Wednesday, 10 September 2014
Is Bigger Better?
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| Me in 2015 (artist's impression) |
I was initially a little stumped. Of course I wanted a bigger phone, why wouldn't I (if there's one thing I know, it's that 'moar screenz is bettor')? But couldn't put my finger on the reason, nor why the Apple Watch excites me so much.
After some thought, I realised it boils down to this. Why is a tablet better than a phone? Okay, well sometimes maybe it isn't, but more people have been talking seriously about tablets as a PC replacement than about phones taking over (I think they're wrong, right now, but still, it tells you something).
So why don't we just carry tablets around? Obviously the very size that makes them useful works against them. We need something small enough to fit in a pocket or small bag and, just occasionally, to hold up to our faces.
So the 'phablet' phenomenon is an attempt to bring some of the expanded usefulness of tablets to phones. The size increase has some disadvantages, and they're not for everyone. It depends on your needs and habits. Bigger is bulkier, harder to hold, harder to use one-handed. For me, that's not a dealbreaker - the benefits of the bigger and better display and keyboard outweigh the annoyances - but what if there were a way to mitigate these?
The annoyances of a large phone are greatest when out and about and walking around. So, how we can take advantage of the phone's features without whipping it out every five minutes? Have an adjunct device strapped to your wrist.
The Apple Watch (or, fair enough, an equivalent device) at the very least picks up the strain here. How many times have you dug your phone out when it vibrates only to find it's an irrelevant notification? Check it on your watch. Reply to texts from your watch. Quickly check the time, weather, make calls, control other devices, get summary reports - all on your watch. That's aside from all of the stuff that it actually does in and of itself.
There's no one killer thing a smart watch does - I don't want it to. I want it to make the main device I use - my phone - better and improve the way I use it. This is the future I see. More of the phone as a 'hub', combined with adjoining devices that expand what it can do while piggybacking off its capabilities. These are essentially 'modular', adding and complementing functionality when it is needed. One of the things I think people misunderstand about Google Glass is that if you own it, you don't have to wear it all the time. You can take it off, for politeness, for practicality, and yet still get the benefits that it offers when they're useful.
Of course, there are some big questions to be answered about Apple Watch in particular. Firstly, does it actually work? Secondly, can it do everything promised (if it's 60%+ of what's shown at launch, I'll still likely be happy). Finally - battery life. This is going to be the knotty topic. On the one hand, if it's one-day-per-charge, well, that's not great, but I'm not going to be wearing it at night and am already pretty well trained to connect my phone to charge anyway. If it's getting to not-quite-making-it-through-the-day-territory, then it's going to be pretty horrendous. Time will tell, but I'm optimistic.
So I'm excited. For me, pairing the iPhone Six Plus and the Apple Watch seems like the way to go. With some of the Continuity handoff features starting in the new iOS and OSX in particular, I'm really excited about what the next 2-3 years of personal technology will bring.
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| Me in 2017 (enslaved artist's impression) |
What's in the Bag?
I totally didn't post this here yet! I did, indeed, go through everything that was in my bag - just not in a blog post. Here's what I got:
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Gearing Update: A Kit Retrospective
As many of you know, I'm a bit of a gear fiend. I tend to carry around more stuff than I strictly need, on the grounds that at some point it might come in handy. This has the power to amaze, as I whip out that elusive item at just the right time (that sounds rather too much like a euphemism, in retrospect), and to frustrate, as someone rolls their eyes at me while I throw a messenger bag over my shoulder for a simple trip to the corner shop.
Last year, I wrote a post on some of the more useful day-to-day gear I had accrued. At the time, I had been using it for just a few weeks. Now, just over a year on, I thought I'd give my thoughts on those same tools after carting them round for a longer period of time. This is a two-part post. Here, I'll talk about the products I mentioned last year. In the next part, I'll give you a look at what I currently have in my bag.
Speaking of bags, let's start with that.
Bag of Holding - ThinkGeek (49.99 USD)
The Bag of Holding is a geek classic, made by ThinkGeek in homage to the iconic Dungeons and Dragons Bag of Holding. This has been my primary bag for the past year. I carry it almost every day, and it has largely replaced my beloved Oakley Kitchen Sink backpack (though I still bring that out on occasion).
A year on, I've just reached the point where I'm starting to consider a new bag. The Bag of Holding is still fantastic, but it definitely has some downsides. It can hold a truly impressive amount of stuff and has a good number of pouches and compartments. But I can help but feel that a few things are traded off for the 'geek caché'.
The durability is okay. The shoulder strap supplied broke pretty quickly and I'm starting to see some wear and holes around some of the fasteners (but for a year of near-daily use, that's not so bad for a bag of that price). The inherent problem in the design is that, while it can hold a lot of stuff, if you really load it up, it tends to bulge out like it's recovering from an epic curry and when you pick it up by the strap the flap tends to pop open, like, well, like my trousers after an epic curry. The other issue with this is, since it's a messenger bag (though they do sell it as a rucksack), when it's fully loaded it's heavy and uncomfortable to carry. That's the time when I really miss using the Kitchen Sink.
I love the bag, but I'm starting to cast my eyes lasciviously at other ones (gear hound that I am) which offer similar dimensions, but that hold themselves together better and are easier to carry without developing back problems. Watch this space.
Telepen - True Utility (6.50 GBP)
Boy, I loved this pen when I got it. I still do, in principle at least anyway, but it's much harder to judge as it escaped from me about six months ago. It was great having a tiny-but-highly-functional pen on my keys, but because of the way I carry and treat my keys the fastening of the pen wasn't sufficient to keep it in. After a few close calls, it finally went missing, leaving me with just the stylish shiny topper on my keyring.
I love the gadget itself, but I've not felt compelled to replace it. I have a pen permanently wedged in one pocket anyway, and carry several more in my bag, so it felt a bit redundant. For anyone who needs a discrete or convenient way to carry a pen, it's a great tool, but its role is easily filled in other ways.
Microfleece Hoody - ScotteVest (75 USD)
If there's one thing I wish I had more of, more of the time, it's pockets (I long for the day when things like this aren't highly unfashionable). The Microfleece hoody gives me more pockets than a mutant kangaroo, and for that, I love it. The one problem with it is that for half the year, it's far too hot to wear. I haven't taken the time to check out any of ScotteVest's other products, but I might be interested in investing in something more lightweight that offers similar storage (and space for internal wiring).
(Editing this blog post actually prompted me to go back to the ScotteVest site for the first time in a while. It's my sort of site - they have a ticker that shows 'total pockets sold'.)
Grid-It - Cocoon (varies by size; should be sub 20 GBP)
Ahhhh, I've been saving this one until last, and with good reason. It's one thing that I am still unequivocally delighted with. I will continue to enthusiastically rave about these - I recommend them to anyone who carries any but the most spartan of bags on a regular basis. It does everything I need it to - it keeps my small items organised (also allowing a quick visual check to see if anything is missing); it allows for easy swapping of key items between bags; it lets you carry lots of smalls bits and cables without losing them in the crevices of your bag or turning them into a rats' nest. It fits whatever you need it to.
Seriously, if nothing else, get one of these. They come in lots of different sizes, so you can find one to fit a massive bag like mine or a much smaller handbag. You can even get them as part of a laptop or tablet sleeve. Scroll through threads of people's 'Everyday Carry gear' (for those who are as obsessive about their stuff as I am), this is the one item I see again and again.
Alright, that wraps it up for now. Come back on Monday, when I'll be showing you what I carry right now.
Last year, I wrote a post on some of the more useful day-to-day gear I had accrued. At the time, I had been using it for just a few weeks. Now, just over a year on, I thought I'd give my thoughts on those same tools after carting them round for a longer period of time. This is a two-part post. Here, I'll talk about the products I mentioned last year. In the next part, I'll give you a look at what I currently have in my bag.
Speaking of bags, let's start with that.
Bag of Holding - ThinkGeek (49.99 USD)
The Bag of Holding is a geek classic, made by ThinkGeek in homage to the iconic Dungeons and Dragons Bag of Holding. This has been my primary bag for the past year. I carry it almost every day, and it has largely replaced my beloved Oakley Kitchen Sink backpack (though I still bring that out on occasion).
A year on, I've just reached the point where I'm starting to consider a new bag. The Bag of Holding is still fantastic, but it definitely has some downsides. It can hold a truly impressive amount of stuff and has a good number of pouches and compartments. But I can help but feel that a few things are traded off for the 'geek caché'.
The durability is okay. The shoulder strap supplied broke pretty quickly and I'm starting to see some wear and holes around some of the fasteners (but for a year of near-daily use, that's not so bad for a bag of that price). The inherent problem in the design is that, while it can hold a lot of stuff, if you really load it up, it tends to bulge out like it's recovering from an epic curry and when you pick it up by the strap the flap tends to pop open, like, well, like my trousers after an epic curry. The other issue with this is, since it's a messenger bag (though they do sell it as a rucksack), when it's fully loaded it's heavy and uncomfortable to carry. That's the time when I really miss using the Kitchen Sink.
I love the bag, but I'm starting to cast my eyes lasciviously at other ones (gear hound that I am) which offer similar dimensions, but that hold themselves together better and are easier to carry without developing back problems. Watch this space.
Telepen - True Utility (6.50 GBP)
Boy, I loved this pen when I got it. I still do, in principle at least anyway, but it's much harder to judge as it escaped from me about six months ago. It was great having a tiny-but-highly-functional pen on my keys, but because of the way I carry and treat my keys the fastening of the pen wasn't sufficient to keep it in. After a few close calls, it finally went missing, leaving me with just the stylish shiny topper on my keyring.
I love the gadget itself, but I've not felt compelled to replace it. I have a pen permanently wedged in one pocket anyway, and carry several more in my bag, so it felt a bit redundant. For anyone who needs a discrete or convenient way to carry a pen, it's a great tool, but its role is easily filled in other ways.
Microfleece Hoody - ScotteVest (75 USD)
If there's one thing I wish I had more of, more of the time, it's pockets (I long for the day when things like this aren't highly unfashionable). The Microfleece hoody gives me more pockets than a mutant kangaroo, and for that, I love it. The one problem with it is that for half the year, it's far too hot to wear. I haven't taken the time to check out any of ScotteVest's other products, but I might be interested in investing in something more lightweight that offers similar storage (and space for internal wiring).
(Editing this blog post actually prompted me to go back to the ScotteVest site for the first time in a while. It's my sort of site - they have a ticker that shows 'total pockets sold'.)
Grid-It - Cocoon (varies by size; should be sub 20 GBP)
Ahhhh, I've been saving this one until last, and with good reason. It's one thing that I am still unequivocally delighted with. I will continue to enthusiastically rave about these - I recommend them to anyone who carries any but the most spartan of bags on a regular basis. It does everything I need it to - it keeps my small items organised (also allowing a quick visual check to see if anything is missing); it allows for easy swapping of key items between bags; it lets you carry lots of smalls bits and cables without losing them in the crevices of your bag or turning them into a rats' nest. It fits whatever you need it to.
.JPG) |
| My current configuration |
Seriously, if nothing else, get one of these. They come in lots of different sizes, so you can find one to fit a massive bag like mine or a much smaller handbag. You can even get them as part of a laptop or tablet sleeve. Scroll through threads of people's 'Everyday Carry gear' (for those who are as obsessive about their stuff as I am), this is the one item I see again and again.
Alright, that wraps it up for now. Come back on Monday, when I'll be showing you what I carry right now.
Friday, 8 August 2014
The Invasion Spreads
This blog's been getting a little quiet again... We've been going through the oh-so-fun process of moving and all that entails, which, among other things, has rather slowed the process of content writing. Normal service should resume soon.
Having talked recently about the boardgameliness of XCOM, someone was kind enough to point me in the direction of this beauty, bringing XCOM's particular brand of self-inflicted hell kicking and screaming into the physical world.
XCOM has the potential to be a great board game, so I hope it adequately translates the setting and the experience. The acid test for that, in my mind, is whether it has me and up to three other friends screaming, at the game and at each other, as we are collectively thrashed by a small pile of cardboard.
Just to ensure that the full joyous horror of XCOM doesn't manifest in the real world, Fantasy Flight are using a companion app (or alternatively a web tool, presumably browser-based). This could go either way. It will either be an absolute pain, imposing an unnecessary shackle on the flow of the game, or a positive innovation that improves the experience.
We won't know for sure until we get to play it, but from the way they've described the game, I'm not sure it's adding anything truly 'new', but let's wait and see - their suggestions of it teaching how to play are promising, though not enough to justify the app in its own right. If nothing else, it will provide a focal point - an object of hatred to hurl across the room when the going gets tough (which is less messy, I guess, than flipping the table). I may need to invest in a better iPad case, however.
Fantasy Flight generally does a great job on its board games, both in terms of polish and production value. It doesn't turn out perfect games all the time, but you can be pretty sure you'll get what you pay for so I have faith that if anyone can pull this off, they can. I look forward to yelling obscenities in their name - this will happen whether the game is good or bad, for different reasons.
XCOM: The Board Game will be released in or before the fourth quarter of this year.
Having talked recently about the boardgameliness of XCOM, someone was kind enough to point me in the direction of this beauty, bringing XCOM's particular brand of self-inflicted hell kicking and screaming into the physical world.
XCOM has the potential to be a great board game, so I hope it adequately translates the setting and the experience. The acid test for that, in my mind, is whether it has me and up to three other friends screaming, at the game and at each other, as we are collectively thrashed by a small pile of cardboard.
Just to ensure that the full joyous horror of XCOM doesn't manifest in the real world, Fantasy Flight are using a companion app (or alternatively a web tool, presumably browser-based). This could go either way. It will either be an absolute pain, imposing an unnecessary shackle on the flow of the game, or a positive innovation that improves the experience.
We won't know for sure until we get to play it, but from the way they've described the game, I'm not sure it's adding anything truly 'new', but let's wait and see - their suggestions of it teaching how to play are promising, though not enough to justify the app in its own right. If nothing else, it will provide a focal point - an object of hatred to hurl across the room when the going gets tough (which is less messy, I guess, than flipping the table). I may need to invest in a better iPad case, however.
Fantasy Flight generally does a great job on its board games, both in terms of polish and production value. It doesn't turn out perfect games all the time, but you can be pretty sure you'll get what you pay for so I have faith that if anyone can pull this off, they can. I look forward to yelling obscenities in their name - this will happen whether the game is good or bad, for different reasons.
XCOM: The Board Game will be released in or before the fourth quarter of this year.
Thursday, 24 July 2014
Vigilo Confid...Damnit, Missed the Target
I'm looking down the sights, the plasma-rifle wielding X-Ray at the other end. He's taken out half my team already (damn these Thin Men alien bastards), but I can still pull this one out and stop the abductions in Italy. I just need to take this guy down, then the other two members of my squad can bury the last two with explosives.
32% hit chance.
Never tell me the odds.
Squeeze the trigger.
Fuck.
Despite all my careful sequencing, that one miss screws up my entirely plan, causing the remaining aliens to quickly mop up the last three poor sods unfortunate enough to be sent on 'Operation Sinking Feeling'.
Anyone who has played XCOM is probably familiar with this sort of experience. Playing the game is an oddly masochistic relationship - somewhat a characteristic of the roguelike experience (while I've only rarely heard XCOM described as a roguelike, it does share many of the same properties - encouraging repeat play, refinement of strategy and a willingness to fail and relearn).
If you don't know what XCOM is already, seriously, check it out. If you have any love of strategy games, roguelikes, or just videogames in general, it's worth a look. Heck, even if you like boardgames, the pacing and play style can feel very 'boardgamey'.
My usual MO with this game is to sink 10-20 hours into it over a week or weekend, before finally setting it down after an excess buildup of frustration and coming back to it a few weeks later.
The alien threat is consistently paced just ahead of your own soldiers and technology until at least the mid- to late-game. Then, if you have been playing right and have got just a little bit lucky, you can start to pull ahead.
Suffering breeds skill. Progress is fun and frustration is, well, frustrating. It falls into the niche of some games from the last few years (Demons' Souls and Dark Souls spring to mind) that make success all the sweeter for being hard won. No hand holding, no desperation to show off the story, just a good, consistent challenge.
Not that the game doesn't play on your emotions - in fact, it does so in a way that it shouldn't really be possible in such a story-light game. Part of it is the frustration factor, yes. Even the best-written story in a game struggles to compete with the sheer controller-throwing frustration of a properly challenging game (sidenote: we PC gamers really lose out on the 'throwing controller' front. Hurling a keyboard and mouse is a) expensive and b) challenging, what with all those cables. Any tilting tips?).
But XCOM kicks that up a notch - the ability to name all your soldiers can just make the pain of losing a soldier mid-mission so much worse. I like to name them after my friends and loved ones. That might be a little weird (it is), but it seems metaphoric self-flagellation is what I look for in my spare time.
XCOM makes it personal; it makes it hurt. It's simple to pick up and play (and there are some not-so-insane difficulties), but has enough depth that, even having logged 70 or so hours, I'm still finding new techniques, tactics and making stupid, glorious mistakes. It encourages careful planning, meticulous execution, and risk-avoidance, while practically forcing you to take risks at the same time.
In case you hadn't figured it out by now, I really can't recommend XCOM enough. It's one of my favourite games released in the last few years, and I seem to only be able to go a few weeks without coming back to it. It's on sale a whole bunch these days and is available on pretty much every platform (including iOS). If you love strategy gaming and a bit of pain, check it out.
32% hit chance.
Never tell me the odds.
Squeeze the trigger.
Fuck.
Despite all my careful sequencing, that one miss screws up my entirely plan, causing the remaining aliens to quickly mop up the last three poor sods unfortunate enough to be sent on 'Operation Sinking Feeling'.
---
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| 'We can save this world' |
If you don't know what XCOM is already, seriously, check it out. If you have any love of strategy games, roguelikes, or just videogames in general, it's worth a look. Heck, even if you like boardgames, the pacing and play style can feel very 'boardgamey'.
My usual MO with this game is to sink 10-20 hours into it over a week or weekend, before finally setting it down after an excess buildup of frustration and coming back to it a few weeks later.
The alien threat is consistently paced just ahead of your own soldiers and technology until at least the mid- to late-game. Then, if you have been playing right and have got just a little bit lucky, you can start to pull ahead.
Suffering breeds skill. Progress is fun and frustration is, well, frustrating. It falls into the niche of some games from the last few years (Demons' Souls and Dark Souls spring to mind) that make success all the sweeter for being hard won. No hand holding, no desperation to show off the story, just a good, consistent challenge.
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| I believe this is the point where I started singing 'Shittity-doo-dah' |
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| The face of XCOM pain |
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| Counting the losses on my current Classic Ironman playthrough |
In case you hadn't figured it out by now, I really can't recommend XCOM enough. It's one of my favourite games released in the last few years, and I seem to only be able to go a few weeks without coming back to it. It's on sale a whole bunch these days and is available on pretty much every platform (including iOS). If you love strategy gaming and a bit of pain, check it out.
Friday, 18 July 2014
Board Games Tube Map
I've mentioned the upcoming Draughts London Board game café before. They just revealed their 'Board Game Tube Map', and I think it's really rather great.
Check out their website if you're interested - they're on the verge of launching their Kickstarter to make this project a reality.
Check out their website if you're interested - they're on the verge of launching their Kickstarter to make this project a reality.
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