#a techie in love byte
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sagemintiart · 2 years ago
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Just released a mini visual novel prequel for my upcoming otome, titled, '(A) Techie in Love byte: Dominic' which takes the pov of Mc's Cecilia's childhood friend Dominic, months before the main game(which is releasing next year).
Watch the trailer here;
youtube
Play it online or download for windows free here;
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t-sizzler · 1 month ago
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đŸ–„ïž Tech Lover Mod: Part Two (1.0 Update) is HERE! 🚀
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Sul Sul, Simmers! 👋
If you loved Part One, get ready for an even smoother, smarter, and tech-packed upgrade. This expansion brings new gadgets, improved interactions, and even more high-tech vibes for your Sims.
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đŸ“± SimSonic Phone Stand - Alarm Clock – Yes, it actually works! Wake your Sims up in style.
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đŸȘŽ Z-Zaniac Plant – A touch of greenery for your tech-lover’s space!
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đŸ§¶ Byte-Size Comfort Mat – Because even techies need cozy aesthetics.
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đŸ–„ïž Improved Desk Design – A refreshed version of the Make-Him-Fold Desk (because details matter).
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💡 Tech Lover Pie Menu Updates – Streamlined interactions for an even smoother in-game experience!
đŸ”„ Why You Need This Mod
✅ Base game compatibility (except for one Discover University feature!)
✅ No more cluttered interactions—browse Tech Lover items neatly in the pie menu!
✅ Early access add-ons for Patreon members, including a Cybersecurity Career & Tech Lover Trait!
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đŸ› ïž INSTALLATION 1ïžâƒŁ Download the merged or unmerged mod file 2ïžâƒŁ Place it into your Sims 4 Mods folder 3ïžâƒŁ Enable script mods in settings 4ïžâƒŁ Install the latest version of XML Injector 5ïžâƒŁ Search “Tech Lover” or “makeitsizzle” in Build/Buy mode to find everything!
đŸ–±DOWNLOAD đŸ“„
📣 SPREAD THE WORD! Reblog & tag fellow Simmers who NEED this in their game!
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allmyocsarebritish · 1 year ago
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stares at you with sad wet pathetic dog eyes
I've been dwelling on this for an oc but !! vox x reader where the reader is some sort of water creature/being and just 😈 ugh them being so gentle with each other but like little jokey threats from reader
unlikely lovers and just *screams into pillow* I love vox
- not RenĂ©e 🧡
Unlikely lovers
Vox X water based reader
Warnings(?): reader controls water, with demonic form of a siren, soft Vox, Vox overworking himself
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Hi *not* Renée, I really really hope I did your idea justice, it was so fun to write and I love ittt!!
Electronics and water didn't mix. Exposure to liquids damaged appliances, sending them overloading in an electric surge and sparks flying. It was a well known fact, but, in accordance with the laws of attraction, opposite charges are always drawn towards eachother.
Vox should have been more careful, knowing that you were destined to destroy him. But he wasn't, and now here you were, corrupting his system and turning him soft. The audacity you had to just waltz in and short circuit his brain, (? Monitor?) permanently implanting yourself in his kingdom of bits and bytes was unmatched. And the worst part was how much he enjoyed it.
For as long as Vox could remember, his status, image and reputation had undeniably been the forefront of his life, though it had become clear that you were toppling this. And, though he remained in denial about how extreme his affection was for you, it was clear to everyone who knew him. The other Vees, his workers, yourself, even if sometimes you did feel second best.
Vox was rather obsessive, allowing work to consume all of his waking hours, and though you knew that wasn't something you could change, you remained present throughout his long days.
Despite the long hours that had passed, Vox still showed no signs of putting his paperwork to the side. Your patience began to wear thin as he picked up yet another 'essential' phone call, and you became rather restless. As impressive as the corporate empire he had built himself was, the business was taking its toll, turning Vox into the living embodiment of stress. It was more than concerning, and as much as he tried to convince you he was not working too hard, you knew he had limits.
The sound of the phone call ending roused you from your thoughts, and you watched as his charismatic business persona began to crack.
"When are you going to take a break?" You complained from a chair in the back of his office.
"Just a second, dollface. I'm nearly done, I promise." Vox responded, not even sparing you a glance away from his excessive amount of screens.
"You were 'nearly done' over an hour ago." you rolled your eyes, slumping in your chair, staring at the back of his TV."Vox, I swear if you don't pay attention to me I *will* waterboard you."
You perked up at the realisation that your (mostly) empty threat caught his curiosity. He spun around to face you in his swivel chair, eyes narrowing slightly.
"You wouldn't." He spoke rather quietly, tone accusatory.
A mischievous smirk played on your lips as you sat up straighter, raising an eyebrow. Taking great care as to *not* splash your techy boyfriend, water droplets flung across the room from your fingertips, dampening the floor.
"Want to bet?"
Vox sighed and shook his head, getting up slowly and making his way over to you, barely suppressing the smile that made its way across his screen. You offered him your own, opening your arms for him to sink into. As soon as he complied, Vox felt the stress of the day begin to ebb and fade, melted by your anchoring presence. And though he was much too stubborn and prideful to admit it, your determination in forcing him to take breaks from his overpowering workload was comforting and much needed.
"Was that so hard?" You teased, hand gently drawing circles over Vox's arm. He rolled his eyes, though his soft smile betrayed the sarcastic act.
"Yes, unbearably." He rested his TV on your shoulder, feigning exhaustion from the effort of stepping away. You snorted a laugh and he brightened, allowing you to rest against him. You playfully, and gently, flicked his antenna, watching as it bounced back and forth before stilling. He gave you a look, taking your hand in his own, softly caressing it with clawed fingers, before raising your knuckles to his screen and pressing a kiss to them.
"What a gentleman." You joked, to which he shook his head, still smiling.
"Anything for you, sweetheart." He responded, sarcasm dripping from his voice to mask the genuine statement.
"Don't get soft."
"Wouldn't dream of it, darling."
Who would have guessed that the technology overlord could be so smitten for a water demon? It was inevitable that you would be his weakness, though what was unforseen was the fact it was in the best way imaginable. The other overlords may see his infatuation with you as a downfall and a failure on Vox's behalf, it was his strongest quality. You gave him a tolerance to water, hence the electronic sharks residing in his mansion. As unlikely as your love was, you were utterly enthralled with eachother.
Around you Vox held no real weakness, you were his strength, his partner, and all that really mattered in his afterlife.
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sharky857 · 4 months ago
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Ten + Ten More Drifter Questions
All questions graciously borrowed from @thefreefencer's posts here and here!
As per my usual, adding a "read more" to spare the dashboard from a potentially lengthy post.
ROUND ONE!
What is that one party trick that the Drifter would show the Hex and who do you think would be the most impressed with?
Idk, fghdsjlkfshgdljk! Maybe the bottle flipping one? As for who might be more impressed, that might be Amir (watch him flip several bottles in the following days, trying to get the thing right at least once).
Would the Drifter spend more time in 1999 or 50-50 back in their own time?
Drifter Damienne instantly ended up lovestruck with 1999, so she's been spending most of her time in that timeline. She's been still visiting Operator Damienne, when "big sis" knows that "lil sis" isn't busy.
There's no missions, so what would the Drifter be doing on their free time with the Hex? Or are they loners and/or stays in their current time until they're summoned?
She would totally spend her free time gaming, with or without Amir (all depends on whether Amir's currently deployed in some mission), and also videocalling "lil sis" to chitchat and keep up with the latest news from the future/the past.
They have free time but they have an S/O, what would they be up to?
See the answer above? Yeah, that's it. Probably add a Marathon of "Warrior Queen Zasta" sprinkled with intense cuddling sessions.
Are you gonna show off your most broken Warframe builds to the Hex? (Be real, cause I would.)
Oh, Damienne totally would. She would also show the build for "Zappy", just in case some other "Zappy" techie might feel like getting a harmless, further upgrade someday.
How much of the future is Drifter gonna divulge to their new friends? Or are they straight up gonna just mention something here and there with no context whatsoever?
The timeline is probably and already royally screwed thanks to Entrati's actions, so Damienne has no qualms with divulging all she may be asked about. Unless it's something personal that might make her uncomfortable (in which case, she would make it very clear to the other part).
Well, the Hex live in a mall, so where would Drifter hunker down during their rest periods?
Uh
 In the Backroom? đŸ€” (She would literally know no other place)
What souvenir they're gonna abscond from 1999 and take it back to the future?
Multiple recipes for the different types of Big Bytes Pizza, the Countessa comic series, On-Lyne CD, and, in the grim probability that it's gonna be a farewell, a group picture with the Hex + the glasses on the Backroom's mannequin (they are the same worn by Amir).
There's a lot of scattered trash, drink cups, etc in the Mall, would the state the Hex live in annoy your Drifter?
Nah, but she would diplomatically try to suggest them to get a "space Roomba" to clean the place up.
If there was a choice to romance Major Rusalka, would you romance her?
Damienne would never. But Magda would totally give it a shot. 😏
ROUND TWO!
What is the one food item from 1999 that you know your Drifter would like? (Also if it's country specific, add that in if you want, I'm not from the US either) Damienne ain't a picky eater. If any Hex approached her with a personal dish (be it something from their own country of origin or simply a dish/drink they really love and want to share), she'll gladly chow/chug it down. Squared jelly spaghetti NOT included.
2. Did your Drifter finish Caliber Chicks and got the secret ending?
She did finish it, complete with secret ending, and then, like any good gamer, she set off to try and beat her own high score.
3. If you could pick any tarot card from the Major Arcana, which would your Drifter be?
*scrambles to look those cards up because has virtually zero knowledge on tarots*
I guess it is safe to say that it would be either "The Chariot" or "Strength". đŸ€”
4. Is your Drifter 90s fashionable or just doesn't give a damn? Explain their fashion if you want!
She loves to bits her new attire, so she's definitely 90s fashionable.
5. So, here's a hard one. The Reset happened. The Hex don't remember you. Would the Drifter do it all again or mope?
"Damienne" and "moping" are not meant to get along. Ya bet she will redo everything from scratch.
6. If two of the Hex (who and who) get into a massive squabble is your Drifter gonna:
watch it unfold with popcorn in hand
stop them and try to diplomatically try to get them to settle
join in the violence
Would depend entirely on who the Hexes are and what the squabble is about. đŸ€” Like, if it's Lettie chewing anyone else's head off for whatever reason, Damienne might grab the popcorn (and watch from a safe distance).
Kaithe or Atomicycle?
Atomicycle all the way. Yes, Damienne would be capable of smugging it into Duviri.
"You thought being trampled by a speeding Depreshun Honse would hurt? Watch this, mothermuckers~ :)" (Damienne @ some Thrax soldiers as she revs Tommy's engine)
What are your Drifter's favourite 1999 trinkets?
In no particular order:
Countessa Comic (a nice alternative to "Waverider")
Big Bytes Pizza
Argon Burger Meal
Cheddar Crowns Cereal (she can simply fish them out of the box and shove a handful in her mouth, making them the perfect Gaming Snaccâ„ąïž)
9. How does your Drifter celebrate Star Days with the Hex and their significant other?
In whatever way Amir would like to. All Damienne's grown to know about Star Days celebration is to just
 Go into Orb Vallis, wreck some stuff to grab some debt bonds, then head back to Auntie Ticker and trade bonds for whatever goods she has in store for the event. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
How do the civilians see the Drifter? As a friendly face, a weirdo, a mystery figure that helps them out from time to time?
She would get mixed reactions, from people secretly judging her for the way she looks, to younger folks being fascinated by her hairstyle, or the "visage ink", her piercings
 Not to mentioned her bubbly demeanour. Some may try and ask her some advices on how to beat a certain cabinet game, the bolder ones would even try and ask her about the future and how she can do "all those freaky things".
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omnicviolence · 9 months ago
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venture / sombra npts please? ^_^
same person that requested witch mercy npts.. i love overwatch and npts... looks back at u with my big autism eyes
tried to go for more techy/hacker stuff because i deserve a little treat
also hai mercy npts person ehehe :3 feel free to rerequest for venture :D i kinda had a hard time with this one so sorry if its bad ueue
Somba NPTS
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 ◞◟ NAMES ✩
Alexa, Atari, Byte, Data, Iris, Mecha, Synth, Pulse, Blank, Coda, Gig, Volt
 ◞◟ PRONOUNS ✩
10/10s OR 01/01s, Beep/Boop, Hack/Hacker, Bit/Bits, Byte/Bytes, Gigabyte/Gigabytes, Click/Clack, Tech/Techs, Web/Webs
 ◞◟ TITLES ✩
She who Haunts the Web, The Hacker, The Storm, Your Electronic Best Friend
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the-bah-commune · 10 months ago
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oooh! can you make us a muppet? giving you my lil aesthetic moodboard i made for myself lol if that will help
-richie
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ooo this is giving off MAJOR vibes of one of the most underappreciated muppets, so here's a lil computer guy for you! if you want, i can send you a compilation of his moments on the show :)
a new flower has blossomed! đŸŒč
muppet bah game, techy, retro ... [LVL 4 PACK]
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══════════════════
name(s) ;; digit
pronouns ;; he/him, it/its, byte/bytes, ze/zem, ae/aes, pix/pixel, .mp3/.mp3s, digi/digital, mus/music, prime/primes, glitch/glitches, tv/tvs, đŸŽč/đŸŽčself, 💿/💿self, đŸ“ș/đŸ“șself
age ;; cassage
species ;; computer muppet
gender(s) ;; tessemasculine, novtechic
orientation(s) ;; beyondsexual
role(s) ;; [some options...] online manager, work alter, body dysmorphia holder
source ;; the jim henson hour
sign-off(s) ;; [đŸŽčđŸ“ș]
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appearance ;; tall and a little chubby. pale purplish fabric. wires fanshioned into a hairstyle. bright green eyes. unsettling appearance. wears odd patterns and colours. see below for picture.
personality ;; nerdy and easily confused. he's a lover of all things science fiction, and likes to ponder on the future of the world. byte can sometimes have difficulty controlling zyr volume. a bit foolish, but quite loving.
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likes ;; photography, analog horror, psychedelic rock, science fiction, rocky horror picture show, puppets
dislikes ;; real life gore or violence, misuse of AI, sweet foods
possible front triggers ;; going to work, anything involving kermit, unsettling AI images
══════════════════
cisid(s) ;; artificial intelligence, keyboardist, technical director, robot
transid(s) ;; transautistic, transdissokleptomantal, transglitchedvoice, transalien, transadored, transMADD, transsemiverbal
trisid(s) ;; trisuncannyvalley
kink/fetish/para(s) ;; anthrophilia
══════════════════
bonus info ;; typing quirk o = 0, i = 1 (the qu1ck f0x jumps 0ver the lazy d0g)
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quirkwizard · 1 year ago
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Hey wiz! I hope you are having a good day😊. I have this idea for a Quirk which allows the user to digitally Astral project their consciousness into electric powered technology and interact with them on a deeper level and enter the digital space. This quirk grants the user the ability to manipulate and control digital systems, accessing and influencing various electronic devices, networks, softwares and could for example directly possess electric powered technology and establish a direct connection and take control of its functions operate in it as if it was their own body. Maybe if the user has hacking and programming skills they could do more efficient coding due to being directly in the Digital realm. I really don’t know how to really expand it and fully make a quirk out it and I also don’t really have any idea for a cool,suitable,catchy name. I hope this could work as a quirk characters that inspired my general concept was mainly Hack aka Zalika from Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League (Ik the game wasn’t all that good but I really loved her character design and character overall ), Hacker from Akudama Drive, Netrunners from Cyberpunk and Spider Byte from into the Spider-Verse. I love your Blog the amount of creativity and dedication you have is honestly really admirable. Take care and stay awesome.👍
So I think there is something in the idea here, but it needs a lot of trimming. I really don't think that a Quirk like this should cover this much. Controlling technology is a really good power, and this can cover pretty much every aspect of it. I'm not even sure if you can balance it as a Quirk. I'm even on the fence about the user "astrally projecting" to do it. Because unless their body needs to be nearby, that gives them a lot more freedom to use their power since their main body doesn't need to be worried about being harmed. Unless it's more like technopathy, where the user focuses on the technology to control it? I think it'd work better if you narrowed down what Quirk can do to a handful of applications. At least start with only controlling software, controlling technology physically, or becoming this ghost in the machine as it's own idea. The closest I think you could get to this idea is something like what I did with "Chip In", where the user can influence software, but they need to leave themselves open in order to do so. If you want to do anything more than that, it would require a lot of restructuring of ideas. For example, maybe have something where the user possesses technology with their body, like what I did with "Techie".
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amazingteamnames · 2 months ago
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101 Best Team Names Starting With B: Creative, Fun & Powerful Ideas for Your Group
https://amazingteamnames.com/?p=2458 101 Best Team Names Starting With B: Creative, Fun & Powerful Ideas for Your Group Choosing the right team name sets the tone for every game event or project we take on. When we want to stand out and make a bold impression names that start with “B” bring a burst of energy and creativity. From sports teams to trivia nights and workplace groups the right name can spark excitement and unite us from the very start. Let’s face it—no one remembers a boring team name. With so many options out there why not pick something that’s catchy clever and easy to remember? “B” names have that special ring and can give our team the edge we’re looking for. Whether we’re aiming for something fierce funny or just plain unforgettable there’s a perfect “B” name waiting for us. Table of Contents Toggle Exploring The Best Team Names Starting With BBreaking Down Bold And Powerful B Team NamesImpressive Sports Team Names Starting With BCreative Business Team Names Starting With BBringing Fun To Team Names Starting With BFunny And Playful Team Names Starting With BUnique And Quirky Team Names Starting With BBuilding Unity With Classic B Team NamesTimeless Team Names Starting With BInspirational Team Names Starting With BBoosting Team Spirit With B-themed NamesMotivational Team Names Starting With BCompetitive Team Names Starting With BBranching Out To Pop Culture B Team NamesMovie-Inspired Team Names Starting With BTV Show-Inspired Team Names Starting With BConclusionFrequently Asked QuestionsWhy should I choose a team name that starts with the letter “B”?How do I pick the best “B” team name for my group?What are some powerful “B” team names for sports teams?Are there creative “B” team names for work or trivia competitions?How can a playful “B” team name benefit my team?What are some pop culture-inspired “B” team names?Can a team name help with brand identity for corporate groups?Why do classic “B” team names remain popular?How do motivational “B” team names impact team spirit?Are humorous “B” team names suitable for all groups? Exploring The Best Team Names Starting With B Let’s dig into what really makes certain “B” team names stand out more than others. Sometimes, all it takes is a bold name to set our group apart on the scoreboard or in the office. We notice that teams called “Bulldogs” or “Blazers” instantly project energy and strength, perfect for sports leagues. In comparison, fans of creativity might love “Brainiacs” or “Byte Masters” for trivia nights or work competitions, since these names spark curiosity and fun connections. Naming our team can be quick if we brainstorm together and vote for the name that everyone remembers a day later. If we’re aiming for humor, names like “Banana Bunch” or “Bumbling Bees” get everyone laughing right away. Staying on brand helps too—business teams could use names like “Business Buffs” or “Brand Builders” for a polished vibe. Taking inspiration from well-known organizations or animals often leads us to bold options. Some of the most popular picks by real-industry teams include: Team Name Vibe Best For Bulldogs Fierce/Strong Sports Blazers Energetic Athletics, Startups Brainiacs Smart/Fun Quiz, Trivia Byte Masters Techie/Modern IT, Gaming Banana Bunch Quirky/Funny Parties, Icebreakers Bumbling Bees Playful Kids, Casual Groups Business Buffs Professional Corporate Teams Every group is unique, but with these steps and examples we’ll never run out of inspiring “B” names. Let’s remember that the right name can launch our team from just another group to fan favorite, whether we want to stand out at the company retreat or dominate the next game night. Breaking Down Bold And Powerful B Team Names When we talk about team names that stand out, bold and powerful choices starting with “B” always get noticed. Strong names can energize players and spark unity instantly. Impressive Sports Team Names Starting With B Sports teams thrive on fierce names that signal power and grit. We see options like Blaze Brigade, Bold Battlers, and Brawn Battalion lead the way for squads wanting a tough presence on the field or court. Names such as Black Panthers and Brave Boomers inspire action and confidence, while Bright Blizzards and Breeze Blasters deliver a sense of unstoppable energy. For example, Blazing Beagles, Braveheart Buffalos, and Bullseye Band add a creative twist but keep the fearless spirit. Fans and players rally around these names, seeing themselves as united under one bold banner. Creative Business Team Names Starting With B In the business industry, creativity combined with professionalism makes teams memorable. We find names like Benchmark Leaders, Business Titans, and Bright Minds both credible and forward-thinking. Success-driven groups often select Brilliant Answers or Beacon Advisors to reflect expertise and ambition. Sometimes, teams gravitate toward titles such as Bold Pioneers or Blueprint Creators to capture their innovative edge. Companies boost their brand identity with options like Blue Chip Professionals, Bonded Experts, and Business Achievers, which showcase reliability and vision for clients and colleagues alike. Each name fosters a sense of belonging and sets teams apart as inventive and capable. Bringing Fun To Team Names Starting With B Let’s give our group a little extra energy by picking a team name that brings out our playful side. Some of the best “B” names use a sense of humor or unexpected combinations to help us break the ice and bond as a team. Funny And Playful Team Names Starting With B Blabbermouth Bandits delivers big laughs if we’re a group that can’t stop talking. Burping Buffoons turns every meeting into a goofy, relaxed gathering. We might love Bigfoot Fan Club if cryptids and quirky obsessions get us going. Brainy Buffoons works for us if we blend smarts with silliness during trivia or creative challenges. When we want something energetic, Bouncing Buffs or Buzzing Beasts match our upbeat spirit. Bashful Bears offers a gentle, cute twist for groups with a softer vibe. Any music fans in our group would get a kick out of Backbeat Blues. Bubble Bees brings lighthearted fun, especially if we’re a playful bunch who enjoys puns. Here’s a quick look at some favorites: Funny & Playful B Names Vibe Blabbermouth Bandits Chatty, humorous Burping Buffoons Goofy, silly Bigfoot Fan Club Quirky, playful Brainy Buffoons Smart, funny Bouncing Buffs Upbeat, energetic Buzzing Beasts Lively, energetic Bashful Bears Cute, gentle Backbeat Blues Musical, fun Bubble Bees Playful, cheerful Unique And Quirky Team Names Starting With B Standing out gets a lot easier with names that mix technology, adventure, and creativity. Bionic Blasters fits us if we love gadgets or sci-fi themes. Binary Breakers sits at the top for coding teams ready to hack the status quo. Some of us might gravitate toward Blue Buccaneers, especially if we want a hint of adventure and teamwork. Bolt Barrage and Brisk Breezers both work if we want to highlight our group’s speed or resilience. Bamboo Benders is perfect for teams showcasing flexibility or eco-friendly values. Byte Beasts and Blazing Bandwidth connect with our tech-loving friends, letting everyone know we move fast both online and off. Exotic and bold options like Bermuda Bashers or quirky combos like Blue Phoenix let us share our unique team identity anywhere we go. A quick snapshot of creative picks: Unique & Quirky B Names Vibe Bionic Blasters Techy, action-ready Binary Breakers Coding, quirky Blue Buccaneers Adventurous, unique Bolt Barrage Fast, energetic Bamboo Benders Flexible, creative Brisk Breezers Nimble, quick Byte Beasts Tech-savvy, fun Blazing Bandwidth Speedy, digital Bermuda Bashers Exotic, bold Blue Phoenix Symbolic, standout We can wow everyone with these memorable choices, making our team both entertaining and unforgettable. Building Unity With Classic B Team Names Nothing helps us bond faster than rallying behind a great team name. Classic “B” team names don’t just sound sharp—they make us feel like a tight-knit crew at every event or game. Timeless Team Names Starting With B We know that a team name like Bold Battlers brings everyone together and projects incredible strength. Names such as Blaze Brigade and Blue Blazers always feel fresh, providing teams with an instant sense of identity both on and off the field. Whenever we pick Brawn Battalion or Brave Boomers for tournaments or workplace groups, our unity gets an instant boost, making everyone step up their game. Choosing Bald Eagles or Black Cats works well for sports and trivia nights where we want that mix of tradition and edge. Sometimes we go with Bluecaps or Brown Blazers to channel a more classic, sophisticated vibe—teams love this at corporate events. When it comes to inspiration, energy, and unity, Battle Titans and league-inspired names like Boston Blitz or Baltimore Blitz light a fire in our group. For those of us in hockey leagues, Blue Line Bashers instantly unites the team and tells everyone we’re here to play hard. Timeless B Team Name Vibe/Meaning Event Use Example Bold Battlers Strength, determination Sports, work, trivia Blue Blazers Unity, energy Teams, business Brawn Battalion Grit, togetherness Fitness, tournaments Blaze Brigade Power, fresh identity Sports, competitions Black Cats Edgy, traditional Trivia, games Brown Blazers Sophisticated, classic Corporate, clubs Boston Blitz Ever-changing, league spirit Fantasy, leagues Inspirational Team Names Starting With B Sometimes we want to set the bar higher and motivate everyone from the first huddle. Brave Legends pumps us up to give our very best, while Breathtaking Warriors lets everyone know we push past limits together. Choosing Boundless Dreams turns our goals into a team-wide mission, inspiring us daily. We turn to Bold Conquerors or Brilliant Champions when we want every player to feel like a winner. Everyone gets a lift from names like Blue Phoenix and Black Bears—there’s just something about them that builds unity and a never-quit attitude. Picking Brave Warriors or Bold Lions encourages our group to work harder and crush challenges as one. On days we need extra fire, we pick Blazing Shields and Big Strikers—those names just energize every practice or work sprint. With choices like Burning Conquerors, Beaming Blazers, and Brilliant Horizons, we find ourselves embracing new goals together. For a final push, we always love Bold Echoes—that name keeps our spirit alive long after the game is done. Inspirational B Team Name What It Inspires Where It Shines Brave Legends Confidence, best effort Sports, academic teams Boundless Dreams Ambition, shared goals Business, competitions Brilliant Champions Motivation, success Any high-stakes contest Blue Phoenix Rebirth, resilience Comeback games, projects Blazing Shields Protection, energy Defense teams, work groups Bold Echoes Lasting impact, unity All seasons Boosting Team Spirit With B-themed Names Nothing brings a group together quite like a powerful team name that starts with B. We’ve collected the most motivating and competitive options so every squad can find the perfect fit for their goals. Motivational Team Names Starting With B Choosing a motivational name helps us inspire each other and set the tone for every challenge. Bold Battlers encourage us to face each contest with confidence. Brave Boomers show we never back down, no matter the odds. Bright Barbarians spark energy when our group needs a boost. Bold Blazers remind us to push forward without fear. Beacon Believers make it clear we always look for the light, even in tough times. Boundless Brigade speaks to breaking limits and reaching new heights. Brainstorm Bulldogs drive our creativity with energy and focus. Brilliant Bots let our tech and problem-solving skills shine every day. Bold Avengers call our team to action, always prepared for the next big challenge. Competitive Team Names Starting With B Competitive names set us apart and fuel our desire to win. Black Panthers make our competition see us as fierce contenders. Blue Blaze ignites the team with excitement and drive. Black Barracudas let rivals know we’re fast and strategic in any arena. Blazing Beagles bring unique energy and unity to every event. Braveheart Buffalos show our courage and determination in every match. Blue Bashers serve as a reminder that we always go full force. Broadband Beasts connect speed with strength, keeping us ahead of the game. Battle Bots instill readiness and tech-savvy skills within our team. Boulder Breakers demonstrate that no obstacle is too tough for us. Burning Blizzards leave a mark, ensuring our presence is unforgettable each time we compete. Branching Out To Pop Culture B Team Names Pop culture gives us a parade of team name inspiration, especially when we want a name that’s clever and instantly recognizable. Let’s jump into some of the best team names starting with ‘B’ that borrow star power from movies and TV shows. Movie-Inspired Team Names Starting With B We’ve all seen those epic movie moments that stick with us—why not let that energy fuel our team spirit? Names like Braveheart Brigade capture the courageous vibe of classic films and fire up group morale. For superhero fans, using Batman Brigade throws a nod to DC’s caped crusader and brings cool factor to any competition. Sometimes, a little time travel goes a long way: Back to the Future Blazers mixes nostalgia and fun, perfect for trivia teams or corporate events. Fans of fast-paced action will love Bourne Brawlers, which echoes the intensity of the “Bourne” series. For a touch of suave, nothing beats Bond Boys, channeling that unmistakable James Bond cool. TV Show-Inspired Team Names Starting With B Sometimes, our favorite small-screen squads inspire the best names. We can give our team a devious edge with Breaking Bad Bandits, riding on the popularity of the iconic TV show. Everyone in the group can geek out with Big Bang Brigade, a direct shout to “The Big Bang Theory.” For teams that love a supernatural twist, try Buffy Brawlers—it’s fierce and playful, just like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Space and sci-fi lovers can unite under Battlestar Brigade, inspired by the legendary “Battlestar Galactica.” When we want to show off some New York attitude and plenty of laughs, Brooklyn Nine-Nine Blazers fits the bill, drawing from the beloved sitcom. Pop culture “B” team names bring the energy, nostalgia, and fun of our favorite movies and TV shows straight to our own team tables. Conclusion Choosing a team name that starts with “B” gives us endless opportunities to showcase our group’s spirit and creativity. Whether we’re after something bold, funny, or completely unique, the right name helps set the tone and brings everyone together. Let’s remember that a standout team name doesn’t just make us memorable—it also boosts unity and excitement for every challenge ahead. With so many options at our fingertips, we’re sure to find the perfect fit that captures our team’s personality and ambition. Frequently Asked Questions Why should I choose a team name that starts with the letter “B”? Names starting with “B” are bold, catchy, and easy to remember. They can energize and unite any group, making your team stand out with a vibrant and memorable impression at any event or competition. How do I pick the best “B” team name for my group? Consider your team’s purpose, vibe, and audience. Decide if you want the name to be fierce, fun, professional, or quirky. Brainstorm with your group, shortlist your favorites, and vote to choose the one everyone likes best. What are some powerful “B” team names for sports teams? Great options include “Blaze Brigade,” “Bold Battlers,” “Brawn Battalion,” and “Black Panthers.” These names project energy, confidence, and a competitive spirit to rally players and fans alike. Are there creative “B” team names for work or trivia competitions? Absolutely! Names like “Brainiacs,” “Byte Masters,” and “Bright Minds” are clever picks for work teams or trivia nights. They highlight intelligence, creativity, and a fun yet competitive spirit. How can a playful “B” team name benefit my team? A playful name, such as “Banana Bunch” or “Blabbermouth Bandits,” adds humor and helps break the ice. It can make everyone feel more comfortable, boosting camaraderie and fun during team activities. What are some pop culture-inspired “B” team names? You could try “Batman Brigade,” “Breaking Bad Bandits,” “Big Bang Brigade,” or “Back to the Future Blazers.” These names create instant recognition and add a fun, nostalgic vibe to your team. Can a team name help with brand identity for corporate groups? Yes! Names like “Business Buffs” or “Brand Builders” reinforce your company ethos and promote professionalism. A catchy name also makes your team more memorable in both internal and public settings. Why do classic “B” team names remain popular? Classic names like “Bold Battlers” and “Blaze Brigade” evoke strength, unity, and timeless appeal. They quickly build group identity and foster a sense of belonging at any event. How do motivational “B” team names impact team spirit? Motivational names such as “Brave Legends” and “Boundless Dreams” inspire confidence and encourage every member to strive for excellence, boosting morale and unity. Are humorous “B” team names suitable for all groups? Humorous names like “Burping Buffoons” and “Bumbling Bees” are ideal for informal groups or social events. For formal or professional settings, opt for clever or creative names while keeping humor appropriate. https://amazingteamnames.com/?p=2458 Amazing Team Names
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mspa-music-analysis · 5 years ago
Text
Beyond Canon - exclusion zone
alright first song in the Beyond Canon album, exclusion zone. lets break it up. 
PERSONAL THOUGHTS/LISTENING EXPERIENCE
I got literal fucking shivers. Holy shit. Holy shit. The first twenty seconds of this song is it’s own fucking experience. When the vocals come in at 00:46 I feel as though I am standing on a craggy cliff face, maybe on a mountain, the sky is grey, there’s mist and magic in the air, and I should be dreading something. I feel like taking a deep breath and preparing to see an army coming up over the adjacent hill. I feel like I’m about to go up against something huge. 
When I first clicked on the new Homestuck album in disbelief, double checking the release date, I wasn’t expecting much. Sure Homestuck music is utterly wonderful, but I’ve never been able to listen to instrumentals very well, they don’t capture my attention without lyrics to focus on. but hearing the first few notes of this song. Holy. Fucking. Shit. I am not the same man. Oh my god. This first minute is what got me to listen to this entire album in one sitting.
At 1:00 you hear a muffled voice and the sound of breaking glass, and it feels like the illusion of nature and magic and dread shatters. A robotic voice chimes in ‘you just made a monster’ and you get it, for just a second. You feel like something terrible has happened and you have no idea how the fuck you’re going to pick up the pieces. This song sets the stage for the album, and it makes anticipation thrum through your bones, especially on the first listen. 
The latter half of the song is letting this feeling sink in, letting your anticipation, your excitement, your dread, grow into a magnificent beast. As the last bit cycles you feel your heartbeat quicken, your breath catch, and you just have to sit there for a second. Holy shit. This song feels like saying ‘holy shit’ in reverence. Over and over again.
The ending feels like you have no idea what the fuck you’re getting into. All you can do is click onto the next song. 
INSTRUMENTAL/VOCAL ANALYSIS
I’m no musical expert, but I’m going to try to explain this as well as I can. Music snobs, sorry, experts, please remember I am but a humble fool who has never taken a music class beyond fifth grade. An amateur if you will. 
I’m going to be using the word synth so fucking much in these, aren’t I. I’m torn between some sort of string, a synth, or an organ playing the opening notes, and I’m fairly sure it’s the synth. Homestuck music wouldn’t be Homestuck music for not the synth. 
The synth, as I am going to call it despite how unsure I am that it is one, immediately gives you an overwhelming cathedral feeling. You get a little while to marinate in this feeling before the vocals chime in. The vocals and the synth meld so beautifully into each other, they feel so natural coming together. There’s a moment where you say ‘yay! vocals in a Homestuck song!’ which will later seem oh so ironic. 
Then, in a change of tone, a muffled, hard to understand, male-sounding voice pops in. It sounds like a frantic report, breaking news, or a call for backup. It could sound to some like officials chasing dangerous dissenters, and to others a discreet warning to fellow rebels that the brass are coming. I tried so fucking hard to get an audio editing program to pick this shit apart, but I have a Chromebook for some godforsaken reason. Sorry, folks, we’ll have to see if anyone replies to my tweet with our answers. For reasons, which are definitely real actual reasons with no attachment to aesthetics, I am going to call this voice ‘the radio’. 
Directly after the infuriating piece of walky-talky Esq vocals, there’s a sound of breaking glass. I think perhaps that is my favorite moment in the entire track, if not the entire album. Not to assign too much meaning to a singular bit of sound, but it feels like every expectation I had for Homestuck music was completely shattered. Like the glass ceiling that prevented Homestuck music from becoming legendary because it was just a shitty web-comic (which was already untrue) is broken through with just the first half of this song. Does that make sense? In short, this album really is on an entire other level of music entirely, and it knows it. This is possibly supported by the album cover, which is Ultimate Dirk sitting in a pile of previous Homestuck album covers. Must I explain this one? (I will if you ask, really. I’m perhaps a bit too eager, in fact.)
Directly after the glass shatters, more instruments join in. I think these are also synths? It sounds techy, it sounds dystopian. You know when people say techno is just beeps and boops? Yeah, there’s a lot of beeps and boops in this, and frankly, I love it. Then, another distorted, techy, mechanical, feminine?, voice pops in saying ‘you just made a monster’. I’m going to call this voice the monster, but not necessarily because I think they are the monster, and I will elaborate on this later. This is my second favorite moment in the track. It’s just. Wow. Breathtaking. The monster repeats for a while, the rest of the song. The third time, an almost more human sounding, but not by much, monster joins in. There’s an air of indignance, of anger, desperation, vengeance. It sounds like there’s another phrase buried under some sounds there, at 1:28? I absolutely can not make it out for the life of me, and it is driving me crazy. 
The monster is chopped up and distributed evenly throughout the rest of the song, quite fucking marvelously. At 1:39 there’s a pause in the instrumental, and for just a second, you’re left with this steady note sung by the monster. It’s haunting. I didn’t notice it my first few listen throughs, but now that I’ve been sitting here looping the track, I can’t help but hear it. It definitely gives me a feeling, but I haven’t decided what that feeling is yet. 
The sound bits that sound like a broken robot, or another voice saying ‘anoyie’ over and over, are quite possibly going to drive me insane. I find myself desperately needing to hear where the fuck these audio bytes came from. I need to hear the originals. I do not care if they are random mouth noises. My curiosity is insatiable. I am fairly sure it is just the monster cut to hell, but there’s just something nagging at me saying otherwise. I don’t know, perhaps I’m finally going insane from looping the robot song for two hours. 
I don’t love the ending? There’s one last monster repeat, a sort of clapping sound (an interesting change of pace), silence for half a second, more of that damned ‘anoyie’ and I am further convinced it is not the monster, and then nothing. It isn’t quite unsatisfying, but it isn’t satisfying either. It is most certainly an ending. I can say for a fact there are instruments in the ending. And that’s all I have to say on that.
HERE’S WHERE SHIT GETS CRAZY
Alright, time to sound like a madman. Here is where I am going to assign arbitrary Homestuck-related, possibly plot-related, meaning. Take all of this with a grain of salt and forgive my overuse of phrases like ‘I feel’ and ‘I think’. 
So, putting the song in the context of the album title ‘Beyond Canon’, and therefore most likely The Epilogues and Homestuck^2, I do indeed have a few theories. Not all make a whole lot of sense, and a few are based quite heavily on ‘feelings’ and ‘vibes’. I hated putting vibes in quotes, never make me do that again. To start with, the beginning, before the radio, reminds me very much of Ultimate Dirk (Ult. Dirk), Terezi, and RoseBot on that new planet. Perhaps because of the air of desolation, not in relation to the note, and foreboding? Perhaps because I have assigned an air of forced serenity to this part, and I very much feel like Ult. Dirk is trying to force serenity onto his section of the narrative, despite what’s coming his way? Hm. Much to think about. 
The radio, I cannot puzzle out exactly. DaveBot, perhaps? Trying to break through from the Candy universe and coming out muffled? I don’t have much to go on, and I am waiting until I have figured out exactly what the radio is actually saying. 
The glass shattering. Oh, the glass shattering. Fenestrated plane, anyone? The fourth wall, anyone? Good god, shattered glass + Homestuck = SHIT IS GOING DOWN. This makes me very excited. It could just be metaphorical, as I was saying before, but I very much have a feeling that things are going to get that particular brand of very Homestuck fucked soon. And I am oh so excited. 
The monster! Oh, how I love the monster. There’s so many things I can see the monster being, as well as referencing. Lets get right the fuck into it. First! The Auto Responder, or Lil’ Hal. You know how every splinter and alternate self combines to create the Ultimate Self? (I have so many theories about this, oh my god, I might make an entire other blog for more Homestuck analysis) Well, what if it isn’t a perfect meld? Dirk is a Prince, after all, a destroyer. There’s no way, however Ultimate he may be, he’s perfect and whole. What if specific splinters find their way to shine through? Like, for instance, Hal accusing Dirk of making a monster out of all his iterations. I know, it’s far fetched, and I took quite a few liberal steps to get there. But just perhaps.
A not so wild theory is an obvious one, I think. The monster is Rosebot. It’s vaguely feminine, robot-y, and references a recent creation. Rose’s consciousness breaking through Dirk’s command? Seems likely to me. 
A third! Perhaps it’s DaveBot? It seems less likely than the RoseBot theory, due simply to the femininity of the voice, but at the same time it seems like DaveBot would be more likely to fight Dirk’s control of his personal narrative, if only because we haven’t seen his robot form be entirely complicit yet. Either way, I doubt this one. I just want it on the record in case I’m right. *wink*. (I refuse to use a winky face in a semi-serious analysis, it just feels wrong.)
And this one isn’t really a theory, but I keep coming back to it. Is anyone else reminded of AradiaBot? Especially that second of the monster just singing with no instrumental. I can give no explanation except for a feeling. I wasn’t going to include this, but, well, trust your gut or something. Maybe she’ll come back and my random thought will be justified. 
Now, do I think this will be used in Homestuck^2 as a flash at some point. Short answer: I don’t know. Long and less shitty answer: I feel as though it could go either way! I can’t really see a song with vocals like this getting a flash, if only because it’s very straightforward and I don’t know if you can jam a whole lot of plot into this song, unlike some of the others. That said, it would be just like Homestuck to completely blow away my expectations and jam the entire ending into it. Hey, Homestuck? Please don’t do that. I love Act 7, I really do, but also just please don’t. Ever again, thank you. 
Maybe Meat Kanaya will liberate RoseBot from Ult. Dirk’s control and this song will play as she beats the shit out of him. I would like that, I think. 
CONCLUSIONS
Personal Rating: Holy Shit 
Objective Musical Rating: Robots Have Never Sounded So Vengeful And I Love It
Plot-Relevance Rating: It’s Possible But The Outlook Isn’t Good, Chief 
Would It Stand On Its Own?: Fuck Yes It Would. I Sang This When I Came Out Of The Womb.
did u nut tho: yuh
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sagemintiart · 6 months ago
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Happy one year anniversary to my mini otome prequel, A Techie in Love byte: Dominic(12/15/2023)~ Created some art of Cecilia, the femc, with her childhood bestie/LI Dominic to celebrate.
Thank you to those who have played/or shared the game, I greatly appreciate it <3
Read the 1 year later devlog here;
Play online or download it free here on itchio;
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carolinemillerbooks · 3 years ago
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New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller
New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/analogue-in-a-digital-world/
Analogue In A Digital World
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The other day, I walked into an ice cream parlor for a cone.  When I learned I had to pay with a credit card, I walked out.  I’ve seen many people pay for coffee with a card. I admire their savvy. But I manage my finances best when I watch the money flow from my wallet rather than wait to be surprised at the end of the month. I had a similar experience with tech when I bought a magazine subscription recently. The fee was a hefty $80 which I paid with a check. When two months passed and the check hadn’t cleared, I emailed the company. No one replied but the magazines kept coming.  Finally, I wrote to the editor.  His explanation was, “We don’t get checks, normally. I guess it got lost.” The exchange gave me two pieces of information. First, I’d never buy stock in this company. Second, when my “subscription” runs out next year, not being a fool, I plan to renew with a check. AARP makes an effort to keep seniors aware of technology’s benefits.  This month their bulletin contains a section called, “Digital Financial Tools,” by Kim Porter. (pgs. 22-24, AARP Bulletin, March 20, 22.) The mind boggles at the opportunities she lays out.  But as a person who’s never used an ATM, it’s unlikely I’ll use them either.  I update my accounts as AARP advises because techies like to make changes.  I hate changes, particularly if it means I need a new password to see my bank balance. Sometimes a change requires I read through a set of instructions. I hate doing that, too.  Most of the time the upgrades are of little benefit to me.  For example, some Microsoft fool redesigned my email section so that the “save” button sits atop the “send” button. I’m forever shooting off an email before it’s time. My friends must be confused when they receive them, as well. Financial transactions I never leave to bits and bytes. To deposit a check, I address an envelope to my bank and put a stamp on it.   The price of a stamp has gone up, but that’s nothing compared to the cost of maintaining a computer system, paying for apps, and always needing to upgrade something.  And there’s the benefit of privacy through the mail.  What Google doesn’t know is fine by me. “Using so much pager is bad for the planet,” you might be thinking.  Well, that’s a myth that needs to be debunked. Paper is more environmentally friendly than electronics.  Besides, our grid is vulnerable to hackers, homegrown saboteurs, and commercial eves droppers, as I’ve suggested.   I share my digital phobia with other elderly folks if AARP’s poll is correct.  Only 3 in 10 older people are motivated to use technology
 (“Helping you Stay Tech Savvy,” by Jo Ann Jenkins, AARP Bulletin, March 20, 2022, pg. 38.) Having a reluctance to learn isn’t the problem. But two out of five seniors agree with me—the system is too complex to accomplish simple tasks.  In addition, the cost of the setup and the ongoing upgrades is a deterrent. (Ibid, pg. 30.) Like most people, I have a love/hate relationship with technology.  For research, computers are a marvel.  To buy an ice cream cone?  Not so much.
0 notes
philipholt · 6 years ago
Text
Totally unsupported hacks - Add Windows Terminal to the Win+X Shortcut menu
You shouldn't do this and if you choose to do this you may hurt yourself or one of your beloved pets.
You have been warned.
The Windows+X hotkey has been around for many years as is a simple right-click style context list of Developer/Administrator stuff that your techies might need in the course of human events.
There's one obscure setting in Settings | Taskbar where you can set the main option for the Command Prompt to be replaced with PowerShell, although that was flipped to "on" by default many years ago.
I want Windows Terminal in that Win+X menu.
Fast Forward to a world with lots of alternative console hosts, Linux running on Windows natively, not to mention cross-platform open source PowerShell Core, AND the new open source Windows Terminal (that you can just go download right now in the Windows Store) we find ourselves in a middle place. We want to replace the default console with the Windows Terminal everywhere as the default but that's gonna be a while.
Until then, we can integrate the Windows Terminal into our lives in a few obvious ways.
Pin Windows Terminal to your taskbar
Train yourself to Win+R and run "wt" rather than "cmd.exe" at wt.exe is a shim that launches the store-based Windows Terminal.
Add Windows Terminal to the Win+X menu.
It is that last one that concerns me today.
The Win+X implementation is a totally bonkers thing that I just don't understand with its origins lost to the mist of forgotten time.
You can go check out C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX and find it full of LNK files. Just drop yours in there, right? Well, I say nay nay!
They didn't want just anyone dropping stuff in there so to add a new application to Windows+X you need to:
Make or find a LNK file for your application.
BUT! Your lnk file can't (today?) be a LNK to a Windows Store app - more on that later. They appear to be ignored today.
Store a special hash in your LNK file per Rafael's excellent writeup here so that they are considered "Approved Links."
Rafael's utility has the source at GitHub and the binary here.
Make a new Group 4 folder in the \WinX folder above OR update Group 3 and copy your link in there considering the numbering scheme.
Note the ordering in the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ShellCompatibility\InboxApp
OR
Download a closed source utility by Sergey Tkachenko that promises to do these things for you, from WinReview.ru. More on that later.
Here's my WinX\Group3 folder . Note the shortcut at the top there.
I wanted to find a link to the Windows Terminal but it's harder than it looks. I can't find a real LNK file anywhere on my system. BUT I was able to find a synthetic one and make a copy by going "Win+R" and running "shell:AppsFolder" which brings you to a magic not-a-folder folder.
That is a folder of lies. I tried making a copy of this LNK, moving it to my deskop, hashing it with Rafael's util but it's ignored, presumably because it's a Windows Store LNK. Instead, I'll head out to cmd.exe and type "where wt.exe" to find the wt.exe shim and make a link to that!
C:\Users\scott>where wt.exe C:\Users\scott\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\wt.exe
These files are also lies, but lies of a another type. Zero byte lies.
Right-click wt.exe and Create Shortcut. Then drag that shortcut out of there and into somewhere else like your Desktop. You can then use hashlnk and move it to the WinX folder.
OR, you can use this scary and totally unsupported utility hosted at a questionable website that you have no business visiting. It's called Win+X Menu Editor and it was a chore to download. So much so that I'm going to hide a copy in my DropBox for the day in the near future when this utility and website disappear.
Be careful when you go download this utility, the site is full of scary links that say Download Now but they are all lies. You want the subtle text link that points to a ZIP file, just above the Donate button that says "Download Win+X Menu Editor."
In this utility you can add an item that points to your new WT.LNK file and it will use Rafael's code and copy the LNK file to the right place and re-number stuff if needed. Again, be careful as you never know. You might mess up your whole life with stuff like this. It worked for me.
And there you go.
Lovely. Now IMHO in some ideal future this should just happen out of the box, but until then it's nice to know I can do it myself.
Sponsor: Looking for a tool for performance profiling, unit test coverage, and continuous testing that works cross-platform on Windows, macOS, and Linux? Check out the latest JetBrains Rider!
© 2019 Scott Hanselman. All rights reserved.
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      Totally unsupported hacks - Add Windows Terminal to the Win+X Shortcut menu published first on http://7elementswd.tumblr.com/
0 notes
suzanneshannon · 6 years ago
Text
Totally unsupported hacks - Add Windows Terminal to the Win+X Shortcut menu
You shouldn't do this and if you choose to do this you may hurt yourself or one of your beloved pets.
You have been warned.
The Windows+X hotkey has been around for many years as is a simple right-click style context list of Developer/Administrator stuff that your techies might need in the course of human events.
There's one obscure setting in Settings | Taskbar where you can set the main option for the Command Prompt to be replaced with PowerShell, although that was flipped to "on" by default many years ago.
I want Windows Terminal in that Win+X menu.
Fast Forward to a world with lots of alternative console hosts, Linux running on Windows natively, not to mention cross-platform open source PowerShell Core, AND the new open source Windows Terminal (that you can just go download right now in the Windows Store) we find ourselves in a middle place. We want to replace the default console with the Windows Terminal everywhere as the default but that's gonna be a while.
Until then, we can integrate the Windows Terminal into our lives in a few obvious ways.
Pin Windows Terminal to your taskbar
Train yourself to Win+R and run "wt" rather than "cmd.exe" at wt.exe is a shim that launches the store-based Windows Terminal.
Add Windows Terminal to the Win+X menu.
It is that last one that concerns me today.
The Win+X implementation is a totally bonkers thing that I just don't understand with its origins lost to the mist of forgotten time.
You can go check out C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX and find it full of LNK files. Just drop yours in there, right? Well, I say nay nay!
They didn't want just anyone dropping stuff in there so to add a new application to Windows+X you need to:
Make or find a LNK file for your application.
BUT! Your lnk file can't (today?) be a LNK to a Windows Store app - more on that later. They appear to be ignored today.
Store a special hash in your LNK file per Rafael's excellent writeup here so that they are considered "Approved Links."
Rafael's utility has the source at GitHub and the binary here.
Make a new Group 4 folder in the \WinX folder above OR update Group 3 and copy your link in there considering the numbering scheme.
Note the ordering in the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ShellCompatibility\InboxApp
OR
Download a closed source utility by Sergey Tkachenko that promises to do these things for you, from WinReview.ru. More on that later.
Here's my WinX\Group3 folder . Note the shortcut at the top there.
I wanted to find a link to the Windows Terminal but it's harder than it looks. I can't find a real LNK file anywhere on my system. BUT I was able to find a synthetic one and make a copy by going "Win+R" and running "shell:AppsFolder" which brings you to a magic not-a-folder folder.
That is a folder of lies. I tried making a copy of this LNK, moving it to my deskop, hashing it with Rafael's util but it's ignored, presumably because it's a Windows Store LNK. Instead, I'll head out to cmd.exe and type "where wt.exe" to find the wt.exe shim and make a link to that!
C:\Users\scott>where wt.exe C:\Users\scott\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\wt.exe
These files are also lies, but lies of a another type. Zero byte lies.
Right-click wt.exe and Create Shortcut. Then drag that shortcut out of there and into somewhere else like your Desktop. You can then use hashlnk and move it to the WinX folder.
OR, you can use this scary and totally unsupported utility hosted at a questionable website that you have no business visiting. It's called Win+X Menu Editor and it was a chore to download. So much so that I'm going to hide a copy in my DropBox for the day in the near future when this utility and website disappear.
Be careful when you go download this utility, the site is full of scary links that say Download Now but they are all lies. You want the subtle text link that points to a ZIP file, just above the Donate button that says "Download Win+X Menu Editor."
In this utility you can add an item that points to your new WT.LNK file and it will use Rafael's code and copy the LNK file to the right place and re-number stuff if needed. Again, be careful as you never know. You might mess up your whole life with stuff like this. It worked for me.
And there you go.
Lovely. Now IMHO in some ideal future this should just happen out of the box, but until then it's nice to know I can do it myself.
Sponsor: Looking for a tool for performance profiling, unit test coverage, and continuous testing that works cross-platform on Windows, macOS, and Linux? Check out the latest JetBrains Rider!
© 2019 Scott Hanselman. All rights reserved.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
      Totally unsupported hacks - Add Windows Terminal to the Win+X Shortcut menu published first on https://deskbysnafu.tumblr.com/
0 notes
phezopage · 6 years ago
Text
2019 CES Highlights: News Made by Ford, Toyota, Audi, and Other Automakers
Ah, the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show. The show auto writers love to hate has undeniably become an “it” show that can’t be missed, even if—like FCA—you have nothing particularly new or techy to unveil. Still, technology prevails, and again this year the central themes in the automotive halls centered broadly on topics including autonomy, connectivity, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, smart cities, and mobility for all. On display in what seems like millions of display booths spread across Las Vegas’ many convention halls and temporary buildings erected in parking lots are promising puzzle pieces needed to complete the aforementioned big pictures. We embedded three of our troops to bring you the following highlights.
Lots of pundits blame CES for the “death” of Detroit’s North American International Auto Show. There were indeed numerous car companies with booths or displays set up at CES, and a production car even made its global debut here (the second in history). Hyundai probably earned “Best Concept” honors in unveiling its crazy four-legged-and-wheeled Elevate concept covered under the Venture Capital segment below, but Audi, Byton, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota also made news and staged splashy press events at this year’s event.
Audi
Audi proposed leveraging its vehicles’ many onboard sensors to inform a reality game that translates the vehicle’s various lateral and longitudinal accelerations into a roller-coaster ride as experienced through virtual reality goggles. We fear the coaster rides may be pretty dull when crossing the Great Plains, but through subsidiary Audi Electronics Venture GmbH, a start-up called Holoride GmbH has started to commercialize this “new form of entertainment” via an open development platform. Audi demoed the concept with Marvel’s Avengers: Rocket’s Rescue Run, which was developed in conjunction with Disney Games and Interactive Experiences. Audi plans to eventually make the technology available to other automakers and content developers.
And not to be outdone by Mercedes-Benz’s bouncing GLE-Class crossover, Audi demonstrated the capabilities of its new A8 active suspension by using it to heighten the experience of watching one of those Marvel comic movie scenes where the supers destroy some hapless city’s infrastructure, bouncing, pitching, and rolling along with the action—a potentially welcome diversion when stuck in a stationary car in traffic or while recharging. If you’re wondering, the current A8’s electrical architecture doesn’t permit the suspension system to access an app like this would need, but a midcycle upgrade is expected in the 2021–22 time frame.
Byton
Byton showed the M-Byte at CES, but the electric SUV’s sleek styling takes a back seat to the 48.0-inch curved display that dominates the dash, making Tesla and Volvo screens look puny by comparison. If the glow cast by that enormous screen doesn’t give you enough info, the steering wheel itself has a 7.0-inch display, and an 8.0-inch touchpad screen sits between the two front seats.
Rear seats get entertainment screens, and the front seats can rotate inward up to 12 degrees to facilitate conversation when the car isn’t moving. The luxurious Byton M-Byte looks promising, and the automaker has set a debut date of mid-2019, but considering how long it’s taken other Tesla-challenging startups to actually produce cars for consumers to buy, we take that date with a grain of salt.
Ford
Ford announced its plans to roll out cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology for 2022. The system will be compatible with the coming 5G architecture but also works on existing 4G LTE and other cellular networks. Ford’s architecture leverages Qualcomm communications technology, which allows connected devices to communicate directly with one another even when out of range of a cell tower. A major benefit of C-V2X over other communications protocols like direct short-range communications (DSRC) is that pedestrians, cyclists, and so forth are more likely to carry a cell phone than a DSRC-enabled communications device so they will be better protected.
Hyundai
Hyundai announced plans to introduce a dedicated, modular electric platform (called E-GMP) by 2020. The automaker showcased a Style Set Free vehicle personalization concept that looked for all the world like an Apple Store where owners of future autonomous Hyundais could order things such as an onboard rowing machine. And a mobility ecosystem concept was floated in which clients could purchase mobility by the mile, by the minute, or by the megawatt. Few details have been hammered out as yet on that last one. Hyundai’s CRADLE (Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experiences) venture-capital subsidiary was founded in late 2017 and has already invested in 30 startups. But it was the team overseeing and coordinating with these companies that built and unveiled a crazy robotic walking car concept called Elevate, which we covered here.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz introduced its new CLA-Class and announced that its Freightliner Cascadia big-rig truck would be first to market offering SAE Level 2 partial autonomy. The CLA-Class joins its mechanical twin, the A-Class, in democratizing Benz’s MBUX user interface to middle-class incomes, complete with gesture control and a digital assistant that responds to “Hey, Mercedes.” The Freightliner, meanwhile, brings the kinds of advanced driver aids we’re just beginning to take for granted—automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping, lane centering, adaptive cruise control, auto headlights and high-beams, auto wipers–to Class 8 trucks for the first time ever.
Toyota
Toyota is collaborating with Kenworth to equip 10 new T680 big-rig tractors with fuel cell powertrains as part of a $41 million Zero and Near-Zero Emissions Freight Facilities (ZANZEFF) grant preliminarily awarded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The grant aims to clean up the air around the Port of Los Angeles, but the trucks have a 300-mile range and will deliver freight throughout the L.A. basin. The Toyota Research Institute unveiled its P4 autonomous vehicle testing platform, based on a Lexus LS 500h, and Guardian, a Level 2 autonomy system that uses the sensing and computing power of a Level 4 or 5 system to better warn and assist drivers under dangerous or particularly demanding driving conditions. The Toyota Mobility Foundation unveiled concepts to aid in personal mobility that included Evowalk (a sleeve that stimulates leg muscles to aid in walking), Moby (a concept of shared devices that motorize manual wheelchairs), Phoenix Ai Ultralight Wheelchair (a largely carbon self-balancing chair that eliminates vibration), and Qolo and Quix (two wheeled exoskeleton concepts that allow paraplegics to move around standing up). And finally the company announced a partnership with Japanese cellular giant KDDI and U.S.-based AT&T to upgrade Toyota/Lexus connectivity with 4G LTE technology.
More from 2019 CES: 
Future Cars May Use Your Fingerprints and EKG Traces
Artificial Intelligence Tech for Our Autonomous-Car Future
Innovations in Enviro-Sensing for Robocars
CES 2019 Imagines the Future of In-Car Entertainment
The post 2019 CES Highlights: News Made by Ford, Toyota, Audi, and Other Automakers appeared first on Motortrend.
2019 CES Highlights: News Made by Ford, Toyota, Audi, and Other Automakers published first on https://freemobilehackspage.tumblr.com
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just4programmers · 7 years ago
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One click deploy for MakeCode and the amazing AdaFruit Circuit Playground Express
There's a ton of great open source hardware solutions out there. Often they're used to teach kids how to code, but their also fun for adults to learn about hardware!
Ultimately that "LED Moment" can be the start of a love affair with open source hardware and software! Arduino is great, as is Arduino talking to the Cloud! If that's too much or too many moving parts, you always start small with other little robot kits for kids.
Recently my 10 year old and I have been playing with the Circuit Playground Express from Adafruit. We like it because it supports not just block-based programming and JavaScript via MakeCode (more on that in a moment) but you can also graduate to Circuit Python. Want to be even more advanced/ You can also use the Arduino IDE to talk to Circuit Playground Express. It's quickly becoming our favorite board. Be sure to get the board, some batteries and a holder, as well as a few alligator clips.
The Circuit Playground Express board is round and has alligator-clip pads around it so you don't have to solder to get started. It has as bunch of sensors for light, temperature, motion, sound, as well as an IR receiver and transmitter and LEDs for visual output. There's a million things you can do with it. This summer Microsoft Research is doing a project a week you can do with the kids in your life with Make Code!
I think the Circuit Playground Express is excellent by itself, but I like that I can stack it on top of the AdaFruit Crickit to make a VERY capable robotics platform. It's an ingenious design where three screws and metal standoffs connect the Crickit to the Circuit Playground and provide a bus for power and communication. The 10 year old wants to make a BattleBot now.
Sitting architecturally on top of all this great hardware is the open source Microsoft Make Code development environment. It's amazing and more people should be talking about it. MakeCode works with LEGO Mindstorms EV3, micro:bit, Circuit Playground Express, Minecraft, Cue robots, Chibichips, and more. The pair of devices is truly awesome.
Frankly I'm blown away at how easy it is and how easily my kids were productive. The hardest part of the whole thing was the last step where they need to copy the compiled code to the Circuit Playground Express. The editor is all online at GitHub https://github.com/Microsoft/pxt and you can run it locally if you like but there's no reason to unless you're developing new packages.
We went to https://makecode.adafruit.com/ for the Circuit Playground Express. We made a new project (and optionally added the Crickit board blocks as an extension) and then got to work. The 10 year old followed a tutorial and made a moisture sensor that uses an alligator clip and a nail to check if our plants need to be watered! (If they do, it beeps and turns red!)
You can see the code here as blocks...
or see the same code as JavaScript!
let Soil_reading = 0 let dry_value = 0 dry_value = 1500 light.setBrightness(45) light.setAll(0x00ff00) forever(function () { Soil_reading = input.pinA1.value() console.logValue("Soil reading", Soil_reading) if (Soil_reading < dry_value) { light.setAll(0xff0000) music.playTone(262, music.beat(BeatFraction.Half)) } else { light.clear() } pause(__internal.__timePicker(2000)) })
When you've written your code, you just click DOWNLOAD and you'll get a "uf2" file.
Then the hardest part, you plug in the Circuit Playground Express via USB, it shows up as a Drive called "CPLAYBOOT," and you copy that file over. It's easy for techies, but a speed bump for kids.
It's really a genius process where they have removed nearly every obstacle in the hardware. After the file gets copied over (literally after the last byte is written) the device resets and starts running it.
The "Developer's Inner Loop" is as short as possible, so kudos to the team. Code, download, deploy, run/test, repeat.
This loop is fast and clever, but I wanted to speed it up a little so I wrote this little utility to automatically copy your MakeCode file to the Circuit Playground Express. Basically the idea is:
Associate my app with *.uf2 files
When launched, look for a local drive labeled CPLAYBOOK and copy the uf2 file over to it.
That's it. It speeds up the experience and saves me a number of clicks. Sure there's batch file/powershell/script ways to do it but this wasn't hard.
static void Main(string[] args) { var sourceFile = args[0]; var drive = (from d in DriveInfo.GetDrives() where d.VolumeLabel == "CPLAYBOOT" select d.RootDirectory).FirstOrDefault(); if (drive == null) { Console.WriteLine("Press RESET on your Circuit Playground Express and try again!"); Environment.Exit(1); } Console.WriteLine($"Found Circuit Playground Express at {drive.FullName}"); File.Copy(sourceFile, Path.Combine(drive.FullName, Path.GetFileName(sourceFile))); }
Then I double click on the uf2 file and get this dialog and SCROLL DOWN and click "Look for another app on this PC." (They are making this hard because they want you to use a Store App, which I haven't made yet)
Now I can just click my uf2 files in Windows Explorer and they'll automatically get deployed to my Circuit Playground Express!
Found Circuit Playground Express at D:\
You can find source here https://github.com/shanselman/MakeCodeLaunchAndCopy if you're a developer, just get .NET Core 2.1 and run my .cmd file on Windows to build it yourself. Feel free to make it a Windows Store App if you're an overachiever. Pull Requests appreciated ;)
Otherwise, get the a little release here https://github.com/shanselman/MakeCodeLaunchAndCopy/releases and unzip the contents into its own folder on Windows, go double-click a UF2 file and point Windows to the MakeCodeLaunchAndCopy.exe file and you're all set!
Sponsor: Preview the latest JetBrains Rider with its built-in spell checking, initial Blazor support, partial C# 7.3 support, enhanced debugger, C# Interactive, and a redesigned Solution Explorer.
© 2018 Scott Hanselman. All rights reserved.
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robertkstone · 6 years ago
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2019 CES Highlights: News Made by Ford, Toyota, Audi, and Other Automakers
Ah, the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show. The show auto writers love to hate has undeniably become an “It” show that can’t be missed, even if—like FCA—you have nothing particularly new or techy to unveil. Still, technology prevails, and again this year the central themes in the automotive halls centered broadly on topics including autonomy, connectivity, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, smart cities, and mobility for all. On display in what seems like millions of display booths spread across Las Vegas’ many convention halls and temporary buildings erected in parking lots are promising puzzle pieces needed to complete the aforementioned big pictures. We embedded three of our troops to bring you the following highlights.
Lots of pundits blame CES for the “death” of Detroit’s North American International Auto Show. There were indeed numerous car companies with booths or displays set up at CES, and a production car even made its global debut here (the second in history). But we continue to contend that CES is a tech show, not a car show, as the vast preponderance of automaker announcements will attest. Hyundai probably earned “Best Concept” honors in unveiling its crazy four-legged-and-wheeled Elevate concept covered under the Venture Capital segment below, but Audi, Byton, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota also made news and staged splashy press events at this year’s event.
Audi
Audi proposed leveraging its vehicles’ many onboard sensors to inform a reality game that translates the vehicle’s various lateral and longitudinal accelerations into a roller-coaster ride as experienced through virtual reality goggles. We fear the coaster rides may be pretty dull when crossing the Great Plains, but through subsidiary Audi Electronics Venture GmbH, a start-up called Holoride GmbH has started to commercialize this “new form of entertainment” via an open development platform. Audi demoed the concept with Marvel’s Avengers: Rocket’s Rescue Run, which was developed in conjunction with Disney Games and Interactive Experiences. Audi plans to eventually make the technology available to other automakers and content developers.
And not to be outdone by Mercedes-Benz’s bouncing GLE-Class crossover, Audi demonstrated the capabilities of its new A8 active suspension by using it to heighten the experience of watching one of those Marvel comic movie scenes where the supers destroy some hapless city’s infrastructure, bouncing, pitching, and rolling along with the action—a potentially welcome diversion when stuck in a stationary car in traffic or while recharging. If you’re wondering, the current A8’s electrical architecture doesn’t permit the suspension-system access an app like this would need, but a midcycle upgrade is expected in the 2021–22 time frame.
Byton
Byton showed the M-Byte at CES, but the electric SUV’s sleek styling takes a back seat to the 48.0-inch curved display that dominates the dash, making Tesla and Volvo screens look puny by comparison. If the glow cast by that enormous screen doesn’t give you enough info, the steering wheel itself has a 7.0-inch display, and an 8.0-inch touchpad screen sits between the two front seats.
Rear seats get entertainment screens, and the front seats can rotate inward up to 12 degrees to facilitate conversation when the car isn’t moving. The luxurious Byton M-Byte looks promising, and the automaker has set a debut date of mid-2019, but considering how long it’s taken other Tesla-challenging start-ups to actually produce cars for consumers to buy, we take that date with a grain of salt.
Ford
Ford announced its plans to roll out cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology for 2022. The system will be compatible with the coming 5G architecture but also works on existing 4G LTE and other cellular networks. Ford’s architecture leverages Qualcomm communications technology, which allows connected devices to communicate directly with one another even when out of range of a cell tower. A major benefit of C-V2X over other communications protocols like direct short-range communications (DSRC) is that pedestrians, cyclists, and so forth are more likely to carry a cell phone than a DSRC-enabled communications device so they will be better protected.
Hyundai
Hyundai announced plans to introduce a dedicated, modular electric platform (called E-GMP) by 2020. The automaker showcased a Style Set Free vehicle personalization concept that looked for all the world like an Apple Store where owners of future autonomous Hyundais could order things such as an onboard rowing machine. And a mobility ecosystem concept was floated in which clients could purchase mobility by the mile, by the minute, or by the megawatt. Few details have been hammered out as yet on that last one. Hyundai’s CRADLE (Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experiences) venture-capital subsidiary was founded in late 2017 and has already invested in 30 startups. But it was the team overseeing and coordinating with these companies that built and unveiled a crazy robotic walking car concept called Elevate, which we covered here.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz introduced its new CLA-Class and announced that its Freightliner Cascadia big-rig truck would be first to market offering SAE level 2 partial autonomy. The CLA-Class joins its mechanical twin, the A-Class, in democratizing Benz’s MBUX user interface to middle-class incomes, complete with gesture control and a digital assistant that responds to “Hey, Mercedes.” The Freightliner, meanwhile, brings the kinds of advanced driver aids we’re just beginning to take for granted—automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keeping, lane centering, adaptive cruise control, auto headlights and high-beams, auto wipers–to Class 8 trucks for the first time ever.
IFTTT
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