I have four networked Dreo devices running in two locations and none of them would work today. I’ll point out the solution here was to unplug them, plug them back in and they functioned properly again.

I have two in my bedroom that run at night in natural mode and move the cool air from the AC that’s placed badly/the only place it could be over to my bed. As part of my morning wakeup I generally have the fans shut down (using Google Voice,) so that I’m not blasted with cold air first thing in the morning. Today nope.

Went into my Dreo app after two or three attempts to shut it down and the Dreo app could not control either fan, nor my tower fan/air purifier at work. I bravely braved the slightly chilled air and pressed the power button on my Dreo Air Circulator and nothing. Would not shut off.

Pulled the power cord and decided I would look at that later. The Dreo mini fan near my bed wouldn’t shut off either but I couldn’t get to the cord without moving the bed so it’s just going to run today.

I got into the office and pressed the button on the tower fan, it was refusing to turn off either. The dreo tower fan at work is used to cool off a server due to the AC freezing one side of the room and there simply being no real air circulation. I tried everything I could think of before pulling the plug, plugging it back in, and it once again returning to normal and being controllable in the app as well as the controls on the fan.

I suspect a firmware update probably caused the temporary de-smartening of the devices, but it’s something strange to note.

I did not see if anything was up with the BaristaMaker or the two not smart air purifiers we have at work, but I don’t assume there is.

None of my Dreo appliances would turn off today by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

A few weeks ago my Vizio sound bar started sounding wrong. I usually had it turned up to 32 and now I was having to set it at 40+ to hear anything and this was causing issues because it was bugging the kids. Shows sounded booming, people speaking sounded like they just weren’t there.

I rebooted and removed power from both the TV and the sound bar. In the past there have been updates that have caused issues but no… went into the sound bar config with the Vizio Mobile app and noticed one of the speakers just wasn’t working. The other was, but it seemed pretty weak to me.

A couple of minutes of moving the couch around and moving everything on the couch arm to the floor and I had found one of the cables was severed… CATSSSSS!!! The actual cable was oddly not an audio cable I’ve run across before but was simple and I was able to easily strip, move the wires, and strip an internal cable and tie it to the other and viola! Speaker was back up and running.

But the audio on one of the speakers was still incredibly muted. I swapped cables with the one I had repaired and the speaker was now fine meaning that it was probably the cable itself… I traced every inch of the cable until I found what I believed to be the source – an indent probably from CATSSSSS!!! and ended up cutting it and splicing it there and bam – things were working perfectly.

I went to move the couch back into position, my Leatherman multi tool on the arm, my Leatherman no longer on the arm, and my Leatherman accelerating at 32f per second right toward my Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite which I’d carefully placed on the floor so it wouldn’t drop off the couch arm. I use this tablet to do most of my reading and, well, crack. It didn’t appreciate the falling Leatherman.

Sigh.

Was having audio issues on my TV and now evidently need a new Samsung tablet by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

The rapid advancement of technology has always influenced the gaming industry, and virtual reality (VR) is the latest frontier. Online VR games are at the forefront of this revolution, exploring the potential of VR to transform the online gaming experience. With pokies online real money Australia leading the charge, VR promises to bring a new dimension to online gaming.

Virtual Reality in Online Gaming

Virtual reality technology immerses players in a 3D environment, offering an experience that closely mimics a real-life game. This technology has the potential to revolutionize how players interact with online games, providing a more engaging and interactive experience. As VR technology becomes more accessible, its impact on online gaming is expected to grow significantly, offering players an unprecedented level of immersion and engagement.

Key Features of VR Games

Game makers are exploring several key features of VR technology to enhance the online gaming experience. These features are designed to make the virtual game environment as realistic and interactive as possible.

These features aim to provide players with an immersive and engaging experience, setting a new standard for online gaming. By integrating these elements, game makers ensure that players receive a rich and dynamic gaming environment that mimics the excitement of a physical game or sport.

Benefits of VR Games

The integration of VR technology into online games offers several benefits. These advantages not only enhance the gaming experience but also attract a broader audience.

• Realistic Experience: Players can enjoy the look and feel of a real game or sport from the comfort of their homes, making the gaming experience more enjoyable and accessible.
• Social Interaction: VR enables real-time interaction with other players, fostering a sense of community and enhancing the social aspect of gaming.
• Variety of Games: A wide range of VR games caters to diverse player preferences, ensuring that there is something for everyone.
• Enhanced Engagement: The immersive nature of VR keeps players engaged and entertained for longer periods, leading to higher satisfaction and retention rates.

These benefits highlight the potential of VR to revolutionize the online gaming industry, making it more interactive and engaging for players.

Challenges of VR in Online Gaming

While VR technology holds great promise, it also presents certain challenges. Addressing these challenges is crucial for the successful integration of VR in online games.

• High Costs: Developing and maintaining VR technology can be expensive, which might limit its initial adoption by smaller games.
• Accessibility: Not all players have access to VR equipment, limiting the audience and potentially slowing down widespread adoption.
• Technical Issues: Ensuring a smooth and seamless VR experience requires robust technology and infrastructure, which can be challenging to implement.

Despite these challenges, the potential benefits of VR in online gaming make it a worthwhile investment. Overcoming these obstacles will be key to the widespread adoption of VR games.

The Future of VR Games

Despite these challenges, the future of VR in online gaming looks promising. Leading game makers are investing in research and development to overcome these obstacles and provide a cutting-edge gaming experience. Potential future developments include:

• Advanced AI Integration: Combining VR with AI to create more intelligent and responsive gaming environments, enhancing player interaction and engagement.
• Expanded Game Selection: Developing a broader range of VR games to cater to all types of players, ensuring that there is always something new and exciting to try.
• Improved Accessibility: Making VR technology more affordable and accessible to a wider audience, enabling more players to experience the benefits of VR gaming.

These prospects highlight the potential for ongoing innovation in the online gaming industry, driven by advancements in VR technology. As VR becomes more integrated into online games, players can expect a more immersive and engaging gaming experience.

Conclusion

VR Games are at the forefront of integrating virtual reality into online gaming, promising a more immersive and engaging experience for players. With the potential to revolutionize the industry, VR games represent the future of online gaming. 

The post The Future of Virtual Reality Games appeared first on GameOgre.

The Day Bison Graced Street Fighter 6 Was The Most Important Day Of Your Life. To Him, It Was Tuesday!  

Well more accurately it was a Wednesday. Paraphrased Raul Julia quotes aside, on the 26th June year two of Street Fighter 6 kicked off. What a way to start the year too with the revival of one the series most iconic villains. 

For those in need of a recap on the quite frankly ludicrously deep lore and story in the Street Fighter series. The last time we saw M.Bison in Street Fighter 5 was under a pile of rubble after a climactic fight with Ryu, presumed dead of course! This is not M.Bison’s first rodeo in falling off the mortal coil though, so we shouldn’t be surprised on his return.

The M.Bison we received has seen quite the redesign. He is an amnesiac fuelled by psycho energy with a thirst for power, in search of his lost name and personality. His introduction into this world is naked in an alleyway being assaulted by thugs. Surprisingly the thugs meet a quick demise and M.Bison repurposes their possessions to reclaim his dignity. A tattered rag fashioned into a suitable menacing hooded shoal covering an almost zombified face warped by psycho. His bottoms are a stark reference to his former position of power, with a look most will recognise. The new style may not be for everyone but the evil drifter look really does it for me. To those who disagree the classic iconic costume is available to unlock, or purchase.

His fighting style is what we are familiar with from previous series entries. Heavy and brutal close up attacks with brilliant mid to long range capabilities with his signature Psycho Crusher. The aforementioned move can be pulled off with one button now thanks to modern controls. Making one of the series most famous moves accessible to all players.

World Tour players will be happy to know that M.Bison will become your master albeit after a fair few prerequisites. Any would be pupils are sure to rejoice when causing psycho based havoc on the denizens of Metro City after his teachings.

This explosive start to year two is exactly what players like me wanted. The future of Street Fighter 6 is looking extremely healthy with the crossover characters Terry and Mai from Fatal Fury, as well as the capoeira master Elena. Certainly a lot to look forward to in one of the premier fighter game franchises.

Oh did I mention M.Bison has a horse. You know, like Raul Julia did portraying him!     

The post Street Fighter 6 – M.Bison Returns appeared first on GameHype.

THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS … BUT ITS FUN TRYING!

Balatro is a unique poker themed deck building roguelike created by solo anonymous developer Local Thunk. Released on all current home consoles and previous generation entries for both Sony and Microsoft users. A release is also in the works for smartphone users both on Android and iOS, however no date has currently been announced. For the sakes of this piece I found myself gravitating towards the PC Steam (specifically on the Steamdeck & Mac port) & Nintendo Switch releases.

Going back to the first line I’m aware I used a lot of word to describe the genre of the game. As gamers we are very used to hearing FPS or RPG and getting it. This beast is a little more difficult to put in a specific corner like a lot of other games. I guess if pushed I would call it a card game but that’s severely underselling what Local Thunk has offered us here. It feels almost Slay The Spire like without the action and gambling instead of dungeon crawling; even that feels like a slightly inaccurate description. Now we are all positively confused we will delve into the core game play loop as that’s what makes or breaks a roguelike. 

Upon starting a run you are faced with a screen giving you details of a small blind, big blind and boss blind. Each blind with all intent and purpose is a game of poker with the goal of how many chips you need to win to either progress or meet your inevitable end. Tasked with going from small blind to boss blind you are presented with the option, play or skip. You choose play and the casino classic begins your hand dealt and ready to place a scoring collection of cards from your hand. Skipping will give you a small bonus ranging from profoundly trivial to game saving. To those with no to passing knowledge of the light flashing, tinnitus inducing parlour game extraordinaire that is the house fear not, at all times you can hit run info to be told what a flush is and how good at making money it is or not. You will have a couple of hands to try and hit the blind chip goal, also some discards to try to curate your plays as best you can. Try that one in the Casino, I dare you. Then you go to play your first hand and its important to remember its you versus the dealer, so no need to practise your poker face with this one. Fingers crossed you drop down a royal flush typically the highest scoring hand and decimate the first, potentially last actual poker game of the run.

After a fleeting moment of Im James Bond in certain Royale film passes, a breakdown of how you played and cash earned will show with a invite to a shop. Offers of Jokers, Card Packs, Consumables & Vouchers will greet you will open arms. 

Jokers act as passive buffs to equip, the most basic of which is a simple addition of a 4 times multiplier. The rarer joker cards afford you increasingly crazier passive effects. An early favourite of mine the “Shortcut” joker, allows you to play non consecutive straights (For the uninitiated a straight is a consecutive hand 2/3/4/5/6 for example; this would allow 2/4/6/8/10 to count as a straight).

Vouchers are small passive bonuses the aren’t equipped like the jokers. So you don’t have to manage the number you are using at once unlike a joker. They will tend to set you back a bit more money than a joker as they offer upgrades to your run that are often unconditional. 

Card packs are similar to a pack of ‘Magic The Gathering’, could be gold could be trash. Different packs exist that could populate the shop. Celestial packs grant a planet card which increase the level of a poker hand making it a more valuable hand.  This can snowball to the point where a pair hand is a more fruitful play than a royal flush hand. The Arcana pack will grant you tarot cards which have altering effects that mostly modify the cards in your deck. The World card as a quick example changes up to three selected cards to the suit of spades, now your deck is more likely to get a spade flush. Spectral packs are very similar to Arcana packs but the cards modify to a much higher extent and often come with gambles or disadvantages. The Buffoon pack is a collection of joker cards which we touched on earlier. Standard packs give you the option to add a playing card to your deck. Want an extra king you got it, some more aces your in luck. See I told you Balatro was a deck builder and now you have decks that can play impossible hands such as five of a kind.

Adding to the deck building mechanic is variables that can effect any card. A foil card which will give you extra chips if played. A purple seal that can help generate you extra tarot cards if said card is discarded. With much more effects available. A personal favourite of mine is the polychromatic which gives you a multiplier of your multiplier in game, which if on a suitable joker can help send your chips into the stratosphere.  

There is a good chance you have come across a hard synergy and blinds are being blown away by you. Dropping a pair with a joker that multiplies your spade cards and would you look at that, the pair has a spade in it. Chips are piling in and it feels good, a little too good. The next hand you drop has literally set the score counter on fire it was so good, the grey matter in your head washed with dopamine.  That fun needs to come to an end with the boss blind.

Boss blinds play the same way as any other blind with an extra mechanic that can act as real roadblock. The extra mechanics range from debuffing certain suits to expecting a seriously high amount of chips from you, or giving you your cards face down to let luck fully decide the fate of this run. If the boss blind is overcome you will up your ante where we continue play with higher amounts of chips required and potentially more brutal boss mechanics.

Managing to get through eight antes will be a victory for the run. You will be feeling like a champion amongst the cards. Then Balatro offers something that normally turns me totally off in roguelikes, an endless mode. In my experience what tends be a monument to tedium, as your indestructible build melts anything that attempts to pose a threat. In the case of Balatro you have nothing to fight its just the draw of the cards and increasingly higher numbers of chips to chase to really test how good your deck actually was. Now at this point its important to say, you will lose. The house always wins in endless mode, its just how much of a fight your deck can put up. The inevitability of your upcoming failure is what to me makes this post game victory lap truly thrilling. It is a testament to Balatro and its quality that it made a fun yet maybe inaccurately named endless mode.

The more hands and runs that are played the more cards are unlocked to play with offering further chaos with potential synergies. Extra decks can also be unlocked that play different right from the start of the run.  Those who need a bit more spice will look forward to unlocking the challenge runs. These start with a set of cards or jokers with a designed mechanic either to battle for or against you during the run. Pre-designed mechanics not your cup of tea but want further challenge? After having a successful run you can increase the stake of your deck making the next run harder in some way. 

If you don’t want to fully commit to unlocking everything the game has to offer, an unlock everything option is available. I don’t know how much I would recommend this for new players as it could be a little too much at once. Alas for console hoppers like myself, its a great option for veterans of Balatro to jump into a fresh save on another platform with everything ready to go. If you also like playing online slots, you can download joker123 apk.

Balatro has a truly unique game feel that I have personally never experienced. With a fitting art style of a seedy video poker machine on a CRT it evokes that gambling feel. It’s endless amount of build possibilities will keep you coming back for more. With it’s easy to pick up hard to master gameplay, Balatro really captures that one more run feeling that any rougelike worth its salt needs. A game like Balatro doesn’t come round often so if you take anything from me go play it yourself. Your experience will be worth more than anything I can put into words, trust me.

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The industry of gaming technology has undergone massive process changes in recent years and the way it provides video games. Technologies ranging from VR and AI to nanotechnology are constantly putting out more living and thinking games than has ever been before. Below are some of the important technological features that refer to the future of gaming.

Virtual and augmented reality are some of the revolutionary technologies used in games and extensive gaming. While VR headsets immerse players into rather complete 3D environments, AR places digital entities on top of or integrates them into our physical reality. Popular gaming brands have been researching how to leverage these technologies to improve engagement with the players. 

Intelligence systems are one more important technology used by dominant gaming platforms like Betway, that makes the games smarter and more active. Now NPCs can cope with problems by communicating with players and their behaviors depend on the actions of the gamers. This makes the characterization of more realistic settings and plot scenarios that act in response to decisions made. Currently, operators are using the application of AI to recommend and even customize games as well as the contents of the games.

Cloud gaming is providing the opportunity to more people and challenging hardware limits. Thus, gamers can play several hours of increasingly complex games on a single battery charge, and all this on a handheld with a screen up to 5” without a powerful processor. This has revived new chances regarding cross-platform play. Gaming platforms and the services they provide, could also improve their services and make them compatible with mobile, desktop, and smart TV technology via the use of cloud technology.

Haptic feedback stands as the innovation that is bringing the physical experience in games. Complex controllers and wearable devices are capable of creating haptic feedback such as touch, feel, and even pain so that actions in a virtual world are felt. This could increase the immersion of gaming applications and give people the sensation of feeling the impact of a massive play or win.

The AI is driving the procedural generation that has fostered almost infinite dynamic game worlds. This way instead of creating every environment through coding it can be created through algorithms and can create landscapes, quests, and content on its own. This leads to games with literally almost endless play-throughs. Online games could use similar performing tech to design individual gaming levels/adventures for each player.

Real-time ray tracing is rapidly changing the look of in-game lighting and graphics. One of the techniques of rendering is to mimic the physical behavior of the movement of light that produces accurate reflections, shadows, and light. The effect is game worlds that, in appearance and interaction, are even more plausible than before. Technology like this might be currently applied only to AAA titles but could in the future help improve visuals of online games too.

Spatial audio provides even better audio experiences in games. Thanks to the placement of the sounds in the 3D space, this feature provides the listener with the possibility to locate an object with high accuracy. This makes the game even more realistic and also challenging at the same time since you have to outplay your enemy.

One of the newest technologies in the field of game implementation is the so-called BCIs or brain-computer interfaces. With these devices, players can control the games by the signals from the brain making gaming even more natural. BCIs are still preliminary used, yet they can one day drastically adapt the ways we interact with any form of digital entertainment.

As these technologies mature and as there is integration of these technologies, there will be a blur between physical gaming and virtual gaming. Major stakeholders open to innovations will be among the first to implement various innovations to provide richer, fun, and customized experiences to their users. The future for games is promising, and these inventions are opening up horizons that were only previously depicted in movies and films.

The post How Technology is Creating Smarter and More Immersive Gaming Experiences appeared first on GameOgre.

The 1980s marked a golden age for video games, introducing players to worlds and characters that would become legendary. From the pixel adventures of Mario to the strategic play of Madden NFL, these best-selling video games laid the foundation for franchises that continue to captivate millions around the world.

1. Mario

In 1985, Nintendo introduced the world to Super Mario Bros., a game that would redefine platform gaming. Created by the visionary Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario quickly became an iconic character, capturing the imaginations of gamers worldwide with his quest to rescue Princess Toadstool from the villainous Bowser. Over the years, Mario became one of Nintendo’s best-selling franchises and one of the most recognizable game characters.

Super Mario Bros. revolutionized the gaming industry with innovative gameplay, engaging level design, and memorable music. The game’s success helped solidify Nintendo’s position in the market, making Mario a household name. Mario’s adventures set a new standard for platformers, influencing countless games that followed it.

Since the 1980s, the franchise expanded rapidly, with numerous sequels, spin-offs, and merchandise cementing its place in popular culture. Notable titles like Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Odyssey continued to push the boundaries of game design. The Mario franchise’s enduring popularity is reflected in its staggering sales figures, with over 800 million units sold worldwide for its various game series.

Mario’s journey from a simple 8-bit character to a global icon is a testament to the creativity and innovation of Nintendo, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.

2. Final Fantasy

In 1987, Square (now Square Enix) released the original Final Fantasy, a game born out of desperation to save the struggling company. Created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the game was aptly named, as it was intended to be Square’s final project if it failed. Instead, it launched one of the most beloved and enduring franchises in gaming history.

Final Fantasy introduced players to rich storytelling, complex characters, and expansive worlds, setting a new standard for role-playing games (RPGs). The first installment featured a turn-based combat system, an intricate plot, and memorable music composed by Nobuo Uematsu to captivate players. The game’s success played a significant role in popularizing RPGs in the West, a genre previously dominated by Western-developed games.

The Final Fantasy franchise has grown to include numerous sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations across various media. Notable titles like Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy XIV have each pushed the boundaries of what RPGs can achieve, both narratively and technically. With over 185 million units sold worldwide, the series is a commercial powerhouse.

From its humble beginnings as a last-ditch effort, Final Fantasy has become a cornerstone of the gaming industry, celebrated for its creativity and depth.

3. Madden NFL

In 1988, Electronic Arts (EA) released John Madden Football, the first game in what would become the legendary Madden NFL series. Developed with the guidance of football coach John Madden, the game aimed to deliver a realistic football simulation. Overcoming initial development challenges, the game’s attention to detail and authenticity set it apart from other sports titles.

Madden NFL revolutionized sports gaming by introducing realistic gameplay mechanics and strategies that mirrored real-life American football. The involvement of John Madden ensured the game stayed true to the sport, appealing to both fans and players alike.

The Madden NFL franchise has seen consistent yearly releases, each iteration improving on graphics, gameplay, and features. The series has adapted to new gaming technologies, from 16-bit consoles to modern-day platforms, keeping it relevant and engaging. With over 130 million copies sold, Madden NFL is not just a commercial success but has become one of the best sports video games to play.

Madden NFL’s enduring popularity is a testament to its quality and its significant impact on sports gaming. By faithfully recreating the excitement and strategy of American football, it has earned its place as one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.

4. The Legend of Zelda

In 1986, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda, a groundbreaking adventure game created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. This game introduced players to the kingdom of Hyrule, where they embarked on a quest with the hero Link to rescue Princess Zelda from the evil Ganon.

The Legend of Zelda revolutionized gaming with its open-world exploration, puzzle-solving elements, and intricate dungeons. The game’s non-linear gameplay was innovative, allowing players to explore at their own pace and discover secrets organically. Its success established the action-adventure genre, influencing countless games with its blend of exploration, combat, and narrative depth.

The Zelda franchise has grown to include numerous critically acclaimed titles, such as A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Breath of the Wild. Each installment introduced new mechanics and deeper storytelling, consistently pushing the boundaries of game design. The series has sold over 153 million copies worldwide, cementing its status as one of the most popular video games to play.

The Everlasting Influence of Classic Games

These iconic titles not only introduced innovative gameplay and storytelling but also laid the groundwork for best-selling video game franchises that continue to captivate audiences worldwide. Their legacy endures, proving that the magic of the 1980s still shapes the gaming industry today.

The post Gaming Legends: 1980s Titles That Became Best-Selling Video Games appeared first on GameOgre.

The online gaming market is already strong. Revenue from the industry is expected to reach $100.9 billion in 2024, and user numbers are expected to grow to 281.3 million by 2029. Despite these figures, there is still significant room for growth.

Cryptocurrency technology is already helping to drive this growth and has the potential to contribute further to industry operators’ growth strategies. We will consider the role of cryptocurrency technology in online games, how it can promote growth, and the potential challenges involved with using the technology.

The attraction of enhanced transparency and security

Using the Internet presents risks to personal data and financial information. Online game operators that mitigate this risk for players are more likely to thrive. Cryptocurrency technology and the blockchain technology behind it help with this mitigation.

This is due to the transparent nature of the blockchain technology behind cryptocurrencies. Every transaction in the blockchain is recorded on a public ledger, so there is significantly reduced opportunity for fraud. In addition, blockchain technology is used to create self-executing smart contracts, which can ensure players playing securely and promptly.

Privacy for players

People who play online games may not want to reveal their activity to others. Using traditional fiat currencies makes this impossible. However, when using cryptocurrencies, players can remain anonymous. They do not have to reveal personal financial information. Being able to provide this privacy to players allows online games to grow their player base.

Simple and fast transactions

No one who plays online games wants to spend more than a few minutes paying to play from their account. By allowing transactions with Bitcoin, cryptocurrency games enable instant attractions. This makes them more attractive to players and helps them to flourish.

In addition, cryptocurrencies can be used globally. This is good news for game fans in areas where there is limited access to traditional services.

Unique rewards and loyalty programs

In order to optimize growth, online games offer reward systems to loyal players and VIPs. Using cryptocurrency technology allows them to offer unique rewards, such as their own tokens that players can win with their achievements while playing. Players can also benefit from loyalty programs where they can save cryptocurrency rewards to progress up levels and achieve top rewards.

Integration of blockchain technology with features

Other features that attract players to online games and help them grow are challenges and competitions. Operators can use cryptocurrency rewards as prizes for player success. They can also make non-fungible tokens (NFTs) available, which players can earn and trade with others.

Challenges to enabling growth by using cryptocurrency technology

Cryptocurrency technologies enhance the growth strategies of online games. However, there are challenges that can make using the technology problematic and that operators must be aware of. The main challenges are,

• Issues with the regulation of cryptocurrencies in many countries.
• The volatility of cryptocurrency markets that presents a risk which must be mitigated.
• A lack of understanding of cryptocurrencies that can restrict player numbers.

Online game operators have no control over the volatility of cryptocurrency markets and regulation. However, they can monitor the current position and ensure players are protected. They can also raise the profile of the use of cryptocurrencies to play online games and increase their customer base.

In summary

Cryptocurrency technology enhances the growth of an already strong online game industry. Game operators use the technology to optimize their own growth strategies by improving player security and privacy, enabling fast transactions, and creating unique rewards and features. There are challenges for operators to deal with when using the technology, but they do not prevent the usefulness of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies in online game growth.

The post The Role of Cryptocurrency Technology in Enhancing Growth Strategies in Online Games appeared first on GameOgre.

To truly understand the selection of the best CSGO gambling sites you’ll see in this article, you need to understand specifically, what we mean when we say, CS:GO gaming site. This article is going to be focusing on the best CSGO skin sites where you can use skins to play  CSGO events.

Now, let’s take a look at how you know what gaming site is the ultimate platform to trade your skins and potentially earn some CS money.

Which CS:GO site is best?

Choosing the best CS2 sites requires that you look out for specific things that can make or break your fun.

Proven and Secure

Fair play, safety, and security are essential for CSGO sites. Prioritize platforms with robust security measures, including SSL encryption, licensing verification, and transparent game IDs. Excellent customer support and fast transactions are also crucial considerations.

Also, there’s really nothing that’ll do the job as a review more than an actual eye-test. In this case, taking a wisdom-of-the-crowd approach by looking at the best CSGO trading sites Reddit users and other enthusiasts may recommend is likely to pay off.

Bonuses and Promotions

CSGO traders are drawn to value, which is why many sites offer a variety of bonuses and promotions, including welcome bonuses, free coins and skins, daily promotions, and referral codes.

CSGO and CS2 case opening is very influential for the Counter Strike franchise, therefore these skin sites that offer free skins or cases are somewhat incentivized. Make sure to look out for CSGO sites with free cases.

Range of CSGO eSports Gaming Options

CSGO sites often offer diverse esports and match-making options, extending to games like DOTA 2 and LoL. The best sites feature various CSGO mini games, from provably fair to traditional types.

Transaction Methods

Top CSGO sites offer diverse transaction methods, encompassing skins, cards, inventory items, and cryptocurrencies. This variety provides users greater flexibility and convenience.

How to Play CS:GO

Joining the CS:GO gaming sites is easy:

1. Choose a preferred site based on the criteria above.
2. Create an account.
3. Fund your account. You can use skins or other payment methods.

Summary

When selecting a gaming site for CSGO, it’s important to check that the website is trusted, not just by online technical reviews, but also by other CSGO gamers.

Security, a variety of options, trusted payment portals, and useful bonuses and promotions are the key things that make CSGO or even CS2 gaming sites truly the best.

The post Choosing The Best CSGO Gaming Sites appeared first on GameOgre.

Welcome to your ultimate guide to online gaming. In this detailed review, we’ll take you through every aspect of this vibrant game industry, exploring its offerings, bonuses, game selections, and much more. So, let’s dive into the world of All Spins Win and discover what makes it a unique destination for gaming enthusiasts!

🌟About Online Games – A Story of Gaming Excellence

Online games burst onto the scene with a clear mission: to provide a fun, fair, and fantastic gaming experience. Since its launch, the online game makers have been committed to bringing players a wide variety of games, high-quality customer service, and generous bonuses that make every game more exciting.

📊 Pros and Cons of Choosing the Site

Every game site has its highs and lows, and online game sites are no exception. Here’s what you need to know:

Pros:

• Extensive Game Selection: Enjoy over 800 games.
• User-Friendly Design: The site is easy to navigate, whether on desktop or mobile.
• Robust Security: Top-notch security protocols protect your data and transactions.
• Generous Bonuses: From hefty welcome bonuses to exciting weekly deals.

Cons:

• Lack of a community.
• Long wait times.

📝 Step-by-Step Guide to Signing Up 

Getting started is as easy as pie. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Visit the official website.
2. Click on the ‘Sign Up’ button and fill in the required fields.
3. Verify your account through the email confirmation.
4. Pay to play and claim your welcome bonus.
5. Start playing your favorite games!

🎁 Unpacking the Bonuses and Promotions

Online game sites know how to treat their players with a treasure trove of bonuses. The promotions are not just attractive; they’re designed to enhance your playing time and increase your chances of success in the games.

🎲 Dive into the Game Library

Many sites offer an impressive selection of over 800 games. Whether you’re a fan or not, there’s something there for you.

🔒 Safety and Fair Play 

Your safety is a priority. The game sites use advanced encryption to protect your information and transactions. Additionally, they adheres to fair play standards ensuring every game is random and fair.

📱 Mobile Gaming: Play on the Go!

Enjoy games on your mobile devices without compromising on quality. The mobile platform is fully optimized for both iOS and Android devices, providing a seamless and engaging gaming experience wherever you are.

📞 Customer Support: Always Ready to Help

Reach out to your game’s customer support via live chat, email, or phone. The team is responsive and knowledgeable, ready to assist you with any queries or issues you might encounter.

❓ FAQ – Quick Answers to Your Queries

How do I claim the welcome bonus?

Sign up and pay to automatically receive your bonus.

Are the games fair?

Yes, all games are regularly audited for fairness.

Can I play on my mobile?

Absolutely! The games are optimized for mobile play.

Is customer support available 24/7?

Yes, customer support is available around the clock.

🏆 Final Verdict and Rating

Online gaming sites are more than just gaming sites; they are a vibrant community where fun and safety are paramount. With an extensive game library, robust security measures, and a player-friendly website, most score a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Whether you’re a casual player or a seasoned gamer, online game sites offer a rewarding experience that’s worth exploring.

The post Exploring the Thrills of Online Gaming – A Comprehensive Review appeared first on GameOgre.

Video gaming has become a favorite pastime among many individuals today. It engages users with compelling storytelling, skills, and strategy. Now, by adding gaming elements, players can enjoy these games more and have a chance to win random rewards.

For instance, loot boxes have become popular, as they contain items that can enhance a player’s in-game experience. This new paradigm raises many questions about player psychology, spending habits, and the very nature of play.

The Thrill of the Random Rewards and their Psychological Appeal

The allure of random reward systems is at the core of this convergence. The appeal of these systems is based on the concept of variable ratio reinforcement. Since users never know when they might get an item, they are likelier to spend more on loot boxes.

This concept taps into the same psychological processes that make gaming exciting. Expecting a reward and an uncertain outcome creates an irresistible urge to keep playing. 

In addition, these reward systems often include bright lights, celebratory sounds, and animations that mimic the ambience at a new casino. These sensory cues enhance the excitement and make players return for more gameplay. 

Examining Spending Patterns Related to In-Game Purchases

Incorporating elements in video games has notably impacted gamers’ spending patterns. In-game purchases, especially those that include random rewards, have become a gold mine for game developers.

A Forbes study reveals that players spend disproportionate amounts of money on games. Users can quickly drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars on loot boxes and other microtransactions.

This integration also influences users’ overall spending patterns. Players who don’t spend money on gaming may be tempted to do so to gain valuable rewards. This often leads to an overall increase in spending as users justify small, frequent microtransactions that can quickly add up over time.

Influence on Game Ratings and Reviews

Loot elements in a game impact its ratings and reviews. Regulatory bodies such as the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) consider including loot boxes and other features when assigning age ratings to games. Games with these elements are often rated higher, reflecting concerns about their potential impact on younger players.

Additionally, loot elements have influenced users’ reviews. While some players enjoy the added excitement and potential rewards, others criticize these systems as exploitative. These negative reviews highlight the frustration of using money to remain competitive or enjoy the whole game experience.

Existing Laws That Govern Video Games

As the online gaming world blends with video gaming, it prompts regulatory scrutiny and the introduction of laws for consumer protection. Different countries have taken various approaches to address this issue.

Australia and the United Kingdom have investigated the impact of loot boxes and similar systems. The UK Commission stated that loot boxes do not fall under the legal definition of wagering. Yet, they acknowledge the potential harms and have called for possible legislative action.

The situation is different in the United States. While no federal regulation specifically addresses loot boxes, several states have proposed legislation to regulate their use. While ongoing debates ensue on governing this convergence, we can expect more developments towards more comprehensive regulations. 

Final Thoughts

The blurring lines with loot systems represent a new gaming paradigm combining excitement and risk. Integrating loot boxes often leads to changes in spending patterns and raises ethical concerns.

While these features heighten the gaming experience, they pose significant risks to users, especially younger ones. Therefore, developers are responsible for implementing ethical practices that prioritize engaging gameplay. As the gaming industry evolves, developers, regulators, and consumers must work hard together to ensure a safe and enjoyable gaming environment for all. 

The post Blurring the Lines with Loot Boxes in Australia appeared first on GameOgre.

The arcade joystick you use can enhance or destroy your gaming experience. Despite triggering a feeling of nostalgia each time you place it in your hand, your chosen joystick will determine your comfort, the machine’s flexibility, and the game’s responsiveness, which is why you must choose wisely.

If you are building your own arcade, restoring an original arcade machine, or want to make improvements to a kit arcade with poor controls, you might be unsure about the best joystick to use.

Avoid buying the first or cheapest option you can find, as they aren’t all created equal. So, what are the best arcade joysticks out there? Continue reading to find out.

Sanwa

Unlike American arcade joysticks, Sanwa doesn’t depend on as much wrist work, meaning its joysticks are more responsive during gameplay. As a result, you can perform motions in a faster time frame.

The Sanwa JLF is a smart choice for modern arcade and fighting games, as it offers more precision and control. However, it isn’t best suited to many classic 4-way arcade games, such as Donkey Kong or Pac-Man, as you can easily make the mistake of hitting diagonal.

If you want to play a 4-way title, the Sanwa JLW is a better choice, and you can easily switch to an 8-way following a quick twist underneath the joystick.

Due to the quality of the arcade joystick, many of the top fight sticks feature Sanwa-made controls. For example, the Mayflash F500 Elite has become a popular fight stick, as it provides plenty of wrist space during gameplay and is easy to replace. Plus, the arcade stick has an acrylic panel you can remove with ease. Another superb option is the Nacon Daiji, which features a Sanwa joystick and buttons, as well as a textured palm rest for added comfort. Plus, the screw-on system makes it a breeze to remove the ball top and bat top.

Happ

Happ Suzo Competition might not be every gamer’s first choice, but the arcade joystick can have its benefits. The more you use the handle, the looser it will become.

If you are patient, the spring will eventually loosen, or you can speed up the process by changing the microswitch. The latter will allow you to adjust the tension and actuation to match your specific needs.

Happ, originally manufactured by an American company, resembles an upside-down bowling pin, offering a classic joystick and button style compared to other joysticks.

Another option is the Suzo Happ Super 4 or 8 way, which is ideal for 4-way games. The biggest benefits are that it is simple to install and use, as it offers plenty of flexibility. Yet, it might feel a little stiff during gameplay.

If you love hitting an arcade joystick in every direction and riding the gate as hard as you can, Happ might be the perfect choice for you.

Seimitsu

The Seimitsu LS-32 arcade joystick is a lot looser than a Happ or Sanwa JLW arcade joystick, but it is a little more restrictive than the Sanwa JLF. Many fans of fighting and shooter games often opt for this option, as it provides more precise, smaller movements.

For instance, it has a short lever, offers little short throw, and provides a proportional range for every direction. It is a great option for many arcade genres, and it is quite versatile thanks to its configurable restrictor in two-, four-, and eight-way modes.

The Seimitsu LS-40 is another option to consider. It has a tighter throw compared to the LS-32 and provides a large range of diagonals. However, you will need a tight grip to avoid sliding on the diagonals. For this reason, it is a wise pick for games that depend on a complete half-circle movement, such as Street Fighter Alpha 3, Samurai Shodown, and Art of Fighting 2.

Conclusion

If you love to play Hollow Knight, Vampire Survivor, or titles traditionally played in arcades, such as Pac-Man, you would be wise to invest in the finest arcade joystick. As you can see, there are plenty of options to choose from above, which will determine gameplay on a custom arcade machine.

If you love fighting games, you are better suited to a Japanese arcade joystick, such as Sanwa JLF. However, if you prefer a more sensitive option that feels responsive during gameplay, you cannot go wrong with the Happ Competition, which will naturally loosen the more you play. Alternatively, the Seimitsu LS-32 arcade joystick provides smaller movements as you play, allowing for more precision.

The post What are the Best Arcade Joysticks Out There? appeared first on GameOgre.

Embarking on the unforgiving journey through Rust’s rugged landscape is a thrilling mix of survival prowess and formidable trials. While the game’s harsh environment may initially daunt newcomers, with the right guidance, mastering its intricacies is within reach. This primer for Rust serves as your companion through the early stages, furnishing an arsenal of vital tips to navigate the game’s challenges. Presented without hierarchy, these insights form a comprehensive reservoir of knowledge tailored to aid fledgling players on their path to survival mastery.

Picking the Perfect Server Fit

Embarking on your Rust adventure commences with a crucial decision: selecting a server—a choice that significantly shapes your initial foray. Rust presents an array of servers, each boasting distinct rulesets and communities: 

• Official Servers: Administered by Facepunch Studios, the masterminds behind Rust, these servers often teem with players. Yet, they might pose challenges for novices owing to the seasoned player base. 
• Community Servers: Operated by the community, these servers exude a friendlier ambiance and boast more vigilant admins. They may flaunt unique rules or mods, fostering either a laid-back or structured gameplay environment. 
• Modded Servers: Tailored to offer an altered gameplay experience, these servers feature tweaks such as accelerated resource gathering, bespoke plugins, or other adjustments that shake up the game dynamics. 
• For a newcomer-friendly initiation, contemplate joining a community or modded server characterized by active admins and a hospitable atmosphere. Keep an eye out for tags like “beginner,” “easy,” or “noob” while perusing the server list. Furthermore, assess the server’s age; diving into a freshly wiped server might prove overwhelming, as these tend to witness a surge in population and activity post-wipe.

Gathering Resources Efficiently

At the core of survival in Rust lies the imperative task of gathering indispensable resources. Here’s a rundown of the primary resources essential at the outset: 

• Wood: Serving as your fundamental building material, gather wood either by striking trees with a rock or, later on, with a hatchet. 
• Stone: Vital for crafting and fortifying your base with sturdier materials, procure stones from rock nodes scattered throughout the terrain. 
• Metal Ore and Sulfur Ore: Critical components for crafting advanced gear, these ores are mined from rock nodes and necessitate smelting in a furnace to render them into usable materials. 
• Cloth: Employed in crafting bandages, sleeping bags, and attire, swiftly gather cloth by harvesting hemp plants whenever they cross your path. 
• Prioritize efficiency—aim for the crimson X on trees and the gleaming spots on rock nodes to expedite your resource gathering endeavors. Remain vigilant and attuned to your surroundings at all times.

Creating Vital Tools and Resources

Crafting serves as your passage to enhanced survival gear, fortified shelters, and formidable defense mechanisms. In the initial stages: 

1. Begin by fashioning a defensive weapon such as a spear (requiring 300 wood) or fashioning a bow alongside arrows. 
2. Forge essential tools like the Stone Hatchet and Stone Pickaxe to expedite your resource-gathering endeavors.
3.  Secure your respawn point by crafting a Sleeping Bag, utilizing cloth materials. Embark on constructing your shelter by crafting a Building Plan and Hammer. 
4. For precise crafting specifications, turn to references like Rustlabs, offering comprehensive details on items, associated costs, and additional insights.

Erecting Your Foundation

Your base acts as your sanctuary in the harsh world of Rust, providing refuge, storage for resources, and a respawn point after death.

• Location: When starting out, aim to settle away from heavily trafficked areas and near essential resources. Avoiding high-tier monuments initially can reduce competition and potential conflict.
• Design: Begin with a simple layout, such as a 1×1 or 2×1 structure, incorporating an airlock to deter raiders. Sigbog’s YouTube channel offers a wealth of innovative base-building techniques to optimize space and security.
• Upgrade: Prioritize upgrading your base to stone as soon as possible. Stone structures offer increased durability against raids, providing better protection for your belongings and enhancing your defensive capabilities.

Rust Surviving: Food, Water, and Health

Maintaining your metabolism is vital for survival in Rust and essential for your overall health. Here’s how to keep it in check:

• Hunting Animals: Use a bow, spear, or other weapons to hunt animals. Once you’ve downed your prey, use a hatchet or bone knife to harvest raw meat, animal fat, and hide from their carcasses.
• Cooking: Cook raw meat promptly after hunting to prevent spoilage. Craft a campfire and place the raw meat on it to cook it quickly and ensure it remains edible.
• Water: Locate fresh water sources in rivers or set up water catchers to collect rainwater. Store water in water bottles or drink directly from rivers when looking down.
• Radiation: Exercise caution around larger monuments as they may contain radiated areas. Wear proper clothing or use radiation pills to explore these regions safely without risking radiation poisoning.

Strategic Placement of Sleeping Bags

Positioning a sleeping bag within your base ensures a dependable respawn point. Furthermore, strategically place additional sleeping bags in nearby foliage or other covert locations as backup respawn points, safeguarding against hostile players camping your base.

Mastering Combat and Self-Defense

In Rust, danger looms at every turn. Arm yourself with essential weapons like a spear or a bow at the outset, then strive to upgrade to firearms as you advance, enhancing your ability to fend off threats. Mastering fundamental combat skills—like accurate aiming, strategic use of cover, and discerning when to engage—will greatly enhance your odds of survival.

Exploring Research and Crafting

Scrap serves as a precious commodity in Rust, essential for researching items at a Research Table or unlocking blueprints within the Workbench for future crafting. Gather scrap and other items from roadside barrels and boxes scattered across the map to expand your arsenal of craftable items. Keep in mind that certain items can only be obtained through looting and subsequent research.

Join Forces

Navigating Rust solo can prove incredibly challenging. Consider teaming up with friends or forging new alliances within the game to enhance your chances of survival. Collaborating enables resource sharing, bolstered defense against threats, and a more fulfilling gaming experience as you familiarize yourself with Rust’s intricacies. Plus, if your allies are more seasoned players, you may glean valuable beginner tips to expedite your learning process.

Fly Under the Radar

As a newcomer, it’s wise to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to yourself in Rust. Steer clear of encounters with well-equipped players, maintain a low profile for your base, and exercise caution when exploring high-traffic regions. Focus on accumulating experience and resources gradually before tackling more significant challenges or engaging extensively with the community.

Maintaining Your Base

Ensuring the durability of your Rust base demands vigilance against decay. Keep your Tool Cupboard stocked with vital resources such as wood, stone, and metal fragments to stave off deterioration. Regularly monitoring and refilling these supplies is key to upholding the fortitude of your stronghold. Furthermore, delve into advanced tactics that leverage in-game mechanics to slash upkeep expenses. For a deep dive into these strategies, we suggest tuning in to a tutorial video by Sigbog for invaluable guidance.

Maximizing Resource Gathering Efficiency

For peak efficiency in gathering resources within Rust, aim for the crimson X on trees and the shimmering spots on nodes during harvesting. This targeted approach ensures a greater yield per strike, optimizing your resource collection. Moreover, contemplate upgrading to advanced tools like a metal hatchet or pickaxe to elevate your gathering prowess to new heights.

Exploration and Monument Visits

Rust’s expansive terrain is adorned with monuments, each harboring valuable loot and resources. Take the time to acquaint yourself with these diverse landmarks, understanding their layouts and the potential hazards they entail, such as radiation and hostile NPCs. Exploring monuments can yield vital items like weapons, tools, and scrap, crucial for researching and crafting advanced gear. Browse our selection of Rust monument guides for easy access to comprehensive information on each location.

Making the Most of Stash Utilization

Small Stashes are invaluable for concealing precious items. These items can be buried underground, remaining invisible to other players unless they are in close proximity. Utilize them to safeguard essential items outside your base, ensuring that not all is lost in the event of a raid.

Monument Puzzles pose another opportunity for acquiring valuable loot. Some monuments feature puzzle rooms that necessitate keycards and fuses for access. Before attempting these puzzles, familiarize yourself with the requirements and associated risks. Consulting guides or videos on how to solve these puzzles can prove immensely beneficial.

Upgrade with a Furnace

In the realm of Rust, a furnace stands as an indispensable asset, facilitating the transformation of raw ores into valuable materials. Initiating the construction of a furnace at the outset of your gaming journey sets the stage for processing metal and sulfur ores, pivotal components in the creation of advanced tools, weaponry, and fortified base enhancements.

Keeping Up-to-Date

Stay abreast of the dynamic Rust community, which is ever-evolving with fresh updates and strategies. Keep yourself informed by actively participating in forums, reviewing Rust patch notes, watching beginner tip videos, and engaging with fellow players to glean the latest insights and tactics that will bolster your survival in Rust.

FAQ

What’s the initial crafting priority in Rust?

When starting out in Rust, your first crafting focus should center around either a stone hatchet or a stone pickaxe. These essential tools significantly amplify your efficiency in gathering resources, a stark improvement over relying solely on a rock. Before diving into crafting, spend some time gathering basic materials using a rock. Once you’ve secured a decent stash, shift your attention to crafting a rudimentary spear or bow for self-preservation, while also considering laying down the groundwork for base construction with a solid building plan.

Is it possible to play Rust alone?

Indeed, you can play Rust solo, although it presents significant challenges, particularly from potential threats posed by larger groups of players. Opting for low-population servers or those specifically designated as “solo” or “solo/duo” can provide a more balanced experience. Additionally, selecting servers with vigilant admins can help mitigate issues like bullying or griefing from larger groups.

What’s the most effective method for beginning in Rust?

To kickstart your journey in Rust, follow these steps:

1. Select a beginner-friendly server with a lower population to ease into the game.
2. Gather essential resources such as wood, stone, and cloth to lay the foundation for your survival.
3. Craft basic tools like a stone hatchet and stone pickaxe to enhance your resource-gathering efficiency.
4. Construct a simple base to safeguard your belongings from potential threats.
5. Explore cautiously while continuing to gather resources to bolster your inventory.
6. If possible, forge alliances with other players to enhance your chances of survival and progression.

Final Thoughts

Embarking on your Rust survival journey can be both intimidating and exhilarating. This starter guide equips new players with a solid foundation to navigate the game effectively, whether it’s your first time playing or you’re aiming to refine your playstyle. By adhering to these beginner tips, immersing yourself in the game world, interacting with the community, and embracing a mindset of continuous learning, you’ll enhance your skills, create unforgettable moments, and fully immerse yourself in the rich experience that Rust has to offer.
Reference: https://hellagood.marketing/rust-gambling/

The post RUST Beginner Tips: The Starter Guide for Newcomers appeared first on GameOgre.

You’ve worked hard playing your favorite games, and you’ve earned skins the old-fashioned way. Something may have come up, and you’ve been eyeballing a site like skinomat.com, where you can turn your skins into cash. It’s understandable that you might want to part ways with a skin and reap the rewards of your efforts.

Do people really pay cash for skins?

The short answer is yes. There are players out there who are more than willing to pay you for your skins. Some people don’t have the time or desire to fight their way through a game and earn skins. That’s where marketplaces come in, allowing buyers and sellers to connect. You can sell your skins to someone who will pay you money for them.

What’s the catch?

There’s no catch in the sense that you will get money for your skin. You should go through a third-party marketplace, and there might be a fee associated with using them. There’s no catch in the sense of someone trying to pull a fast one on you.

If you don’t use a marketplace, there are all kinds of issues that can arise. The marketplace is what protects you from buyers who will take your skin and not pay you. That’s why you’re paying a little extra for each transaction: it protects you and the buyer from anything bad that could happen during the transactions.

Is it safe to sell skins?

It’s safe if you use a third-party marketplace. If you don’t go the third-party route, it can be like the Wild West out there. You don’t know who you’re dealing with or what to expect. So, with that in mind, it’s relatively safe to sell your skins if you do so in a reputable marketplace. If you don’t, well, it’s a turkey shoot at best, and you’ll open yourself up to potential risks that otherwise could’ve been avoided.

Tips for maximizing your earnings from skins

It’s all about timing and not much else. How do you know when the time is right to sell? You pay attention to the prices at the marketplace. None of that matters if you’re in need of some fast cash. If that’s the case, what you do then is basically take whatever the going rate is. Sure, you might be able to wait it out, but if you’re in a pinch, it might not be worth it.

You should also be aware that skins, like any investment, can fluctuate in value. That means the price a skin goes for today might be different two years from now. The prices don’t fluctuate in the sense that gasoline does on an hourly basis almost, but there are swings in prices.

Another tip that will go a long way in helping you get the most for your skins is to familiarize yourself with the platform. You should learn how to use the platform and all of its features. Don’t shy away from asking customer support if you have any questions. You don’t want to go into a sale if you’re not fully aware of what’s going on.

In short!

Yes, it can be painful to let go of something that you worked so hard for. However, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of cold, hard cash in your pocket. If you’re on the fence about selling your skins, think about it and move forward if it’s the right thing to do. Don’t forget that you can always get more skins later on when the time is right.

The post How to Turn Game Skins into Real Money? appeared first on GameOgre.

Arcade games were once a staple of popular culture, captivating players with their vibrant graphics, addictive gameplay, and the thrill of competition. In the 1970s and 1980s, arcades were a hub of social activity, where people gathered to test their skills and compete for high scores. However, the rise of home consoles and the advent of mobile gaming led to the gradual decline of the arcade industry in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Despite the shift towards digital gaming, many people still harbor a deep nostalgia for the golden age of arcade games.

The tactile experience of using joysticks and buttons, the social aspect of playing with friends, and the sense of accomplishment that came with mastering a game’s mechanics have all contributed to the enduring appeal of arcade games. This nostalgic longing has fueled a resurgence of interest in retro gaming and the desire to relive the excitement of the arcade experience.

How the Industry Revived Arcade Games

In recent years, the industry has responded to this renewed interest in arcade games by finding innovative ways to bring them back to life. Manufacturers have developed modern arcade cabinets that blend classic gameplay with cutting-edge technology, offering a seamless blend of old and new.

These new arcade machines feature high-definition displays, advanced sound systems, and even online connectivity, allowing players to compete against opponents from around the world.

Advancements in technology have played a crucial role in the resurgence of arcade games. The availability of powerful hardware, such as powerful processors and graphics cards, has enabled game developers to create visually stunning and immersive arcade experiences. The rise of digital distribution platforms, like Steam and the Epic Games Store, has made it easier for players to access a wide variety of arcade-style games, both classic and modern, from the comfort of their homes.

The integration of advanced technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and motion sensing has also breathed new life into arcade games.

According to a report by Market Research Future, global virtual reality in the gaming market is projected to reach $45 billion by 2027, indicating the growing adoption of immersive technologies in gaming. This has led to the development of immersive arcade experiences that appeal to modern gamers.

The growth of the retro gaming community has also contributed to the revival of arcade games. According to a study by EMB, 62% of gamers play retro games, underscoring the enduring appeal of classic arcade titles. Enthusiasts have sought out and restored vintage arcade cabinets, preserving the authentic experience of playing classic games.

This has inspired game developers to create modern interpretations of beloved arcade titles and new games that capture the essence of the arcade era. The popularity of retro gaming events, such as conventions and tournaments, has further fueled the demand for arcade gaming experiences.

The introduction of attractive promotions has also played a significant role in reviving arcade games. A survey by Slotswise found that 40% of gamers are more likely to play arcade-themed games if they are no paying requirements. This consumer-friendly approach has helped attract a wider audience to arcade gaming.

The rise of social and competitive gaming has further contributed to the revival of arcade games. Social gaming experiences, where players can interact and compete with friends, have become increasingly popular. Plus, the emergence of esports has led to a renewed interest in competitive arcade gaming, with organized tournaments and events drawing large audiences.

Arcade games have diversified their content to appeal to a broader demographic. This includes the incorporation of educational elements, fitness-focused games, and interactive experiences for families.

According to a report by Statista, 47% of arcade game enthusiasts are interested in fitness-focused arcade games, highlighting the demand for diverse content.

The Business of Arcade Gaming: Profitability and Sustainability

The resurgence of arcade games has also presented new business opportunities for entrepreneurs and established companies alike. Modern arcade venues, known as “barcades” or “retro game bars,” have become increasingly popular, offering a unique blend of gaming and social experiences. These establishments have found success by catering to the nostalgia of older gamers while also attracting a new generation of players.

Additionally, the development and distribution of high-quality arcade cabinets have become a lucrative business, with manufacturers and distributors capitalizing on the growing demand for these immersive gaming experiences.

Popular Arcade Games Making a Comeback

As the arcade industry has revived, many classic and beloved arcade games have triumphantly returned. Titles like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter II, and Galaga have been remastered and re-released, allowing both new and old players to experience the thrill of these iconic games.

Moreover, modern arcade game developers have created new titles that capture the essence of the classic arcade experience, such as Cuphead, Shovel Knight, and Enter the Gungeon.

As the gaming industry continues to evolve, the future of arcade games remains uncertain. While the resurgence of arcade gaming has been a welcome development, the industry must adapt to the changing landscape of digital gaming. This may involve finding ways to integrate arcade experiences seamlessly into digital platforms, such as through cloud gaming or virtual reality. The industry must continue to innovate and provide unique, immersive experiences that cannot be replicated in the home gaming environment.

Final Thoughts

The resurgence of arcade games is a testament to the enduring appeal of this classic form of gaming. While the industry has faced challenges over the years, the combination of nostalgia, technological advancements, and innovative business models has allowed arcade games to reclaim their place in popular culture.

As the gaming landscape continues to evolve, the arcade industry must adapt and find new ways to captivate players, but the allure of the arcade experience remains strong. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or a newcomer to the world of arcade gaming, the thrill of competition, the camaraderie of social play, and the satisfaction of mastering a game’s mechanics are experiences that will continue to draw players back to the arcade.

The post How the Industry Brought Arcade Games Back to Life appeared first on GameOgre.

I have been devoting some time to continuing to learn lockpicking while there aren’t a lot of things going on. This has been aided by being in a review program where among other things I can get locks and review them.

tl;dr – lock bloggity

Fret not, there’s a ton of gadget news and reviews and potentially a series coming up, but at the moment old school turning metal is amusing me.

But I thought I’d share a lock I just got… advetised 75mm padlock, hardened steel, disc detainer core, waterproof, element proof and more. Sounds good right?

It was a 67mm padlock in a 73mm plastic shell first off. Front of the package claimed waterproof, back of the package said not. Logos were falling off where they’d been applied. I’m pretty sure the keys I have are the same cut as the keys shown in the product photos (which was the case with my last disc detainer core.)

“Hardened steel” that can be easily scraped with a fingernail file and damaged easily by light pressure with plyers.

The other day I got a 10 pack of wafer lock lock-out locks and was through all 10 in under 5 minutes. I wish this was about me being good, but it’s how absurdly low security some of these locks available for review are.

I got a two pack the other day that popped open as I was sticking a rake tool in it. It took slightly longer to single pin pick or shim open but not much longer. So much insecure crap out there and it’s priced online at about the same pricing as what has actually stopped me.

I’ve got a collection of 25 or so rather simple to open locks, including a glass storefront lock that I can get in using just a wire (or pick, or rake, not been able to zip) and I decided it was time to take on something real. Free is good but I wanted a challenge.

Picked up a Masterlock 5, and yeah… I am currently defeated. I’m interested to see how long I am as this brand is what amused me enough to get into lock picking. Well, people popping open Masterlocks with other Masterlocks is.

Due to reasons I ended up with three pick sets. A set from Lockpick Extreme I got for attending a seminar along with 5 extremely easy cores, a 24 piece set I got off of Amazon because I wanted a collection of see through locks (page gone now,) and a set from Covert Instruments including an FNG.

I discovered, as I was told, that I would use the see-through locks a couple of times and tire of them. They’re all as simple as can be, and useful once if you don’t have YouTube to see what you are doing… actually I take that back, I did get some useful hand/eye feedback on how far in a lock I was and that did help some. That said, I wish I could re-key and make them a bit more realistic.

My cheap Amazon set gets some use, but I seem to be mostly using the Covert Instruments or Lockpick Extreme set – either of those feel right… the cheapies do the job but the feedback just isn’t there for me. It may be because I’m training myself on the more expensive sets, I’m not sure.

I ended up getting a vise. I am a bit ashamed of that as I don’t feel I have the skills to need a vise… but I also felt I kept moving my hands around and was cramping and getting annoyed so it’s cheaper than physical therapy.

I have become absolutely fascinated in how to overcome most daily lock I encounter… I have no intention of using my skills for evil, but it has taught me a lot of things to slow down even people coming via sledgehammer (which happened to a person in our neighborhood recently). Fun times.

Plugging along in lockpicking by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

Setting the stage I had a doctor’s appointment and the subject of a hep b vaccine came up and I said I had had it. My records didn’t indicate this, I couldn’t remember why I had had it, and it had been over ten years ago. I was getting blood tested anyway so to make sure I had it we did a test on the antibody and something else that is done with the antibody test.

I got the results back which indicated I indeed had the antibodies to it (I remember getting it, just not where,) and I wondered what this second test that was part of it was and googled it.

I wish I had taken screenshots of my AI assisted search, I really do. Because what I read indicated that I had an active hep b infection. The only way that would have been possible were if I had received blood during my operation tainted with it, but still it was concerning and I wrote my PCP about it.

Shortly after I wrote the doctor I did another search and AI popped in again and indicated test result meant there was no infection. Multiple searches ignoring the helpful AI indicated that was the case as well.

It felt like WebMD was in control for a bit… today asking the same questions I did yesterday is yielding nothing.

I’m really over glitchy AI search by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I have a few (60) faces stored in my Nest cameras Familiar Face Detection area. It’s kind of nice to get a notification that our friends are at the door by name and have it announced “Connor is at the door” but a couple of days ago my 8yo got identified as a late 30’s bald friend of ours walking from the car to the front door, and later on was identified as her mom.

In the past I’ve gone in and cleaned out a couple of entries to clear these up. Sometimes five or six photos had slipped in to one contact. Yesterday it was over 100 photos on 45 of the 60 recognized faces, and usually was page after page of my youngest daughter. I cleared out over 250 photos of her on one contact alone.

In all cases the photos started around June of 2023, which to be honest may have been the last time I did any sort of cleanup. I cleared several thousand photos of her and one photo that was comically inaccurate of a friend being mistaken for a UPS driver who looked so much not like him I don’t know how to even start.

My oldest, who has presumably been on the cameras as much as my youngest had a couple of photos misrecognized, but I suspect over all of the ones I cleared out there were maybe 6 of her and 4500 or so of my youngest.

She had been misidentified as a 30-something black man, an 80 year old white woman, a bald man with face tattoos, her mom, her sister, me, our pest control guys, and every single friend of hers.

I start wondering if this might be an evolutionary trait she’s developed to camouflage herself from the machines.

This is not life threatening, but it is kind of nice being alerted that the someone in my yard is the person I am hoping in is my yard.

Moral? Check and see if your child is a chameleon on familiar faces. These can be found, if you use them, by opening the home app, choosing a camera, Settings, Events, Seen events, and under Familiar Face Detection choose manage.

Yesterday I discovered my kid’s face in almost every single Nest familiar face detection entry I had by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

Google and Bing are locked in a death match to bring AI to every single search, every application, and for the most part on search for me it’s unreliable, costs the search engine a lot more, and at least in my case has only been useful in one search.

They won’t let you turn it off however – there’s a trick CNET posted earlier today but it seems to be hit or miss with where it works… for me it only works on Edge browser that’s not logged into my Google account, and neither Chrome nor Chrome incognito work to show that web option.

Microsoft and Google want you to think of them when you think of AI, but all I see in their results are cobbled together usually incorrect or irrelevant information. I usually don’t want an AI overview, and it costs thousands of times more than a simple search does… and I’m ignoring that section usually. I can think of one time in the era of AI search where it came in handy for what I was looking for and I still couldn’t trust what it told me.

I am looking for a very specific article… how to milk an AI… Bing thinks I want a two page defense of AI. I don’t. I want an article entitled “How to Milk and AI” – it’s all right if it doesn’t find it.

I’m not putting Bing’s AI down, but there is no need to waste enormous amounts of processing power drafting several copies of text before choosing one defending the concepts and uses of AI when I am simply searching for text. I did not say “Bing! Defend thyself!”

I worry more about useless overuse of AI and how much it costs in terms of electricity and environmental impact than that it’s there. I don’t hate or fear it but I straight up am avoiding search engines that force it on me because for me it’s not delivering the results and it’s wasting resources when it’s not needed.

I want a search engine guys… give me that and a button to generate an AI powered overview and I’ll be happy… and you know what? I will use the AI overview occasionally… you can even make it so it’s a Pause AI and not turning it off so you can keep pestering me about it like Microsoft does to get me to use the Edge browser (yeah, it’s probably better, but I’m not going to it)

Editorial: May I suggest an option for an AI pause on search by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

Y’all may recall I had surgery in February… and when I got back home I wanted to curl up with my tablet and just try and exist… unfortunately the tablet disappeared while I was in the hospital and it died before I started looking for it. All I knew was that a few days after my hospital visit the tablet had died at my house.

For the past 3 months I’ve been looking for this thing, and yesterday my youngest lost her bunny rabbit phone and we once again tore the house apart looking for it. Along the way looking for this my tablet was found wedged in a space between my youngest’s bed and the wall. Yay…

Her phone was eventually found, evidently the cats had come through and decided it was a toy (it’s got a rabbit suit) and knocked it well beyond what it could possibly accidentally have slid under the couch.

In each case the device had died and there was no way to ring it, no way to ping it, and no way to bring it back to life for just a moment to produce a beep. In the case of my kid’s phone we weren’t even sure she didn’t take it in the car somewhere.

I’ve had similar issues with my wife’s phone, usually it ends up being under a car seat somehow.

Let me suggest to all phone operating system developers to consider when the battery is at 2% and the phone has not moved in a while to just go ahead and get an ultra-precise location and have that available rather than what currently seems to be the case of “it appears maybe somewhere in these 3 houses”.

Knowing where the phone was when it died rather than knowing it was on this block would do wonders for discovering when a cat has moved something and prevent a whole lot of searching…

I had started shopping for tablets to replace my missing one… luckily it was found but I spent a good month looking for it and disassembling rooms.

Maybe an option for managed kid’s accounts, or my wife’s phone, to notify me when the phone is about to die so it can be located and placed on a charger.

95 days after my tablet went missing it turns up while searching for a missing phone by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

While I have a decent amount of daily readers (thank you btw,) the comments section has been a ghost town for the past few years and as such, paying for Disqus I decided to see exactly how much per user comment I was effectively paying with their yearly basic plan and it comes out to something like $5.08 per comment. Appears more people email me or attempt to contact me via LinkedIn (don’t do that) than do the site. Seriously, stop with the LinkedIn.

Disqus’s free tier ads something like 12 ads per page and I’m already fighting to get our advertising platform to chill out (no really, this has been an effort.)

Would love to have had Pocketables turn into a hangout for tech geeks offering their own perspective on things, but I’ve never been able to keep the site regular enough to engage viewership… womp womp. Oh well. I never claimed to be a community builder, just finder of interesting tech.

This does not mean anything for the site going forward except you might have to jump through a couple of hoops to tell me I’m an idiot on a review or news item. The site made enough money to last another year and with some adjustments because I did not write for a couple of months, it’s on track to pay me back for the purchase sometime in May of never…

If anyone has any free Disqus replacers feel free to mention them.

Update – Disqus doesn’t allow you to cancel a subscription online, only by emailing them at cancellation@disqus.com… and for the past 3-4 days my message has been unable to deliver to them…

Site news: ditching Disqus next week (updated I can’t get it to cancel) by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I have been devoting some time to continuing to learn lockpicking while there aren’t a lot of things going on. This has been aided by being in a review program where among other things I can get locks and review them.

tl;dr – lock bloggity

Fret not, there’s a ton of gadget news and reviews and potentially a series coming up, but at the moment old school turning metal is amusing me.

But I thought I’d share a lock I just got… advetised 75mm padlock, hardened steel, disc detainer core, waterproof, element proof and more. Sounds good right?

It was a 67mm padlock in a 73mm plastic shell first off. Front of the package claimed waterproof, back of the package said not. Logos were falling off where they’d been applied. I’m pretty sure the keys I have are the same cut as the keys shown in the product photos (which was the case with my last disc detainer core.)

“Hardened steel” that can be easily scraped with a fingernail file and damaged easily by light pressure with plyers.

The other day I got a 10 pack of wafer lock lock-out locks and was through all 10 in under 5 minutes. I wish this was about me being good, but it’s how absurdly low security some of these locks available for review are.

I got a two pack the other day that popped open as I was sticking a rake tool in it. It took slightly longer to single pin pick or shim open but not much longer. So much insecure crap out there and it’s priced online at about the same pricing as what has actually stopped me.

I’ve got a collection of 25 or so rather simple to open locks, including a glass storefront lock that I can get in using just a wire (or pick, or rake, not been able to zip) and I decided it was time to take on something real. Free is good but I wanted a challenge.

Picked up a Masterlock 5, and yeah… I am currently defeated. I’m interested to see how long I am as this brand is what amused me enough to get into lock picking. Well, people popping open Masterlocks with other Masterlocks is.

Due to reasons I ended up with three pick sets. A set from Lockpick Extreme I got for attending a seminar along with 5 extremely easy cores, a 24 piece set I got off of Amazon because I wanted a collection of see through locks (page gone now,) and a set from Covert Instruments including an FNG.

I discovered, as I was told, that I would use the see-through locks a couple of times and tire of them. They’re all as simple as can be, and useful once if you don’t have YouTube to see what you are doing… actually I take that back, I did get some useful hand/eye feedback on how far in a lock I was and that did help some. That said, I wish I could re-key and make them a bit more realistic.

My cheap Amazon set gets some use, but I seem to be mostly using the Covert Instruments or Lockpick Extreme set – either of those feel right… the cheapies do the job but the feedback just isn’t there for me. It may be because I’m training myself on the more expensive sets, I’m not sure.

I ended up getting a vise. I am a bit ashamed of that as I don’t feel I have the skills to need a vise… but I also felt I kept moving my hands around and was cramping and getting annoyed so it’s cheaper than physical therapy.

I have become absolutely fascinated in how to overcome most daily lock I encounter… I have no intention of using my skills for evil, but it has taught me a lot of things to slow down even people coming via sledgehammer (which happened to a person in our neighborhood recently). Fun times.

Plugging along in lockpicking by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

Setting the stage I had a doctor’s appointment and the subject of a hep b vaccine came up and I said I had had it. My records didn’t indicate this, I couldn’t remember why I had had it, and it had been over ten years ago. I was getting blood tested anyway so to make sure I had it we did a test on the antibody and something else that is done with the antibody test.

I got the results back which indicated I indeed had the antibodies to it (I remember getting it, just not where,) and I wondered what this second test that was part of it was and googled it.

I wish I had taken screenshots of my AI assisted search, I really do. Because what I read indicated that I had an active hep b infection. The only way that would have been possible were if I had received blood during my operation tainted with it, but still it was concerning and I wrote my PCP about it.

Shortly after I wrote the doctor I did another search and AI popped in again and indicated test result meant there was no infection. Multiple searches ignoring the helpful AI indicated that was the case as well.

It felt like WebMD was in control for a bit… today asking the same questions I did yesterday is yielding nothing.

I’m really over glitchy AI search by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I have a few (60) faces stored in my Nest cameras Familiar Face Detection area. It’s kind of nice to get a notification that our friends are at the door by name and have it announced “Connor is at the door” but a couple of days ago my 8yo got identified as a late 30’s bald friend of ours walking from the car to the front door, and later on was identified as her mom.

In the past I’ve gone in and cleaned out a couple of entries to clear these up. Sometimes five or six photos had slipped in to one contact. Yesterday it was over 100 photos on 45 of the 60 recognized faces, and usually was page after page of my youngest daughter. I cleared out over 250 photos of her on one contact alone.

In all cases the photos started around June of 2023, which to be honest may have been the last time I did any sort of cleanup. I cleared several thousand photos of her and one photo that was comically inaccurate of a friend being mistaken for a UPS driver who looked so much not like him I don’t know how to even start.

My oldest, who has presumably been on the cameras as much as my youngest had a couple of photos misrecognized, but I suspect over all of the ones I cleared out there were maybe 6 of her and 4500 or so of my youngest.

She had been misidentified as a 30-something black man, an 80 year old white woman, a bald man with face tattoos, her mom, her sister, me, our pest control guys, and every single friend of hers.

I start wondering if this might be an evolutionary trait she’s developed to camouflage herself from the machines.

This is not life threatening, but it is kind of nice being alerted that the someone in my yard is the person I am hoping in is my yard.

Moral? Check and see if your child is a chameleon on familiar faces. These can be found, if you use them, by opening the home app, choosing a camera, Settings, Events, Seen events, and under Familiar Face Detection choose manage.

Yesterday I discovered my kid’s face in almost every single Nest familiar face detection entry I had by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

Google and Bing are locked in a death match to bring AI to every single search, every application, and for the most part on search for me it’s unreliable, costs the search engine a lot more, and at least in my case has only been useful in one search.

They won’t let you turn it off however – there’s a trick CNET posted earlier today but it seems to be hit or miss with where it works… for me it only works on Edge browser that’s not logged into my Google account, and neither Chrome nor Chrome incognito work to show that web option.

Microsoft and Google want you to think of them when you think of AI, but all I see in their results are cobbled together usually incorrect or irrelevant information. I usually don’t want an AI overview, and it costs thousands of times more than a simple search does… and I’m ignoring that section usually. I can think of one time in the era of AI search where it came in handy for what I was looking for and I still couldn’t trust what it told me.

I am looking for a very specific article… how to milk an AI… Bing thinks I want a two page defense of AI. I don’t. I want an article entitled “How to Milk and AI” – it’s all right if it doesn’t find it.

I’m not putting Bing’s AI down, but there is no need to waste enormous amounts of processing power drafting several copies of text before choosing one defending the concepts and uses of AI when I am simply searching for text. I did not say “Bing! Defend thyself!”

I worry more about useless overuse of AI and how much it costs in terms of electricity and environmental impact than that it’s there. I don’t hate or fear it but I straight up am avoiding search engines that force it on me because for me it’s not delivering the results and it’s wasting resources when it’s not needed.

I want a search engine guys… give me that and a button to generate an AI powered overview and I’ll be happy… and you know what? I will use the AI overview occasionally… you can even make it so it’s a Pause AI and not turning it off so you can keep pestering me about it like Microsoft does to get me to use the Edge browser (yeah, it’s probably better, but I’m not going to it)

Editorial: May I suggest an option for an AI pause on search by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

Y’all may recall I had surgery in February… and when I got back home I wanted to curl up with my tablet and just try and exist… unfortunately the tablet disappeared while I was in the hospital and it died before I started looking for it. All I knew was that a few days after my hospital visit the tablet had died at my house.

For the past 3 months I’ve been looking for this thing, and yesterday my youngest lost her bunny rabbit phone and we once again tore the house apart looking for it. Along the way looking for this my tablet was found wedged in a space between my youngest’s bed and the wall. Yay…

Her phone was eventually found, evidently the cats had come through and decided it was a toy (it’s got a rabbit suit) and knocked it well beyond what it could possibly accidentally have slid under the couch.

In each case the device had died and there was no way to ring it, no way to ping it, and no way to bring it back to life for just a moment to produce a beep. In the case of my kid’s phone we weren’t even sure she didn’t take it in the car somewhere.

I’ve had similar issues with my wife’s phone, usually it ends up being under a car seat somehow.

Let me suggest to all phone operating system developers to consider when the battery is at 2% and the phone has not moved in a while to just go ahead and get an ultra-precise location and have that available rather than what currently seems to be the case of “it appears maybe somewhere in these 3 houses”.

Knowing where the phone was when it died rather than knowing it was on this block would do wonders for discovering when a cat has moved something and prevent a whole lot of searching…

I had started shopping for tablets to replace my missing one… luckily it was found but I spent a good month looking for it and disassembling rooms.

Maybe an option for managed kid’s accounts, or my wife’s phone, to notify me when the phone is about to die so it can be located and placed on a charger.

95 days after my tablet went missing it turns up while searching for a missing phone by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

While I have a decent amount of daily readers (thank you btw,) the comments section has been a ghost town for the past few years and as such, paying for Disqus I decided to see exactly how much per user comment I was effectively paying with their yearly basic plan and it comes out to something like $5.08 per comment. Appears more people email me or attempt to contact me via LinkedIn (don’t do that) than do the site. Seriously, stop with the LinkedIn.

Disqus’s free tier ads something like 12 ads per page and I’m already fighting to get our advertising platform to chill out (no really, this has been an effort.)

Would love to have had Pocketables turn into a hangout for tech geeks offering their own perspective on things, but I’ve never been able to keep the site regular enough to engage viewership… womp womp. Oh well. I never claimed to be a community builder, just finder of interesting tech.

This does not mean anything for the site going forward except you might have to jump through a couple of hoops to tell me I’m an idiot on a review or news item. The site made enough money to last another year and with some adjustments because I did not write for a couple of months, it’s on track to pay me back for the purchase sometime in May of never…

If anyone has any free Disqus replacers feel free to mention them.

Update – Disqus doesn’t allow you to cancel a subscription online, only by emailing them at cancellation@disqus.com… and for the past 3-4 days my message has been unable to deliver to them…

Site news: ditching Disqus next week (updated I can’t get it to cancel) by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I have a few (60) faces stored in my Nest cameras Familiar Face Detection area. It’s kind of nice to get a notification that our friends are at the door by name and have it announced “Connor is at the door” but a couple of days ago my 8yo got identified as a late 30’s bald friend of ours walking from the car to the front door, and later on was identified as her mom.

In the past I’ve gone in and cleaned out a couple of entries to clear these up. Sometimes five or six photos had slipped in to one contact. Yesterday it was over 100 photos on 45 of the 60 recognized faces, and usually was page after page of my youngest daughter. I cleared out over 250 photos of her on one contact alone.

In all cases the photos started around June of 2023, which to be honest may have been the last time I did any sort of cleanup. I cleared several thousand photos of her and one photo that was comically inaccurate of a friend being mistaken for a UPS driver who looked so much not like him I don’t know how to even start.

My oldest, who has presumably been on the cameras as much as my youngest had a couple of photos misrecognized, but I suspect over all of the ones I cleared out there were maybe 6 of her and 4500 or so of my youngest.

She had been misidentified as a 30-something black man, an 80 year old white woman, a bald man with face tattoos, her mom, her sister, me, our pest control guys, and every single friend of hers.

I start wondering if this might be an evolutionary trait she’s developed to camouflage herself from the machines.

This is not life threatening, but it is kind of nice being alerted that the someone in my yard is the person I am hoping in is my yard.

Moral? Check and see if your child is a chameleon on familiar faces. These can be found, if you use them, by opening the home app, choosing a camera, Settings, Events, Seen events, and under Familiar Face Detection choose manage.

Yesterday I discovered my kid’s face in almost every single Nest familiar face detection entry I had by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

Google and Bing are locked in a death match to bring AI to every single search, every application, and for the most part on search for me it’s unreliable, costs the search engine a lot more, and at least in my case has only been useful in one search.

They won’t let you turn it off however – there’s a trick CNET posted earlier today but it seems to be hit or miss with where it works… for me it only works on Edge browser that’s not logged into my Google account, and neither Chrome nor Chrome incognito work to show that web option.

Microsoft and Google want you to think of them when you think of AI, but all I see in their results are cobbled together usually incorrect or irrelevant information. I usually don’t want an AI overview, and it costs thousands of times more than a simple search does… and I’m ignoring that section usually. I can think of one time in the era of AI search where it came in handy for what I was looking for and I still couldn’t trust what it told me.

I am looking for a very specific article… how to milk an AI… Bing thinks I want a two page defense of AI. I don’t. I want an article entitled “How to Milk and AI” – it’s all right if it doesn’t find it.

I’m not putting Bing’s AI down, but there is no need to waste enormous amounts of processing power drafting several copies of text before choosing one defending the concepts and uses of AI when I am simply searching for text. I did not say “Bing! Defend thyself!”

I worry more about useless overuse of AI and how much it costs in terms of electricity and environmental impact than that it’s there. I don’t hate or fear it but I straight up am avoiding search engines that force it on me because for me it’s not delivering the results and it’s wasting resources when it’s not needed.

I want a search engine guys… give me that and a button to generate an AI powered overview and I’ll be happy… and you know what? I will use the AI overview occasionally… you can even make it so it’s a Pause AI and not turning it off so you can keep pestering me about it like Microsoft does to get me to use the Edge browser (yeah, it’s probably better, but I’m not going to it)

Editorial: May I suggest an option for an AI pause on search by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

Y’all may recall I had surgery in February… and when I got back home I wanted to curl up with my tablet and just try and exist… unfortunately the tablet disappeared while I was in the hospital and it died before I started looking for it. All I knew was that a few days after my hospital visit the tablet had died at my house.

For the past 3 months I’ve been looking for this thing, and yesterday my youngest lost her bunny rabbit phone and we once again tore the house apart looking for it. Along the way looking for this my tablet was found wedged in a space between my youngest’s bed and the wall. Yay…

Her phone was eventually found, evidently the cats had come through and decided it was a toy (it’s got a rabbit suit) and knocked it well beyond what it could possibly accidentally have slid under the couch.

In each case the device had died and there was no way to ring it, no way to ping it, and no way to bring it back to life for just a moment to produce a beep. In the case of my kid’s phone we weren’t even sure she didn’t take it in the car somewhere.

I’ve had similar issues with my wife’s phone, usually it ends up being under a car seat somehow.

Let me suggest to all phone operating system developers to consider when the battery is at 2% and the phone has not moved in a while to just go ahead and get an ultra-precise location and have that available rather than what currently seems to be the case of “it appears maybe somewhere in these 3 houses”.

Knowing where the phone was when it died rather than knowing it was on this block would do wonders for discovering when a cat has moved something and prevent a whole lot of searching…

I had started shopping for tablets to replace my missing one… luckily it was found but I spent a good month looking for it and disassembling rooms.

Maybe an option for managed kid’s accounts, or my wife’s phone, to notify me when the phone is about to die so it can be located and placed on a charger.

95 days after my tablet went missing it turns up while searching for a missing phone by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

While I have a decent amount of daily readers (thank you btw,) the comments section has been a ghost town for the past few years and as such, paying for Disqus I decided to see exactly how much per user comment I was effectively paying with their yearly basic plan and it comes out to something like $5.08 per comment. Appears more people email me or attempt to contact me via LinkedIn (don’t do that) than do the site. Seriously, stop with the LinkedIn.

Disqus’s free tier ads something like 12 ads per page and I’m already fighting to get our advertising platform to chill out (no really, this has been an effort.)

Would love to have had Pocketables turn into a hangout for tech geeks offering their own perspective on things, but I’ve never been able to keep the site regular enough to engage viewership… womp womp. Oh well. I never claimed to be a community builder, just finder of interesting tech.

This does not mean anything for the site going forward except you might have to jump through a couple of hoops to tell me I’m an idiot on a review or news item. The site made enough money to last another year and with some adjustments because I did not write for a couple of months, it’s on track to pay me back for the purchase sometime in May of never…

If anyone has any free Disqus replacers feel free to mention them.

Update – Disqus doesn’t allow you to cancel a subscription online, only by emailing them at cancellation@disqus.com… and for the past 3-4 days my message has been unable to deliver to them…

Site news: ditching Disqus next week (updated I can’t get it to cancel) by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

While I have a decent amount of daily readers (thank you btw,) the comments section has been a ghost town for the past few years and as such, paying for Disqus I decided to see exactly how much per user comment I was effectively paying with their yearly basic plan and it comes out to something like $5.08 per comment. Appears more people email me or attempt to contact me via LinkedIn (don’t do that) than do the site. Seriously, stop with the LinkedIn.

Disqus’s free tier ads something like 12 ads per page and I’m already fighting to get our advertising platform to chill out (no really, this has been an effort.)

Would love to have had Pocketables turn into a hangout for tech geeks offering their own perspective on things, but I’ve never been able to keep the site regular enough to engage viewership… womp womp. Oh well. I never claimed to be a community builder, just finder of interesting tech.

This does not mean anything for the site going forward except you might have to jump through a couple of hoops to tell me I’m an idiot on a review or news item. The site made enough money to last another year and with some adjustments because I did not write for a couple of months, it’s on track to pay me back for the purchase sometime in May of never…

If anyone has any free Disqus replacers feel free to mention them.

Site news: ditching Disqus next week by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

After surgery I had a couple of months of recovery that involved me watching a whole lot of YouTube. One of the things I really focused in on was lockpicking. It’s like solving a puzzle to me and I have thus far enjoyed doing it.

TL;DR – more on Paul’s hobby, nobody is forcing you to read this. Want more Android content / submit some.

It’s taught me a new way of thinking of security. I mean, not that the average criminal isn’t just going to bash in your door with a sledgehammer, or cut your lock off the shed, or just take your bike because over half the bike locks out there are garbage.

I bought a few locks the past couple of weeks. I’m not locking anything up, I just wanted a variety to practice with.

The lock above I managed to open using shims, picking, and I used a comb (yes, I know it’s the wrong style lock to use it on now,) and using said comb evidently managed to hit something behind the keyway and open it. Only managed the comb open once. This was my first shimming and easier than expected.

I bought another lock that I can’t pick without a disc detainer tool. Eh, my bad. I did however discover that they’re using only one key for the entire lock run because my key and the product key are the same, and other reviewers of the lock have mentioned they have the exact same key pictured on the Amazon page. So if you ever see a “top security” branded lock and want to open it evidently that’ll cost you $8.99 if it’s the one I have.

I also picked up two combo locks to try out my decoder tool and yeah, nothing. I feel nothing. I can sort of slow the wheels down but there’s no difference in feel. The time I spent attempting to decode the wheels I could have easily sawed through the locks. May be shielded, may be I am no good at it. Who knows.

Fun times. I have a training lock I need to assemble and practice on, and a couple of doors to attack, but that’s for another day. I’ve got to plow through working on some reviews now.

I picked my second real lock (and didn’t a couple of others) by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I get about 200 emails a day in my Pocketables email pitching me various gadgets, books, Turtle Rescues for some reason, telco updates, etc. I have subscribed to a total of 1 of these emails and the rest are the result of various companies putting me into a list they sell to various buyers who are told I am interested in their verticals.

TL;DR – short blog on fake research used for SEO

And for the most part they’ve been pretty on brand…

Recently I started getting expert commentary from, I’m going to say, not experts. At least not experts in their fields currently.

The format is the same – some interesting piece of commentary on how your air purifier is going to kill you or that charging your phone overnight will burn your house down and about a page and a half of text that could be generated by ChatGPT and contains the wisdom of 2006 without any of the collective learnings of the past 18 years.

I caught my local news station using one of them the other day, a fairly innocuous tidbit I’d passed on because it wasn’t phones, gadgets, or anything to catch my attention. A shout out to the source was mentioned and amused me they hadn’t checked it, or were ok sourcing an online casino ranking website as a researcher.

But the format is the same, research, some text, claiming someone’s an expert and if you use their research link to them. The researchers tend to be casinos and gambling sites, web developers looking to increase their SEO, personal injury lawyers, and other people known for their researching capabilities.

The findings presented are generally in the format of the articles that ruined the internet in 2012 with the methodology maybe mentioned but no table data given or links to where the data was pulled, and that would be all right if everything were correct… but it’s not usually.

It’s never done by firms that specialize in research… never…

So yeah, if you see “a new study has revealed…” or “a cell phone expert on why you should/shouldn’t” maybe bear in mind a lot of these are now the result of asking ChatGPT to study something and then comment on it, and they were not checked for validity because the expert producing them is not an expert in that field.

Along the way I ran into shitty research by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I mentioned before I decided to take up lockpicking as something I could do following surgery while I recovered and was awake for 8 minutes at a stretch. The videos on each lock are usually short (depending on who you’re watching,) it involves puzzle solving, and it’s a relatively low cost hobby that teaches you magician tricks and can get your 1970’s filing cabinet you lost the key to open.

I have no idea how many McNally Official, Lockpicking Noob, or Lockpicking Lawyer videos I watched, nor how many I slept through post hospital, but it was a fair chunk of them.

I picked up these little beasts at Amazon. Priced at $12 for two I figured it was probably a fun starting lock as it looked like it could be picked with an errant glance, and I was at that point beyond noob. By real lock I need you to understand it’s not a trainer lock, I’m not saying anything beyond that. The manufacturer claims they’re real and offers protection.

The hardest part I had was the little rivets all around the key area which blocked my turning tool in the position I’d practiced using the practice locks.

Raking opened it in a few seconds, single pin picking opened in under 30. I repeated over and over again and the times were about the same on either lock (both are keyed the same, and I am slow).

I hit it a few times and was unable to pop the lock that way but I’m also sans hammer. Plans are to shim it, take it home and break out the hammer (you would think I’d have one at work, but no,) but I’m stuck until I build some shims or go home for the day, or buy a hammer for work.

Eh, fun times.

Quarter million dollar surgery, now I have skills to break into school lockers given enough time.

Lessons I learned on my first real locks picked

• If you watched on a 60+ inch tv screen you will find that it feels like you’re working with miniatures
• The turning tools I purchased in a set were too large to fit in and not block the keyway. Luckily I had very tiny tools from a freebie pack I was sent for a software demo / lockpicking intro.
• Oddly I had no issues identifying what pin I was on on a real lock where I used my imagination, I did have issues on a transparent lock
• Being able to defeat $6 worth of lock somehow does not make me king of the world

I picked my first real lock yesterday by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

After surgery I had a couple of months of recovery that involved me watching a whole lot of YouTube. One of the things I really focused in on was lockpicking. It’s like solving a puzzle to me and I have thus far enjoyed doing it.

TL;DR – more on Paul’s hobby, nobody is forcing you to read this. Want more Android content / submit some.

It’s taught me a new way of thinking of security. I mean, not that the average criminal isn’t just going to bash in your door with a sledgehammer, or cut your lock off the shed, or just take your bike because over half the bike locks out there are garbage.

I bought a few locks the past couple of weeks. I’m not locking anything up, I just wanted a variety to practice with.

The lock above I managed to open using shims, picking, and I used a comb (yes, I know it’s the wrong style lock to use it on now,) and using said comb evidently managed to hit something behind the keyway and open it. Only managed the comb open once. This was my first shimming and easier than expected.

I bought another lock that I can’t pick without a disc detainer tool. Eh, my bad. I did however discover that they’re using only one key for the entire lock run because my key and the product key are the same, and other reviewers of the lock have mentioned they have the exact same key pictured on the Amazon page. So if you ever see a “top security” branded lock and want to open it evidently that’ll cost you $8.99 if it’s the one I have.

I also picked up two combo locks to try out my decoder tool and yeah, nothing. I feel nothing. I can sort of slow the wheels down but there’s no difference in feel. The time I spent attempting to decode the wheels I could have easily sawed through the locks. May be shielded, may be I am no good at it. Who knows.

Fun times. I have a training lock I need to assemble and practice on, and a couple of doors to attack, but that’s for another day. I’ve got to plow through working on some reviews now.

I picked my second real lock (and didn’t a couple of others) by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I get about 200 emails a day in my Pocketables email pitching me various gadgets, books, Turtle Rescues for some reason, telco updates, etc. I have subscribed to a total of 1 of these emails and the rest are the result of various companies putting me into a list they sell to various buyers who are told I am interested in their verticals.

TL;DR – short blog on fake research used for SEO

And for the most part they’ve been pretty on brand…

Recently I started getting expert commentary from, I’m going to say, not experts. At least not experts in their fields currently.

The format is the same – some interesting piece of commentary on how your air purifier is going to kill you or that charging your phone overnight will burn your house down and about a page and a half of text that could be generated by ChatGPT and contains the wisdom of 2006 without any of the collective learnings of the past 18 years.

I caught my local news station using one of them the other day, a fairly innocuous tidbit I’d passed on because it wasn’t phones, gadgets, or anything to catch my attention. A shout out to the source was mentioned and amused me they hadn’t checked it, or were ok sourcing an online casino ranking website as a researcher.

But the format is the same, research, some text, claiming someone’s an expert and if you use their research link to them. The researchers tend to be casinos and gambling sites, web developers looking to increase their SEO, personal injury lawyers, and other people known for their researching capabilities.

The findings presented are generally in the format of the articles that ruined the internet in 2012 with the methodology maybe mentioned but no table data given or links to where the data was pulled, and that would be all right if everything were correct… but it’s not usually.

It’s never done by firms that specialize in research… never…

So yeah, if you see “a new study has revealed…” or “a cell phone expert on why you should/shouldn’t” maybe bear in mind a lot of these are now the result of asking ChatGPT to study something and then comment on it, and they were not checked for validity because the expert producing them is not an expert in that field.

Along the way I ran into shitty research by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I mentioned before I decided to take up lockpicking as something I could do following surgery while I recovered and was awake for 8 minutes at a stretch. The videos on each lock are usually short (depending on who you’re watching,) it involves puzzle solving, and it’s a relatively low cost hobby that teaches you magician tricks and can get your 1970’s filing cabinet you lost the key to open.

I have no idea how many McNally Official, Lockpicking Noob, or Lockpicking Lawyer videos I watched, nor how many I slept through post hospital, but it was a fair chunk of them.

I picked up these little beasts at Amazon. Priced at $12 for two I figured it was probably a fun starting lock as it looked like it could be picked with an errant glance, and I was at that point beyond noob. By real lock I need you to understand it’s not a trainer lock, I’m not saying anything beyond that. The manufacturer claims they’re real and offers protection.

The hardest part I had was the little rivets all around the key area which blocked my turning tool in the position I’d practiced using the practice locks.

Raking opened it in a few seconds, single pin picking opened in under 30. I repeated over and over again and the times were about the same on either lock (both are keyed the same, and I am slow).

I hit it a few times and was unable to pop the lock that way but I’m also sans hammer. Plans are to shim it, take it home and break out the hammer (you would think I’d have one at work, but no,) but I’m stuck until I build some shims or go home for the day, or buy a hammer for work.

Eh, fun times.

Quarter million dollar surgery, now I have skills to break into school lockers given enough time.

Lessons I learned on my first real locks picked

• If you watched on a 60+ inch tv screen you will find that it feels like you’re working with miniatures
• The turning tools I purchased in a set were too large to fit in and not block the keyway. Luckily I had very tiny tools from a freebie pack I was sent for a software demo / lockpicking intro.
• Oddly I had no issues identifying what pin I was on on a real lock where I used my imagination, I did have issues on a transparent lock
• Being able to defeat $6 worth of lock somehow does not make me king of the world

I picked my first real lock yesterday by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

After surgery I had a couple of months of recovery that involved me watching a whole lot of YouTube. One of the things I really focused in on was lockpicking. It’s like solving a puzzle to me and I have thus far enjoyed doing it.

TL;DR – more on Paul’s hobby, nobody is forcing you to read this. Want more Android content / submit some.

It’s taught me a new way of thinking of security. I mean, not that the average criminal isn’t just going to bash in your door with a sledgehammer, or cut your lock off the shed, or just take your bike because over half the bike locks out there are garbage.

I bought a few locks the past couple of weeks. I’m not locking anything up, I just wanted a variety to practice with.

The lock above I managed to open using shims, picking, and I used a comb (yes, I know it’s the wrong style lock to use it on now,) and using said comb evidently managed to hit something behind the keyway and open it. Only managed the comb open once. This was my first shimming and easier than expected.

I bought another lock that I can’t pick without a disc detainer tool. Eh, my bad. I did however discover that they’re using only one key for the entire lock run because my key and the product key are the same, and other reviewers of the lock have mentioned they have the exact same key pictured on the Amazon page. So if you ever see a “top security” branded lock and want to open it evidently that’ll cost you $8.99 if it’s the one I have.

I also picked up two combo locks to try out my decoder tool and yeah, nothing. I feel nothing. I can sort of slow the wheels down but there’s no difference in feel. The time I spent attempting to decode the wheels I could have easily sawed through the locks. May be shielded, may be I am no good at it. Who knows.

Fun times. I have a training lock I need to assemble and practice on, and a couple of doors to attack, but that’s for another day. I’ve got to plow through working on some reviews now.

I picked my second real lock (and didn’t a couple of others) by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I get about 200 emails a day in my Pocketables email pitching me various gadgets, books, Turtle Rescues for some reason, telco updates, etc. I have subscribed to a total of 1 of these emails and the rest are the result of various companies putting me into a list they sell to various buyers who are told I am interested in their verticals.

TL;DR – short blog on fake research used for SEO

And for the most part they’ve been pretty on brand…

Recently I started getting expert commentary from, I’m going to say, not experts. At least not experts in their fields currently.

The format is the same – some interesting piece of commentary on how your air purifier is going to kill you or that charging your phone overnight will burn your house down and about a page and a half of text that could be generated by ChatGPT and contains the wisdom of 2006 without any of the collective learnings of the past 18 years.

I caught my local news station using one of them the other day, a fairly innocuous tidbit I’d passed on because it wasn’t phones, gadgets, or anything to catch my attention. A shout out to the source was mentioned and amused me they hadn’t checked it, or were ok sourcing an online casino ranking website as a researcher.

But the format is the same, research, some text, claiming someone’s an expert and if you use their research link to them. The researchers tend to be casinos and gambling sites, web developers looking to increase their SEO, personal injury lawyers, and other people known for their researching capabilities.

The findings presented are generally in the format of the articles that ruined the internet in 2012 with the methodology maybe mentioned but no table data given or links to where the data was pulled, and that would be all right if everything were correct… but it’s not usually.

It’s never done by firms that specialize in research… never…

So yeah, if you see “a new study has revealed…” or “a cell phone expert on why you should/shouldn’t” maybe bear in mind a lot of these are now the result of asking ChatGPT to study something and then comment on it, and they were not checked for validity because the expert producing them is not an expert in that field.

Along the way I ran into shitty research by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I mentioned before I decided to take up lockpicking as something I could do following surgery while I recovered and was awake for 8 minutes at a stretch. The videos on each lock are usually short (depending on who you’re watching,) it involves puzzle solving, and it’s a relatively low cost hobby that teaches you magician tricks and can get your 1970’s filing cabinet you lost the key to open.

I have no idea how many McNally Official, Lockpicking Noob, or Lockpicking Lawyer videos I watched, nor how many I slept through post hospital, but it was a fair chunk of them.

I picked up these little beasts at Amazon. Priced at $12 for two I figured it was probably a fun starting lock as it looked like it could be picked with an errant glance, and I was at that point beyond noob. By real lock I need you to understand it’s not a trainer lock, I’m not saying anything beyond that. The manufacturer claims they’re real and offers protection.

The hardest part I had was the little rivets all around the key area which blocked my turning tool in the position I’d practiced using the practice locks.

Raking opened it in a few seconds, single pin picking opened in under 30. I repeated over and over again and the times were about the same on either lock (both are keyed the same, and I am slow).

I hit it a few times and was unable to pop the lock that way but I’m also sans hammer. Plans are to shim it, take it home and break out the hammer (you would think I’d have one at work, but no,) but I’m stuck until I build some shims or go home for the day, or buy a hammer for work.

Eh, fun times.

Quarter million dollar surgery, now I have skills to break into school lockers given enough time.

Lessons I learned on my first real locks picked

• If you watched on a 60+ inch tv screen you will find that it feels like you’re working with miniatures
• The turning tools I purchased in a set were too large to fit in and not block the keyway. Luckily I had very tiny tools from a freebie pack I was sent for a software demo / lockpicking intro.
• Oddly I had no issues identifying what pin I was on on a real lock where I used my imagination, I did have issues on a transparent lock
• Being able to defeat $6 worth of lock somehow does not make me king of the world

I picked my first real lock yesterday by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

If you’re recovering from fairly major surgery you might find out like I did that 1) you have no brain, 2) you can’t pay attention to things longer than about 3-5 minutes because of issue 1. This is what I found following my chest-splitting tumor removal at least. A combination of being exhausted, sick, and not really wanting to interact with people much lead me down an interesting path that evidently tickled the puzzle solving part of my brain.

TL;DR – took up opening locks using mostly tools I got from a cool presentation. Had fun. You might as well.

I learned to open locks, bump open locks, pick locks, bypass padlocks, rake, shim, and otherwise destroy any confidence I had in my doors holding off a devoted attacker for more than about six minutes (not that that’s how they’re going to enter.) or any padlock I possessed from locking up anything important for more than 10 seconds. I need new padlocks.

I’d probably first gotten the bug for opening stuff a year or two back when I was asked if I thought I could get a safe open for my inlaws. Grand-inlaws had passed and the note given to open it was, in retrospect, 1 number off of each position, the directions were reversed, and the number of rotations were all incorrect by one. I guess if you’re going to put it on paper mask it, but whatever.

YouTubing that model safe showed me that the directions and numbers of rotations were wrong, and when I got that the other I learned by listening. Cool beans, I had defeated a safe (although I had close enough to the numbers to defeat it by ear.) Its contents were greater than those of Al Capone’s vault but only for sentimental reasons.

I bought a lockpick training kit a couple of years back thinking that it amused me to be able to get into things, and beats me how it disappeared, but it was gone and I moved on. It was on my desk, it is no longer on my desk, things worth 80x more are on my desk. It wandered out never to be seen again… goodbye $29.

So we had a confluence of events happen these past couple of months. I had major surgery in February, I had an offer to attend a small presentation virtually called School of Lock (which I believe was held by these guys and sponsored by Egnyte, which has nothing to do with physical locks,) in which we were given a small sales pitch on a non-lock related software product by the sponsor company, and then had 5 lock cores and a lockpicking kit which had been mailed to us a week earlier… useful since mine disappeared. I did this, and while still drugged up on pain killers and pain, had a grand old time picking some pretty easy lock cores.

I completely forgot what Egnyte was presenting… I blame the medication… I remember saying I was going to check out something of their and yup, slept three days straight pretty much after.

Woo hoo… blew through 5 lock cores with no spool pins, serrated pins, or much… just enough to get the picking basics and enough to then subsequently learn my outer door has 3 security pins and that there had been no need to learn binding order on the initial practice set… oh well, it was a very basics course for IT people to play around with intro to locksport/opening.

I devoured everything that McNally Official had put out (amusing stuff, mostly YouTube Shorts shorter than my medicated attention span,) and then started looking at a few things from the Lock Picking Lawyer, and then a few things became roughly a third of his videos. I purchased a couple of Lishi tools with spacers (from Red Team Tools,) so I could practice with visual feedback and finished out some lockpicking channels on YouTube that were abandoned years ago.

I have probably watched every nondestructive method of entry for most things I encounter (other than cars, straight up not interested at the moment,) learned that a magnet can open a lot of smart locks that claim to be unpickable, and learned to open some old junk left at my work and determine what cut we would need for a new key.

I have no interest in going door to door shopping houses for drugs or easily accessible firearms, but if a friend gets locked out of their house I might be a quicker and much less expensive call than a locksmith, if they’re willing to wait for 10+ minutes for me to pick the door while complaining about my knees.

While I might ace a written test I’m still struggling with binding order on spool pins and how much tension to apply, especially when it’s 40 degrees out and raining sideways and I’ve almost mastered sitting in a comfy chair with a lock in my hands with next to no security.

For the most part while healing I was able to do this in a comfy chair, with some cores or a padlock. It was fun, gives you an entirely new view of what people do to feel secure and shatters that illusion. It’s solving one little clicky puzzle after the next.

I will note, I am indeed terrible still. I have the skills of a two month old. But it’s really fun. If I’m at your door going at the lock it’s like a zombie slowly shuffling toward you. You would have time to re-turn the deadbolt until the police arrived.

I will also note where I live it’s perfectly legal to purchase and pick a lock if you’re given permission. I read that some places it’s not so yeah… don’t there. If you’re young, wouldn’t advise carrying because as I learned well when I was driving garbage in Franklin, TN, police will decide anything is suspicious and a reason to detain you for 40 minutes.

Also, am I trying to sell you anything? Nope… just something fun to learn and as you can learn in many videos if you’ve got a couple of paperclips you’ve got a pick and turner. I have not paperclipped open anything other than a 2 pin lock so don’t take my word on it.

A fun skill learned (somewhat) while recovering from major surgery by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I mentioned before I decided to take up lockpicking as something I could do following surgery while I recovered and was awake for 8 minutes at a stretch. The videos on each lock are usually short (depending on who you’re watching,) it involves puzzle solving, and it’s a relatively low cost hobby that teaches you magician tricks and can get your 1970’s filing cabinet you lost the key to open.

I have no idea how many McNally Official, Lockpicking Noob, or Lockpicking Lawyer videos I watched, nor how many I slept through post hospital, but it was a fair chunk of them.

I picked up these little beasts at Amazon. Priced at $12 for two I figured it was probably a fun starting lock as it looked like it could be picked with an errant glance, and I was at that point beyond noob. By real lock I need you to understand it’s not a trainer lock, I’m not saying anything beyond that. The manufacturer claims they’re real and offers protection.

The hardest part I had was the little rivets all around the key area which blocked my turning tool in the position I’d practiced using the practice locks.

Raking opened it in a few seconds, single pin picking opened in under 30. I repeated over and over again and the times were about the same on either lock (both are keyed the same, and I am slow).

I hit it a few times and was unable to pop the lock that way but I’m also sans hammer. Plans are to shim it, take it home and break out the hammer (you would think I’d have one at work, but no,) but I’m stuck until I build some shims or go home for the day, or buy a hammer for work.

Eh, fun times.

Quarter million dollar surgery, now I have skills to break into school lockers given enough time.

Lessons I learned on my first real locks picked

• If you watched on a 60+ inch tv screen you will find that it feels like you’re working with miniatures
• The turning tools I purchased in a set were too large to fit in and not block the keyway. Luckily I had very tiny tools from a freebie pack I was sent for a software demo / lockpicking intro.
• Oddly I had no issues identifying what pin I was on on a real lock where I used my imagination, I did have issues on a transparent lock
• Being able to defeat $6 worth of lock somehow does not make me king of the world

I picked my first real lock yesterday by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

If you’re recovering from fairly major surgery you might find out like I did that 1) you have no brain, 2) you can’t pay attention to things longer than about 3-5 minutes because of issue 1. This is what I found following my chest-splitting tumor removal at least. A combination of being exhausted, sick, and not really wanting to interact with people much lead me down an interesting path that evidently tickled the puzzle solving part of my brain.

TL;DR – took up opening locks using mostly tools I got from a cool presentation. Had fun. You might as well.

I learned to open locks, bump open locks, pick locks, bypass padlocks, rake, shim, and otherwise destroy any confidence I had in my doors holding off a devoted attacker for more than about six minutes (not that that’s how they’re going to enter.) or any padlock I possessed from locking up anything important for more than 10 seconds. I need new padlocks.

I’d probably first gotten the bug for opening stuff a year or two back when I was asked if I thought I could get a safe open for my inlaws. Grand-inlaws had passed and the note given to open it was, in retrospect, 1 number off of each position, the directions were reversed, and the number of rotations were all incorrect by one. I guess if you’re going to put it on paper mask it, but whatever.

YouTubing that model safe showed me that the directions and numbers of rotations were wrong, and when I got that the other I learned by listening. Cool beans, I had defeated a safe (although I had close enough to the numbers to defeat it by ear.) Its contents were greater than those of Al Capone’s vault but only for sentimental reasons.

I bought a lockpick training kit a couple of years back thinking that it amused me to be able to get into things, and beats me how it disappeared, but it was gone and I moved on. It was on my desk, it is no longer on my desk, things worth 80x more are on my desk. It wandered out never to be seen again… goodbye $29.

So we had a confluence of events happen these past couple of months. I had major surgery in February, I had an offer to attend a small presentation virtually called School of Lock (which I believe was held by these guys and sponsored by Egnyte, which has nothing to do with physical locks,) in which we were given a small sales pitch on a non-lock related software product by the sponsor company, and then had 5 lock cores and a lockpicking kit which had been mailed to us a week earlier… useful since mine disappeared. I did this, and while still drugged up on pain killers and pain, had a grand old time picking some pretty easy lock cores.

I completely forgot what Egnyte was presenting… I blame the medication… I remember saying I was going to check out something of their and yup, slept three days straight pretty much after.

Woo hoo… blew through 5 lock cores with no spool pins, serrated pins, or much… just enough to get the picking basics and enough to then subsequently learn my outer door has 3 security pins and that there had been no need to learn binding order on the initial practice set… oh well, it was a very basics course for IT people to play around with intro to locksport/opening.

I devoured everything that McNally Official had put out (amusing stuff, mostly YouTube Shorts shorter than my medicated attention span,) and then started looking at a few things from the Lock Picking Lawyer, and then a few things became roughly a third of his videos. I purchased a couple of Lishi tools with spacers (from Red Team Tools,) so I could practice with visual feedback and finished out some lockpicking channels on YouTube that were abandoned years ago.

I have probably watched every nondestructive method of entry for most things I encounter (other than cars, straight up not interested at the moment,) learned that a magnet can open a lot of smart locks that claim to be unpickable, and learned to open some old junk left at my work and determine what cut we would need for a new key.

I have no interest in going door to door shopping houses for drugs or easily accessible firearms, but if a friend gets locked out of their house I might be a quicker and much less expensive call than a locksmith, if they’re willing to wait for 10+ minutes for me to pick the door while complaining about my knees.

While I might ace a written test I’m still struggling with binding order on spool pins and how much tension to apply, especially when it’s 40 degrees out and raining sideways and I’ve almost mastered sitting in a comfy chair with a lock in my hands with next to no security.

For the most part while healing I was able to do this in a comfy chair, with some cores or a padlock. It was fun, gives you an entirely new view of what people do to feel secure and shatters that illusion. It’s solving one little clicky puzzle after the next.

I will note, I am indeed terrible still. I have the skills of a two month old. But it’s really fun. If I’m at your door going at the lock it’s like a zombie slowly shuffling toward you. You would have time to re-turn the deadbolt until the police arrived.

I will also note where I live it’s perfectly legal to purchase and pick a lock if you’re given permission. I read that some places it’s not so yeah… don’t there. If you’re young, wouldn’t advise carrying because as I learned well when I was driving garbage in Franklin, TN, police will decide anything is suspicious and a reason to detain you for 40 minutes.

Also, am I trying to sell you anything? Nope… just something fun to learn and as you can learn in many videos if you’ve got a couple of paperclips you’ve got a pick and turner. I have not paperclipped open anything other than a 2 pin lock so don’t take my word on it.

A fun skill learned (somewhat) while recovering from major surgery by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

The Dumbening started last week with Home/Nest voice devices not being able to turn off either my Nest or my Cielo controlled thermostats. Today on the drive into my kid’s school we had a very fun trip where we learned Kate Bush only has one song that would play, Regina Spektor makes music that contains a total of 6-10 seconds and then ends, and attempts to play any individual song require me to unlock my device which is connected to my car, and then it plays a random TV show.

Let’s use a little smarts Google Assistant. If I am driving, connected to my car’s Bluetooth connection, don’t play movies?

This was not a good trip in. We did finally get it to play the only Kate Bush song in the entire universe in its entirety, but the goal at the outset was to play anything but that song.

The phone kept locking, requiring me to unlock it to get the wrong results. Something that was not supposed to happen for 4 hours or so because that’s how it’s set.

Attempts to play Good Times by Edie Brickell, or honestly Good Times by anyone who has recorded a song named Good Times (there are many) were greeted with that I needed to unlock my phone and what appeared to be a half-hearted effort to locate a TV show similar to, but not Good Times.

At this point my ten year old told me to stop because it was obvious that Google Assistant had the dumbs today and any and all attempts were futile. It was in response to this that Kate Bush started playing again, the only song that exists evidently, and attempts to skip it went to a song that never started playing or had an insane quiet intro, and then that one Kate Bush song… again.

While I’ve often had issues with Google Assistant while driving, this was picking up what I was saying. But man it was not returning anything useful today.

Apple PR – seriously, put a camera in my car you’ve got your next Siri advertisement.

Google Assistant reached levels of dumb today that are being mocked by my 10 year old by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

I mentioned before I decided to take up lockpicking as something I could do following surgery while I recovered and was awake for 8 minutes at a stretch. The videos on each lock are usually short (depending on who you’re watching,) it involves puzzle solving, and it’s a relatively low cost hobby that teaches you magician tricks and can get your 1970’s filing cabinet you lost the key to open.

I have no idea how many McNally Official, Lockpicking Noob, or Lockpicking Lawyer videos I watched, nor how many I slept through post hospital, but it was a fair chunk of them.

I picked up these little beasts at Amazon. Priced at $12 for two I figured it was probably a fun starting lock as it looked like it could be picked with an errant glance, and I was at that point beyond noob. By real lock I need you to understand it’s not a trainer lock, I’m not saying anything beyond that. The manufacturer claims they’re real and offers protection.

The hardest part I had was the little rivets all around the key area which blocked my turning tool in the position I’d practiced using the practice locks.

Raking opened it in a few seconds, single pin picking opened in under 30. I repeated over and over again and the times were about the same on either lock (both are keyed the same, and I am slow).

I hit it a few times and was unable to pop the lock that way but I’m also sans hammer. Plans are to shim it, take it home and break out the hammer (you would think I’d have one at work, but no,) but I’m stuck until I build some shims or go home for the day, or buy a hammer for work.

Eh, fun times.

Quarter million dollar surgery, now I have skills to break into school lockers given enough time.

Lessons I learned on my first real locks picked

• If you watched on a 60+ inch tv screen you will find that it feels like you’re working with miniatures
• The turning tools I purchased in a set were too large to fit in and not block the keyway. Luckily I had very tiny tools from a freebie pack I was sent for a software demo / lockpicking intro.
• Oddly I had no issues identifying what pin I was on on a real lock where I used my imagination, I did have issues on a transparent lock
• Being able to defeat $6 worth of lock somehow does not make me king of the world

I picked my first real lock yesterday by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

If you’re recovering from fairly major surgery you might find out like I did that 1) you have no brain, 2) you can’t pay attention to things longer than about 3-5 minutes because of issue 1. This is what I found following my chest-splitting tumor removal at least. A combination of being exhausted, sick, and not really wanting to interact with people much lead me down an interesting path that evidently tickled the puzzle solving part of my brain.

TL;DR – took up opening locks using mostly tools I got from a cool presentation. Had fun. You might as well.

I learned to open locks, bump open locks, pick locks, bypass padlocks, rake, shim, and otherwise destroy any confidence I had in my doors holding off a devoted attacker for more than about six minutes (not that that’s how they’re going to enter.) or any padlock I possessed from locking up anything important for more than 10 seconds. I need new padlocks.

I’d probably first gotten the bug for opening stuff a year or two back when I was asked if I thought I could get a safe open for my inlaws. Grand-inlaws had passed and the note given to open it was, in retrospect, 1 number off of each position, the directions were reversed, and the number of rotations were all incorrect by one. I guess if you’re going to put it on paper mask it, but whatever.

YouTubing that model safe showed me that the directions and numbers of rotations were wrong, and when I got that the other I learned by listening. Cool beans, I had defeated a safe (although I had close enough to the numbers to defeat it by ear.) Its contents were greater than those of Al Capone’s vault but only for sentimental reasons.

I bought a lockpick training kit a couple of years back thinking that it amused me to be able to get into things, and beats me how it disappeared, but it was gone and I moved on. It was on my desk, it is no longer on my desk, things worth 80x more are on my desk. It wandered out never to be seen again… goodbye $29.

So we had a confluence of events happen these past couple of months. I had major surgery in February, I had an offer to attend a small presentation virtually called School of Lock (which I believe was held by these guys and sponsored by Egnyte, which has nothing to do with physical locks,) in which we were given a small sales pitch on a non-lock related software product by the sponsor company, and then had 5 lock cores and a lockpicking kit which had been mailed to us a week earlier… useful since mine disappeared. I did this, and while still drugged up on pain killers and pain, had a grand old time picking some pretty easy lock cores.

I completely forgot what Egnyte was presenting… I blame the medication… I remember saying I was going to check out something of their and yup, slept three days straight pretty much after.

Woo hoo… blew through 5 lock cores with no spool pins, serrated pins, or much… just enough to get the picking basics and enough to then subsequently learn my outer door has 3 security pins and that there had been no need to learn binding order on the initial practice set… oh well, it was a very basics course for IT people to play around with intro to locksport/opening.

I devoured everything that McNally Official had put out (amusing stuff, mostly YouTube Shorts shorter than my medicated attention span,) and then started looking at a few things from the Lock Picking Lawyer, and then a few things became roughly a third of his videos. I purchased a couple of Lishi tools with spacers (from Red Team Tools,) so I could practice with visual feedback and finished out some lockpicking channels on YouTube that were abandoned years ago.

I have probably watched every nondestructive method of entry for most things I encounter (other than cars, straight up not interested at the moment,) learned that a magnet can open a lot of smart locks that claim to be unpickable, and learned to open some old junk left at my work and determine what cut we would need for a new key.

I have no interest in going door to door shopping houses for drugs or easily accessible firearms, but if a friend gets locked out of their house I might be a quicker and much less expensive call than a locksmith, if they’re willing to wait for 10+ minutes for me to pick the door while complaining about my knees.

While I might ace a written test I’m still struggling with binding order on spool pins and how much tension to apply, especially when it’s 40 degrees out and raining sideways and I’ve almost mastered sitting in a comfy chair with a lock in my hands with next to no security.

For the most part while healing I was able to do this in a comfy chair, with some cores or a padlock. It was fun, gives you an entirely new view of what people do to feel secure and shatters that illusion. It’s solving one little clicky puzzle after the next.

I will note, I am indeed terrible still. I have the skills of a two month old. But it’s really fun. If I’m at your door going at the lock it’s like a zombie slowly shuffling toward you. You would have time to re-turn the deadbolt until the police arrived.

I will also note where I live it’s perfectly legal to purchase and pick a lock if you’re given permission. I read that some places it’s not so yeah… don’t there. If you’re young, wouldn’t advise carrying because as I learned well when I was driving garbage in Franklin, TN, police will decide anything is suspicious and a reason to detain you for 40 minutes.

Also, am I trying to sell you anything? Nope… just something fun to learn and as you can learn in many videos if you’ve got a couple of paperclips you’ve got a pick and turner. I have not paperclipped open anything other than a 2 pin lock so don’t take my word on it.

A fun skill learned (somewhat) while recovering from major surgery by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.

The Dumbening started last week with Home/Nest voice devices not being able to turn off either my Nest or my Cielo controlled thermostats. Today on the drive into my kid’s school we had a very fun trip where we learned Kate Bush only has one song that would play, Regina Spektor makes music that contains a total of 6-10 seconds and then ends, and attempts to play any individual song require me to unlock my device which is connected to my car, and then it plays a random TV show.

Let’s use a little smarts Google Assistant. If I am driving, connected to my car’s Bluetooth connection, don’t play movies?

This was not a good trip in. We did finally get it to play the only Kate Bush song in the entire universe in its entirety, but the goal at the outset was to play anything but that song.

The phone kept locking, requiring me to unlock it to get the wrong results. Something that was not supposed to happen for 4 hours or so because that’s how it’s set.

Attempts to play Good Times by Edie Brickell, or honestly Good Times by anyone who has recorded a song named Good Times (there are many) were greeted with that I needed to unlock my phone and what appeared to be a half-hearted effort to locate a TV show similar to, but not Good Times.

At this point my ten year old told me to stop because it was obvious that Google Assistant had the dumbs today and any and all attempts were futile. It was in response to this that Kate Bush started playing again, the only song that exists evidently, and attempts to skip it went to a song that never started playing or had an insane quiet intro, and then that one Kate Bush song… again.

While I’ve often had issues with Google Assistant while driving, this was picking up what I was saying. But man it was not returning anything useful today.

Apple PR – seriously, put a camera in my car you’ve got your next Siri advertisement.

Google Assistant reached levels of dumb today that are being mocked by my 10 year old by Paul E King first appeared on Pocketables.