What? No, CDs sound better than cassettes. Problem is, you can’t record directly to CD. They have to be pressed or burned.

Open reel tape, on the other hand, sounds better than CDs. Especially when run at higher speeds.

@imabuddha @upmultimedia Burning or pressing a CD is not the same as recording. Unless you know something I don’t, I’m unaware of any way to record directly to CD.

I’m not telling you to go back to cassettes. I’m explaining why they never went away.

@imabuddha @upmultimedia Thing is, I never said cassettes sound better than CDs. I said they’re cheaper to buy than CDs, which is true.

They’re also cheaper to reproduce than CDs, which is also true.

My point is, cassettes sound better than vinyl (not CDs), are recordable, and easier to reproduce.

The thing about physical media formats is that it doesn’t have to be “superior” for you to want it.

For example, I have a VHS and VCD collection. I know these are inferior formats compared to DVD or Blu-Ray.

But have you ever seen Blade Runner on VHS through a CRT? Have you ever seen Ghost in the Shell on VCD through a projector?

I have, and they’re amazing experiences I would not trade for anything.

Why are people surprised that cassettes are still made?

It should be obvious why they’re still around.

Cassettes are the cheapest form of music media out there. Anyone can buy one blank cassette and start recording. Equipment is cheap: all you need is a boombox.

If you want good analog recording, you can use them on a Tascam Portastudio 4-track machine—and it will sound great.

I went to a music store the other day and saw the same album on vinyl, CD, and cassette. Guess which one I bought?

It was the cassette. It was C$12—thus C$28 cheaper than the vinyl.

Here’s the kicker. If you have a good tape deck, and a quality recording, cassettes can sound better than vinyl. Even a type 1 cassette theoretically has better dynamic range than vinyl.

For those of you interested in recording to cassette, here’s a good overview of the different types:

• Ferric oxide (type I)
• Chromium oxide (type II)
• Metal (type IV)

There is a type III, but it was rarely in use.

This video gives a good summary of how each type sounds. Most people agree that metal (type IV) sounds the best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkYyvttjLQU

I’m constantly wearing gym clothes, and it’s about time I dress for the summer.

But also, these shorts and shirt were C$21. That’s the price of a meal. So why not go for it?

Time to embrace the sun!

My wife has never seen Rocky, so that’s what we’re watching tonight.

This is the worst Apple commercial I’ve ever seen.

Apple used to trumpet themselves as a company that empowers creators. But this iPad commercial shows a company that wants to crush creators.

https://youtu.be/ntjkwIXWtrc

Today, 65 games were released on Steam. These are the games I found most interesting:

I’m grouping all these games together because they’re re-releases in the same series.

Close Combat

Close Combat 2: A Bridge Too Far

Close Combat 3: The Russian Front

Close Combat 4: The Battle of the Bulge

Close Combat 5: Invasion: Normandy - Utah Beach to Cherbourg

• this is a World War II simulator series, originally released in the 90s, each which is a tactical RTS
• price: individually, each game is C$7.79, but there’s currently a -15% discount at C$6.62. You can also buy all games as part of a bundle, which has a regular price of C$38.95, but there’s currrently a -43% discount, available right now at C$22.20

I’m also grouping the following games together since they’re part of the same series:

Warlords I + II

Warlords III: Darklords Rising

• a fantasy turn-based strategy series where empires struggle for supreme power
• price: individually, each game is C$7.79, but there’s currently a -15% discount at C$6.62. You can also buy all games as part of a bundle, which has a regular price of C$15.58, but there’s currrently a -32% discount, available right now at C$10.60

Deep Beyond

• a first person interactive thriller about a sea explorer and the mystery of her father’s disappearance, featuring low poly cell-shaded graphics with attractive dithering
• gamepad supporded
• price: C$6.49, but currently discounted -15% and selling for C$5.51

SMYS : Show Me Your Stairs

• a party game where you race your friend to build a tower to the top – with almost reverse-Tetris gameplay
• gamepad supported
• shared/split screen PvP and co-op
• demo download available
• costumes and soundtrack available as DLC
• price: C$13.99, but currently discounted -25% and selling for C$10.49

Baladins

• a choose-your-own adventure 2D RPG with cute paper-like graphics
• gamepad supported
• online and shared/split screen co-op
• price: C$32.50, but currently discounted -10% and selling for C$29.25

MULLET MADJACK

• a cyberpunk boomer shooter FPS with low poly graphics inspired by anime
• gamepad supported
• demo download available
• artbook and soundtrack available as DLC
• price: C$25.95, but currently discounted -10% and selling for C$23.35

Squab

• a 2D precision platformer starring a pigeon
• gamepad supported
• price: C$3.89

Banana Cowboy

• a 3D platformer starring a banana cowboy in a fruit-themed unitiverse, rescuing people from your evil twin
• price: FREE!

Cento

• a rogue-like deckbuilder with rhythm characteristics, featuring pixel art graphics
• gamepad supported
• demo download available
• price: C$12.99, but currently discounted -10% and selling for C$11.69

Wayfarer

• an action-adventure game where you explore labyrinthine caves, featuring low poly graphics
• price: C$1.29

Byte Hack

• a 2D cyberpunk puzzle platformer about hacking your way through an infected computer tower, featuring 16-bit style pixel art graphics with CRT effects
• gamepad supported
• demo download available
• price: C$6.49

@HistoPol @Lazarou Doesn’t work for me. I tried all day to find lace less running shoes. Locally, it’s a no go.

Hate to say it, but online shopping beats brick and mortar simply because it’s easier to get what you want.

I went to a Sport Check just now, they don’t sell laceless running shoes.

I went to Best Buy just now, they don’t sell 60” inch TV—never mind a dumb (not smart) TV.

Once again, I go with Amazon simply because it has what I’m looking for.

@HauntedOwlbear I like the general idea of the game, but yeah, that particular group is downright abusive.

@HauntedOwlbear Thanks for the head’s up.

Today, 15 games were released on Steam. These were the ones I found interesting:

Bloody Heaven 2

• a rogue-like isometric hack-and-slash based on Greek mythology
• price: C$6.49, but -10% off selling at C$5.84

CYBORG FORCE

• an arcade style run-and-gun featuring 16-bit pixel art graphics
• gamepad supported
• shared/split screen PvP
• price: C$19.49, but -15% off selling at C$16.56

Eternal Spring VR

• an animated 360 documentary about a survivor of religious persecution in China
• VR only
• price: FREE!

This Jack Dorsey interview has confirmed so many things about Twitter and Bluesky that I had long speculated about.

I’ve known forever that Dorsey never wanted Twitter to be a content gatekeeper. Instead, due to fiduciary responsibilities, Twitter was forced into being one.

Bluesky was supposed to be Twitter’s means of removing themselves from content gatekeeping. But as time has gone on, Bluesky are repeating the same mistakes as Twitter.

As for why Bluesky started a new protocol instead of adopting ActivityPub, which was already a W3C standard, I suspect it’s because he didn’t like how ActivityPub dealt with identity.

https://www.piratewires.com/p/interview-with-jack-dorsey-mike-solana

But if #BridgyFed becomes more user-friendly, that will be a big step towards interoperability. And we can finally put this silly competition between #ActivityPub and #ATProtocol to rest.

IMO, more interoperability is a good thing.