#Computer Engineering Market players

[gallusrostromegalus]

The Van Has Officially Declared It Spooky Season

---

I've got my parent's van for the week and it seems determined to establish my status as The Local Cryptid by terrorizing an innocent 7-11 clerk.

...I might need to back up a bit.

My mother is an eminently sensible woman who knows herself well, and when The Plauge hit, she knew she'd need some sort of mentally and physically engaging craft project to keep herself from going insane and massacring the local zoning and water management boards (even if they have it coming). So she and Dad acquired a utility van and converted it into a camper van because while they love camping, they're past the age where their joints and immune systems will tolerate sleeping on the cold ground in a nylon tent.

They did a terrific job of it and my mom taught herself woodworking and carpentry and now the van has it's own cabinets, fold-away dining table, and removable queen-sized bed with memory foam mattress. My Dad was already a computer engineer, but he learned the dark magics of automotive software and electronics to install after-market backup cameras, a media player that would take a terabyte hard drive and a solar-powered battery and outlet so they could wake up and just turn on the kettle and griddle for breakfast without having to exit the van into a cold morning on an empty stomach.

Truly, the height of Camping Luxury.

My parents are both in their mid-seventies and my primary life goal is to be at least half as cool and hale as they are when I get old.

Anyway, they take it out at least a dozen times a year and it works fabulously, but, being as I am on good terms with my parents and also finishing the process of moving house, I've been borrowing it to move large and cumbersome objects that will not fit in the back of my equally lovely but minuscule Honda hatchback.

It's a Great Van. Very easy and comfortable to drive. Stunningly good MPG for it's size. The best cruise control I've ever had in a car.

It's just also. Quirky. Mischievous, even.

---

If this van has a fault its that it bears the unfortunate affliction that all lightly used white utility vans have in that the combination of an utter lack of branding features and the large dent/scrape I accidentally put on it while trying to escape a Denny's last Thanksgiving means that this vehicle is one addition of a Badly Spray-Painted "FREE CANDY" on the side away from being the sort of vehicle you see in an edgy horror movie.

It's got the same issue that Doberman Dogs have where they look like the sort of creature that likes to snack on toddler's faces whilst actually having personalities made of marshmallow fluff. This vehicle is unnecessarily menacing and I think nothing short of an airbrushed Epic Van Wizard will correct this. People see this van pull up and lean over and squint suspiciously at me when the driver's side door opens, and then look moderately confused when, instead of Charles Manson, a small, potato-shaped creature with neon purple hair and a statistically unlikely assortment of dogs emerges.

My own two dogs, Herschel the Hanukkah Goblin/Corgi and Charleston Chew The Taco Dumpster Dog, Do Not Like The Van. Even with the bed in it, they have a tendency to slide and roll around in the back, and both WILL chew through dog saftey belts or other attempts to secure them in there.

On the other hand, my house mate's dog, an exceptionally tall standard poodle whom we lovingly call "The Creature", loves the Van because SHE wears her doggy seat-belt with only mild complaining and gets to sit up in the passenger seat like A People.

Also like A People, The Creature likes to stand and walk around on her hind legs. It doesn't hurt her and it's entirely voluntary, but every so often I will feel a hand on my arm and instead of my husband or friend, it's a canine that's taller than I am on her hind legs who wants to stare at my face with soulful, concerned eyes. The Creature's favorite thing is that she is exactly the right height for me to hold her arm in Genteel Fashion and walk around the pet food or hardware store with her like I'm a count escorting a debutante around a royal ball.

---

As it stands, I am set to inherit this vehicle whenever my Honda gives up the ghost, and I fully intend to paint an Epic Van Wizard on it when that time comes.

The other peculiarity of The Van is that while Dad did manage to successfully install all his after-market electronics, not all the electronics get along. Sometimes, they fight for Dominance. The Terabyte Music Player and the Backup Camera have a particularly contentious relationship, and turning on the music has about a 25% chance of turning on the backup camera as well, and turning on the Backup Camera is equally likely to turn on the music.

Firthermore, The Van has a favorite song.

I am not kidding that Dad filled an entire terabyte hard drive with music and the software to sort it via the radio controls, but of all the Early Boomer Dad Rock (Kingston Trio over The Eagles) and Irish Folk and Symphonies and the entire discography of Weird Al Yankovic, The Van's favorite song- The one it picks to play as victory music every time it beats the Backup Camera at their weird electronic game of rock-paper-scissors -is The Liberty Bell March by John Phillip Sousa.

You all know this song already.

...but in case you've forgotten the tune:

Yeah.

The Van's favorite song is the goddamn Monty Python's Flying Circus Theme Music.

It does not play this song at a normal volume.

Every time I turn on the Backup Camera and it manages to turn the music player on as well, The Van insists on absolutely blasting this nonsense on at the maximum volume it's physically capable of producing, which I know is loud enough to be heard from the Denver International Airport's Pickup zone when they Van decided to start playing it from the economy lot about half a mile away.

Perhaps it's The Van's way of honoring the aesthetic sensibilities and sonic enthusiasm of Mr. Sousa.

...I can't help but wonder if the purpose of an Epic Van Wizard is to control this sort of faerie-like malarkey, and channel these chaotic energies into things like Spell of Don't Break Down In Nevada or Enchantment Of Always Have Good Parking.

---

So last Friday the 13th, I get a call from my friend and housemate, at said airport.

It's roughly 11PM at night, and I have already retired for the evening. I am in the exact minimum of clothing required to be a decent housemate and not scandalize the neighbors should I happen to walk by a window. My feet are up. There is a cat in my lap and fictional British people murdering each other in highly inventive fashion on the tv. -But my friend has returned from her friend's wedding,and either American or United Airlines has managed to lose her luggage, including, among other valuable possessions, the keys to her car. ...So she cannot just drive home as originally planned.

There are, as luck would have it, her spare set of keys not eight feet from me.

Being a good and decent person, I agree to bring the spare keys to her so she may get home before daybreak and not spend a semester's worth of tuition on an uber across the greater Denver traffic jam.

Being also that she Loves Activities, and it's her mom we're going to pick up, I elect to take along The Creature.

I am primarily focused on remembering how to get to the airport and not leaving my friend's spare keys on the counter, so I throw on a pair of flip-flops, step outside, remember that it's AUTUMN and my minimal evening attire is not sufficient thermal protection, step back in, grab the first coat in the closet I lay hands on, pull it on, check that I have her keys again and leave.

The trip to the airport is largely unremarkable, save that it becomes necessary for me to put on sunglasses to drive, despite it being nearly the witching hour and almost entirely darker than the inside of a cow.

It's necessary because this blissful darkness of night is violently punctured by a startling number of cars that seem to have installed miniaturized but no less powerful lighthouse bulbs in where their headlights ought to go so the oncoming traffic and sports cars that insist on tailgating me in the slow lane alike illuminate the road and my mirrors with the kind of radiance I'd normally associate with the arrival of a Seraphim.

I arrive at the distant highly discounted airport car lot where my housemate is waiting, deeply apologetic. It's nothing. I say. Once I see that your car starts up, I'm gonna go to that 7-11 across the way that I parked in front of, get a slurpee or something and I'll see you at home.

While she is retrieving her vehicle (an equally eccentric but much more stately Subaru that is old enough to be elected to congress) I rifle through the loose change in the glove box and discover that I have exactly $6.66 in small bills and coins. The Subaru, continuing it's long voyage into vehicular immortality, immediately starts up.

Upon her return, we all remember that my friend had all her camping gear in the backseat of the car and there is no room for The Creature to ride home with her parent, so I again assure her it's nothing, and will just take The Creature into the 7-11 with me. She is trained as a service animal and needs the practice after the plague.

I wave my friend off and turn to enter the 7-11.

I promptly trip over the jutting back bumper of The Van and fall, cartoonishly, face-first onto the sidewalk.

Fortunately, I have a lot of practice falling on my face, and have learned not to throw my hands out but instead cover my face, so my unexpected self-inflicted attempted curb-stomping lightly scrapes my hairline and nothing else -my sunglasses even stay in place- and I get up and resume my quest for a slurpee.

It's well known that the airport is a lawless place, and the 7-11 across from the discounted airport parking at the stroke of midnight is no exception.

I know it's the stroke of Midnight because there's one of those Audubon society bird-call clocks that makes bird noises, and my arrival is heralded by the twittering call of a Summer Tanager. I am almost charmed enough by the unusual choice of chronological device to excuse the exorbitant Airport-adjacent mark-up of Slurpee prices. I stand at the machine for some time, trying to decide on a size for the price and guess what the fuck "Blue Lighting Blast" is supposed to taste like.

The Creature is being Very Polite but is somewhat agitated, I assume because she *just* saw her mother for the first time in three days and then she LEFT with no explanation, so The Creature is on her hind legs, staring woefully into my eyes, asking to be escorted around the 7-11. Even though that's not what she's not supposed to be doing, there's nobody else in here, so I let her hang off my arm and discuss various Slurpee Flavor options with her.

We eventually decide on an experiment in which I try a Small Blue Lightning Blast, and discover it tastes a bit like licking a nintendo cartridge but in a pleasantly satisfying way.

I go up to pay and realize something is amiss.

The Cashier is a young man staring at me with wide eyes, one had over the register and the other wrapped up in his rosary.

I look down at myself.

In my haste to reunite my friend with her spare keys and service animal, I had left the house in the following accoutrements:

Flip Flops. Not matching. It's below freezing outside. That last part is not particularly odd footwear for the weather in for Colorado, but it's an important detail for the rest of the ensemble.

Assorted scrapes, bruises, cuts and welts on my arms and legs that come with doing outdoor work and living in a house with three dogs and a fully-clawed cat that all want to be in my lap all the time. It's cold out, so vasoconstriction has pulled the blood away from my skin, a trait that served my ancestors well during the last Ice Age, but leaves me with pale skin to contrast the various wounds and I look like a corpse that fell out of the back of a pickup truck.

The black Bootyshorts with "CRYPTID" painted in bright red gothic font across my ass, that @theshitpostcalligrapher gave me for my wedding present.

A peculiar but extremely comfortable garment that straddles the line between "Lacy Camisole" and "Industrial-Strength Sports Bra" like the Ever Given straddling the Suez Canal. It is also Bright Red. with black accents.

The Jacket I had grabbed out of the closet, which is in fact, a black Velour Dinner Jacket.

The Tokyo-Ghoul inspired reusable anti-covid mask a friend made me with the set of Coyote Teeth.

My sunglasses, which are shaped like a Halloween Bat. The lenses are the wings and the body is the nose bridge. It is ALSO bright red.

A Very Large and remarkably Humanoid Poodle that I have been audibly affectionately calling "Dear Creature" who is hanging off my arm like she's my Prom Date.

The Very Large and remarkably Humanoid Poodle is ALSO dressed up in a black Dog Sweater that has white bones printed on it to look like its an X-ray jacket showing off her skeleton.

I look like I am taking my Very Fancy Werewolf Girlfriend to a particularly casual Dinner Party for Vampires, but the thing that's really selling it and probably alarming the kid the most is the fun accessory I acquired in the parking lot not five minutes earlier:

The "Small Scrape At my Hairline" is actually a painless but PROFUSELY bleeding head wound that I had somehow entirely failed to notice covering my face, neck, decolletage and magnificent cleavage with blood like a Tarantino Film Extra.

This does explain why The Creature has been delicately trying to use her bodyweight to push me down onto the floor for the last ten minutes. So I don't injure myself while we wait for the paramedics she hoped this kid called to arrive, you see.

The Creature has such a High and Naive Opinion of humanity.

I decide this social situation is already fucked, and the only way out is through, and with haste, before I start dripping on the floor.

"Hi there!" I say cheerfully, to indicate this is a visually alarming but not terribly serious situation. "Just a Small Slurpee!"

The Cashier has entered the relevant code into the register before I finish the sentence. His gaze flicks off me just long enough to look at the total, and he grips his Rosary harder.

$6.66

"Oh cool! I have exact change!" I say, taking the money out of my as-yet-unsanguined pocket without looking and slap it down on the counter. "You have a good night and be safe out there!" I wave, leaving.

I get in The Van, mortified, buckle The Creature up, and as I make to leave, I have to put it in reverse, which automatically turns on the backup Camera.

It also turns on the music player.

I make eye contact with the cashier as the dulcet tones of John Phillip Sousa boom from the van hard enough to make the windshield and the windows of the 7-11 rattle for the nine-and-a-half seconds I have to wait to be able to turn the volume back down. Not knowing what else to to, I give him a thumbs up, and leave.

Anyway, now I know what my Future Van Wizard has got to be dressed like, and what their familiar is.

---

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[mostlysignssomeportents]

I miss the old, good internet, but I don’t want to bring it back.

I want a new, good internet. One where users can’t be locked in because we make it legal to:

• reverse-engineer products and services, so you can leave a social media platform but still send and receive messages from the people you leave behind;

• jailbreak your devices so you can remove antifeatures like surveillance, ink-locking or repair-blocking; • move your media and files out of the silo whence they originated and into any player you want.

I want a new, good internet where we constrain the conduct of tech companies, banning unfair labor practices, deceptive marketing, corporate hostage-taking and other forms of rent-extraction.

I want a new, good internet where it’s both illegal to impose bossware on your employees, and where those employees can legally hack the bossware their bosses shove down their throats.

I want a new, good internet where creative workers and their audiences can reliably connect with one another, where news reporting isn’t held hostage to extractive processes.

I want a new, good internet where we seize the means of computation so that the digital infrastructure that connects our romantic, personal, political, civic, economic, educational and family and social lives is operated by and for the people who use it.

-Enshitternet: The old, good internet deserves a new, good internet

[ecrivainsolitaire]

A summary of the Chinese AI situation, for the uninitiated.

These are scores on different tests that are designed to see how accurate a Large Language Model is in different areas of knowledge. As you know, OpenAI is partners with Microsoft, so these are the scores for ChatGPT and Copilot. DeepSeek is the Chinese model that got released a week ago. The rest are open source models, which means everyone is free to use them as they please, including the average Tumblr user. You can run them from the servers of the companies that made them for a subscription, or you can download them to install locally on your own computer. However, the computer requirements so far are so high that only a few people currently have the machines at home required to run it.

Yes, this is why AI uses so much electricity. As with any technology, the early models are highly inefficient. Think how a Ford T needed a long chimney to get rid of a ton of black smoke, which was unused petrol. Over the next hundred years combustion engines have become much more efficient, but they still waste a lot of energy, which is why we need to move towards renewable electricity and sustainable battery technology. But that's a topic for another day.

As you can see from the scores, are around the same accuracy. These tests are in constant evolution as well: as soon as they start becoming obsolete, new ones are released to adjust for a more complicated benchmark. The new models are trained using different machine learning techniques, and in theory, the goal is to make them faster and more efficient so they can operate with less power, much like modern cars use way less energy and produce far less pollution than the Ford T.

However, computing power requirements kept scaling up, so you're either tied to the subscription or forced to pay for a latest gen PC, which is why NVIDIA, AMD, Intel and all the other chip companies were investing hard on much more powerful GPUs and NPUs. For now all we need to know about those is that they're expensive, use a lot of electricity, and are required to operate the bots at superhuman speed (literally, all those clickbait posts about how AI was secretly 150 Indian men in a trenchcoat were nonsense).

Because the chip companies have been working hard on making big, bulky, powerful chips with massive fans that are up to the task, their stock value was skyrocketing, and because of that, everyone started to use AI as a marketing trend. See, marketing people are not smart, and they don't understand computers. Furthermore, marketing people think you're stupid, and because of their biased frame of reference, they think you're two snores short of brain-dead. The entire point of their existence is to turn tall tales into capital. So they don't know or care about what AI is or what it's useful for. They just saw Number Go Up for the AI companies and decided "AI is a magic cow we can milk forever". Sometimes it's not even AI, they just use old software and rebrand it, much like convection ovens became air fryers.

Well, now we're up to date. So what did DepSeek release that did a 9/11 on NVIDIA stock prices and popped the AI bubble?

Oh, I would not want to be an OpenAI investor right now either. A token is basically one Unicode character (it's more complicated than that but you can google that on your own time). That cost means you could input the entire works of Stephen King for under a dollar. Yes, including electricity costs. DeepSeek has jumped from a Ford T to a Subaru in terms of pollution and water use.

The issue here is not only input cost, though; all that data needs to be available live, in the RAM; this is why you need powerful, expensive chips in order to-

Holy shit.

I'm not going to detail all the numbers but I'm going to focus on the chip required: an RTX 3090. This is a gaming GPU that came out as the top of the line, the stuff South Korean LoL players buy…

Or they did, in September 2020. We're currently two generations ahead, on the RTX 5090.

What this is telling all those people who just sold their high-end gaming rig to be able to afford a machine that can run the latest ChatGPT locally, is that the person who bought it from them can run something basically just as powerful on their old one.

Which means that all those GPUs and NPUs that are being made, and all those deals Microsoft signed to have control of the AI market, have just lost a lot of their pulling power.

Well, I mean, the ChatGPT subscription is 20 bucks a month, surely the Chinese are charging a fortune for-

Oh. So it's free for everyone and you can use it or modify it however you want, no subscription, no unpayable electric bill, no handing Microsoft all of your private data, you can just run it on a relatively inexpensive PC. You could probably even run it on a phone in a couple years.

Oh, if only China had massive phone manufacturers that have a foot in the market everywhere except the US because the president had a tantrum eight years ago.

So… yeah, China just destabilised the global economy with a torrent file.

[kremlin]

i figure most human behaviour that, not only doesn’t occur in other animals but has zero connection to animal behavior is basically distantly rooted in the known fear of inevitable death. let me be clear. cats and shit don’t know they’re gonna die. we do. we have thoughts. we know it’s coming. we think we’re gonna be rich, bullshit like that, most humans believe in magic and most humans doubt that math is a universal or consistent thing. total nonsense right. but everyone knows their ass is gonna die. before you write me off as some dumbass reciting basic 101 level university lectures just Trust Me I’m An Engineer. anyways. being human and dying are somewhat one in the same.

“if i do nonhuman things i can cheat the reaper.” short and sweet. if i can beat zelda faster than anyone i can outrun the reaper. and you know what, fuck it, i’m scared shitless of dying. it’s gonna hurt really bad no doubt. what if the brain destroyal process makes time slow down in my perception and it’s not just like five seconds of bleeding out or fire ant bites or however you go. Scary. so i’ll play along:

i am an average american man and i enjoy bad game runescape. it’s a computer game. MMO. kill monster get loot. sell what i don’t want to other players for gold. spamming chat with “SELLING BOWSTRINGS 200gp” for an hour “sucks” so the devs add a grand exchange where you can post buy/sell orders for a given item+price to maximize gameplay efficiency and minimize social interaction.

like any other MMO you can pay some sketchy website real money for ingame gold farmer by chinese gold farmers. totally against the rules. remember this

so the first thing that comes to any male aged 23-27 mind is “buy low sell high” basic bitch shit. no good. there’s a 5% tax that’ll wipe out your profit margin intended to eliminate this behavior (you’re supposed to friggen kill monsters). but everyone thinks they’re a genius and can beat the system and that there is a secret george soros style illuminati group that is holding the secrets, blah blah blah, whatever, and this comes as a coping mechanism after losing your shirt after trying to beat the market (success rate of 0%).

here is where people mostly quit thinking: if you do the math, which takes about ten minutes and can be done on one side of a sheet of paper with the most basic calculator, it’s easy to figure out that the amount of gold you’d need to play dirty (buy out all the available Feathers or Fire Runes or whatever) in order to corner the market would be so high that there is no possible way for a character to hold that much without having spent IRL money for gold. you’d get autobanned.

SO..finally, go on the ol’ www.reddit.com, and make a really really professional-to-professional sounding post advertising a “service”. Saturate the fuck out of it with dense but very real financial jargon. the “service” (which needs to be obscured enough with plausible and relevant language) is a hedging service aimed at make-believe market players who are buying and selling such huge amounts of items and gold (usually in anticipation of a game update that will speculatively introduce a sudden, dramatic, and capitalizable price change for some item). you need it to be as alien-sounding and foreign as possible but with enough believability and clarity that a handful of reddit jackasses will figure out what the fuck your post is about. whenever pressed further, act totally puzzled and make it very clear that this is not a service relevant to “individual entertainment-motivated” players or some shit. no matter what amount of gold anyone quotes at you, just act puzzled and if that amount is 1/1000th the amount one of your “normal” clients deal with. you need to do all of this extremely artfully. and by “you”, i’ve been meaning to write “me”. really lay it on thick that whatever you’re “doing” is totally unavailable to them and that you want zero to do with them.

so now theyre still mostly totally confused but enough is made clear that their interest is piqued. got my hook in em. some guy will copy/paste wikipedia shit in an obnoxiously long and pseudointellectual, contemptible but characteristically reddit guy style what you’re “selling” actually is in the most exhausting, hand-holdingest way to his fellow reddit gamers. with complete tone of authority.

inevitably one of them will put on their sherlock holmes hat and go deep undercover, emailing me posing as an interested party. bingo. now i get to really lay on the WTF and go off the rails asking about vouchers from One Of The Big Seven, but oh no, you can’t get one of them to vouch for you, that’s fine, it makes sense, we’re the only firm that deals with unvouched, that’s our market, well, one of them at least. Just give me a rough rundown of your entry criteria, dwell time, risk tolerance, fuckin “Gamma Ratio”, you know, all the basic stuff, and i’ll have the team generate a .xlsx for you to plug your data into to get a rough feel for what the final contract might be like.

(lololol) But REMEMBER, that excel sheet is seeded, output is fuzzed and salted and if you share it or try and sell it to our competitors, it will be fuzzy enough to be worthless to them but obvious to us who leaked what. this is the only way we’re able to integrate unvouched clients without untenable premiums and while managing our risk levels

blah blah blah blah, i go on and on and on and the guy on the other end is developing a scab from constant head-scratching. and that’s about the maximum real-world harm i’m willing to inflict. i know this sounds like an elaborate as fuck confidence scam but it isn’t. that shit makes me sick. i’d literally slam my arms in a car door before taking a cent from all this. hell, i’ll go out of my way to guarantee i don’t even piss anyone off or offend them or anything.

your guess is as good as mine but i do stuff like this constantly for anything i know well enough and the example i gave above is just a pretty low quality one i made up on the spot. this is a public blog after all.

anyways, cheers, hoping this saves me from dying or whatever the hell i was talking about before that could have probably been cut out. Namaste. Mahala.

[zoesblogsposts]

o 625 words to know in your target language o

There is a really interesting blog called "Fluent Forever" that aids foreign language learners in tricks, tips and techniques to guide them to achieving fluency "quickly" and efficiently. One of the tricks is to learn these 625 vocab words in your target language, that way you have a basis to start delving into grammar with ease as you can understand a lot of vocab right off the bat. Plus this list of words are common across the world and will aid you in whatever language you are learning. Here is the list in thematic order

• Animal: dog, cat, fish, bird, cow, pig, mouse, horse, wing, animal

• Transportation: train, plane, car, truck, bicycle, bus, boat, ship, tire, gasoline, engine, (train) ticket, transportation

• Location: city, house, apartment, street/road, airport, train station, bridge hotel, restaurant, farm, court, school, office, room, town, university, club, bar, park, camp, store/shop, theater, library, hospital, church, market, country (USA,

France, etc.), building, ground, space (outer space), bank, location

• Clothing: hat, dress, suit, skirt, shirt, T-shirt, pants, shoes, pocket, coat, stain, clothing

• Color: red, green, blue (light/dark), yellow, brown, pink, orange, black, white, gray, color

• People: son, daughter, mother, father, parent (= mother/father), baby, man, woman, brother, sister, family, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, king, queen, president, neighbor, boy, girl, child (= boy/girl), adult (= man/woman), human (# animal), friend (Add a friend's name), victim, player, fan, crowd, person

• Job: Teacher, student, lawyer, doctor, patient, waiter, secretary, priest, police, army, soldier, artist, author, manager, reporter, actor, job

• Society: religion, heaven, hell, death, medicine, money, dollar, bill, marriage, wedding, team, race (ethnicity), sex (the act), sex (gender), murder, prison, technology, energy, war, peace, attack, election, magazine, newspaper, poison, gun, sport, race (sport), exercise, ball, game, price, contract, drug, sign, science, God

• Art. band, song, instrument (musical), music, movie, art

• Beverages: coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, water, milk, beverage

• Food: egg, cheese, bread, soup, cake, chicken, pork, beef, apple, banana orange, lemon, corn, rice, oil, seed, knife, spoon, fork, plate, cup, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sugar, salt, bottle, food

• Home: table, chair, bed, dream, window, door, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, pencil, pen, photograph, soap, book, page, key, paint, letter, note, wall, paper, floor, ceiling, roof, pool, lock, telephone, garden, yard, needle, bag, box, gift, card, ring, tool

• Electronics: clock, lamp, fan, cell phone, network, computer, program (computer), laptop, screen, camera, television, radio

• Body: head, neck, face, beard, hair, eye, mouth, lip, nose, tooth, ear, tear (drop), tongue, back, toe, finger, foot, hand, leg, arm, shoulder, heart, blood, brain, knee, sweat, disease, bone, voice, skin, body

• Nature: sea, ocean, river, mountain, rain, snow, tree, sun, moon, world, Earth, forest, sky, plant, wind, soil/earth, flower, valley, root, lake, star, grass, leaf, air, sand, beach, wave, fire, ice, island, hill, heat, nature

• Materials: glass, metal, plastic, wood, stone, diamond, clay, dust, gold, copper, silver, material

• Math/Measurements: meter, centimeter, kilogram, inch, foot, pound, half, circle, square, temperature, date, weight, edge, corner

• Misc Nouns: map, dot, consonant, vowel, light, sound, yes, no, piece, pain, injury, hole, image, pattern, noun, verb, adjective

• Directions: top, bottom, side, front, back, outside, inside, up, down, left, right, straight, north, south, east, west, direction

• Seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, season

• Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 60, 61, 62, 70, 71, 72, 80, 81, 82, 90, 91, 92, 100, 101, 102, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 10000, 100000, million, billion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, number

• Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

• Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Time: year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, morning, afternoon, evening, night, time

• Verbs: work, play, walk, run, drive, fly, swim, go, stop, follow, think, speak/say, eat, drink, kill, die, smile, laugh, cry, buy, pay, sell, shoot(a gun), learn, jump, smell, hear (a sound), listen (music), taste, touch, see (a bird), watch (TV), kiss, burn, melt, dig, explode, sit, stand, love, pass by, cut, fight, lie down, dance, sleep, wake up, sing, count, marry, pray, win, lose, mix/stir, bend, wash, cook, open, close, write, call, turn, build, teach, grow, draw, feed, catch, throw, clean, find, fall, push, pull, carry, break, wear, hang, shake, sign, beat, lift

• Adjectives: long, short (long), tall, short (vs tall), wide, narrow, big/large, small/little, slow, fast, hot, cold, warm, cool, new, old (new), young, old (young), weak, dead, alive, heavy, light (heavy), dark, light (dark), nuclear, famous

[vroomizing]

THERIOCTANE #2: An Introduction to Mega Man: Battle & Chase

In the wake of Mario Kart World and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, I felt it only right to reintroduce people to Capcom’s entry in kart racing games, Mega Man: Battle & Chase.

Histories & General Mechanics

Released in Japan on March 20, 1997 and in the PAL region on April 3, 1998 for PlayStation, Mega Man: Battle & Chase is a kart racing game of the likes of Mario Kart with an emphasis on combat. Its core mechanic allows the player, after winning a race, to choose a car part from an enemy competitor as a prize and upgrade their own.

As far as the story goes, the game takes its name from a new hit show called Battle & Chase. An extreme racing show, the winning champion gets off with the hefty sum of 10 million Zenny (the fictional currency used in Capcom games). Soon, word reaches out and many robots decide to enter. When word reaches Mega Man, he decides to enter to use the prize money to fix Dr. Light's computer, which had broken down after a thunderstorm. As the tournament closes, Dr. Wily appears and steals the prize money for his own evil purposes, and the player must race against Bass (when not playing with him) and Wily to recover it.

Capcom wanted to release the game in North America in the month following the Japanese release as per the advertisement above, but this plan never materialized due to market saturation of similar games. In the end, it was finally released in North America in 2006 as part of the Megaman X Collection.

Despite this and being quite the odd duck in Megaman games, Battle & Chase gave way to two comic adaptions, the first being the Rockman: Battle & Chase (Rockman: Grand Prix) manhua by Wu Yang, published in 1999 (which you can read for free here on tumblr!), and the "Burning Wheel" story in Megaman Gigamix by Hitoshi Ariga, published in 2009.

The Rockman: Grand Prix manhua ups the stakes a bit with the prize, along the 10 million Zenny, being a meteorite containing the strongest alloy in the universe, and "Burning Wheel"... by planting a bomb in Roll's car and partner, (Pop'n) Beat. Ouch.

Body and Engine, Wing and Tires

Of course, given the soapbox where I’m speaking from, I think the most noticeable thing about it, without even turning on the console, is the design of the racing cars. 

Perhaps the best representation of what Therioctane stands for, you’d think that disembodying a head and sticking it in front of a car would look weird at best and downright bad at worse, yet illustrators Shinsuke Komaki and Hideki Ishikawa excelled with these.

It's no wonder then why the theriocephalic cars (not only, but there are four of those on a roster of twelve and three out of the four are passably so the most most popular characters) were the ones to get made into toys:

[Pictured: A 1:24 scale remote control Rush Roadstar, complete with cones, batteries, ramps, and plastic cards on which to put enemy stickers. Nikko also offered Proto Man and his car, the Red Striker.]

[Pictured: ロックマンチェイサーズ, or Rockman Chasers, miniature toys sold with candy. They came in solid colors, and seems like some painting was required. And you could even reassemble them like you would in-game. Fun!]

[Pictured: Unreleased Jazware pullback toys. Real shame. I would have bought the "Bass Racer" in a heartbeat.]

I’m impressed they didn’t make an animated series or at least an OVA of this! Where it might have flopped a bit due to the oversaturation of of mascot-themed racing games in the video game market, it might have offered a nice, albeit niche racing anime...

With the tides of time and the fickle nature of human memory, I sadly don’t remember how I discovered Battle & Chase. A stray Google search? Vroomiz led me to it in spirit? Shall we ever know? I think we shall never know...

Images courtesy of Ryan Langley/The Video Game Art Archive, Brian/Rockman Corner and Tanooki Joe/VideoGameArt&Tidbits. Forever grateful for the work of archivists like these. God bless!

Quite literally everything showcased in this issue of Therioctane © Capcom

PREVIOUS ISSUE : THERIOCTANE #1

[warningsine]

If it was ever possible to maintain the illusion that good work will attract an audience simply by virtue of its quality, it isn’t now. In 2017, there’s simply too much out there to guarantee that the best series will attract the biggest audiences. It’s a miracle, then, that Halt and Catch Fire, a show originally meant to fill the hole left by Mad Men, has managed to make it to the end of its fourth and final season, which concluded this weekend in the US.

A tech drama that takes place entirely between the first iteration of Microsoft Word in 1983 and Windows 95, Halt and Catch Fire kept its focus squarely on the haze of an emerging field, without any of the fist-pumping moments that might have come from a show focusing on the rise of Google or Facebook. The characters never achieved lasting success or transformation, perpetually stymied by the major players in a nascent and clunking industry. Instead, they faced an endless, thankless series of intractable workplace decisions about integrity, product quality and business logistics.

These seemingly pedestrian moments dominate the show’s central relationship between Donna Clark (Kerry Bishé) and Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis), two women who attempt to found a tech company and spend the next few years discovering what they’re willing to sacrifice in the effort. Eventually, it’s impossible for people this committed to their work to separate their personal values and their professional ones, and while that conflict might sound cliche, in the hands of Halt and Catch Fire’s cast, it’s enthralling.

Over the course of the series, the characters’ business interests range from building personal computers at Dell competitor Cardiff Electric to videogames, web-based chat, and e-commerce at Cameron and Donna’s startup Mutiny to antivirus software at MacMillan Utility to, finally, early search engines at Comet and Rover. (All of these companies are fictional and, with the exception of Cardiff, are founded by the characters themselves.) Halt and Catch Fire’s cast is full of classic Silicon Valley résumé – they’re perpetually successful enough to keep working, and to live more or less comfortably while pursuing other ventures, but they never quite strike it big, whether that’s because of conflicts between the partners, technological limitation, or, most often, the presence of an enormous corporation capable of choking the market.

Every major character on the series contains multitudes. Donna is a hard-assed businesswoman, but she’s also a practically minded, savvy person who wants to do her best to create a thriving company with an innovative product. Cameron’s myopia is frustrating, but it’s part of why she’s such a successful coder. Steve Jobs-style visionary Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace) is also, to varying degrees, a charlatan, and tinkering softie Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy) becomes irritable when he has to leave his comfort zone.

Those relationships contained a staggering number of stories. In just the fourth season alone, Halt and Catch Fire handled a teen coming-out story, the fallout from a divorce, a marriage, several mid-life crises, and a sudden, heart-rending death. But none of these stories are the defining features of the characters; they’re simply facets of their lives. Where another drama might end with the consummation of a romantic pairing, or the strengthening of a family, Halt and Catch Fire ends with Donna having an idea, and pitching it to Cameron. We don’t hear the idea, but that’s not important – the point is beginning the cycle anew.

In this respect, it’s similar to the Mad Men finale – but where Mad Men is ambivalent, at best, toward the bolt of inspiration that leads Don Draper to create the “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” ad, Halt and Catch Fire maintains a single commitment: ideas are what we have. That’s why the show could never have become a smash hit, why it got renewed by the skin of its teeth, and why it’s highly unlikely it will ever be brought back by an ambitious investor. With so many self-consciously explosive series vying for your attention, Halt and Catch Fire played a different game. It kept itself contained, forcing the audience to match its subdued, mesmerizing rhythm. Eventually, the audience and the characters learned the same lesson: sometimes, it’s worth putting in the work.

[maridiayachtclub]

i love Zenos FFXIV. i don't know if i like him but i love what he does as a character.

i love that you beat him in a fight and he's like "that was so good, nothing can ever compare. goodbye" and he dies and then he comes back but his body is being hijacked so he hijacks someone else and then he gets his body back and then he's like "actually I want another hit" and eventually you beat him in a fist fight and he dies again. that's so unnecessarily convoluted. i'm not entirely sure if his dying and coming back was supposed to be a fakeout, or a backpedal, or if it was the intention all along, and i think all three are effective interpretations of his role in the story.

it feels like whatever plan they had for him was written and rewritten repeatedly while the devs watched the playerbase the entire time so that they could gauge their reaction. like he ultimately owes his origin to Squenix's need to have an iconic FFXIV villain to put in Dissidia, but they hadn't invented Emet-Selch yet, so Zenos represents their first attempts at Mr. Marketable. there's so much going on, from his totally extra appearance (mile wide ass, mechanized golf club bag sword holster, Sephiroth-aping hair situation), to the way he's written as though he's practically alien to everything and everybody else in the story except for the protagonist, to the cartoonish saga of his death and return. some people think he's a good villain. some people even think he's sexy. i don't know if there's anybody that loves every single one of these qualities simultaneously.

i love that he can be read as a meta-commentary on the relationship people have with the genre. they could have written him in a thousand ways and they chose to have him show up and stare the player (not the warrior of light, the player) dead in the eyes and say "I don't give a fuck about any of this, I just want to kill things. Are you like me?" they tried to make him a mirror and they tried to make him a marketable figurine and they tried to make him their own version of kefka or sephiroth and they tried to make him beautiful and memorable and frightening and maybe even hot. instead of an excellent villain they designed an all-in-one swiss army knife of a narrative device, a solution massively over-engineered for the task at hand. he's a bluetooth-enabled refrigerator with a touchscreen computer mounted in the door. and yet for all his overreach, the story is so indelibly marred by his fingerprints, and those of his writers, that i cannot imagine how it could ever look without him.

every time he's on screen i go "ugh! THIS guy again" and put my hands on my hips and shake my head and roll my eyes at his antics. i did that the very first time i saw him.

[mysticalwriterwithintrusivethoug]

How to Write an Article with ChatGPT That Feels Human-Written

I’ve always believed words carry a spark of the person behind them. But can a machine like ChatGPT capture that? It’s a question I wrestle with every time I see AI churn out paragraphs that are polished yet somehow… distant.

AI is transforming how we write, whipping up blog posts or startup press releases in seconds. Still, there’s a gap between those crisp sentences and the messy, beautiful way humans express themselves.

This guide is my attempt to bridge that divide, showing you how to use ChatGPT to craft articles that don’t just read well but feel alive.

If you’re a marketer or founder, you’re probably hunting for tools beyond Bluefocus, ones that deliver stories with heart, not just data. ChatGPT is a game-changer here, but it’s not a magic wand.

You need to nudge it with thoughtful prompts and a human touch to make it sing. I’ve seen agencies like 9FigureMedia nail this. They use AI to draft quickly, then layer in personality, making every piece feel like it was written by someone who cares deeply about the message.

Even big players like MSN News are in on this. They lean on AI to speed things up but trust editors to add warmth and clarity. It’s a reminder: machines are helpers, not storytellers.

For startups, this matters even more. A flat, robotic press release won’t turn heads. One that pulses with purpose might. Through history, trends, and hands-on tips, I’ll share how to blend AI’s efficiency with human soul to create writing that connects.

HISTORY

The story of AI writing feels like a sci-fi novel unfolding in real time. Back in the 1950s, computers could barely string words together. By the 1960s, ELIZA — a quirky program mimicked therapists, but it was all smoke and mirrors, no real understanding.

Fast forward through decades of natural language processing, and we hit a turning point with OpenAI’s GPT-2 in 2019. It spun out paragraphs that actually made sense. Then GPT-3, with its 175 billion parameters, raised the stakes, crafting emails, essays, even startup press releases. Now, GPT-4 powers ChatGPT, a tool so versatile it feels like a writing buddy almost.

But here’s the catch: AI’s words often lack the heartbeat of human writing. When I read something human, I feel the writer’s joy, doubt, or grit.

Early AI drafts? They were correct but cold, like a textbook with no soul. GPT-4 is leaps better, nailing grammar and flow, but it still needs a human to sprinkle in the magic those unexpected turns, raw emotions, or quiet truths that make you pause.

Think of a memoir: AI might list the events, but only a person can make you feel the weight of each moment.

This journey teaches us something profound. AI isn’t here to replace us; it’s here to amplify us. It’s like a paintbrush useful, but the art depends on the hand holding it.

ChatGPT is everywhere students, CEOs, even my friend who’s drafting her novel use it. It’s a powerhouse, but making its words feel human takes work. I’ve noticed creators are finding clever ways to do just that, and it’s reshaping how we think about writing.

One big shift is collaboration. Most PR agencies/Publishing brands use ChatGPT to whip up drafts, then editors step in to add voice and context, turning generic text into something that feels personal.

Prompt engineering is another game-changer. Instead of saying “write a blog,” writers like me craft instructions like, “Be a witty friend explaining AI to beginners.” It’s like giving AI a personality to channel. Feedback loops are hot, brands to test AI drafts with readers, tweaking based on what clicks.

Some companies train ChatGPT on their old emails or posts to match their vibe. Others use it to brainstorm, then let humans weave the final story. But AI still trips up.

It loves clichés unless you stop it, and it struggles with deep emotion. Long pieces can ramble without a human to tighten them. That’s why oversight matters. MSN News, for example, uses AI but leans on editors to keep things sharp and soulful.

Gartner says 30% of marketing content will be AI-assisted by 2025, but humans will still call the shots. It’s not about speed alone — it’s about connection.

As AI grows, so does our role in making sure its words don’t just fill pages but spark something real in the reader.

1. What Makes Writing Feel Human

Human writing grabs you because it breathes. It’s the short, punchy sentences that hit like a drumbeat. The longer ones that wander, pulls you into a memory. It’s intent, make every word feel chosen for a reason.

AI can mimic this, but it needs a nudge.

Take a ChatGPT draft: “Businesses need marketing.” It’s true but lifeless. Now, imagine this: “Every business, from a tiny bakery to a tech giant, thrives on marketing, it’s the spark that turns dreams into reality.”

The second feels like someone is talking to you, using contrast and imagery. To humanize AI, I break up repetitive sentences, add a personal story (like my friend’s failed pitch that taught her clarity), and weave in metaphors.

It’s about making the reader feel seen, not just informed.

2. Engineering Better Prompts

Prompts are like giving ChatGPT a map. A lazy one “write an article” — gets you a bland result. But a thoughtful one? Magic. Try this: “Act as a startup founder sharing lessons learned, using a warm, honest tone for young entrepreneurs.”

It’s specific, with a role and vibe. I also set rules: “Avoid clichés, use one real-word example, keep it under 500 words.”

This approach shapes AI’s output to feel closer to human. If I want a tech blog, I might say, “Explain AI like you’re chatting with a curious friend over coffee.”

Test different prompts, see what sings, and tweak. It’s like coaching AI to tell the story you’d tell if you had all day to write it.

3. Editing AI Output Like a Human Writer

Editing is where AI drafts become art. ChatGPT gives you a solid start, but it’s often too stiff or vague. I start by checking the bones, does it flow from intro to conclusion? If not, I rearrange.

Then, I soften the tone. An AI line like “Marketing is important” becomes, “Marketing’s your megaphone it’s how the world hears your story.”

Here’s a real shift: AI writes, “Startups face challenges.” My edit: “Startups wrestle with sleepless nights and tight budgets, but every hurdle is a chance to grow.”

It’s active, vivid, relatable. I cut fluff, swap generic words like “good” for “electric,” and add a dash of vulnerability. That’s what makes readers lean in they sense a person behind the words.

4. Balancing AI Consistency and Human Voice

AI is reliable, like a metronome always on beat. But human voice? It’s a melody, full of surprises. I use ChatGPT for outlines or raw ideas, where consistency shines.

Then, I step in to add the human stuff — maybe a joke or a moment of doubt. For a startup press release, AI might list milestones, but I’ll add, “We poured our hearts into this, and we’re thrilled to share it.”

This balance keeps things real. AI ensures grammar and structure; I bring the emotion, like the pride in a founder’s voice.

It’s about knowing when to let AI do the heavy lifting and when to step in with a story that makes the reader feel something deep.

5. Writing for Publication

Publications want writing that pops — clear, credible, human. ChatGPT can draft a startup press release, but it’s often flat: “Company launches tool.”

I rewrite it: “After two years of grit and late nights, our team’s proud to launch a tool that empowers dreamers.” It’s got stakes and heart.

For outlets like Forbes or TechCrunch, I craft a bold headline, a gripping lead, and a quote: “This isn’t just tech it’s our mission to change lives,” says the CEO.

I cut jargon, keep sentences tight, and add details that scream authenticity, like a customer’s story. That’s how you turn an AI draft into a piece editors can’t ignore.

Comparative Analysis

ChatGPT is my go-to because it listens. Unlike Jasper, which feels rigid for anything beyond ads, ChatGPT adapts to my prompts, letting me shape stories.

Writesonic is quick but fades in long pieces. Copy.ai’s tone options are cool, but it lacks ChatGPT’s depth. You can talk to ChatGPT, refine drafts, like chatting with a collaborator.

Still, others have tricks. Jasper’s SEO tools are slick; GrammarlyGO polishes on the fly. For human-like writing, ChatGPT wins, you just have to guide it. It’s like a raw canvas; your edits paint the soul.

Future Outlooks and Predictions

I imagine a day when AI knows my writing quirks my love for short sentences or vivid metaphors. Future tools will study your style, crafting drafts that feel like you.

They’ll tweak tone based on who’s reading, maybe adding humor for a casual crowd. We’ll see AI that weaves text, images, even sound into one seamless story.

Brand-specific models are coming, trained on your company’s voice. Industries like law or healthcare will get AI that nails their jargon yet stays clear.

To write with ChatGPT and make it human:

Blend AI’s speed with your heart — know when each shines.

Use prompt engineering and collaboration, like BlueFocus Alternatives does.

Edit for rhythm, emotion, stakes — make readers feel you.

Lean on AI for drafts, humans for connection.

Pick ChatGPT for flexibility, but compare tools for your needs.

Get ready for AI that learns your voice, but don’t lose yours.

AI’s a tool, not the storyteller. For founders, writers, or dreamers, it’s about using ChatGPT to amplify your truth, creating words that don’t just land but stay with someone.

[top20itcompanies]

Discover Indore’s Top 20 IT Companies Powering the Digital Future

Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, is rapidly emerging as one of India's fastest-growing IT hubs. With a strong educational backbone, improving infrastructure, and a business-friendly ecosystem, the city has become a magnet for innovative technology firms and startups. From cutting-edge software development to AI solutions and digital marketing, Indore's IT landscape is thriving.

Here’s a curated list of Top 20 IT Companies in Indore that are redefining technological excellence—and at the heart of it is InfiminTus Technologies, your partner for digital success.

1. InfiminTus Technologies

Your One-Stop Shop for Digital Success

At InfiminTus, we don’t just build websites or apps—we craft digital experiences. As one of Indore’s leading IT companies, we specialize in:

Web Design & Development

Mobile App Development

Brand Building

SEO & Digital Marketing

Custom Software Development

Cloud Computing & Cybersecurity

Our innovative approach, client-centric values, and a passion for technology make us a trusted partner for businesses seeking growth in the digital age.

2. Impetus Technologies

A global player headquartered in Indore, Impetus is known for its enterprise-level solutions in big data, analytics, and cloud platforms.

3. InfoBeans Technologies

A public listed company offering enterprise software development and design-led engineering to global clients.

4. Yash Technologies

With its roots in Indore, Yash is a multinational IT services provider specializing in SAP, cloud, and application services.

5. Systematix Infotech

A software development company providing AI, web, and mobile app solutions to clients worldwide.

6. CDN Solutions Group

Offering web, mobile, and software development solutions, CDN has delivered over 2200 projects globally.

7. Synsoft Global

This Indore-based firm excels in blockchain development, IoT solutions, and custom mobile/web apps.

8. Diaspark

Serving the retail and healthcare sectors, Diaspark provides software solutions, particularly in the jewelry industry.

9. Cyber Infrastructure (CIS)

A full-service IT company delivering software development, digital marketing, and IT consulting.

10. Webdunia

One of India’s pioneers in vernacular content and multilingual solutions, now excelling in IT services.

11–20: Other Rising IT Stars in Indore

WittyFeed (Now Vistaprint Digital)

Techvalens Software Systems

Walkover Web Solutions

Chapter247 Infotech

TCS Indore

Systango

RareDevs Innovations

Codezilla

NCS Pvt Ltd

Task Source

Why Indore?

With initiatives like the Super Corridor and the upcoming IT Park, Indore is building a solid digital infrastructure to support the growth of tech companies. The presence of top engineering colleges like IIT Indore and a growing startup culture further fuels innovation.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're a business looking for end-to-end digital solutions or a tech enthusiast seeking inspiration, the IT companies of Indore—including leaders like InfiminTus Technologies—are transforming ideas into impactful technology.

Ready to elevate your business? Partner with InfiminTus Technologies, and let's unlock digital success together.

[thearkhound]

Marukatsu PC Engine Vol. 43 (Jul. 1992) - Snatcher CD-ROMantic interview

Breaking News! Konami joins the Super CD-ROM² Market

It was a bright day in Kobe... sort-of! Anyway, upon hearing the rumor of Konami joining the Super CD-ROM² market, we the news crew of Marukatsu PC Engine magazine enthusiastically set out to Konami's technical research institute in Kobe. We were greeted by the deputy director of the institute Mr. Akihiko Nagata, senior staff member Mr. Hideo Kojima, and our beautiful public relationist Ms. Taeko Hayasaka. Since we're all in good company here (whatever that means), let's begin with our interview.

So, let's start with the reason why Konami decided to join the Super CD-ROM² market.

Hayasaka: Ever since we've entered the PC Engine market last year, we've been receiving many letters asking us when are we going to put out a game on the Super CD-ROM² format. Those frank opinions were the reasons [for joining the Super CD-ROM² market]. Not just Super CD, but we at Konami wish to be a manufacturer that reflects the wishes of our customers into our products.

Was the decision to make Snatcher your company's first Super CD-ROM² release was also a reflection of your users wishes?

Hayasaka: That's right. It was a frequently requested title on survey cards submitted by our customers.

Nagata: We were undecided whether we wanted to do a port of an existing game or a completely new one, but there was a strong desire from our developers to do Snatcher. (He glances at Kojima while stating this. What secret is he hiding? He's none other than the original author for Snatcher.)

Kojima: This new Super CD version of Snatcher surpasses the old one. Please look forward to it.

By surpassing the previous version, you mean it won't be just a simple port, but it'll have new things to experience...?

Nagata: Well, it is a Super CD after all. Unlike the original home computer version, the characters now speak their lines. We had a splendid cast for our voice actors.

Hayasaka: Let me introduce some of them. The game's protagonist, Gillian Seed, is voiced by Yusaku Yara, who played the dad in Chibi Maruko-chan. His wife Jaime is voiced by Kikuko Inoue, who played Electra in Nadia and the Secret of Blue Water. And then there's Metal Gear, who is voiced by Mami Koyama, the voice of Arale from Dr. Slump. Isn't that an amazing lineup?

We're looking forward to hearing them. So that means a lot of effort is going to be put into the animation side as well?

Kojima: That's right. We're employing full use of the CD-ROM media capacity and put lots of new features in the game that were not possible in the old home computer versions. Even the story will have additions that will greatly increase its sense of completeness, so as a member of the game's staff, I would like to consider it to be the most definitive version. Of course, all the mysteries that were left lingering in the old PC versions will be answered in this new Super CD version.

In other words, there will be a concluding act?

Kojima: That's right. The Super CD-ROM² version will be divided into three acts, an exciting ending has been prepared for Act 3. I think newcomers, as well as players already familiar with the PC version will enjoy it.

I see. It sounds more and more exciting! By the way, are there any other plans for the Super CD-ROM² format?

Hayasaka: We're planning on doing ports, as well as all-new games. We are going to try to put out software that everyone will enjoy to the best of our abilities. We're also considering making an all-new game for the Hu-Card format. We will eventually reveal them to everyone interested. (smile)

[awayellis]

✨ My Must-Have Base Game Friendly Mods! ✨

Hey Simmers! 💚

In some of my previous posts, I mentioned that I don’t own any paid expansions (except for the free ones from EA + Epic Games). So today, I wanted to share my favorite base game-friendly mods that make my gameplay so much better!

🌿 1) Wonderful Whims by Turbodriver This mod adds depth to attraction, preferences, and relationships—without the ahem explicit content from Wicked Whims (which was a bit too much for me 😅). Perfect if you want a more realistic romance system!

⚙️ 2) MC Command Center by Deaderpool An absolute must-have! This mod lets you control almost everything in your game—story progression, pregnancies, cheats, and more. The game just doesn’t feel complete without it.

💼 3) Career Mods by KiaraSims4Mods If you want more career options in the base game, Kiara has a ton of well-balanced and immersive careers to try out!

Astronomer Career

Banker Career

Computer Hardware Engineer Career

Computer Network Architect Career

Computer Research Scientist Career

Computer System Manager Career

Computer Systems Analyst Career

Database Administrator Career

Financial Analyst (No Promotion) Career

Gym Associate Career

Chess Player Career

Information Security Analyst Career

Insurance Sales Agent Career

IT Project Manager Career

Loan Officer Career

Management Analyst Career

Market Research Analyst Career

Publisher Career

Remote Office Assistant Career

Rocket Scientist Career

Simologist Career

Software Developer Career

Web Developer Career

Woodworker Career

💬 4) Interaction Mods by KiaraSims4Mods Adds new social interactions like “Discuss Future Together”, “Do You Like What You See?”, and “Discuss Having a Baby”—small things that make conversations feel way more natural.

Admire Woohoo Techniques Interaction

Discuss Future Together Interaction

Discuss Having a Baby Interaction

Discuss Relationship Status Interaction

Discuss Wedding Date Interaction

Do you like what you see? Interaction

Hate WooHoo Interaction

Chat about Baby Names Interaction

The Baby is Not Yours Interaction

💔 5) Miscarriage Mod by LittleMsSam A more realistic take on pregnancy, adding the possibility of miscarriage with emotional consequences for Sims. A heavy addition, but it makes storytelling more impactful.

🍼 6) Ultrasound Mod by LittleMsSam Lets your Sims go for an ultrasound and get a cute little scan to hang on their wall! One of my favorite small details.

🌍 7) Social Activities by LittleMsSam Adds tons of rabbit hole events—your Sims can send their kids to daycare, visit friends, or even attend concerts! It makes the world feel much more alive.

💘 8) SimDa Dating App by LittleMsSam Think of it as Tinder for Sims! Your Sims can go on blind dates, specific dates, or even find a hook-up.

🎓 9) Online Learning System by LittleMsSam Allows Sims to learn skills online—great for more realistic gameplay!

🤰 10) Pregnancy Overhaul by LittleMsSam Adds more depth to pregnancy. A small but immersive addition!

💤 11) Dreams & Nightmares by AlainBM_Mods Probably my favorite mod—it gives Sims actual dreams and nightmares that impact their mood. It’s such a unique touch to storytelling!

🌟 12) 100 Traits by Chingyu Adds SO many new personality traits, making Sims feel unique and realistic. No more identical Sims with the same base game traits!

💡 These mods have completely changed how I play, making the base game feel so much richer! What are some of your must-have mods? Let’s share recommendations! 💬✨

[sarkariresultdude]

China Recruitment Results 2025: Trends, Insights, and Analysis

 As the arena's second-biggest economy, China is still a primary player within the international exertions marketplace. The today's recruitment effects from 2025 display key trends and insights across industries, demographics, and regions. Companies, activity seekers, and policymakers alike can gain from know-how these shifts, as they replicate China's evolving economic landscape, expertise priorities, and marketplace demands.

Recruitment Process In China 

1. Strong Recovery in Recruitment Activity

In 2025, China’s recruitment market noticed a incredible rebound, following years of pandemic-associated disruptions and financial uncertainty. According to statistics from a couple of human resources and exertions market tracking agencies, general job openings in China increased through about 12% 12 months-on-12 months. This growth turned into frequently driven via sectors which include generation, renewable power, superior production, and modern-day offerings, which includes finance and healthcare.

The surge in recruitment pastime is basically attributed to China’s push closer to monetary modernization and innovation, aligning with the government’s "14th Five-Year Plan" and its vision for incredible development. Furthermore, easing COVID-19 restrictions inside the past two years has revitalized domestic demand, especially in urban centers like Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing, wherein expertise demand stays high.

2. Sector-by using-Sector Breakdown

Technology Sector

China’s tech enterprise stays one in every of the most important recruiters in 2025, with hiring increasing with the aid of 15% in comparison to 2024. Companies running in regions such as synthetic intelligence (AI), semiconductor production, cloud computing, and 5G/6G network infrastructure are main the demand. In precise, the AI and automation sectors skilled document-breaking recruitment, as agencies throughout numerous industries put into effect virtual transformation techniques.

Manufacturing and New Energy

Advanced manufacturing—together with robotics, aerospace, and electric vehicles (EVs)—recorded an eleven% uptick in hiring. With China striving to grow to be a global leader in EV production and inexperienced technology, recruitment in battery generation, renewable energy engineering, and environmental technology has also elevated. The expansion of sun and wind electricity initiatives in inland provinces which include Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang has opened new activity opportunities out of doors main metropolitan hubs.

Financial and Business Services

Financial offerings confirmed a moderate but consistent 7% increase in hiring, in particular in fintech, funding banking, and risk management roles. The fast adoption of virtual finance systems and the growth of inexperienced finance initiatives contributed to this upward fashion. Similarly, prison and compliance departments saw a surge in call for, as stricter regulatory requirements and international exchange dynamics precipitated corporations to strengthen their internal controls.

Healthcare and Life Sciences

China’s growing old populace and the authorities's focus on enhancing healthcare infrastructure have boosted hiring within the medical and pharmaceutical sectors. Hospitals, biotech firms, and healthtech startups elevated recruitment via nine% yr-on-12 months. Special emphasis become placed on roles associated with scientific research, clinical trials, and public fitness management, reflecting China's ambitions to beautify its healthcare resilience.

Three. Regional Disparities in Recruitment

While Tier 1 towns like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen hold to dominate in phrases of activity vacancies, there was a major uptick in hiring in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns, which includes Chengdu, Hangzhou, Xi’an, and Suzhou. The government’s urbanization strategy and nearby improvement rules are riding this shift. Inland provinces and less-advanced regions are actually attracting extra investment, main to activity advent in industries along with logistics, e-trade, and smart production.

This geographic diversification is also related to the upward thrust of far off work, as agencies come to be more bendy in hiring talent from diverse locations. As a end result, skilled specialists are now not limited to standard financial hubs and are finding competitive possibilities in rising cities.

4. Recruitment Challenges: Skills Gaps and Talent Shortages

Despite the overall high quality recruitment results, several sectors pronounced continual demanding situations, specially regarding skills shortages in high-tech and specialised fields. For instance, the semiconductor enterprise keeps to stand a essential gap in skilled engineers and researchers, while the inexperienced electricity area is struggling to find sufficient skilled task managers and technical experts.

Soft abilties consisting of leadership, go-cultural communique, and trouble-fixing also continue to be in excessive demand, mainly as Chinese organizations make bigger their global operations. Talent shortage has led to accelerated competition among employers, riding up salaries for niche roles and prompting groups to make investments extra heavily in inner schooling and improvement packages.

Five. Demographic Shifts: Youth Employment and Aging Workforce

Youth employment remains a complicated problem in China. While job opportunities for younger graduates have grown along financial recuperation, excessive competition and high expectancies hold to pose demanding situations. The countrywide young people unemployment charge stood at about 14% in early 2025, slightly decrease than in 2024 but nonetheless a subject for policymakers.

In reaction, the authorities has expanded employment subsidies, vocational education initiatives, and entrepreneurship programs focused on young human beings. Additionally, more college students are choosing internships, apprenticeships, and industry-connected educational pathways to decorate employability earlier than commencement.

Meanwhile, the getting old group of workers provides its very own set of challenges. Industries including manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare are increasingly more searching out ways to preserve older employees through re-skilling applications and flexible work preparations.

6. Trends in Hiring Practices

Recruitment practices in China are evolving, with organizations leveraging AI-pushed recruitment equipment, virtual exams, and facts analytics to streamline hiring processes. Many organizations now prioritize candidate experience, the use of era to lessen time-to-lease and improve engagement at some point of the recruitment cycle.

Campus recruitment remains a key approach for principal agencies, mainly in sectors which includes generation, finance, and engineering. However, there may be a developing desire for hiring candidates with realistic revel in, main to greater collaboration between universities and companies to offer industry-relevant guides and internships.

Diversity and inclusion are also gaining traction. Companies are increasingly dedicated to gender balance and hiring talent from numerous backgrounds, which include ethnic minorities and worldwide candidates, specially within the tech and R&D sectors.

7. Outlook for 2025 and Beyond

Looking in advance, China’s recruitment panorama is predicted to remain dynamic. The persisted improvement of emerging sectors consisting of quantum computing, biotechnology, smart towns, and the metaverse will create new employment opportunities, specially for skills with interdisciplinary ability sets.

Policy shifts, which includes similarly liberalization of the hard work market and supportive measures for small and medium corporations (SMEs), may also stimulate job advent. Additionally, the emphasis on sustainable improvement and digital innovation is in all likelihood to reshape hiring priorities, with an growing awareness on inexperienced jobs and virtual literacy.

However, geopolitical uncertainties, change tensions, and worldwide monetary fluctuations will remain key elements influencing China’s hard work marketplace within the close to destiny. Businesses and activity seekers alike will need to stay agile, adapting to changing financial situations and technological advancements.

[explodingchantry]

After a few hours into my Dao replay I think I'm starting to really warm up to the gameplay trailer for dav, and indeed its more action oriented combat.

Something I think a lot of us, especially those of us who are a bit apprehensive, are struggling with is that we haven't replayed dragon age in... A while. We have this idea of what it was like but personally my last playthrough was soon after trespasser released. I think we ourselves, unless you're one of the people whose replayed all three games very recently, aren't the best place to decide what dragon age should 'feel' like

Dao is absolutely brilliant and it's combat system is so in depth, the fact that me and a lot of people always complain about how difficult it is just means that it was a system directed towards more strategy oriented people. The little strategy options for the companions, you know the menu not a lot of us use in Dao and da2, where you can tell a companion "if this happens, do that" is a fucking marvel, it's so smart, it's so efficient, it offers so much control it genuinely is amazing. But the thing is that I don't think the core player base of dragon age ended up being the players who used that a ton.

Something you feel a lot especially replaying Dao with modern sensibilities, is sluggishness. You have to remember that it IS a real time action rpg - this means that reactivity is pretty important and even though the other Dao systems make you feel like you're wholly in control, the animations themselves as well as hit boxes and general... Feel of combat doesn't bring that across. It feels like playing an old mmo. It's absolutely fine and expected for its time, but expecting something similar in our modern era is foolish.

If bioware was going to keep the real time fighting, which, I would've been shocked and disappointed if they didn't, they had to make it more snappy and reactive. Furthermore as a bunch of people have pointed out the trailer specifically shows rogue which is THE most snappy bouncy class there is, at least with the double dagger. But we still have our pause. We still get to tell our companions what to do. And with so much work put everywhere else to "get back to their roots" it would be strange of bioware to completely abandon it just for the combat system

Something that did bother me in the trailer is how few abilities seemed available at one time and also the fact you couldn't see your companions' health bar: it seems they confirmed you can see the health bars on discord, and as for the abilities and the hud... I think it might just be a product of them showing console gameplay, because I saw some Dao console gameplay earlier today and was like. Oh. That looks similar. And there isn't necessarily any worries to have about them choosing to show console gameplay - statistically speaking I'm positive the majority of gamers these days are console gamers, and with how beautiful the game seems I imagine it'll put most computers to their fucking knees, and the amount of people who have access to up to date gaming computers is lower than you think. It makes sense from a marketing standpoint to use console gameplay. Keep hold of your knickers

I've personally no problem with a more stylised approach to the graphics either because I've always been of the opinion that inquisition looks like garbage and it aged even worse than I expected. It's so fucking ugly bro I hate how frostbite engine looked back then it's disgusting LMFAO.

I've even seen people critiquing the look of minrathous even though it's fairly consistent with what we'd seen of tevinter so far... I think people forget that in Dao, dragon age really didn't have as much of an artistic identity as it has now - really Dao in many ways looks like usual your dark fantasy game. So many elements that would become emblematic of dragon age only came in later games. Do I really need to bring up flemeth or the qunari lol, or the many looks elves and their vallaslins have had over the years.

Like dragon age's visual and artistic identity has always shifted with every game. There's literally nothing wrong with that. It's just par for the course course. You can't have a long running series of fantasy games with lore as complex as dragon age without stumbling here and there over such a large amt of year, mediums and teams.

As for the fucking idiots complaining about the game not being dark enough idk replay any of the games for like 5 minutes and then come back. Well maybe not dai that game is boring as hell most of the time but either way dragon age was always silly as hell y'all are so fucking stupid. Go watch game of thrones or something instead

I think I'm saying all that because I've seen a lot of negativity for the sake of being negative. A lot of people went into this expecting to be upset, so obviously they ended up upset. And I know it's so fucking hard: inquisition was already a mess in many ways, most of the original dragon age staff left, there were major layoffs which we should not forget about, the game was restarted I think twice or something, and in general it's had a bit of a messy development. That and the horrors that were me:a and anthem, and of course people wouldn't have faith in bioware. But it's not the first time a game studio went a dangerous path only to have a moment of clarity and come back. I've personally seen it when a few years back devil may cry 5 came out and was the best game in the franchise, going back to its roots and bettering what was already there with bold steps towards modernizing its gameplay, when all fans thought the franchise dead and buried. I want to believe bioware is able to have such a comeback as well.

What is transpiring from many of the articles, from the little tidbits of the staff on twitter, from interviews - it's that there's heart in this. It's that they're trying. They've listened. And maybe I'm just falling for the marketing machine, but I'd rather believe and be disappointed than live with no hope in my heart man. Dragon age is a series that means so much to me. We've waited so long for this. I want this to be something I can love.

[trendingjournals]

US Tech Stocks Stabilize After DeepSeek AI App Disrupts Market

US Tech Stocks Stabilize After DeepSeek AI App Disrupts Market

US tech stocks held steady on Tuesday after experiencing a sharp decline on Monday, triggered by the unexpected rise of the Chinese-made artificial intelligence (AI) app, DeepSeek.

Shares of chip giant Nvidia, which had fallen sharply on Monday, rebounded by 8.8% as experts suggested the AI market selloff may have been an overreaction. Investors were quick to adjust their positions after DeepSeek claimed its AI model was developed at a fraction of the cost of its competitors' offerings.

The news sparked concerns over the future of America's AI dominance and raised questions about the scale of investments US companies are planning. US President Donald Trump described the situation as "a wake-up call" for the tech industry, while also suggesting that the development could ultimately be beneficial for the US economy. He remarked that if AI models could be produced more cheaply while delivering the same results, it would be a positive outcome for the country.

Trump downplayed concerns, emphasizing that the US would remain a key player in the AI field. The surge of optimism around AI investments has fueled much of the US stock market's growth over the past two years, prompting fears of a potential market bubble.

DeepSeek, launched just a week ago, quickly became the most downloaded free app in the US. Its rise comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and China over AI technology, with the US restricting the export of advanced AI chips to China.

Chinese AI developers, facing limited access to these chips, have shared research and explored alternative approaches that demand less computational power. This has led to the creation of AI models that are significantly cheaper to produce, challenging industry norms and threatening to disrupt the market.

Nvidia, the leading provider of advanced chips used in many AI applications, was hit hardest by the market selloff. Its share price dropped 17% on Monday, erasing nearly $600 billion from its market value.

Analysts, including Janet Mui of RBC Brewin Dolphin, explained that investors typically respond with caution to groundbreaking developments due to uncertainty. However, she noted that the cheaper AI models could benefit tech giants such as Apple and other firms, who have faced scrutiny over their high AI investments.

After the initial shock, US stock markets stabilized on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, the S&P 500 gained nearly 1%, and the Nasdaq saw a 2% increase. In the UK, the FTSE 100 closed 0.35% higher. Meanwhile, AI-related stocks in Japan, including Advantest, SoftBank, and Tokyo Electron, saw sharp declines, contributing to a 1.4% drop in the Nikkei 225. Several Asian markets remained closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, with mainland China's markets set to reopen on February 5.

DeepSeek's Founder: Liang Wenfeng

DeepSeek was founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng in Hangzhou, China. The 40-year-old, an engineering graduate, also established the hedge fund that financed the development of the AI app. Liang recently attended a meeting with industry leaders and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. In a July 2024 interview, he expressed surprise at the sensitivity surrounding the pricing of his AI models, stating that the company had simply focused on cost-efficient development and pricing without anticipating such a reaction from the market.