#how to remove copilot from windows 10

[pumpkinstep]

I wanted to come in and say that if you uninstall Microsoft edge and reg edit to keep it from reinstalling itself, it will kill copilot all together. I'm not sure if this works for 11 but I did it for my win 10 laptop and it worked like a charm.

Turns out, the program and a few other processes that aren't important, run on Edge and rely on it in order to work.

when they were rolling out the copilot preview I found nothing I did worked to keep it turned off or deleted. Only until I uninstalled Edge did it work.

I made a whole post on how to do that here , but again this is for windows 10, idk if it works for 11.

Literal definition of spyware:

Also From Microsoft’s own FAQ: "Note that Recall does not perform content moderation. It will not hide information such as passwords or financial account numbers. 🤡

[dragonmarquise]

How to Deal with Windows 10/11 Nonsense

This is more for my own reference to keep all of this on one post. But hopefully others will find this useful too! So yeah, as the title says, this is a to organize links and resources related to handling/removing nonsense from Windows 10 and Windows 11. Especially bloatware and stuff like that Copilot AI thing.

First and foremost, there's O&O Software's ShutUp10++ (an antispy tool that help give you more control over Windows settings) and App Buster (helps remove bloatware and manage applications). I've used these myself for Windows 10 and they work great, and the developers have stated that these should work with Windows 11 too!

10AppsManager is another bloatware/app management tool, though at the moment it seems to only work on Windows 10.

Winaero Tweaker, similar to ShupUp10++ in that it gives you more control over Windows to disable some of the more annoying settings, such as disabling web search from the taskbar/start menu and disabling ads/tips/suggestions in different parts of the OS. I think ShupUp10++ covers the same options as this one, but I'm not entirely sure.

OpenShell, helps simplify the Start Menu and make it look more like the classic start menu from older versions of Windows. Should work with both 10 and 11 according to the readme.

Notes on how to remove that one horrible AI spying snapshots feature that's being rolled out on Windows 11 right now.

Article on how to remove Copilot (an AI assistant) from Windows 11. (Edit 11/20/2024) Plus a post with notes on how to remove it from Windows 10 too, since apparently it's not just limited to 11 now.

Win11Debloat, a simple script that can be used to automatically remove pretty much all of the bullshit from both 10 and 11, though a lot of its features are focused on fixing Windows 11 in particular (hence the name). Also has options you can set to pick and choose what changes you want!

Article on how to set up Windows 11 with a local account on a new computer, instead of having to log in with a Microsoft account. To me, this is especially important because I much prefer having a local account than let Microsoft have access to my stuff via a cloud account. Also note this article and this article for more or less the same process.

I will add to this as I find more resources. I'm hoping to avoid Windows 11 for as long as possible, and I've already been used the O&O apps to keep Windows 10 trimmed down and controlled. But if all else fails and I have to use Windows 11 on a new computer, then I plan to be as prepared as possible.

Edit 11/1/2024: Two extra things I wanted to add onto here.

A recommended Linux distro for people who want to use Linux instead of Windows.

How to run a Windows app on Linux, using Wine. Note that this will not work for every app out there, though a lot of people out there are working on testing different apps and figuring out how to get them to work in Wine.

The main app I use to help with my art (specifically for 3D models to make references when I need it) is Windows only. If I could get it to work on Linux, it would give me no reason to use Windows outside of my work computer tbh (which is a company laptop anyways).

[jjeremysstash]

Fixing Windows 11 - A Masterpost

Windows 11 is absolute crap for a good bunch of stuff so yeah, have a masterpost with most of the things I've found around to fix it haha (they're not all here because I did stuff around and I don't remember what)

YES, I KNOW at this point Linux would be a better alternative, however some here can't use Linux due to some proprietary programs that are not on Linux. This Masterpost is for the people in the same situation as I, aka those who have to have Windows or they can't do their job.

I am currently unemployed and haven't worked enough for the government to help me. I have a ko-fi if ever you want to help.

Stopping W11 from making you create an account/setting up your computer without internet (with a way to create gpedit.msc if your version doesn't have it)

Fixing the Taskbar (in case you also don't like the grouped Battery/internet/sound or the way the windows look)(there's more to it, check the settings)

There is the chance that Windows can't update because of this, you just have to uninstall it and reinstall it afterwards. They also completely nuked the Windows 10 look in the 24H2 update, so use the "Windows 10 (Explorer Patcher)" option instead of the plain "Windows 10".

Removing the rounded windows (since ExplorerPatcher doesn't do it anymore on 24H2)

https://github.com/valinet/Win11DisableRoundedCorners

How to move the volume and luminosity pop ups (so you can finally see those sweet sweet subtitles)

In case ModernFlyouts doesn't automatically start up, possible solution

Fixing the Start Menu (ExplorerPatcher can do that too, btw)

How to show all options right away

A way to bring back the Calendar

https://github.com/matej137/OutlookRemover

MICROSOFT FULLY NUKED THE CALENDAR!!! Possible fix is to downgrade the app (which is fine if you don't use the Mail), but do use the OutlookRemover to stop the automatic installation of the new version.

https://github.com/matej137/OutlookRemover/issues/15

Your Bluetooth suddenly doesn't work???

It happens sometimes for no clear reasons so here are a few things you can do:

Check if the icon is in the Taskbar. If not, verify if it is available in the pop up menu (the one from the gear icon)

If it's not here, check your parameter to see if you have the option to turn it on.

If it's still not here, reboot your PC.

If it's STILL not working, update your Bluetooth driver. You can do so by looking for "driver" in the menu and opening the Device Manager, then right click on the right Bluetooth component and update its driver.

If Windows says that the driver is up to date, try checking out this helper: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-bluetooth-problems-in-windows-723e092f-03fa-858b-5c80-131ec3fba75c

If really nothing help, download and install a recent Bluetooth Driver. Be careful of what you download and from where.

Someone who stumbled on this post fixed it by downloading the Bluetooth Driver 5.0.1.1500 from Softonic (https://www.softonic.nl/download/bluetooth-driver/windows).

How to remove Copilot if you have it (I don't, but it might be because I'm in Europe??)

Archive

Apparently Copilot is being forced on people so hummm

Other stuff not specifically related to the shit W11 did

Changing the size of the scroll bars

How to fully remove Cortana

Website with tools to fix W10 and W11

[ailelie]

So Why Linux?

If you've followed my "Adventures in Linux" tag at all then you know I am a technical layperson. I use my personal computer primarily to write and browse the Internet.

So why am I switching to Linux? A taskbar.

Let me explain.

In Windows 11 right now, you cannot move your taskbar from the bottom of the screen to the left side. You can move the icons in the taskbar, but if you want to go vertical, you're out of luck.

This has irritated more than just me, especially because you could in Windows 10, 7, and etc. Microsoft chose to remove functionality.

If you search online, you'll see plenty of posts in forums and on reddit asking about this missing feature. If you want a vertical taskbar, you have to download an additional program. (StartAllBack is what I got; it isn't free).

Microsoft seems uninterested in adding this functionality back.

To me, this suggests that they have an idea or vision for how users interact with their computers, as if a right and wrong way exist. Individuals don't matter; only the vision (and sometimes the majority) do.

It isn't just a taskbar.

When you open Windows 11 (Home) for the very first time and try to install Firefox, you may find that you can't (at least you couldn't when I reluctantly upgraded). The application simply isn't trusted enough to be in their app/software store, which is the only place from which you can install new programs.

If this happens to you, you're likely in S mode. Getting out of S mode is a very non-intuitive process. I'm sure plenty of people don't bother.

Microsoft uses S mode, which they claim is for security, to limit options and further define how people interact with their computer and the Internet.

It isn't just S mode.

I used to use Microsoft 365. When my computer bricked last year, 365 was a godsend because I, foolishly, did not have my documents backed up anywhere else. I did not mind paying each year for cloud storage and the Office Suite.

Then I learned that the price was jumping and all because of Copilot, a feature I wish did not exist. A "classic" version with limited AI was available, but likely only for a year.

The offer of a limited time "classic" subscription felt like a sop to irritated users who did not want to pay more for an unnecessary (unethical, environmentally unsound) "feature." A temporary placation until the noise died down and Microsoft could kill Classic quietly.

All in all, I felt like Microsoft had decided that Windows was their program that I, as a user, was simply lucky and blessed to be able to use and therefore should be grateful to use it as they dictated rather than as I wanted.

I'm not a power user. I'm not in the tech industry. My coding experience is limited to when I played with Python a decade ago and Choicescript, which I use to write my interactive fiction.

But, I have preferences. I like my taskbar to be vertical and aligned to the left of my screen.

I do not think it is that large an ask to want a computer that works how I want it to work, that lets me interact with my files and the Internet the way I want to rather than the way some far-off company decides I have to.

So that's why Linux. Yeah, it is harder to set up at times, but not as hard as some posts and articles make it seem.

I'm sharing my experiences with it to hopefully make someone else's switch easier.

Ultimately, it is just an operating system. I'm sure there's a lot I don't understand or am not appreciating, but, aside from some very minor hiccups, it works.

It works and lets me do what I want; what more could I want?

[raccoonfallsharder]

Chapter 10/20+ Window Across the Galaxy (new 8/31)

girl falls first; raccoon falls harder.

And so this is how the space between Knowhere and Asgard unfolds: the coziest, rosiest nights she’s had in years - decades, probably, if she wants to waste time doing the math - and days spent cascading through jump-points like honeycombs and stardust like spilt glitter. Snacks tossed at her head by a grumpy copilot who she’s basically-desperately-in-love-with-shhhh, and the clinking of his inventions, and an uncountable number of golden-hearted flowers in her hair. And the fragile beginnings of - well, maybe they’d all still disagree and say Jolie, you moron, this is an uneasy alliance at best - but she’s going to call it a family and let the word curl up like a kitten in her heart.  She suspects that Groot, at least, would agree with her in this.  When they finally reach the pocket of starry galaxy that cradles the Realm Eternal - hung like an island in the sky, like a more-feral version of the Neverland she’d seen painted in books as a kid - Pete slows the Gemma Lynn to a crawl, and Jolie slides into the copilot’s seat.

Chapter X. Thin Fucking Ice. in which our heroes get fucked. Not in the good way.

action! too much action. i hate writing action (unless it's smutty action). uhhhh there's some violence and minor gore/description of wounds in this chapter but I don't think it's egregious?

General summary/notes + links to recently preceding chapters behind the cut. let me know via comment, message, or ask if you'd like to be added or removed from my fanfic/headcanon/doodle taglist ♡

General Summary~

Rocket is captured by a Ravager crew hoping to get rich off the excessively large bounty on his head. Throwing a wrench in everyone’s plans is the Terran girl they hired to do some freelance assessing on a recent haul of goods they’ve seized from a Xandaran luxury liner. Oops.

let me be real with you: this fic is really about wish-fulfillment. not just the eventual smut (but that too). mostly i just want someone to be nice to my best raccoon

Chapter I. A Delicacy. in which our reluctant heroes meet atop a crate of Sovereign porn in the bowels of a Ravager ship. Chapter II. Monster For A Pet. in which one hero wrestles with his inner Groot, and the other is quite possibly a moron. Chapter III. A Kindness.in which Rocket gets in his own damn way: not for the first time, and certainly not for the last. Chapter IV. Got There First. in which our heroes obtain an arsenal and street food. Chapter V. Things No-One Has Said Before. in which one hero refuses to babysit and the other refuses to leave. Chapter VI. Two and a Half Billion Units. in which we lean into the “they were roommates��� trope. Jolie has misgivings, while Rocket has fantasies - about getting rich, of course. Chapter VII. I'm Here.in which we visit Knowhere. Chapter VIII. The Care & Feeding of Human Pets. in which our heroes practice breathing and we lean into a new trope: “there was (technically) one bed.” Chapter IX. Scrapmetal and a Dream. in which we redefine homemaking. Chapter X. Thin Fucking Ice. in which our heroes get fucked. Not in the good way. Coming Soon: Chapter XI. Let It Be. in which Xandar is saved and good lives are lost.

slight AU starting pre-GOTG volume 1 (but will hit most of the same major plot points). slooowww burn + eventual smut with a lot of pining in the middle. kinda enemies-to-lovers? (but only one of these idiots thinks they're enemies). elements of hurt/comfort because rocket is the saddest-angriest boy. rating will go up and tags will be added to as needed.

@evolvingchaoswitch ♡

[kirbynoodle]

Someone remind me to make a tutorial on how to remove Copilot from Windows 10 using registry editor because the tutorial link floating around asks the user to either use Policy Editor (which isn’t available in the standard “home” edition) or just click “hide from taskbar” (which isn’t an option in win10).

[pumpkinstep]

I use this software.

It's an easy way to turn off settings in windows that you'd normally have to put a bit of effort in to find. Settings like trackers and a bunch of other stuff.

It works for windows 10

Revo Uninstaller is a great program for force uninstalling programs you couldn't uninstall otherwise. Like Microsoft Edge.

If you use it to uninstall edge and its not finding the program when you search for it, you'll have to open edge, then use the target mode which allows you to select desired programs manually.

target the opened Microsoft edge window and it'll start the process.

The cool thing about this program is that is does a hard uninstall, completely wipes out everything related to the program and it's stuff in the registry.

might I add, if you uninstall Microsoft edge, it will remove copilot as well. I've done this and it's been a few months since then I think. I've updated my laptop a few times and it hasn't come back. though if you want to avoid edge from coming back with an update, here's a vid on the more indepth process of its removal.

Something I usually do is go into my app manager or program manager window and read through what all is installed. I delete anything I didn't install myself and doesn't have a purpose. If you're not tech savvy, have a web browser open to search for programs you don't recognize. if it looks necessary, leave it alone. Usually windows is pretty good about not letting you uninstall important programs but it's good to play it safe.

Doing this whenever you notice a sudden dip in pc performance is a great way to catch unwanted programs that may have slipped in with something you downloaded recently. Paired with a good anti malware program like Malwarebytes, youre pretty much golden.

last tip.

It's a pretty good practice to Optimize and Defrag your harddrive regularly. It basically does a clean sweep of your harddrive by deleting unnecessary files.

Here's a link to instructions on how to do that. When you set about this process, you should have an option of to what degree the clean up is done (meaning what files is targeted), how regularly this process happens.

It usually deletes residual files, stuff in your downloads folder, trash folder, and stuff like that. you'll get to see what all is there when you do it before you confirm the clean up.

After doing all that, you've got yourself a nice and clean pc that should work better than it did before.

All the programs I linked to are free and can be used without paying for them.

I've been super into computers since I was kid so these are pretty solid methods of pc maintainance on the virtual side. If you have a proper box pc, and I guess if you're feeling brave enough to open up your laptop, don't forget to clean use an air duster to clean out your consul.

I promise you, nothing will help more than a clean pc and cooling fans.

i thought my laptop was on its last leg because it was running at six billion degrees and using 100% disk space at all times and then i turned off shadows and some other windows effects and it was immediately cured. i just did the same to my roommate's computer and its performance issues were also immediately cured. okay. i guess.

so i guess if you have creaky freezy windows 10/11 try searching "advanced system settings", go to performance settings, and uncheck "show shadows under windows" and anything else you don't want. hope that helps someone else.

[xaltius]

Top 15 Generative AI Tools and Applications Shaping 2025

The landscape of artificial intelligence is constantly evolving, and one of the most exciting and rapidly advancing areas is Generative AI. In 2025, we're witnessing an explosion of tools and applications powered by this technology, transforming how we create, innovate, and interact with the digital world. From crafting stunning visuals to generating compelling text and even designing functional code, generative AI is no longer a futuristic concept – it's a powerful reality.

This blog will explore 15 of the most impactful generative AI tools and applications you need to know about in 2025, highlighting their key features and potential.

1. DALL-E 2 (OpenAI): A pioneer in text-to-image generation, DALL-E 2 continues to impress with its ability to create realistic and imaginative images from textual descriptions. Key Features: High-quality image generation, image editing capabilities, variations from existing images. Applications: Art creation, marketing visuals, concept design.

2. Midjourney: Another powerful text-to-image AI, Midjourney is known for its artistic and often surreal outputs. It's accessible through Discord and has gained a strong following in the creative community. Key Features: Artistic image generation, iterative refinement, community-driven exploration. Applications: Digital art, illustration, game design.

3. Stable Diffusion: An open-source text-to-image model that has democratized access to high-quality image generation. Its open nature allows for greater customization and integration. Key Features: Open-source, fast image generation, customizable, large community support. Applications: Research, art, design, accessibility.

4. GPT-4 (OpenAI): The successor to the groundbreaking GPT-3, GPT-4 is a multimodal model that can process both text and images. Its text generation capabilities are even more advanced, producing more coherent, creative, and human-like text. Key Features: Advanced text generation, image understanding, code generation, translation. Applications: Content creation, chatbots, summarization, code generation.

5. Claude (Anthropic): A strong competitor to GPT models, Claude is known for its ability to handle longer contexts and generate more nuanced and thoughtful text. Key Features: Long context window, strong reasoning abilities, ethical AI focus. Applications: Long-form content creation, summarization, research assistance.

6. Jasper: A popular AI writing assistant specifically designed for marketing and sales content. It helps users generate blog posts, social media updates, ad copy, and more. Key Features: Marketing-focused templates, brand voice customization, SEO optimization. Applications: Marketing, sales, content creation.

7. Copy.ai: Similar to Jasper, Copy.ai provides a range of AI-powered tools for generating various types of marketing and sales copy. Key Features: User-friendly interface, diverse content generation options, translation. Applications: Marketing, sales, advertising.

8. RunwayML: A comprehensive video editing platform powered by generative AI. It offers tools for tasks like object removal, inpainting, and style transfer, making video editing more accessible. Key Features: AI-powered video editing, motion tracking, style transfer. Applications: Video editing, filmmaking, content creation.

9. Synthesia.io: Allows users to create videos with AI avatars speaking any text in multiple languages. Key Features: Realistic AI avatars, multilingual support, easy video creation. Applications: Training videos, marketing content, explainer videos.

10. Murf AI: A versatile AI voice generator that allows users to create realistic voiceovers for videos, podcasts, and presentations. Key Features: Wide range of voices, customization options, API access. Applications: Audio production, content creation, accessibility.

11. GitHub Copilot: An AI pair programmer that helps developers write code faster and with less effort. It suggests code completions and even generates entire code blocks based on context. Key Features: Code completion, code generation, integration with popular IDEs. Applications: Software development.

12. Tabnine: Another AI-powered code completion tool that assists developers in writing code more efficiently. Key Features: Real-time code suggestions, deep learning models, team features. Applications: Software development.

13. Tome: An AI-powered storytelling format that helps users create compelling presentations and narratives with AI-generated text and visuals. Key Features: AI-powered layout and design, content generation, interactive elements. Applications: Presentations, storytelling, marketing materials.

14. AutoDraw (Google): While simpler than some other tools, AutoDraw uses AI to predict what you're trying to draw and offers suggestions for polished icons and illustrations. Key Features: AI-powered drawing assistance, free to use, easy to use. Applications: Quick visual creation, sketching, accessibility.

15. DeepMind AlphaFold: While primarily focused on protein structure prediction, AlphaFold demonstrates the power of generative AI in scientific discovery, opening doors for new drug development and materials science. Key Features: Accurate protein structure prediction. Applications: Scientific research, drug discovery, materials science.

Unlock the Potential with Xaltius Academy's Gen AI Course:

The world of generative AI is rapidly evolving, and understanding its capabilities is becoming increasingly crucial across various industries. Xaltius Academy's Gen AI Course is designed to equip you with the foundational knowledge and practical skills to navigate this exciting new frontier.

Key benefits of the program:

Comprehensive Understanding: Learn the core concepts and techniques behind generative AI models.

Hands-on Experience: Gain practical experience working with these cutting-edge tools and frameworks.

Ethical Considerations: Develop a strong understanding of the ethical implications of generative AI.

Industry Applications: Explore real-world use cases and learn how to apply generative AI to solve problems.

Expert Instruction: Learn from experienced AI professionals.

Conclusion:

Generative AI is poised to revolutionize numerous aspects of our lives and work. By understanding the capabilities of these top tools and applications, you can position yourself or your business to leverage this transformative technology. Whether you're a creative professional, a marketer, a developer, or simply curious about the future of AI, exploring these tools is a crucial step. And for a deeper dive and practical skills development, consider the comprehensive Gen AI course offered by Xaltius Academy. The creative revolution powered by AI is just beginning – are you ready to be a part of it?

[jcmarchi]

Will Large Language Models End Programming?

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/will-large-language-models-end-programming/

Will Large Language Models End Programming?

In his keynote, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman revealed another major development: the extension of GPT-4 Turbo’s knowledge cutoff. Unlike GPT-4, which had information only up to 2021, GPT-4 Turbo is updated with knowledge up until April 2023, marking a significant step forward in the AI’s relevance and applicability.

ChatGPT Enterprise stands out with features like enhanced security and privacy, high-speed access to GPT-4, and extended context windows for longer inputs. Its advanced data analysis capabilities, customization options, and removal of usage caps make it a superior choice to its predecessors. Its ability to process longer inputs and files, along with unlimited access to advanced data analysis tools like the previously known Code Interpreter, further solidifies its appeal, especially among businesses previously hesitant due to data security concerns.

The era of manually crafting code is giving way to AI-driven systems, trained instead of programmed, signifying a fundamental change in software development.

The mundane tasks of programming may soon fall to AI, reducing the need for deep coding expertise. Tools like GitHub’s CoPilot and Replit’s Ghostwriter, which assist in coding, are early indicators of AI’s expanding role in programming, suggesting a future where AI extends beyond assistance to fully managing the programming process. Imagine the common scenario where a programmer forgets the syntax for reversing a list in a particular language. Instead of a search through online forums and articles, CoPilot offers immediate assistance, keeping the programmer focused towards to goal.

Transitioning from Low-Code to AI-Driven Development

Low-code & No code tools simplified the programming process, automating the creation of basic coding blocks and liberating developers to focus on creative aspects of their projects.  But as we step into this new AI wave, the landscape changes further. The simplicity of user interfaces and the ability to generate code through straightforward commands like “Build me a website to do X” is revolutionizing the process.

AI’s influence in programming is already huge. Similar to how early computer scientists transitioned from a focus on electrical engineering to more abstract concepts, future programmers may view detailed coding as obsolete. The rapid advancements in AI, are not limitd to text/code generation. In areas like image generation diffusion model like Runway ML, DALL-E 3, shows massive improvements. Just see the below tweet by Runway showcasing their latest feature.

Introducing, Motion Brush.

A new way to add controlled movement to your generations.

Coming soon to Gen-2. pic.twitter.com/htyjf1gstz

— Runway (@runwayml) November 10, 2023

Extending beyond programming, AI’s impact on creative industries is set to be equally transformative. Jeff Katzenberg, a titan in the film industry and former chairman of Walt Disney Studios, has predicted that AI will significantly reduce the cost of producing animated films. According to a recent article from Bloomberg Katzenberg foresees a drastic 90% reduction in costs. This can include automating labor-intensive tasks such as in-betweening in traditional animation, rendering scenes, and even assisting with creative processes like character design and storyboarding.

[freereignastarwarsstory]

Chapter 10: Tiss’sharl

Disclaimer: We (@zazabelle and @draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment.

Rating: T

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vis sat crossed legged as she stared out into the stars from the copilot seat, her heavy bag of tricks still cradled on her lap while her long trench coat flowed onto the ground. She’d been sitting like this for some time now, and as to what was going through her head only the Force knew.

Getting out of the atmosphere had been… a rough experience to say the least, and getting on the ship was even harder, but at the sight of the stars Vis’ panicked breathing had paced out to a quiet existence.

Nek had insisted that she sit up front where she could see everything. He’d said that he used to get flight sick but sitting up front had helped tremendously. And Chol had insisted afterward that if Vis did get flight sick then Nek was cleaning it up.

Luckily that hadn’t occurred much to Nek’s relief and Vis’.

Also in the cockpit stood Soron, Cenden, and Lerti. Nek had gone off once they left the atmosphere to make whatever food they had stored up and BX was probably off in his room re-organizing anything that had moved during takeoff.

“There’s… Just so many stars. I remember them now, I missed them.” Vis breathed.

“They are pretty beautiful.” Chol agreed with a little smile.

“I have to warn you all… And I’m not sure how to explain it, but a lot of new paths have opened up and branched out in between all these stars. My guide’s trying to warn me of a lot of things but there’s just… so much.” Vis explained as she leaned closer to the window.

“That’s what meditating is for.” Cenden remarked.

“I know I just...” She stopped and turned her head towards the right, looking off in another direction of the infinite ink. Her freckles were shifting between a hue a minute. “I like feeling all the paths, the branches and where they connect. Seeing other people through them and how they connect to me and what my guide thinks of them. I have so much to write down.”

Soron smiled, “Well we’ll get a room set up for you so you can unpack.” He said as the three turned to leave Vis with Chol before adding, “You’ll be rooming with Lerti.”

“She’ll be what!?” Lerti burst out as Soron finished, the captain leading her and Cenden out of the room, obviously expecting the reaction.

“We don’t have anymore rooms that aren’t closets or BX’s room which isn’t much of a difference.” Soron pointed out.

“Why can’t she can’t just lay on the floor in one of your rooms!?”

“Lerti, we’re all guys.”

“So what, we have morals now!?”

“We have enough morals to know that she’s bunking with you and that’s an order.” Soron finished. Cenden stood behind him, looking somewhat amused.

Lerti rolled her eyes, “Great. You decide to adopt a kid and now I have to take care of it.”

The Mandalorian warrior turned to walk to her room, probably to stash anything she didn’t want her soon to be roommate to find and or mess with.

Soron turned to Cenden who he noticed was still looking very pleased with himself before the captain added, “So when does training begin?”

Cenden, caught off guard, opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, obviously wanting to argue but not sure how anymore after going toe to toe with him only a few days earlier.

“No answer? Well I’ll answer that for you. Training starts tomorrow as soon as we get back from our little detour in Tiss’sharl. We’re running low on fuel so we’ll be taking a slow pace through hyperspace and will arrive on the planet in at least 24 hours, that should give you plenty of time to come up with a lesson plan.” With that, the captain returned to the cockpit, the door closing once again behind him, leaving Cenden to his thoughts.

The man ran his hands over his face as he leaned up against the wall.

“Truly and honestly I’m asking you, what have I gotten myself into?” Cenden whispered in his mind and into the space around him.

From within the cockpit, the girl turned in her seat as she felt the tug of his thought, though she couldn’t hear what he said, she knew what he felt. Her brow crinkled as she tried to decipher in between all the crossing paths now before them, where his thoughts would lead him.

“I don’t know Cenden. I don’t know where we are either.”

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Bang!

“Ughhh.” Lerti groaned from her bunk.

Whatever kind of sleep she’d been having up until that point was interrupted at the sound of something hitting against the walls.

Bang! Thump!

“What the heck?” Lerti finally forced her eyes open, rubbing her hands against her temples. “Vis? Is that you making that noise?” She said irritably as she turned to face the makeshift bedroll.

Only Vis wasn't there.

“What?” Lerti muttered, groggily standing up. “Vis?” Lerti called.

“Find the straggler and secure the area. On the double.” A garbled and muffled voice echoed through the hallway.

Lerti shook her head in disbelief, she had to be imagining this. “There she is! Get her!” The voice yelled again as heavy boots resounded faintly.

“...no. NO!” Lerti hissed as she grabbed one of her blaster pistols.

Rushing through the door, still in her sleepwear, Lerti had managed to pull her pants on over and throw her helmet on to face whoever had boarded the ship. Running across the hall she checked both directions for the boarders as she banged on the door.

“Soron get up now! We’ve been boarded and Vis is out there!”

Seconds later the door flew open as Soron, shirtless and clutching his blaster rifle in his hands, emerged. “Where?”

“I heard them coming from that way, I heard two but there’s probably more.”

“I’ll get Vis, you go get Cenden and BX and meet me there.” Soron barked as he took off down the hall.

“We found her boss, she’s in there.” Soron heard a garbled but surprisingly light voice.

“No! They cut me off, I’m surrounded!” Vis’ telltale voice sent a spike of fear through Soron as he pushed himself faster down the hall.

‘How had anyone managed to board without us knowing? What did they want?’ Soron thought as he turned the corner and almost ran right into Cenden and Lerti.

“I already heard the noise,” Cenden explained as he cocked his gun. “Lets get zem.”

The three moved stealthily down the corridor and prepared to attack. Whoever they were, they were gathered in one of the ship’s open spaces where the crew kept extra supplies, including weapons. The perfect place for intruders to culminate.

Heavy footsteps began at a run towards their hiding place from around the corner.

The three nodded.

With a yell they jumped out and formed a wall of bodies and blasters.

Vis yelled too as she ran with thump into the solid form of Lerti and fell to the ground. The girl was wearing Soron’s helmet that he’d left lying around, which muffled her normally high pitched and fast paced voice. Despite that, she sounded as if she had managed to make her voice surprisingly deep for her person.

“VIS!?” Lerti yelled. “We could have SHOT you!”

The three looked around the room and realized it was empty…

Vis got up off the ground and slowly lifted up the helmet, a smirk could be seen before the covering was even fully removed,

The girl looked Soron, Cenden, and Lerti up and down, “Hhheeeyyy guys? Nice… Pajamas?”

Cenden snarled. It was true, the crew members (just like Lerti), had all thrown on whatever pieces of armor or clothing items they could could manage before grabbing a gun.

“What in the galaxy are you doing!?”Lerti demanded.

“I’m playing a game with my guide! It’s pretty fun!”

“We thought someone had boarded the ship!” Lerti exasperated.

“Wow… Was my acting that good?” Vis replied.

Cenden and Lerti gave a simultaneous eye roll and turned to leave the room, Cenden adding, “Play quieter next time!”

Soron, who was now simply amused by the whole situation, called out to the two, “MIGHT AS WELL STAY UP! WE’RE LANDING ON TISS’SHARL IN AN HOUR!”

When no reply was met, Soron and Vis looked at each other and shrugged. With that, Vis gave Soron his helmet back with a laugh and she turned to run after Cenden.

From a ways down the hallway Cenden and Lerti rounded a corner to find Nek weilding a wrench. He was still in his work clothes but it was obvious by his demeanor that he’d just woken up.

“Whas goin’ on? Are we under attack?” Nek slurred from beneath his goggles.

Cenden shoved past him, “No. The ‘attack’ is over. It was a false alarm and your timing is terrible.”

Nek removed his goggles just as Vis rounded the corner.

“Hi Nek! I scared everyone this morning! Is there morning in space…?” Vis followed after Cenden, the last part spoken seeming to be more to herself but at the same volume as if she was still talking to Nek.

Lerti was just ahead of the the Jedi and the girl when BX now rounded the corner carrying his blade. “Is it time to fight?”

“NO.” Lerti and Cenden let out at the same time, both of them shoving past the complacent machine.

“Oh. Maybe next time then.” BX continued walking with his blade down the hall, nodding at Vis as she sped walked to keep up with Cenden.

“Hey! Cenden!” She reached forward to poke him.

“What do you want?” He says with anger tinted in his voice as he turns to face his follower.

Vis stopped in her tracks, blinking a bit in confusion at the man’s outburst. Cenden turned and began his walk again, moving briskly towards his room. Vis moved and trotted alongside him.

“Next time we get the chance, do you want to play with me?”

“No.”

“Is it ‘cause I scared you? Because I’m sorry I didn’t know I was being loud and sometimes all the little threads and paths get tangled up in my head and it’s just easier to work them out…”

The two reach Cenden’s room. He opens the door and makes it halfway into the still darkened quarters before turning to answer.

“Stop talking, and no.”

With that he stepped into his room, door sliding to a close. Vis stands on the other side of the door, frustration and confusion again rising to the surface of her gut.

“What are you even saying no to!?” She gave her final word before turning to walk back to Lerti’s room.

Afterall, there were a lot of paths to go through today.

Vis walked through the long halls, staring at her hands as she watched the Force weave in and out of them like fog in the trees.

‘We’re going to another planet. I’m on a ship. There’ll be other people! Other places like I’ve read about! I’ll need to bring all of my journals in case I need to write something down… Maybe I’ll wear three shirts, just in case.’ Vis thought as she organized the enormous list forming in her mind.

Walking into Lerti’s room she caught the Mandalorian warrior slipping on her last piece of red and gray armor over her form fitting clothes.

The warrior somewhat ignored the kid as she watched her start rifling through her sack of a million seemingly useless trinkets and objects. Lerti raised an eyebrow as she saw Vis pull out holocrons, scrolls, but also bits of rocks, flowers, gear parts, even a single shoe.

“It’s probably none of my business,” Lerti began, “But what did your family do for a living again?”

“They were scavengers! They even let me help them find stuff sometimes! Why do you ask?” Vis asked as she threw another pebble aside from her bag.

“No reason.” Lerti said as she watched Vis begin to shove random items into her large coat pockets. She also noticed now that the girl was wearing gun holsters that looked ancient. Inside the holsters, there was nothing but more random parts, screwdrivers, ancient credits from the days of the Republic, and what looked to be a heart-shaped leaf tinted with purple.

She wanted to question what in the galaxy Vis was planning on doing with all of that stuff besides get weighed to the ground and jingle as she walked, but the thought of her getting pickpocketed of the items was enough to make her feel better after the incident Vis caused this morning. She imagined the disappointed face of grubby pickpockets nabbing nothing but worthless credits off her, and with that last thought, Lerti smiled and headed out the door to prepare for landing on Tiss’sharl.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The ship landed on one of dozens of landing pads, numerous workers milling around it. Though the port city was small by the standards of Tiss’sharl, it still bustled with the almost maniac energy of a trade world. The crew descended down the ladder, Chol immediately breaking off to talk with a tan colored Tiss’shar about necessary landing fees and regulations.

“Alright everyone,” Soron began, addressing the crew assembled behind him, “this planet is Mid Rim, which means its safer than the usual dives we visit. But under no circumstances will you let your guard down, run into the wrong Tiss’shar and this place will quickly become as bad as Nar Shadda. Understood?” The crew nodded.

“Good. Now, Nek and myself will try to find any jobs around here and see if we can start assembling supplies from the data table. BX, you help Chol with refueling and guarding the ship.” Soron paused as Chol’s voice rose in anger at the saurian attendant, allowing a string of choice words to slip past his lips. Luckily Lerti slapped her hands over Vis’ ears, who for her part just looked confused. “And try to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble.” Soron finished.

“Roger roger.” BX said before loping off towards the pilot.

Cenden’s whole body seemed to tense up as he watch the droid make his leave.

Still watching BX’s back Cenden spoke, “I’m hoping I’m not going on anymore odd jobs again? Last time you sent me on my own I got shot at. Multiple times.” He deadpanned.

“That’s why you won’t be alone. You and Lerti will be outfitting our newest member.” Soron replied, gesturing to the girl. Cenden’s jaw threatened to drop.

Vis’ eyes were dazzling at the glistening buildings in the distance, her freckles shifting in and out of yellow, to red, to purple, and back again. The girl’s fingernails seemed stuck to her teeth as she pulled at the skin on her nails, a nervous habit they hadn’t seen exhibited until now.

“What?!” Cenden and Lerti both shout out in unison. Sighing Soron walked close, leaning into the two of them to whisper.

“The both of you are really starting to get on my nerves. Look, we found this kid, she’s with us now, and I’m calling the shots. And the shot I’m calling is that I don’t want her to get shot. So I need the two of you to work together on this, and buy the kid some armor. That’s all I’m asking of you. I don’t care where you get it from, but our line of work is dangerous.”

“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before adopting a kid.” Lerti muttered under her breath.

Soron suddenly yanked at Lerti’s ear, “Well it feels like I’ve adopted three. We are in a delicate situation right now, and until we can fully comprehend what we’re wrapped up in, I need my crew to work together. And I mean my whole crew.”

“Fine. But the cost isn't coming out of my cut.” Lerti finished with a turn as she headed over to where Vis was still standing.

Soron turned back to the Jedi, his voice dropped so low that only Cenden could hear it. “And you, I’m sick of your attitude. Whatever it is between you and Vis you need to work it out. Immediately. Am I understood Sondron?”

“Fine.” Cenden sighed in defeat.

“Good. Now then, let's get moving.”

Cenden moved in to join his assigned group. He watched as Lerti slapped Vis’ hand out of her mouth but she moved with her other hand to continue to gnaw away at her fingernails, almost subconsciously.

“Kid quit doing that.” Lerti asserted.

“Until I get some supplies for a vaccination, if you keep doing zhat you will probably be contracting 30 different kinds of diseases and we just got here.” Cenden, their honorary physician, stated nonchalantly.

At this, Vis’ hands shot away from her teeth, “I’m sorry… I just haven’t seen so many… and there’s so many moving things. And it’s so loud. There’s so many connections and paths… they’re moving…”

“Hate to break it to you, but this is just the landing pad. And the city’s going to be a lot busier. This place is a trade city.” Lerti described.

“Oh my guide… I’m going to explode. There’s too many paths guys. I can’t hear. I need them to be quiet!” Vis took a step back towards the ship.

Cenden and Lerti gave each other a look as if to say “should we just leave her behind?” But in a glance they both sighed simultaneously also in an effortless manner of communication saying “Soron would kill us if we ditched her to buy her own armor.”

“...Alright. Vis?” Cenden’s mouth twitched, looking for the right words before he sighed, “Would you like your first Jedi lesson?” He almost mumbled.

Vis’ entire person seemed to perk up, “Really!?” Her freckles shifted to a vibrant pink.

“Yes, but keep it down.”

“Oh! Yeah! Sorry.” Vis’ voice dropped to a loud whisper.

“When you’re around this many people you have to learn to focus not on every little path, but the biggest and most present connections. Focus on the people around you, not so much what they’re saying but sense what they’re thinking and every path will be open to you based on what you’re looking for.” Cenden finished. Vis stood silent the whole time listening intently to every word as if she was trying to record her first lesson.

“Focus! I think I’d read about that in one of the holocron lessons but I didn’t pay much attention to it! Rookie mistake.” She took a breath, “Let’s go!”

She shifted from foot to foot for a second, almost testing which one she should start to walk with and decided on the left. With a shrug from the two older members to their trio. They started off.

Making it into the city with Vis became somewhat of an interesting challenge. Cenden and Lerti made it onto a transport ship packed with every sort of face and species, and Vis’ personality seemed to shift with every change of her freckles. Either quiet and overwhelmed, or excitable and jittery-curious.

As she watched Vis buzz around the transport ship, Lerti had to admit that Vis would probably make a pretty good pickpocket if they weren’t here to legally purchase things. The Mandalorian almost had a heart attack she she saw Vis take a vibrantly colored badge off of a particularly burly looking Wookie’s belt. The girl put it back no problem, but received some suspicious side glances from other passengers who noticed the feat.

“Vis. Please just sit down. Practice focusing or whatever Cenden told you to do.” Lerti hissed over to the girl.

Vis nodded and squished in between Cenden and Lerti in the transport seat suddenly jolting Cenden from a nap Lerti wasn’t aware he was taking with his eyes wide open. Vis took a breath and closed her eyes.

The rest of the trip went completely uneventful accept when they were nearing their destination and Vis’ eye suddenly shot open and she braced herself against the seat yelling, “Watch out!”

With that the transport suddenly jolted to a near stop and everyone in the transport kept moving with the ship. After righting themselves from what seemed to be a near impact, Lerti noticed Cenden had braced himself before hand as well.

“Thanks for the warning.” Lerti sneered.

Cenden shrugged and Vis smiled, “You’re welcome.”

“What was that all about?” Lerti asked as the transport doors opened and they rose to exit. The vehicle didn’t come equipped with windows, so the Mandalorian guessed the two had known because of their ‘Jedi senses.’

“I don’t know.” Vis said as they shuffled out in the crowd, “It felt like something just came speeding in front of the transport.”

“That’s exactly zhat happened.” Cenden explained as he pointed to an Imperial transport that was now stationed just in front of the transport they were on.

Cenden took Vis’ shoulders and lead them away before the transport even had a chance to open. “New deployment. Let’s avoid them as much as possible. We don’t have any identification for her.”

“Who are they?” Vis said a little too loudly.

“Quiet.” Cenden commanded, exiting the crowd. “The Empire. This planet is very much Imperial controlled but we’ll get what we need here. I know I told you to focus earlier, but please, I am begging you to remember that the Empire does not like the Force or the Jedi, so please don’t draw attention to us.”

“Ah yes, like we won’t be drawing any attention to ourselves walking around with a human mood ring.” Lerti exasperated.

“Half-human.” Vis corrected.

“Let’s just get moving and find a place to buy some decent armor already.” Cenden asserted before he took a glance around.

The city rose up in huge monuments above the jungle terrain surrounding the city. The air was abuzz with the sounds of the city coupled with the mingle of thousands of bodies all going one direction after the other. Mixing this with the humid atmosphere, Tiss’sharl wasn’t exactly the vacation destination of the galaxy, but relaxation was never this planet’s forte. Even in the days of the Republic, trade was all that mattered to this planet, and although the politic world of the Tiss’shar has a long running history of violence and assassination, one thing could and would always be agreed on, you integrate with the strongest ally, trade continues, the planet continues to prosper.

It wasn’t much of a surprise to the older Jedi that Tiss’sharl had integrated with the Empire as quickly as they did, it was just such a strange thing to see the planet he’d visited so many years ago for power cell supply runs so very changed.

As the three had walked through the bustling city, Lerti had been the only one truly paying attention to their surroundings as Cenden seemed to gaze through the buildings around him, far off. Vis, on the other hand, had her eyes darting around at a rapid pace. She had continuous stopped or absent-mindedly wandered off several times to which either adults would yell or snap. Eventually, Lerti just made her hold onto the side of her gun holster.

After an hour of wandering and shoving through the crowds, Lerti managed to spot a shop tht might serve as for the purpose they were sent out to fulfill.

“Hey, ya there old man?”  Lerti waved an armored hand in front of Cenden’s face as he snapped from his musings.

“Who are you calling old?” Cenden replied.

“Whatever. Just get in here, I think this place has what we need.” The Mandalorian jerked her thumb behind her, where a respectable looking shop stood with a neon sign reading “Yax’s Fine Armor Emporium.” He followed Lerti and a wide-eyed Vis into the shop. Several stands displayed sets of armor, ranging from heavy clothes and jackets to heavy suits that looked like they were built for Wookiees. Behind the counter sat grey colored Tiss’shar, lazily smoking a metal pipe. As an electronic chime sinks led their arrival his yellow eyes shot up.

“Ah, potential customers!” He exclaimed, taking the pipe out of his mouth and holding it between two claws. “I am the honorable Yax-Tez- Shel, but to you I am simply Yax. How may I be of service to you today?”

“We need armor for zhis one.” Cenden said, gesturing to Vis.

Vis’ hand shot up into a vibrantly colored wave. From where Cenden stood, he could sense her mind reaching out to the Tiss’shar shopkeep. He didn’t want to alert her to his own presence in the connection, but he could sense her connecting him to her own being, and then to the armor around her… It seemed she was examining her choices in the most convoluted way Cenden could imagine.

“Hmm, armor for one so young…” The saurian muttered, taking a long drag before exhaling the smoky vapor. 

“We live in the Outer Rim.” Lerti explained.

“Ah, it does not matter to me. I shall see what I have in her size.” With that he disappeared inside back door behind the counter.

“Guys! These are so awesome!” Vis could barely contain her excitement, her freckles turning bright green as she started darting from rack to rack.

“Let’s see if he’s as reputable as he claims to be first.” Lerti interrupted, tapping her foot impatiently. “I’m getting a bad vibe from him.”

“Vhat do you mean?” Cenden asked before the Tiss’shar reemerged, carrying a shiny new set of armor.

Vis whispered to Cenden as she dragged her finger along some expensive looking helmets, “Lerti right. This guy’s connections are only to the most expensive pieces… There aren’t many in here that I actually need though.”

“Don’t be picky.” Cenden snapped, “You’re lucky we’re even getting you any armor. Ve’ll haggle wit’ him until we get what we need.”

“Excuse me potential customers! May I direct your attention to these fine pieces?” Yax waved his scaled claws over small, Vis-sized, armor pieces, he’d laid out on the table.

Lerti leaned back from a moment, mumbling, “Just let me do the talking.” she finished turning with devilish confidence towards the clerk as she strode over to the counter.

“You really think we’d be interested in these cheap excuses for armor? What do you take us for…?”

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

My attention quickly wandered from Lerti’s haggle.

As interesting as it was (not really), my guide was pulling me in a different direction back into the store. I could already tell we probably wouldn’t find what we were looking for here, but at least we weren’t on the streets anymore.

It was a terrifying mix of thoughts and possibility out there. I remember bigger cities from when I was younger and not stranded on jungle moon, but we had always steered clear of ginormous places like this. And now here I was, in the belly of the beast. Every turn of my feet mattered to the outcomes, and the twittering of thousands of connections… like flocks of birds back at the temple, but with free will and consciousnesses and… Ah! It was too much! It was worse than being in space!

‘I just have to focus like Cenden said… I can do this.’ Taking a breath, I closed my eyes as I took a couple of steps forward through the store. ‘Focus on the armor… We’re looking for armor my guide. What armor am I looking for?’

My mind bounced from chest plate, to helmet, to shin guards around the room, before suddenly the connection bounced off a gauntlet like lightning and shot outside.

My eyes shot open as I ran over to the window. Outside and walking past the store, two people clad in all white and black identical armor strode by.

“Whhoooaaaa… Twins.” I breathed as I watched them walk past. The Force hovered near them as I acknowledged the two, “Well… That is some nice armor… I wonder where they got it from?”

From at the window I turned and yelled back to Cenden and Lerti who were now having a heated discussion with the clerk, “Hey guys!!! What about those guys’ armor!? It’s pretty nice?” I said as I pressed my finger to the window.

“Not now kid.” Lerti waved my voice away with a flick of her hand, neither of them even turned around.

And the connection was getting away.

Giving a shrug and pulling the door open, I dove back into the open system of the city and started swimming through the yarn bundles of connections as I glanced around, searching for where the people in twin’s armor went. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted them catch attention to something in an alleyway nearby and the two ducked into it.

So I followed, jumping into a sprint to catch up.

“HEY GUYS! WAIT UP!” I called out to them as I made my way through the crowd and towards the shaded alleyway where the twins in white had disappeared.

Swinging the corner, I called out again, “HEY! WAIT!”

A blaster clicked.

I fell backwards on my butt in silent shock as one of the twins in white commanded, “FREEZE!”

My eyes bounced around the alleyway in panic as I nodded. Now staring down the barrel of a blaster only meters away from my face.

‘What did I do!? I must’ve startled them. Maybe they’re just jumpy like Cenden.’ I thought as I slowly stood up off the ground.

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you guys!” I put my hands up and let my trench coat sleeves fall back to my elbows.

The two frowny-faced visors of the twins’ helmet looked at each other, probably in confusion.

“I just wanted to say I like your guy’s armor a lot! I’m in the market to buy some and your’s are very nice. Are you guys twins?” I said as I took a step forward.

One of the two dropped their blaster, “What? No.”

“Oh! Sorry, I just assumed because you guys have the same exact armor.”

“We’re Imperial Stormtroopers. This is standard issue patrol armor. Just because we look the same on the outside doesn’t mean we’re the same underneath.”

I cocked my head, “Ooooooo! I like that! I read a lot and that’s a great line… Have you ever considered being a poet?”

At this, the second twin pressed her gun further forward, “Watch my six, she might be trying to distract us! She might be with the rebel scum that painted that tag!” In response, the first of the twins, again raised his blaster.

Looking over his shoulder, I saw a brightly painted orange bird painted on the wall… It was really beautiful, they seemed to think it meant something dangerous. “I didn’t draw that but… I like the color scheme?” I didn’t know what to say at this point.

“Alright freckles. That’s it. Search her.” The second twin nodded for the first to move in. My freckles shifted into the same orange as the graffiti bird.

“Turn around.”

“Ok.”

I stood somewhat stunned as the Stormtrooper, the minion of the evil Empire that I almost forgot existed, was searching through my pockets. ‘Do I run? Do I fight? Oh my guide what do I do!?’

“She’s not carrying any weapons, just a lot of junk. Might be a pickpocket.” The searcher informed his partner.

“Actually, a lot of them are mementos. My mom’s favorite trinkets before she… passed away few years ago.” I explained to the trooper as he stood.

“Sorry to hear that.” The first Stormtrooper said coldly.

By this time the second stormtrooper had walked up to flank me.

‘You know what.’ I took a breath, ‘This isn’t the first time I’ve met people at gunpoint! These are just more Soron’s and Cenden’s! They’re just people! My guide showed me over here so let’s work with this.’

I smiled a bit and wrapped my arms around my back, twisting back and forth letting my trench coat swish on the ground. At the same time, also letting the Force wash over the two. The second, more paranoid one, had something swirling at the top of her mind.

“Do… Do you have a mom?” I took a guess.

Even under her helmet, she looked a bit shocked, “What’s it to you?”

“I don’t know. Just making conversation. I thought you guys looked nice even under the helmets.”

‘Too sentimental? It’ll have to do.’

She paused for a moment, seeming to watch my face. “My mom passed away about a month ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that also…”

Suddenly the first trooper piped up, “Wait. Your mom died and you didn’t tell me!?”

“Hey you’ve been busy with your own family, you don’t need to be worrying about my family stuff!”

“Just ‘cause I’m busy doesn’t mean that I don’t care!”

I decided to pipe in, “Communication is important, not that I’m very good at it… Oh! Almost forgot!” My hand shot out towards them, “I’m Vis! Nice to meet you both!”

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“No, that discount will not be enough!” Lerti and the shopkeeper had been arguing for some time now. “It has to be at least 60% for that trash to be considered valuable!”

“You dare?” Yax hissed.

“I do!” Lerti barked back. “This stuff is worse than what the Imps wear!”

“It seems that for someone of your culture you have poor knowledge of armor. Maybe you weren't worthy of being taught the way of the warrior.” Yax’s eyes narrowed and a triumphant smirk stretched across his face, while Cenden’s own eyes went wide at the Tiss’shar’s statement.

“How...how dare you!” Lerti yelled, stomping until her face was inches from Yax’s. Cenden turned away for a second, his eyes suddenly growing wide as he looked about the store. A quiet groan escaped his lips.

“Lerti.”

“Not now Cenden.”

“Lerti!”

“WHAT?!” Lerti yelled.

“Where’s Vis?” Cenden asked. Lerti’s anger dissipated as she hastily looked around the shop.

“I thought you were watching her!” Lerti exclaimed.

“I’m not her babysitter!”

“YOU SORT OF ARE!”

Composing herself the Mandalorian sighed. “Alright, let’s find where the kid ran off to.” Shooting one last dirty look to Yax she sped off into the busy streets, the Jedi not far behind.

“Vis! VIS!” They both yelled, trying to spot the half-human girl.

The two both spun about the busy streets in confusion. How long had she been gone? Why did she leave?

Lerti now searched her memory and realized she had heard the sound of the door chime activate about 10 minutes ago, but she hadn’t paid much attention to it then. She’d been too far into her “bargaining.”

“Soron’s gonna kill us…” Lerti muttered under her breath as she continued to search the crowds.

“He won’t have to know if we find her. Let’s just think for a moment. Why would she run off?”

“She said something about someone having nice armor?”

“I remember that. If she followed them there’s a good chance she’s either being kidnapped or mugged by now.”

“Oh shut up!” Lerti looked ready to punch him.

“I was being sarcastic. She can’t have gotten far, and if she was following something she sensed…” Cenden suddenly got an idea and sighed in frustration. “I told her not to use the Force.” Cenden started muttering to himself as he began walking out of the crowd and over back towards the armor shop. “But no. She couldn’t keep to herself for a day. Just one day. Some padawan.” Cenden continued under his breath as he leaned up against the wall.

“What are you muttering about?” Lerti said in a fed up tone.

“Just, be on the look out for me for a moment. I think I can find her.” Cenden said as he closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

His mind reached out through the Force. Skimming over the surface of the energy, like running your hand over the surface of the water, he could sense everything moving and alive in the crowd, causing ripples with every thought and decision made. Then he dove down deeper, beneath the surface, and looked beneath the surface at the people swimming about beneath it. In cities like this, you find a lot of Force-sensitives who are completely unaware of their connection. Looking through the “water”, he could sense the blurry image of someone willingly walking beneath the surface, and it wasn’t that far away from where he and Lerti were standing… Two other figures stood with her, but on the surface, her effect washing over them.

“Gotcha…” Cenden said as pulled himself out of it, safely above on the surface.

Opening his eyes, he looked over about a block away towards an alleyway not too far off, Vis’ connection still attached to his being, he pointed. “She’s down that alleyway, she’s with two other people.”

Lerti eyed where he was pointing with a confused look. “Jedi stuff?”

“Jedi stuff.” Cenden nodded and they walked off towards the alley, following her trail.

Cenden rounded the corner before quickly pushing him and Lerti back around the corner in panic.

“Stormtroopers.” Cenden said.

“What!?”

“Stormtroopers. Vis is with two troopers.”

“We have to get her out of there. She doesn’t have identification papers. I’ll go high, you go low and cause a distraction if you need to while I take them out from the rooftops.” Lerti devised the plan and Cenden nodded.

Lerti began grabbing some parts out of her pockets, connecting and fixing them into one of her pistols, quickly becoming a short range rifle.

“What where did you get those from?” Cenden asked.

“Just go get Vis away from those bucketheads, I’ll cover you. Remember, try to smooth talk.” Lerti commanded as she boosted herself up onto a window sill and began her climb to the roof.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I wasn’t exactly lying before when I said communication wasn’t my strongest skill, after all, I’d been alone so long and the only person I ever really needed to talk to could read my mind. But as the Force and I spoke with these two, I sensed the balance in our thoughts, even if the words I spoke weren’t on topic they were still something the two wanted to hear. In each thought lay another underlying meaning, another purpose for which something was being said. Every off topic represented another desire… another parallel. And from there, it seemed as if these minions and I could get along just fine.

“So all those trinkets you have in your pocket you saved from your family? Why those pieces?” The male Stormtrooper questioned as I’d taken out the pan pipes after the topic of music had come up.

“They just… felt like the right ones to take with me.” I shrugged.

‘I want to tell them… Cenden said not to though… I’ll be sneaky about it if you don’t want to be introduced?’ I thought to my guide.

The Force gave a nod and settled with us in the conversation.

The four of us stood near the center of the alley way, the female Stormtrooper leaned up against the wall and the male standing near, his blaster lazily slung in one hand. I’d asked them if they needed to get back to work, but they had told me they get 15 minute breaks on patrols as long as they’re stationed somewhere observational for crime. I had decided to stay with them.

I looked over at female trooper, “I’m sorry again about your mom.”

“It’s alright. It’s funny, I’m not sure why we’re standing here talking like a bunch of saps when we,” She motioned to her partner, “Are supposed to be doing our jobs. I just don’t see the point in it anymore. The only reason I took this job was to help pay medical bills, but now that she’s gone, it’s sort of pointless.”

‘Looking for words. Looking for words… Found some words!’

“Doing something for a cause without a purpose is pretty sad I’d say.”

The male trooper now spoke up, “Heh. If you wanna talk about doing something without a purpose, then it’s pretty fitting we’re standing in a Rebel tagged junction. I mean, what do they hope to gain by overthrowing the Empire? A new republic? Anarchy?”

“Rebellion tagged? What’s that mean? Is that what that marking is?”

“You don’t know about the Rebellion? Seriously? Have you been living under a rock?” The woman now interjected.

I laughed, “Sort of! I have a lot of reading material without a lot of updates on the data.”

“Well, let me just tell you then kid. I don’t know where you came from or where you're going, but you won’t get much farther without hearing about some of these organizations exploits against the Empire. Supply run bombings. Blockade jumping. Theft. Murder. You name it and they’ve done it. I’ve heard some of the boys saying it’s the Jedi’s revenge, especially with those two I heard about in the Outer Rim and this other guy named Luke…”

An angry accent suddenly cut across the alley way.

“Vis! Where have you been!? We’ve been looking all over for you!” I watched as Cenden suddenly loomed between me and the troopers, “Sorry, officers, my… niece, wanders off quite often. Come on, let’s go!” He began to usher me away from the two somewhat confused troopers.

“Wait! No! They were just about to tell me about a Jed-” Before the word could escape my mouth, Cenden roughly grabbed my arm and began to drag me by it, “Ouch! Stop that!”

“Sir! I’m going to have to ask you to unhand her and lets see some identification!” The female trooper commanded.

Cenden free hand clicked, revealing his blaster now aimed at the trooper.

The two troopers now aimed their weapons. Everyone’s hearts were suddenly racing.

“Wait, wait, wait!” I held up my hands and walked in between the three. I looked over at the troopers, “It’s ok! He’s ok! My uncle just has… Clone Wars, PTSD?” I smiled over at them and then at Cenden. “No one needs to shoot anyone. I just wandered off while we were armor shopping for me!”

There was a pause before Cenden quickly put his blaster down, and I saw the strangest smile go across his face. “I’m s-so sorry officers. It’s a nervous twitch at this point, I was at war f-for a long time.”

I almost gasped with delight. Cenden was playing pretend.

The two troopers looked over at each other still pointed and ready. The first trooper motioned with her blaster towards the tagging on the wall, “Have an alibi for where you and the girl where about 25 parsecs ago? This “mural” isn’t finished, come back to finish the job?”

“N-no, we didn’t make that, nor do we know anyone who did. We were at the armor shop down the street for the past half hour, who can ask the s-shopkeeper if you like?” Cenden continued to stutter, seemingly nervous.

Again, the two troopers looked at eachother, but this time they gave a nod and lowered their weapons. “Alright, we’ll let you off with a warning, we should have you arrested for pulling a gun on two officers of the law, but we have better things to be doing. Let’s see some identification.”

“O-oh ok. Of course.” Cenden pulled holo device out of his pocket and presented the image to the troopers.

“Cenden Sondron. Male. Homeworld: Ambria. Huh, never been. Is it nice where you’re from?”

“Can’t say I’ve been back in a while.” Cenden said, his voice somewhat returning for a moment to it’s gruff state.

“Right, and the girl?”

“I-I’m so sorry, her aunt would be the one to be carrying that with her. She’s back at the ship sadly, so,” Cenden glanced over at me before he waved his hand in front of their faces. “You don’t need to see her identification.”

I felt the Force suddenly pulsed and smothered their minds. It felt disgusting to me, like a hiccup in their thoughts as they went limp before regaining consciousness; only for such a brief moment it was almost unseeable.

“We… Don’t need to see her identification.” The both said in unison.

“Alright, thank you.” Cenden grumbled with a dignified turn on his heels, “Vis, let’s go.”

I waited in place for a moment, they still felt hazy inside. Reaching out my hands, I took one of each of their own hands and shook them.

“It was so nice to meet you both.” With that the clouds suddenly snapped back into place and they looked around, aware again. “What were your names again?” I asked the two as they became suddenly aware of me shaking their hands.

“Uuuhhh, um, right. I’m Lyel and this is my partner Niu. You were Vis… Right?” The female trooper named Lyel answered, coming out of the dream.

“That’s right! And it was really nice running into you guys… We have to keep looking for armor now but I still do really like the theme of yours. Even if they’re all identical on the outside.”

Lyel laughed as she bent her head a bit to remove her helmet, revealing the soft, slanted eyes and straight black hair underneath, “So you’re looking for armor? We might have a suggestion.”

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“So then if I reroute the system from the ship through a cable in the original data table I should be able to sync the systems to the new one… And that’s considering if the original system is coming from the temple and if it’s not I’ll have to have a back-up…”

Soron watched Nek muttering to himself as they sat on the slowly emptying and refilling transport waiting for their next stop. The Devaronian had the goggles he normally wore for detailed repair placed over his eyes as he buried his face in the blue prints he’d drawn up for the installed data table.

From the corner of the page, Soron could also make out a long, long list of material. Half of the parts he’d never even heard of, and for a moment wondered if the engineer truly knew how to build this thing.

‘Regardless of if he knows what he’s doing, this is going to cost us a fortune… And we don’t truly know what the pay off will be. Beebs better have some decent work for us next time we see her.’ Soron thought as a pang of anxiety shot his stomach. ‘What are we doing? Why do I care? I’m just going to blindly listen to some child we found and a weird dream I had probably based on severe head injury?’

Doubt began to caress his mind and Soron ran a hand over his face and snout almost in an effort to brush it off.

“Something on your mind?” Nek said, not even looking up from his blueprint.

“Just… general panic considering our money situation and disposition.”

Nek now looked over, his slanted yellow eyes made fish bowled under his work goggles. “Is this about the crystal screening on the list? I can try and find another brand I just don’t want cracking from any outside impacts…”

“No, no. We’re getting what you need. It’s just, don’t you find any of this a little odd?”

“Captain, all of this is odd to me. But what about this is odd to you?”

Soron thought for a moment and tried to put it into words. Lowering his voice a bit, he leaned in, “I am a full grown adult whose lifelong career had been much less than legal. I run a crew of individuals willing to work outside any law there is under often the direction of a crime boss and now we’re here on a posher than average trading planet under the direction of a force we can’t see and a child. Doesn’t this feel like a wild goose chase at all to you?”

Nek was silent for a long while before shrugging, hesitantly looking now over his blueprints with an air of fear. “I don’t know… It feels like a real adventure. Although we kind of go on adventures a lot. But this was what you wanted right? Hiring Cenden into the crew, looking for that holocron, finding that temple… This was the answers you were looking for right?”

Soron folded his arms across his body, “I don’t know what I was looking for. And I still don’t know what I’m looking for. But I started this operation, I made a promise, I intend to finish this work.”

“...What promise?”

Soron looked over, a little shocked he’d let something slip. The transport rocked a little as the doors closed and the ship again took off speeding. Soron sighed.

“This isn’t exactly how I intended telling a bit of this story considering how long this crew has been together… Actually I think only Chol knows about this so maybe be a bit discrete about what I’m going to tell you?”

Nek nodded.

Soron’s leaned in again, “Now you’re all well aware this, but I’m considered an outcast of my clan on my home planet for numerous reasons. Doesn’t mean I can’t go back to that planet… A world’s a big place. But, I’m looking for someone out here.”

“Girlfriend?” Nek suddenly jumped in.

“No. But I appreciate the participation.” There was a pause, “I’m looking for my younger sister.”

“Is she banished too?”

“No, not technically. She’s just… a long time ago I went back home and… she was gone. And I know I take credit for being the ‘leader’, for wanting to find artifacts and knowledge that will give the universe some meaning. But it all started with her. She was…” Soron stopped himself and looked around, “She was like Cenden and Vis.”

Nek gasped with a hissed whisper, “Really!?”

“Yes really. When we were younger, the Jedi” Soron mouthed, “Actually came to take her into their instruction. Unfortunately for us, our clan has a strict, stupid, and closed minded policy, much like the rest of my species. Nobody comes in and nobody leaves our world. So despite her talents, she was left without a teacher. But she had this beautiful way at looking at the galaxy and I’d be lying if I said she wasn’t a realist, but one of the most hopeful realists I’d ever known. She always said… there was some bigger picture to the galaxy that most couldn’t understand. Not just the light side and the dark side. Not just good versus evil. It was a reality beyond heroics, that the galaxy just is. Together, we made journeys off world. That’s how we met Chol actually. He smuggled us out of one of the only trading ports on our planets numerous times and together we searched for artifacts, Jedi knowledge,” He mouthed again, “Anything we could find for her to keep learning. And the last time I saw her, in a conversation only important in hindsight, I promised I wouldn’t stop searching for answers. I wanted to learn as much as she did at this point, we were, unstoppable.”

“Why didn’t she just go to Coruscant?”

“What?”

“If you guys had snuck out, why didn’t she go and join the Jedi council then?” Nek also mouthing the forbidden word.

“I asked her the same thing, multiple times actually. She always said she was too old now, but I could always tell there was something she wasn’t telling me… Or maybe something she couldn’t explain. It seems it might’ve been for the best for her to be on the outside in the end.”

“Might’ve been?” Nek questioned.

“To be honest, when she disappeared, I assumed she might’ve gone and joined them finally. She had been doing a lot of research, meditating, all that stuff. I thought maybe in my temporary absence she finally just abandoned her feelings and left. But then… the Clone Wars ended how it did… If she is truly alive she’s not with them.”

“Where could she be then?”

“She could be anywhere. But I assumed continuing her work, following the trail of knowledge and artifacts, I figured if I’ve found it she probably has too. In all honesty, I’m doing this for myself as much as for her. I want to understand the Force like she did, this whole galaxy is so pointless. There has to be more.”

Nek shrugged, “Well that’s why I joined. Regardless of who came up with the idea, I like the idea of finding purpose. Whether it’s adventure, or a truth just to us, or a truth just common to life, I’d like to learn what it is. And considering what you’ve just said, and the strange path we’ve found ourselves on, I’d say this is anything but a waste of time.” He said as he motioned with his blueprints.

Soron nodded and smiled before leaning back in his seat, “Well that’s reassuring when you put it like that… It’s funny, Vis actually reminds me so much of her. Their abilities are different, but they’re both so lively and curious. I hope those three are getting along okay on their ‘mission’.”

[norakwami]

How bad this is really can't be understated.

Recall is a feature that is being marketed as exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, a handful of new machines that are launching later this month. However, it's possible to install Recall on machines that don't meet the minimum system requirements. Machines like your standard Windows 11 PC that aren't running the new NPU chips, and probably at least some that are running Windows 10.

And, as said above, the SQLite database stores data as plain text.

But it's encrypted on the drive, Microsoft says, so it's safe!

No. No, it isn't.

So far this week I've seen a dozen client computers where the system has been compromised by remote access software. Most of them fell for scams saying their computers were infected with viruses, called an 800 number shown on the screen, and downloaded and installed those programs at the scammer's instructions.

Doing that grants the scammer full access to the system. Bitlocker's encryption kicks in when a drive is removed from a system and attached to another. It's not going to do anything to protect data from a scammer using the computer the drive belongs to while it's signed into the user account.

It's going to be a matter of seconds for them to export the entire SQLite database from the AppData folder it lives in on Copilot+ PCs. By the time the user realizes what's going on, it's probably too late.

And again, it's possible to get Recall installed on machines that aren't supposed to be running it because they don't meet the minimum system requirements. So there's a very real chance that threat actors are going to weaponize it and deploy it to victims' computers for the sole purpose of harvesting all the data they can.

The security risks this poses even to average PC users are legitimately terrifying.

And it's enabled by default on Copilot+ PCs. You have to actively opt out.

Recall is designed to use local AI models to screenshot everything you see or do on your computer and then give you the ability to search and retrieve anything in seconds. There’s even an explorable timeline you can scroll through. Everything in Recall is designed to remain local and private on-device, so no data is used to train Microsoft’s AI models. Despite Microsoft’s promises of a secure and encrypted Recall experience, cybersecurity expert Kevin Beaumont has found that the AI-powered feature has some potential security flaws. Beaumont, who briefly worked at Microsoft in 2020, has been testing out Recall over the past week and discovered that the feature stores data in a database in plain text.

Holy cats, this is way worse than we were told.

Microsoft said that Recall stored its zillions of screenshots in an encrypted database hidden in a system folder. Turns out, they're using SQLite, a free (public domain) database to store unencrypted plain text in the user's home folder. Which is definitely NOT secure.

Further, Microsoft refers to Recall as an optional experience. But it's turned on by default, and turning it off is a chore. They buried it in a control panel setting.

They say certain URLs and websites can be blacklisted from Recall, but only if you're using Microsoft's Edge browser! But don't worry: DRM protected films & music will never get recorded. Ho ho ho.

This whole debacle feels like an Onion article but it's not.

Luckily(?) Recall is currently only available on Windows 11, but I fully expect Microsoft to try and shove this terrible thing onto unsuspecting Win10 users via Update.

Stay tuned...

[charterhunter529]

Twitch Leecher

Twitch Leecher Audio Desync

Twitch Leecher Error 404

Twitch Leecher Mac

Twitch Leecher Virus

Twitch Leecher Github

Twitch Leecher takes a different approach, downloading videos in thousands of small parts and fully using the available bandwidth. It also offers some other useful features, and it is remarkably. Twitch Leecher is third-party software that is highly suggested and recommended for downloading Twitch videos, but it is only available for Windows computers. This group is composed of online safety experts and Twitch creators who have a deep understanding of Twitch, its content, and its community. You can get Twitch Leecher from GitHub for free and download videos from all gamers on Twitch. Head over to the Twitch Leecher's official page on GitHub, click on one of the exe files and then select the Run option to start the download. Launch the software, either by clicking on its desktop icon or through the Start Menu.

The Stealth FPS project, which you love and hate, is a tactical first-person video game with action shooting, in which you play as a secret agent in charge of retrieving information about a.

Twitch Leecher, available for download on Github, is designed for you to dowload the content you need without having to rely on shady downloader tools that take forever no matter how fast your.

Twitch Leecher Free Download Latest Version for Windows. It is full offline installer standalone setup of Twitch Leecher Free Download.

Twitch Leecher Overview

There are many applications that allow you to download Twitch VODs, but most of them rely on MPEG to save content, which limits download speed significantly. Twitch Lecher takes a different approach, downloading videos in thousands of small parts and fully using the available bandwidth. It also offers some other useful features, and it is remarkably intuitive. First and foremost, you need to find the VODs you wish to download, and Twitch Lecher offers several methods of doing this. You can also download Video Copilot Twitch

You can enter the channel name and view all available broadcasts, highlights or uploads, as well as provide video URLs or IDs directly. Downloading even very large videos is surprisingly quick, as the application is only limited by your Internet connection. However, it is not possible to set a speed limit. Of course, the chunks also need to be merged after they are downloaded, which is done with the help of MPEG. Once you have selected the desired video quality and defined the output location, you also have the option of extracting only a certain portion of the VOD by setting the start and end times. You may also download Jihosoft 4K Video Downloader Pro

Features of Twitch Leecher

Below are some noticeable features which you’ll experience after Twitch Leecher free download.

Browse your past broadcasts and highlights within the application

Search channels, VOD URLs and VOD IDs

Subscriber-Only VOD download support

Time Selection for VOD downloads

Queue multiple downloads

Specify default search parameters

Twitch Leecher Technical Setup Details

Software Full Name: Twitch Leecher

Setup File Name: Twitch_Leecher_1.8.1.rar

Full Setup Size: 19 MB

Setup Type: Offline Installer / Full Standalone Setup

Compatibility Architecture: 32 Bit (x86) / 64 Bit (x64)

Latest Version Release Added On: 13th Oct 2020

Developers: Twitch Leecher

System Requirements For Twitch Leecher

Before you start Twitch Leecher free download, make sure your PC meets minimum system requirements.

Operating System: Windows 7/8/8.1/10

Memory (RAM): 1 GB of RAM required.

Hard Disk Space: 20 MB of free space required.

Processor: Intel Dual Core processor or later.

Twitch Leecher Free Download

Click on below button to start Twitch Leecher Free Download. This is complete offline installer and standalone setup for Twitch Leecher. This would be compatible with both 32 bit and 64 bit windows.

Before Installing Software You Must Watch This Installation Guide Video

Password 123

More from my site

Twitch Leecher Audio Desync

This Post was Last Updated On: November 22, 2020

11,539 downloadsUpdated: March 7, 2021MIT License

2.0/5228

Twitch VOD downloader that offers much higher speeds than FFmpeg, allows you to queue multiple videos, supports trimming and comes with a very intuitive search function

What's new in Twitch Leecher 1.8.4:

Fixed Bugs:

In the download view every download now has its own 'Open Download Folder' button

The 'Channel Name' textfield would not show an error message if the channel does not exist

Removed an assembly reference that made TL 1.8.3 crash on Windows 7

Read the full changelog

There are many applications that allow you to download Twitch VODs, but the vast majority of them rely on FFmpeg to save content, which limits download speed significantly.

Twitch Leecher takes a different approach, downloading videos in thousands of small parts and fully using the available bandwidth. It also offers some other useful features, and it is remarkably intuitive.

Twitch Leecher Error 404

Fast VOD downloader that makes it easy to find videos on Twitch

First and foremost, you need to find the VODs you wish to download, and Twitch Leecher offers several methods of doing this. You can enter the channel name and view all available broadcasts, highlights or uploads, as well as provide video URLs or IDs directly.

Downloading even very large videos is surprisingly quick, as the application is only limited by your Internet connection. However, it is not possible to set a speed limit. Of course, the chunks also need to be merged after they are downloaded, which is done with the help of FFmpeg.

Queue multiple downloads and crop videos before saving them

Once you have selected the desired video quality and defined the output location, you also have the option of extracting only a certain portion of the VOD by setting the start and end times.

Twitch Leecher Mac

When everything is done, the job is added to the download queue, and you can keep adding more videos which will be processed later. Unfortunately, though, the operation cannot be paused.

Well-designed, intuitive user interface

There is almost nothing bad to be said about the application’s GUI, as it has a clear-cut layout, looks quite stylish and is very novice-friendly. Still, it would have been great if it were possible to send the application to the system tray once a download has started.

Overall, Twitch Leecher is an excellent choice for anyone looking to download Twitch VODs, as it can save them remarkably quickly and offers quite a few other helpful features. It could use some small improvements, but this is a very impressive application.

Filed under

Twitch Leecher was reviewed by Catalin Chelariu

4.5/5

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

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Twitch Leecher 1.8.4

Twitch Leecher Virus

add to watchlistsend us an update

9 screenshots:

runs on:

Windows 10 32/64 bit Windows 8 32/64 bit Windows 7 32/64 bit Windows Vista 32/64 bit

file size:

24.6 MB

filename:

TwitchLeecher_1.8.4.exe

main category:

Internet

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[alba0duncan-blog]

REVIEW: LaCie DJI Copilot BOSS External Hard Drive

The LaCie DJI CoPilot BOSS is a portable hard drive with an internal battery and added interfaces. The interfaces include an SD card slot, USB-C and USB-A connectors, and a custom cable for connecting the device to a phone or tablet.

There is an app available for both Apple and Android devices which gives you the ability to perform simple procedures on stored photos.

The device is meant to be simple and easy to use while providing long battery life for extended periods away from a computer or outlet. The idea is to remove the need to take a bulky or brittle laptop into the wilds while shooting. But still, allow for backing up of critical images while on location.

Who is the LaCie DJI Copilot BOSS for?

While the drive is marketed by DJI, a leading drone manufacturer, the drive can be used by any photographer. With its ruggedized covering, it's meant to travel far and wide. Its interfaces make it device agnostic. If you have an SD card (or micro-SD with the included adapter) or a USB connection, this device will work for you.

It is meant to be easy and straightforward without the extra cost that comes with all kinds of unused bells and whistles.

Some stats

What's in the box of the LaCie DJI Copilot BOSS External Hard Drive. (Photo courtesy of LaCie/DJI)

2 terabyte (TB) capacity

5.3″ x 4.3″ x 1.4″ (136mm x 111mm x 36mm)

1.2lbs / .53kg

Compatible with Window 10 or higher and Mac OS X 10.10 or higher via USB-C 3.1, Thunderbolt, 3, USB  2 or 3

Mobile phones/tablets running iOS 10.3 or higher or Android 4.4 or higher

Connects to mobile devices via included Lightning, micro USB or USB-C

Comes with a wall charger with multi-country adapters as well as a micro USB adapter

For reference sake, the 2TB drive can download 31 x 64GB cards. That's about 70,000 20MP images (at roughly 28MB each) and hours of 4K video. Storage capacity varies depending on your camera settings.

Suggested retail price is $349USD

The unit can be charged with the included AC adapter (more on that in a minute) or through the USB-C connection, but only when connected to a computer or power pack, not through a wall charger.

The unit does have the ability to charge via its USB-C connection but only when connected to a laptop/desktop or portable external battery. When I asked, LeCie stated a wall charger would not work with the USB-C connection and it was also slower than the AC adapter (taking 12 hours to charge from 0-100% vs. 3 hours with the AC adapter).

How it works

Operation of the CoPilot is pretty simple. There's only one button and you press it once to get system status (battery level and storage space remaining) or hold it down for three seconds to turn the unit on.

The on/off button.

Next, insert a memory card, USB drive, USB connection for a phone or USB connection to your camera or drone. The screen will ask you, “Copy?” (see image below) and indicate one press of the button for yes or hold down the button for no. Pretty easy!

The unit will scan the drive and start copying, updating status as it runs. It gives updates with a progress bar and the remaining battery level of the unit.

If you press the button, it will also show the number of files copied alongside the total number of photos to be copied. The next screen shows that previous amount as a percentage complete and then is a screen displaying the rate at which your card is being backed up.

Some nice features

The unit also has the ability to queue up different backups, such as plugging in both an SD card and a USB drive for total unattended backup of your devices.

When the copy process is complete, the unit will display “Done” and it will remain on that screen until OK is pressed. I love this feature. In the past, I have used units that never gave a copy confirmation and I'm not one to stare at a device for 5-30 minutes depending on how many photos are being backed up. I never knew if a backup failed or completed.

The CoPilot will tell you if the copy competed or if there was an error, before letting you move on to another card. Very handy. Also, there is a ring around the outside of the display showing, as a percentage, how much space has been used on the CoPilot.

Copy procedures can be stopped at any time by simply holding down the button for three seconds and then pressing once more to confirm cancelation.

The CoPilot App

The CoPilot App runs on Apple or Android devices. I will be sharing screenshots from an Apple iPad in this article. The unit comes with three cords for connection; Apple Lightning, micro-USB, and USB-C. The cord for connection wraps nicely around the unit, a thoughtful touch.

After the initial setup of the app and device (those instructions are included with the device), it's pretty easy to browse photos stored on the CoPilot or even on inserted SD cards or connected USB devices. This is helpful as it can turn your phone/tablet into a card reader for other purposes.

On the left side of the screen are the available devices, with the first item being the CoPilot, followed by the device you are using (my iPad is named Spiff, as in Spaceman Spiff) and then the other ports on the CoPilot.

The main screen shows folders on the CoPilot when it is selected. The Backups folder is where everything resides and tapping it brings up a folder for each backup run.

The folders are named by date, the time the backup was started and a unique identifier for each card or device. The date is below each folder if that makes reading easier.

Using the app

Tapping a folder will let you drill down through the typical card structure (depending on your camera manufacturer's specifications) until you arrive at your photos.

At this point, the image grid can be made fullscreen to cover more real estate if you like.

The LaCie DJI Copilot BOSS External Hard Drive can handle all the major Raw and JPEG file types as well as PDFs and a few others.

One more tap brings up a single image to fill your screen. It's a 100% version, so you can zoom in just as you would on your desktop. There is not a zoom indicator anywhere, though.

There are a few things you can do with the photo at this point. The Move and Copy options are both straightforward. Images can be copied either to another place on the CoPilot or to an attached USB or SD card. Rename might be helpful to some users as well.

Full EXIF information is also available although DJI/LaCie need to clean up how it is presented.

Exif information display for this image.

I can see why a programmer made it display this way, but it's not too user-friendly. An exposure time of 0.00200o seconds?

A little handier is the ability to share out the image with normal platform-specific applications. Here you see the standard Apple lineup and I enjoy that “Save Image” is there, making it easy to drop the file onto my iPad for use in a blog post or the like.

Share options.

If installed, the image can be handed off to the likes of Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop Express or Dropbox or any of a number of other apps. Note that these are the RAW (.CR2 in the case of Canon) files, not JPEGs if you are shooting RAW.

The image opened in Photoshop Express.

Previews in the app

One small annoyance with the app is the chronological preview creation. In this case, I had over 800 images in the folder on the CoPilot so it starts at the top creating previews. Before that they all look like this:

And if you want to work with an image shot just moments ago, it's going to be at the bottom of the folder and you have to wait for the preview to resolve. Not a big thing, but something to note if you have thousands of images in one folder.

Otherwise, the app is pretty slim in features. You can rename folders and delete them if you like, which is handy. I wish I could drag images from the main part of the screen to my iPad folder on the left, but that's not the case. I'd also like the ability to star or pick my photos as I do in Lightroom. That would make the app a lot more useful.

In the real world

At times I thought I should be able to just plug a card in (without powering on the unit) and start copying. Once I got over that mentality and was patient enough to wait for it to power on, I found the CoPilot easy to use.

I really enjoyed that it could back up all my media, including my phone photos (but not a true backup of my phone as I do on my desktop). With a cable, I can also download directly from my drone, but I often found it easier to use the micro-SD card adapter. After all, that's what I do now when downloading drone footage.

The unit is a little hefty and all the rubberizing makes it a little bulky. It's certainly not as small as my Western Digital Passports but also not as large as a standard external drive. I do feel pretty confident with that mass of rubber coating all around the shell and the toughness of a non-touchscreen.

Minor issues

This will seem like a minor gripe and I guess it is, but not owning a newer Android phone, I also do not own a USB-C to USB-A cable. The unit comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable for connecting to your desktop or laptop for final download and workflow, but not the cable I needed. Not a big deal, but it's one more cable.

My bigger complaint is with the interface cover. It's not tethered to the unit and I easily see myself losing it within a month of owning a CoPilot. It's great that there is a cutout on the inside of the cover allowing you to keep SD cards (or the Micro-SD adapter) inserted with the cover on. But when hooked to USB, that cover can go missing.

For portability, I'm not happy that I can only use the somewhat bulky AC adapter that comes with the unit to charge the hard drive. When I am out of the country for 2-3 weeks leading one of my tours, I can't trust that I'll have enough battery power. So yet another power adapter has to be packed and accounted for.

It would be great if I could charge the unit with USB power (and that would take away my complaint above). However, if I was only going to be gone 1-2 weeks and thought I would shoot maybe only 4000-6000 images, I think it would be okay. This aspect needs more real-world battery drain testing.

Backing up your files

Unfortunately, there is no ability to perform incremental backups. The good news is you can use the app from your phone or tablet to simply delete the previous, redundant backup.

Such as, if you shoot 400 photos and back those up, then keep using the card for another 600 images. Your second backup will contain all 1000 images and with the app, you can delete the first backup of 400, if you want. It's also handy that Lightroom and other desktop apps will recognize the duplicates and only import one copy, so you don't have to delete the redundant backup copies if you don't want to.

Backup speeds will depend on the type of card you are using. It is handy that the unit will tell you the exact throughput (in MBs) while it is downloading so you can estimate time remaining. In my experience, 40GB of backup from an SD card to the unit used about 6-8% of battery. I would estimate 12-14 32GB cards could be downloaded with each charge.

Dirt issues

Lastly, this is a minor thing, but the rubberized coating of the CoPilot attracts dirt and lint. I placed the unit in a planter for the introductory photo of this post and it came away with dirt stuck fairly well to the housing. It's meant to take a beating, but my unit was not sparkling new for long.

See all the dust and stuff stuck to it?

(Photo courtesy of LaCie/DJI)

Downloading from the CoPilot

When matched with the likes of Lightroom and its ability to ignore duplicates, the CoPilot is a breeze when it's time to download images at home or the office. Plug into the USB-C connector and start your import. No need to browse folder to folder.

Yet, if you only want to download a particular day's worth of images, the CoPilot's structure of naming folders first by the date shot is a big help in finding just the right images. The USB-C is fast at a rate of about 5Gbps.

Otherwise, the drive works like any other external hard drive and can be read directly. It can also be used as a card reader while plugged in.

(Photo courtesy of LaCie/DJI)

Is it worth it?

The LaCie 2TB DJI Copilot BOSS External Hard Drive lists for $349. That's a hefty price and not a cheap purchase. If you travel occasionally, this might not be the right device for you, given that price point. But if you find yourself lugging your laptop around only to be used as a conduit for backing up photos, the CoPilot will pay for itself soon enough.

Personally, when I lead photo tours I carry enough gear for the group that I don't want to bring a laptop. I intend to purchase a CoPilot BOSS before my next trip abroad in order to lighten my load while ensuring I all my precious photos return with me.

The post REVIEW: LaCie DJI Copilot BOSS External Hard Drive appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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REVIEW – Shape Monkey

Plug-ins are a staple of life for After Effects users.  For me, at least, I’m always super excited when a new effect (or bundle of effects) is/are released from a company, as it’s always cool to see what boundary these companies are trying to push next.  With that being said, there is an exciting new trend, and new boundary being pushed, and those boundaries are from within the application itself, and I’m talking about After Effects scripts.  The best way to describe exactly what an AE script is, is exactly the way Adobe describes it in the AE Help Document – “A script is a series of commands that tells an application to perform a series of operations. You can use scripts in most Adobe applications to automate repetitive tasks, perform complex calculations, and even use some functionality not directly exposed through the graphical user interface.”  So a script, in the simplest of terms, is a way to get After Effects to do exceptionally complicated tasks relatively easily.  That’s where our review comes into play. I was approached by Orrin Zucker, who is the main man behind Shape Monkey, along with his partner Dan Ebberts.  What’s important to keep in mind about Orrin and Dan is that they are responsible for a six other “Monkey” scripts, including Motion Monkey, Layer Monkey, Type Monkey, Circus Monkey, Monkey Bars (you knew that one was coming in here), and Monkey Cam.  You can buy them a la carte, or as part of the Monkey Suite.  Let’s get in and see how you can set up AE to work with Scripts, and what Shape Monkey is going to bring to your compositing toolkit.

AEScripts.com

If you’re looking for the best scripts that you can get for After Effects, AEScripts.com is the place to find them.  This is a catalogue of all kinds of different scripts with many of them serving more of a “technical” purpose (one of my favorite scripts is a bridge between Mocha and After Effects called MochaImport+), and some that are just plain creative, and that’s where all the “Monkey” effects fall into the list.  Most of them revolve around text or shape animations (except for MonkeyCam), and the download itself for Shape Monkey was a whopping 1.8 mb, so needless to say, the download times will be quick, no matter what connection you have.  Now, let’s talk about price.

PRICE

When looking at the price, you have to consider that even though Shape Monkey is not an effect, you need to treat it like one.  My thought, when I first saw it, was that Shape Monkey (SM) would come in somewhere around the $99 US mark, so when I saw a price of $89 US, I wasn’t surprised, and it pretty much fell in line with the single effect offerings from companies like Red Giant and Video Copilot.

INSTALLATION

This one’s a little different for new users, as Scripts don’t install like plug-ins do, with an installer.  When SM downloads, and you unzip it, you’re going to take the entire folder, and drag it to:

After Effects/Scripts/ScriptUI Panels (MAC)

Or

After Effects/Support Files/Scripts/ScriptUI Panels (Windows)

Once it’s there, the next step is to launch After Effects, as there are a couple of things you’ll need to know, to find and work with SM and scripts in general.

Once AE opens, most people just want to jump in and start animating, but if you head to the “Window” drop down, you’ll see all your available scripts at the bottom of the menu.

If you try to select one of them, you’ll be greeted by this error…..

What this error is telling us is that there is a preference we need to turn on before we can get started.  If you head to your General Preferences, you’ll want to select “Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network”.  Once you do, and you head back to SM in the Windows drop down, the SM Interface will appear.

HOW IT WORKS

Now, before I get rolling with the interface, I want to talk briefly about what SM does, exactly.  It gives you the ability to create shape animations in an automated fashion, quickly and easily.  These are not effects.  What’s going to happen when you work through the SM Interface, and click “Go”, is that After Effects will create shape layers, that will be controlled by standard AE effects added to a 100×100 solid.

After the animation is created, all the shape layers will be “Shy’d” so that the only layer you can see is the Shape Monkey Control layer, which is very handy, because if you end up choosing a large amount of layers, like 30, the last thing you want is your timeline bogged down by all those layers, especially if you have a lot more layers in your project.

After Effects’ work area plays a large role in your shape monkey workflow, which I thought was a very clever workflow design on the developer’s part.  By default, SM will create 10 copies of whatever shape you decide you want to use.  By setting your AE work area to a specific time, you’re telling SM that you want all of your shapes to trigger their animation in the designated time, and it will uniformly (or as uniformly as possible, based on the amount of time selected) distribute Control Points (AE markers) onto the Control layer.  Keep in mind that you’ll need at least one frame available per shape layer that you assign.  The completely awesome thing about the Control Points that SM puts into your comp is that you can drag them back and forth down the timeline and adjust shape animations based on where you have the markers!

At this point, it’s important to get in and talk about exactly how SM works, and how you can easily set up a shape animation, and I’m going to start very simple by using only one shape, and you’ll get the idea of how multiple shapes would work from there.

Let’s start out by choosing a shape.  What’s very cool about SM is that you can use not only a ton of predefined shapes, but you can also use both After Effects (vector) text or Illustrator vector files, for your layers in SM.  For the purpose of what we’re doing, I’m just going to choose a simple triangle.

Now the next three parameters – Duration, Interpolation and Ease Type refer to the animation “IN” of our shape.  It’s going to animate in for 30 frames (one second and six frames at 24p), with an Ease Interpolation set to Random with an Ease Type of “Out”.  Now, to skip ahead a little, I’m going to change the “Transition – Out” parameter to be “Off”, and then I’m going to hit “Do It” and you can now see what my animation looks like.   

Nothing fancy.  Simple and straightforward.  As you can see the shape animates in, in the desired time, and stays there until the end of my comp, because I turned off the out transition.  This is, at it’s most basic, how Shape Monkey works.  If I wanted the shape to transition out, I could choose the type of transition (both in and out), from the “TRANSITION” section of the interface, and I’d be all set to go.  One thing that I want to point out, and it’s something that, to be honest, I’ve become a bit addicted to.  Once you’ve created an animation, and had a chance to take a look at it, you might decide it’s not what you like, or you want to add a few different parameters to it, to spice it up.  You can easily hit the “Undo It” button right beside the “Do It” button, to quickly add and remove SM animations to tweak things exactly the way you want them tweaked.

With the basics out of the way, SM is all about options, and there are a ton of them here. The first big choice you have is the type of shapes you want to create.  Once you’ve chosen “Triangle”, as an example, you can choose between Fill Only, Stroke Only, Dash Only, Fill & Stroke or Fill & Dash.  Then you can choose your own color combination for the different fill options, or choose from over sixty different color swatches that compliment each other, in a simple to use preview window.  Don’t know what type of animation you want to use, there are thirty different Animation presets with twenty different effect presets.  That’s a lot of choice!

All this is very cool, but you’ve created an animation, and the client loves it, so you now want to keep it in your back pocket for other upcoming projects, can you save these as presets?  The answer is yes, you can. There is a “Save” option under the “UTILITIES” section of the SM interface, that will let you reset SM to it’s launch defaults, save your current animation and load saved presets.  You can even add motion blur to your animations from here as well.  I like the fact that Zucker and Ebberts have thought of SM like a plug-in, and given you almost all the same options you have in that workflow, in the SM workflow as well.

I should point out something that’s pretty important, and that is that if you’ve noticed, all of our animation options have been right dead in the middle of the screen.  I haven’t adjusted them.  They have animated on (and potentially off), centered.  So, how do we tweak these animations, and have them moving from side to side, top to bottom, larger to smaller, etc.  That’s where the START and END parameters at the bottom of the SM interface come into place.  It’s fairly self explanatory.  Assume that, much like I just said, that all the animations are located dead in the middle of the screen.  If you would like to adjust the start animations Position, Scale or Rotation, adjust it under the “START” column.  For end animation adjustments, adjust them under the END column.  Now you can give your animations movement.   I’ll be honest.  After maybe an hour of working with Shape Monkey, you’ll be able to create complex animations like the one you see below in a matter of seconds.

One thing that I think is very important to mention, as I’m wrapping up this review is that when working with scripts, as opposed to plug-ins, if you’re sending your project to another designer, or to the client, they do NOT need to have the script, in our case Shape Monkey, installed on their machine to retain all your created animations and looks.  Scripts are not like plug-ins in that manner.  This is what makes them even more powerful, as you don’t need to bake (render out layers that have effects on them, and then re-import them, so the layers are not dependant on those effects anymore) in your effects work.  Create how and what you want to, and your clients will see your animations exactly the way you created them.

With all that being said, there is one slightly annoying thing about Shape Monkey, but it has more to do with After Effects, than SM itself.  Once you’ve created an animation, and closed the SM interface, when it re-opens, it doesn’t remember the last animation you had set up, so you won’t have the ability to go in and alter animations that SM has created, you will have to start again from scratch, so I suggest that if you’re working in a two monitor environment, keep SM open on your second monitor, so you’ll always know what the last animation you created was.

In the end, Shape Monkey is a super cool animation script that will let you create stunning animations in seconds instead of in hours, the price point is reasonable enough, and the fact that your animations can be sent or shared with anyone running the same version of AE as you, without the need for third party plug-ins makes Shape Monkey a tool you definitely need to check out.  You can download a free demo of Shape Monkey at http://aescripts.com/shapemonkey/ .

  The post REVIEW – Shape Monkey appeared first on ProVideo Coalition.

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