#multiple ball float sensor

[socojes]

Float switch is composed of reed switch and float. The float will activate the reed switch soon as the rising or falling fluid reaches the defined fluid level, a contact is closed or opened. This instructs a magnet located in the float to activate one or more reed switches in the riser of the float switch.

[bawfulio]

The worldbuilding of svtfoe is a very interesting hot mess to think about. It's like a defective puzzle: the pieces don't fit together quite right.

Especially in regards to magic/the issue of destroying it in the finale. You basically have to forget everything that was established about magic before Cleaved for it to actually feel like a sensible writing decision.

How do I know this? Because, for mad reasons, I decided to go through the series and catalog as many instances of magic being implied subtly or explicitly that it was a thing beyond Mewni. All examples are below the read more and sourced by their respective episodes

Dimensional scissors being owned by multiple beings from different dimensions, vast majority of them appear non-human/non-mewman (Shown since beginning of series)

Ponyhead uses magic to blast crystal stalactites on the ceiling of the Amethyst Arcade, making them crash into the guards from St. Olga's (S1E2: Party with a Pony)*

Star explaining how her wand needs to be regularly charged is worded in such a way that there are more like it in the multiverse (S1E8: Quest Buy You have to recharge wands with magical energy. If it goes to skull, it'll be dead forever!")

Quest Buy, an interdimensional retail store, sells wand chargers. If no other dimension has a wand like "Mewni", then there would be no reason for them to be sold (S1E8: Quest Buy)

The shard mines of Pixtopia are stated by the mine's taskmaster that they block magic. Considering that this dimension is the source of the magic mirror compacts/magic smart phones that are enable calls to anyone from any dimension, the wording implying magic period instead of a specific "butterfly magic" is interesting (S1E12: Pixtopia)

Tom's abilities in this episode (floating, fire control) seem to be a demonic variant of magic. While Daron Nefcy did say in the post-finale AMA that Tom could still create portals even after the destruction of magic (despite that same ability also being effected by Hekapoo shutting down the portal network), this fact was never stated in the show itself nor the spin-off books (S1E15: Blood Moon Ball)

Father Time, a plausibly magical being (this was never elaborated on in show nor in either spin-off books and the only answer came from Adam McArthur not Nefcy nor any of the show's writers) states that magic won't work on the wheel of time. Again, it is worded as magic period not "butterfly magic" or "royal magic" (S1E17: Freeze Day)

One of the "foolproof security measures" St. Olgas' is "no magic", with one of popups mentioning "magic sensors placed every 25 feet to ensure magic-free environment". If the school has such measures, then magic-using students must be a regular enough occurence to jutify it (S1E19: St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses)

Glossaryck's analogy on 'dipping down" is worded as follows: " Imagine the universe as this big old cauldron, and magic is the bubbly stew inside, and your wand is the spoon---Now the wand can only skim the surface of the hobo gravy, watery and brown. But if you want to get to the chunks, you've got to dip down. " Again, a singular magic, no differention for "butterfly magic" or "royal magic" (S2E1: My New Wand!)

Willoughby knows enough about magic to try and steal Star's wand to give herself a break (S2E6: Fetch)

Ponyhead uses magic to destroy Roy's shirt cannon. Roy also draws a magic circle on the ground that teleports Star, Marco, Ponyhead and Kelly to a temple where he then gives them the goblin dogs (S2E13: Goblin Dogs)

Etheria Butterfly, Moon's Aunt/Star's Great Aunt, pulls two Johansons underground via vines sprouted from magic seeds (S2E15: Games of Flags)

Rasticore is the sole person in the series to use a magical item that is not a pair of dimensional scissors to travel**. The Quest Buy gift card takes on a humanoid electric form to complete its expiration mode (S2E18: Gift of the Card)

Locked chains magically appear on the carriage door to keep Marco from leaving. Tom also uses his powers to resurrect Mackie Hand. (S2E19 Friendenemies)

Ponyhead uses magic to press the gas pedal on the car she's driving and later to repair the car (S2E24: Pizza Thing)

Magic (again, worded as magic period) is prohibited in the Bureaucracy of Magic building, complete with magic detector to find any "articles of magic, sorcery or occult objects of a mystical nature". The fritz is stated to be the result of "something somewhere sapping the power of magic from the universe". Once more, worded as a singular magic (S2E25: Page Turner)

The Naysaya is described as a demon curse. Whether curses are a separate thing from spells is never elaborated on in show or in the spinoff books (S2E26: Naysaya)

Preston Change-O, a being that sucked the joy out of Sensei's party guests. (S2E29: Trickstar)

Zedlord and Astrobell, who were crystallized by Rhombulus for destroying a planet and creating a black hole respectively. Considering that Rhombulus referred to his prisondres as "these guys" and the general design scheme of the non Earth/Mewni background characters, they are plausible inhabitants from other dimensions, not 'monsters" (S2E34: Crystal Clear)

The fritz is again stated to cause all magic (again no differention between types of magic) to weaken and fade (S3E1: Return to Mewni)

The Demoncism, with even features what Tom calls "magic manacles" (S3E12: Demoncism)

Marco suggests stopping Star's night portaling with magic glue. (S3E18: Sweet Dreams)

One of the supplies Janna brings to keep track of Star while she's night portaling is a "magic wave scope" (S3E23: Deep Dive)

Tom uses demonic magic to attempt to encase Mina in a coffin covered in sigils and golden magic chains (S3E24: Monster Bash)

Ponyhead once uses magic, in this case charging up a magic blast in preparation for facing Meteora, Gemini and Rasticore (S3E33: Skooled!)

The pillars/reverse waterfalls of magic found throughout the Realm of Magic are revealed to lead to other dimensions in the multiverse. Given the multiple pillars seen, it's likely that at least a good number of the connected dimensions use magic (S3E38: Conquer)

Marco's sword is revealed to be what kept a fire demon that once terrorized the Neverzonians sealed within a statue (S4E05: Ransomgram)

Wrathmelior has a emotional weather system that can cause severe storms if her emotions are in turmoil, possibly another form of demonic magic (S4E06: Lake House Fever)

The Quest Buy stock room is, as explained by the sloth employee, "a magical room that turns all your needless desires into pointless realities" (S4E11: Out of Business)

The Severing Stone is explicitly reffered to as an "enchanted rock" that posseses an edge so sharp that it can sever anything. The Blood Moon bal (S4E13: Curse of the Blood Moon)

In the beginning of the episode, we see Ludo attempt to steal Princess Quasar's magic bell, a possible counterpart to Star and her wand, complete with a counterpart to Glossryack (S4E14: Princess Quasar Caterpillar and the Magic Bell)

At Glossaryck and Meteora's first stop in the past, it is shown that a sea of magic was already present long before the Magic Sanctuary was built (S4E17: Meteora's Lesson)

Grobb/Neverzone Meteora explains that the old women of the mountain that found her and Bork/Neverzone Mariposa as babies taught her all of their spells. There is also Wyscan the Granter, a being that will grant requests in exchange for magic he can eat (S4E28: Gone Baby Gone)

According to Hekapoo, most of the patrons of the Tavern at the End of the Multiverse left their dimensions to "get away from magical issues or power-hungry rulers". Given the lack of elaboration on what exactly those magical issues were and how Star's rant focuses squarely on her family's misuse of it, this one might have been a last minute justification by the show to have Star destroying magic feel more natural. Whether or not it worked is up to debate (S4E36: The Tavern at the End of the Multiverse)

*I am aware of the whole "Ponyheads' powers are 'natural abilities' not magic" thing but A: the statement came from a tweet by a voice actor for the show (Adam McArthur), not Nefcy nor any of the show's writers so its canoncity is pretty weak and B: something as important as this should have been discussed in either hte show or one of the spin-off books. And, considering how Here to Help (which was 4 episodes before Cleaved) had Star somehow be able to gather a group of people from different parts of Mewni (Rick Pigeon, Ponyhead and Seahorse) and different dimensions (Kelly and Jorby, Talon and Quirky Guy) despite Hekapoo having shut down the mirror and portal network, it's possible that Ponyhead being magic was just forgotten

**It is mentioned in Star and Marco's Guide to Mastering Every Dimension that Rasticore is wanted for "unlawful alteration of regiestered, protected magic items (dimensional scissors)". This implies that his chainsaw was created from a pair of dimensional scissors but this is one of a multiple tidbits from the book that never comes up in the show itself

[astro-leap]

I had an idea that struck me at midnight and uh, Uta no Prince Sama makes a perfect Pokémon AU

Starting Town

Protagonist

Nanami Haruka (the male option can die I guess)

Rival

Shibuya Tomochika (I’ll make a team for her later it’s 4am and nobody cares anyway)

Professor

Ringo (IT EVEN HAS A PLANT NAMEEEE)

Gym Leaders

Gym 1

Ittoki Otoya

Normal type gym

Guitar string puzzle

Team

Happiny

Wooloo (ace)

Gym 2

Aijima Cecil

Grass type gym

Buttons play music and make plants grow (I have it in my head it’s just hard to describe)

Team

Bellossom

Maractus

Shiinotic (ace)

Gym 3

Shinomiya Natsuki

Electric type gym

Chase pachirisu into tunnels to open doors

Team

Pachirisu

Yamper

Raichu[alolan] (ace)

Gym 4

Kurusu Syo

Fairy type gym

Obstacle course (wipeout style)

Team

Mawile

Impidimp

Morgrem

Granbull (ace)

Gym 5

Hijirikawa Masato

Water type gym

Sliding door puzzle

Team

Golduck

Lumineon

Lapras

Milotic (ace)

Gym 6

Jinguji Ren

Fire type gym

Press buttons to launch fire to light torches to show path

Team

Ninetales

Chandelure

Salazzle

Pyroar (ace)

Gym 7

Ichinose Tokiya

Dark type gym

Mirrors to shoot laser to a sensor to open door

Team

Absol

Liepard

Bisharp

Honchkrow (ace)

Gym 8

Hyuga Ryuuya

Steel type gym

Turn walls of room

Team

Aron

Lairon

Lucario

Bastiodon

Aggron (ace)

Elite Four

{Challenge in any order}

Four staircases carpeted with different colors each leading to a door, there is a crystal spiral staircase in the middle of the room.

Kotobuki Reiji

Flying type trainer

Room has a green carpet with gold trimming, a large birdcage to the left, and a miryad of odd souvenirs on the right. Feathers are falling from the roof.

Team

Braviary

Tropius

Altaria

Aerodactyl

Gliscor

Hawlucha (ace)

Kurosaki Ranmaru

Fighting type trainer

Room has a burgundy carpet with silver trim. There is a small stage in the back of the room, and there are multiple workout stations to the right. On the left side, there is a modest kitchen.

Team

Hitmontop

Toxicroak

Scrafty

Kommo-o

Gallade

Pangoro (ace)

Mikaze Ai

Ghost type trainer

Room has a lavender carpet with silver trim. There are bookshelves covering the back and right wall, while the left wall is covered in various types of technological devices. There are wires sprawled along the floor. A few books and devices are floating around.

Team

Polteageist

Drifblim

Mimikyu

Golurk

Gengar

Rotom (ace)

Camus

Ice type trainer

Room has an ice blue carpet with gold trim. The room is elegantly decorated, with a sitting table to the right and a large dog bed to the left with a furfrou sleeping peacefully on it. There are small ice crystals forming in the corners.

Team

Glaceon

Ninetales [alolan]

Walrein

Frosmoth

Dewgong

Aurorus (ace)

Champion

Saotome Shining

Poison type trainer

The room is dark, but covered in gaudy 80s party decorations. There is a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. Colorful spotlights shaped like stars are dancing around the room. There are also lasers. And a fog machine. And a large spotlight aimed towards Saotome. It’s a mess.

Team

Muk

Garbodor

Swalot

Dragalge

Toxitricity [amped up] (ace)

Scolipede

That’s pretty much all I’ve thought of so far....I might make some art for this but uh, I kinda suck at drawing Pokémon so we’ll see how that goes lol

[onewheel-accesories]

Onewheel Accessories

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[calamumnomen-official]

Ideas for Talents in Overwatch 2

(From my Reddit account)

One of my biggest fears for the sequel is that talents will only be for the heroes chosen for Story missions. I wanted to see how hard it would be to make talents for all 31 heroes. It only took me a day, so if I could do it I don't see why the entire Blizzard team couldn't.

Reinhardt has at least 7 talents, so I came up with 8 talents for each hero to round it out.

(Talents with * are official talents revealed in gameplay or BlizzCon)

Tank Talents

D.va

Level 1

Game Over- When Mech health reaches 0, mech will fall apart as usual, but each piece explodes to deal 50 damage

Landing Zone- Call Mech produces larger shockwave that knocks enemies back and deals 100 damage

Level 10

Shooting Star- Ram into enemy with Boosters to set them on fire

Micro Flares- Micro Missiles shoots flares that can intercept projectiles in midair

Level 20

Build Up Charge- Mech draws in enemies before it Self Destructs

Disassembly Matrix- Barriers do not block projectiles while under Defense Matrix, enemies covered by Matrix take more damage

Level 50

Defensive Dome- Defense Matrix covers 360 degrees in 7.5 meter radius

Photon Cannon- Micro Missile fires the projectiles from Pilot D.va's Light Gun instead

Orisa

Level 1

Mobile Barrier- Protective Barrier hovers in front of Orisa instead of being placed on the ground

Charger Shield- The Supercharger is protected by a 300 HP barrier

Level 10

Fusion Charge- Critical hits from Fusion Driver charges your Ultimate faster

Cease!- Halt! stuns all enemies it passes through before it activates

Level 20

Ubercharger- Supercharger gives Fortify effect to all allies boosted by it

Citizen's Arrest- Halt! holds enemies in place for 4 seconds, but they spin around the way they used to in Zarya's ultimate

Level 50

Immovable Object- If you are hit by a melee attack while Fortified (Talon Assassin or Talon Heavy's charge) the damage is deflected back to attacker and they are stunned

Fortification- Fortify increases health by 300 Armor

Reinhardt

Level 1

*Fire Burst- Fire Strike explodes every time it deals damage, lighting nearby enemies on fire

*Frenzy- Rocket Hammer swings faster after consecutive hits

Level 10

*Impact Converter- Rocket Hammer damage recharges your Barrier Field

*Amplification Field- Barrier Field increases damage of friendly projectiles passing through it

Level 20

*Balderich's Stand- Gain armour and damage when your barrier breaks

*Fault Line- Earthshatter does more damage in a narrower cone

Level 50

*Epicentre- Earthshatter travels in all direction

Forward Assault- Charge can pin up to 3 enemies at once

Roadhog

Level 1

Barbed Hook- Chain Hook stuns enemy even after they are released

Sinker- Scrap Gun reloads automatically when you successfully hook an enemy

Level 10

Slag Metal- Whole Hog sets enemies on fire

Junk Ball- Scrap Gun alternate fire headshot does triple damage if it hits before detonation

Level 20

Stored Fat- Gain 150 additional HP if Take a Breather is used at full health, for a total of 750 HP

Funnel- Whole Hog fires in a tighter spread instead of a cone

Level 50

Chem Pump- Damage taken during Take a Breather heals for 50% of damage taken

Scrap Blast- At point blank range Scrap Gun knocks back enemy

Sigma

Level 1

Iron Core- Accretion knocks down enemy for maximum amount of time regardless of distance

Reconstruction- Experimental Barrier is restored by 50% of max health when taken down

Level 10

Asteroid- Accretion launches in straight line at faster speed

Kinetic Converter- Kinetic Grasp heals and boosts healing received from allies

Level 20

Optimal Barrier- Experimental Barrier does not take damage while it is being deployed

Gravity Anomaly- Gravitic Flux draws in enemies into area of effect and deals constant damage until the slam

Level 50

Gravity Well- Enemy is briefly held in place if both Hyperspheres hit

Black Hole- Kinetic Grasp draws in every projectile that enters a 5 meter radius and gives shields for 100% of the damage

Winston

Level 1

Primeval Rage- Surrounded by electricity during Primal Rage to deal extra damage

Take Off- Surrounding enemies are set on fire when Jump Pack is triggered

Level 10

Re-entry- Enemies get knocked down if you land on them with Jump Pack

Projector Error- Barrier Projector explodes when it expires

Level 20

Electrobarrier- All enemies inside Barrier Projector are electrocuted

Primal Beast- The extra 500 HP during Primal Rage is converted to armor

Level 50

Malfunction- Tesla Cannon does extra damage to barriers and reloads while damaging them

Giga Coils- Tesla Cannon reloads and increases damage by 33% with each kill, maxes out at 100%

Wrecking Ball

Level 1

Multi Claw- Grappling Claw has 3 charges

Blazing Speed- At high speed enemies struck are set ablaze

Level 10

Meteor Mines- Mines float above out of sight and come crashing down when enemy is detected below

Adaptive Drop- Gain 100 shields for every en enemy hit by Piledriver

Level 20

Rocketball- Use Piledriver even when on the ground

Billiards- Enemies take bonus damage if they are knocked into each other or walls

Level 50

Volatile Mines- Destroy one mine to set off entire field at once instead of each individual going off automatically

Eruptive Shield- Whenever Adaptive Shield takes damage, it explodes and deals damage to nearby enemies

Zarya

Level 1

Frontline- Damage boosted when shield health is depleted

Plasmathrower- Particle Cannon sets enemy on fire at high energy

Level 10

Power Surge- The more enemies caught in Graviton Surge the higher Particle Cannon damage is

Particle Charge- Damage blocked by barriers give extra ultimate charge

Level 20

Event Horizon- Enemies caught in Graviton Surge take extra damage

Damage Conversion- Damage blocked by Projected Barrier boosts ally's damage

Level 50

Shield Network- Projected Barrier covers up to 3 allies in a group

Energy Conversion- Plasma Barrier converts damage into healing by 50%

Damage Talents

Ashe

Level 1

Double Barrel- Coach Gun has 2 charges

Firing Squad- B.O.B will focus fire on any enemy who mark with a sniped shot, shooting with firearms on both arms

Level 10

The Muscle- B.O.B knocks enemies down

Speed Charge- Headshots give extra ultimate charge

Level 20

Sensor Fuse- Dynamite explodes automatically once it is close to enemy

Black Powder- At close range, Coach Gun burns enemy

Level 50

Nitro- Dynamite sets the terrain on fire

The Gunner- B.O.B is equipped with shotguns

Bastion

Level 1

Ironclad- Take 50% less damage during transition between Recon and Sentry

Artillery Elite- Sentry weapon can deal headshots

Level 10

Incendiary Rounds- Tank rounds set enemies on fire

Assault Shield- Use Self-Repair to deploy a 400 HP barrier in front of you for 4 seconds

Level 20

Configuration: Grenade Launcher- Tank rounds contain shrapnel

Upgraded Repair- Self-Repair heals in a 200 HP burst

Level 50

Treaded Feet- Move faster in Recon form when not firing or healing

On-Field Repair- Take 50% less damage while healing

Doomfist

Level 1

Unstoppable Force- Rocket Punch works in any direction you aim like Genji's Swift Strike

Fisticuffs- Successful damage with any ability fully restores ammo

Level 10

Perfect Defense- There is no limit to shields gained by The Best Defense

Knockout- Rising Uppercut stuns enemy

Level 20

Extinction Event- Meteor Strike has an explosion with 16 meter radius that deals 150 damage

Seismic Strike- Seismic Slam always does maximum damage

Level 50

Shatterwave- Rocket Punch can knock back multiple enemies

Newton's Law- Enemy struck by Rocket Punch damages and knocks back other enemies it rams into

Genji

Level 1

Assassin's Blade- Swift Strike damages enemy by 20/sec for 4 seconds

Hyper Agility- You can triple Jump and wall climbing is indefinite

Level 10

*Dragon's Breath- Dragonblade shoots out a projectile

Steady Blade- Deflected projectiles are automatically returned to the attacker, no aiming required

Level 20

Perfect Parry- Deflected projectiles double in power

Sojiro's Teaching- Swift Stike cooldown instant if you cut more than one enemy

Level 50

Dragon of the North Wind- Dragonblade surrounds you in a cyclone that slices up enemies that get too close

Scatter Shuriken- Fan of Blades shurikens split into 9 shurikens and ricochet

Hanzo

Level 1

Skywalk- Lunge has 3 charges and wall climbing is indefinite

Assassin's Arrow- Storm Arrows slow down enemy

Level 10

Dragon's Fang- Storm Arrows pierce through enemies and barriers

Quick Charge- Headshots give extra ultimate charge

Level 20

*Sojiro's Guidance- Arrow hunts down all enemies detected by Sonic Arrow

Taser Arrow- Sonic Arrow stuns enemy

Level 50

Dragon of the South Wind- Dragonstrike sucks in enemies that stray too near

Simple Geometry- Fully drawn arrows and Storm Arrows ricochet

Junkrat

Level 1

Parting Gift- Total Mayhem drops a trap and grenades that go off when the trap activates

Hunting Gear- Steel Trap has 3 charges and Concussion Mine has 3 charges

Level 10

Armed Trap- Steel Trap explodes when it is triggered

Scrap Frag- Frag Launcher rounds contain shrapnel

Level 20

Oil Drum- Concussion Mine sets enemy on fire

Gaspowered- RIP-Tire sets enemies on fire, runtime is longer

Level 50

Sticky Bomb Launcher- Frag Launcher shoots grenades that only explode in proximity to enemy. They don't bounce instead sticking to any terrain. Up to 10 can be on field at a time

Tire Spikes- RIP-Tire damages enemies it makes contact with, HP is Armor

McCree

Level 1

Take Cover- Combat Roll has 3 charges

Fully Loaded- Fan the Hammer always fires 6 shots

Level 10

Steady Hand- Fan the Hammer has a tighter spread, can headshot

Standoff- Taking damage speeds up time Deadeye needs to deal killing blow

Level 20

Blinding Flash- Flashbang not blocked by barriers, blinds enemy for 3 seconds

Dust Roll- Take no damage during Combat Roll

Level 50

Shootout- If killing blow is lined up before enemy gets behind wall or barrier, they are not safe from Deadeye

Crack Shot- Consecutive shots rack up damage 25%, up to 100%

Mei

Level 1

*Shatter- Frozen enemies shatter when killed dealing damage to surrounding enemies

*Cold Snap- When exiting Cryo-Freeze, nearby enemies are frozen

Level 10

*Hypothermia- Blizzard instanly kills enemies below 200 HP

*Snowball Effect- Bowl forward with Cryo-Freeze to knock over enemies

Level 20

*Frostbite- Frozen enemies take more damage

*Polar Vortex- Blizzard covers a greater area and ignores line of sight

Level 50

Spinechilling- Enemies freeze faster the lower their health

Brain Freeze- Headshots give extra Ultimate charge

Pharah

Level 1

Aerial Refuel- Jump Jet fully restores fuel

Crowd Control- If Rocket Launcher hits enemy directly, splash range is doubled to 5 meter radius

Level 10

Emergency Fuel- Hold jump to descend slowly when Hover Jets fuel runs out

Lift Off- Jump Jet burns nearby enemies

Level 20

Concussion- Concussive Blast stuns enemy on direct hit

Mortar Barrage- Barrage sets the terrain on fire

Level 50

Flash Barrage- Barrage fires flares that negate incoming projectiles

Strike Down- Enemy killed by Rocket Launcher or Barrage explodes to deal 100 damage in 5 meter radius

Reaper

Level 1

Soul Eater- Enemies drop souls that heal 50 HP

Shade Gate- Shadow Step makes you invisible for 10 seconds

Level 10

Hellstorm- Death Blossom launches 12 grenades that deal 100 damage each

Harvest- Headshots give self healing for 100% of damage dealt

Level 20

Gift from the Devil- If a shotgun is fully depleted when it's dropped, it will self destruct and spew shrapnel

Demon Form- Drain health from nearby enemies in Wraith form, deals 20/sec, heals 10/sec for each enemy affected

Level 50

Hellfire- At pointblank range shotguns set enemy on fire

God of Death- Every kill boosts damage by 30% for 10 seconds, capped at 120%

Soldier:76

Level 1

Recharge- Ammo restored while dealing damage, similar to Symmetra's primary fire, also slowly reloads over time

Focus Fire- Heavy Pulse Rifle more accurate for 6 shots instead of 3, maximum spread is tighter

Level 10

Shoulder Check- Sprint directly into enemy to knock them back

Multiple Hostiles- Tactical Visor can target up to 3 enemies

Level 20

Hyper Rockets- Helix Rocket makes enemy explode to deal 100 damage to surrounding enemies

Boosting Field- Biotic Field boosts damage by 30%

Level 50

Hardened Veteran- Tactical Visor deals more damage the less health an enemy has

Biotic Shield- Biotic Field deploys a 250 HP barrier

Sombra

Level 1

System Failure- Enemy immobilized when hacked

Firewall- Hack puts a 50 HP barrier in front of you when hand is raised

Level 10

Covert- Damage does not remove Stealth until you are under half health

Reversion- Translocator works like Tracer's Recall, restoring health to what it was when you placed it

Level 20

Marionette- If you hack an enemy that's at critical health, they fight on your side until they die

Critical Failure- EMP cuts the targets current HP in half

Level 50

Turn Coat- Targets hacked by EMP fight for your team for duration of hack

Cheap Shot- Shooting an enemy in the back deals critical hit

Symmetra

Level 1

Gamma Ray- Photon Projector attacks go through enemies, alternate not blocked by barriers

Symmetry- Up to 6 Sentry Turrets can be deployed

Level 10

Crystalline Barrier- Photon Barrier does not expire until it is destroyed

Electro Turret- Sentry Turrets shoot electric current to hit multiple enemies. Has less range but deals 60 damage per second

Level 20

Shield Generator- Teleporter replaced by Shield Generator that increases health by 50% in shield form

Nuclear Fission- Primary Fire max damage builds up faster and lasts longer

Level 50

Sentry Orbitar- Sentry Turret orbits around you at chest level, hold key to have it follow ally

Photon Fortress- Photon Barrier has 3 charges, 2nd charge requires 840 points, 3rd charge requires 420 points (nice)

Torbjorn

Level 1

Flaming Hammer- Forger Hammer damage gives twice the ultimate charge

Red Hot- Rivet Gun spews flames during Overload

Level 10

*Flame Thrower- Turrets shoot out flames

Heat Wave- Molten Core heat reaches upward to damage enemies midair

Level 20

Melting Point- When Molten Core is shot out, it goes straight through enemies and barriers

*My Babies- Place 3 miniature turrets

Level 50

Extra Supplies- During Overload, Alt and Primary Fire are combined. Fire 10 shot spread and the 70 damage rivet in one shot

Power Up- During Overload, turret is upgraded to Level 3

Tracer

Level 1

*Adaptive Reload- Pulse Pistols reload when using any ability

*Chain Reaction- Pulse Bomb triggers a secondary explosion on all enemies caught in the splash

Level 10

*Flash- Blinking through an enemy damages

*Hindsight- Recall triggers additional damage to enemies marked by Pulse Pistols

Level 20

*Vortex- Enemies are pulled towards the point of Recall and snared

*Speed Kills- Killing blows speed up cooldowns

Level 50

Slipstream- Shooting an enemy in the back charges ultimate faster

Time Anomaly- Enemies that survive the Pulse Bomb are greatly slowed down

Widowmaker

Level 1

Reposition- Grappling Hook has 2 charges

Kiss of Death- Fully charged scoped shots poison enemy during Ultimate

Level 10

Merciless- In full-automatic mode, headshots deal 2.5x the damage

One Shot- Headshots give twice the ultimate charge

Level 20

Crippling Venom- Venom Mine slows down enemy

Optimized- Scoped shots always at full charge

Level 50

Lethal Gas- Venom Mine effects last until enemy reaches half health or death

Phase Shifting Rounds- During Infra-Sight, scoped shots go through everything, even walls

Support Talents

Ana

Level 1

Heavy Tranq- Enemy does not awaken from Sleep Dart until it expires, even if they take damage

Nanobolster- Nano Boost fully heals and increases speed by 50%

Level 10

Expertise- Consecutive shots increase effects by 50%

KO Drug- 5 consecutive scoped shots put enemy to sleep

Level 20

Alchemy Grenade- Biotic Grenade heals allies over time, poisons enemies

Quick Dispatch- Kills give extra ult charge

Level 50

Nanite Darts- Nano Boost has 2 charges. 2nd charge requires 1575 points

KO Grenade- Biotic Grenade sleeps all enemies

Baptiste

Level 1

Anti-G- Hold jump in midair to glide

Matrix Shield- Amplification Matrix negates enemy damage

Level 10

Skyshooter- Healing and damage increased in midair

Reinforce- Use Regenerative Burst to make Immortality Field invulnerable

Level 20

Undertaker- Kills speed up Immortality Field cooldown time

Immortal Hero- Immortality Field heals 50 HP/sec, health does not drop below half

Level 50

Immortal Warrior- Immortality Field boosts damage 30%

Rejuvenation- Regenerative Burst increases maximum health

Brigitte

Level 1

Chain Extension- Rocket Flail extends to hit more enemies and from farther away

Suit Up- Repair Pack armor is permanent

Level 10

Booster Mace- Whip Shot can pin enemy against wall to deal 210 damage

Embolden- Inspire healing boosts the more enemies hit in one swing of Rocket Flail, Inspire heals barriers

Level 20

Shield Blast- Shield Bash can stun multiple enemies

Build 'em Up, Break 'em Down- Kills restore Repair Packs and Inspire heals in burst

Level 50

Invigoration- Armor gained from Rally restores over time like shield health until it is depleted

Deflector Shield- Barrier Shield increased to 400 shield and reflects projectiles

Lucio

Level 1

*Healing Wave- Soundwave heals 25% of allies' max health

*Mashup- Both songs take effect during Amp it Up

Level 10

*Beatmatching- Damage dealt during Speed Boost adds bonus healing to Healing Boost

*Fortississimo- Projectiles added to Primary Fire burst for each enemy struck by Soundwave

Level 20

*Power Skating- Soundwave's damage and knockback scale up based on your forward speed

*Accelerando- Critical hits speed up Amp it Up cooldown

Level 50

Blastwave- Knock enemy into wall with Soundwave to stun them and deal extra damage

Wall of Sound- Enemies caught in Sound Barrier when it's cast get stunned

Mercy

Level 1

Battle Angel- Caduceus Staff engages healing and damage beams simultaneously during Valkyrie

Get back in the Fight- Ressurect is instant and has 2 charges

Level 10

Shining Beacon- Stun enemies when flying with Guardian Angel

Herald- Double and fully restore HP when Valkyrie is triggered

Level 20

Guardian- Guardian Angel teleports you to ally

Leader's Devotion- When ally is being damage boosted, they get heal themselves for 30% of damage they deal

Level 50

Miracle Worker- Ressurect multiple allies during Valkyrie

Acceleration- Damage boosting an ally increase the rate they charge their Ultimate

Moira

Level 1

Dual Orb- Biotic Orb heals and damages, has 2 charges

Phase- Fade poisons enemies you pass through

Level 10

Biotic Bomb- Biotic Orb explodes when it expires

Cellular Increase- Ally under Biotic Grasp effect receives less damage

Level 20

Danger Zone- If you are at critical health, self heal is 100% of damage. If ally is at critical health, healing is boosted 50%

Disseverance- Choose between either doubling the damage or doubling the healing of Coalescence

Level 50

Strangle- Biotic Grasp damage increases over time like Symmetra's primary fire, goes from 50 to 100 to 150

Biotic Tracker- Healing Orb follows ally, Damage Orb follows enemy

Zenyatta

Level 1

Despair- Enemies marked by Discord Orb receive 3x the damage from critical hits instead of 2x

Emblazon- Ally marked by Harmony Orb receives 25% less damage

Level 10

Comfort- Harmony Orb can go through walls to heal ally

Amass- Amount of enemies in vicinity increase amount of projectiles in Orb Volley. 2 enemies gives 6 orbs per volley, 3 gives 7, caps off at 8

Level 20

Turmoil- Discord Orb target takes more damage the less health they have

Eradication- Orb Volley pierces though enemies and barriers

Level 50

Ascension- Team becomes invincible during Transcendence. Even heals dead allies, resurrecting them after 4 seconds

Yin and Yang- Harmony and Discord can be both be cast on target to triple respective effect, 90 healing/sec for ally, +75% damage received for enemy

(I'm looking forward to feedback and any ideas other people might have)

[zeldauniverse]

Fitness games have had an interesting journey through the annals of video game history. From the Power Pad on the NES to Dance Dance Revolution’s dance mat, they have seen a lot of ups and downs. It wasn’t until the launch of the Wii and Wii Fit when fitness games became a huge deal. Why just play video games or just go to the gym when you can do both at the same time?! That proved successful as Wii Fit (and its enhanced version Wii Fit Plus) sold a combined 43.8 million units, making it one of the best-selling games of all time, even beating out games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Since then, everyone has tried their version of a fitness game, but nowadays fitness games are becoming less common. Once people started getting tired of that type of game, most companies and developers changed course and began work on other things. Not only that, most fitness games present themselves as exactly what they are. “Oh you’re called ‘Fitness Boxing’? So you box to the beat and do fitness? Cool.” They stay in their lane and don’t try to be anything else.

This is where Ring Fit Adventure, the latest game from Nintendo EPD, tries to break the wheel. From the initial teaser in early September to the announcement trailer, we saw people having fun with a ring and a strap, and then we found out it was an RPG. It feels like someone went, “Final Fantasy, but Wii Fit?!”

It’s not exactly a combination you’d think were synonymous with each other. However, Ring Fit Adventure manages to blend them well enough to harbor an enjoyable experience while also making you sweat.

Full Disclosure Nintendo of America graciously provided us with a review copy of Ring Fit Adventure for the Switch. This review is based on version 1.1.1. As such, the new additions will be accounted for.

Meet the newest Switch accessory

What’s interesting about Ring Fit Adventure is that it markets itself as an adventure game. You fight monsters, explore fictional lands, and collect items on your quest. It just so happens to be an adventure game that you control with your body.

Ring Fit Adventure’s centerpiece is the unique pair of controllers you use: the Ring-Con and the Leg Strap. The Ring-Con is a heavily modified Pilates ring. The main difference is that Pilates rings normally have two hard plastic handles with concave sides with padding so it can be comfortable when doing thigh workouts. The Ring-Con replaces those handles with some small padding for your hands. As someone used to a normal Pilates ring, it feels a little strange, but it’s something you get used to. Then there’s the Ring-Con attachment itself, where you put the right Joy-Con. The Joy-Con’s accelerometer and gyroscope detect the Ring-Con’s position, whether you’re pushing in on the sides or pulling them away from each other. The IR sensor also tracks your heart rate by placing your right thumb over the sensor. It seemed to be fairly accurate, as it was within a 1 or 2 bpm difference when compared to my Apple Watch.

The Leg Strap is far less high tech — it’s literally a thing that you strap to the center of your left thigh and put the left Joy-Con in. That’s it. The Joy-Con itself does the work of making sure your leg is in the right position for the exercises thanks to its gyro and accelerometer.

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Admittedly, the story doesn’t try too hard to immerse you, but it still tries.

At the end of the day, however, the technology is nonetheless impressive.

One thing I do appreciate about the game is that Nintendo tries to make this game a circular experience. When you load into your file, the game asks if you want to warm up with some dynamic stretches before you jump in  so you can get your body ready and avoid straining or injuring yourself. During the game itself, it’ll ask you after a while if you want to keep going or cool down. When you decide you’re done for the day, the game asks if you want to do some static stretching as a means to cool down. This structure gives a nice arc that, as someone with a movement background, I appreciate.

I’m going on an Adventure!

The story is fairly standard. You control an athlete who meets a sentient ring, and together you explore the world and fight a bodybuilding dragon named Dragaux (yes, you read that correctly). You explore many worlds, help people along the way, and gain new abilities by constantly butting heads with Dragaux.

The plot is cookie cutter, but it also doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t. The basic story line works here. It’s moderately self-aware in parts, and it’s mostly enjoyable. It’s a tad basic at times, and Ring (the only character who is fully voiced) tends to repeat lines a bit, but it’s not enough to ruin the experience.

Expecting too much from the story would be a mistake, but it will help you pretend it’s not just exercise.

The game itself is very straight forward. Levels consist of two different modes — exploration and combat. The exploration is on rails, which makes sense because you move in one of two ways, either jogging or running in place or by doing small bends (what Nintendo calls “silent mode”). Silent mode is supposed to be a way to play the game without disturbing people by running in place. It was also the mode I used more because I dislike running.

As you traverse the levels, you can pull and push the Ring-Con to release gusts of air to hit boxes and suck up coins. Additionally, you can use the Ring-Con in other positions for specific actions, like pointing it down in order to jump, twisting it from side to side to row across a river, or pushing inward with your abs to destroy rocks blocking your way. You’ll gain experience as you continue, making you more formiddable in combat.

Speaking of combat, it plays out like a traditional turn-based RPG. You attack by doing various exercises from one of four different groups: Arms (upper body), Stomach (core), Legs (lower body), and Yoga (dynamic poses). The game telegraphs how long you hold the pose and then the release of it triggers the attack. Some of the exercises make you hold position for a while (the squats are rough), while others have you move to the beat. Certain enemies are affected more by specific moves; for example, red enemies are susceptible to exercises focusing on upper body. You get to decide what exercise to use, or you can shuffle the exercises, so there is a variety. The game also aids you in combat with lots of outfits and smoothies, Ring Fit’s equivalent to potions. Outfits have a set attack and defense stat like any armor in a typical RPG. There are also smoothies to consume, which have various effects ranging from from healing damage to boosting attacks of a specific type.

You face Dragaux multiple times through your adventure, and he does have some variety in his attacks. He’ll occasionally throw boxes at you that you have to shoot with the Ring-Con, in addition to just flat out attacking you. The game also doesn’t penalize you should you die in boss battles either — it will let you just skip right to the boss fight if you want to. That choice is nice.

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Ring Fit Adventure sticks fairly well to many traditional RPG elements.

That includes the nemesis that monologues and swears this meeting will be the last.

It’s not as complex as franchises like Final Fantasy or Pokémon, but it does enough to be enjoyable. And with 20 worlds to explore, there is enough content here to last you at least 20-30 hours of just adventuring alone. Additionally, during your quest, you’ll come across certain minigames. These minigames, like trying to get points by tilting your body side to side, add an extra bit of variety to the overall gameplay.

Ironically, where Ring Fit Adventure drops the ball a bit is in its overall design and music. When I think of an adventure game or an RPG, I expect a vast array of beautiful trees, vistas and dungeons. Ring Fit sets its levels in one of three locations — a trail through nature, where you explore vistas and go through caves; a wooden obstacle course built in a dojo-looking area complete with treadmills, hoops, and more; and a ruins area for the boss fights. It got to a point where I noticed how often the areas cycle between each level. After a while, it does start to feel stale.

Ring Fit Adventure’s music is pulsing, upbeat, and modern to pump you up, but most of it is also forgettable.

Music is vital to how RPGs and adventure games create the mood you should experience in combat and cutscenes. Ring Fit’s music is pulsing, upbeat, and modern to pump you up for the exercises you perform. This is great for a fitness-centric game; however, most of the music is a bit forgettable. The music often gets drowned out by the sound effects and Ring’s lines, and, when you do hear it, it doesn’t really feel like I’m a hero exploring the world and fighting monsters. I feel like I’m in a fitness studio. For a game that’s marketed to be an adventure game first, it feels like they came too short.

Additional fun to be had

Of course, the adventure is only one part of Ring Fit Adventure. The game also provides some additional modes if you don’t have time to spend on the main campaign. The Quick Play mode has a fairly robust set of minigames and exercises you can do, separated into three categories: simple challenges (where the goal is to get the highest reps possible); minigames (more specific exercise with concrete goals, like making pottery while squatting to raise and lower the hands); and sets (consisting of pre-selected exercises from upper arms to glutes or from aerobics to flexibility). You can adjust the strength setting to make things easier or more challenging depending on your ability, and these modes are a very good way to quickly target a small set of muscles.

Your scores for these are also put online to see how well you stack up against other players. At this point, the rankings are all that online is really utilized for. It’s sort of disappointing that Nintendo didn’t add a way to play the adventure mode with online co-op, but maybe that’s just me.

There’s also Custom Mode, where you can make your own workouts using all sorts of different exercises. They have some preset options, or you can pick and choose from the standard Upper Body, Core, Lower body, and Yoga menus.

At least the devs acknowledge you’ll be binging Netflix at some point. “Multitasking,” indeed.

Lastly, there’s Multitask Mode, where you can work out using only the Ring-Con while you’re not playing the game. Basically it records the number of presses and pulls you do with the Ring-Con while the Switch is in sleep mode or turned off. Once it’s enabled with the right stick, you can continue doing other activities, like watching The Mandalorian on Disney+ (at least that’s what I’m doing) and exercise while you do it. The next time you boot up the game, you’ll get a bonus in the Adventure Mode according to how many presses you did. It does limit you to 500 reps, which seems low to me, but considering that most people are going to just sit and watch a movie or a TV show for more than two hours while exercising, I understand.

A nice way to gamify exercise

Despite the story falling a bit short, Ring Fit Adventure is still a very enjoyable experience with a lot of replay value. It has several different modes to play, a terrific variety of exercises, and is great if you want to get some workouts in when you don’t feel like leaving the house because of bad weather. If you’re a fan of the hardcore mechanics of RPGs like The Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy or Pokémon, Ring Fit may be basic, but that’s not what it places its emphasis on. The mechanics are accessible so that anyone can pick it up and enjoy it, and maybe It’ll get people into traditional RPGs. The only thing holding it back is not doubling down on the adventure/RPG genre in terms of scenarios and music.

Score 7.5/10

Review: Ring Fit Adventure may be basic, but it nevertheless makes exercise fun Fitness games have had an interesting journey through the annals of video game history. From the Power Pad on the NES to…

[duhragonball]

[FIC] Luffa: The Legendary Super Saiyan (117/?)

Disclaimer: This story features characters and concepts based on Dragon Ball, which is a trademark of Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation.   This is an unauthorized work, and no profit is being made on this work by me. This story is copyright of me. Download if you like, but please don’t archive it without my permission. Don’t be shy.

Continuity Note: About 1000 years before the events of Dragon Ball Z.

Previous chapters conveniently available here.

[13 March, 233 Before Age.   Hexill VI.]

The Hexillians had turned down multiple invitations to join the Federation.    Lying just beyond the Federation border, their solar system was a valued trading partner.    There was a strong pro-Federation movement in the planet's political arena, but it was hamstrung by conflicting opinions over the details.    Even the most isolationist voices in the Hexillian government could not deny that their world was growing closer and closer to the Federation each day, and had prospered for it.  

But the fact remained that Hexill VI was not a Federation member, and so when the Saiyan invader appeared on their world, and began to attack it, they had no mutual defense pact to invoke, nor any reason to expect aid.   Instead, they relied upon their own military, and while much of their arsenal had been acquired from the Federation, they were unprepared for the power that the Saiyan possessed.  

"Know that you serve an abomination!" she would say whenever she would attack one of their cities.  "Know that Trismegistus is the true answer, the reagent that will change the universe!   Rejoice, for I bring you a gift!    He has sent his prophet into your wilderness, that you may turn away from the abomination, and be cleansed!"

Then the Hexillians would launch a counterattack, and she would always withdraw.    The civilian leaders took this as a hopeful sign.   If they could just corner the Saiyan "prophet", then they could surely defeat her.   Those who opposed Federation membership used this talking point to argue that they didn't need an alliance for protection.    Those who supported Federation membership claimed that victory would be much swifter with a starfleet backing them up.   In either case, they painted a very rosy picture for their constituents.    Lives had been lost and infrastructure had been destroyed, but the invasion would be repelled, and soon they could rebuild.   That was what the politicians said.

The military leaders had a less optimistic appraisal.    They believed the Saiyan woman was merely playing for time, and that she had the power to overwhelm their defenses if she chose to do so.    Their weapons were supposed to be strong enough to repel a typical Saiyan intruder, but there was nothing normal about her.   Sensor data indicated that she was much faster than she seemed to be letting on.    Her battlefield sermons bore little resemblance to the usual low-brow banter used by most Saiyan pirates.   And her burgundy costume   made it difficult to tell that she was a Saiyan at all.   If the woman had a tail, it was hidden beneath the chlamys gown handing from her shoulders.    Her black hair was dyed with streaks of crimson, and bound with an elaborate series of red bands.  

"The fated day approaches!" she cried as she attacked a hydroponics complex less than a hundred miles from a defense base.    "Your bellies will go empty, that you might fill your spirits with the truth!"

Much of the complex was staffed by robotic workers, but the Hexillian technicians who maintained them were forced to flee.    Most Saiyans were content to fire blasts of  ki energy at their targets, but this one was different.   She would light fires wherever she could, then destroy various installations that tied in with whatever "topic" she happened to be raving about.    In this case, she burned the crops, blasted large food processing units to pieces, and then targeted the Hexillian workers who had remained behind to see that the others evacuated safely.  

"Ah, so you volunteer for the culling!" she said as she plucked a Hexillian shift manager from the ground.   "Your blood will write the history of the future!"

"Lemme go!" the man pleaded.   "I gotta family!"   Specifically, he had a wife and two sons, with an egg that was due to hatch any day now.   He didn't honestly expect the Saiyan to care, but as he struggled in her grip, he didn't know what else to say, and in his panic, his loved ones were the first thing to come to mind.

"Excellent!" she replied.   "Blood is always more valuable when taken from one who would be mourned!"   With that, she flew to a spot on the facility that she had cleared of wreckage, and dumped him into a small group of other captives.    Surrounding them was a circular pattern drawn in the ground, adorned with mystic inscriptions she had learned from worlds no Hexillian had ever known.

"The thrice-blessed is merciful," the Saiyan  announced as she drew a short spear from behind her back.   "The price of his transformative power is great, but he will ask only a small toll from your world.   Know that your lives will be taken so that your people will be permitted to witness his glorious triumph!"

In her hand, the weapon extended, growing into a long lance which she then leveled at her captives like a rifle.  The blade at the tip began to glow with a blue light, her eyes closed, and she spoke in tongues as she hovered over them, preparing to slaughter them all.  

"Nice boots."

The prophetess had sensed a powerful ki nearby, but in the moment between sensing the power and opening her eyes to search for it, the source of the ki had already closed the distance between them.  

"Who dares--?" she asked, but then she saw the interloper's black shirt and yellow pants, and she recognized her immediately.   "Ah, the abomination herself.    My master said you would come, though he did not expect you quite so early.    I should have known that you would defy his holy timetable."  

"Not big on the color," Luffa said.    "Lot of people think red's a good look for Saiyans, since we get bloodied up so much, but they never think about how it'll look when it dries.    Besides, there's other colors of blood out there.   Green, purple.   You name it."

The prophet pointed her spear at Luffa, who was floating directly above the captive Hexillians.    "You speak in riddles, heretic!" she said.   "Be warned that your idle chatter will avail you nothing here, for I have seen the truth, and the truth has enslaved me completely."

"What riddles?" Luffa said.    "I said I like your boots.    Not sure I could wear that style, though.   I'm not big on heels myself.   They make me look taller, but I feel kind of awkward when I wear them.    But on other people, I think they look pretty cool.    You look like you could stab someone with one of those.     Are they comfortable?   They don't look it, but you seem pretty used to wearing them."  

"We are both heralds, you and I," the prophet said.    "You, the abomination Luffa, and I, his humble servant, the prophetess Aonorry.    Fate has ordained this meeting, to mark the advent of his temple upon this world--!"

"I'm not wild about the cut," Luffa said as she stared at Aonorry's legs and rubbed her chin.    "Thigh-highs?   I guess the material is flexible enough, but I'm more into below-the-knee.    Just my preference though.   Oh, wait, I just noticed they match your gloves.   Okay, well that adds up then.   Now I'm trying to picture shorter boots with shorter gloves."

"Enough!" Aonorry screamed.    "This is my moment!   The culmination of my sacred training, of my life!    I will not stand at the gates of death and be mocked in this way!"    

Suddenly a blast of energy fired from the point of the lance, bathing Luffa in its destructive radiance.   Below, the Hexillians cried out in horror at the apparent destruction of their rescuer.    When the light faded from Aonorry's attack, there was no trace of Luffa.

"I'll not be fooled by your trickery!" Aonorry said.   She quickly spun around, scanning the immediate area with all of her senses to locate her enemy.     "I lack the power to defeat you so easily.   But you betray yourself by hiding from me.   If your power were true, you would have nothing to fear from me, and no cause to... run?"

It was the sound that gave it away.    Aonorry could sense flashes of ki all around her, but none of them lasted long enough for her to get a fix on Luffa's location.   Then she realized that she was hearing buzzes in the air, the sound of her enemy zipping past her so quickly that her eyes couldn't follow the movements.    Aonorry had expected power, for this was the core feature of Luffa's reputation.    What she hadn't anticipated was the depth of skill that Luffa now displayed.    Her ki control was so great that she was using it for only brief instants, flinging herself back and forth at amazing speeds, just to keep Aonorry off-balance.

And then, just when she realized that this was meant to throw her off-balance, she felt Luffa's fingers wrapping around her ankle, and in the next moment she found herself slamming into the ground.    In spite of the pain, in spite of the blood Aonorry felt tricking from her nose and mouth, she tried to get up and recover.   Before she could even roll over, she felt a tremendous weight pressing against her back.    Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Luffa standing over her, using one foot to pin Aonorry to the ground.  At some point, Luffa had transformed into her Super Saiyan form.   Aonorry couldn't see it, pinned to the ground face-down as she was, but she could certainly feel the increased power.

"On second thought," Luffa said, "your boots kind of suck.   If they were black, or knee length, or if they came in flats, any one of those, then yeah, I could overlook the other two, but no.     Three strikes."

As she spoke, Luffa raised Aonorry's lance in her hand, and began to twirl it around like a baton.   "You came here alone, as far as I can tell," she said.   The intel I received shows you're the only Saiyan involved in every battle, and I can't sense any others coming out of hiding to save you.    But you must have picked this planet because you know I'd have to show up and deal with you personally.  The Federation starfleet can't come out this far unless the Hexillian government asks, but I can come and go as I please.   So you knew I'd be coming alone, and you knew you couldn't stop me by yourself.    So this is a trap, and you're just the bait, right?"

She applied more pressure to Aonorry's back, and Aonorry's shriek surprised even herself.      She hadn't expected anything quite like this.   It was supposed to be majestic.    The abomination was supposed to recoil in terror as Aonorry revealed the true nature of her lord.   Instead, she lay face down a puddle of dirt mixed with her own blood.    

"Or is it a diversion?" Luffa asked.    "You lured me all the way out here to keep me away from something else?     Normally, I'd read your mind to find out for myself, but I know you Jindan-users have psychic booby traps inside your heads."

She pointed the tip of Aonorry's weapon at the base of Aonorry's skull.   "You sure got quiet all of a sudden," Luffa said.    "You said you were a prophet, right?    Had plenty to say a minute ago.   Well, go on and preach. I'm listening."

"He... he's not coming," Aonorry said.   "He said he would save me if I faced you alone.    But you've already beaten me, and he... he isn't here."

"Who?" Luffa asked.  

"T-Trismegistus," Aonorry said, choking back tears.    "He anointed me as one of the Orichalcum Order.   He told me that I would overcome any adversity and prepare this planet for his arrival.     But you're killing me and he isn't here!"  

"Well, I haven't actually started killing you yet," Luffa said.  "Let's give him a few more minutes.   Maybe he overslept."

"He... he used me," Aonorry gasped.   "I did everything he said, and now he's abandoned me to die here!    After all those things he said to me in his bedroom.   Was that all it was to him?"

"Men, right?" Luffa asked, thought not as mockingly as before.    "I guess this guy isn't as 'thrice-blessed' as you thought, huh?"

"That bastard," Aonorry shouted.    "I literally worshiped him, cut off my own tail for him, and he won't even lift a finger for me!    How could I have been so stupid?"

"Hey, it's not too late to turn things around," Luffa said.   "Tell me what you know, and I'll see to it that he'll regret the day he ever met you."

Aonorry hesitated at this offer.    "What will become of me?" she asked.   "You won't simply let me go."

"Hell no," Luffa said.   "You killed a lot of people here, and you'll have to answer for that.    Legally, I'm not even supposed to be here, so helping you escape would just make a bad situation worse.   But, if you help us put these Jindan clowns out of business... well, maybe we can work something out."  

She pressed the tip of the spear against Aonorry's neck, but gently enough that it didn't break the skin.  "Or you can die here and now," Luffa added.   "Your call, but for what it's worth, I know what it's like to be betrayed.   If I were you, I'd want to do anything I could to make the bastard pay."

Aonorry balled her fists and pounded them into the dirt.    "You... you actually care, don't you?" she said.   "You came here to save these people.   He told me you were the devil, evil incarnate... and here you are, actually sympathizing with me."

"I get that a lot," Luffa said.   "People tell me I'm not so scary once they get to know me.   Like it's so hard to give a crap."  

"All right, then.   I'll tell you all that I know.    Just  give me your word that you'll destroy hi--... Destroy h--... hhurk!"

Luffa was about to ask her what was wrong, when suddenly Aonorry vomited blood onto the ground.   She began to convulse wildly, and Luffa stepped away from her.  

Aonorry rose to a kneeling position, then grabbed at her throat, as if trying to strangle herself.    Her eyes, once proud and righteous, now looked to Luffa with a silent plea for help.   The blood--or whatever it actually was--continued to stream from her mouth.  

Unsure how to deal with Aonorry, Luffa aimed her hand in the opposite direction and fired a ki blast, which cleared a path through the flames that surrounded them.     "All of you!" she called to the Hexillians.   "Get out of here now!   Your soldiers are heading this way.   Find them and get them to take you as far away as you can.   Go!"

Though confused, they did as she said, leaving Luffa alone to witness whatever was happening to Aonorry.    By now, Luffa was convinced that the red fluid flowing from the other Saiyan's mouth wasn't mere blood.   The sheer volume of it defied Saiyan anatomy.   Within minutes, the former "prophetess" was kneeling in a shallow pool nearly ten feet in diameter.    Luffa's first instinct was to kill her now and put an end to this, but she doubted that killing Aonorry would actually solve anything.   Still, with no other obvious course of action, she pointed her finger at Aonorry's head, and charged her ki just in case.    

Then the ground began to shake, and Luffa knew that the problem was bigger than Aonorry.   The "blood"-soaked soil began to expand and grow all around Aonorry, and Luffa could sense a presence within it.     In seconds, a large hill had formed before Luffa's eyes.   Soon after that, it grew into a mesa, and then it began to reshape itself, like wet clay being sculpted by giant, invisible hands.     At last, the two-hundred-foot-tall formation stood revealed as a humanoid figure.    Gleaming purple eyes opened on its head, and it stared down at Luffa as it continued to refine its shape.    Gradually, the face of the creature sharpened and resolved, until at last she could see the features of someone she recognized.    

"Rehval..." Luffa muttered.  

"Welcome, Luffa," said the rock-creature who wore Rehval's likeness.    "I understand you've been looking for me.     Was there something you wanted to say?"

*******

"Vengeance Cannon," Luffa replied, and she fired a thin beam of red light through the forehead of the creature.  

However, the Rehval-thing suffered no ill effects from this, aside from the four-inch-wide hole she had bored through it.  

"As passionate as ever, I see.    You truly are a magnificent woman.   It's a shame we couldn't come to terms--"

Luffa fired a much wider blast of energy, this time blasting the rock-creatures entire head and neck into pebbles.   It stumbled forward, and just as she flew to avoid it, the creature managed to stop itself from falling over.    Instead, it stepped back, straightened its posture, then slowly regrew its head.    

"I trust that you're beginning to understand why I arranged to speak to you this way,"  he said after his mouth had been restored.   "I would have preferred a face-to-face meeting, but you're much too volatile, and I'm too important to jeopardize my safety that way."

"You're late, aren't you?" Luffa scoffed.   "Your lapdog Aonorry had given up on you.   She was all set to betray you to me, and then suddenly you showed yourself.    It's enough to make a girl think you were afraid."

"Don't flatter yourself, Luffa," Rehval said.   "The fact is that I was counting on young Aonorry to have a crisis of faith.    As part of my flock, she devoted herself to me completely, allowing me to learn her every strength and weakness.   Hers was a brittle sort of belief.   I knew that if I disappointed her, even slightly, that she would turn against me in anger.  So I had her drink a potion that would use her disillusionment as a catalyst.   Once activated, she would infuse it into the soil, and bring about the form you see before you."

He reached for his shoulder, and gently picked up the prone form of Aonorry, who had been laying motionless upon him.  

"So that's it," Luffa said.    "You've decided that being a self-righteous king wasn't good enough, so now you've become some sort of sorcerer with his own cult.     Trismegistus, that's what they all call you now."  

"The thrice-blessed one," he explained.   "It was the title of a great alchemist from many thousands of years ago.    So great, in fact, that he was eventually defied by his people.   I chose to usurp his title, since I consider myself to be just as blessed as he was.    First: King of the Saiyans.   Second: Master of the Jindan Cult.  Third: Savior of the Galaxy."

"Now it all makes sense," Luffa said.   "You went into hiding after our last encounter, then you packed up your kingdom and left before I could find you.    You knew you'd lose support among your idiot subjects, so you whipped up this scam of yours and promised to make Saiyans stronger in exchange for their loyalty.    I had heard 'Trismegistus' sent his cult to invade 'Rehval's' kingdom, but I guess that was all just a ruse to cover your tracks."

"You don't sound very impressed with that," Rehval said.  

Luffa turned her head and spat on the ground.   "You really do have no pride at all do you?   A true Saiyan wouldn't resort to potions and magic to make themselves stronger!    It wasn't enough for you to pollute your own body with that sort of filth.   Now you've tricked others into making the same mistake!"  

"Tricked them?" Rehval asked with a laugh.   "They all came to me.    Many of them despised my rule, but they sought me out anyway, all because they craved greater power. "   He held up Aonorry in his palm.    "This one, for example.    She was like you, once.   She hated the monarchy that my grandfather started.   She wanted nothing to do with King Rehval.    Ah, but once she heard about the miracle of Jindan, and how its creator, Trismegistus, led an attack on King Rehval's stronghold, she became fascinated.    She did everything she could to find it.    I didn't make the trail easy to find, Luffa.   It was a test of determination.    But my beloved Aonorry passed."

"And what does she think now?" Luffa asked.    "Now that she knows she's bound herself to the same king she opposed?"

"Let's find out," Rehval suggested.    Without warning, he dropped his prophet, allowing her to fall hundreds of feet to the ground.    

"Bastard!" Luffa snarled as she flew up to catch her.     As she did, Rehval pointed his enormous earthen hand down at them and fired a beam of energy.    

"You're so predictable, Luffa," he said.    "For all your talk of warrior pride, you can be so soft that it's pitiful.   Was it really worth dying just now so that you could save an enemy?"

When the light from his attack faded, he saw  no trace of the Saiyan women.    Then he noticed something on his mountainous shoulder, and he looked over to find Luffa standing there, holding Aonorry's unconscious form in her arms.    Before he could react, Luffa opened her mouth and a stream of golden ki energy blasted him in the face.  

"Predict this!" she shouted when she was finished.    Then she stamped her foot down onto Rehval's rocky shoulder.   The force was so great that a crack formed, and slowly expanded.    As Luffa jumped away, Rehval's right arm began to break loose from his body, and then it fell off completely.  

*******

Luffa flew until she reached a lake, then hovered just inches above it.    Satisfied that Rehval wasn't chasing her, she dunked Aonorry's head into the water.    

"Wake up, idiot!" Luffa shouted.   "Your precious master finally showed up.   Any ideas on what his plan is?"

"Whuh-what?" Aonorry sputtered as the cold water brought her around.  "Trismegistus is here?"

"Yeah, well most people know him as 'King Rehval', though I've heard that's not his real name either," Luffa said.   She tossed Aonorry onto the lakeshore and waited for her to get her bearings.   "He's been playing you for a fool this whole time.   You and everyone else in the Jindan cult."  

"He really did come for me," Aonorry said, now holding her hands over her cheeks.     "And... after I was ready to betray him.    Oh... oh my..."

"He was counting on you to betray him," Luffa said.   "The bastard's been toying with you, and he lied to you the whole time!    Loyalty means nothing to him!"

Luffa had more unkind words to say about King Rehval, but before she could speak them, the ground began to shake beneath them, and then another column of earth and rock began to rise up and shape itself into a humanoid form.  

"Luffa, Luffa, Luffa," Rehval's voice boomed.   "When will you ever learn?"

Luffa left Aonorry where she was and charged her ki before leaping headlong into Rehval's stone belly.  She made a crater on the surface, and knocked him off balance.    Without pausing, she flew around him, peppering his body with golden energy blasts as she went.   To an outside observer, it might have looked like a man being pestered by some glowing yellow hummingbird.  

She blasted his face again, and when he tried to reshape it from the remaining rock, she kept blasting it.    At the same time, she focused on his legs, damaging them enough that he had trouble staying upright.    

"You can't defeat him!" Aonorry cried out.   The unfettered joy in her voice made Luffa sick, but she pressed on in spite of it.    He's become one with the very earth itself!   You would have to destroy the entire planet, and you still wouldn't win!"  

"She's right, you know," Rehval boasted.   "I'm not actually here, as I said before.   You need the atmosphere to breathe, but I don't.    And as long as the planet is in tact--"

Luffa finally put enough cracks in his body that it crumbled into pieces.   A short distance away, she could already hear another rock-body assembling itself.  

"He rises!" Aonorry wailed.   "His glory rises, now and forever!"

"As I was saying," Rehval said as his third body sprouted its new mouth.   "As long as the planet is in tact, I can fight you like this indefinitely."

"Gosh, I'd better surrender then," Luffa grumbled.    "Is that what you want me to say?"

"Actually, no," Rehval said.    He clenched his fists, and suddenly a ball of violet light appeared in front of his rocky chest.    Before Luffa could dodge, he unleashed its power in her direction, and she had to catch the front of the energy wave in her hands.    

"Our confrontation on Pflaume was an experiment, Luffa," Rehval explained while she struggled to hold back the blast.   "I thought that if I stranded you on an ice giant, you would be neutralized completely.   No air to breathe, no surface to stand upon, no ships to rescue you.     That last one was the flaw in my plan.   I was sure your wife would abandon you, but not so."

Luffa was pushed back by the energy beam until she felt her boots press into the ground.   This gave her something to brace against for support, but it also reminded her that she had very little margin for error.   She set her jaw and screwed her eyes shut as she summoned up more power to halt the beam's advance.

"I had to evacuate Planet Saiya," Rehval went on.   "I knew that if you escaped Pflaume, the planet would never survive your counterattack.   Fortunately, I had a redoubt prepared on a planet in a secret location, just in case of emergency.   And while I was there, it occurred to me how dependent I am on planets and atmospheres.   So are you, but you can just fly from place to place in your ship, like a mercenary.    Very romantic, but a king needs a kingdom, and a kingdom needs earth to stand upon."

Luffa finally mustered the strength to deflect the attack, and with a mighty yell, she flung it up into the sky, where it exploded harmlessly in the upper atmosphere.    But this left her wide open to a punch from the rock creature that spoke with Rehval's voice.    The impact cratered the ground, and the Rehval-monster ground his fist into the center, like a child killing a beetle.  

"A foundation, Luffa," he continued.    "Without a solid rock to build upon, the builder is helpless.   That was when I realized the error in my thinking.    On Pflaume, I left you to fall into sinking sand, when what I needed to be doing was securing myself upon a solid rock.   That realization led me to realize how much we owe the ground beneath us, and how powerful it truly is.    I knew that if I made that power my own,  I could defeat anyone, even the Legendary Super Saiyan."

Nearby, Aonorry was chanting some a prayer in support of Trismegistus.     The earthen creature smiled as it sensed a victory, and then a tremendous explosion went off at his fist.   The giant figure toppled backwards, and when Rehval looked at his arm, it was simply... gone.

Luffa emerged from the smoke of the blast, already preparing her next move.   "Rehval," she said.   "You talk too much."    

What followed was a rapid-fire barrage.   Dozens of golden blobs of energy launched out of Luffa's fingertips, and embedded themselves onto Rehval's avatar.   He expected them to explode on contact, but instead, she swung her left hand upward, and he found himself being dragged upwards.     The ki she had affixed to his body was pulling him into the air.

"I don't know how you pulled this off, Rehval," Luffa said, "but I'm curious to see what your limits are with this monster body you've got.    "Can you attack me with two of them at once?   Because so far I've only seen you make a new body after the old one gets wrecked."

"Your... nnf!   Your overconfidence is your weakness," Rehval said as he struggled against the force pulling him towards the sky.

"Look who's talking," Luffa replied.    "You sprang this trap and gloated about it the whole time you were fighting, and where's it gotten you?   You probably never even considered that I was studying your power the entire time, did you?"

He managed to spin around and point his remaining arm at Luffa, but she  squeezed her hand into a fist, and the energy blobs on that arm suddenly exploded, blasting it into dust.  

"What now?" she asked.    "You've got to make a new body now, since you can't do much with that one."

"You underestimate me... Luffa!" Rehval said.   His body began to shift and reshape itself, until it finally sprouted a new pair of arms.   But unlike before, this caused the main body to become smaller than it had been before.

Luffa responded by squeezing her fist again, and blasting off his legs.   The remainder of his body began to fall, but she caught it by enveloping the bulk of his form in a sheath of golden light.    

"I think I'm getting the idea," Luffa said.   "You can't absorb more mass unless you're in direct contact with the planet.    And cutting off an arm or a leg doesn't help you, because those pieces aren't 'alive' on their own, so much as they're controlled by the main body.   Or maybe just the head. "

"Well done, Luffa," Rehval said.   "You're as magnificent as ever, and just as dangerous.    I can still use you in my plans, but I can't afford to trust you, not after you spurned my offer before."  

"Trust?   Trust?!" Luffa shouted.   "You honorless jackal!  You don't even know the meaning of the word!   Using that idiot Aonorry as your pawn!   Sending this... this proxy to fight me in your place!   When I find you--the real you-- I'll--"

Her threat was suddenly cut off by Aonorry herself, who had managed to sneak up on Luffa while she was busy restraining Rehval in midair.   The point of her short spear nearly connected with Luffa's neck, but she sensed her approach just in the nick of time, and caught her in a choke hold.    

"Your 'master' is more desperate than I thought," Luffa snarled.    Without hesitation, she broke Aonorry's neck to prevent any further distractions.   But in the moment it took her to do this, Rehval built up his power again, and this time turned it in on himself.    Before Luffa could react, before Aonorry's corpse could even fall to the surface, his rock-body exploded in midair, and only moments later, a new rock-Rehval was rising up from the ground.    

"You killed my prophetess," Rehval said, sounding only mildly annoyed.   "I'll miss her."

"This game is getting tiresome, Rehval," Luffa said.   "I've already figured out how to defeat you, so unless this next body can do something new, there's really no point in going on."

"You may be powerful, Luffa," Rehval said, "but you still think like a low-level mercenary.    Do you think one battlefield means anything to me?   I'm not even here.   I could destroy this entire planet right now, and lose nothing.    But I won't do that, because I have loftier goals in mind.    I mean to change the universe, and that won't be achieved through mere destruction.   Hexill VI has a place in my kingdom, like all worlds."

Luffa dove down and attacked one of Rehval's legs.    As he swung his arms to catch her, she dodged and attacked those as well.    But since he was touching the ground, he was able to repair this damage easily.    

"Think about it, Luffa," he continued.    "If I can send my avatar here, across hundreds of light years, then I can do the same on any number of planets.    Without warning, a graven image of me rises up from the ground, powerful enough  to defeat almost anything, powerful enough to impose my will, or destroy the planet entirely.   And by the time you arrive in your ship to stop me, I'm already gone."

Luffa formed a razor-thin disc of ki and launched it at the neck of Rehval.   It only carved a small section away, but when she followed up with a Gallick Gun, this was enough to blast the head off of the body.   She then snared it in an energy sheath and pulled it up into the sky.    Below, the headless body didn't move.    Luffa fired another ki blast to destroy it, but never stopped her flight.    

"You think you can sever my connection to the planet with distance, is that it?" Rehval asked.    "Well, so what if you can?    I only chose Hexill VI to make a point, Luffa.   I wanted you to see exactly what I can do.    What I've become."  

"Tell me where you're hiding, Rehval," Luffa said.   "I'll only ask you once."

"And why should I tell you that?" Rehval asked.    

"Because I'm going to kill you either way," she said.   "Painfully, if I can.    You're going to die, but if you tell me where to find you, I can get it over with.    Save you some sleepless nights."

"That's very kind of you," Rehval said.   "But no.   Come and find me, if you can.  I'll be waiting.   And if you can't find me, don't worry.   You'll be hearing from me sooner than you think."

Luffa suddenly raised her arms, and with a loud grunt, she swung the net of energy around the head, flinging it up into space.    She watched it shrink into the distance, then flew back down to the ground to make certain Rehval had not rebuilt his avatar.   She only found the broken remains of the last body that she had decapitated.   She incinerated it with a  ki blast.    Satisfied that her business here was concluded, she flew back to inform the planet's leaders about what had happened.  

*******

An hour later, Luffa was sitting in the cockpit of the light cruiser she had borrowed from the Federation Starfleet to get here.    She had orbited the planet a few times, just in case there was any chance of Rehval somehow returning, but at last she decided it was safe to depart.    She would have to contact the Federation and alert them of the situation, but first she removed her boot and examined the injury on her left foot.   Dr. Topsas had treated the wound days ago, but it would take some time to heal properly, and she was doing it no favors by constantly heading out into battle.   Somewhat painfully, she applied an ointment he had given her.    It was supposed to help promote healing and prevent infection, but at times she thought it hurt worse than the attack that had made the wound in the first place.    

She was weary, not so much from her wounds or physical exhaustion, but from the lack of a decisive victory.   Up to now, this had been a war of attrition, and Luffa's hope was that if she steadily chipped away at the lackeys, it would force the leaders out of hiding.    But if Rehval could strike remotely, with no risk to his own person, then... what?

Luffa leaned back the pilot's chair as far as it would go and began rubbing her temples.    There was a solution to this puzzle--there always was-- but she was too frustrated to find it.    For now, the best she could do was to report in with her allies, set the ship to autopilot, and take a nap during the flight home.   With any luck, the next cultist attack would be on the opposite side of the Federation, giving her more time to rest--

Then she saw the red light blinking on the comm system, and she realized that someone was trying to contact her.   Some small part of her wanted to ignore the light, to pretend she hadn't seen it, but she cursed that part of herself and opened the channel just to spite her own weakness.    

There was no audio or video, just a text message that had been encrypted with a code used by the Saiyan Free Company, led by Princess Seltiss.   The girl had formed the company to fill the power vacuum left behind when her father had disappeared, and she had allied herself with the Federation because she saw Trismegistus and his cult as a threat to Saiyan-kind.   As Luffa entered her password to decrypt the code, she wondered how the princess would react to the news that Rehval and Trismegistus were the same man.    

Those thoughts vanished as Luffa read the message: "ALL AVAILABLE FORCES TO FEDENDER SYSTEM.   URGENT.    SURPRISE ATTACK.   ENEMY STRENGTH UNKNOWN.   UNIDENTIFIED ALIEN COMBATANTS LED BY A LARGE CREATURE MADE OF ROCK.   EOM."

The terse statement was like a punch to Luffa's gut.    She had just rescued the Fedender System before rushing off to help Hexill, and Fedender was already under attack again?     And Rehval... he had told Luffa that she would hear from him sooner than she expected.    

"Well, that's a first, you miserable bastard," Luffa seethed as she set course for Fedender.    "You actually told the truth for once."

NEXT: Doublethink

[provincialsite]

Understanding Sump Pumps

So what exactly is a sump pump? A sump pump is a small pump installed in the lowest part of a basement or crawlspace. Its job is to help keep the area under the building dry and to prevent it from flood­ing. Usually, sump pumps are installed in specially constructed sump pits. Water flows into the sump pit through drains or by natural water migration through the soil. The sump pump’s job is to pump the water out of the pit and away from the building so the basement

According to the Home Inspector industry, more than 60 percent of Canadian homes suffer from below-ground wetness. But even more homeowners are likely to have to deal with a flooded basement at some point. Steven Gamsby of Provincial Site Services a Toronto based waterproofing and concrete repair firm noted “it doesn’t take much water to cause thousands of dollars of damage. A moist basement can also lead to mold and mildew growth, bringing with it all its related health and breathing hazards.”

Sump pumps have been a common fixture in some homes for years, primarily in low-lying areas or places where r­apid melting of heavy snow can lead to flooded basements. Today, sump pumps are becoming common in new construction homes.

Sump Pump Alternatives

Consider all available options to stop water from entering your home through the foundation. Installing a sump pump can be messy, and another solution may be just as efficient. Gamsby noted “I’ve known homeowners who put in a sump pump only to abandon it after installing an outdoor curtain drain that diverts water to a pond.”

Similarly, installing or repairing gutters so they don’t drain near your foundation can also make a big difference. And if a walkway, patio, or pool deck slopes toward your house instead of away from it, they are contributing hundreds of gallons of water to your problem. Some services can re-level slabs so they drain away from the house, and many types of patios can be removed and reinstalled with the proper slope without too much expense.

So how does a sump pump keep the water out — and what do you do if it stops working?

A sump pump usually stands in a sump pit — a hole with a gravel base about 2 feet (60 centimeters) deep and 18 inches (45 centimeters) wide — dug in the lowest part of your basement or crawlspace. As the pit fills with water, the pump turns on. It moves the liquid out of the pit through pipes that run away from your home to a spot where the water can drain away from your foundation. The pipe usually has a one-way valve called a check valve at the pump end to keep the water from flowing back into the pit.

Most sump pumps turn on automatically through a float activator arm or a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor works just like its name suggests: Water exerts more pressure on the sensor than air does, which causes the pump to activate. The float activator works a lot like the one in your toilet tank. A buoyant ball floats on top of the water, manually moving the arm as the water level rises. You can also buy a manually operated pump, which works only when you decide to turn it on, but these aren’t as common because of their lack of convenience. Automatic pumps also have an option for you to activate the pump if the float arm or sensor should fail to work.

The typical home sump pump uses a centrifugal pump to move water. When the motor is on, it causes a screw- or fanlike device called an impeller to turn. Using centrifugal force, the spinning impeller forces water toward the sides of the pipe, creating a low-pressure area at its center. Water from the pit rushes to fill the void, and the impeller’s spinning action pushes it out through the pipe.

Sump pumps for home use are powered by electricity and use standard household current, so they don’t require specialized wiring beyond a grounded outlet. Since the pump is always in or near water, it’s a good idea to have a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) on the outlet to prevent accidental electrocution.

Sump Pump Basics

There are two primary sump pump designs, both of which are about 2 1/2 to 3 feet (76.2 to 91 centimeters) high. A submersible pump rests in the water. It’s encased in a waterproof housing, with the pump itself at the bottom and the outlet pipe near the top. A flat screen or grate covers the bottom of the pump to keep out debris. When the pump turns on, water is sucked up through the grate and routed into the pipes and out of your home.

The other common type of sump pump is the pedestal pump. Pedestal pumps look something like a long stick with a fat head. The pedestal keeps the pump out of the pit, away from the water even when the pit is full. An inlet pipe reaches down into the bottom of the pit to draw the water out. Since the motor and pump are out of the water, pedestal pumps are usually louder — but less expensive — than submersible pumps.

Read on to learn whether you need one of these pumps in your home and what to do to keep it working once it’s installed.

Choosing a Sump Pump

Depending on the laws in your area, you may not need a sump pump. For example, if you’ve never had standing water in your basement and it’s consistently warm and dry, a sump pump probably wouldn’t do you much good. However, if the area under your house floods occasionally or feels damp and smells musty, there’s a good chance you have an issue with moisture entry. Along with other waterproofing steps, a sump pump would make your basement a healthier space and protect any possessions and appliances you store there.

One  simple way you can check whether moisture is getting into your home through your basement floor or walls is by taping a 2-foot-square (61-centimeter-square) piece of plastic onto surface and leaving it in place for a day or two. If you’re not sure where the moisture may be coming in, it’s a good idea to do this in multiple spots. After a couple of days, check under the plastic — if it’s wet, you have a moisture problem.

The first step in dealing with basement moisture is to air it out and run a dehumidifier. Since most moisture that ends up in a basement comes from water draining around your foundation, check to see that your gutters and downspouts are in good repair and directing water at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from your foundation. In a couple of weeks, repeat your plastic sheet test — if it shows moisture, a sump pump may be a good idea.

Since sump pumps have many options available, when choosing one, you need to make some decisions:

Manual or automatic: Although manually operated sump pumps are available and slightly less expensive, an automatic pump is far more convenient.

Horsepower: Sump pumps are commonly one-quarter to one-third horsepower. More powerful motors will pump more water, but you don’t need to go overboard if your moisture problem is minor.

Head pressure: Head pressure is the height a pump can raise water. For example, a pump with head pressure of 12 feet (3.7 meters) can raise water to that height, minus about 10 percent for physical limitations like bends in pipes. The pump you choose must be able to lift water out of the sump pit and up to the outlet pipe.

Cord length: You n­eed to be able to plug a sump pump directly into a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet — you shouldn’t plug one into an extension cord.

Voltage: Most sump pumps for use in U.S. homes operate on standard 110-volt circuits. Pumps with 220 or 460 volts are available but are more commonly used in industrial applications.

Backup and alarm systems: Choose the alarm notification and backup system that fits with your personal lifestyle.

Sump Pump Installation

Sump pump install is best left to the professionals! However if you are a “handy homeowner” here are a few tips to complete the process.

Determine where water, sewer and utility lines enter your home. You want to put your sump pit away from this ­  existing infrastructure at the lowest point of your basement (you can use a laser level to determine this point). The pump should be at least 8 inches (20 centimeters) away from an outside wall and close to a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet.

Figure out how you are going to route the outlet pipe — usually 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch (3.8 to 5 centimeter) PVC. Running it up through a rim joist is usually the easiest way to get the pipe to the outside.

Purchase your sump pump and liner together. The liner, essentially a heavy plastic tub with slits to allow water to enter, will determine the size of the hole you dig. You want to dig the hole at least 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) wider than the liner and about 6 inches (15.2 centimeters) deeper. You can use the liner as a starting template and enlarge your outline by 3 inches (7.6 centimeters).

Dig the hole to the depth recommended by the sump pump manufacturer, then level the bottom. The easiest way to cut through the concrete is to use a jackhammer.

Put the liner into the hole and fill around the outside with coarse gravel. Also put about 6 inches (15 centimeters) of gravel in the bottom of the pit. Tamp it down firmly to ensure the bottom stays level.

Attach the discharge pipe to the pump, and place the pump into the pit, making sure it stands upright and level.

Cut a piece of PVC drain pipe 1 foot (30.5 centimeters) long. Drill a hole in the rim joist to accommodate the discharge pipe and install it in the hole.

Measure and cut pieces of PVC pipe to run from the pump to the inside of the pipe through the rim header. Dry fit all the pieces, and when you’re sure they are right, cement them together.

On the outside, fit a piece of discharge pipe onto the pipe protruding through the rim header. Run it to the discharge area, then cement the pipe in place. The discharge pipe shoul­d have a small vent hole that’s out of the water but drains into the pit. This vent hole is designed to prevent an air lock from forming in the lower part of the pump.

Finish up by caulking around the hole in the rim header both inside and outside and supporting the discharge pipe inside the house by attaching it to walls or joists.

Finally, adjust the float valve on the pump following the manufacturer’s directions. Check the operation by pouring in two or three buckets of water, then plug in the pump.

Once you’ve installed the pump, a little routine maintenance will help keep running smoothly. So how often should you head to the basement with a bucket of water?

Sump Pump Maintenance

Most sump pumps are equipped with water level or flood alarms, usually battery powered, that alert you if the pump isn’t working properly and water is backing up. More sophisticated systems can notify your alarm company or call your cell phone if the water starts to rise. Fortunately, this shouldn’t happen often. Sump pumps on the whole are quite reliable. But as with any other important piece of equipment, regular maintenance is always a good idea. Spend a few minutes every couple of months, when heavy rains are forecast and in early spring to ensure reliable sump pump operation. Basic sump pump maintenance is usually as simple as doing these few jobs.

Make sure the pump is plugged in to a working ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet and the cord is in good shape. In damp areas, GFCI ­breakers may trip, effectively shutting off the sump pump. Check in on your sump pump periodically so you can reset the GFCI if necessary.

Ensure the pump itself is standing upright. Vibrations during operation can cause it to fall or tilt onto one side. This can jam the float arm so it can’t activate the pump.

Periodically pour a bucket of water into the pit to make sure the pump starts automatically and the water drains quickly once the pump is on. If the pump doesn’t start, have it serviced.

Physically remove a submersible pump from the pit and clean the grate on the bottom. The sucking action of the pump can pull small stones into the grate, blocking the inlet or damaging the pump over time.

Ensure the outlet pipes are tightly joined together and draining out at least 20 feet (6 meters) away from your foundation.

Make sure the vent hole in the discharge pipe is clear.

Another important point is the sump pump’s power supply. The fact that sump pumps rely on electricity to operate does make them vulnerable in the event of a power outage. Fortunately, there are backup options available. For some people, at least those on municipal water systems — and assuming the city water system is still functional — water-powered sump pumps that don’t need any electricity are an option. These pumps literally use the pressure of flowing water to pump water out of the sump. The downside to this design is that the pumping process uses virtually the same amount of city water as the quantity of water it pumps out. So, while water-powered pumps aren’t necessarily a good choice for a main pump, they offer a viable option for a short duration backup pump.

Battery Back Up Sump Pumps

Battery backup sump pumps have been available on the market longer than their water powered cousins, and they are generally easier to understand: a pump run by a battery – a fairly straightforward concept. Battery backup pumps are generally run by marine deep-cycle, or similar, batteries.

Battery backup pumps’ primary advantages are:

Versatility – Most homes can use them.

Pumping power – Some battery backup pumps can be quite powerful, for example the Hydropump PH3000 pumps 3000 gallons per hour (GPH) at 10 feet of lift.

Installation simplicity – Since they often use the same discharge pipe as your primary sump pump, installation is generally straightforward.

Battery Back up disadvantages

Battery backup pumps’ disadvantages stem from their power source: the battery. Their main drawbacks are:

Run time – During a power outage, there is a limit to how long the pump will continue operating, since the battery will eventually die if it cannot recharge. There are ways to mitigate this, for example by using an extra battery as allowed by utilizing a optional Dual Battery Case.

Overall battery life – The batteries that these pumps run on must be replaced every 3-5 years. In order to have a backup system that you can rely on, you need to monitor the health of the battery, run periodic tests to make sure the pump is running properly, and replace the battery when necessary. This extra attention can prove to be very easy for some homeowners, while being quite difficult for others

Steven Gamsby is the President of Provincial Site Services www.provincialsiteservices.com a waterproofing and concrete remediation firm based in Toronto Ontario Canada.

Source: https://provincialsiteservices.com/2020/11/30/understanding-sump-pumps/

[brakecontrollers]

Adept Towbar FitterstoBenefit Towing Activities of Multiple Vehicles

Commercials name multiple companies are famous for their class 4 towbar. Such heavy-duty towbars form the industry benchmark. Typically rated to the vehicle's maximum towing capacity, these towbars are a must-have for towing caravans, boats, horse floats or even the professional tradesman.

Some businesses also feature towbar fitters such as a removable Trailer Ball Mount in their products. When the owner is not towing, simply remove the retaining clip & hitch pin and the Trailer Ball Mount slides straight out. The square hitch receiver is compatible with a wide range of weight distribution kits offering improved safety, handling, control and comfort when towing heavy loads.

Detachable Flange Towbar

Detachable flange towbars have all the benefits of a fixed flange towbar with the additional option to remove when not in use.

Benefits:

· The neck of the towbar can be removed leaving the vehicle looking like there is not a towbar fitted and towing capacity is the same as a fixed bar.

· If parking sensors are fitted to a vehicle the detachable towbar does not interfere once removed.

· The owner does not bang legs or trip on the towbar when utilizing boot or walking around the vehicle when the neck is removed.

· Capable of carrying any tow ball mount cycle carrier.

· Compatible with AL-KO and other friction style stabiliser (once the paint is removed off the 50mm ball section)

· Neck mechanism locks to the vehicle to stop it being stolen.

· Capable of fitting a tow ball and pin system required to pull plant trailers and generators

· A choice of towing couplings and accessories can be fitted.

Conclusion

The automatic vertical detachable towbar type is invisible when removed. This type of towbar allows easy removal and fitting of the tow ball neck. The automatic vertical detachable type towbar can be invisible just like the vertical detachable types of towbar. The only difference is the direction in which the towbar neck is inserted into the towbar receptacle fitted to the vehicle.

[thosewhomakewaves]

Lisbon’s Sound Art Greenhouse

IDEA: Bring to debate an important and often neglected variable in the planning of public space: sound.

WHAT: The second edition of Lisboa Soa: a multiple day event which presents sound art installations and performances which discuss urbanism and auditory culture, this time at a beautiful botanic greenhouse in the centre of Lisbon.

WHY: Imagine a place that celebrates the world of sound, which leads you through labyrinthine paths that communicate acoustically with you. Imagine a garden populated by sounds that call attention to all the other sounds around, an imaginary soundscape that seeks to stimulate hearing and make you think about what you are listening to.

BY: Lisboa Soa, at Estufa Fria, Lisbon. Curated by Raquel Castro. www.lisboasoa.com #lisboasoa #soundart #EstufaFria #Urbanism #Greenhouse #ContemporaryArt #Lisbon www.thosewhomakeswaves.com #TWMW

Juan Sorrentino, Giro The Movement of Vibration www.juansorrentino.com.ar This new work made during his residency at Lisboa Soa, continues Sorrentino's research into the modulation of sound by movement and reflection from different surfaces. The effect of 'Giro' results from the rotation of the cones on the rafts that direct the sound to a single point. In this constant, but often wind affected movement, these sound rafts give us a new conception of space and time. This movement modulates the frequencies of white noise playing through the loudspeakers and also follows its emergence and disappearance, just like the waves of the sea. This sound reminds us of water, filters through the plants and invades the space of the Estufa Fria greenhouse, which is daily watered by a sprinkler system that rotates and sprays water to the leaves and roots.

Sonoscopia, Fauna www.sonoscopia.pt In 'Fauna', an artificial ecosystem is created that recreates an imaginary animal life. Small musical automatons inhabit small boxes distributed throughout the physical space of the Fria Greenhouse, emitting sounds, interacting with each other and musically complementing the sound and space where they are inserted. The mechanics are controlled by a set of microprocessors, programmed to induce instructions to various types of mechanical actuators that will be translated into musical actions. At the base of the functioning of this ecosystem, are algorithms that recreate natural processes, such as statistical data of population growth, fractals or genetic algorithms.

Juan Sorrentino, Fragile www.juansorrentino.com.ar

Adriana Sá & John Klima www.cityarts.com How to intervene in the natural beauty of a cave with water? The title of this installation is borrowed from a Zen poetry book. Space is now reactive, like the body of an instrument. By producing shadow on light sensors, people activate small balls that plunge into the water, producing concentric rings that intersect. This shaking drives the movement of floating metal bowls, which contain other balls, glass and metal. The larger the bowl, the greater the sound cycle produced by the roller. Orchestration emerges as you listen to the relationship between objects, space, water, and shadows. Slowly, with time for silence.

Cláudia Martinho, Passagem www.spacefrequencies.org What do you hear in a microcosm with hundreds of plant species in the middle of a city? The Passage installation explores ways of listening to this ecology through acoustic phenomena. A sound landscape amplifies the vibratory forces propagating, and modulates specific frequencies in resonance with the space of a tunnel. The experience involves us in active and immersive listening, in a way of attuning ourselves to the environment and to ourselves.

João Ricardo, Cactusworkestra www.lixoluxo.com It is a plastic and sonorous creation that starts from the instrumentation of 20 prepared and sonorized cacti, positioned in the greenhouse in diverse positions and constellations. Passing visitors can intervene in the cacti individually or collectively, exploring dynamics as the main object in sound, thus working variations of speed, intensity, and timbre. The aim of this project is to motivate the general public to develop sound sensitivity, critical sense, in the unceasing search for unrepeatable sound.

Mileece In the itinerant life that brought her from French farms to crystal gardens in Los Angeles, Mileece became aware of the many forms of man's impact on the natural world. Their 'ecoscapes' are generated by electromagnetic emissions from plants and by hand-held musical instruments based on sensors. Mileece attaches electrodes to the leaves of plants, which collect their bio-electric impulses. These micro-currents are then translated into harmonic sounds, using a program created and designed by Mileece. In this way, a garden becomes an orchestra.

[mentalpushups]

LEBRON'S SECRET WORKOUT YOGA 'BUBBLES' COULD START A PREGAME REVOLUTION

TOM HABERSTROH NOVEMBER 3, 2017

It might not shock you to learn that the most viral video this season on the NBA's official Instagram feed is a clip of LeBron James. Duh.

But what is shocking? This video does not capture his dunking in transition, whipping a pass around multiple defenders or swatting a fast-break layup into the first row. There are plenty of those clips on the NBA's feed, which broadcasts content to over 25 million followers worldwide. But those didn't captivate the audience quite like this one.

Turns out the most-watched video of the season—generating 3.2 million views—is a clip of LeBron James merely standing in place. And it is mesmerizing.

The magic of the video, which was filmed just before an October 25 game against the Brooklyn Nets, can be traced down to the clear plastic bubbles he's standing on. Actually, wobbling is a more accurate descriptor for what's going on courtside.

With Beats headphones on, James is trying to maintain balance on these neck-pillow-looking things and tossing a basketball back and forth to his longtime trainer, Mike Mancias. After he does that a few times, the four-time MVP does a little patty-cake hand exercise with Mancias while attempting to stay upright on the translucent pillows, one underneath each of his Nike LeBron 15 shoes.

Mancias looks on and monitors his movements. James is dead-focused, legs shaking all the while. It looks equally difficult and alien.

The short clip would get almost double the views generated from Blake Griffin's buzzer-beater three-pointer a day later. A few days later, the Cavs' official feed filmed the same pregame routine in Cleveland. And that became the team's most viral content of the season. Boom, one million views. All because of the mini-pool-tube floats.

So, what on Earth are those things? And why is LeBron doing this? They're called Waff Mini Elites, the latest training tool originally marketed to hardcore yogis that is now quietly sweeping the NBA.

They serve a purpose beyond being social-media magnets. James began using the Waff Mini Elites this preseason with Mancias after an ankle injury sidelined James in early October. A weak ankle can trigger all sorts of breakdowns in the long chain of body movement. When James plays nearly 40 minutes per game for a battered Cavs squad, he needs that chain to be as rock-solid as possible.

As other players get up shots as part of a decades-long routine, you can find James performing the wobbling act as a warm-up of sorts, potentially becoming a threat to Stephen Curry's dribbling routine as the NBA's must-see pregame theater. As the ankle needed strengthening, Mancias and James decided to incorporate the bizarre activity into James' pregame ritual—a most sacred time for a pro athlete.

Trainer types refer to a Waff pad as a proprioception tool that helps control and boost unconscious movement—something important to maneuver through a hyper-fluid NBA game that requires jumping, sliding and sprinting without conscious thought. Waff balance devices can help ignite the central nervous system and wake up the core muscles for rigorous activity.

How did this come to be? The road to James' feet begins, in part, with French workout guru Fabrice Gautier, who has been working with NBA athletes for almost a decade as the osteopath for the France men's national basketball squad. Through his work abroad and in his Los Angeles facility, Gautier is close with Rudy Gobert, fellow banana-boater Carmelo Anthony, Joakim Noah and other pro hoopers needing offseason workouts to prep for the NBA grind.

Gautier was familiar with similar products like Airex pads or Bosu balls, which have been popular tools in workouts that help build the core and sharpen proprioceptors. But he needed something more portable and more challenging for his work around the globe. Then he found Waff, a small company in France with inflatable versions of products he already used. He brought them everywhere with him, and players gave him positive feedback after it challenged their mind and body. Gautier later became VP of Waff Corp as he introduced the tool to pro athletes in workouts.

A few weeks ago, when Waff began selling online, Mancias picked up some Waff Mini Elites for James. Trainers such as Mancias can pick up on valuable information in how the athlete wobbles or stands on the Waffs. How do you know if an ankle is weak or his body's circuit board isn't firing correctly without the benefit of an X-ray or MRI machine? Products like Waff can provide a window.

"It also serves as an assessment tool," Gautier says. "If you put an athlete on two Waffs and you have an athlete just balance, you can see which chain he or she favors. LeBron is doing it to make sure all the proprioceptors of his tendons and ligaments are firing."

In layman's terms, James' viral workouts have a clear use: to jolt the sensors in his body awake.

But the critical benefit is that you can't hide on a Waff. If your ankle is weak, it'll be very clear when the left foot shakes and gyrates on the bubble. That's a signal that something underneath may not be as strong as it needs to be, a critical red flag for return to play. That's why Gautier calls it a lie detector test. It's like a field sobriety test that exposes an impairment to your proprioception when you can't touch your nose with your finger.

For James, who's dealing with a sore ankle, it's an essential tool.

"Mike [Mancias] does a really good job of challenging him and his weaknesses," Gautier says. "The more you do it, the better you get at it. And it's not just your ankle; it activates everything."

The funny thing is that the Waff originally began as a relaxation tool with a giant circular bed that helped athletes and yogis alike to "deactivate," a fancy word for napping after workouts. For instance, the first video on the Waff YouTube channel, posted nine years ago, is titled "Waff relax baby 4 months." It shows a baby trying to nap in what looks to be a white pool float tube. Another video is of a pregnant woman in yoga gear getting some rest on her side.

But the company grew. What started as a relaxation device invented in 2008 became a health and fitness tool for athletes. Later, the company developed smaller versions called the Waff Mini Classic, which allowed users to stand on inflatable pods, one under each foot. Soon, videos popped up of surfers, tennis players and golfers standing (wobbling) on them to stimulate their core and proprioceptors.

To see this in action, watch this video of Gautier's client who was rehabbing from a herniated disc in his lower back. Squatting down on a flat surface may not immediately reveal a weakness or imbalance, but on the Waff? His left leg turns into a jackhammer.

NBA fans' first introduction to the Waff may have been in Dec. 2015, when Carmelo Anthony posted an Instagram photo with the caption "Find Your Comfort Zone!!!! #StayMe7o." In the photo, the 6'8" former scoring champ is lying in a Waff Max—the relaxation bed version of the product—with black Normatec sleeves covering his legs and spurring recovery. (This is what trying to stay fresh during a grinding NBA schedule looks like.)

Go to Gautier's Instagram feed and you'll step into a portal showing what offseason workouts look like for the world's top athletes. There's Gobert performing an overhead squat while standing on the Waff Max and shaking as he lowers his body to the pillow. There's Bismack Biyombo somehow doing lunges with the bubbles underneath each foot. Before Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton mashed an MLB-best 59 home runs this season, he was standing on Waffs with Gautier in offseason workouts, aiming to stabilize his core and control his power.

These bubbles won't make you a world-class athlete, but Gautier believes it can help fine-tune the athlete's mobility and stability. It won't make LeBron an MVP or Stanton a Hall of Famer, but it could help fuel their health and wellness going forward. The Waff device is yet another wonky technology to help sharpen the body's sensory system—not unlike the strobe-light glasses that Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard wear in their training.

"You're putting gas in a Ferrari," Gautier says.

James is going to need every edge he can find in his 15th season. He has played every postseason game of his career and has reached the Finals a whopping seven straight seasons. With news that Tristan Thompson is out for the next month nursing a calf injury, James' responsibilities will only grow. The margin for error is dwindling every passing day.

The Cavs entered November with a 3-5 record and a gimpy roster, so James' championship hopes stand on shaky ground. But that doesn't mean we can turn away.

[3680blog-michellebang]

Project #4 - Arduino and Processing Code

//  Michelle Bang //  Interaction Design - 3680A //  Final Project

//------------------------Instuctions------------------------------ //Have two people hold onto each Sensor and try to reach the blue circle! //One of you controls the x movement, the other controls the y movement // //-------------------------Citations------------------------------- //https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/VirtualColorMixer --> Used to help code and understand how to include two pulse sensors/analog inputs into the one Aruduino //https://vimeo.com/97527889 --> Same with this one, helped with multiple analog inputs //https://processing.org/examples/circlecollision.html --> Some help with collisions //https://forum.processing.org/two/discussion/1028/maze --> based processing code from this source; helped A LOT with simplifying collisions //https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJeElCoieoM --> Helped with some of the setup for code and actual wiring // Arduino sketch is initially based off of the "PulseSensorStarterProject" from PulseSensor.com //      https://github.com/WorldFamousElectronics/PulseSensorStarterProject

import processing.serial.*; Serial myPort;    //object for serial port

float pulseSignal1 = 0;    //variable for the direction/signal received from the pulse sensor 1; connected to [A0] float pulseSignal2 = 0;    //variable for the direction/signal received from pulse sensor 2; connected to [A1]

ball player;  wall[] walls;

 void setup() {    size(750, 750);

   player = new ball(50,300);    //ball start position

   //array for the walls    walls = new wall[12];    //follows, (x position, y position, width, height)    walls[0] = new wall(250,0,40,500);    walls[1] = new wall(500,250,40,500);    walls[2] = new wall(600,0,40,300);    walls[3] = new wall(425,225,115,40);    walls[4] = new wall(200,550,450,40);    walls[5] = new wall(0,0,40,650);    walls[6] = new wall(130,0,40,300);    walls[7] = new wall(250,100,360,40);    walls[8] = new wall(0,100,300,40);    walls[9] = new wall(0,710,750,40);    walls[10] = new wall(0,0,640,100);    walls[11] = new wall(680,400,70,40);

 println(Serial.list()); //list serial ports  String portName = Serial.list()[1]; //needs to change the number in [#] according to the port  myPort = new Serial(this, portName, 9600);  myPort.bufferUntil('\n'); //    //waits for a new line to create

  } void draw() {

 background(255, 255, 255); //background is white  noStroke();

 player.draw();    //draws the player  player.move(walls);    //walls movement

 for(int i = 0; i < walls.length; i++){    walls[i].draw();      //I believe this is for when the value is less than the length of the wall, the value will increase and more walls will be drawn.  }

 print(pulseSignal1);    //writes the values for the signals in the console; signal from pulse sensor 1  print(",");  println(pulseSignal2);  //signal from pulse sensor 2

}

class ball {    //class for the ball  float x;  float y;  ball(float _x, float _y){    x = _x;    y = _y;  }

 void draw(){    fill(255, 0, 0);    ellipse(pulseSignal1, pulseSignal2,30,30);    //player character    fill(30,80,230);    ellipse(700,75,75,75);     //Goal    if (pulseSignal1 >750){    //contraints so that if the circle goes off left, returns back on the right      pulseSignal1 = 0;    }    if (pulseSignal1<0){      //boundary so if player goes off right, returns on the left      pulseSignal1 = 750;          }        if (pulseSignal2>750){    //boundary so if player moves past bottom, returns on top      pulseSignal2 = 0;    }    if (pulseSignal2<0){    //boundart so if player moves past top, returns on the bottom      pulseSignal2 = 750;    }

   if(pulseSignal2<75){      //if player reaches this area, congratulations text will appear; means the playesr won      if(pulseSignal1>675){      textSize(30);      fill(240,30,80);      background(255,255,255);      textAlign(CENTER);      text("Congratulations~", width/2, height/2);      }    }

 }

   void move(wall[] walls){

   float possibleX = pulseSignal1;    //setting up the collision variables    float possibleY = pulseSignal2;

   //main code for collisions; what is needs for it to work    boolean didCollide = false;            for(int i = 0; i < walls.length; i++){      if(possibleX+15 > walls[i].x && possibleX-15 < (walls[i].x + walls[i].w) && possibleY+15 > walls[i].y && possibleY-15 < walls[i].y + walls[i].h){        didCollide = true;      }    }

   if(didCollide == false){      pulseSignal1 = possibleX;      pulseSignal2 = possibleY;    }

 } }

class wall {    //class for the walls                //follows, (x position, y position, width, height)  float x;  float y;  float w;  float h;

 wall(float _x, float _y, float _w, float _h){    x = _x;    y = _y;    w = _w;    h = _h;  }

 void draw(){    fill(1);    rect(x,y,w,h);      } }

void serialEvent(Serial myPort) {  // get the ASCII string:  //String inString = myPort.readStringUntil('\n');  String input = myPort.readString();  String[] numbers = split(input, ',');  float[] values = float(numbers);

 pulseSignal1 = map(values[0], 0, 1024, 0, width);     //sets the variable pulseSignal1 to the serial event and mapping to screen  pulseSignal2 = map(values[1], 0, 1024, 0, height);    //sets the variable pulseSignal2 to the serial event and mapping to screen     }

//----------------------Arduino Code----------------------------// /*//  Variables int PulseSensorPurplePin = A0;        // Pulse Sensor PURPLE WIRE connected to ANALOG PIN 0 [A0] int PulseSensorPurplePin2 = A1;      //Second Pulse Sensor PURPLE WIRE connected to ANALOG PIN 1 [A1]

int Signal;                // holds the incoming raw data. Signal value can range from 0-1024 int Signal2;               //Signal for the second pulse sensor int Threshold = 500;            //Determine which Signal to "count as a beat", and which to ingore.                                  //Set at 500 due to various testing with the serial monitor values received from the pulse sensors

// The SetUp Function: void setup() {   Serial.begin(9600);         // Set's up Serial Communication at certain speed. }

// The Main Loop Function void loop() {

 Signal = analogRead(PulseSensorPurplePin);    // Read the PulseSensor's value.  Signal2 = analogRead(PulseSensorPurplePin2);  //Read the second PulseSensor's Value                                                // Assign this value to the "Signal" variable.

  Serial.print(Signal);                      // Send the Signal value to the serial moniter   Serial.print(",");                         // comma to separate the values   Serial.println(Signal2);                   // Sends the second pulse sensor signal to the serial monitor   delay(100);

//delay(10); } */

[feralafrica-blog]

How to Get Great Moon Pictures

Ah, the faithful satellite of earth that is the moon. Romanticized in various art forms from classic poems to images of Batman and Catwoman on a rooftop. It makes sense then that every time a full moon comes around we can expect blurry and overexposed pictures of the orb on Facebook. This is despite the fact that it’s obviously a bad photograph and is nowhere close to turning out how you had hoped, still you just must upload the pic for all to see how miserably you failed at photographing a beach ball floating 384 400km from earth. But the same spirit of denial that is evident every time Lady Gaga appears on stage in a new outfit, prompts us to never give up in sharing photographs of our celestial neighbor with our friends and followers. So if you are going to insist posting photos of the moon every 29.5 days then for heavenly bodies sake please take note of the following tips.

Equipment

Camera: It is obvious that an image making piece of technology is needed for photography. But don not rely on camera phones or compact cameras set on auto mode. Their auto settings are the exact reason why you cannot get the exposure you desire. An understanding of Shutter speed and Aperture is essential. If you need help, sign up to our free course. Lens: We recommend a zoom capability of at least 300mm. A compact camera should offer a 10 X zoom which is fine. A wide-angle lens will do nothing but reveal a tiny yellow dot in the sky. Tripod: A tripod is necessary to achieve a sharp result. The camera’s shutter will be set to a very slow speed, resulting in blur if the camera is not absolutely still at the time of exposure. With that in mind, either have a remote trigger or put the camera on a timer so that you don’t have to depress the button causing shake. Lacking a tripod any stable surface will do, but a tripod really is the most complete solution.

Exposure

The reason why it is so tricky to photograph the moon is that people focus too much on the fact that the moon is a night-time subject. Therefore, they resort to their “go-to” settings of slow shutter settings and wide open apertures. While a combination of widening apertures and slowing shutter speeds can be a necessity, overly doing so will let in lots of light onto your sensor and result in just a bright blob being visible. To extract detail from the moon’s surface you’ll need to think in terms of day time photography. How would you exposure a brightly lit models face? Thinking in these terms will help you to expose correctly. Do you have any tips to share when photographing the moon? Please share them with us. Keep in mind that professional moon photographs are usually a product of multiple exposures that are layered over each other in Photoshop. If you are new to photography and interested in our FREE 6-day email photography course please sign up HERE.  Click to Post

[techreen]

The AP2 Inflatable Pump happens to be a small electric air pump with high pressure. It is portable and well customized to meet ventilation that is required for bikes that often ply the road. We at TecHLecToR have found it to be an invaluable tool for bicycle tires, balls of all kinds, car tires, motorcycles tires, barometer, and more inflatable things, so to speak.

This is something that users often carry with them on trips because it is highly needed in case of the need for air. Thank God for the portability, anyone can easily shuffle it in the car, the rear of a bike, and even better than that, you can even charge it.

We have found many practical reasons why everyone, both young and old should make use of this device.

AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump: Packaging Contents

1x AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump

1x air nozzle adapter.

1x charging cable

1x gas needle

1x storage bag

1x user manual.

Main Features of AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump

AP2 Pump is actually made for multiple uses and scenarios. However, users find the visual experience excellent; we find its user-friendly interface very nice. Furthermore, it can be used as an emergency flashlight because it has 80 lumens which are able to sustain for 24 hours. The battery inside of it can also be used as a Powerbank.

AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump: Features

Built-in lithium battery

Digital tire pressure detection.

Reset the pressure load to stop.

Compatible with a variety of nozzles.

Small and portable making your transfer an easy task.

Multipurpose power

Display

You can see the small display in some of the pictures in this article. It is easy to see that it looks like a watch display. The good thing is that the numbers, icons, and letters on it are clear enough for even people with poor eyesight to see. Many people have actually commended this.

User-Friendly Interface

Those who are familiar with the inflatable pump understand how to select different modes. For example, it is possible that one can select its mode and PSI according to different type of vehicles. In this way, PSI 5-8 is usually for balls, 35 PSI for cars, 40 PSI for motorcycle, 38 PSI is for bicycles, 30-45 PSI for 10-16 inch bike wheels. A knowledgeable use of the pump can have great benefits for the user.

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Automatic Pump

Yes, the AP2 Pump is what it is – a pump! The difference of the device is that it is electronic and has multiple uses. For sure, the kit has been built for the modern man. But there’s even more to this pump. It is automatic. The advantage to this is that it knows when to operate and when not to operate. When the air is sufficient, it stops pumping automatically. This is one of the reasons why some reviewers claim that the value of this product supersedes its price.

#gallery-0-11 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-11 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-11 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-11 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

#gallery-0-12 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-12 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-12 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-12 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Advantages

AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump is compact, and easy to take with you anywhere.

The display is nice and large for anyone to read its content.

People have found it very practical and cost-effective.

You can operate it in the dark because it comes with LED light.

Disadvantages

The battery capacity is too small to pump 2 deflated car tires

More time is needed to pump

Battery Capacity of AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump

Amazingly, this device comes with a 2000 mAh Li-Ion battery. This means that the user can make use of it for long without charging. The plus to it is that it can be used as Powerbank to charge other devices such as a mobile phone. So, when you look around the device, you see that it has ports and USB cord input. Be assured of fast charge technology too.

AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump: Operating Parameters

Sensor accuracy: ± 2psi.

Discharge temperature: -10 to 45 degrees C °.

Charging interface: micro-USB.

Charging parameters: 5V 2A.

Charging time: less than 3 hours.

Price

The AP2 Inflatable High-Pressure Electric Pump is available at Gearbest at an excellent price since it has an Offer for only $ 39.99. In order to enjoy this promotion, it is necessary to purchase the product before the offer ends.  Then we will leave the purchase link in case you are interested:

Buy AP2 Inflatable Electric Pump

Comments from Buyers

Sherry Anne: It is a wonderful pump that I bought for small projects like bike tires and balls and such. I used it on my trailer tires and airbags in my truck and I found that it is more convenient than making use of my larger compressor.

It is rechargeable and so long as you make it charge ready, Also, it is ready to go when you need it. I’m still not sure how far the battery can carry but I’m okay with all I could do on a single charge of the device. The small size of this pump makes it perfect. It is a well-made product that feels like it will last over time.

Karen Phillips: I loved finding this great little air pump. But I put it to test on our camping trip. It was very quick to fill the tire with air and it works very well. I also blew up a lot of balloons with it the other day. It worked very nicely. The price is right and I still give it five stars.

Lori Case: Had a pump before but very big and I was not able to use it on the ball. Since my son has lots of balls, I had to look for a product that is very easy to use and to carry around. This pump is smaller than I expected but it does the job well. It is not very powerful but it is convenient to pump tire or a ball and a whole lot of other things.

AP2 Inflatable Pump: High Pressure Portable Electric Pump Review The AP2 Inflatable Pump happens to be a small electric air pump with high pressure. It is portable and well customized to meet ventilation that is required for bikes that often ply the road.

[a-alex-hammer]

Fleet of ‘roboats’ could collect garbage or self-assemble into floating structures in Amsterdam’s many canals — ScienceDaily

The city of Amsterdam envisions a future where fleets of autonomous boats cruise its many canals to transport goods and people, collect trash, or self-assemble into floating stages and bridges. To further that vision, MIT researchers have given new capabilities to their fleet of robotic boats — which are being developed as part of an ongoing project — that let them target and clasp onto each other, and keep trying if they fail.

About a quarter of Amsterdam’s surface area is water, with 165 canals winding alongside busy city streets. Several years ago, MIT and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute) teamed up on the “Roboat” project. The idea is to build a fleet of autonomous robotic boats — rectangular hulls equipped with sensors, thrusters, microcontrollers, GPS modules, cameras, and other hardware — that provides intelligent mobility on water to relieve congestion in the city’s busy streets.

One of project’s objectives is to create roboat units that provide on-demand transportation on waterways. Another objective is using the roboat units to automatically form “pop-up” structures, such as foot bridges, performance stages, or even food markets. The structures could then automatically disassemble at set times and reform into target structures for different activities. Additionally, the roboat units could be used as agile sensors to gather data on the city’s infrastructure, and air and water quality, among other things.

In 2016, MIT researchers tested a roboat prototype that cruised around Amsterdam’s canals, moving forward, backward, and laterally along a preprogrammed path. Last year, researchers designed low-cost, 3-D-printed, one-quarter scale versions of the boats, which were more efficient and agile, and came equipped with advanced trajectory-tracking algorithms.

In a paper presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation, the researchers describe roboat units that can now identify and connect to docking stations. Control algorithms guide the roboats to the target, where they automatically connect to a customized latching mechanism with millimeter precision. Moreover, the roboat notices if it has missed the connection, backs up, and tries again.

The researchers tested the latching technique in a swimming pool at MIT and in the Charles River, where waters are rougher. In both instances, the roboat units were usually able to successfully connect in about 10 seconds, starting from around 1 meter away, or they succeeded after a few failed attempts. In Amsterdam, the system could be especially useful for overnight garbage collection. Roboat units could sail around a canal, locate and latch onto platforms holding trash containers, and haul them back to collection facilities.

“In Amsterdam, canals were once used for transportation and other things the roads are now used for. Roads near canals are now very congested — and have noise and pollution — so the city wants to add more functionality back to the canals,” says first author Luis Mateos, a graduate student in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) and a researcher in the MIT Senseable City Lab. “Self-driving technologies can save time, costs and energy, and improve the city moving forward.”

“The aim is to use roboat units to bring new capabilities to life on the water,” adds co-author Daniela Rus, director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “The new latching mechanism is very important for creating pop-up structures. Roboat does not need latching for autonomous transportation on water, but you need the latching to create any structure, whether it’s mobile or fixed.”

Joining Mateos on the paper are: Wei Wang, a joint postdoc in CSAIL and the Senseable City Lab; Banti Gheneti, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Fabio Duarte, a DUSP and Senseable City Lab research scientist; and Carlo Ratti, director of the Senseable City Lab and a principal investigator and professor of the practice in DUSP.

Making the connection

Each roboat is equipped with latching mechanisms, including ball and socket components, on its front, back, and sides. The ball component resembles a badminton shuttlecock — a cone-shaped, rubber body with a metal ball at the end. The socket component is a wide funnel that guides the ball component into a receptor. Inside the funnel, a laser beam acts like a security system that detects when the ball crosses into the receptor. That activates a mechanism with three arms that closes around and captures the ball, while also sending a feedback signal to both roboats that the connection is complete.

On the software side, the roboats run on custom computer vision and control techniques. Each roboat has a LIDAR system and camera, so they can autonomously move from point to point around the canals. Each docking station — typically an unmoving roboat — has a sheet of paper imprinted with an augmented reality tag, called an AprilTag, which resembles a simplified QR code. Commonly used for robotic applications, AprilTags enable robots to detect and compute their precise 3-D position and orientation relative to the tag.

Both the AprilTags and cameras are located in the same locations in center of the roboats. When a traveling roboat is roughly one or two meters away from the stationary AprilTag, the roboat calculates its position and orientation to the tag. Typically, this would generate a 3-D map for boat motion, including roll, pitch, and yaw (left and right). But an algorithm strips away everything except yaw. This produces an easy-to-compute 2-D plane that measures the roboat camera’s distance away and distance left and right of the tag. Using that information, the roboat steers itself toward the tag. By keeping the camera and tag perfectly aligned, the roboat is able to precisely connect.

The funnel compensates for any misalignment in the roboat’s pitch (rocking up and down) and heave (vertical up and down), as canal waves are relatively small. If, however, the roboat goes beyond its calculated distance, and doesn’t receive a feedback signal from the laser beam, it knows it has missed. “In challenging waters, sometimes roboat units at the current one-quarter scale, are not strong enough to overcome wind gusts or heavy water currents,” Mateos says. “A logic component on the roboat says, ‘You missed, so back up, recalculate your position, and try again.'”

Future iterations

The researchers are now designing roboat units roughly four times the size of the current iterations, so they’ll be more stable on water. Mateos is also working on an update to the funnel that includes tentacle-like rubber grippers that tighten around the pin — like a squid grasping its prey. That could help give the roboat units more control when, say, they’re towing platforms or other roboats through narrow canals.

In the works is also a system that displays the AprilTags on an LCD monitor that changes codes to signal multiple roboat units to assemble in a given order. At first, all roboat units will be given a code to stay exactly a meter apart. Then, the code changes to direct the first roboat to latch. After, the screen switches codes to order the next roboat to latch, and so on. “It’s like the telephone game. The changing code passes a message to one roboat at a time, and that message tells them what to do,” Mateos says.

The research was funded by the AMS Institute and the City of Amsterdam.

Source link

Source/Repost=> http://technewsdestination.com/fleet-of-roboats-could-collect-garbage-or-self-assemble-into-floating-structures-in-amsterdams-many-canals-sciencedaily/ ** Alex Hammer | Founder and CEO at Ecommerce ROI ** http://technewsdestination.com

[dorcasrempel]

Autonomous boats can target and latch onto each other

The city of Amsterdam envisions a future where fleets of autonomous boats cruise its many canals to transport goods and people, collect trash, or self-assemble into floating stages and bridges. To further that vision, MIT researchers have given new capabilities to their fleet of robotic boats — which are being developed as part of an ongoing project — that lets them target and clasp onto each other, and keep trying if they fail.

About a quarter of Amsterdam’s surface area is water, with 165 canals winding alongside busy city streets. Several years ago, MIT and the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS Institute) teamed up on the “Roboat” project. The idea is to build a fleet of autonomous robotic boats — rectangular hulls equipped with sensors, thrusters, microcontrollers, GPS modules, cameras, and other hardware — that provides intelligent mobility on water to relieve congestion in the city’s busy streets.

One of project’s objectives is to create roboat units that provide on-demand transporation on waterways. Another objective is using the roboat units to automatically form “pop-up” structures, such as foot bridges, performance stages, or even food markets. The structures could then automatically disassemble at set times and reform into target structures for different activities. Additionally, the roboat units could be used as agile sensors to gather data on the city’s infrastructure, and air and water quality, among other things.

In 2016, MIT researchers tested a roboat prototype that cruised around Amsterdam’s canals, moving forward, backward, and laterally along a preprogrammed path. Last year, researchers designed low-cost, 3-D-printed, one-quarter scale versions of the boats, which were more efficient and agile, and came equipped with advanced trajectory-tracking algorithms. 

In a paper presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation, the researchers describe roboat units that can now identify and connect to docking stations. Control algorithms guide the roboats to the target, where they automatically connect to a customized latching mechanism with millimeter precision. Moreover, the roboat notices if it has missed the connection, backs up, and tries again.

The researchers tested the latching technique in a swimming pool at MIT and in the Charles River, where waters are rougher. In both instances, the roboat units were usually able to successfully connect in about 10 seconds, starting from around 1 meter away, or they succeeded after a few failed attempts. In Amsterdam, the system could be especially useful for overnight garbage collection. Roboat units could sail around a canal, locate and latch onto platforms holding trash containers, and haul them back to collection facilities.

“In Amsterdam, canals were once used for transportation and other things the roads are now used for. Roads near canals are now very congested — and have noise and pollution — so the city wants to add more functionality back to the canals,” says first author Luis Mateos, a graduate student in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) and a researcher in the MIT Senseable City Lab. “Self-driving technologies can save time, costs and energy, and improve the city moving forward.”

“The aim is to use roboat units to bring new capabilities to life on the water,” adds co-author Daniela Rus, director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “The new latching mechanism is very important for creating pop-up structures. Roboat does not need latching for autonomous transporation on water, but you need the latching to create any structure, whether it’s mobile or fixed.”

Joining Mateos on the paper are: Wei Wang, a joint postdoc in CSAIL and the Senseable City Lab; Banti Gheneti, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Fabio Duarte, a DUSP and Senseable City Lab research scientist; and Carlo Ratti, director of the Senseable City Lab and a principal investigator and professor of the practice in DUSP.

Making the connection

Each roboat is equipped with latching mechanisms, including ball and socket components, on its front, back, and sides. The ball component resembles a badminton shuttlecock — a cone-shaped, rubber body with a metal ball at the end. The socket component is a wide funnel that guides the ball component into a receptor. Inside the funnel, a laser beam acts like a security system that detects when the ball crosses into the receptor. That activates a mechanism with three arms that closes around and captures the ball, while also sending a feedback signal to both roboats that the connection is complete.

On the software side, the roboats run on custom computer vision and control techniques. Each roboat has a LIDAR system and camera, so they can autonomously move from point to point around the canals. Each docking station — typically an unmoving roboat — has a sheet of paper imprinted with an augmented reality tag, called an AprilTag, which resembles a simplified QR code. Commonly used for robotic applications, AprilTags enable robots to detect and compute their precise 3-D position and orientation relative to the tag.

Both the AprilTags and cameras are located in the same locations in center of the roboats. When a traveling roboat is roughly one or two meters away from the stationary AprilTag, the roboat calculates its position and orientation to the tag. Typically, this would generate a 3-D map for boat motion, including roll, pitch, and yaw (left and right). But an algorithm strips away everything except yaw. This produces an easy-to-compute 2-D plane that measures the roboat camera’s distance away and distance left and right of the tag. Using that information, the roboat steers itself toward the tag. By keeping the camera and tag perfectly aligned, the roboat is able to precisely connect.

The funnel compensates for any misalignment in the roboat’s pitch (rocking up and down) and heave (vertical up and down), as canal waves are relatively small. If, however, the roboat goes beyond its calculated distance, and doesn’t receive a feedback signal from the laser beam, it knows it has missed. “In challenging waters, sometimes roboat units at the current one-quarter scale, are not strong enough to overcome wind gusts or heavy water currents,” Mateos says. “A logic component on the roboat says, ‘You missed, so back up, recalculate your position, and try again.’”

Future iterations

The researchers are now designing roboat units roughly four times the size of the current iterations, so they’ll be more stable on water. Mateos is also working on an update to the funnel that includes tentacle-like rubber grippers that tighten around the pin — like a squid grasping its prey. That could help give the roboat units more control when, say, they’re towing platforms or other roboats through narrow canals.

In the works is also a system that displays the AprilTags on an LCD monitor that changes codes to signal multiple roboat units to assemble in a given order. At first, all roboat units will be given a code to stay exactly a meter apart. Then, the code changes to direct the first roboat to latch. After, the screen switches codes to order the next roboat to latch, and so on. “It’s like the telephone game. The changing code passes a message to one roboat at a time, and that message tells them what to do,” Mateos says.

Darwin Caldwell, the research director of Advanced Robotics at the Italian Institute of Technology, envisions even more possible applications for the autonomous latching capability. “I can certainly see this type of autonomous docking being of use in many areas of robotic ‘refuelling’ and docking … beyond aquatic/naval systems,” he says, “including inflight refuelling, space docking, cargo container handling, [and] robot in-house recharging.”

The research was funded by the AMS Institute and the City of Amsterdam.

Autonomous boats can target and latch onto each other syndicated from https://osmowaterfilters.blogspot.com/