I do a lot of gaming, and carrying around the games is a pain. Thankfully, there’s a new kickstarter for a backpack that makes carrying all of it around easy. It’s already going strong, but I’m hoping it keeps picking up, because they’ve recently added some stretch goals to further improve the pack, redesigning portions of it, improving components, and even adding a divider for miniatures and loops for carrying RPG mats.
I’m trying something new right now. I’ve been having issues when I had to deal with typing anything in when I was in VR, either with the controller interface, or trying to awkwardly get to the keyboard while on the treadmill.
Well, no more! (Hopefully)
Being the somewhat ridiculous guy I am, I have taped a keyboard to the gate mounted on the side of my treadmill! Now I can access a reasonable keyboard more easily from within VR. Still have to get used to using this particular one, as it is setup a bit differently from my normal keyboard, and I’m using it blind.
So far, it seems okay, as this is my first blog post from within VR!
I am hoping to come up with a better solution soon, though. The keyboard will probably get in the way of some games as it is currently mounted. At some point I want to come up with a 3d printed mount that swings the keyboard into position when I need it.
Now… to test it in normal use!
People often ask me about what 3D printers to get when they are starting out, since I’m the one in my circles who happened to get one first. I keep trying to recommend a certain chart, but I keep forgetting where it is. Well, here it is for reference:
This chart allows you to input parameters, and it helps you narrow down which printers you want to look at based on your needs and your budget. It may not be perfect, but should at least give you an idea of where to start your search.
I highly recommend looking up reviews for the various printers, particularly the video reviews on youtube. They’ll give you a better idea of how easy/difficult a printer is to use, and what to expect for maintenance items/upgrades.
There are many other things you’re going to want to consider when getting into 3D printing, but this is how I got my start.
I’ve loved the book ever since I was introduced to it… to the point that I own it both in print form and in audiobook form, as read by Wil Wheaton. When I read it, I tend to devour the book quickly. Yes, it has it’s flaws and plot holes, but it’s a wild ride. Ever since I heard they were making a movie, I’ve wanted to see it.
When it came out, I went to see it as soon as I could… and loved it!
One caveat: This is NOT a literal representation of the book. It is a pretty good representation of the spirit of the book.
If you watch it in that light, it is GREAT. It’s filled with geeky/pop culture easter eggs to the point that many scenes are almost a Where’s Waldo of references. I’ll have to watch this movie repeatedly to catch a lot more of them, especially the battle scenes. The scenes were filled with movie references, video game characters (Tracer, Halo Spartans, Starcraft Characters, WOW characters), all interacting with one another.
Also, one of my favorite ships, Serenity, makes more than one appearance, and one of them is a key part of a scene. Here is the non-spoiler one:
Incidentally, it’s also my opinion of the movie. This was a fun ride through geek/pop culture, and I WILL be buying it on blu-ray.
Whew! I played laser tag with some friends last night, and that was quite a workout. My legs and lungs were hurting by the end of it, but we had a great time.
If only lasertag weren’t so expensive, and I could find a place and a group to play with on a regular basis, this might be a great workout program.
Tonight is game night with some buddies of mine. We went through a diaspora of sorts over the years, and now live in multiple different states. So, we use Roll20 to play D&D with each other again! Roll20 allows us to play on a digital map, and keeps track of our character sheets and dice rolls, so we can log in from anywhere, even if we are travelling.
I do highly recommend using an alternate system such as Discord for the VOIP portion of playing the game. The voice and video over Roll20 has not been the most reliable.
Please be patient as I construct the site.
Ironically, for someone listing themselves as a technomancer, web design is not my area of expertise.
Technomancer's Sanctum 