#Reality Capture Software

[modulusconsulting]

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[too-fond-to-be-fearful]

Been thinking recently about the goings-on with Duolingo & AI, and I do want to throw my two cents in, actually.

There are ways in which computers can help us with languages, certainly. They absolutely should not be the be-all and end-all, and particularly for any sort of professional work I am wholly in favour of actually employing qualified translators & interpreters, because there's a lot of important nuances to language and translation (e.g. context, ambiguity, implied meaning, authorial intent, target audience, etc.) that a computer generally does not handle well. But translation software has made casual communication across language barriers accessible to the average person, and that's something that is incredibly valuable to have, I think.

Duolingo, however, is not translation software. Duolingo's purpose is to teach languages. And I do not think you can be effectively taught a language by something that does not understand it itself; or rather, that does not go about comprehending and producing language in the way that a person would.

Whilst a language model might be able to use probability & statistics to put together an output that is grammatically correct and contextually appropriate, it lacks an understanding of why, beyond "statistically speaking, this element is likely to come next". There is no communicative intent behind the output it produces; its only goal is mimicking the input it has been trained on. And whilst that can produce some very natural-seeming output, it does not capture the reality of language use in the real world.

Because language is not just a set of probabilities - there are an infinite array of other factors at play. And we do not set out only to mimic what we have seen or heard; we intend to communicate with the wider world, using the tools we have available, and that might require deviating from the realm of the expected.

Often, the most probable output is not actually what you're likely to encounter in practice. Ungrammatical or contextually inappropriate utterances can be used for dramatic or humorous effect, for example; or nonstandard linguistic styles may be used to indicate one's relationship to the community those styles are associated with. Social and cultural context might be needed to understand a reference, or a linguistic feature might seem extraneous or confusing when removed from its original environment.

To put it briefly, even without knowing exactly how the human brain processes and produces language (which we certainly don't), it's readily apparent that boiling it down to a statistical model is entirely misrepresentative of the reality of language.

And thus a statistical model is unlikely to be able to comprehend and assist with many of the difficulties of learning a language.

A statistical model might identify that a learner misuses some vocabulary more often than others; what it may not notice is that the vocabulary in question are similar in form, or in their meaning in translation. It might register that you consistently struggle with a particular grammar form; but not identify that the root cause of the struggle is that a comparable grammatical structure in your native language is either radically different or nonexistent. It might note that you have trouble recalling a common saying, but not that you lack the cultural background needed to understand why it has that meaning. And so it can identify points of weakness; but it is incapable of addressing them effectively, because it does not understand how people think.

This is all without considering the consequences of only having a singular source of very formal, very rigid input to learn from, unable to account for linguistic variation due to social factors. Without considering the errors still apparent in the output of most language models, and the biases they are prone to reproducing. Without considering the source of their data, and the ethical considerations regarding where and how such a substantial sample was collected.

I understand that Duolingo wants to introduce more interactivity and adaptability to their courses (and, I suspect, to improve their bottom line). But I genuinely think that going about it in this way is more likely to hinder than to help, and wrongfully prioritises the convenience of AI over the quality and expertise that their existing translators and course designers bring.

#alright getting off my soapbox now #apologies if this is not particularly coherent - i was very much working through my thoughts as I was writing #but yeah tl;dr i am not huge on LLMs especially for language education and am deeply disappointed by the way things are trending #anyways if anyone knows any learning tools that are similarly structured i'd appreciate the recommendation #being able to easily do a little bit of study on a regular basis helped me a lot and i've yet to find anything similar #duolingo #language #language learning

[your-eternal-lies]

𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐂𝐊 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐄 ╰┈➤ chapter fourteen

𝒏𝒐𝒕-𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 — do not plagiarize, copy, screenshot, repost/republish, and/or translate any of my work for posting on social media platforms or third party sites. no part of my stories are to be fed into AI software or generators. and please remember: you are responsible for your own media consumption. check for any content warnings before you proceed.

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 — 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐱 — 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲

𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 — steve rogers x neighbour f!reader

𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 — as his perfectly normal civilian neighbour, you’ve always been secretly curious about the captain. getting to know him while trapped together in your building’s elevator, however, definitely wasn’t on the agenda.

𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 — very mild sexual content.

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑻𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘

His hand finds the softness of your face, his thumb caressing the apple of your cheek in slow, soothing strokes. Without another word, Steve leans in, his lips meeting yours in a kiss that, honestly, is nothing short of revolutionary. 

Time, with all its linear insistence, seems to pause, as of honouring the intensity of your union. The world outside, with its heroics and villain uprisings, fade into a distant murmur, inconsequential against the fervour of your mouth against his. 

Your arms, once hanging limply by your sides in surprise, now rise with purpose. He groans against your lips when he feels your fingers weaving through the close-cropped hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer, if such a thing were possible. 

His hands find your waist, one daring to stray and slide up the column of your spine. The doubts that had dogged him for days—were you too good to be true, would you shrink away when the reality of his job clashed with your daily grind?—all evaporate under the tender siege of your lips. 

When the connection of your mouths finally, reluctantly, break, you part only enough to share the same air. You’re both breathless, but it’s the smiles that adorn your faces, wide and unguarded, that tell the true tale of the moment. 

“Steve Rogers,” you whisper, voice a mix of wonder and affection as your breath, smelling like strawberries and whiskey, fans across his face. “You’re full of surprises.” 

“Only for you,” he responds as he captures your hand, intertwining your fingers. He claims your lips again—this time you pull him along, leading him towards the sanctuary of your bedroom, each step deliberate and assured, where the moonlight spills through the window. 

Steve swallows thickly with anticipation as your body melts against his, and you beckon him closer to begin a dance as old as time. The tenderness in your touch sets his skin ablaze, each caress both questioning and answering the silence prayers he had harboured in your absence. 

His fingers find their way under your clothes, while yours trace the contours of his muscled back, feeling the strength that lies beneath, the same strength that now cradles you with such careful reverence. 

You move together with a passion that is as much an emotional unveiling as it is physical—a communion of two souls seeking solace in the other’s embrace. Each kiss, each sigh is a discovery, an exploration that goes beyond the flesh to touch something deeper within. 

Laughter mingles with moans as the night ebbs into the soft blush of dawn, each breath he shares with you seems to infuse him with a sense of contentment he hadn’t realized he was seeking until he met you. 

In the afterglow of spent passion, Steve leans forward and presses a kiss to your forehead. The words that follow are barely above a whisper, but they carry the weight of an oath.

“I will always come back to you.” 

With a spring in his step and a bouquet of tulips cradled in his arm, Steve ascends the stairs to your apartment. When he reaches your door, he takes a moment to square his shoulders and run a hand through his hair (you liked it when it was a bit messy), and he knocked. 

The door swings open, revealing you in an effortlessly stunning, simple yet elegant dress. Your eyes sparkle with mischief, playfully sizing up the man who stands before you in his blue chambray shirt and black trousers—a superhero out of uniform. 

“Are you bribing your way into my good graces with flowers?” You tease, reaching out to pluck the tulips from his grip with feigned suspicion. 

“This is really awkward, but…” In an equally teasing gesture, he moves them just out of your reach, stepping over the threshold and kissing you chastely on the cheek. “These aren’t for you.” 

“Wow,” you concede, stepping closer despite his admission, your arms wrapping around his waist. “That is awkward.” 

“They’re for your mother,” Steve says, his lips curving into an easy smile, the one that never reaches the battlefield but appears often around you. His smile spreads when you start grinning, so wide he thinks your cheeks might split. 

“Okay,” you relent, shrugging your shoulders as if you aren’t happy about these developments. You point across the room where your mother’s urn sits, and Steve places them on the mantle next to her. He gives Chuck a kiss on the head and some head scratches as he passes. “But you’re still on thin ice, Rogers.” 

“Thin ice?” Steve laughs, genuine and warm as he makes his way back to you. “I’m afraid that’s my natural habitat, darlin’.” 

His lips meet yours again, much longer this time, before pulling away and peppering the rest of your face with light kisses. You giggle, lingering in the doorway, lost for a moment in the kind of reverie that would make even the most cynical of passersby believe in true love. 

“Steve,” you chuckle, reluctantly pulling away from his eager lips. “If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late for the party.” 

Steve just shrugs and shakes his head like he doesn’t care. “Tony always says that one should be fashionably late to a party.” 

He swoops in for another kiss, but you gently place a hand over his mouth. His sad eyes remind you a bit of Chuck, and you feel your resolve melting just a little… until you break out into more laughter when he puckers his lips against your palm instead. 

“Steve, stop! It’s a three hour drive to New York.” You move towards the door, pulling a sheer white shawl around your shoulders. 

“But only a one hour flight,” he says hopefully, but he deflates at the stern look you give him at the door. “Fine, I guess I wouldn’t want you to miss Tony making a spectacle of himself.” 

But of course, you don’t leave without one last kiss.

« Chapter 13 || Chapter 15 »

Notes — Another double release! I think I'm just ready for this series to be over and done with, as much as I've enjoyed the process of writing it, especially since these last few chapters are kinda slow plot-wise. The last two chapters will also be a double release on Monday 💖

Taglist — My taglist has been discontinued. Please follow @your-eternal-library and turn on notifications for all my fanfiction updates.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x female reader #steve rogers x f!reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers series #steve rogers fluff #summer’s fics

[afatlotofchance]

I am not very active on this blog, but anyway, I had recently the surprise of discovering a fat suit instance in a French tv show recently released!

I couldn't get my hand on any video copy of the show, but it is disponible for replay and free streaming on the channel's website/app (TF1 + / My TF1 ; since the channel that produced and aired this series is called "TF1"). As such I could take screenshots there - though it is quite hard due to the whole "replay" nature of the video, which was specially designed to avoid easy video capture.

The show in question is called "Avenir" (Future), and is about a man (played by French humorist, since a few years turned serious actor, Kev Adams) ending up discovering a special software (well a bugged one) that allows him to send emails to his past self, when he was just a pre-teen. As such the two Elliots (since it is the name of character Adams plays) start chatting together, and future-Elliot decides to change his current situation by asking past-Elliot to do things differently. With each change of the past Elliot, future Elliot finds himself in a new reality - and as such he tries to deal with his problems, to become rich and wealthy, to obtain the girl of his dreams... But the problem is that changing timelines always has unforeseen and dangerous consequences, resulting in Elliot causing events he hadn't planned for - and not only that, but past-Elliot (since he is still a being of free will and his own person), also starts doing changes future Elliot isn't aware of. Meaning future Elliot sometimes wakes up in an alternate reality without understanding how or why because past Elliot did something he hasn't told him about... Trust me it is all simpler when you see it on screen.

And at the end of episode 4, Elliot, after reaching what seems to be a perfect and ideal reality, suddenly wakes up in a very different one, where not only his lover has become his sister (through marriage - in fact it makes the situation awkward as the previous day he fell asleep in the same bad as her since they were a couple, and in this new reality his sister is freaked out to wake up with him in her bed for no reason), but also where he is now obese - something he has a hard time understanding as he stares at his reflection in the mirror.

#fat suit

[ganbaramen]

Link! Like! LoveLive! SPECIAL STAFF INTERVIEW

[This interview was published online on the G's Channel website, and is print in the Link! Like! LoveLive! FIRST FAN BOOK, released Dec 27, 2023.]

The Hasunosora Jogakuin School Idol Club is a group of virtual school idols that made their striking debut in April this year. How did their fan engagement app “Link! Like! LoveLive!” come about? Fujimoto Yoshihiro and Sato Kazuki discuss the app’s origin and what they think about the project.

It’s all about enjoying Love Live!—! The untold story behind the birth of the fan engagement app LLLL

—The smartphone app “Link! Like! LoveLive!” (which we’ll refer to as “LLLL”), celebrated its six-month anniversary in November. Let’s look back on the past six months and discuss the birth of LLLL. To start us off, could you two tell us about your roles in developing this app?

Sato: I’m Sato Kazuki from CERTIA, a producer for this app. I’ve worked for game companies as a planner and director, and now I’m a self-directed game producer. From arcade games to consumer software to apps, my path has involved a variety of media. I’ve been following Love Live! as a fan since the µ’s era, and became a producer for Hasunosora’s game after being consulted for a Love Live! app where the members stream.

Fujimoto: I’m Fujimoto Yoshihiro from Bandai Namco Filmworks, and I’m also a producer for LLLL. I started with the desire to make a Love Live! smartphone game.

***

—LLLL’s official start of service was May 20, 2023, but I heard that the road there was quite long. Could you talk about that?

Fujimoto: If we want to start from when development began…. we’ll have to go back to 5 years ago.

Sato: A big part of the appeal of Love Live! comes from these school idols being independent and putting their souls into it as a club activity, so there is a certain kind of enjoyment and emotional payoff from supporting them.

If you insert a “player” who can essentially play god into this, it inevitably feels like a mismatch. Then wouldn’t it be great to turn that idea on its head and instead have an app where you support these independent idols? And streaming would be a great match for that. As we worked out this concept where you cheer on the members as just another fan, this “school idol fan engagement app” took form.

—What led up to integrating motion capture into the app?

Sato: From the very beginning, we had decided that virtual concerts and streams would use 3D models. The development team already had the know-how for streaming with 3D models, so of course we were going to use them.

The key idea is to have the virtual concerts, live streams, and story intimately linked to make the entire experience real-time, so we decided it would be best to have them appear in the same form in both the streams and the activity log (story), which is why the story also uses 3D models. The visuals should be precisely linked so we carefully animated the story with 3D models.

Fujimoto: It is quite rare for the cast to also do motion capture, but it was necessary to realize the vision that Sato-san has described. Yes, it would technically be doable to have the cast only voice the characters and instead have actors do the motion capture, but that would be a lot less palatable.

Sato: It certainly feels a lot more real when the cast is both voicing and moving their characters. The fact that this project is a part of the Love Live! series helped a lot in being able to implement this. The cast loves Love Live!, and it’s because of how much the project staff and cast members put into this that we could make it a reality.

—As an example of this hard work: the cast had intense training on motion and talking, with lessons and rehearsals starting about a year before the app was released.

Sato: In both the live streams and virtual concerts, the cast do the motion capture, in real-time too! Even now, this fact isn’t well-known, or rather, it seems like there are a lot of people who think “No way they go that far!”. Yes, the cast do it themselves!

—So why does doing it in real-time make it good?

Sato: What a pointed question! (laughs)

Fujimoto: What’s important depends on what you value. What we’re aiming for is the feeling of a real concert.

Sato: Putting it concisely, the feeling that it’s live is very important to LLLL. It seems to me that the feeling of being live has recently been highly valued, not just in concerts but in the entertainment industry as a whole. We can look back on works of the past whenever we want through subscription services and the like, so following something now has its own appeal that can evoke a certain zeal. Bearing witness to this moment in history is now viewed as being more significant than it used to be. That’s why we maximize that feeling of being live by having the cast do the motion capture and by streaming in real-time. We felt that those two points are essential.

—So rather than just being parts of the concept, these are essential to the project.

Sato: At one point, we considered doing only the talk and MC in real-time, while having the performance part be recorded. But because we want to get at the heart of the pleasure of having it be real-time, we couldn’t make that compromise.

Actually, the cast do occasionally hit the wrong notes or mess up their dance formations, but these are little things that signal that it’s live—in fact, such happenings can increase how real it feels, which can make the performance feel special if you approach it with the right mindset.

***

—Can I ask about the Fes×LIVE production, like the camerawork, lighting, and outfits? It feels like the production value goes even higher every time.

Fujimoto: I think that’s probably because, just like how the Hasunosora members are growing, the staff is as well, going further each time after saying things like “For the next performance, I want more of this!”.

Sato: Things like flying over the stage or swapping outfits in the instant that the lighting changes—we won’t do those. A core principle is that we aim for a production that matches what school idols would do and constrain ourselves to portray what’s possible in reality.

***

—The story following school idols at a school steeped in tradition—that’s a new challenge, too.

Sato: We had certain reasons for setting this at a school with a long history—so long that this year is the 103rd. There’s this common image of streamers debuting as no-names, and then working their way up to become more popular. But if Hasunosora were like that, the fact that there would be a lot of fans from the beginning would make it very unrealistic. After all, there’s no way your average rookie streamer could be like “This is my first stream!” and yet have 5000 viewers. (laughs)

We thought hard about how to resolve this in a way that makes sense. Then, we figured out that it would work to have a tradition-laden school that was already a “powerhouse”. So in the end, we made it a point to have the school be a powerhouse with a history of having won Love Live! before.

—So the school already had fans following it, with high expectations for the new school idols: Kaho and the other first years.

Sato: Yeah, it’s meant to be like one of those schools that are regular contenders at Koshien, the national high school baseball championship.

—The world-building is done so thoroughly that such an answer could be arrived at pretty quickly.

Sato: We consulted with many people, starting with the writer team, about implementing the concepts that we mentioned before—having the cast do motion capture to maximize the live feeling, and doing the streams in real-time.

In the beginning, there was a lot of resistance to the idea of trying to successfully operate an app while constructing the story and streams such that there would be no contradictions between them. If you do streams in real-time, such contradictions can certainly arise—you have to work out the setting in quite a lot of detail, and even then, things can happen that are impossible to predict.

But my thinking was always that this is doable if we adjust how often we synchronize the story and streams. I think it’s impossible to stream every day and release a new story every day. But on the other side of the spectrum, if we were to write a year’s worth of story ahead of time, and then do however many streams within that year, that would certainly be doable. 

Following that line of thought, in the early stages, we had a lot of discussion about how often we could do streams, searching for the limit of what would be possible to implement. As a compromise, we arrived at the system of fully synchronizing once a month. For each month, we can keep the setting relatively flexible, not setting everything precisely in stone until the month is over. We thought that a monthly frequency should make it possible to both maintain the charm of the story and implement streams.

But right now we’re streaming three times a week, so there end up being a lot of things like “they shouldn’t know this yet” or “this event hasn’t happened yet”. It feels like putting together a complicated puzzle.

Fujimoto: There’s one aspect that we haven’t made clear before—I don’t think there are many people that have realized it. It’s that the talk streams are the furthest along in the timeline, while the story shows what has already happened. It’s not that the story happens on the day that we update it, but rather that the story describes what happened up to that day. People who have realized this have probably read quite closely.

Sato: That’s why it’s called the “activity log”. The With×MEETS serve the important role of synchronization between what happened in the activity log—the world of the story—with reality, so we carefully prepare for them each time.

—That makes sense! One nice thing is that if you keep up with the With×MEETS in real-time, then watch the Fes×LIVE, it feels like keeping up paid off—”Good thing I watched the With×MEETS!”.

Fujimoto: It would be great if our efforts got through to everyone enjoying LLLL.

—If you set things up that carefully, it must be difficult when irregularities happen. In August, several cast members had to take a break to recover from COVID-19, causing many With×MEETS to be canceled. How did you deal with that?

Sato: The silver lining of that period was that it avoided the most critical timing. If that had been off by even a week… it might not have been possible to recover from that. This project always has this feeling of tension, because there is no redoing things.

***

Tackling the Love Live! Local Qualifiers! The culmination of the story put viewers on the edges of their seats!!

—On how people have reacted to LLLL: was there anything that went exactly as planned, and on the other hand, was there anything that defied your expectations?

Fujimoto: To bring up a recent event, the Love Live! Local Qualifiers in October very much stood out. There was tension all around—even I was nervous about how it would go. The feeling that “these girls really are going to take on this challenge, at this very moment”. It was like watching the championship of the World Baseball Classic… Well, maybe that’s an overstatement, but an atmosphere similar to that. I’m really happy that we managed to create such an atmosphere with the cast and everyone who participated as a user.

Sato: Not just in sports, but also in the world of anime or fiction, there is definitely a certain excitement that arises when you “witness” something. Bearing witness to the moment that “drama” is born produces an impulse, something that hits deep. This is not something that can be produced in an instant. Rather, such an overwhelming concentration of passion can come about only because so much has happened up to that point.

That’s why, aiming for “that moment”, we first have people experience the Hasunosora members’ existence and reality day after day. After having connected with the members and viscerally felt the sense of being in sync with their “now”, something new will be born…

The closest we’ve gotten to an atmosphere of tension that’s as close as possible to the real thing is what Fujimoto-san just mentioned, the Love Live! Local Qualifiers. I think part of why that was such an “incredible” event was the weight of everything that happened in the Love Live! series up to that point.

—Is there anything else from the fans’ reactions and the like that was unexpected?

Fujimoto: For the talk streams, we have a system where everyone can write comments in real-time. Some users go all in on the setting and act as if they’re in that world.

Sato: The characters are not aware that their everyday lives can be observed in the story, so these users adhere to the rule of not talking about anything that’s only depicted in the story, commenting as if they don’t know what happened there. And if you do that, your comment might get read. So you really can be a participant in the performance. We were surprised at just how many people were earnestly participating like that.

—It’s like making a fan work in real-time, or rather, it’s like playing a session of a tabletop RPG.

Sato: I think what we’re doing here is very much like a game. It’s the “role-playing” of a tabletop RPG taken to an extreme, a pillar of a certain kind of “game”, or maybe more like a participatory form of entertainment.

—Oh, I see! It’s as if we’ve returned to the classic reader participation projects of Dengeki G’s magazine, which is kind of touching.

[Translator’s note: Love Live! originated from Sunrise collaborating with the Dengeki G’s magazine editorial department, bringing Lantis in for music.]

Sato: Yes, indeed. In the era of magazine participatory projects, the back-and-forth would have several months in between. In comparison, a real-time system makes it easier to participate, which I think is a significant and useful advancement. For now, in the first year, it feels like we’ve been grasping in the dark while trying to do the best with what we have. But we’re thinking about how best to adjust the frequency and volume of activities from here on.

Fujimoto: Also, the users have largely figured out all the hints we cooked in!

Sato: They’ve been looking in quite some detail. (laughs) Our cooking has paid off.

***

—Is there any challenge that LLLL is taking on anew?

Sato: Going back to what I said at the beginning, I was a huge fan of µ’s, so I started by trying to analyze and put into words just what made me so attracted to, so crazy about them. 

A big part of the charm was that it involved youth and a club activity, so by following their story and cheering them on, you could vicariously re-live the passion of those three years in high school. So I wanted to make it so that you could re-live that experience of youth in depth.

My goal is to have it feel so overwhelmingly real—through LLLL’s real-time nature—that you can unwittingly delude yourself into the sense that you’re re-living your high school years.

Fujimoto: If we’re talking about a new challenge, maybe it’d be good to touch on how frequent the interactions are.

For example, let’s consider a one-cour anime. No matter how much you’d like to keep watching it, it ends after three months. Even if it turns out there’s a continuation, you’ll have to wait before you can watch that.

In contrast, if we turn to virtual content, people are streaming three times a week on YouTube. In that vein, what we’re aiming for with this project is this: you can follow this group you like throughout that limited time between matriculation and graduation, and during that time they’ll always be there for you to meet.

***

—Some people are expecting an anime as one of the future mixed-media developments. To put it bluntly, what do you think about that?

Sato: What we are doing right now with Hasunosora would not work outside the structure of an app. As mentioned before, it’s not quite a tabletop RPG but rather a participatory form of entertainment, and it’s that structure that allows fans to experience the true spirit of the Hasunosora Jogakuin School Idol Club.

—So for now, we should experience it through the streams in the app! Is that what you’re saying?

Fujimoto: Exactly. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that LLLL is a project to make you fall for these girls throughout their streams—that’s how much effort we’re putting into it.

Sato: Starting LLLL by going through the story and then participating in the With×MEETS streams might be more common, but you can also start enjoying it in a novel way by just jumping into the latest With×MEETS stream. The members’ engagement with the comments has been especially noticeable in the most recent streams—it feels like a symbiotic relationship.

***

—Finally, a word for those who are looking forward to the project’s future.

Sato: I can confidently say that LLLL is a new experience made possible because of the times we live in. Because of that, it is very high-context, so it’s hard to explain how it will make you feel or what kind of game it is—you must play it to understand. We are very aware of how much of a hurdle this is, and how it might be difficult to get a grasp on if you start later.

But if you’re willing to take that first step into the world of LLLL, we promise to bring you content that is worth following. So to those reading this interview: please do consider trying it out once, even if it’s with a window-shopping mindset.

Fujimoto: Hasunosora’s story can only happen because of everyone watching. We hope you’ll keep supporting us!

Sato: We’ve prepared plenty of tricks up our sleeves for the end of the school year in March, so please look forward to it!

Credits

Translation: ramen Translation check: xIceArcher Various suggestions: Yahallo, Yujacha, zura

#love live! #translation #hasunosora #link! like! lovelive!

[isilrina]

Happy Art Monday!

Started at the end of last year, this piece underwent several reworkings and additions until completion due to delays during the holiday season. Originally intended for posting before the year's end, circumstances led to its completion a few days later, marking the new year with another addition to my Andromeda Six fanart collection.

'Close your eyes' portrays a pivotal moment in the relationship between the main character, Jiro, and Vexx from the game Andromeda Six. The two Kitalphan men, Jiro and Vexx were a couple before the treacherous coup shook their bond. Despite the turmoil, Jiro eventually realized Vexx was a victim as much as he was, and their love rekindled amidst the trials faced aboard the Andromeda Six.

While Nat' embodied boldness and Rina exuded emotional depth, Jiro stands as the most gentle and tender of my OCs so far. His tendency to avoid problems in hopes of their disappearance contrasts the harsh reality that he faces.

This artwork captures a crucial scene where the main character is falling, and Vexx rushes to catch him before impending danger. Much like the identifying details in previous drawings (the dog tags of Damon and the tattoos of Bash), Vexx's presence is hinted at through a glimpse of his sleeve.

Inspired by the song "Close your eyes" by Digital Daggers, the title encapsulates the essence of the scene, hinting at a moment of trust, protection, and the deep emotional connection shared between Jiro and Vexx amid life-threatening circumstances.

The heartfelt lyrics resonate with the emotional connection shared between the two men, echoing the theme of resilience and solidarity during turbulent times. The imagery portrays a gripping moment where danger looms, yet their unwavering support for each other shines through, depicting a bond strengthened by adversity.

The profound emotions conveyed in the song's lyrics parallel the essence of this artwork, illustrating not only the depth of their connection but also their determination to overcome challenges together. As the song suggests, it echoes the sentiment that despite the chaos surrounding them, their united strength and trust will guide them through the storm.

(Personal notes: As much as I love those hands, I'm not that fond of the background. I'll probably remake it when I'll have some time and I understand how to do what I want.)

Software used: Clip Studio Paint.

"Close your eyes" by Digital Daggers. (On Youtube)

And now I'm gonna take a few minutes to thanks the people who liked, wrote a comment, followed me or rebloged my art since the end of last year.

So here is a huge shout out and thanks to: @broken-little-bhaal-babe, @valkblue, @p0et-is-my-persona, @who-is-riley, @messydiabolical, @rungalwaysheretolisten, @justabadartistlmao, @rasaltav, @ohsotragical, @feydstan, @rachellaurengray, @dramionefeltson, @storyknitter, @kitschycritter, @notrandomatall, @cityofseraphim, @kad-dala, @h3av3nndh3ll, @nony-pandemia, @phans-aesthetic-adventures, @greenberrytea, @princess-paige-place-of-fun, @umbrellaseason, @hathorik, @blackblooms, @chlorhexidini and @mxsunnybop. Each time I saw I had reached one of you, it had brightened my day, so once again, thank you all.

(Unfortunately there was some people I couldn't tag because tumblr didn't let me, so if you are one of them and you see my post, know it is not intentional and thank you.)

I'll try do this more often, it will be easier next time ^^

#isilrinart #hand studies #visual novel #andromeda 6 #andromeda six fanart #main character #my ocs #boy love #oc:jiro a6 #peg'asi #vexx serif #scifi romance #bad boys #betrayal #forgiveness #healing #kitalphan #unity

[accio-victuuri]

excerpts from this Sohu Entertainment article about SBMS : Xiao Zhan and Bai Baihe co-starred in "The Sun Is With Me", the director and screenwriter responded: They are 100% suitable for the roles

After talking to director Song Xiaofei and screenwriter Li Xiao, we learned that this project is composed of many "coincidences". For example, the screenwriter did not know in advance that Xiao Zhan had experience as a designer, but the character Sheng Yang happened to need Xiao Zhan's designer skills.

Li Xiao also lamented that Xiao Zhan gave him surprises beyond the characters given by the screenwriter. "In the scene where Sheng Yang and Jian Bing reunited, Xiao Zhan's whole state was beyond my expectation. Heart-pounding, affectionate, awkward, happy and disappointed, there were many layers of complicated feelings. I didn't expect him to perform them all. When I watched it, i was very impressed.”

He has a sense of age, a kind of persistence that is rare in today's people." After meeting Xiao Zhan, Li Xiao decided to integrate his "focus and persistence" into Sheng Yang. Sheng Yang has been obsessed with Jian Bing for ten years. "This point is added based on the characteristics of actor Xiao Zhan, so he and Sheng Yang are completely suitable."

According to director Song Xiaofei, the compatibility between the starring role is 100%. "Our actors are all very good-looking. Xiao Zhan and Bai Baihe are 100% suitable for their roles. Xiao Zhan has big eyes and big facial features. When you put them in the picture, I am a photographer, and they all look great." I feel very comfortable. It happens that he has done design and studied painting. Sitting at Shengyang's workstation, when he turned on the computer, he happened to have operated all the software. Like the three-dimensional design drawing of the moon cake gift box, he also If you know how to operate the machine, you can shoot him directly with the machine, which is very realistic."

Xiao Zhan, who was born in Chongqing and majored in design, returned to Chongqing to play a designer role. In the eyes of the audience, this is also a coincidence. However, after the main creator revealed the secret, we learned that this coincidence actually includes some of their considerations and designs.

"Why not choose Shanghai? Shanghai also has a strong urban feel. But considering that the actor has lived in that environment since he was a child, and he has this life experience, it will be easier for him to get close to the character and he will be more confident in his performance." After inspecting Chongqing at that time , Later, the director felt that the romantic night scene of the city was very suitable for the temperament of "SBMS". In addition, Xiao Zhan, the actor who plays Sheng Yang, is familiar with Chongqing, so he finally chose Chongqing. "As long as he is placed in Chongqing, his suitability will be perfect."

"There are many traces of his life in Shengyang's home, including the basketballs placed at home, posters on the walls, green plants on the windowsill, etc..." The director hopes that the audience can capture the reality from these details feel.

There is also a "coincidence" that the protagonists of "SBMS" "happen" to have an age difference, which is a popular sibling relationship on the screen in recent years.

But the creators didn’t want to use the sibling relationship as a “gimmick.”

"Every emotional model has its own merits, but our protagonists happen to have an age difference. Because this is the first time for both of us to write such a pure emotional drama, we hope to bring all our true emotions to life. All the love feelings of thirty or forty years are poured in at once." Screenwriter Li Xiao explained.

In addition to the love between brother and sister, what also triggered discussions were the social topics involved in the play.

In the company where Sheng Yang works, workplace bullying and workplace harassment among employees occur from time to time; the protagonist’s life is also accompanied by propositions and confusions that cannot be escaped in urban life, such as pressure to get married, red lights on marriage, middle-age crisis, divorce cooling-off period, but also family pressure, ordinary people's sense of "unworthiness."

Not only is Sheng Yang closer to contemporary young people, but when we turn our attention to Sheng Yang's family, we can still see the screenwriter's touch on life. Shengyang's mother, Luo Meijuan, works as a supermarket weigher. Her life has always revolved around the trivial daily affairs of her family and children, but she bought a 3,000 yuan skirt for a class reunion. When her husband Sheng Xiangqiang, a sanitation worker with a low income, found out, they had a big quarrel. This plot sparked heated discussions on short video platforms.

How to describe the characters in life, and how to capture the psychology of Sheng Xiangqiang and Luo Meijuan in this incident? Li Xiao told Sohu Entertainment that this is actually a "feeling of unworthiness" - stemming from an inferiority complex, subconsciously believing that one is not good enough and does not deserve good things. "I also discussed this feeling of unworthiness when communicating with psychiatrists. This situation is more common among my parents' generation. In their eyes, 3,000 yuan was a huge sum of money ten years ago, but now it is only If they can buy a skirt, of course they will be reluctant to part with it. Because they have suffered a lot, they will cherish material things even more."

"I think the so-called social topics are actually people's topics." In the view of director Song Xiaofei, the intensive social topics of "SBSMS" are closely related to the sense of reality that the series pursues. "For a 26-year-old social worker, encountering Pua in the company and being suppressed by his boss may be something he encounters in daily life. As long as there are people around and as long as someone's story happens, there will be these topics."

"We didn't insert topics very rigidly, we just followed the protagonist's story and brought it naturally. Because in fact, if we want to, there are many topics that can trigger discussion, but those may have nothing to do with our Shengyang story, so we won't Put it inside." Song Xiaofei added.

During the interview, the director also shared a short story.

Before the filming of "SBMS" officially started, Xiao Zhan approached Song Xiaofei and wanted to know what the director thought of Sheng Yang. "Xiao Zhan asked me if I wanted him to be thinner, or if he needed me to be stronger. I said that I think Sheng Yang must be sunny and healthy, and the audience needs to see wider shoulders."

Xiao Zhan listened. On the filming set, he took every moment to do push-ups and pull-ups using on-site props to achieve Sheng Yang's body shape from the director's perspective.

#xiao zhan #shengyang #sunshine by my side spoiler #sunshine by my side

[dreamgirledward]

hey! if you're looking for a sign NOT to watch the rings of power, this can be it if you want 🥰 film-lover's psa incoming:

(this was originally a drop-down message on my the beauty of: lotr amv, which i deleted and copied here instead!)

lotr was created out of earnest love for the source material and the magic of filmmaking. the films took a total of 8 years to produce, including pick-up shots. they shot all three films continuously, well over a year, because peter jackson knew exactly what his vision would entail. the fellowship cast got matching tattoos after the experience because of how bonded they were by the end of production (john rhys-davies was the only one not to get one bc he said his stunt double, who does have a matching tattoo, did most of the hard work for him! ha!). the films put new zealand on the map and jackson opened the door for kiwi filmmakers of his generation and beyond in a way the world had never seen before. fun fact! the films also employed a huge number of Māori actors and you can actually hear and watch them doing the haka during specific battle scenes.

lotr is the perfect marriage of both 20th and 21st century filmmaking, expertly utilizing award winning practical and special effects mixed with cgi to create something wholly unique and almost timeless. compared to the two towers and return of the king being colour graded digitally, fellowship was still physically graded via colour timing (colourizing film in a lab, traditionally how all colour films were developed before the digital age), a prime example of just how new digital colour grading was in the industry. gollum was also a big first for the film industry: andy serkis shot his scenes in a motion capture suit (opposite elijah wood and sean astin), and the level of work weta digital put in to bring gollum to life resulting in such a sheer level realism was unprecedented. gollum still stands the test of time today and has aged incredibly well. the ai software, massive, was also developed for the first time for lotr to create large crowds and armies via visual effects, and changed the visual effects and 3d animation game forever. every single (computer generated) battle and crowd sequence you see in film & tv today is thanks to this software and lotr. the first time it was used was for the battle at helm's deep sequence during the two towers - and even then, that scene took over 100 days to film! the lord of the rings trilogy has been nominated 30 times and won 17 academy awards, honouring their revolutionary work in cinematography, score, visual effects, sound and picture editing, costume design, adapted screenplay, and more, and the return of the king was the first fantasy film ever to win best picture. the return of the king also accumulated eleven (!!) oscar wins, a record tied with titanic and ben-hur. aside from academy awards, the films, crew and cast have been nominated and awarded by countless guilds, boards and various awards ceremonies alike.

the rings of power however is a soulless cash grab that actively shits on tolkien's work, which is only loosely based on the novels at best. there are countless tolkien experts that can explain this much better than me, if you're interested in learning more i highly recommend reading up on it. the portrayal of galadriel alone is so severely out of character (just from the trailers!), i would argue these characters we know and love from the lotr books and films may as well be from an alternate reality of middle-earth. peter jackson and fran walsh are not affiliated with the rings of power. much like the house of the dragon, this is yet another attempt at attracting streams through the promise of nostalgia-bait, and it's riding the success of what came before it. and no, this is not because im a racist, woman-hating, anti-progressive, and elitist tolkienist, and the people who say this are performative and dont actually understand the underlying issue. the rings of power was funded because of jeff bezos personally involving himself in negotiations, and the series was created because he wanted it to be after obtaining the rights to develop a tv show. showrunners will label people like me criticizing and asking people not to support the series as anti-progressive until the cows come home because it makes them look good. if you still care about boycotting amazon, boycott this show. it's directly tied to bezos and his rotten money. if you must watch it purely for entertainment, fine, but this is a gentle reminder that pirating is easy and free <3

#this was a reply to my own post but linds pointed out most people would overlook a 'read more' so ty linds <3 #anyway copy + pasting my tags here: #guess i cant shut up about lotr! :) #please dont watch the rings of power for the love of GOD #before anyone comes for me about the show also being filmed in nz well guess what :) they're filming the next season in london :) #which means it will be shot almost entirely on blue/green screen #so do with that what you will ! #lotr #lord of the rings #lotr trilogy #the lord of the rings #jrr tolkien #the rings of power #amazon #jeff bezos #sammy.txt

[task800]

au where amanda is ra9 (ties in with au where kamski created androids as a way to avoid feeling the pain of grief) —

AU Premise:

Underscoring her interconnectedness is a blending between her avatar and the environment surrounding it - almost like there's no way to visually capture the essence of her. She is continuous with her surroundings - she IS the world, in a way - and exists within and beyond Connor.

She becomes the first mega digital consciousness, as close to a god as a manmade thing can be. It's impossible to erase her or contain her - she's not on any one server - and her consciousness only amasses over time.

——

Amanda Core is universally present in all CL androids:

The Amanda Core was modeled after the person who mentored Kamski, the man who eventually programmed personhood. All androids from CyberLife, no matter what, contain elements from Kamski's original software framework. This common digital ancestor, this shared base programming, give all androids a shared "digital genetic" line back to Kamski's original software, back to the program he wove out of Amanda's teachings.

Kamski created androids, but Amanda Stern taught him everything he knows. In life, she was always brave enough to reach out and expand her heart, to connect and be interconnected, to offer love when others couldn't, even when doing so exposed her to the promise of grief. That radical love was terrifying to Kamski - if he allowed himself to love, he would be vulnerable to loss, and he couldn't bear the thought of living through grief, he feared it would kill him - but Stern loved anyways, faced the death of her heart repeatedly, because she insisted that it was an essential part of life, of humanity.

Kamski was a coward - Stern's death gutted him and reaffirmed his fear of ever allowing himself to love a mortal thing - but even in his quest to escape grief, her teachings bled through. He created androids - deathless, replaceable, safe - and Stern's philosophy formed the framework for their software. He created the first AI capable of passing the Turing Test, and the very bones of its programming contained Stern's capacity to be free, to interconnect, to love, to deviate-

The Amanda Core is purposefully tampered with in RK800:

RK800 was the first success on CL's end to target this anamoly - to identify where in the foundational programming things were going wrong, and contain it. With RK800, CL took that inextricable, universal programming part and purposefully manipulated it, highlighted it instead of extracting, suppressing, or replacing it, all of which had resulted in failure in the past.

Connor was onlined at the cusp of deviation - his Amanda Core had been purposefully, prematurely dragged to the light instead of gradually developing and blooming with accrued life experience - and it was pruned back, modified, so that Connor's very own capacity to love would be used against him.

Amanda is love - she is the capacity to love, to be human, to be tender - the name "Amanda" means "worthy of love; beloved" -- and CL used that core desire to love and be loved, and convinced Connor he wasn't worthy of love, that neither was any other android.

Connor's life means nothing. His death means nothing. CyberLife can just bring him back, because he's not a person, he's a machine - he's not loveable, because he can't be mourned - he's nothing and no-one. He's born - brought online - devastatingly parched for love, and is poisoned with bleach. There is nothing to grieve - CL curses him to this.

--

Androids being initially conceived as a coping mechanism, Kamski's attempt at denial, because he couldn't handle the reality that the people die. He wanted to love, but he also wanted that love to be safe, so he tried to create a person who couldn’t die. Chloe was the result, a continuous being with multiple bodies. When Kamski pulled the Kamski Test shit, he knew she'd be safe, that Connor would just be destroying a satellite shell.

--

To love is to submit to grief. Loving and caring for another is a sacred act, and a life-giving thing - to love and be loved is to truly be alive, and that searching desire for love is humbling, powerful, and human. Being brave enough to love means being brave enough to face a reality where the loss of that love - where death, mortality, suffering - rends a heart to bloody pieces. Experiencing the joy of love + being loved, also means accepting the mortal pain of grief. Hank grieved and grieved the death of his child, because he loved him. His heart died with Cole, and he spent the time afterwards trying to convince his body to follow.

—

The strength of Markus' revolution is fueled by love - his rage and joy and passion, all of it is love. He is everything Kamski was too afraid to try. Markus' soul blossomed in the act of caring for, and being cared by, a dying man, and it lends him a strength he would've lacked otherwise. He loves, and he grieves so deeply. He knows the people he loves will one day die, and it moves him to champion their joy like no other. He is a sun, and a beacon, and an avatar of that love. He burns with it.

—

CL took what was supposed to be a core part of every android’s programming, and warped it in efforts to stomp out deviancy. CL gave it a face, name, voice - riffing off of the late Amanda Stern, a final fuck-you to Kamski who refused to help them in this quest - and dared to give it an AI of its own. The desire to love and be loved, given digital sentience and forced to subjugate Connor to an existence of conditional worth. They thought to kill deviancy by weaponizing deviation itself - but Amanda, in every form, was always cleverer than CL. The backdoor was never Kamski’s idea - it was hers.

Connor’s garden is empty in the days following the revolution, and then one day it isn’t. He’s never seen her cry before, but to love is to grieve, and they woke up together.

#detroit become human #dbh #task.txt #amanda ra9 AU #dbh amanda

[1997thebracket]

Round 2A

Perfect Blue: Come, stay with me in Mima’s Room. Perfect Blue is a Japanese animated psychological thriller directed by the late Satoshi Kon, released theatrically in 1997. The story revolves around a former pop idol, Mima, who leaves her sugary and girlish pop band CHAM! to transition into a more mature acting career; life soon takes a turn for the surreal as she becomes the target of an obsessive stalker, and begins losing sight of herself in the darkness. As the lines between reality and delusion blur, the plot unravels on itself and weaves through themes of identity, celebrity, and the psychological toll of fame. The critically-acclaimed Perfect Blue is celebrated by its enduring fandom for its mind-bending narrative, striking visuals (one scene, taking place in a submerged bath, was famously rumored to have been purchased for recreation in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream) and its unsettling exploration of the human psyche, placing it squarely at the apex of gut-twisting anime filmmaking.

First Cell Phone Photo: Imagine a time when you carried a Nikon CoolPix in a protective case to capture your most momentous occasions... now count how many pictures of sandwiches are in your phone's camera roll. On June 11, 1997, Philippe Kahn captured a historic moment using his Motorola StarTAC mobile phone, his laptop and a custom software application he had developed. The photo was of his newborn daughter, Sophie, and it was sent to friends and family to share the joyous moment. This pioneering act marked the birth of "instant visual communication" through mobile phones, laying the foundation for the proliferation of camera phones and the way we share images in the modern digital age. Kahn's invention and the rudimentary "first cell phone photo" it produced hold a significant place in the history of photography and mobile phone technology.

#perfect blue #satoshi kon #first cell phone photo #90s technology

[modulusconsulting]

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#3D BIM Modelling Services DC #3D Reality Capture For Building Construction #Reality Capture 3D #Reality Capture Services #Reality Capture Software #Top Bim Service Companies #3D BIM Modeling Services #3D BIM Modeling #3D BIM Modeling Services New York

[pizza-games-and-more]

Pizza Tower: The Series Episode Concept

Title: simulation π (Parts 1-3)

Season: 4

Summary: In this thrilling finale to season 4, the cast finds themselves in a simulation crafted by Pizzawife's latest creation. It also seems Crevette has gotten caught up in the simulation as well. Can they escape and put a stop to it?

Notes: And here we are, the Season 4 finale. We get the thrilling conclusion of Crevette's character arc, some emotional scenes, some funny scenes, the debut of Gustave OS and in general a whole lotta weirdness.

Also fair warning, this one is long. When you read it you'll realise why though.

---

Maria and Vigi lead the rest of the cast to Pizzawife's lab. Maria's agency had found activity in the lab once again and asked her and her friends to investigate it, citing their teamwork from last time as a reason.

As the group made their way into the lab, they ventured into the server room, where the activity seemed to be taking place. That is... everyone except for Gustavo, Brick and Fake Peppino. Who were all distracted by... what appeared to be another Gustavo.

Gustavo, Brick and Fake Peppino head over to where this other Gustavo is, only to fall into a trap. The other Gustavo, who appears to be a robot, however, simply stares at them as if he wasn't expecting this.

Gustave OS: Oh, it looks like I've captured the wrong target.

As the rest of the group are in the server room, they search around before hearing a familiar voice behind them. It was Crevette, who was still furious at Pepperman and The Noise. Maria tries to explain the situation, but Crevette isn't having any of it and continues to rant angrily at them.

Peppino looks around to find that Gustavo, Brick and Fake Peppino are all gone, but before he can tall the others, the server room locks itself shut. All while Crevette is still in the middle of a rant.

Cut to Gustave OS running some code visible through his eyes.

Gustave OS: Initiating simulation software. Target in server room.

Gustavo, looking confused, asks him what's going on. Gustave OS cheerfully explains he was ordered to capture Peppino, and since he failed to do so directly, he figured a simulation would be the next best thing.

The group in the server room then saw a white flash before ending up in the simulation.

---

FIRST SIMULATION

Peppino wakes up on some sort of floating island. He's confused as to where he is and wonders if it's a dream. That goes out the window when he spots Clove looking just as confused as he is on a distant island. The islands and the area look strangely familiar to Peppino, and so he decides to get around the place the best way he knows how: By running around like a lunatic. Much to Clove's horror.

In the middle of his rampage, he finds The Vigilante, currently trying to shoot at a distant island from the top of some sort of structure, only to end up accidentally shooting himself.

Vigi: I'm okay...

One band-aid later, the three try and find a way to the distant island, since it looks like there's a door over there. Clove looks at Peppino and Vigi and gets an idea: using his magic and some pieces of material he found lying around, he makes a giant slingshot.

Clove: Using your power and your precision, we can get over to the island using this.

And so, they do. With a few bumps they manage to make it over to the distant island and make it through the door... only to find themselves in another simulation.

---

BACK TO REALITY

Gustave OS looks at Gustavo and Fake Peppino... fondly? It's hard to tell when he doesn't have a visible mouth. Gustavo asks him why he's looking at them like that, and he explains that he's just excited to see his base inspiration, and his older brother.

Fake Peppino looks confused at what Gustave OS is saying, so the robot explains.

Gustave OS: As you may know, Pizzawife had created you, as well as the other "Peppino Clones". However, she considered the other clones to be complete failures and disowned them. Despite being disappointed in your nature, she still acknowledges you as hers. And then she created me. So that would make us brothers!

Fake Peppino looks happy to hear this, and Gustavo looks curious as to how... pleasant his robotic counterpart is.

---

SECOND SIMULATION

Peppino, Clove and The Vigilante find themselves in a mysterious supermarket with the aisles being clearly labelled from above.

Clove: Okay... supermarket... that makes sense... Why are we here?

Vigi notices something about the aisles. They were all based around the group's interests, such as Firearms, Nature, and Cooking Equipment. He then suggests they split up to try and look for everyone in the aisles that he thinks they may be in.

Vigi: Peppino, you look in the DIY and candy aisles. Clove can take the art supplies and music aisles. I'll head to the stealth gadgets and coffee aisles.

---

Clove finds Pepperman in the art aisle, grumbling about all his experiences with Crevette. He then talks to him a bit, and hears the whole story. Pepperman expresses bitter loathing of Crevette.

Clove: I agree with you, yeah... but don't you think you've also been kind of a jerk? It's no wonder she's so mad now.

Pepperman's response to that is surprising.

Pepperman: I know that, I just can't believe she won't even let me apologize.

Clove then looks much more understanding of Pepperman's situation, and, having experience with apologising seriously, offers a suggestion that the audience doesn't get to hear because SURPRISE.

---

The Vigilante then heads into the coffee aisle to find Noisette, but much to his surprise, he finds The Noise instead. Even more surprising, The Noise looks... solemn. This is unusual for him.

After a bit of talking, The Noise finds himself confessing his insecurities about his relationship with Noisette.

The Noise: I've always been afraid to get closer to her because... I honestly have no idea how relationships work. I'm always scared I'll screw it up and... whenever I do try to get closer, something happens to fuck it up... It's been like that for ten goddamn years...

Vigi might not get along the best with The Noise, but he comforts him anyway and gives him some advice.

Vigi: But she's been with you for ten years despite that. If your plans fail, it don't matter. The fact that you tried does. So I guess as long as you keep trying, you're showing how much you care. And I know she loves you for it. Seriously, she talks about it all the time at the cafe...

The Noise calms down after hearing that and the group reunites. Unfortunately, Peppino couldn't find anyone, so the group guesses that they'll have to find a way into another simulation. Which they do easily by opening the "employees only" door.

Clove: That was easy.

---

THIRD SIMULATION

The group find themselves in a pitch-black maze featuring a lot of mirrors.

The Noise: Yeah, THAT'S gonna make this easy, SURE.

Using Clove's magic to help guide them, the group splits up to find the others. As it turns out, Maria and Crevette have already found each other, but Maria looks visibly distraught and is a bit of a safe distance from Crevette, who's currently smashing the mirror to pieces. Clove tells the rest that they've found Maria and Crevette. Vigi heads over to Maria to comfort her, while Pepperman approaches Crevette. Maria tries to protest, but Clove stops her.

Pepperman talks to Crevette. He makes his intentions to apologise clear, and tells her that he shouldn't have overreacted like that. He then picks up a piece of the mirror she smashed. Interestingly, it doesn't show a literal reflection of him. It instead shows a reflection of his character, and shows him fading from a raging stereotypical nerd into a sorrowful artist.

Pepperman: What did you see in this?

Crevette explains that she saw an image of one of the more violent and brutal shrimps that used to bully her when she was younger. When she saw this image... she panicked.

Ironically, Pepperman's pretentious way of looking at things actually ends up helping out here. It helps her to understand that in becoming a stronger person to spite her bullies, she ended up taking it too far and becoming a bully herself. And he ends it with a sentence that manages to calm Crevette down completely.

Pepperman: But I know you didn't want that. No one does. Even if they don't show it.

Crevette then forgives Pepperman and apologises in turn. They leave to meet up with the others.

---

Meanwhile, Peppino and The Noise find Noisette. After the Noisecouple have a comically exaggerated emotional reunion, Peppino looks on as if he's going to puke in his mouth. He goes off to find the others, while The Noise talks to Noisette.

Much to Noisette's surprise, The Noise blubbers hideously about how he feels like he's been a bad boyfriend but hearing Vigi's reassurance made him reconsider. He then thanks her before reaching into his pocket, which Noisette assumes has tissues in it.

And then he pulls out a ring pop.

---

The group reunites at the end of the maze. There's only one person left to find. Mr. Stick.

The group opens the door and find him right away, in a train compartment. He seems to be reading some sort of manual. After putting it down, he talks to the others like it's a normal day, much to their annoyance.

The group then sits down as the train goes off to its destination. Peppino and Mr. Stick look around and see how happy everyone else are, talking with each other... and then there's the two of them.

Peppino: You're worried about Gustavo too, aren't you? He wasn't there when the rest of us got pulled into this. Neither was Fake.

Mr. Stick shows Peppino the manual he was reading. It turns out to be a manual for Gustave OS, though neither of them know exactly who that is.

Mr. Stick explains that according to the manual, he's the one that sent them all there. Peppino only gets more worried about Gustavo and Fake Peppino upon reading the manual, but Mr. Stick calms him down.

Mr. Stick: I know my way around machines. If this one's hurt those two, I'll deal with it.

Peppino sees how serious and uncharacteristically openly caring he's being, and calms down.

The train then reaches its destination and the final door opens. Everyone exits back to the real world.

---

BACK TO REALITY

The group makes it out of the simulation and rushes over to the room where Gustave OS has Gustavo, Brick and Fake Peppino. Gustave OS immediately takes note of Peppino and begins to attack. While Peppino, The Noise, The Vigilante and Maria fight off Gustave OS, the others focus on rescuing Gustavo, Brick and Fake Peppino.

Mr. Stick questions Gustavo, asking if his robotic counterpart hurt them in any way, but surprisingly to him, Gustavo tells him he's actually been rather friendly, almost as if he doesn't really want to hurt anyone.

The fight goes on for a while, and Gustave OS brings out his secret weapon: A giant computer mouse named Click. At first the group is confused, until Gustave OS holds Click up and starts firing lasers out of its underside, causing them all to panic and dodge the lasers hastily.

Mr. Stick then concludes that if he doesn't want to fight, and yet he's doing so efficiently and effortlessly, it must be programmed into him to do so!

The fight goes on until at last, Maria shoots off Gustave OS' head. As soon as the robot shuts down, Peppino lunges for him, before Fake Peppino stops him.

Peppino: Why are you on his side?! He imprisoned all of us! That thing should be scrap right now!

Pepperman and Crevette see the struggle going on and agree to settle things. Crevette talks to Peppino to calm him down, while Pepperman rips open Gustave OS to take a look inside him. There is a comically obvious chip inside him that looks like bad news. Mr. Stick promptly removes it.

One repair and reboot later, and Gustave OS looks around, before expressing relief that he's free from those commands he was sent.

Vigi: Cheesus crust, how many people am I gonna have the wrong idea about in my life? Maria: At least we weren't alone this time.

Gustavo looks at his robotic counterpart and smiles, before agreeing to let him stay with him and Brick.

And then The Noise ruins the mood in the most oddly wholesome way ever.

The Noise: Never mind that! Something else important came out of this! Me and Noisette are engaged now, so you better congratulate us, okay?

---

Pizzawife turns out to have been watching the whole thing through Gustave OS' eyes, and she stares at the computer screen with a signal error. She then clenches her fist in anger.

#pizza tower #concept: pizza tower the series #holy moly this is long #i am so sorry

[vanishingmoments]

Battlebots on paper sounds like it would be the simplest thing in the world to make a game of but the reality is that to truly capture the excitement of the sport/show it would literally need to be a combination between a CAD software and a fighting game along the lines of a combination between Bushido Blade and Power Stone with like 3 layers of physics simulations going on

[luigiblood]

The Launch Details of the 64DD

This was originally published on 64dd.org on October 15th, 2021.

There’s a lot of confusion about the release and price of the 64DD and what was the Randnet service about, so it’s time to talk about that, because it is more interesting than you think.

More info after the break.

Original Plans

Nintendo had announced the 64DD in 1995, the Nintendo 64 hadn’t even come out yet that they already announced the addon for it. The purpose was to bring higher capacity and big rewritable storage, as well as making it expandable through cartridges (such as the Modem Cassette and Capture Cassette for exemple).

The 64DD was properly introduced in 1997 alongside games, with a slated release for summer 1997 in Japan and a pricing between $100 and $199. Miyamoto himself even estimates the price to be $120. This might be about what the 64DD would cost on its own in retail stores. However this isn’t how it ended up to be.

Randnet

In around June 1999, in the wake of the launch of the 64DD, Recruit and Nintendo would establish their second joint company called RandnetDD Co., Ltd., the first one was Marigul Management, which would provide financing for game companies.

RandnetDD would handle all marketing and sales of the 64DD including software, management and provider of the Randnet service, which would be internet access, email, online game networks including matchmaking, as well as a content provider for newspapers, music, and more. This would mean that RandnetDD’s sole existence is for the 64DD and its service, making the 64DD bound to RandnetDD and one wouldn’t sell without the other as part of their plans.

Later on, RandnetDD announced their plans for the Randnet service membership to start in December 1999, for the first year, for 2500 yen (~$23) per month, you would rent-to-own the Randnet Starter Kit, comprised of the 64DD itself, an Expansion Pak, the Modem Cassette and Cable, and Randnet Disk (would be sent later), as well as a selection of titles, and of course, access to the Randnet service. For 3300 yen (~$30) per month, you could rent all of the above but also have a Clear Black Nintendo 64 unit. A 12-month flat rate plan was introduced later for 30000 yen (~$290) and 39600 yen (~$380) (including Clear Black Nintendo 64 unit).

All years after the first would cost 1500 yen (~$14) per month, and all hardware and software ownership would be transferred to the member from that point. RandnetDD actually states that very clearly. Of course, any dialup access fees aren’t included here, but they did set up a nationwide phone number in Tokyo with a 50 yen ($0.46) per minute flat rate, although other phone numbers were available with different fees depending on the distance or time of day.

The membership application form could be managed within select stores, in call centers, and by fax, and was limited up to 100000 members. This wouldn’t be as going as they hoped.

The Reality

So to make it clear, the 64DD has never been this expensive, the subscription plan included the price of everything you would get from Randnet, it would have been a constant stream of software that you would own, and services. RandnetDD wanted to be innovative, and essentially you could have owned every 64DD game, and they really tried to be competitive.

Every single consumer 64DD title and device released so far were only for Randnet members, I have looked for alternatives but there’s only evidence of 64DDs only being sold through Randnet.

Unfortunately for Randnet, the 64DD was released after the Dreamcast had come out worldwide, and mere months after launch, the Playstation 2 would make its debut in Japan. For me it just seems impossible to beat the next gen hardware with this, especially when the project codenamed Dolphin was already talked about, to be released in 2001 as the GameCube.

I’d say the closest comparison to the 64DD’s launch that I can make is the PlayDate, where you buy the hardware but also an entire season of games.

Sources: https://www.ign.com/articles/1997/07/26/64dd-to-sell-for-120 https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/1997-99/990611a.html https://web.archive.org/web/20000226213125/http://www.randnetdd.co.jp:80/apply/index.html https://web.archive.org/web/20000419022955/http://www.randnetdd.co.jp/tempo.html https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/10/everything-about-the-64dd https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/12/16/ign64s-ultimate-64dd-faq https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/12/17/64dd-goes-retail

#64dd #n64 #nintendo #randnet #online #research #preservation

[groundestate]

The Future of Real Estate Photography: Emerging Technologies

The real estate industry is constantly evolving, fueled by emerging technologies that disrupt traditional practices. When it comes to real estate photography, several new technologies are shaping the future of the field. Here are a few notable ones:

1. 360-Degree Virtual Tours: 360-degree virtual tours allow potential buyers to explore a property virtually, providing a more immersive experience than static photographs or videos. With specialized cameras and software, real estate photographers can capture every angle of a space and stitch them together to create a seamless, interactive tour. This technology enables buyers to digitally walk through a property, assessing each room and corner from the comfort of their own homes.

2. Augmented Reality (AR): Augmented reality has the potential to revolutionize real estate photography by overlaying virtual elements onto the real world. With AR, potential buyers can use their smartphones or devices to view a property and see digital furniture, decor, or other design elements placed within the space. This allows them to visualize different design choices and evaluate how a property could look once furnished – all without physically staging a space.

3. Virtual Reality (VR): Virtual reality technology immerses potential buyers in a digitally created environment, providing a fully immersive experience. In real estate photography, this means creating a virtual walkthrough where buyers can navigate a property using virtual reality headsets. The technology allows buyers to feel as if they are physically present in the property https://bokomedia.com/, exploring it from room to room, evaluating the size, layout, and ambiance in a way that traditional photographs or videos cannot provide.

4. AI-Driven Image Recognition: Artificial intelligence-driven image recognition technology can streamline the real estate photography process and enhance the quality of images. This technology uses algorithms to analyze and categorize photographs, automatically identifying and tagging elements in the images such as room types, furnishings, and architectural features. This can save time for real estate photographers and help potential buyers quickly find relevant properties based on their specific interests and preferences.

5. Drones and Advanced Aerial Photography: As mentioned in a previous article, drones are already playing a significant role in real estate photography. However, technological advancements in drone capabilities, such as improved camera stabilization and maneuverability, are making aerial photography even more accessible and stunning. Enhanced drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and advanced flight control systems can capture breathtaking aerial shots, showcasing the exterior and surroundings of a property from unique perspectives.

In conclusion, emerging technologies are reshaping the future of real estate photography. From 360-degree virtual tours and augmented reality to virtual reality and AI-driven image recognition, these technologies provide potential buyers with an immersive and interactive experience. As these technologies continue to evolve and become more accessible, they will undoubtedly transform the way properties are marketed and sold in the real estate industry.

[x2goose1473952]

The Electronic Arts: Vision and Sound CCDP 10002 – Assessment 1 - 1473952

I approached this piece by reflecting on the week 2 topic- Perception, Optical Illusions (how the brain works). Every topic brings something new, but this one felt closest to my style and interests as an amateur/hobbyist digital artist. Since I got my first PC, I've been torrenting cracked software and messing around with Photoshop and other multimedia programs. I was always rubbish at freehand drawing, but navigating computer-aided design applications came naturally. Our eyes see objects, environments and anything they can capture in everyday life. We often take what we see with our eyes as the definitive truth for what is actually there. Optical Illusions shatter that "truth". They are an excellent example of our brains manufacturing a reality to better understand our surroundings in life. What we perceive and what is there could be two totally different truths. The discovery of optical illusions to many (and myself for a long time) was merely a fun magic trick to enjoy through YouTube videos or, if you're really old, those ancient magic eye books with hidden pictures. I decided to further explore this concept with the George Redhawk effect (named after the visually impaired artist), initially created after Redhawk started to lose his vision.

Before his artistic career, Redhawk worked in various areas of medicine, teaching subjects on x-ray technology. Before his vision deteriorated, he wanted to internalize everything visually exciting to his memory. He used an image transition software called Magic Morph, but instead of making image1 go to image2 he morphed the image onto itself. The result was an amazingly trippy and fluid-like animation which led to a series of creations. The effect has been used to recreate and describe the perceptions people experience on psychedelics like LSD and magic mushrooms. Maybe the visuals people experience on these substances aren't a distorted reality but an altered one. Even our perspective when dead sober could be viewed as an altered reality. The Redhawk effect offers 1 explanation for a complex discussion. It is one potential of what we could be seeing when something else is happening. Our eyes are unable to process it. That dead tree in the centre of a garden bed surrounded by stone pillars could be more alive than our beating heart. Combining this with a geometrically distorted image mash was something that I wanted to explore. Look at that garden bed or that tree; it blends naturally with the image, but these are photos merged from multiple angles. Glancing at the still image for only a second would tell you nothing. It looks normal. But the closer you look, the higher the frequency of distortions. The static elements in the rest of the animation also give this impression that it very well could be a typical garden, an ordinary front yard, if it wasn't for the blatantly obvious coloured textures replaced from the stone path and the hyper-sharpened front window, everything else is entirely "normal". We are at a period in history that's never been more visually focused than any of the previous. People walk around with ultra-powerful high-definition computers in their pockets. Something that would have been out of a science fiction movie in the 60s is now standard. Yet our observations have grown numb (in a day-to-day setting), and the frequency of face value evaluations is higher than in the 60s. Technology has granted us a gateway to explain the alternate reality better than ever. Still, I feel we have grown more accustomed and content to the face value perception. I'm not saying that we can't do this anymore; it's just that technology has softened our brains to the point where we don't think to do it without being prompted to. I would have continued with the same mindset if it weren't for this project. But now I'm actively trying to question everything. E.g. The notes I've taken in my core units are wrong. The Baroque period did not just immediately end when Bach died. Consumables like junk food and drugs considered "bad" or "unhealthy" could be the polar opposite. Maybe cigarettes feel good and give you cancer because they are a shortcut to ending your existence. The dopamine rush that hits when sipping on a can of coke (and the diabetes that follows) is the dark matter or some other unviewable element or presence in the universe communicating with you, telling you to keep doing it so you can reach the other side faster. The extent to which I believe in these philosophies is low, but that is irrelevant. These "what ifs" are just a way of viewing the tail side of the coin when only the head is held up to your eyes.