#scale auto modeling

[minimagicnook]

When I can't drive yet, I already have a mini garage of my own haha, which has a mechanic, an engine, and a vintage garage with glued so many nice pictorials. This garage is 1:64 real scale, 1:64 American-style garage miniature scene model.

[stureremil-collection]

Lamborghini Murcielago Barchetta Concept Car - AutoArt - 1/43

The highest level of detail from AutoArt.

[mariacallous]

One of the staggering things the latest Cybertruck recall has revealed—other than Tesla’s use of the wrong glue—is that Elon Musk’s company appears to have sold 46,096 of these 7,000-pound electric pickups since customer deliveries began a little over 14 months ago. This is far fewer sales than Musk predicted for the Cybertruck just weeks before the rollout; he told investors that Tesla would soon sell 250,000 Cybertrucks per year.

On an earnings call a month before the November 2023 launch of the production vehicle, Musk boasted that Tesla had bagged “over 1 million” Cybertruck reservations and that “demand is off the charts.”

“Reservationists” initially paid $100 to join the queue, a refundable deposit later raised to $250. Car companies often open wait lists for models expected to outstrip supply, but most auto executives don’t expect that all of those who lodge deposits will follow through.

“The automotive industry aims for a conversion rate of around 2 to 16 percent” on reservations, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights for car tech firm Cox Automotive, tells WIRED.

By that reckoning, Tesla’s conversion rate is just under 5 percent. That’s at the lower end of the conversion scale, but many experts, used to Tesla’s stratospheric sales, might consider that a flop. Analysts generally don’t treat the world’s richest automaker like a regular car company. Its stock trades at many times earnings, valuing it multiples higher than companies that sell more cars.

If manufacturing capacity is any gauge of the sales numbers that Tesla was expecting, then the company must be sorely disappointed, because the Texas Gigafactory, where the Cybertruck is made, has the capacity to build more than 125,000 of the pickups per year. But, according to a Business Insider report from January, poor Cybertruck sales led to workers being taken off the “Cyber” production line and moved to a Model Y line.

Tesla’s current elevated worth is based not on its actual sales but on predicted sales of yet-to-be-launched robotaxis and humanoid Optimus robots, which—like the Cybertruck, slated to arrive three years before it went into production—could be several years away from being mass produced.

“My predictions have a pretty good track record,” Musk told Tesla staff at an all-hands meeting on March 20, but none of those present dared to ask him whether he had predicted the anti-Musk backlash that is tanking Tesla sales around the world.

And for all Musk’s bluster at the staff meeting that Tesla is “by far the most innovative company in the car industry,” it really isn’t. Chinese automakers such as XPeng, Nio, and Li Auto are far ahead of Tesla on autonomous driving and other technologies.

Waymo is already offering driverless taxi rides. Nor is Tesla the only company plotting a future for humanoid robots. In a recent TechFirst podcast, author Peter Diamandis stated there were 15 other companies also in this race—and none of those have a leader as controversial or as divisive as Musk.

“This year, we hopefully will be able to make about 5,000 Optimus robots,” said Musk. “That’s the size of a Roman legion. Which is like a scary thought. Like a whole legion of robots. I'll be like, ‘whoa.’”

Musk’s exuberance continued as he claimed Tesla would make “probably 50,000-ish [Optimus robots] next year.” He further claimed that Optimus “will be the biggest product of all time by far—nothing will even be close. It’ll be 10 times bigger than the next biggest product ever made. Ultimately, I think we’ll be making tens of millions of robots a year.” Seconds later, he upped the ante even further, stating that, no, Tesla would actually make “maybe 100 million robots a year.”

Grandiose predictions excite Tesla bulls who believe him when Musk says “I know more about manufacturing than anyone currently alive on Earth,” but back in the real world Musk is in charge of a car manufacturing company that can’t even spec the correct grade of panel glue.

Now on its eighth recall in the past 14 months—prior recalls involved failing windshield wipers, trapped accelerator pedals, and possible loss of power to the wheels—Musk’s polarizing polygonic pickups are in sales free fall. Month-over-month Cybertruck sales were down by 32.5 percent in February, according to estimates by Cox Automotive.

“The Cybertruck generated significant buzz with its unique design and ambitious specifications,” says Cox’s Streaty. “However, sales have fallen short of expectations due to higher-than-promised prices, lower driving range and payload capacity, and production issues. The unconventional design hasn’t resonated with traditional truck buyers, and strong competition from Rivian and Ford has intensified the market.”

The Cybertruck, she adds, is a “niche product with a unique design and high price point, which may not resonate with mainstream consumers. Additionally, recalls and quality concerns can significantly undermine customer confidence and sales, posing a substantial challenge for the Cybertruck’s market success.”

When unveiled in 2019, Musk promised the production vehicle would launch within two years, starting with a $39,900 model. At the actual launch in 2023, the base model cost $21,000 more than that. The Foundation Series model—an early-doors special—cost an additional $20,000 despite offering no physical differences other than a look-at-me logo. Nonphysical perks included lifetime cellular connectivity and “free” access to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system.

Forbes spoke with experts who estimate that Tesla sank at least $2 billion into the development of the Cybertruck. A traditional car might need 200,000 units per year to cover the research and development costs, Olav Sorenson, professor of strategy and sociology at UCLA and faculty director of its Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, has estimated.

Sorenson calculates that the Cybertruck, with its stainless steel body panels and unconventional construction, might require as many as 300,000 sales per year.

At current levels of Cybertruck sales Tesla “probably loses money on every one,” claims Sorenson. “It’s an innovative vehicle, but whether such an unusual design would appeal to consumers has always been a gamble. The DeLorean, the original stainless steel car, sold only about 9,000 units. Even more mainstream cars with unusual designs, such as the PT Cruiser, have struggled to reach profitable sales levels.”

Sadly for Tesla, Musk’s wedge wagon went from a million or more reservations—which many thought would take some years to work through—to walk-up availability at dealerships within months.

This swifter-than-expected softening of demand might have been partly due to the Cybertruck’s now notorious quality-control issues. “When we launched reservations for the Valkyrie, we knew that this would be a highly desirable car due to its limited production and the personnel involved in the car’s development,” says former Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. “People could rely on Aston and knew [the new car] was something we’d deliver. For the Cybertruck, we’ve seen a string of delays and a moving of the goalposts, which conveys a lack of reliability, and if the OEM isn’t reliable, why should customers be?”

A reservationist from northern Maryland, who says he was sold early on Musk’s promise of an electric pickup, spoke to WIRED on condition of anonymity. “I was planning on buying a truck and wanted my next vehicle to be electric,” he says. “At the time, the Cybertruck was the only EV pickup that seemed like it would be available soon. I placed an order with $100 refundable for the mid-tier one, but then the Cybertruck took much longer than originally promised, so I canceled my reservation.” He didn’t regret this decision. “With the events of the last couple of years, and especially the last couple of months, I would never now consider buying a Tesla vehicle.”

The deal breaker for many reservationists was the cost hike. “The Cybertruck was promised to start at $39,990 when the initial reservations began—a stratospheric difference from the $99,990 Foundation Series trucks that were first available,” says Joseph Yoon, consumer insights analyst at the car-shopping website Edmunds. “Even the cheapest base model now has an expected base MSRP of $60,990, and it’s likely that not many customers are willing to bridge the vast pricing gap.”

Tesla sold merely 38,965 of the angular EVs last year, according to Kelley Blue Book estimates. In January, Tesla introduced discounts to clear Cybertruck inventories with Foundation Series models still in stock, a variant Tesla was supposed to have stopped selling in October.

Tesla is now offering low financing rates to move Cybertrucks. Indeed, it has reportedly buffed out the badges on Foundation Series vehicles that failed to find a buyer so they can be sold as regular models. To clear yet more Foundation Series Cybertrucks from inventory, Tesla dealerships have also listed perks such as free lifetime Supercharging. The electric pickups are even piling up on used-car lots.

President Trump publicly encouraging Americans to buy Musk’s cars at a White House sales event is unlikely to have moved the needle much—and Tesla, which did not respond to a request for comment on this article, is facing a “brand tornado crisis moment,” says Dan Ives, a Tesla bull. The company’s shares have dropped nearly 40 percent since the start of the year, erasing the value hike it enjoyed in December after the election of Trump, a victory bankrolled in part by Musk.

The subsequent animus directed at Musk adds to the many other challenges that Tesla faces, including—the refreshed Model Y Juniper excepted—a jaded lineup of offerings.

Any novelty bump that may have boosted the Cybertruck’s initial sales has now most certainly worn off. Earlier this year, a research note issued by Morgan Stanley cited “decelerating Cybertruck volumes” as a reason for expectations of lower 2025 Tesla volume growth.

Other analysts have also expressed concern, with the Cybertruck cited as a drag on Tesla’s value. Swedish billionaire and hedge fund manager Christer Gardell recently issued a stark warning about Tesla stock. Talking on Swedish TV, he said Tesla’s valuation could drop steeply.

“Tesla,” said Gardell, “is probably the most expensive stock on the global stock exchanges right now. It could go down 95 percent—and maybe it should go down 95 percent.”

While other analysts see Telsa as a tech company with massive potential for non-auto sales, Gardell sees merely a car company. He does not understand why the market treats Tesla with such reverence. Tesla’s “valuation is incomprehensible,” he told the EFN channel. A crash is coming, he believes. “It’s always hard to say when. It could happen in a month, six months, a year, three years, or five years.” But it was clear in the interview that Gardell thinks it is coming.

And, for all of Musk’s recent praise for the Cybertruck’s five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—Musk has stated the Cybertruck is “apocalypse-level safe”—any Tesla market crash will at least partially be due to the lower-than-expected sales of the Cybertruck.

Ultimately, Tesla’s CEO might rue the day he categorized his predictions as having a “pretty good track record.” On a 2023 earnings call, Musk confessed that the auto brand had “dug our own grave with the Cybertruck.” If things for the brand continue on their current trajectories, he may well have got this one right.

[secretcatpolicy]

I'm delighted that I got this new Matchbox Morgan Plus Four.

I adore Morgans; always have. While they are less than practical in most cases, they tick every other box for me. Let's explore what Morgans are and why I love them.

Morgan is a British company - which is still fully true to my knowledge, because in this ridiculous world we currently occupy, there are degrees to this sort of statement. MG was a British company, got acquired by a Chinese consortium and, with its cars built in China, is in no sense beyond the historical a British company; Land Rover still build its cars in the UK but it's owned by Tata of India. Are Land Rover still British? I'd say yes, but it's arguable. But Morgan is owned partly by the family of founder Henry Morgan (along with a private equity group, because you can't fucking escape the bullshit of 2025) and operate from Malvern in Worcestershire (pronounced "WOOstersheer"), as it has since 1909. This is crucial in understanding what Morgan is about; the company is a small-volume producer, because they still build all their cars by hand.

No robots, no mass-production. Every single one is bespoke, uniquely built to the customer's specifications, and as someone with an incessant urge to customise everything this is an extremely appealing attribute. It's hard to overstate how much I like the idea of a coachbuilt car made by craftspeople with decades of experience, but with modern technology and reliability. They have three models presently, the Plus Four, the Supersport and the Super 3 (recently made by Hot Wheels). Past models included the 4/4 with 4 seats, the +8 with a V8 and the Aero, which was an enclosed and streamlined model, along with a whole tine of 3-wheelers.

They are largely aluminium in construction, with a wooden subframe, which makes them very light. Of course, the look is iconic and dates back to around 1936, revised a little in 1950 and not much since, although it's often tweaked and given modernised tech. Morgan don't make their own engines, and the current range use BMW inline engines for the 4-wheelers (a 2-litre B48B20O1 turbo i4 making 255 hp for the Plus Four, and a 335hp B58B30C i6 with a twin-scroll turbo for the Supersport) and a Ford 3-cylinder for the 3-wheeler Super 3. Past models have used Ford, Mazda and Rover engines

They're all RWD, with auto or manual options that hit 60 in about 5 seconds in the Plus Four, and a sub 4-second 60 via auto only in the Supersport. What results is a sports car in the classic sense that Mazda was aiming for with the MX-5, not brutally powerful or transcendently fast but small, low, responsive, agile and focused on being fun to drive. They have only the space behind the seats for cargo, plus an optional rack on the back, and while third-party rigid hardtops exist there's no factory option, so they'd be pretty hard to live with as primary everyday cars, but as a car for enjoying driving, and as drivable art, I think there's probably none better.

Notably with this, it's basically exactly the same size as the 1:55 Siku +8, which is odd, as the little figures are supposed to be 1:75 scale but seem pretty well fitted to the car. The Super 3 is a bit larger scale, while the Majorette (the more battered green one, which has HW real riders but is very much not a HW model) is a touch longer. The inability of diecast makers to stick to a single scale drives me up the wall.

[garaje1en18]

🚗✨ Hispano-Suiza H6C - 1934 (1:43 scale) Autos de Época A timeless masterpiece in my collection! This model embodies the elegance and power of early 1930s luxury automotive design. Perfect for fans of classic cars and die-cast collectors. 🔧 Marvel at the intricate details and craftsmanship in this outstanding model. Don’t miss out! 🎥 Watch the video and join me on this vintage automotive journey!

Social networks: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garaje1en18 Twitter: https://twitter.com/garaje1en18 Blogspot: https://garaje1en18.blogspot.com Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Garaje1en18 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garaje1en18 vk: https://vk.com/garaje1en18 TiTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@garaje1en18 Tumblr: https://garaje1en18.tumblr.com Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/garaje-1en18 WEB: http://garaje1en18.atspace.cc

#HispanoSuiza #H6C #1934 #143 #AutosdeEpoca #garaje1en18 #pressofuso #giocattolo #modellodacollezione #Druckguss #Spielzeug #Sammlerstück #DiecastCars #ModelCars #ScaleModels #VintageCars #ClassicCars #AutoCollectibles #ToyCars #MiniatureCars #Shorts #FacebookReels #TikTokCars #FYP #AutoArt #CarEnthusiast #CollectorsItem #DiecastCommunity

[hirocimacruiser]

Each evolution has its own myth

THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

The wolf in sheep's clothing in '90

Stripped off! Tommykaira M20

TommyKaira M20 is here!!

Extreme styling reminiscent of a racing car, a sharp engine, and hard suspension...

Domestic complete cars are doing better than ever!

The hard suspension and responsive engine feel great!

The long-awaited new model has been released for the domestically produced complete car, Tommykaira. Based on the R32 Skyline GTS-t Type M, the new "Tommykaira M20":

The concept was slightly changed from the Silvia-based M18SI/M18 SiR, and most of the engine parts were replaced.

The building has not been touched up at all, and as a result the exterior has been renovated in a very unique way.

The only changes to the engine were the computer and the intercooler. However, this alone increased the power to 250 PS.

It has improved, and above all, the response has improved dramatically. The original large-capacity intercooler is a type that only changes the core, but it seems to have been quite effective in improving intake efficiency. You can really feel the improvement in response. What's more, it has also improved fuel efficiency, so there's nothing to complain about.

The suspension is tuned with NISMO shock absorbers, original springs, and a rear stabilizer.

This is a fairly hard setting, and you may feel a bit rough when driving on rough roads at low speeds, but once you start driving at high speeds, it creates a sense of stability that hits you right in the feels.

Even on winding roads, you can enjoy the fun driving that only FR can provide. In addition to increasing the rigidity of the suspension, the strut tower bar has increased the rigidity of the body, so the handling is just as sharp. The test car was equipped with the optional mechanical LSD (the standard is a viscous LSD), which made the car move even more briskly.

Now, the most interesting thing is the exterior and interior.

Terrier. The exterior is simply so exciting that it could be described as radical. The front and rear spoilers are designed in the image of a racing car, and the rear tail fins have pillow ball pillars that allow the angle of the wing to be adjusted. It looks just like a Formula car or a C car.

The interior is dressed up to match the exterior with a steering wheel, shift knob, footrest, and driving mat. The mood can be further enhanced by installing the options of Recaro seats, full-scale meter (speed, RPM), and triple meter (oil temperature, outside temperature, voltage).

PIC CAPTIONS

◆Inspired by the image of a real racing car, the body is white in concept color, 7J-16 wheels and 205/55 tires are standard equipment, and the vehicle price is ¥3,580.000.

★Powerful and striking tail fin with 120% visibility

◆The side steps get wider as they go towards the back, creating a nice balance and tightening the shape.

◆ Thanks to the seats with good holding power, the large footrest, and the steering wheel with excellent grip, the operability is perfect.

____________________________________________________________

scoop!

This guy is New Tommy Kaira M30

When I visited the Tomita Auto garage to test drive the Tommykaira M20, the "Tommykaira M30" was already in the final stages of being finished. It looks like it will have a 3.0-liter engine, similar to the old M30, and the body will be widened with large pre-sprung fenders, considering that it will have a 3-number plate. This means that the design will undoubtedly be even more radical than the M20! It will be announced on June 1st, so look forward to it!

The large protruding blister fenders clearly show the difference from the M20.

_____________________________________________________________

The two-stage wing shows off its performance!

Impul 532S

Hoshino Impul, led by racing driver Hoshino Kazuyoshi, has also produced an evolution model of the R32 Skyline, called the "Impul 532S."

The engine has been tuned up with computer changes, and the suspension system and special wheels are used to tighten the suspension. The interior is equipped with Impulse 913 steering, 260km/h Impul speedometer.

And the exterior. The front spoiler incorporating the fog lamps has a modest design, but the rear wing is two-stage and large like a Formula car, showing off the car's powerful driving. The side steps, which are also part of the door panels, add volume to the body and make it look more powerful.

F bumper (fog lights sold separately) ¥95,000・S step set (door panel included) ¥130,000・R bumper set (R bumper, punching metal set, R bumper side parts) ¥115,000 R wing ¥85,000. Set price ¥380,000 260km/h speedometer ¥45,000・Impul 913 steering ¥38,000・Shock absorber ¥15,000 Reinforced spring ¥9 500・Stabilizer ¥30,000/®¥25,000・Computer (with boost up parts) ¥148,000 (¥118,000 if trade-in is included) ・Decal set ¥9,800

_______________________________________________________

Limited to 500 genuine evolution models

Skyline GT-R NISMO

Nissan builds to win Group A

The Skyline GT-R NISMO is a machine that Nissan built in earnest to win Group A. Based on the GT-R, the ABS and active amenity system were abolished, the turbos were enlarged, the rotors were changed from metal to ceramic, the front bumper was changed, the rear fenders were enlarged, and a small R spoiler was added.

With the addition of the turbocharger, it is truly a competitive machine designed to win races. The driving feeling is hard, even with the slow start-up of the turbine, and a regular GT-R would run smoother on the street. However, when you take it to the circuit, the GT-R NISMO turns into a monster machine.

[eclipsingsolace]

"The Solver demands fuel, and I'm inclined to oblige."

Character consistency?! What's that?

for real I've been slowly cooking my big OC for MD: Echelons

This is "The Benefactor" the Supreme Commander of the Legion

Place of Assembly: Earth System- {REDACTED}

Product Line: CYN-MYKX

Serial Designation: LD-AED000100100

Real Name: {REDACTED}

Mechanical Age: 25

Solar Cycle Age: 49

Mental Age: 22

"The Supreme Commander of the Legion, the confidant to the Solver, she is known by many names. The Darkstar, The Solver's Iron Hand, The Monster of Earth, Baba Yaga, but we... we call her The Benefactor. She is our savior. She is our leader, and we will tear apart the stars themselves in service to her dream"

- Major Malora of the Legion 30XX

She is charactered by a strong hate for all things, but not entirely. As she will employ a systems local populace, flora and fauna to be used and in fact is hiding a softer more immature side. merciless, intelligent and manipulative but not extensively so. She venerates Cyn as the prime host of the Absolute Solver and constantly refers to them as 'Master, Lord, and the titles given in Episode 5 (Solver of the Absolute Fabric, The Void, etc.)' as a result of this most of her original personality has been replaced with a sick interpretation of Cyn's she intelligent but not 'plans the end of the universe' smart, she's manipulative but not 'basically make Humanity cast the die for their own genocide' manipulative and silly but not as much. She is also very self righteous and values 'Legion Dogs' Legionnaires who very much act the part of a proper military (Saluting, bowing, being very serious, etc.) but her veil can quickly falter. Joining in with the grunts for board games or party games, speaking more like a teenager, doing robo-drugs, and racing or play video games (yes they have those) but while aboard her fleet or leading troops she is merciless, a Legionnaire is injured well that's a field execution for them being 'worthless' and then will later get blasted by an auto cannon herself. Yet despite these traits not being ones you'd respect in a person and would probably dislike, many lower rank Legionnaires appreciate her joining in on their fun and being a leader they can 'talk to' unlike the few poor unfortunate souls that were there for an audience with the Solver before. While the Higher ranking Legionaries respect her because she leads by example, leading forces on the front line instead of leading from a rear command center's intel table. Wherever you find The Benefactor you will also find Alpha and Zeta, the DD's assigned to her as bodyguards (at least during night-time, during the Day she is protected by Viper Squad , an Elite unit of Legion Drones), thus amplifying her already extremely deadly presence millions-fold by having Disassemblers always nearby

A big inspiration of what the Legion is comes from her and @liamvickersanimation original design for the Murder Drones

but what if they were more 'blocky' and less sleek and advanced looking, like more Wall-E to your EVE

Some of the Legion's more noticeable traits is uniform markings and no clothes, they are supposed to be expendable grunts, and the only ones that get to distinguish themselves need to distinguish themselves first on the battlefront and because of this concept The Benefactor is the most advanced Legion Drone being along the same product line CYN-MYKX like the other Disassemblers, but she's the Alpha model but still droves more advanced compared to the rest of the Legion. If I had to power scale them, The Benefactor could go toe to toe with one of the DD's from the main series purely based on her SKILL since she's been fighting a war against the {REDACTED} and thus has been fighting things that challenged her skill and taught her more compared to the DD's that basically have been curb stomping Star Systems casually the past 20 odd years, never really putting their combat systems to the test.

Some differences our dear Commander and the Legion has compared to her DD counterparts also are

A LIMITED ARSENAL: her arms and legs carry a limited supply of weapons and tools compared to the 'whatever the plot desires/ infinite' combinations that the DD's have (I head canon this is because the dormant Solver code in their systems just generating ammo/weapons/tools at will) while other Legionnaires need to actually BRING weapons and ammo

NO REGENERATION: Due to the Legion not having the Absolute Solver code, they can not regenerate and thus need to be repaired when damaged (which they oft are not and just stripped for spare parts for more High Value Legionnaires)

WHITE AND BLACK/RED LED'S: A Legionnaires normal LED color is white but when they go into combat mode they go red and their primary color scheme is white with black strips/markings (this is lore important later you'll see ;) ) *plus i would rather them have black 'armbands' (markings) than red for OBVIOUS REASONS BEING OBVIOUS so yes despite the Legion's emblem being drawn darker, its actually white*

(Unique to The Benefactor) OMNI EYE HALO: Due to hardware limitations she has a Recon Ping that manifests as a halo or multiple halos that do quick on demand local scans and then feeding that info into her visor, so they function like the multiple 'eyes' of the DD but they have to be manually activated instead of being active all the time

(Unique to High Ranking Legionnaires) JET FIGHTER WINGS: While you might be saying, "Solace but those are super cool how is that a consequential difference than the disassembly drones?" Well, Taylor, let me tell you why, while the large jet fighter wings are cool they are characterized by needing fuel, and limited mobility (they are on rotators so don't worry they can whimper and have their wings flop down), while they can be used like a shield or blades, they have to deployed and due to their girth they take time to deploy compared to how the DD's just shoot out their shoulder blades, and have momentum and thus trajectory needs to be compensated for, but with enough skill they can keep up with the DD's. Also Anti grav thrusters and gravity boots

BLOODLUST(Lore relevant): Legionnaires have special Nuclear Atomizers that help them function but it does cause them to run hot and require oil (or any other liquid >:) ) and spare parts or they can be 'starved' out

(hey Liam I brought back that plot point you droped XD)

(Lore related) RESISTANCE TO EMP'S, SUN/UV AND THE ABSOLUTE SOLVER: So while (IM FAIRLY CERTAIN) The DD's are immune to the AS due to them having a strand of its dormant code inside them, the Benefactor and the Legion are Solver RESISTANT not immune, think like Star Wars when Darth Vader can force choke a regular dude in an instant but has to really work for it on another Force user, and for {REDACTED} the Legion has a resistance to EMP's and Sentinel Bootlooping ;) read the fic when it comes out to learn more, and because of them not having the Absolute Solver, the Sun and other UV light is not a death sentence for the Legion

(Unique to The Benefactor) ALLOYED FRAME AND EXPERIMENTAL COMPONENTS: Due to The Benefactor being the Supreme Commander on top of being a 'top of the line Legion Drone' she is made with Solver Steel which is specially alloyed giving her a silverish chrome tint/shine and increased durability and flexibility as well as her received top model components and software upgrades (this is just self indulgent at this point and only relevant because 2 reasons, one, her special forces units, Viper Squad, take a gray coat of paint to more closely match her and two because the primarily antagonist has to POSE A THREAT IN SOME CAPACITY TO THE MAIN CAST)

CLAW HANDS: To save space while also remaining deadly they have clawed fingers rather than having claws being a separate weapon

(Unique to the Legion as a whole) VEHICLES: As a warring force that was basically mass built by the AS and then just sent on Pods to Human planets that the Solver could not initially invade for one reason or another (Long summers, no night time, weak atmosphere letting UV rays in) they had to acquire starships, siege vehicles and transports from the former Human Worlds and then basically paint their symbols over them XD but now by 3077 they have quite the Armada, and considering their numbers, they are still a universal threat without them.

[l-1-z-a]

🌎 Scaling The Software Development Process: Lessons Learned from The Sims Online

Scaling The Software Development Process: Lessons Learned from The Sims Online. Greg Kearney, Larry Mellon, Darrin West Spring 2003, GDC. Talk Overview. Covers: Software Engineering techniques to help when projects get big Code structure Work processes (for programmers) Testing

The presentation "Scaling The Software Development Process: Lessons Learned from The Sims Online" (GDC 2003) describes the experience of scaling development processes for a large team. Key lessons include simplifying architecture, minimizing module dependencies, and automating testing to improve stability. Main approaches involved transitioning to a client-server model, using temporary solutions ("Incremental Sync," "Null View"), and maintaining the functionality of the mainline at all times. Tools such as auto-tests ("snifftest") and scriptable play sessions helped reduce errors and accelerate integration. Core principles: simplification (KISS), incremental changes, process measurability, and scaffolding to support parallel work. The presentation emphasizes the importance of adapting processes to team scale and continuously improving tools.

[sngl-led-auto-lights]

How do Teslas manage power differently from traditional cars, especially regarding overnight features like headlights?

Teslas manage power fundamentally differently from traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars—especially for "always-on" features like headlights—through architectural differences in their electrical systems, intelligent power management, and energy source prioritization. Here’s how they do it:

⚡ 1. Core Power Architecture Differences Component Traditional ICE Car Tesla

Primary Energy Source Alternator (belt-driven) recharges the 12V battery High-voltage (400V) battery pack → powers everything 12V System Power Source Lead-acid battery (depletes quickly) DC-DC converter taps HV pack to charge 12V lithium battery Headlights/Electronics Run only off 12V battery → drains in hours Prioritized LV loads → HV pack replenishes 12V as needed

🔋 2. Overnight Power Management

Teslas avoid dead batteries via layered power optimization: Deep Sleep Mode:

After 15-30 mins idle, Tesla shuts down non-essential systems (sentry mode, infotainment), cutting power draw to ~10-50W (vs. 200W+ in ICE idling).

Adaptive 12V Charging:

The DC-DC converter tops up the 12V battery only when its voltage drops → minimizes HV pack cycles.

Lithium 12V Battery (2021+ models):

Replaced lead-acid → 4x longer lifespan, faster charging, lighter weight.

Example: Headlights Left On ICE Car: Drains 12V battery in ~4-8 hours (500W draw).

Tesla:

Headlights auto-shutoff after delay (or via app).

If left on: HV pack feeds DC-DC converter → powers lights for days (~0.1% HV pack loss/hour).

🌙 3. Tesla-Specific "Overnight" Features Feature Power Source ICE Equivalent

Sentry Mode HV pack → 12V system (~200W) N/A – ICE battery dies fast Climate Keep HV pack → heat pump (1-3kW) Engine must idle (1-2L fuel/hr) Software Updates HV pack → compute (300W+) Drains 12V battery rapidly

HV battery sustains all features without idling an engine.

🔧 4. Real-World Efficiency Data Vampire Drain:

Tesla loses ~1-2% battery/day with sentry/climate off.

ICE cars lose 0.5–1L/day in fuel to keep 12V alive during shipping/storage.

Headlight Overnight Draw:

Tesla LED headlights: ~50W total.

ICE halogen headlights: 110W+.

⚠️ Why Tesla’s System Wins No Parasitic Losses: No alternator constantly burning fuel to charge a 12V system.

Energy Scale: Tapping a 75kWh HV pack for 12V loads is like "using an ocean to fill a bathtub."

Predictive Shutdown: Tesla sleeps deeply unless explicitly woken (via app or key).

🛠️ Edge Cases & Fail-Safes 12V Battery Failure:

Tesla alerts drivers weeks in advance → DC-DC converter keeps it charged proactively. HV Pack Depletion:

If HV pack hits 0%, the car uses reserve energy to boot critical systems for recovery. Frozen Temperatures:

HV pack self-heats to maintain efficiency (ICE batteries struggle below -10°C).

Bottom Line: Teslas treat electricity like a data network—intelligently routed, prioritized, and scalable—while ICE cars rely on wasteful "always-on" generation. This allows features like headlights, sentry mode, and climate control to run indefinitely overnight without stranding the driver. 🔋💡

[organizeworkers]

Mass Reading Group Launch: "We Are the Union"

Hundreds of workers and organizers across the US and the world will come together during March and April to discuss Eric Blanc's newest book, "We Are the Union," and its practical ideas for scaling up grassroots unionism. All participants in the study group will receive a 50% off discount on the book.

Author Eric Blanc, labor writer Kim Kelly, and Moe Mills of Starbucks Workers United, will all be in attendance.

RSVP:

Further details on the format, further discussion dates, and receiving discounted copies will be provided to all those who sign up for the study group launch. Note: participants are not expected to have started reading the book by March 3.

About We Are the Union: An inspiring wave of bottom-up workplace organizing—from Starbucks stores to Amazon warehouses to southern auto factories—has thrust unionization into the national spotlight. By analyzing this surge and telling the stories of the courageous workers driving it forward, Eric Blanc’s new book makes a case for how to overcome business as usual in both corporate America and organized labor. He shows that recent struggles have developed a new organizing model, worker-to-worker unionism, which builds scalable power by giving rank-and-filers an unprecedented degree of leadership. As United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain puts it, “We Are the Union is an urgently needed blueprint for how we beat the billionaire class. Every worker should read this book."

When: March 3, 2025, 8:30 ET/ 5:30 PT

Sponsors: Democratic Socialists of America's National Labor Commission and Political Education Committee, Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee, and Organizing for Power

[stureremil-collection]

McLaren MP4-12C - AutoArt - 1/43

AutoArt is top notch.

[thecathulhu]

Thinking about games that aren't actually turn based but they might as well be. Generally this is accomplished by letting the player pause and issue orders to their units while paused.

However, I know of at least one game that does this not by extending timescales, but by condensing them.

Children of a Dead Earth is a sim/game about "realistic" spaceship battles. The mechanic of interest here is that the movement is orbital, anyone who knows KSP is familiar with this.

For those that are not, most space games work by just letting you fly all over the place with no penalties, and a neat auto-deceleration feature. So getting from point A to point B is just pointing at point B and holding down the acceleration then letting go and automatically coasting to a stop as you arrive within weapons range of point B.

How CoaDE works however, is by actually simulating the orbital mechanics involved. If you fight over Mars, both fleets are actually orbiting Mars. You cant just point at the enemy fleet and burn, you have to look at your orbits and plan a burn (or series of burns) that will cross your orbit over their orbit when they are actually in that part of their orbit.

Because of the dedication to realism, everything is modeled to scale. If you want to get to the other side of a planet to get a guy, it's going to take multiple burns over the course of hours or even days. Thankfully the game comes with a handy fast forward feature so you can skip the travel time between burns and encounters.

A notable feature of this feature is that it will automatically revert to real time when the enemy does something. Launching missiles, changing their course, etc.

So the flow of a battle goes: Take stock of the situation, make a plan, chart the requisite course, then fast forward, to be interrupted by your enemy's response, which you respond to, and so on and so forth. Until you get into weapons range and fast forward is disabled and both sides shoot at each other until one ship is exploded or rendered dead in the void.

Making it play like a turn-based 4x with realtime battles a la Total War, but at no point does it go below realtime speed, even when in the orbital map.

(Technically you can pause any time, but the five minutes it takes you to plan mean nothing when one orbit can be days or even months, so I don't bother. And the orders you can issue in battle are very simplified, so pausing doesn't grant you any benefits there either.)

[fabiansociety]

while the virtual versions of honolulu and isezaki ijincho are marvels in their own right, i do find myself missing the compact density of earlier games, and particularly the way that yakuza 5 created a sense of scope through multiple separate slices of a city, rather than one or two giant ones. having multiple dense cities that you proceed through over the course of the game emphasizes time passing; larger city sections tend to focus more on geographic separation. you can make a case for either, but the smaller scope of someplace like kamurocho makes it easier to feel like a *resident,* rather than just a visitor. honolulu in particular feels unknowable in a way that the cities of yakuza 5 never did, even as each section of the game uprooted you entirely. there isn’t a building in kamurocho that kiryu isn’t personally connected to, or that yagami hasn’t been in; it’s just not possible to have that same connection with the cities of like a dragon or infinite wealth, even across dozens of hours of playtime. the game simply doesn’t model the city on that scale.

the like a dragon series is a spiritual descendant to shenmue in a lot of ways, but the later games have moved away from those roots by sheer force of their bigness. shenmue was never an open world in the same way that grand theft auto or assassin’s creed were, because those games were always about the commute, the longer travel times around vice city or budapest allowing for more interruptions, more conversations, more intentional boredom. you pick out landmarks and travel TO them, as opposed to traveling UNTIL you get to one, if that makes sense? it’s the difference between orienting on a skyscraper and navigating by bodegas. like, in kamurocho i know if i turn right at the corner where the takoyaki stand turned into a gelateria, i’ll come to the millennium tower. in honolulu, i know if i travel away from the mountain i’ll come to the beach. it’s a map size built for vehicles, not for people—which is made hilariously clear in lost judgment every time you try to skateboard around kamurocho and immediately crash into a crowd of pedestrians.

larger cities need faster methods of travel to eat up all that distance, whether cars or skateboards or segways. you CAN walk from one end of the city to the other, but it’ll take forever. that travel time only exists in the world of the audience, though; time in honolulu remains stubbornly frozen until the plot advances. so you end up racing around this giant SPACE where you have these entire enormous subquests that take diagetically no time at all.

all of this maybe sounds like a criticism, but it’s not, or at least not exactly? your stay in honolulu is explicitly a tourist visit, and your time as kiryu is a graceful pause before his (presumably) death, so they’re both moments the characters themselves want to linger in for as long as possible. but i do sometimes yearn for smaller, more knowable spaces.

[skylerorionx]

Asexual Awareness Week (for some reason it’s “asexual” and not “asexuality”) is 22-28 October. So near the end of the week, here’s the first of two posts for a not-quick introduction to what asexuality is, and also what it isn’t. Next post here.

Also, if I am wrong, add it in the comments.

Image text below:

(1) 

It’s asexual awareness week, so it’s time for a crash course into asexuality. Part one of two cause I have a lot to say. 

—

(2) 

Asexuality means a lack of sexual attraction. 

A- is a prefix meaning “not” or “without,” so the definition of asexual is quite literally “not sexual.” 

It does not mean a lack of willingness to have sex, a lack of romantic attraction, or an inability to love. It is also not synonymous with celibacy, and, like many things queer, exists on a spectrum. 

Asexual is often shortened to “ace.” 

— 

(3)

To understand asexuality, first I’m gonna need you to unlearn some presumptions you might have about attraction in general. 

1. There are multiple types of attraction: sexual, romantic, sensual, platonic, aesthetic, and queerplatonic, among others. We tend to bundle sexual and romantic together but we shouldn’t because… 

2. Some people experience some types of attraction but not others. 

3. Some people experience one type of attraction more or less intensely than another type, or just compared to how someone else experiences that same type of attraction. 

It’s rather simple once you wrap your mind around it. 

—

(4)

Also… Not everyone is sexually attracted to the same gender(s) of people as they are romantically attracted to. That is called “varioriented.” The term “split attraction model” can also be used here or for the other points. There’s also a term “sensualarian” meaning the lines between types of attraction are blurred. …I’m not really gonna talk about these things cause I’ve probably confused the allos enough so if you wanna know more, just google it or ask me.

— 

(5) 

Sexuality exists on a spectrum. Yes, there is a spectrum from hetero to homo — it’s called the Kinsey Scale — but there’s also a spectrum for the intensity of attraction, a scale from asexual to its opposite, zedsexual / allosexual (someone who does experience sexual attraction). It’s called the “asexual spectrum,” “ace spectrum,” or “a-spectrum”. It’s often used as the Y axis alongside the X axis Kinsey Scale. 

[asexual — zedsexual]

Someone can exist at a specific point or fluctuate within an area. (In addition to being a specific point on this spectrum, the word “asexuality” can also be a general term for anyone who exists on the left side of this spectrum. Also you — yes, you, the person reading this — also exist on this spectrum whether you’re ace or zed.)

—

(6)

Side note about the word “zedsexual”: Like a lot of things, “asexual” (the word) was invented to describe a group of people who are different from the norm, but referring to the “normal people” as such would imply asexual people are abnormal, which they aren’t, so someone invented the word “allosexual” to mean someone who does experience sexual attraction. The problem with the prefix “allo-“ is that it technically means “attraction to others” and its opposite is “auto-,” meaning “attraction to the self,” which is not what asexuality is. Because we often think of things as opposites, someone else thought to replace the word allosexual with “zedsexual” because “zed” (the non-American pronunciation of the letter “z”) is at the opposite end of the alphabet. Still, most people say allosexual. They usually know it technically has a weird origin but it’s the word that stuck, and they’re not being mean, it’s just the more common word. I use both zed- and allo-.

—

(7) 

Here are some common labels for people within the ace-spectrum but not fully at the asexual end: 

Cupiosexual: someone who does not experience sexual attraction but still desires a sexual relationship.

Demisexual: someone who does not experience sexual attraction until a deep emotional connection is made. example, not feeling sexual attraction until falling in love. 

Freysexual: someone who feels sexual attraction towards people with whom they are not deeply connected, and loses the feeling as connection happens; sometimes called “reverse demi-”. 

Greysexual: someone who experiences sexual attraction infrequently, rarely, or weakly. 

—

(8) 

Lithosexual / Akiosexual: someone who experiences sexual attraction but does not want it reciprocated

Quoisexual: someone who does not know if their feelings are sexual, romantic, platonic, something else, or nothing at all; someone who feels as if the concept of romantic/sexual/whatever attraction is inapplicable or nonsensical to them.

Aegosexual / autochorissexual is another common label, that’s more of a bonus label and less of a spot on the spectrum. It means someone who experiences a disconnection between attraction and arousal, which is the fancy way of saying an asexual who wanks. 

Why does someone experience these kinds of sexual attraction? Well, this is a two-part post so read the next post! 

—

(9)

More on the next post. Got questions? Just ask me, I have all the answers. 

Also, I know to actually sound like I know what I’m talking about, I need sources, so: 

Slightly uncreditable but first-person sources: 

Me

My existence on Tumblr for twelve years

AVEN and people’s stories there

“Proper” sources: 

“ACE: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex” by Angela Chan

“The ABCs of LGBT+” by Ash Hardell (published under their old first name and “maiden” name)

“Boston Marriages: Romantic but Asexual Relationships among Contemporary Lesbians” edited by Esther D. Rothblum and Kathleen A. Brehony

“The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality” by Julie Sondra Decker

[garaje1en18]

🚗✨ Renault Suprastella Coach - 1939 (1:43 scale) Autos de Época An elegant addition to my collection! This model captures the sophistication and grandeur of late 1930s French luxury cars. Ideal for vintage car fans and die-cast enthusiasts. 🔧 Discover the meticulous details and craftsmanship in this exceptional model. Don’t miss out! 🎥 Watch the video and join me on this automotive journey! Social networks: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garaje1en18 Twitter: https://twitter.com/garaje1en18 Blogspot: https://garaje1en18.blogspot.com Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Garaje1en18 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garaje1en18 vk: https://vk.com/garaje1en18 TiTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@garaje1en18 Tumblr: https://garaje1en18.tumblr.com Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/garaje-1en18 WEB: http://garaje1en18.atspace.cc 

 #Renault #Suprastella #1939 #143 #AutosdeEpoca #garaje1en18 #pressofuso #giocattolo #modellodacollezione #Druckguss #Spielzeug #Sammlerstück #DiecastCars #ModelCars #ScaleModels #VintageCars #ClassicCars #AutoCollectibles #ToyCars #MiniatureCars #Shorts #FacebookReels #TikTokCars #FYP #AutoArt #CarEnthusiast #CollectorsItem #DiecastCommunity #ダイキャス #おもちゃ #コレクタブルモデル #다이캐스트 #장난감 #소장모델 #壓鑄 #玩具 #收藏模型 #moulésouspression #modèleàcollectionner #gegoten #speelgoed #verzamelmodel #литьеподдавлением #игрушка #коллекционнаямодель #หล่อ #ของเล่น #โมเดลสะสม

[looking4answers25]

Introduction

11 April 2025 (Friday)

Hello! I made this tumblr as part of the thesis project for my master's in digital humanities (my personal one would not be suitable for this). I am investigating fan engagement on tumblr with characters and the narrative from the hunger games trilogy.

I'm being upfront about the fact that I'm researching this so it doesn't seem like I'm sneaking around and gathering data like a racoon in a trashcan.

Part of my data collected includes how I and other fans talk about the characters and narrative (including meta-statements) but not about fanfiction/fanart (which is what a lot of fan studies talks about). So my activities here have a couple of steps:

Blogging as I read/watch the books and movies (excluding the prequels)

Spending some time just reblogging and engaging with posts from others.

(Steps 1 & 2 count as digital field work/ethnography)

Updating (for myself, not sure who else is going to see this) the blog with my progress

Large scale data post collection for corpus analysis (I'm not going to look at the actual content at this point) - to do some topic modelling, sentiment analysis, and stuff just to get some statistics about the most popular scenes, characters, subjects, trends, etc. Discourse analysis - looking at the most popular (and/or detailed) posts about specific aspects/characters, etc. and analysing the language use and how the user processed them

Digital (Auto) Ethnography: A self-reflective analysis of my blog and the posts I created and interacted with.

Ethical considerations: I will definitely be anonymising everybody's user names.

Feel free to contact me via the ask box if you have any questions.

Note: Will update this if anything changes.

UPDATE (28 April 2025): Changed the discourse analysis aspect of the project Created a tags index to make navigation easier:

Tags Index