#now it's been 2 months since i put stylus to screen

[linaxart]

the one weekend I don't have my stylus my brain decides it's time to Draw Digitally again, so have this finger-painted thing

[btssavedmylifeblr]

I forgot to send on my voting story. Ok so my brother and I both got mail in ballots, and let me tell you how we both forgot to mail it in so we just thought to bring them to our voting location. The lady there kinda yelled at us? She was confused and didn't know how to go about it. And honestly I just took it because we were the idiots who didn't mail in our ballots. We had to rip them up and they just us new ones to fill out in person and submit. Not exciting, but a story for void snippet. 👀

Anonymous said: Hi!! I'm so excited for void! I voted today around 30 minutes before the polls closed in my neighborhood because I had to wait for my dad and brother to get home from work since they wanted to go all together hehe. It was a pretty fast process! We just pressed buttons on screens (compared to last election where we had to bubble in everything by hand) plus, I got to keep the stylus that they gave us and it works on phones too! 🥰🥰 Thank you! I love your writing so much 💜💜💜

Anonymous said: I did mine through mail me and my husband did and we went to the post office a little while back and then he took us on a nice little date afterward and we got ice cream! Also I love void💖 keep up the good work

Anonymous said: VOTES FOR VOID??? I love democracy and I love VOID! So since May I've (temporarily) moved back home from New York to Indiana RE: covid; I've voted absentee for the both the primaries and presidential election (I'm still in IN rn...blah). I voted early and mailed in my ballot for the presidential election (about 3 weeks ago). Made sure my family was voting (brother mailed it in, mom dropped off a ballot, and dad did early voting) and encourage them to put up a Biden sign in our yard <3

Anonymous said: HI BEE! I ALSO VOTED TODAY! IM 21 SO THIS IS MY FIRST TIME VOTING FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION (my 18th bday didnt make the cutoff since im a december bday) im so happy to have done my part! I made sure to study up on the judges and policies and everything! Luckily the polling place didn't have a line so i was able to get in, get my ballot, and fill it in right away! I even dragged my mom and cousin to come with me. I made a joke on snapchat to encourage my friends to vote too. It was a pic of my "i voted" sticker with a caption saying "omg youre so sexy when you vote aHaha" -🦙

Anonymous said: this is my first time doing this so, so i hope i’m sending this correctly! i voted early in late september by mail! i live in a swing state, so it’s really important for me to vote and not waste time!! bc of my age, this is my first time voting so i’m really nervous 😅

Anonymous said: I voted by email! I'm overseas so I wasn't sure if my ballot would actually make it through in time, so I decided to go electronically. Had to sign a waiver saying I understand that my vote won't be anonymous but I haven't been given a reason to suspect voter suppression/fraud in my state, so I'm happy I think...!

Anonymous said: hi, i voted early on oct 24th. my absentee ballot didn't come in, so i had to travel back home to vote (~3 hour drive). when we got there, there was a ton of people outside the polling place, but no lines, so i was in and out pretty quick. it was my first time voting, so i had all the candidates i was voting for written down on a tiny receipt so i wouldn't forget 😅. my mom was with me, so she voted too. took a pic with my sticker (mask on for extra covid-ness) and went home. drove back the next afternoon!

whippedforkook said: Hi Bee. 💕 I voted in early October - nearly a month ago! 😱 It’s been really weird with all the lead up to the election because it felt like it should have been done once I cast my ballot! A lot of my friends have volunteered to get out the vote: writing postcards to voters, texting, phone banking, working the polls, curing ballots. I didn’t volunteer at all this year, but I hope that all of my friends’ hard work and everyone else’s is enough. I’m also hoping and praying that I will be in a better place mentally for 2022 so that I too can volunteer. Our work starts with 2020 not ends. 💕 Wishing you well. 💕

begineuphoria said: I went and voted last Friday as it was our last early voting day. No way was I going to wait until today with the crowds of people in my area that still act as if masks are somehow infringing on their rights. 🙄 It was a rather normal experience for the most part. Other than having to use a coffee stir stick to press the buttons on the machine to vote. In and out within five minutes.

Anonymous said: I voted down the street at this pretty park this morning. I got up at 5:30 and it was freezing. Luckily I wore like 30 layers and stood outside for 2 hours. Some nasty orange man supporters were rude but everyone else was pretty nice. A really cute older couple was playing soccer with pine cones and kicked it towards me to play too. Not the worst time tbh.

Anonymous said: Did mail-in voting in California! Extremely exhausting and took forever to research all the propositions - they are notoriously tricky in hiding their flaws and one side tends to outrageously outspend the other. But in the end I felt really good about my research and decisions! No need for you to post a snippet for this story - would like to save that to read sometime in the future ;) Thank you so much for doing this!

joonsgotthejuice said: Votes for void??? I am here! I went last Thursday and it was chaotic bc I kept going past the poll place but the line was soooo long so my mom called me and woke me up like "its pouring rain and the line is super short get up I'm gonna pick you up" so thats the story of how I got dressed in 5 minutes and dragged my ass to vote in the rain <3

Anonymous said: i voted early on thursday it was cold and rainy but i went in the late afternoon and thankfully the only waiting i did was a few minutes for an elevator i got very lucky and while waiting for the results is awful the relief that came from voting in general was just great

Anonymous said: Wheeew the polls just closed and I finally got to cast my ballot yayyy ( I was the one working the polls from earlier) it’s been a really really long day and we actually had surprisingly good turnout. I saw a woman try to vote for someone else who claimed to be “helping” and I saw a woman who I’m pretty sure was on some typa something 👀 Overall though I really I’m really thankful for people like you who encouraged people to get out and vote. I hope the odds are in our favor❤️🤞🏼

chelsea-chee said: Hello Bee! Today surprisingly my elderly father wanted to vote so I brought him out with me. He only cared about voting for Biden, which meant I got to help decide who he should vote for with the rest of the candidates and amendments! Say hello to baby bee for me as well! 💖

Anonymous said: Okay I gonna got a chance to vote today and the process wasn’t that bad actually. I went in just now and it wasn’t that busy( thankfully) so no lines. I’m from Texas and it’s gonna be almost impossible to turn this state blue, but every vote counts! I love that you are getting people to vote and also sharing your experiences as well!

owl-orgy said: Dropped off my mail in ballot at a polling location! I originally wanted to vote early in person because I was worried my signature wouldn’t match closely enough but ended up just turning it in and double checked today to make it said “ballot accepted and counted”!

Anonymous said: I voted in person this afternoon, better late than never I guess. I was gonna go last week but then I got cramps from hell. There was no one in line in front of me, I think my county early voted because it was packed everyday the last few weeks

Anonymous said: I voted early a couple weeks ago. Exciting thing though that did happen was I got both my parents to vote for their first time ever.

Anonymous said: I had a mail in vote. So, I filled it out and dropped it in at the ballot box at my library. (I also checked out books for the first time in years, so I had fun!)

bubblyjiminnie said: I literally just finished voting. Lucky for me, the line and wait wasn’t very long, and it was a nice enough day that the short amount of time I had to spend in line outside of the building wasn’t too bad. My social anxiety when it comes to stuff like this tends to be high but that’s what I get for waiting until Election Day instead of going the mail in route. This was only my second time voting, but I’m glad that I did 😊

Anonymous said: I turned my ballot in last week :) I’m not a big fan of crowds and I hate make spur of the moment choices but despite that the first time I was able to vote back in 08 my Mom pressured me into voting in person because “you’d have to experience it at least once in our life”. And ever since then I comfortably vote by mail. I take my time, do all of my research, listen to music, and best of all don’t have to deal with people.

Anonymous said: here in Washington state it’s super easy to vote. I dropped my ballot off in mid-October and it’s already been accounted for! Mail in voting and drop box voting is fantastic and provides equal opportunity and access. Sad to see some people in red states misinforming Americans about it! We also have a referendum for implementing mandatory sex ed, including teaching respect, empathy and consent as part of the curriculum so I was happy to vote yes on that too!

unionrox006 said: I voted about 2 weeks ago by doing a mail in ballot. The other eligible to vote members of my household did the same. We chose to vote by absentee ballot because both my mom and I have an autoimmune disorder, so we have to be careful going out in the pandemic. Tbh, the ballot layout was a bit confusing at first as was all the paperwork and required IDs and documents. But my dad explained it to me and we got them filled out and mailed off. Kinda mad I didn't get a sticker for it though

bluetostone said: Love this and so excited for the next chp of void! I early voted a few weeks ago and because I live in a pretty rural county I was in and out of my polling place in a few minutes. No sticker though 😢. I live in a swing state so it could go either way in terms of delegates. Just praying everyone is safe tonight as the results roll in...though, won't we not know for sure for a couple of days or weeks?

Anonymous said: My mom, sister, and I received our early voting ballots a while ago and I took the longest to fill mine out because it was making me anxious :,( but I did return it before it was due. I checked our ballot statuses and mine and my moms were accepted but my sister’s said they hadn’t received hers back. Then she got another ballot so she filled that one out too and I took it yesterday 👍👍 I think she got two because she changed her address late so they sent two?

vixsynsblog said: Non-interesting voter story: I'm paranoid and live in a highly divided area, so I filed mail-in ASAP, mailed it a few days after cause neighbors are nosy and don't understand boundaries. Was able to track my ballot through my credit company, which was nice. Only thing I was missing was my sticker. Never got one✊😔. So I had to improvise and write it in pen on my disposable mask. I'm working all this week so if riots break out from either side, I'll be at work. Prayers for the safety of others🙏

______

Waaah!!! Thank you all for voting!! You are all my heroes. I am so grateful and proud of you. I’m sorry I ran out of time to respond to you individually. I’m going to drop two big scenes from Chapter 7 in gratitude (one of which will be familiar to my patrons and one won’t). I’m hopeful I will have the whole next chapter out very soon. Love you all!

Void spoilers below the cut.

When you wake up in the morning, there are still no signed HR forms in your messages. Had you been a fool to think they were interested? How much time does it take to decide such a thing? Perhaps just by putting the idea out there explicitly, it had lost all of its taboo appeal. 

There is a calendar reminder waiting for you: Today is chili pepper pollinating day. At least this gives you an excuse to talk to Hoseok. 

You find the science officer in the lab as always, sitting with his knee up against his chest. Hoseok doesn’t look well. He’s got dark circles under his eyes.

“Hey, um…” You shuffle your feet. Want to fuck me? No wait…“You don’t look good. Were you here all night?” you ask.

He blinks at you, bleary-eyed. “Um, was I? Yeah.. I suppose. Lost track of time.” He rubs his eyes, before looking you up and down, then casting his gaze back to the floor. 

All you want to do is ask about the forms. Or the meeting. Or what he thinks of you now. But you don’t. “I need to pollinate the chili peppers today.” Usually Hoseok is the person who assists with that. “But I can get one of the other guys to do it if you need the sleep.”

“No!” Hoseok lurches forward, standing up a bit to rapidly and needing to put his hand back on the bench to steady himself. “I mean, I’m fine.” 

You should disgaree with him. He is exhausted. But you’d like more time to talk to him. 

Pollinating the chili peppers is both time-sensitive and time-consuming, hence why it took two of you to get the job done. There were no insects on your ship to do the job for you and if they didn’t get pollinated, they wouldn’t bear any fruit. Your chili peppers were your favorite crop. Not only a vital source of Vitamin C, but all your food benefitted from having a bit of spice added to it. 

You and Hoseok head for the greenhouse together. The intital set-up gives you something to talk about in the beginning. Hoseok gathers the pollen from one flower onto a paintbrush, then hands it over to you to paint onto the stigmas of each little flower on the next plant in the line.

Slowly the conversation dries up as you fall into a silent rhythm. Other than just enjoying the chili peppers, you must admit that this was one of your favorite tasks on the ship because of the high likelihood that the two of you would brush hands peridically. Always gave you butterflies. But today he seems extra intent on keeping his distance from you. Was he disgusted by you now? His hands are trembling.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” 

His hand twitches so hard that a little rain of yellow pollen cascades onto the floor. He curses in frustration before turning to face you. “Are you sure you’re okay?” 

“Um, yes, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“This, um, plan of yours…” he gestures to the vague tension in the air. “It doesn’t feel like you.”

“I’m trying to save the mission. That has always been my top priority.”

“Yeah, I’m still not clear on how this benefits the mission.”

“Yoongi said…” you start to say, but are cut off my Hoseok’s derisive snort. 

“Look, if you’re in love with Yoongi, just go date him, okay? Don’t feel obligated to include the rest of us out of pity.” 

You frown. “I’m not… I’m not in love with him. It’s just sex. Just biology.” 

“This isn’t you!” Hoseok argues back. “You hated the idea of anyone of us ever treating you that way. And now you just want all of us to… to… use you like that?”  He splutters out the end of the sentence.

“No one is using me! This is my plan! I’m in charge!”

He sighs. “Well, I can’t be a part of it. Excuse me.”

______

Taehyung finds you in the gym. It’s good to see him up and about, even if his arm is still in a sling. 

“Hey, so I need to talk to you about this, um, ape sex thing.” He fishes awkwardly into his pockets and pulls out his tablet.  Maybe Jimin was right. Is Taehyung going to be the first to take you up on your offer?

You pause your jog on the elliptical machine. You wish you weren’t so sweaty and gross for this conversation. Taehyung is such an intimidatingly attractive man with those strong eyebrows and that perfect skin. 

Taehyung opens up the tablet and flips to the form. It’s happening. He’s going to sign the form. Shit. Then what will you do? It’s one thing to say you want to have sex with your whole crew, but what if he’s hoping to go right now? You need a shower. 

Taehyung has really nice hands. Long strong fingers delicately navigating the touch screen. It seems totally improbable that a man this attractive would be into you, even if you were the only woman in the universe. It just adds to your suspicions that hormones are driving everyone crazy. Perhaps if you slept with him once, he’d lose all interest. 

He finds the form and then turns his gaze up to you, staring you down with those eyes. It’s a good thing that Taehyung rarely turns his full gaze on you, because it is almost too much to bear. Shit, is he just going to sign it? Is he waiting for you to give him some sort of signal?

“You can’t do this to Jimin,” he says.

“What?” Not what you were expecting. “Do what to Jimin?”

“This.” He gestures over the HR form. “Signing these forms with everyone. Having sex with everyone. You’re going to destroy Jimin.”

“Jimin’s the one who suggested this whole thing in the first place.” It’s a lie. You know its a lie. Or at least a gross exaggeration. But Jimin was the one who first brought up the idea of sharing. All for the benefit of the man in front of you now. 

“No way.” Taehyung scoffs, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. “No way was it Jimin’s idea that you sleep with the whole crew.” 

“Well…” You can’t bear his gaze anymore and look down at the floor. “He wanted me to sleep with you.”

That surprises Taehyung. He puts down the tablet. “What? Why would he want that?”

This is awkward. “He, um, thinks you’re in love with me.”

“What?” There is only surprise on Taehyung’s face. It’s actually a relief to see that Taehyung is just as shocked by that idea as you were. “Why does he think that?”

“I don’t know…” You feel kind of dumb now. Of course, Taehyung doesn’t feel that way about you. Look at him. “Cause you told him you were jealous. Cause you can’t stand to be in the same room as us…”

Taehyung bites his lip. “Oh, um, shit, sorry, that’s not what I meant.”

If Taehyung isn’t jealous of Jimin... 

“Taehyung…” He looks up, biting his lip. “What did you mean? Who are you jealous of?” 

Taehyung’s eyes widen, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead he reaches for his microphone and mutes it. Out of respect, you mute yours as well. He glances toward the camera in the corner of the room, then stands up and begins unzipping his jumpsuit. 

“Um…” You are distracted by the golden arms that peak from either side of the tank top as the zipper reaches his groin. “What are you doing?”

“Need something to block the camera.”

“We have towels,” you mutter.  But he’s already stripping out of his shirt. The musculature of his back ripples. He hangs the shirt off of the camera to block the rest of the room from view. 

“Yeah, but this way anyone watching will think we’re having sex.” His chest is just as attractive as his back and you flush at the sight of it. Mercifully, he zips back into his jumpsuit as he returns to his position in front of the exercise machine. 

“You want them to think we’re having sex?”

“Don’t you? It plays right into your whole save the mission with bonobo sex plan.”

“I suppose.” Though the plan was also supposed to be that there would be no more secrets between the crew. “What plan of yours does it play into?”

“The one where Jimin doesn’t realize I’m in love with him.”

“You’ve never tried to tell him?”

Taehyung laughs wryly and shakes his head. “How would that conversation go? Hey man, I know we’ve known each other for years and I’ve already seen you naked and that you just think of me as a friend, but I’m in love with you. I know that’s awkward but now you have to spend the next twelve years with me, knowing that I’m attracted to you when you don’t feel the same way.” Taehyung sighs. “Doesn’t sound like a good plan to me. If he doesn’t feel the same way, I’ve just ruined the friendship for nothing and then I don’t even have that.”

“Yeah… I get that.”  There’s something touching about realizing that Taehyung has been fighting the same battle as you for the last two years. 

“I couldn’t tell anyone before launch because what if they wouldn’t let me go then? You know?”

“Yeah, the director wasn’t big on sending anyone who might ‘complicate’ the mission.” The two of you share a sad knowing smile. 

“Yeah… And I thought it would be fine, you know? I like women too. I’d just date women until launch and no one would know. I wasn’t planning on falling in love with my roommate.”

“I don’t think any of us really knew what this would be like.”

“I knew it was going to be a problem. I should have pulled out…” 

Your mind flashes back to that moment of doubt when Hoseok talked you into still coming on the mission.

“But I couldn’t just let him go off into space without me. Even if he’d never feel the same way, at least he’d still be in my life.”

The emotion in Taehyung’s words makes your eyes begin to mist. “You really do love him.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung sighs again. “But he’s in love with you.”

“Well, he thinks he is.”

“What does that mean?”

“He only feels like that about me cause he thinks I’m the only option.”  You wonder if maybe he would feel differently if he knew about Taehyung’s feelings. 

Taehyung frowns and shakes his head. “You don’t give him enough credit.”

“Oh come on, you know him. How many women did he date while we were in training?”

“A few…” 

“And how many of them was he in love with before he found the next one?”  

Taehyung bites his lip. He can’t really argue with that. “So why are you with him then, if you don’t think it’s real?”

You shrug, rubbing your arm. “He wants me. It’s nice to feel wanted, I guess.”

“You know you could have that with any man on this ship right?”

You scoff. “They’re all suffering the same delusion. It’s only-available-vagina syndrome. I just want us all to fuck and get it out in the open. Maybe if we could get it out of our system, they would see I’m nothing special. And then we can get back to the mission.”

Taehyung eyes you up and down. “You don’t give yourself enough credit either.”

You shrug. “You wait and see. Jimin will get bored of me. They all will.”

The two of you both slump backwards in your seats, mulling over your shared woes.  Taehyung bends down and picks up the tablet again. “So what should I do with this?”

“Obivously, you don’t have to sign it. I should have realized that not everyone would be interested.”

“Jimin thinks I’m in love with you?”

“Yeah…”

“Is it okay if we let him think that for now? At least until I figure out how to tell him the truth?”

“Okay.”

Taehyung smiles and signs the bottom of the form, then sends it to you. Your phone lights up with a message. “Thank you,” he murmurs before he leaves. 

[jbbuckybarnes]

Professor Sugar - 2/7

Pairing: Student!Reader x Professor!Bucky Description: Like tons of other students you struggle with finances, but you can’t get any aid since your parents are filthy rich. The system doesn’t care that they broke off contact after you came out as bisexual. There is, however, someone else that cares. The prof of your class on PTSD and trauma. Professor Barnes. Written for: @fanfictionaries​ & @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​‘s challenges. Warnings: Financial Instability, not beta read.

Professor Sugar Masterlist // Masterlist 

Books & Coffee

You sat in the student café next to the building Mr. Barnes held his classes in. An hour is what he said. An hour on your phone and staring up at coffee prices that were worth multiple instant noodle packs. Last semester you could sometimes indulge in a cup of coffee if something was left at the end of a month. Now that you were one job down that wasn‘t a possibility anymore unless you had an absolute reason to celebrate or were seriously down.

„I see you‘re doing your homework.“ You heard and looked up at your favorite professor. „Yeah. It feels weird not doing anything.“ You commented and let your fingernails clack on your phone case. „You could read a book.“ He suggested and sat down on one of the chairs. „I don‘t really have the concentration for that and audiobooks are too expensive.“ You shrugged and started playing with the hem of your shirt. „The library has a lot of their books as audiobooks. In case you didn‘t know.“ He continued suggesting. „Yeah, but it‘s mostly the boring stuff. I want some true crime or deeply researched investigative journalism.“ You smiled a little awkward, thinking about your oddly specific book interests. „Oh, that‘s your type of thing, huh?“ He grinned and took note of how your interests connected perfectly to the field you studied. „I have this really cool book on my list about the Pentagon and how it works. $35 for the audiobook. Nobody can tell me the government doesn‘t want the less stable to stay unstable.“ You got a little political. „$35 you say?“ You heard and looked up from the café menu you had been spinning around. Confusion clearly written across your face, „Yeah.“ „How about you write a B+ or better on the first test and I get you your book?“ He smiled over at you and made you blink in disbelief. „I can‘t take th-“ „Yes, you can. I‘d buy any student a book if they wanted one.“ He held out his hand to you. „Fine.“ You shook his hand, „But it‘s on you if this isn‘t allowed, Mr. Barnes.“ „Promise.“ And with that sweet smile he was all the way over by the counter, ordering a black coffee. *Cute Prof just told me he‘d buy me a book on my reading list if I land a B+ or better!* You texted Samantha a little nervous about the whole thing. *Academic sugar daddy!!!!* Was the only message coming back. *Of course, your mind goes there.* You sent back while rolling your eyes.

And like that you went and studied harder than ever for that course. Having a professor that actually felt like he believed in you made quite a difference. After every lesson you went and showed him your neatly organized study notes from the previous lesson and every time you got a thumbs up or a good suggestions from him. You looked at study accounts and tried to emulate their notes so you had more fun studying and you regularly watched „study with me“ videos to keep yourself going on the bad days. The other courses were still hard, but you knew you wouldn‘t have to be as concerned about them compared to Barnes‘ class.

After a few weeks the first test came around and you felt prepared and motivated...until you got the results back. „B-“ He handed the paper to you with an almost apologizing smile. „Fuck.“ What did that mean for the rest of the year if you already were so under average in the first test? „Hey, it‘s alright. I saw how much you worked your butt off. You‘re trying.“ He said encouragingly. „Apparently not hard enough.“ You mumbled and walked out of the classroom under worried eyes. How was it so hard for you to learn about trauma and then put it onto paper in a test? You really liked the topic too, so why didn‘t it feel easy to you?

You went into the coffee shop, mind kinda clouded and ready to just plop into bed. But instead, you decided to order a drink. „A caramel macchiato, please.“ You got out a little more depressed than intended. „Make that two.“ A familiar voice said behind you. You turned around to see your professor again, „It‘s on me.“ „Miste-„ „I said what I said, put your money away.“ He grinned and you rolled your eyes while putting your wallet away. Was he like this to everyone? Damn it, this is why you should be more social with people in courses you‘re in!

A few moments later you were sitting on your usual table with him across from you. „Found your Goodreads account. And a few others‘ in the class. Why do my students keep using their full name as nicknames? Whatever. I saw the book you mentioned last time. Pulitzer, huh?“ He smiled impressed. „Yeah, and she reads her audiobooks herself. Super calming voice.“ You drifted off a bit until you saw him take something out of his wallet. A card that he slid over to you. „An Amazon gift card...Mister B-“ „-I said in the first lesson, you all can call me Bucky.“ He grinned. „That‘s too much. A coffee? Fine. But this?“ You raised a brow and pointed at the card. „I‘ve seen your hard work and you‘ll finish on time if you keep working like that.“ He gave you a proud smile. „I can‘t take that Bucky.“ You said again and it felt strangely good saying that name and it also felt good to hear out of your mouth. „Yes, you can. I‘m not taking it back.“ He held up his hands a bit with a dramatic face. „Fine“ You grumbled and put it in your worn off wallet. Your phone lit up, a screen with a few scratches was illuminated. *And? What‘s the grade?* *B-* *Fuck...but that‘s still way better than the C‘s and C-‘s you had last year.* He looked at you a little more. The only really nice thing you had was your iPad Pro with the Stylus. You constantly used it in his classes. The rest? He didn‘t see financial instability, but if he looked closer, like right now, he could see the little things. The old phone, the fact you never really get coffee here, the torn-up wallet, the old backpack you used for your study materials. „Can I ask what happened with your parents?“ He asked a little softer. „Came out as bisexual to them.“ You mumbled, staring at your coffee, shrugging lightly. „That‘s all?“ His eyebrow raised and he was surprised that this was everything to it. You nodded, „Wow.“ „Jup. Just don‘t know if my psyche would‘ve suffered less around those people, compared to living with my friend and barely paying rent.“ You commented on your weekly recurring thoughts. „I‘ll look into more potential study aids, alright? I know you‘re not the only one in the class with that problem. I hate to see that happen more and more.“ He frowned concerned. „You don‘t have to.“ You mumbled again, still holding onto your coffee. „Yes, I do. You keep studying. No reason why you should also have that on your mind all the time if I have more than enough time for it.“ He insisted. „Bucky?“ „Hm?“ His eyes went up and you were met with a glimpse of a puppy face. „Thank you. You do more than a professor needs to do.“ A big smile was interchanged before you brought out your iPad again and flipped open the case to reveal the keyboard. „How‘d you afford that handy thing?“ He pointed at it nonchalantly. „There are aids for digital study material, and tax benefits, so I took the opportunity that I saw.“ You grinned proudly. „I see you frowning every time that pen runs out of battery and you need to switch to typing with the pen attached to it.“ A wide grin was spread across his face. „Glad I‘m entertaining.“ God, why was it so easy to flirt with him? It shouldn‘t be so easy to flirt with him. „Well then, my office hours start soon. Tell me how the book is.“ He said standing up. „Will do.“ And he was out of the door.

[hollowcrovvn]

The Ostensive Fumblings of Being Human (part 2)

Pairing: Connor x female!reader Rating: G for Gross Cute Crap Summary: Set two months after the ending of Detroit: Become Human, androids are living in government created “pop-up” communities while efforts are being made to integrate them into society. You are a grad-student volunteer with the Detroit Crisis Response Unit (DCRU), working to help with relief efforts… or at least, doing the work no one else wants to do. Which brings us to part 2.

(part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5) (part 6) (part 7) (ao3)

The moment kept playing in your mind, giving you little snapshot glimpses of his face when he saw your phone number written on the cup. His face, perplexed, but so curious as he took in your every word with such rapt attention. 

“Ugh… no.” you whined towards the ceiling, throwing your head back and sinking further into your sofa. Some TV series played ideally while you tapped a stylus on the screen of your tablet, opened to some notes regarding your most recent class. You risked short glances over to your phone. 

“Stop it.” you said to yourself, “It’s not a big deal and you don’t even know if he’ll text.”

You sat silently for a moment, nearly forgetting about it in the thrall of the TV and procrastination on your assignment when your eyes slowly drifted over to it again.

“Son of a bitch.” you huffed, throwing tablet aside as you got up and made your way across the small one bedroom apartment to your smaller bathroom. You needed a shower and some comfy clothes and maybe some sleep. 

Several minutes later you came out from the bathroom, towel drying your hair and feeling a bit more human with the cold no longer biting at your skin still from the damp outside. You weren’t looking, not really, your eyes just fell to the phone on the small kitchen table and noticed the screen was list with an envelope icon.

You managed to pretend not to be interested for approximately fifteen seconds before you were over, picking up the phone and trying to not think about how fast your heart was going as you opened the message…

… which was just from your DCRU supervisor reminding you to go to the DPD station downtown after checking in on site tomorrow.

You felt your heart fall and sighed as you clicked the message and set a reminder. Someone in Jericho had requested a number of open human-on-android violence cases as well as android-on-human and someone had to go get the stats. Most android cases were still considered “sensitive” so the only way to get the information was from the source. It was a placating act, something to make Jericho not so hostile to DCRU and their efforts, even if they could realistically do nothing about the numbers. You wondered if you would be lucky enough for it to be the same station Connor worked at.

You took your phone and headed off to bed, setting your alarm. It was nearly 11:40, which was not ideal if you didn’t want to be a zombie tomorrow. Sighing, you flicked off your lamp and curled up, closing your eyes and tucking in. Your breath began to slow and your body relax when suddenly the darkness behind your eyelids lit.

You opened your eyes a slit and saw the envelope notification with a question mark attached.

[ new sender ]

[ accept msg y/n? ]

You never hit “y” so fast in your life. 

[ from: DPDCNSL#317

Thank you for agreeing to continue corresponding with me. I am looking forward to the experience.

And thank you for the coffee.

Have a good evening, ---.

Connor ]

And then before you could respond the little dots indicating he was responding popped up immediately.

[ from: DPDCNSL#317

Lieutenant Anderson has informed me that saying, “I am looking forward to the experience” sounds “creepy”. I am looking forward to being able to speak with you more.

Connor ]

You smiled and quickly wrote up a reply-- which you waited a few minutes to send because… like that is what you did right? You didn’t wanna reply too fast… right? You killed some time, changing his name in the message box.

[ from: ---

You’re welcome. And pls don’t thank me for that pitiful excuse for bean water. Next time, I’ll get you a latte and you’ll never be the same again. ]

[ from: Connor

You are correct, but not in the way I believe you think.

Regardless, I would like that. You are studying at Wayne State, correct? ]

You froze, staring at the words with shock. How the hell did he know that?

[ from: ---

You pull up my file, copper?]

[ from: Connor

I did a search on the internet. You came up under the staff listing as a research assistant for Urban Studies. Is that correct? There is no image, so it could be another ---. ]

[ from: ---

Bit weird to be searching for someone you just met. ]

[ from: Connor

I agree. Lieutenant Anderson located the information and sent it to my terminal. I was… curious. I apologize, I do not wish to cause you to feel uncomfortable. ]

It didn’t really matter much. All the information on the website was basic things and any social media you had was hidden from the outside. It was harmless, as far as most things went.

[ from: ---

It’s alright, next time you can just ask me. Though I think to make it up, you can buy me the coffee. Only fair. :)  ]

[ from: Connor

I do receive a salary now, so that is a possibility.

--- it is now almost midnight. You should be resting as you have already lost two hours of the recommended time for sleep. I would recommend lowering your caffeine intake to 300mg per day to prevent further sleep disturbance.

Good night, ---.  ]

[ from: ---

You can pry my coffee from my cold dead hands, hippy.

Good night.  ]

Wildly specific advice aside, it was-- kinda sweet. That bit that you assumed was a joke about “receiving a salary” got a small chuckle from you. After waiting a few minutes though, it appeared that he was done messaging for the night.

Not too bad, you hummed to yourself, First potential friend outside of campus in four years. Adult humaning at last.

---

“Checking in on site” was just code for “bring us all our coffee order before you do any real work” and you did so as usual, dropping the cups off at the various desks, crowded into the small “conference” building. All of the DCRU’s own buildings were of the same shake-n-bake quality as the shelters put up for the androids. They did little to hold out the chill, but they kept out the damp. Several people had space heaters beneath their desks or blankets wrapped around their legs.

After dropping off the last drink, you made your way over to the desk of the person you liked most of all the superiors, chiefly because he would never ask you to bring him coffee. His name was Josh, and he had served as one of Markus’ companions during the start and the heart of the revolution. Prior to Jericho, he had been a university professor, which was something you found common ground with.

He was sitting still, as if staring off into the distance, but a quick note of his eyes would show them flickering back and forth. He was reading.

“You ready to do some real work?” he said, voice tinged with faint humor as he continued to scan through whatever files were working their way through his synthetic mind. You’d gotten use to this.

“Yes, for the love of Markus Christ.” you huffed, enjoying in the private joke. Since the revolution there had been no less than 112 articles official and amateur declaring Markus as an android “Messiah”. Based upon Josh’s word, this caused the actual Markus a great deal of discomfort, but still the metaphor stuck.

“I’m going to have to tell Simon that one.” Josh said with a laugh, finally turning his eyes to you indicating he was finished with whatever he was working on.

“But first things first.” he said, pulling out a tablet and handing it to you. It was one of his.

“You know most of these “deviant” criminal cases are still on lock down?”

You nodded.

“We’ve gotten clearance to have the files downloaded. Part of our agreements with the government involve… some explaining. I won’t sugar coat it. Some of these open cases are violent, resulting in death of the human or the android or sometimes both.”

You swallowed, eyes flicking to the tablet as if there would suddenly appear images but there was only a menu showing how to accept file download.

“... death can be a hard topic for anyone. Even more so for your people when it involves Android on Human crimes. You may see some disturbing things. You alright with this?”

“Of course!” you said, a bit quickly and a bit more defensively than intended.

“I mean that… I want to do anything I can to help. I know that… I know they are pressuring to have these androids turned over for prosecution.”

If Josh were non-deviant, he wouldn’t have tensed at the words, but he did. 

“Historically speaking, we haven’t given any android justice. I know this is important. Anything I feel is secondary to that… is what I mean.”

Josh smiled warmly, standing up and hesitantly patting your shoulder.

“You remind me of my old students, ---. I’m sure you’ll do what you can.”

You nodded vigorously, because you would. 

---

It was too far and too cold to walk the length of Detroit back towards downtown, so you took an automated cab. You’d tucked Josh’s tablet safely away in a rucksack over your shoulder and flipped through your phone idly.

You hovered over the message window with Connor for a moment before quickly sending off a few lines.

[ from: ---

Just so there are no surprises, I’m heading to the DPD station rn for unrelated stuff. Might see you! ]

It took you way longer than necessary to actually hit send, but when you did you were shocked that his response was almost instantaneous. 

[ from: Connor

Unrelated to what? Also, are you alright? Do you have an open case with the DPD? ]

[ from: ---

It’s all good. And meant I just happen to be that way as opposed to ya know, stalking. ]

[ from: Connor

“Stalking” does imply stealth, which would be in direct opposition of your current actions if that was the intent. I agree that your  actions do not constitute “stalking”.  ]

You huffed a sigh, but then were startled as the message pinged again.

[ from: Connor

Bit weird though.  ]

You felt a smile slowly form at one corner of your lips

[ from: Connor

That was a joke, in case it was too vague.  ]

[ from: ---

I gotcha ;)

See you in a bit maybe.  ]

And with that, you shut off your phone’s display just in time to exit the cab out front of the DPD building. Inside, the DPD had the same tell tale signs of the android revolution with its lack of noticeable androids. It was not until you got up to the reception desk that it dawned on you they both were identical. They were androids, they had just removed their LED. She was even wearing a name tag that said, Alicia in clear bold font. She was wearing regular professional wear, no Android identifiers in sight.

You’d heard the DPD had gotten on board relatively quickly with providing androids with pay, not wanting to lose the bulk of their staff. While the cleaning crews were absent, the receptionist turned up her face and smiled pleasantly,

“Good morning, how may I assist you?”

“Good morning!” you said, a bit too quickly, “My name is ---, I’m here from the Crisis Response Unit. I have a meeting with Captain Fowler.”

“Yes, we were told to expect you! Do you have your I.D.?” she said, and you were struck by how… friendly she was, as opposed to all the other ST300’s you’d encountered. You pulled out your “badge”, which was nothing more than an I.D. card with a special DCRU designation stamp inside a flip wallet. You passed it to her and she scanned it quickly.

“You’re all set! Just head right through these gates here and go straight back. Fowler’s office is the one in the middle with the glass doors, it should not be hard to miss, but if you get lost just grab one of the officers. They all should know all too well where his office is.” she said with a faint laugh at some private joke.

You nodded, fumbling to put your I.D. with a quick “thank you” before you headed through the gates. It was bigger inside than you expected, with several desks and lots of people working, standing and having their morning coffee or otherwise engaged. You noted the glass enclosed office towards the middle of the room and headed in that direction. There were three people already waiting inside and two of which you recognized immediately.

Captain Fowler was up, preparing to come open the door for you, but Connor beat him in a few brisk steps.

Hank was grinning at you in that suspicious way that you recalled from grade school… like he knew something you didn’t. In this situation, it was pretty unsettling. Did they find that parking ticket from sophomore year?!

“Good morning Ms. ---, please, have a seat.” Fowler gestured to the one other empty chair next to Hank, “These two suspect characters are Lieutenant Hank Anderson and his partner, Connor. They have been working the deviant android cases since the start.”

Connor politely offered you his hand, which you took. He squeezed gently, mischief glinting in those brown eyes before he let go and all but ushered you to your seat. Hank snorted.

“We’ve met.” Hank said, disregarding any pleasantries. 

Fowler looked surprised.

“We frequent the same coffee shop.” you added, “So it was a very brief meeting.”

“You’re lucky.” Fowler said, eyeing Hank with disapproval. Hank seemed oblivious, or more likely, immune.

“We’ve been informed that the ADA’s office is seeking to prosecute these androids. It is highly likely that they are being concealed among the deviants at the relief camp.” Fowler leaned back in his chair, “So, we’ve been told to assist you in whatever way you need.”

“Some of us are a bit too eager…” you heard Hank muttered under his breath. Connor’s eyes trailed on him slowly, making no expression you could see but Hank must have gotten the message because he grumbled and slumped back.

“I appreciate that, Captain Fowler.” you began, “Markus has agreed that his people will search into the population of their androids for these individuals. It’s a good start to integrate androids into the justice system.”

Though you had your own opinions regarding the effectiveness of that. How could any android expect a fair trial when a jury of their peers would most likely be full of humans? But that was a topic for another time and place.

“These files are sealed, so we are requesting a downloaded copy so that efforts can be made to locate these androids.”

Captain Fowler looked unconvinced.

“I have confirmation from the governor and the President’s staff approving this request, if you would like to see it. The governor also said you might like to call her office as well.”

“I think I will do that. In the meanwhile, if you’d gentleman escort Ms. --- to the break-room where she might be a bit more comfortable?”

Hank stood and gave Connor a hard pat, “All you buddy.”

He left without a second glance.

“Right this way. ---.” Connor said, Chief Fowler now too engrossed with his phone to notice Connor used your first name.

It was hard to contain a smile as you walked alongside the detective, following him to a small break-room.

“Coffee?” he asked and you nodded briskly. He poured some of the dark, strong smelling liquid into a mug that read “#1 Dad” and after considering for a moment, pot still in his hand, he poured another.

Bringing both he came to sit with you at a rickety table, stabilized by a half folded paper plate under one leg.

“Don’t think this counts.” you said, taking the mug in both hands, enjoying the warmth if not the overly strong taste.

Connor did not drink.

“You work with the Detroit Crisis Response Unit?” he said, getting right to the point.

“Volunteered. Don’t give me too much credit though. When I joined up, it was all about flooding relief. The Android situation was a surprise.”

“Do you dislike Androids?” he asked.

“Wow. Talk about a hot button topic, Connor. You sure you don’t wanna ask me what my favorite color is first? My favorite movie?”

“No. I would much rather know your stance on the current events seeing as you are working as a relief volunteer.”

Direct. You hid behind the lip of the mug, feeling his eyes keenly on you.

“Why do you wanna know?” you countered, taking a small sip.

“I’m simply curious as to how you feel about your current assignment.”

“I feel just fine.” you said, “I guess… well. Guess sometimes they just spook me. Just like most people.”

“I see.” Connor said, seeming to relax a fraction, “You are afraid of them?”

“Not “afraid” just-- reasonably cautious.”

Connor seemed to be processing this, tapping his fingertips against the mug in his hand and watching himself do so intently.

“You worked on “deviant” cases for awhile, yeah?” you began, “Are… do they make you nervous? Because that’d be understandable given what you’ve seen.”

“They-- did. Before. Now I realize it’s the same as humans. We’re all capable of violence.”

Before you could continue, another man walked into the break-room, smile slick as oil.

“Well, there you are, tin-can.” he said with a smirk, picking up the coffee pot and sloshing some of it onto the counter as he poured a mug full.

“Whose this?” he said, giving you a smirk.

“A liaison from DCRU.” Connor replied coolly, bringing the coffee mug to his lips.

“Is that even good for your health, Con?” the man asked, but Connor ignored him.

“And who is this charming fellow.” you asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Detective Reed. Gavin, Reed.” he answered, giving you a wink, “Now I can see why Con here was in such a hurry to get his ring off before you showed up.”

Ah. That. That was. Not expected. Your blood ran cold, eyes immediately falling to Connor’s left hand as if you’d catch sight of a tan line or some other indicator that you’d been incredibly stupid.

“I got some super glue over at my desk if you need a quick fix.” he said, tapping Connor’s chair with the toe of his boot. Connor, looked somewhere between deflated and coldly controlled anger.

Hank’s appearance in the break room door thankfully put a halt to whatever was going on between the two men, his eyes fixing Gavin with a vicious glare.

“Don’t you have reports to finish, detective?” he said, circling in so that Gavin was forced to walk towards the door.

“Just tryin’ be a good wing-man for my bro, Connor.” he said, disappearing into the hall with a laugh.

Hank looked between you and Connor, noting the change in your demeanor, arms pulled in and looking anywhere but at his partner.

“Fowler uh-- got the call. You can come over to my desk and we’ll get you sorted.”

You hurriedly stood, fishing out your tablet so you’d be ready to download those files and get out of here as soon as possible.

Connor said nothing in his defense, but he watched you intently, searching.

“... thanks for the coffee.” you said, following Hank out.

---

Connor did not join you at Hank’s desk, which must not have been part of the plan because every few seconds Hank looked over his shoulder for him.

“Here. You should get a prompt to download any second now. There are photos, so if you’re squeamish I advised ya not look at the screen while they are downloading.”

You took his advice, letting the tablet drop unceremoniously to the desk as you leaned against it, arms crossed.

Hank was not scowling for once, but you were, brows furrowed tight and troubled.

“Look… ---, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t-- just don’t judge Connor before you get to know him. I know he’s a weird one. I know most people, hell even me, have this innate prejudice, but he likes you. Which is a big deal for him. He’s learning how this goes, so I don’t know-- maybe give him a break.”

“... did… did his wife die or something?”

Hank stared at you, eyes wide and confused.

“His wife.” he repeated, not so much a question but a confirmation of whether or not you were a rambling idiot.

“That detective! Gavin whatever-the-hell said that Connor took off his ring before I got here!”

Hank groaned, resting his face in his hand as he shook his head. The sound quickly turned into a laugh of sorts. He looked back up at you with that same mystified look he had before.

“You really don’t know. Kid, Connor took off his LED before you got here. That’s what Gavin meant. He’s an android.”

A lot, like a lot of things suddenly made sense now.

You sunk into a nearby chair, dazed.

“You really had no idea? With how fuckin’ weird he is?”

“I thought he was just… like, ya know. A hipster intellectual.”

Hank choked on nothing, busting into a loud laugh, “Well you ain’t wrong, kid!”

The tablet pinged, indicating it had finished downloading. Hank popped up, dismissing the file before you could pick it up.

“Like I said. Some gory stuff. I’d advise you get that to whoever wants it and not go poking around in it.” he handed you the tablet, “And for god’s sake, go talk to him before you leave. You’re the first person he’s been around that ain’t me and trust me, that’s good for him.”

You ran your hands over the tablet’s smooth sides, mind going a hundred miles a minute. You turned to leave and saw Connor coming back towards the desks, seeing clearly now the flashing LED he had replaced on the side of his temple.

His expression was blank, but you had dealt with enough androids that you could just faintly see the lines of nervousness and… hopefulness as he passed you.

You caught his forearm, touching the same place where androids connected systems.

“... I don’t dislike androids.” you whispered, risking a look at him through your eyelashes. He was-- smiling and it was so damn beautiful you felt the wall you had started constructing around your heart from Gavin’s words crack open.

“I’m glad to hear it.” 

You smiled, “Text me when you are ready to shell out for that latte.” and gave his arm one last small squeeze before heading out of the station.

[lux-pain-project]

Episode 00 - Pandora Pt.1 of 2 Yuuhigaoka Apartments

[Masterpost] [Next>

Kisaragi City -  Yuuhigaoka Apartments

< Narrator >    A beautiful full moon shines brightly in    the remaining heat of the early-autumn sky.    A lone shadow emerges from the empty    residential area in this quiet night.

   It is revealed to be a young man,    with beautiful ash-grey colored hair    and fair, feminine features.    But the most striking part about him is     surely his unforgettable, gleaming black eyes.

   All those who fall under his gaze, will feel    like they’re being completely seen through,    all the way to the depths of their hearts.     As if they’re being hit by a strong searchlight.

   The name if this young man is - Saijou Atsuki -.    He is a person with special powers    called Σ (Sigma). These powers allow him    to sense the world invisible to the naked eye    and detect the presence of beings of the dark.

< Atsuki >    I’ve arrived on site.    Where is the Target hiding?

< Nora >     Give us a moment.     Natsuki is searching for their location right now.

< Natsuki >     Woohoo!     I’ve got them! Yaay!!

   The target seems to be in the direction    you just came from Atsuki.

   There were many small Shinen, so I think    they’re probably inside one of the apartments.

   Oh but, there are two Shinen that    could be the one we’re looking for...

   From where I am, I can't really tell    which one of them is the target.

< Atsuki >    That’s fine.     I’ll take a look when I get there.

< Nora >     Alright, just don’t let your guard down.

< Atsuki >    This time, we know next to nothing    about the Target. We don’t even    know their nationality, age or gender.    Just that they have a strong love for art.

   How we found out,    that the Original    is in this town,

   all started with the incident in    Shanghai, that was caused    by a single Silent infectee.

   In just three months    that man had infected    tens of thousands of people    in Shanghai with Silent.

   This resulted in thousands of    violent crimes and endless    cases of group suicides.

   Once authorities located the man,    we learned during the following    investigation that he was not,     in fact, the Original Infectee. 

   This man as well, had    been infected with Silent    by somebody else.

   We also discovered the fact    that he had been infected here.    In Kisaragi City.

Yuuhigaoka Apartment Building No.6 - Front

< Narrator >    In the pitch-black darkness of the night,     a huge, grey building towers from above.

   From where he’s standing, Atsuki can see    that the windows of every single unit were dark.     It seems that all residents had gone to asleep.

< Nora >    It’s right around there, Atsuki.

   Hurry and use the power of Σ    to find the Target’s hiding place!

< Atsuki >     Got it, I’ll take a look around.

Tutorial:

Tap the screen when in Search Mode. Red: It is right around here Yellow: It is very close Blue: There’s nothing here

Slide the stylus across the screen when in Erase Mode. Keep touching the Worm to weaken it and turn them into Shinen

Invoke Sigma & Obtain: [A Dirtied World] [Dark Impulses]

[A Dirtied World]:    Shinen obsessed with death,     emanating from those     who have given up on this world.

[Dark Impulses]:    Shinen consisting of multiple deaths,    mixed with a lump of sinister, murderous intent.    There are clear traces of joy    reflected within the murderous intent.

< Atsuki >    I’ve found traces of Shinen.

   Both are strong Zanryuu Shinen (*)    and give off the feeling of death.

   I’ll make contact with the Target    and drag out their Silent!

< Nora >     No Atsuki, stop!

   Liú Yì will be there soon.    Wait for him!!

Room No.207

< Narrator >     The inside of the room was filled    with the stench of blood and rot.

   Cardboard boxes and pieces of paper    were scattered about the place.    Almost like a garbage dump.

   Despite the presence    of a sinister Zanryuu Shinen,    Atsuki noticed there was a cardboard box    in the back of the room.

Invoke Sigma & Obtain:  [I Am God] [A Small Voice] 

[I Am God]    Shinen so dark and distorted that it’s to the point of abnormal.    It is not from a stable state of mind.

[A Small Voice]    The Shinen of a tormented, heartwrenching cry.    Frightened by something it fears    and trying desperately to escape.

< Atsuki >    There’s a single corpse    in the back of the room.    Most likely its former tenant.

   From the amount of Shinen,    I’ll say that it’s been about    two weeks since he passed.

   The Shinen of dying screams    of the many animals he killed,     were what was clinging    to the cardboard box.

   The occupant of this room,    was a sadistic man     who tortured animals    for his own enjoyment.

   Although it’s obvious    that he was infected with Silent,    he is not the Target    that we have been chasing.

   Because if he had been    the Original Infectee,    there should have definitely    been traces of Silent    left around somewhere.

   Which means, that the Zanryuu Shinen    I saw coming from the fifth floor window    should belong to the Target.

5F

< Narrator >    The paint of the entrance door is peeling off.    Right next to the door are messily placed    garbage bags. Just from looking at it,    one will get an ominous feeling.   

< Narrator >    Something evil was lurking in the shadows.

   Something vicious was holding its breath,    hiding in the darkness. Waiting for a chance.  

   It almost feels like being surrounded    by a group of ferocious beasts,    waiting for an opportunity    to strike.

< Natsuki >    Atsuki be careful!!    A large Shinen is coming your way!!

< ???(Liú Yì)>    Unfortunately, he wasn’t the target.

   Those who were infected with Silent,    must’ve gathered together to end their own lives.

   I devoured the minds of those who were     still alive, but none of them were the target.

< Narrator >    Liú Yì, like Atsuki, is a member    of the organization called FORT.    He specializes in exterminating    Silent Infectees. A so called “Sweeper”.

< Liú Yì >    Atsuki, since when did YOU    become a Sweeper?

   If I remember correctly, your job should be    investigating infectees and finding the Target.

   I’d appreciate it if you refrained from doing as you like.

< Nora >     Liú Yì, can I    have a moment?

   Next time, I, would appreciate it if you    would give us a call when you arrive.

< Liú Yì >    I put securing the Target as my priority.

   When I broke in, for some reason,    they were having a falling out.

   There was a high possibility that all of them    were going to commit suicide if I hadn’t stepped in.

< Nora >     Alright, sure. I understand.

   When everyone gets back, I’ll have    plenty of reports for you to write.

   Everyone, please look forward to them.

Yuuhigaoka Apartments

< Narrator >     In the darkness, silence returns    to the Yuuhigaoka Apartments.    As if nothing had happened.

   The ferocious growl    of an animal could be heard    coming from the other side    of some shrubbery.

< ???(Nami) >    ...No, you can’t. Melody.

   G-G-Good evening......

< Narrator >    The girl quickly bows her head,    then points to the window of the     second floor room Atsuki was just in.

< ???(Nami) >    Um, Onii-chan,    did you know?

   There is person who lives on the second floor of this    apartment building, who has killed a lot of animals.

   I’m going to find evidence and tell the police about him.

   That’s why Melody and I came here    today. You know, to investigate.

   But... that person,     they never leave their apartment.

   ... It’s almost as if they’re dead.

   Or so Melody says.    What do you think, Onii-chan?

Choose: [Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about] [Well, she might be right]

[Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about] < ???(Nami) >    Now way!

   I mean, you’ve got special powers    don’t you, Onii-chan?

   I can tell you know?    Because... Melody...

   Ah! Melody, wait!!

[Well, she might be right] < ???(Nami) >    I knew it. You DO     have special powers too.

   I, I realized from the start    Because... Melody...

   Ah! Melody, wait!! 

< Narrator >    The girl stops halfway,     turns around and comes back.

< Nami >    I’m Kamishiro Nami,

   Don’t worry, I’ll keep your powers a secret    from everybody else, Onii-chan

   I mean, if someone found out    you’ll get bullied, just like me.

< Narrator >    The girl chased after the dog    that was running towards the    stairs of the apartment building

   Atsuki regretted not Erasing    her mind as he watched    her retreating figure.

   How did she know    about the power of Σ?

   The power of Σ is top secret.    No one unrelated has ever been able    to find out anything about it before.

   Atsuki felt a strong feeling of    unease spread through his chest.   

END Ep00 - Pt.1 of 2

(*) Zanryuu Shinen is the new Residual Shinen.

[Masterpost] [Next>

[acaseforpencils]

Jason Chatfield.

Bio: I grew up in the far flung suburbs of Perth, in Western Australia, and used to spend my paper route money on MAD Magazines (I cheaped-out and stole my dentist’s waiting room issues of the New Yorker. I think I was the only kid who looked forward to going to the dentist).

I moved to New York in 2014 and started pitching to the mag in person. I’m not sure Bob liked me, so I went back to pitching via email. Then I went in on his last day and finally sold my first piece. I feel like it was his final f—k you to the magazine. “Here! Have a Chatfield!” 

Find this print here!

The cartoon was a goofy play on Vlad the Impaler. 

I didn’t sell to the magazine again until last month, but I’ve had a handful sold as dailies. And I’m published in MAD often, so they’ve clearly done away with any of their standards.

When I’m not drawing gag cartoons I write and draw a syndicated legacy strip called Ginger Meggs which I took over 10 years ago. It’s been around since 1921 and now appears daily in 34 countries. He’s kind of an Australian version of Dennis the Menace, except he predates him by about 30 years.

Tools of choice: For drawing/roughs, I use a Prismacolor Turquoise clutch pencil with a red lead and try to find some paper with a little bit of tooth. The mixed media pads at Blick do the trick nicely.

I ink using a Uni-ball Vision Elite Stick Roller Ball Pen… or a Pigma Micron 03. 

DO NOT use the Uni-Ball Vision Rollerball Pens, Fine Point (0.7mm) if you’re traveling. They explode on planes. And ruin your copy of The New Yorker.

For a wash, I just use watercolor and whatever brush is lying around. Nothing fancy. There’s a scanning app on my phone called “Adobe Scan” which does a nice job of scanning line-art into a PDF when I’m out of the studio and need to email in a quick rough.

I use a Wacom Mobilestudio Pro for finished artwork. I like to get out of the studio and work from a bar or restaurant, so it helps that I can take that with me. I use a little glove that I got on Amazon so I don’t grease up the screen, and the felt-tip nib that comes in the pen-holder makes the friction between the stylus and the screen more like pencil on paper. Unfortunately, they’re not waterproof, as I found on a recent vacation…

My wife plays piano and sings at bars around the city so I’ll often sit at the bar during her sets and draw. Digital/Traditional depends on what deadlines are most pressing. (She has a weekly residency in Astoria —if anyone’s interested in going, let me know!)

A lot of people email me for advice about tablets —I’ve been trialling/demo-ing Wacom products for 15 years— I think they’re great. If you’re married to doing stuff by hand but want to colour digitally, you can get a decent tablet without going broke. Depends on your workflow.

Writing Desk: My wife and I were living upstairs in 5A when my neighbour in 4B died. He was a brilliant poet and had an incredible old writing desk. It’s the only thing that was left in the apartment, so I’m looking after it ’til his grandson moves in at the end of our lease. I work for countless hours at this old thing. It’s beat up, but I’ve patched it together enough that it won’t collapse and bury me mid-brushstroke. I’ve stuck a few of my favourite toons on the top of it.

Tool I wish I could use better: My brain. It really is a sack of cats. Whenever I want to sit and do work, it clocks off. Then it comes up with a pearler of an idea at 3 in the morning when I’m trying to sleep. I write it down in my phone, but autocorrect makes it indecipherable by morning.

I like working with my writer friend, Scott. We both do comedy at night and have developed a nice short-hand. We also seem to have the same library of references and can build on each others’ premises, which tames my sack-of-cats.

Tool I wish existed: The Deadline Extender.® I’ve never missed a deadline, but that said… an extra 3 or 4 minutes to allow for a terrible wifi connection, or a errant scanner wouldn’t go astray.

Also: The Deadline Extender® PREMIUM: Let’s you go back in time to when you were procrastinating and slap yourself in the face. $30 p/month.

Tricks: Ok, well. This is going to sound a bit Dalton Trumbo, but bear with me: I do my best work…in the bath.The most productive 3 hours of my week are during Scotchbath Sunday; an immoveable chunk of time on Sunday evening whereby I lock myself in the bathroom, run a bath, lug my drawing stuff onto a bit of wood that sits over the bath, and just write and draw. Nothing else. I write weeks worth of my syndicated comic strip (Ginger Meggs), I write New Yorker cartoons, scribble up roughs for dailies— and when I feel like I’ve earned it (usually 2 hours in) I tap the side of the bath three times, and my wife peels herself from her piano and I unlock the door to a nice big glass of scotch. It’s a hell of a carrot on a stick to work towards when you’re stuck. (PS. Lest you think I’m some kind of Don Draper-era misogynist; the scotch reward part was her idea. I think she realized it keeps me in the bath and out of her way.)

Anyway. It’s a great way to switch gears creatively. It’s like being on an aeroplane. No wifi, no phones — just the work you need to get done. Get involved. #ScotchBathSunday.

Oh! And if I get my deadlines done for the week, I have a small budget for a solo lunch somewhere where I can eat cheese and draw. I really didn’t know cheese ’til I moved to America. (And yes, I’ve already been to Wisconsin. Good Lord.)

Tips? I always tell younger artists to not even think about touching a drawing tablet until they’ve learned to draw by hand first. Otherwise they’ll always be drawing away, knowing they have the insurance of the CTRL+Z key at their disposal if they screw up a line. That’s not a good habit to have when you’re working to a deadline. But, once you do know how to draw, by all means dive head-first into the digital realm. It’s incredible. Procreate, Sketchbook or Photoshop are all great.

Misc: One of the hangovers from working in advertising illustration is that I’ve had to be a bit of a chameleon style-wise for the last 15 years and haven’t allowed myself to just settle into one style. Lately, I’ve just decided to say “Bugger it!” and try and find a loose, consistent style that I’m comfortable with, that’s an apt conduit to my silly ideas.

I always loved George Booth’s line, and his ability to create a scene with so much movement but just at the right moment in time. Also Sam Gross’ dark, hilarious cartoons with perfect line-economy. And I’d give my left arm (I draw with my right) to know how Barry Blitt has so much control with his washes…

Chatfield’s portrait of Sam Gross

While I’m geeking out, I love seeing younger cartoonists find their feet and thrive in a style that just feels like they’re speaking to you— Ellis J. Rosen, Sofia Warren, Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, Jason Katzenstein, Amy Kurzweil, and a seemingly endless list of talented younger artists who are putting in the work are a big inspiration. 

I know it should be Steig or Thurber or Addams, but my favourite cartoonist is Sergio Aragones.

I was always so enamoured of MAD growing up and studied the lines of Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Al Jaffee and the Usual Gang of Idiots. I remember being so frustrated I couldn’t even come close to getting my work to look like theirs, but I think I found a style somewhere in between when I fell short. 

I think Wil McPhail’s poses are masterful, and I wish I knew how how the hell he did that. One day I’ll trudge up to England and knock on his door to ask him. I find myself doubled-over at John Cuneo’s Instagram, and Ed Steed’s absurdly funny gags. I have a slew of toons I’ve torn out of years’ worth of magazines and taped to my studio wall, or my zillion year-old writing desk. I’m constantly humbled by how generous and welcoming the existing crop of New Yorker cartoonists have been to a goofy Aussie immigrant — Joe Dator, Matt Diffee and Pat Byrnes, Mort Gerberg and an ever-growing list of prolific, talented cartoonists who make the 99% weekly rejection tolerable.

I’ve made some of my closest friends and have been lucky enough to meet my cartooning heroes through the National Cartoonists Society. I got to spend a lot of time with Sergio at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in the UK last year which made my year. We were signing together for a whole afternoon and I spent more time geeking out with him than signing.

Okay. Enough drooling. Sorry.

I’m a fan of cartoonists.

Website, etc. I have a weekly podcast where I throw around ideas for New Yorker cartoons with a fellow comedian and writer, Scott Dooley. It’s called “Is There Something In This?” It’s a bit of fun. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we do take the art of writing gags very seriously. It’s an extremely difficult skill to master, and we’re virtually zygotes at it. We have lots of listeners now, which is bewildering. Talking about drawing is like dancing about architecture, but here we are. Anyway you can find it on iTunes or wherever you waste time listening to podcasts.

My website is jasonchatfield.com and my comedy stuff is up at jasonchatfieldcomedy.com  ( I’ve been doing stand-up comedy for 11 years. If anyone wants to come see a show, hit me up! I’ll put you on the door). My instagram is @jasonchatfield. I’m still trolling the British chap who has the @jasonchatfield handle on Twitter to no avail. To that end, I’m @jason_chatfield on Twitter.

If you want more art supplies in your life, A Case for Pencils is on Instagram and Twitter.  You can also find me, Jane (the person who created/edits this blog), on Twitter here, which is where I stick the paintings that I’ve been doing instead of interviewing people consistently (I needed to balance working on other people’s work and my own work!). Oh, and If you’d like to support this blog, which is always very appreciated, there are many different ways to do so, which you can find here!

[arthurhwalker]

My P40 Yoga, 16 Months Later

I've had my Lenovo P40 Yoga since early March of 2016. It is nearly two years after the device was announced, and it is still a relevant device in the professional computing landscape. The P40 has been central to my workflow since I got it, acting as a confluence for my professional and personal interests in writing, game development, and illustration.

As I write this, the P40 doesn't look to be getting a refresh, and Lenovo doesn't have a replacement device among their current offerings. As far as I know, only Wacom has a machine that is roughly comparable. That doesn't mean another one won't emerge down the road, but for right now, the P40 Yoga pretty much stands alone.

My P40 Yoga has traveled with me to Orlando, Baltimore, and on a weird road trip through Texas. It goes in my bag almost every day, through airports, and up the road to the donut shop. While it is showing some cosmetic wear and tear, it still runs like the day I got it.

At some point, I'll have to look at replacing the battery, putting a new screen protector on it, and finding just the right Linux distro. Wacom's newer (and badly marketed) Bambook Ink Stylus works really well with it, making it feel like I got a little bit of an upgrade for my money.

The P40 Yoga doesn't have a lot of the newer features of 2-in-1 devices coming out this year like faster SSDs and Thunderbolt 3 ports. What it does have is NVIDIA Quadro on board, and a best in class pen stylus experience. It’s weird to be obsessive about a piece of equipment. Maybe, that’s just me getting old and sentimental. 

I’m a game developer, a novelist, and an illustrator. Admittedly, finding an all-in-one mobile computing package for me isn’t easy. I’m also a personal computing princess and I won’t use crap. 

I have looked extensively for a replacement, something new and shiny to act as my mobile workstation. I don’t think the HP Spectre X360, Wacom’s Mobile Studio Pro, or even Apple’s iPad Pro are bad options, they just don’t hit enough of my criteria to make me want to trade up. 

Anyway, my criteria are as follows:

Intel ULV Processor 

Premium Graphics – Quadro or Intel Iris (no GeForce)

WQHD screen resolution or higher

Device/Manufacturer Specific Docking Option

A Good Keyboard or Keyboard Accessory

SD Card Reader - Full Size, or Micro.

Runs Linux if I want to

Included Stylus, even if just a 6.5 mm 

Premium Warranty/Service Options, Device Replacement Plan

I don’t need all of these things, but a good majority of them would be nice. Right now, my P40 Yoga ticks off the entire list. I’ve logged about 2600 hours on my P40, a few hundred more than my S1 Yoga.

I take really good care of my electronics, keeping them protected and dust free, but everything has a threshold. It’ll only power up so many times, and jump through so many airports in a bag. I’ve thought even more about doing that other thing old people do with gear or tools they get sentimental about, and buy a spare. 

This has become a trend with me lately, as my wife and I have come to like Lenovo Thinkpad 10 Tablet to the degree we’ve got three between us. We’ve got two 1st Gen and a 2nd Gen. Like the P40, there is not a new Thinkpad replacing it Lenovo’s offerings. 

So, that might be the answer. Lurk on Lenovo’s Outlet site and wait for a P40 Yoga with all the right specs to pop on the cheap. It might be, that the only thing that can replace a P40 Yoga, is another P40 Yoga. 

[megthero]

Self Examination Time!

Reflecting on my progress in art so far. Been climbing up a mountain, and it’s good to look back and see how far I’ve come! Or how horizontally I’ve walked.

TIME CHECK!

It’s been 27 years since I started arting. 8 years and 6 months since I started this blog. 1 year and 7 months since I started a now stagnant webcomic.

Comics I’m happiest with

"Food Science”

My first webcomic post. After practicing on Adobe Draw for a month or so, flying across the country to visit my best friend, and spending lots of time wandering around while she was at work, this comic came out of a conversation we had. In fact, the following year’s comics were almost entirely inspired by conversations between us. I’ve never met someone with whom absurdity sprouts so effortlessly, like dandelions on your freshly mowed, monoculture lawn. Something about this specific post captured something I’ve been chasing. I still don’t know what it is, but I come back to this one often.

“Urges”

Something about it. If I were to do it again, there’s a lot I’d do differently. It’s sloppy. But it’s another one that felt more like me, or more like the kind of thing I want to make. ELUSIVE “THING!”

I also started experimenting here with turning my handwriting into a font, because the lettering was just so very time consuming. Mostly because I was using a low quality stylus that came on the end of a free pen I took from the Dentist’s office.

"On the nature of stress”

 It was inked traditionally, as I was (am) getting sick of digital art. It has clear black lines, is emotive, could be read in multiple directions. I like analogies, and this captured what I was feeling that day at work- when each drop imperceptibly increases my stress load until suddenly, tears. Whoops.

Areas for Improvement

Consistency

I’ve spent some time learning the rules so I can break them, but I need to break them in a uniform way. Still struggling to develop an identifiable style that is self-consistent.

Sloppiness

Cut back on: poor lighting, fingers in photos, light glare. Those are definitely a result of laziness, and *NOT* artistic choice...

Speed

It’s slow going. Better than not going at all, but there’s room for improvement here.

1) The faster I make art, the more likely I am to put it out there. I’ve also improved on how quickly I can make a decent product. I hope to keep improving on that front.

2) Posting things consistently... I’m less concerned about this, because I’d rather just do things at my own pace. I have timelines at my work life, I don’t need it in my art life. BUT. If I can post consistently and still be happy, I should!

3) Don’t be afraid to complete something in multiple sittings. I had gotten into the habit of rushing to finish a project because I knew that if I put it down, I would never pick it back up again. I refuse to live that way anymore. In fact, this blog post was written across multiple sittings, over multiple days. All I have are pockets of time, and if I wait for chunks of time to fall into my life, I’ll be waiting for Godot.

Digital vs Traditional : Can’t live without that [ctrl + z]

(left: Adobe Draw + Stylus ; right: Watercolors and micron pen)

So far I’ve used:

Samsung Tablet + Adobe Draw + Stylus - Beautiful, simple, but ultimately limiting. I got so used to the delay and imprecision of this setup, that when I finally got a more responsive setup, I couldn’t handle it! Wacom Intuos Draw + Laptop - I used this all of twice. From the steep learning curve of not looking where my pencil is drawing, to the fact that I do most of my drawing while on the go, I realized this just did not work for me. iPad Pro + Apple Pencil + Procreate - My current setup. It’s.... It’s too good for me...! I’m still getting used to it after having it for a few months- it’s one of those things that is so powerful, I'm spending a lot of time learning how to make it work for me. But I think it will pay off / has already paid off. I take it everywhere with me, and I am now almost as quick digitally as I am traditionally. Traditional sketching + Digital Inking - My personal favorite. Works the best for me. I have all the fine control of pencil & paper- zooming in just means  shoving my face closer to the page and widening my eyes. Meanwhile, digital inking relieves me of all the paper tearing, smear lines, and eraser shavings. I can also enjoy the glorious lasso tool, and [ctrl + z]!

YET TO BE RESOLVED: Headaches and eye strain from looking at a screen are a real thing! If anyone has advice on that front, hit me up.

Social Media

I need you... And I FEAR YOU...

Like most others, I have a fraught relationship with social media. I simultaneously want EVERYONE and NO ONE to see my hard work. I simultaneously want EVERYONE and NO ONE to know who I am.

I'm torn between intimate autobiographical commentary, and cryptic absurdity. I've jumped about on Facebook, Instagram, tumblr, Webtoons, Tapas and a personal website. Once all at the same time.

Never again.

I'm easily overwhelmed, so bare bones is my goal. Right now my solution is to stick with Instagram, track long term progress over this Tumblr, and use a personal website as a polished home base to point strangers to, as well as to practice site building.

[josephlrushing]

Nine Months with Samsung Galaxy Note 10: My 12 Favorite Things

We recently recounted our six-month experiences with the Google Pixel 4/4XL, and if you took even a brief at my sections, you would see that ‘disappointed’ doesn’t begin to describe my take. My problems had very little to do with Android, as I have had another device that more than met my needs over the same period, so I wanted to highlight some of the coolest features of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus (or 10+, I tend to use them interchangeably).

As reviews from release noted, this phone delivers: from gorgeous screen to great speed and multitasking to excellent cameras to massive battery life, the Note 10+ promised a great deal. But so often those early reviews fail to capture the reality of long-term use. Now nine months later, I wanted to step through why I would rate this device as one of the best I have ever owned.

I wrote about the announcement and release of the Note 10 phones, but never got into my impressions. One thing I have always loved about the folks at Gear Diary is that while we all love the cool new toys, there is also the element of ‘let’s wait until it gets boring and see if we STILL like it’! I feel that came through in the Pixel group-review with the excellent variety of opinions, and it is what I am trying to bring to this list of favorite things about the Note 10 Plus. Every day I grab it out of my bag and drop it on my desk and just pick it up for any number of reasons throughout the day, no longer thinking ‘oh this is cool’ – until now. So let’s get right to it.

1. Screen – I have been thrilled about how Samsung has packed larger and more vibrant screens into pretty much the same frame since the Note 8. The Note 9 was great, and yet the Note 10+ is enough of an upgrade that I had no qualms about upgrading just a year later. The 6.8″ OLED panel dominates the entire device in an incredibly efficient way that makes every bit of glass something of value. The screen is very bright and crisp regardless of whether you change settings to maximize performance or battery life or balance both. It is without question the most gorgeous screen I have ever used.

2. Edge Panels – the Edge display seems to be divisive, but among Note fans such as myself, it is adored. The Samsung Edge pioneered using curved glass combined with a touchscreen at the edge of the device to give you a couple of millimeters to add ‘handles’ to pull out feature menus. At first, it was finicky and slow, but now these are fast, flexible, and they allow you to layer multiple feature menus. I have mine set up with three menus – one for quick-access apps, another for system utilities, and the last for a compass and level.

3. Cameras – if you had asked me to name the weak spot of previous Note devices, it would have been the cameras. They have always been good – just never competitive. With the Note 9 we got a good rear camera set, but the front camera was weak and got distorted very easily. Now we have a camera set that is competitive with the best from Apple, Google, and others on both the front and rear. The wide-angle camera will naturally distort the edges of an image unless correction is used – and the correction for wide-angle, portrait mode, and low light situations all work well. And while I wouldn’t say the Note 10 Plus offers the best current smartphone camera, neither did I ever see a reason to use either the Pixel 4 or iPhone 11 Pro instead.

4. DeX / PC Link – for years we had to connect our phones to our computers in order to transfer information such as images or music. Now our phones are so powerful that the screen is the limiting factor. Samsung’s DeX offers a USB-C conduit that runs apps on your phone and uses your computer display to view things. This can allow you to do simple things like typing text messages on your computer keyboard, or get better access to smartphone-only apps. At first, I thought it was a gimmick (especially on the Galaxy Tab 4 and 6), but now it is something I use almost every day!

5. S-Pen – in my opinion, there is no need for the Note without the S-Pen at this point. There are plenty of large screen, large battery phones with expandable storage, and while the Note always gets the latest and greatest new hardware, it is still the S-Pen that sets it apart. Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen the S-Pen go from a simple stylus to a paired controller to an active part of the device. You get sensitive positional recognition, button presses for control, and now air gestures for even more control. And while the utility of each of these features varies, the core stylus functionality has been refined and improved with each iteration and remains a key differentiating factor.

6. Performance – anyone who has ever built their own computer can tell you there is more to performance than just the CPU, and that is certainly true with smartphones as well. Not to keep picking on the Pixel 4, but it uses the same Snapdragon 855 SoC as the Note 10+ and putting them side-by-side you’d think the Pixel used a mid-range 7-series Snapdragon! Samsung has always had great strength in putting together excellent hardware (that used to be hampered with lousy software), and the Note 10+ continues that with stellar performance that blows away the already top-performing Note 9. I am sure the generous 12GB of RAM helps in terms of giving apps and the system extra breathing room, but before that could matter the company would have to get the fundamentals right – and they did. Months later, the Note 10+ still feels just as fresh as when it was brand new.

7. Battery Life – rounding out what I call the ‘Four Horsemen of the Note series’ aside from display, S-pen and performance, we have battery life. The Note 10+ has given me two-day battery life since I got it, which in practice meant that I seldom end the day with less than 50% power remaining. Even on days when I use the Note 10+ constantly from before dawn until late at night, I have never managed to get the phone under 30% battery in a single day.

8. Sound (Dolby Atmos) – paired up with stunning visuals and performance, the Note 10+ has a great audio system whether you are using headphones or listening through the stereo speakers. In the past, I found the Note series to have mediocre sound, but the Note 10+ has both hardware and software that deliver great sound for music, video, and games. The size of the body provides a resonant quality, and while the phone volume is loud it never loses clarity. The Note 10+ includes a Dolby Atmos software sound enhancement system which lets you customize the response. And suddenly the audio in the Note series is at least as good as any other flagship device.

9. Handwriting to Text – one of my all-time favorite gadgets was the Apple Newton MessagePad 2000, and I fell in love with its ability to deal with my sloppy penmanship. It might seem like a small thing, but as someone who uses the S-Pen every day, I love the ability to quickly jot down notes and then choose later if it is something I need to transcribe or just leave it as written text. Once you have transcribed your notes, they are traditional digital text that you can use the same way as any other text on your device.

10. Super-fast 45W charging – I have two wireless chargers – one at home and at work. Each is hooked to a high capacity charger, so I can easily unplug the wireless charger and get the Note 10+ charged up very quickly. Of course, because of the mammoth battery that is something I have only ever done a few times, but it is a great option to have.

11. Size & Weight – to put it into context, the Galaxy Note 10 Plus is roughly the same size as the Google Pixel 4XL in terms of dimensions and weight, but the screen is a half-inch larger on the Note 10+ due to lack of bezels and better space utilization. The Note series is the original ‘phablet’ and as such it is bound to be large, but now we are seeing it offer a huge screen, big battery, lots of cameras and S-Pen … all in a competitively sized package.

12. Expandable Storage – not long ago, SD card support was an iOS vs. Android differentiation. Now many Android phones (such as the Pixel and various Huawei devices) exclude expandable storage support – and while this is less of an issue as we move to more streaming and cloud support, the ability to have files on your SD card for access remains very useful in a number of settings. Since I use my Note 10+ for a variety of work functions, I have appreciated the quick access to encrypted files directly on my phone.

13. Customization – one of the key advantages of Android, in general, is the broad customization available in terms of launchers, defaults, and pretty much everything else. Samsung expands upon this in nearly every way. The notification menu has been tweaked for better quick access control, the S-pen control shortcuts all over the screen, side panels, customization and quick access in settings menus and so many more – whenever I want to do something I fend there are at least two or three ways to do it, each of which is more or less efficient depending on what I am currently doing, and often what you are doing is tunneling into the main settings controls through an app-specific setting. Contrast this with iOS where you need to access every setting through the settings app regardless of your current action.

In terms of negatives, things that typically come up are slower updates, the fingerprint reader, and the lack of a headphone jack. In terms of major OS updates, Samsung has definitely improved, with my Note 10+ getting the update by the end of 2019. But that is still nearly three months after the launch of the Pixel 4, and while Samsung’s own OneUI updates bridged the gap considerably, there is obviously further to go. In terms of the monthly updates, Samsung has been amazing – my Note 10+ has gotten updated before the Pixel 4 at least half the time over recent months (including the May update!), so I have no complaints there.

My fingerprints have always been an ‘easy read’, and I have never struggled with any reader (except the Note 8 where I constantly put my finger on the camera lens!), but I have still been impressed with the Note 10+ in-display reader. At first, it seemed a bit slow, but over the months it has become nearly instantaneous at recognizing me and unlocking the phone. As for the headphone jack, this was the subject of many heated debates when the Note 10+ was announced. On a phone as large as the Note it seems like a headphone jack would fit easily, but given the increase in the battery capacity took additional space, for me it was an easy trade. Then again, given that none of my current phones (Note 10+, Pixel 4, iPhone 11Pro) have headphone jacks, I have already adjusted to using either USB-C/Lightning cabled or Bluetooth earbuds.

I am not typically someone who uses a phone for more than 6 months – I’m more someone who will put a relatively new smartphone into pure ‘backup device’ mode while waiting for the ‘next great thing’ — to have a device still totally captivate me after nine months of daily use is unprecedented. But the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ ticks so many key boxes for me – performance, multitasking, screen, optimized size, S-pen, and so on – that I have never found myself itching for a change. Sure I have used other phones – the Pixel is just inferior in every way so was easily put into ‘for reference use only’ mode; the iPhone fits into my personal life, although it lacks many of the professional tools I rely on every day. But since launch day 2019, the Note 10+ has been in my pocket, on my desk, hooked to my laptop, and otherwise my constant companion.

from Joseph Rushing https://geardiary.com/2020/05/13/nine-months-with-samsung-galaxy-note-10-my-12-favorite-things/

[hub-pub-bub]

The e-Reader industry is experiencing a boom period and millions of people are either buying one of the first time or upgrading older devices. There are going to be dozens of different devices coming out, some are geared towards casual readers and others will be a replacement for paper, allowing you to take digital notes with a stylus or edit PDF files. Here are all of the new e-readers that are coming out in 2019!

Onyx Boox Nova Pro

The Onyx Boox Nova Pro features a 7.8 E-Ink Carta HD screen with a resolution of 1872×1404 and 300PPI. The screen is completely flush with the bezel. Underneath the hood is a 1.6GHZ quad core processor, which is the same one that the Onyx Boox Nova employs. There is 32GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, USB-C, 2800 mAh battery and Android 6.0. You will be able to read in the dark via the frontlit display and it also has a color temperature system.

The big selling points of the Nova PRO is that it will be a digital note taking device. It will have a WACOM screen and come with a stylus. There will be a digital note taking app and functionality to edit PDF files. This in in addition to the capacitive touchscreen display for swipes and gestures. The cost of the Nova PRO is $299 and ships on March 8th 2019.

Onyx Boox Note Pro

The Onyx Boox Note Pro features a 10.3 inch E-ink Mobius and Carta display and a resolution of 1872×1404 and 227 PPI. It has a WACOM screen for the stylus and a capacitive touchscreen for interactions involving swipes and gestures.  The PRO will also feature the same glass based display as the Note Plus, so the screen will not get damaged no matter how hard you press on the stylus, and doesn’t really need a screen protector.

Underneath the hood is a 1.6GHZ quad core processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, dual speakers, mic, Bluetooth 4.0, USB C and WIFI. Onyx was the first e-reader company to employ a quad processor and it dramatically increases the performance of navigating around the device, surfing the internet, turning the pages of a book or using Android apps.

The big selling point of the Note Pro, is that it has a color temperature system and a front-lit display, so you can finally use it at night or in low light conditions.  It also is a digital note taking device, with a ton of options to freehand draw, edit pdf files or make annointations in ebooks. The cost of the Note PRO is $599.

Boyue Likebook Muses

The Boyue Likebook Muses features a s a 7.8 inch E Ink Carta touchscreen display with a resolution of 1782×1448 and 300 PPI. It also has a WACOM layer and comes with a stylus. In order to take notes effectively Boyue has incorporated the same note taking software that the Likebook Mimas employs.

Underneath the hood is a 8 core 1.5 GHZ processor with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. This is the 3rd e-reader ever made with an octa-core processor. It also has support for Bluetooth, WIFi, 3.5mm headphone jack, but doesn’t have built in in speakers. It is powered by a 3100mAh battery.

The Muses has a front-lit display with 17 LED lights, the vast majority of them are white and the rest are orange to give a candlelight effect. Many e-readers that have a color temperature system have two different sliders, one for each. The Boyue has one slider that controls the luminosity of the white LED lights and if you hit the moon button you can control the brightness of the candlelight effect. I like this condensed approach, it minimizes the amount of space the lighting control system takes up.

You can consider the Muses the second generation Likebook Mars, except this device can take notes and has a SD card that is capable of running an additional 128GB of storage. SD’s are increasingly rare on e-readers these days and if you are looking for something that can house your extensive collection of digital content, look no further. The Likebook Muses is now available on the Good e-Reader Store and it retails for $289.

Wisky EeWrite E-Pad

The Wisky EeWrite is a new e-reader that is hitting mass production right now and will be released sometime in May. This 10.3 inch e-reader is the first one that is utilizing a Helio 10 core processor and its performance is putting everything else to shame.

The EeWrite features a 10.3 inch E Ink Mobius display with a resolution of 1872 x 1404 with 227 PPI. It has both a touchscreen layer for interactions and a WACOM one for taking notes and editing PDF files with the accompanied stylus.

Underneath the hood is a deca-core Helio X20, which should dramatically increase performance with the Android based operating system. There is no word yet on how much RAM is has, but it does have 32GB of internal storage and is powered by a massive 4,100 mAh battery. It has USB-C, stereo speakers, Bluetooth, a microphone and a SIM card, so you can you access all of your favorite apps, while on the go.

This product is currently undergoing a very limited crowdfunding campaign and only a few hundred units will be available in its first production run. It will retail for $399 and will be available in May or June 2019.

Wisky E-Pad X/Janus

Good e-Reader broke the news in March that Wisky was developing an e-reader that had two screens, one would be E Ink and the other would be a full color LCD. The company has developed a prototype, which they have just debuted at on their website.

The Wisky EPad X features a 9.7 inch LCD display with a resolution of 1536×2048 and on the back is 9.7 inch E Ink Carta HD panel with a resolution of 1200×825. Underneath the hood is a MT8176 six-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. If you are unhappy with the amount of storage, there is an SD card capable of an additional 64-128GB. There is a WIFI+USB+HDMI+Mailbox transfer document system and USB-C. You can listen to audiobooks or music with the dual speakers or via Bluetooth headphones. It is powered by a giant 5000mAh battery.

Eewrite says the tablet supports a Wacom digital pen with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, so in addition to reading eBooks and other documents, you should be able to jot notes, draw pictures, and annotate documents. They also stated that only one screen can be on at a time, and a button cycles between the LCD screen and the E Ink one.

This device will be available soon on a crowdfunding platform, it is likely it will be introduced once their E-Pad campaign has wrapped up.

Dasung – Not an e-reader

In late 2018 Dasung launched a crowdfunding campaign for a very interesting new product. This device can make phone calls, read ebooks, run Android apps and also be used as a secondary monitor that can play video.

The new Dasung product is called “Not an e-reader” and it features a 7.8  E-ink Screen Carta HD display with 300 PPI. It has a front-lit display so users can read in the dark and also has a color temperature system for cold and warm light.

Underneath the hood is a Quad Core Processor, 2GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It has Bluetooth, Wifi, 5-point touch, 2-channel stereo. You will be able to listen to music via the 3.5mm headphone jack. There is an HDMI port so it may be plugged into a PC or laptop to act as a secondary monitor. This device has its own power supply, which is a first for Dasung and it is 5300 mAh.

The big daw is using it as a dedicated ebook reader. You can use the default app to read all the popular formats such as EPUB, MOBI or PDF. It has a fast mode system for top-speed refresh rate, smooth operation and a solid reading mode, which dramatically increases refresh rate, better contrast, exquisite graphics quality.

The Dansung e-reader can mirror whatever is on your Android phone, since it is running Android 6.0. You can make phone calls right on the e-reader, which is useful if your phones battery is almost dead.

This product is retailing for $389 for the early bird perks and it will begin shipping sometime in March 2019. I would trust Dasung to deliver, they always crowdfund their campaigns, it helps them gauge how many extra units to incorporate in their initial production run, so they can meet demand. Once the crowdfunding phase is over, it will be sold on Amazon.

Mobiscribe

The Mobiscribe features a 6.8 inch Carta E-ink screen with a frontlight. It has both a capacitive and Wacom touchscreen, giving you the option of using either your fingertip or a stylus that supports 2096 levels of pressure sensitivity.

This device runs Android 4.4 on a 1GHz Freescale CPU with 512MB RAM and 8GB internal storage. It also has a microSD card slot and wifi, and you can change the color temperature of the frontlight and is powered by a 1500 mAh battery.

This product was a Indiegogo hit and generated over $321,000 in just a few months. The product retails for $214.00 and will ship out in September 2019.

Mobiscribe 10.3

The Mobiscribe brand is owned by TeamUC, which is the North American manufacturer for Netronix. Netronix has just filed an FCC application for new 10.3 inch e-reader and Good e-Reader has confirmation that Mobiscribe will release a large screen digital note taking device that will have the same software as the Mobiscribe 6.8, which has been in the crowdfunding stage for the past few months.

The FCC has received an embargo request, so they are not releasing official specs or pictures of the product until October. This is quite normal for ebook readers and tablets, as companies do not want to give their competition too much information, so they release their own products.

TeamUC has been involved in E-Paper for over a dozen years and sells e-readers, digital signage and shelf labels for the US market.

Amazon Kindle Basic

Amazon has just unveiled a new entry level Kindle e-reader with an E Ink Carta display and a front-light. This e-reader refreshes the old model that has been heavily discounted in the past few months, as Amazon was trying to get rid of as many units as possible.

The entry level Kindle e-reader features a 6 inch E Ink Carta display with a resolution of 800×600 and 167 PPI. This is the first Kindle with a front-light display, which allows you to control the brightness using a slider bar. It has 4 LED lights that are on the bottom of the bezel and project light upwards, so it is not shining in your eyes.

Underneath the hood is a NXP 6SLL (Cortex-A9 @800M/1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM. There is 4GB of internal storage to house all of the ebooks you have purchased from Amazon or from your own personal collection that you have sideloaded. There is no SD card for additional storage, but no Kindle after the 1st generation model has had one.

The all-new Kindle helps you go beyond a book with Amazon’s newest reading features. Now, when you finish a book, it will automatically be marked as read in your library and synced across your reading devices including Kindle, Fire tablet, and the free Kindle apps for iOS and Android. With just a few taps, you can filter to see which books you’ve read and which you haven’t, so organizing your library has never been easier.

The new Kindle also has Bluetooth for wireless headphones or an external speaker and has the Audible audiobook store. This will allow you to purchase audiobooks and listen to them.

Three months of Kindle Unlimited is included for free so you can enjoy unlimited access to millions of titles including stories from thriller author Vince Flynn, popular titles like The Selection by Kiera Cass, and classics like The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

The all-new Kindle is available for pre-order today starting at $89.99 in the US and will be available to ship on April 10th. There are two colors that will be available – black and white.

Amazon Kindle Voyage 2

The first generation Kindle Voyage was released in 2014 and Amazon was continuing to sell a fair number of units all the way into 2018. At the time, the Voyage was the flagship e-reader, the screen was flush with the bezel and it had page turn buttons that provided haptic feedback when pressed down. The front-lit screen has an ambient light sensor that would automatically control the luminosity of the screen, depending on your environment. This e-reader was replaced by the Oasis as the flagship e-reader, and the Voyage lost its shine.

I have heard from the upstream supply chain that the Voyage will be entering mass production soon and will likely be released sometime in the summer or fall. One of the interesting things I have been told was that the Voyage will have the same screen technology as the Paperwhite 4, which means it will be made of plastic and not glass.  This will make it thinner and lighter, making it easier to carry.  It will also have Bluetooth, something the first generation model did not have. This will allow Amazon to market Audible audiobooks on every single e-reader they sell.

Sony Digital Paper

Sony has finalized development of a new Digital Paper digital note taking device and it will be released sometime in the next six months. It will feature a 13.3 inch screen and will be a replacement for the DPT-RP1 that came out last year.

Rumors in the upstream supply chain suggest that the new Digital Paper will have an E Ink Carta and a Mobius screen. Internal storage will be doubled from previous models and the stylus will undergo an extensive redesign. One of the big things Sony wants to do with the stylus is being able to crop and copy PDF documents and save them as individual file. This is similar to the way the Firefox internet browser handles it with the mouse.

Sony also plans on innovating the software experience and changing the way backgrounds are downloaded. Currently you can only download additional backgrounds from the Sony website, but they are changing it so they can be delivered with the Desktop software.  I have also heard they are working on some enterprise features.

The Digital Paper has been on the market since 2014 the and product has seen multiple generations. The landscape has changed in the past few years due to increased competition from companies like Remarkable and Onyx.

Last year Sony and E Ink formed a co-partnership called Linfiny and the Digital Paper 2019 edition will be a byproduct of this relationship. Sony has received a massive discount on the screens, so they can focus on the added costs of software development, which hasn’t really changed in the past three years. It remains to be seen if Sony will scrap the CP1 10.3 inch model, since it hasn’t sold well.

iReader Ocean

The iReader series of e-readers have only been available in China, but now they are starting to have wider availability. The iReader Ocean is a new device that is available for pre-order on many sites, including Banggood.

The iReader Ocean features a 6.8 E Ink Carta HD capacitive touchscreen display. The resolution is 1440×1080 and has 300 ppi. There is a front-lit display and color temperature system to read in the dark. Underneath the hood is a Freescale/NXP 1GHZ SoloLite processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, WIFI and is powered by a 1500 mAh battery. The dimensions are 177.2x125x7.5mm and weighs 196g.

This device is powered by Linux and has a custom UI. It reads many ebook formats such as EBK .TXT .UMD .EPUB .PDF .MOBI. It is available as pre-order and will ship off on May 30th, 2019 and will cost $202 and comes with free shipping.

iReader T6

Xiaomi has just unveiled their first ebook reader and it is called the iReader T6. It is available now from iReader.com in China for ¥928 and also from JD Read. It was designed to compete against the Kindle and other smaller e-readers.

The iReader T6 features a 6 inch E Ink Carta HD display with a resolution of 1448×1072 and 300 PPI.  The screen is completely flush with the bezel and it has a front-lit display for reading at night. Underneath the hood is a 1GHZ Freescale IMX6 Solo Lite processor and 8GB of internal storage. It is powered by a 1500 mAh battery, which should provide several weeks of usage. The width is 7.4 mm with a total weight of 160 g.

This device is using a proprietary Linux based OS iReader UI 2.0, which provides compatibility with all major formats of books and documents for reading : EBK, TXT, UMD, EPUB, PDF and MOBI. It has a pre-installed digital store with hundreds of digital books and magazines, but there is also the ability to download files over Wifi.

Untitled Kobo E-Reader

Kobo is working on new e-reader that will have audiobook support via Bluetooth. Kobo audiobooks can be purchased on a per title basis, but the platform also offers a subscription system for a monthly fee and it also comes with a 30-day free trial period. Customers will get one credit a month with their subscription and they can be redeemed for any audiobook title on the platform. In addition, readers earn Kobo Super Points on their monthly subscription fees or audiobook purchases.

Industry experts have told me that the new Kobo e-reader will be a replacement for the Kobo Aura Edition 2that came out in 2016. I believe that Kobo is going to simply release the Forma Limited Edition in Canada, US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. They will be able to charge more money for the unit, because people will likely pay more money to listen to audiobooks on a Kobo branded E Ink device. I have also heard that they are thinking of increasing the storage space from 32GB to 64GB.

One of the barriers Kobo is facing is building an audiobook player that will be compatible with an E Ink screen and what types of features the average user will want. The company is also trying to figure out the cloud storage aspect of audiobooks that customers have made through the Kobo Android app or the main Kobo website and getting them to sync properly to their accounts on the e-reader.  Syncing ebooks is normally not a challenge, but the average audiobook ranges in size from 250MB to 1.2GB.

Wrap up

Undoubtedly Pocketbook, Tolino, Boyue, Onyx, Barnes and Noble will all release new e-readers sometime this year, but product names and specs are currently unknown. At least one product will be using Clearink color epaper, but the actual device is a closely guarded secret. This post will constantly be updated as new e-readers are announced or we hear rumors. Stay tuned!

Michael Kozlowski

Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and Verge.

[mikepan]

HP Spectre x360 15 (2018) Review

The Anti-Macbook Pro.

I am a big believer in having the best tools for the job. As a computer graphic artist and the founder of The Pixelary, I routinely spend 10 hours a day with a computer, and many of these hours on a laptop. So when my 2011 Macbook Pro finally went below 1 hour of battery life, I decided to start looking at a worthy replacement.

The 7 years old Mac has served me well. It started off as my main computer doing 3D graphics, then became a coding computer when the GPU got too slow, and finally retired to be my email/browsing/Slack computer. But it's time for something better.

I had a few requirements for what my next laptop should be: - Must be 14" or larger - Must be relatively portable and have decent battery life - Must have good quality screen (color accuracy and brightness) - Ideally should have discrete GPU - Ideally should have full sized keyboard with numberpad

Basically I wanted EVERYTHING. The 2018 HP Spectre x360 15 I ended up purchasing is one of the few laptop that fits all the requirements. At $1800 USD, it ain't cheap.

Let's start with the specs:

8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-8550U Processor

15.6-inch 4K IPS micro-edge BrightView WLED-backlit touch screen

16 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM (2 x 8 GB)

512 GB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 Solid State Drive

Nvidia MX150 2GB GPU

Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, USB-C, USB 3.1, 3.5mm Jack, SD Card

4KG

Claimed 10 hours battery life

I have been using the laptop for 2 months now and am very happy with it. Since it wouldn't be fair to compare this to a 7 year old Mac, I'll be using a slightly newer 2015 Retina Macbook Pro 15 that my family has for comparison.

Design

This laptop is a looker. It has a very striking polished gold edge all around a matte dark finish. I say dark because I am not sure what color the laptop really is, it’s lighter than black, darker than grey, and has a warm brown tone to it that I can only best describe as burnt coffee. But the color matches the gold accent perfectly. The fake speaker grill looks tasteful; and somehow, the HP logo even managed to make the light-up Apple logo feel tacky.

My only complaint would be that the finish is not as fingerprint resistant as the grey aluminum MacBook, which admittedly is unrivaled at absorbing fingerprints.

Oh yeah, it’s also a convertible with touchscreen and stylus capabilities. I’ve used it maybe three times in the past 2 months.

Screen: Simply Brilliant. 15 inches of 4k goodness wrapped in a thin bezel. It's plenty bright at 350nits. It's also covers most of the sRGB gamut and 60% of the AdobeRGB gamut. Which sounds a little low, but Windows has pretty terrible wide color gamut support at this point anyway, so I am happy with the sRGB coverage. Size by side, it looks better than the 2015 Retina Macbook Pro.

As with most IPS panels, viewing angle is great, and black is very deep in an indoor environment. Combine that with a high brightness means the overall contrast is very good.

Only issue I have with the screen is the high reflectance. Compare to the 2015 Mac in a bright environment, the HP Spectre's glass screen reflects everything it sees, whereas the Mac has a much more efficient anti-reflective coating to combat glare. This means despite the high brightness, the HP is not nearly as usable outdoors as the Mac. In the picture above, notice how the window blinds is a lot more visible in the HP, making the black look washed out.

Performance: The Spectre is fast. With a bit of tweaking I got 650CB in Cinebench 15, which is amazing for a 15 watt CPU. Combine that with dual channel DDR4 and an NVMe SSD, I can't really complain about raw performance. With the included Nvidia MX150 GPU, we can even do some light 3D work on it, although the 4K screen does make the GPU work pretty hard most of the time.

Blender performs quite well in the viewport when using the Nvidia GPU. It can load a complex scene pretty quickly and allows me to model without any issue. Although to take full advantage of the upcoming Blender 2.8 Eevee engine, you'll probably want a faster GPU.

Because the CPU and GPU are both low power chips, the HP Spectre can run full tilt for a long time and not break a sweat. I did not see any thermal throttling, the CPU never reached higher than 80C at full load.

Software: It runs Windows 10 Home plus whatever HP's decided to load onto your system, which are plenty. Most added software are pretty useless but are easy to remove. Once you comb through the system once, the system is pretty snappy.

Coming from a Mac, the trackpad isn't quite as smooth and responsive as I expected. I fixed this by installing Windows Precision Driver manually, and then configuring the settings to my preference. But the out of the box experience is not ideal, even compared to a Windows laptop such as the SurfaceBook or Dell XPS.

Input and Output Keyboard feels solid and has a satisfying sound. I never got into the mechanical keyboard movement so I feel like I have no authority in saying anything else about this keyboard. I do like a keyboard with some travel distance and this keyboard is perfect.

The extra numberpad is a huge productivity booster, it’s like having 10 additional shortcut keys at your disposal. This is great for any content creators who is willing to put in the effort to map some of those keys to macros.

This laptop has a serious case of FOMO. It is equipped with every port you can possibly need in 2018. You know, just in case. You can turn it into a desktop workstation with Thunderbolt 3; load and edit photo and video with the full sized SD card reader and HDMI output. It also has USB-C which can be used to charge the laptop. Although the power adapter that ships with the laptop is not USB-C, and uses a barrel plug instead. Not cool HP.

Audio and Video I do a fairly bit of video and voice call. Unfortunately this is where the HP Spectre falls flat on its face. The webcam produces a bright picture even in challenging lights, but is quite grainy. The builtin microphone captures a lot of speaker noise, so on a conference call it picks up a lot of feedback, which has caused people on the receiving end to complain. There is a Bang & Olufsen branded audio control panel app, which contains various noise cancelling settings, but nothing I've done so far has made any difference.

Speaker is another aspect where the HP disappoints. The perforated grill above the keyboard is actually a fan vent. The true stereo speakers are bottom facing near the front edge of the laptop. Frankly the B&O folks should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this type of audio to come out of of a premium laptop. These are some of the worst speakers I've heard in a premium laptop. An iPad has better speaker than this.

Battery: Solid 7 hours of light use at 75% brightness, or 4 hours of heavy use when working in 3D. This means most of the time I don't even bring the charger with me when I am on the go. Which is a big deal, because the charger is pretty bulky.

Tweaks 8th Intel CPUs run pretty hot, and are almost always thermally limited. So with a thin and light laptop, a lot of people are recommending undervolting to try to squeeze more battery and performance out of it. i was able to undervolt the CPU and iGPU by 125mV with Intel Extreme Tuning, which improved the battery life by 10% while improving peak performance as well.

Setting a higher TDP than the stock 15W to get more performance doesn't seems to work, as it does with other i7-8550U CPUs. I am guessing this is locked in the BIOS for this particular laptop.

As mentioned before, the trackpad requires the installation of Windows Precision Driver to function well, but is well worth the effort.

I am working to get Linux on this laptop and will follow up with an update as soon as it's done.

Expandability Again, I can't praise this laptop enough for having all the ports. Hashtag NoDongleLife. It also comes with user-upgradable RAM and SSD. Which is not to be taken for granted these days.

However, I kind of wish this laptop would allow me to add a second M.2 SSD, this would be great for media people like me who needs a lot of storage space. Thinner and lighter laptops like the LG Gram 15 has 2 SSD slots, no reason why this can't.

Conclusion

I decided to go with a PC because I am unhappy with the Apple ecosystem; and it’s obvious their recent laptops are not designed for longevity nor professional content creators. Even though I might sound quite critical in this review, I still think this is one of the best PC for me right now.

[kriterium3-blog]

HP HSTNN-F03C Battery all-laptopbattery.com

The Surface Book, introduced during an event on Tuesday in New York City, is the company's first laptop. Sure, Microsoft makes the Surface tablet. And sure, it's got a keyboard thing (the "Type Cover") that you can buy and attach, which turns it into kind of a laptop.The Surface Book is an actual laptop. The battery lasts for 12 hours. It has a real trackpad (with multitouch!) and a keyboard with keys that you depress to type letters. It's powerful enough to run some games, edit movies, and crunch numbers. And it's a direct shot at Microsoft's long-time competition in Cupertino: Apple. Apple has three main pieces of metal and silicon to sell you: phones, tablets, and computers. If we're being serious, Apple's really in the phone business — the vast majority of its revenue comes from sales of the iPhone. Here's the company's latest earnings sheet (try to contain your excitement): But the top three? That's Apple's phone, Apple's tablet, and Apple's computers. Microsoft is taking aim at number three with the Surface Book. Specifically, Microsoft is going after the MacBook Pro power users, the folks who might want to, say, edit a video or crunch some numbers on a powerful laptop.

Here's a look at the comparative specs of the latest MacBook Pro and the new Surface Book:amended chart 2 surface book macbook pro comp Skye Gould/Tech InsiderThese are very similar devices with very similar functionality. They're both able to handle a modicum of heavy lifting, while also fitting snugly in a small backpack or travel bag when you're on-the-go. The Surface Book costs a tad more ($200 for the base model), and the operating systems will automatically divide some folks used to using one or the other. But Microsoft has added a few smart components that could sway the graphic artists and film editors and tech bloggers and, yes, even the Apple devotees of the world:A detachable screen, so the laptop immediately feels more personal. Use it like a sketchpad! Use it as a notepad! A crazy future notepad!

And this is all in addition to Microsoft's surprising success with the Surface Pro tablet. While paltry compared to Apple's $4.5 billion in iPad revenue last quarter, Microsoft's Surface business is humming along at $888 million in its latest report. That's a 117% increase over the previous quarter, while iPad sales have been on the decline for several quarters.The reveal of the Surface Book is a hilariously timed return volley in the wake of Apple's iPad Pro announcement — a tablet that in almost every way mirrors Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet. There's a keyboard attachment that doubles as a cover. There's a new stylus (the "Apple Pencil") for drawing.So, while Apple's announcing new products that compete with Microsoft's surprisingly successful new hybrid category — one that Apple CEO Tim Cook took a swipe at years ago and has seemingly come around on — Microsoft's taking aim at another of Apple's underloved categories, the laptop. And Microsoft's innovating.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a small share of the revenue from your purchase.Since you don't have all day to scour the web for noteworthy sales and discounts, we rounded up the best bargains for you to shop in one convenient place.You should never skimp on bed sheets. Considering you spend about a third of your life in bed, your sheets should look and feel great. If your current set could use replacing, head over to Serena & Lily's site.During the company's Winter Tent Sale, you can save up to 65% on sheet sets, bedding accessories, and tons of other styles. To sweeten the deal, Serena & Lily is offering an additional 20% discount on Winter Tent Sale items when you enter the promo code "HAPPYNEWYEAR" at checkout.Sous vide cooking is one of the newest trends that's making its way into the everyday arsenal of the at-home chef. For those who aren't familiar with this cooking technique, sous vide refers to a method of cooking in which food is vacuum-sealed in plastic bags, then slow-cooked in water heated to a precisely controlled temperature. The result: steaks are evenly cooked, meats are tender and moist, and side dishes retain their flavors.

HP HSTNN-F03C Battery

Compaq 233343-001 Battery

HP HSTNN-CB0X Battery

HP HSTNN-CB1A Battery

HP HSTNN-DB0W Battery

HP PR08 Battery

HP PR06 Battery

HSTNN-DB36 Battery

HSTNN-DB35 Battery

HP RM08 Battery

HP QK647UT Battery

HP QK647AA Battery

HP QK646U Battery

HP QK646AA Battery

HP PR09 Battery

HP CC09 Battery

HP CC06XL Battery

HP CC06X Battery

HP CC06 Battery

HP 2000-354nr Battery

With courses on every topic you can think of, Udemy offers a great way to pad your résumé with relevant skills or simply learn something new for fun. Today is the last day you can enroll in tons of courses for $10 each.Layering is the key to keeping warm in the winter. That's why every guy should own an insulating zip-up jacket, like this one from Patagonia. Several colors are currently on sale, so you're bound to find one that suits your style.If you’ve been wanting one for a while, now might be a good time to buy. For a limited time, the Samsung Galaxy Tablet S2 is available for $400 — $100 cheaper than it normally costs.A watch is one of those accessories that will never go out of style. If you need a new piece of functional wrist wear, then you might want to consider buying a smartwatch.

One of the best on the market is the Apple Watch; its ability to display notifications makes it the perfect complement to your smart phone. This first generation model isn't the latest and greatest, but it still has great battery life and water resistance. It's the perfect deal if you're looking to get your first smart watch.Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Business Insider's Insider Picks team. We aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting, and if you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners, including Amazon. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback.

For the longest time, if you needed a laptop for Getting Things Done, the simplest solution was to buy a MacBook Pro from Apple. Yes, it’s expensive, but there’s been little else in that “power user” range just works the way it has — especially with its stellar keyboard, world-class trackpad, long battery life, and gorgeous display.It’s been more than a year since Apple updated the MacBook Pro line. A potentially significant update is coming, but in the meantime, a handful of Windows 10 devices have emerged as genuine alternatives in that high-end, pro-level bracket. (Microsoft’s own Surface Book is one, Lenovo’s Yoga 900 is another.)For the past month, I’ve been using two newer contenders: the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga, and the Vaio Z Flip. Though they both come with very real tradeoffs compared to the pure accessibility of the Pro, they also do things that any Apple machine simply cannot. They do have their differences, though — so I put them head-to-head.

If you’re on the fence about buying a new power notebook, it’s worth waiting and seeing what exactly Apple has up its sleeve. But if you don’t want the new macOS to nudge you into Apple’s ecosystem, or you just want to try something different, here’s a good look at what’s premium on the other side. To be clear, I used Lenovo's most expensive Yoga model, which includes a new Core i7-6600U chip, a whopping 16GB of RAM, and a big 512GB solid state drive. It costs $2,100.I used the second most expensive Vaio, priced at $2,000, which includes a Core i7-6567U chip, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD.In English: They’re strong. If you’re aren’t doing Professional Things, both will chomp through whatever you feed it.If you do want to keep a truckload of tabs open, edit photos, or what have you, both are up to the task there, too. I simply didn’t have any significant problems doing things with the horsepower that’s packed here. Just know that they aren’t built for gaming, and that they can get a pinch warm when stressed.

HP 2533t Battery

HP 3105m Battery

HP 3115m Battery

HP 593548-001 Battery

HP 593550-001 Battery

HP 593553-001 Battery

HP 593554-001 Battery

HP 593561-001 Battery

HP 593562-001 Battery

HP 593572-001 Battery

HP 593576-001 Battery

HP 595669-721 Battery

HP 595669-741 Battery

HP bb09 Battery

HP ev03 Battery

HP ev06 Battery

HP mu06 Battery

HP mu09 Battery

HP mu06047 Battery

More specifically, the Vaio houses a 28-watt chip. That’s more powerful than the 15-watt CPUs most others use. The only major competitor to use a 28W model is, you guessed it, the MacBook Pro. But again, that’s using last year’s processors.So, if you bump the Vaio up to 16GB of RAM, it’s not only a tier above the Yoga, it’s one of the few Windows machines that can compete with, and even best, the highest-end MacBook Pro.To get that, though, you need to shell out $2,400. That’s $300 more than the top-tier Yoga, which is still plenty capable in its own right. (But it's still $100 less than the best MacBook Pro.) The entry-level, $1,400 model has a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a paltry 128GB of storage. If you need power user performance, I’d step up to my configuration. If you’ve ever seen a ThinkPad laptop, you’ve seen the X1 Yoga’s smooth, black matte finish before. The boxy look isn't flashy, but it fits the professional mold well. It’s also sturdy, and came up no worse for wear after being stashed in my backpack for a few trips.

The Vaio, meanwhile, puts more emphasis on aesthetics. Its cool, aluminum finish feels like it belongs on a laptop as expensive as this. It’s solidly built, and its creased, dark grey lid comes off as understated yet distinct.That’s one thing I like about both devices, really: They’re each doing their own thing, not aping the MacBook’s success.Another thing that’s easy to like is how thin and light they are. The Yoga is a pinch lighter — at 2.8 lbs, versus the Vaio’s 2.96 lbs — even though it’s bigger, while both come in at a fairly svelte 0.66 inches. Neither are a burden to carry, in other words. And technically, they’re both more compact than the MacBook Pro.Like many premium Windows notebooks, both the Yoga and Vaio are designed to be flexible and welcoming to touch controls. This is a major difference from Apple’s design philosophy, and often times, a big advantage over the MacBook Pro.

Now, for me, having a touchscreen means little when it’s time to do work. Using a web browser or Photoshop with your fingers isn’t fun, and Windows 10 does an iffy job of laying out its settings in tablet mode.But the freedom is appreciated. When I want to stream YouTube or WatchESPN, it’s nice to flip my laptop around and turn it into a mini TV, instead of reaching for the tablet I normally use the same way. You have to look at as an added bonus: Windows 10 has a lack of apps built for touch, but since it works fine the normal way, that’s not so bad.Both devices also come with styluses, which is good if you’re a designer or just don’t want your fingers to smudge up your screen. They’re both comfortable and accurate, though the Yoga’s stylus seemed a bit smoother in operation. The Vaio also lacks a slot for holding its pen, which could get annoying. I preferred the Yoga’s setup — if you want to turn it into a monstrous 14-inch tablet, just bend it back. When you do that, the keyboard becomes totally flush and sits flat. Again, Lenovo’s done this before, but it feels natural, and it works.

The Vaio, on the other hand, is a little more complex. Below its display is a “release” switch; hold it, and you can flip the screen 180°. (Hence the name.) This isn’t much of an inconvenience, and I can appreciate the engineering that went into building that without turning the rest of the machine into a mess, but the Yoga’s method just comes easier.Of the two, the Yoga is more of an out-and-out business laptop. As such, it packs more ports and connectivity options.MacBooks, these are not. Despite its thinness, the Yoga includes three USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, a mini DisplayPort, a Kensington lock, microSD and SIM slots, a docking port, and other things you might one day need. It’s more plentiful than the Pro, to put it one way.The Vaio isn’t as stacked, though it does include a couple of USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot for extra storage.The noticeable absentee here is USB-C. You should be able to live with that for the time being, but it is the future — especially if the new MacBook Pro loads up on them, as rumored. For now, though, I didn’t miss it.

[davidegbert]

Tablet Deals In April On Android And Windows Tablets And 2-In-1’s

We have seen a few new important tablets being launched the last few weeks, which have generally put tablet sales on the backburner. But now towards the end of the month, we are seeing a couple of interesting April tablet deals, with one tablet from Lenovo in particular offering a lot of hardware for the money during the sale.

So let’s begin with that one. It’s actually a very new tablet, with the 2nd gen. Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Plus, which is one of these 10.1-inch Lenovo Yoga tablets with that cylinder kickstand at the bottom that house the battery and speakers. The battery has a rated 18 hour battery life, at 9300 mAh, while the speakers are actually 4 JBL speakers with Dolby Atmos. And that’s not even the best bit, which is the 2560 x 1600 resolution, the 1.6 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 5MP front camera combined with a 13MP rear camera on this Android 6.0 tablet. On sale until April 29 for $254, I don’t know of any tablet that offers that much hardware for under $300. That’s not the model with the built-in projector though. That would be the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro, but that tablet is also on sale this week, for $399, which is quite a bit more, even though it has 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM (1600 MHz), 64GB of storage, and an even larger 10200 mAh battery.

It’s also possible to save money on buying the brand new Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, now that it has been cut by $15 since launch.

This is the brand new 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 resolution AMOLED tablet with quad speakers, included S Pen, Android 7.0, fitted keyboard, 4GB of RAM, and 4K camera. Windows 10 2-in-1’s are also seeing good discounts in April, starting with the Asus Transformer Mini being $100 off again for 3 days, with a sales price of $249, which is also good value for money for a 10.1-inch Windows 10 tablet with detachable keyboard and active stylus pen included.

Some additional highlights of this mini-Surface includes 4GB RAM, full-size USB 3.0, ac Wi-Fi cover, built-in kickstand, and an elegant looking fingerprint reader on the back. Even cheaper than that is the Teclast Tbook 10 S, for just $169, which brings with it the option of Android as well as Windows. It also comes with the pen inclued, but the pen is not as good as that on the Asus Transformer Mini though, as it lacks palm rejection. The Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 have also been cut in price at the same that it launches, so how about that? This is a good tablet in itself, but with the MIUI 8 operating system it ships with over stock Android OS, this one is mainly for Xiaomi users. Now that the new “Samsung Galaxy TabPro S2” or what is rather called Samsung Galaxy Book 12 have started taking preorders ahead of release in May, the predecessor is having a final clearout sale, where the white edition is on sale the most, at $599, with the keyboard cover included.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S is is a thin, light 12-inch Windows 10 2-in-1 powered by an Intel Core m3 “Skylake” processor, featuring a AMOLED display with 2160 x 1440 resolution, long battery life, and digitizer support. Even cheaper than that is the nearly identical rival, Huawei Matebook for $525, which has the same resolution display, just without the AMOLED screen. But that’s still with a keyboard included. And an Intel Core m5 version can even be bought withouth the keyboard for $10 more.

– Jim Miller

Source link

[coldstarlightharmony-blog]

Universe Tab S3 survey: The high cost of a balanced Android tablet It may be superior to the Tab S2, yet is it worth $600.

Samsung keeps on contending with Apple's iPad with the redone Galaxy Tab S3. Two years back, the organization discharged 8.0-inch and 9.7-inch models of the Tab S2, yet Samsung is currently improving with only one 9.7-inch model of the refreshed tablet. The $599/£599 tablet has a HDR-prepared show, a smooth glass plan, a speedier processor, a unique mark sensor, and an included and enhanced S Pen, just to give some examples of its elements.

The new S3 proceeds with Samsung's endeavors to influence the individuals who need a top of the line, generally useful tablet to pick its Android gadget over an iPad, and Samsung cushioned this endeavor with several elements intended for clients of its Galaxy cell phones. Yet, Android's tablet application hole, in addition to other things, keeps on making premium Android tablets a hard offer.

Look and feel

The Tab S3 looks misleadingly like the Tab S2, however Samsung made the gadget look and feel inconspicuously more top of the line than its ancestor. Presently the back isn't made of delicate touch plastic, yet rather than glossy glass that is somewhat intelligent. The dark model shows fingerprints more effectively than our delicate silver model, however the glass makes the tablet feel more extravagant when all is said in done. The Tab S3 has a similar metal edge that the S2 had, and it has correspondingly estimated bezels encompassing the 9.7-inch, 2048×1536 AMOLED display.At 429g (simply under a pound), the S3 is not as light as the Tab S2 (372g) or the Nexus 9 (425g), however regardless it figures out how to be lighter than the iPad Air 2 (437g) or the new $329 iPad (469g). On its edges are a microSD card space, the volume rocker and power catches, an earphone jack and one USB Type-C port for charging, and two little, oval-ish spaces. These ovals encompass attractive hubs that help the tablet connect to the console deck.

While the console is discretionary, the Tab S3 incorporates the enhanced S Pen in the case. This model of the stylus resembles a more drawn out, somewhat fatter adaptation of the pen found in the Samsung Chromebook Pro, and it includes an all-elastic, .7mm tip and a particular side catch. The tablet can detect when the pen is floating over it, and the side secure brings the pen menu as a matter of course. That catch likewise goes about as a fast eraser, giving you a chance to switch all the more uninhibitedly between pen information and eraser nullification.

Samsung still has the physical home catch at the base of the show board, which is embraced by a touch-touchy application drawer and back catches. The unique finger impression sensor is like what's on the Tab S2 as in it's not the least demanding approach to open the gadget, similar to a unique mark sensor ought to be. The setup procedure requests that you turn your finger as you would to open the gadget in picture and scene mode, yet that doesn't appear to help the sensor distinguish your unique finger impression when it's at an odd point. In any event a fraction of the time, I was approached twice for my unique mark in light of the fact that the sensor didn't remember it the first run through.

While the show determination didn't change, now it's an AMOLED board that backings HDR. When you see the visual contrasts amongst HDR and non-HDR video, the Tab S3 clearly creates more dynamic hues and wealthier blacks than its non-HDR partners. It's a decent liven, particularly in a gadget implied for video and (in some ways) craftsmanship content. Be that as it may, presently HDR is quite recently that—a wonderful liven and not a need.

Inside the Tab S3 are quad speakers tuned by AKG, which sense the introduction of the tablet to give the best stable. Four speaker flame broils are unmistakable on the top and base edges of the tablet, and the speaker programming will change the way solid leaves those speakers relying upon how you're holding the tablet. There's a discernable contrast when you change from representation to scene mode while tuning in to music-based substance, for example, a music video: everything is somewhat enhanced when in scene mode, with more grounded vocals and articulated foundation instruments that are typically just black out echoes. In any case, when watching something more discourse based, similar to a Netflix appear, the distinction is less apparent.Keyboard case and S Pen

The enhanced S Pen that accompanies the Tab S3 has a super thin tip that can bolster up to 4,096 levels of weight affectability. The delicate touch, rubbery feel of the pen makes it grippy and simple to hold, and it's about a third longer than the Chromebook Pro's stylus, so you don't feel like you're composing with a twig. Yet, the stylus additionally does not have the lessened inactivity of the Chromebook Pro's stylus, so you'll see a moment or-so slack between your strokes and the computerized ink showing up on the tablet. Apparently the best thing about the S Pen is that it doesn't take any batteries, and you will never need to charge it.

Either squeezing the S Pen's side catch or floating over the tablet's show will raise the stylus' menu. As a matter of course, the menu has brisk get to symbols to make a note, get to every one of your notes, brilliant select (for catching a bit of the screen), screen compose (for taking a screenshot and making notes on it), and decipher. You can alter the alternate ways in this menu by changing the Air Command settings, and you can include an easy route for about any application you need. This makes it less demanding in case you're in the zone with the S Pen and you need to get to much of the time utilized applications all the more rapidly.

My most loved Air Command is Translate. On the off chance that you need to interpret a word starting with one dialect then onto the next, simply float the tip of the S Pen over that word and Translate will demonstrate to you the equal in another dialect. This component would have been unfathomably useful for me in school, when I would look into each other word while attempting to finish assignments for my great Italian writing classes.

The Tab S3's console case is an extra adornment you can purchase for $130. It's a common tablet-buddy console that appends attractively to a strip along the highest point of the S3's keys, and the back fold joins to the tablet's back attractively also. The Tab S3 must be situated consummately in this strip to be completely associated with the console, and some of the time making that association was less demanding said than done. The strip itself is a long indent in the console deck with six attractive hubs in the center and two oval-ish distensions on either side of the hubs. These hubs fit into the spaces on the Tab S3, however I frequently discovered them hindering my capacity to completely secure the tablet into the strip. At the point when this happened, the keys didn't work despite the fact that the tablet was steady and remaining for the situation, and the on-screen console flew up as the main information alternative. This is settled by evacuating the tablet and putting it down onto the attractive hubs as straight as would be prudent.

The console deck doesn't have much space, which positions the Tab S3 as a great deal all the more a tablet than a two-in-one of any sort. The chiclet keys are fulfilling to sort with, and, even with them being so little, I could sort at a genuinely ordinary speed. Where the console stumbled me up was numbers: the numeral and image characters are the top-most column, and each key is about a large portion of the extent of a general key. I never wrote a multi-digit number accurately the first run through, and I turned out to be progressively irritated at the marginally bigger Backspace key that was additionally hard to hit appropriately. As I feel with most tablets: since I could sort this survey utilizing the console case doesn't mean I ought to.

To compensate for the absence of S Pen holder on the Tab S3, Samsung added a discretionary holster to the console deck. This little bit of adjusted plastic has a level glue strip appended to it that gives you a chance to stick the holster on to the pre-situated indent on the back of the console deck. I wish Samsung had just incorporated this with the console deck, since anybody acquiring the discretionary console deck is as of now doing a considerable measure with the Tab S3, and they likely need the S Pen accessible at all times.SoftwareThe Tab S3 ships with Android 7.0, so you'll get all the enormous elements of Nougat out of the crate. That incorporates the multitasking highlights, some of which Samsung offered much sooner than standard Android did.

At the point when Android 7.1.1 turned out a couple of months back, it brought new emojis, it brought a thing called

"dispatch activities" to certain applications, including YouTube, and it conveyed GIF consoles to Google Allo, Google Messenger, and Hangouts. Those are generally little changes, yet we would have gotten a kick out of the chance to have them promptly on the Tab S3. The Tab S3 likewise accompanies the February 1, 2017 Android security fix, making it a month outdated.

This form of Samsung's TouchWiz subject is ostensibly the minimum hostile that we've seen, and it doesn't conflict with Google's Material Design as much as past adaptations. One of the outline alternatives that is on as a matter of course is the "symbol outlines" setting, which embraces each application symbol with a translucent, white adjusted square. Turning it off will make Google applications symbols, similar to Hangouts and Drive, have a greater amount of that Material Design feel, regardless of the possibility that they don't appear to be indistinguishable to application symbols on gadgets like the Google Pixel cell phone. The white square helps applications emerge on the home pages like Samsung cases, especially on the off chance that you have a bustling backdrop. In any case, we welcome that Samsung gives you the choice to kill that element on or.

The required Samsung-reproduction applications organizer remains. It holds applications including Internet, Email, and My Files, which can be disregarded on the off chance that you depend on comparable Google administrations. Samsung incorporates an application called Pen.Up, an "informal community" for specialists to make and share computerized drawings, however you have to agree to accept a free record before you can even portray in it. Thus alone, I adhered to my favored workmanship applications like Autodesk SketchBook.

Samsung additionally incorporated the versatile renditions of Microsoft's suite of Office applications, which will be simpler to use on the Tab S3 than on the Tab S2 on the off chance that you get the console extra. Be that as it may, you'll get more application optio