I think it was the way that exploration felt like a grind that made it so “meh”. A whole universe to explore, and you’re either going to come to a barren rock planet, or find the same enemy base/outpost 5 times in a row.

For a game where space exploration was one of the main selling points, it felt remarkably unlike exploring at times.

XKCD 2501, basically.

I’m more surprised they didn’t try to corner the thieving and grifting market for their own.

To be fair, I think that’s to check if their reflexes include unknowingly using magic to protect themselves. That should only work if they’ve perceived the danger, like putting out your hands to stop a fall.

Shooting someone would (if they’re being properly ambushed) usually result in them being shot before they realise it, so it wouldn’t matter if they’re magic.

But if they do realise they’re being shot at, then why defence magic at all? Just use your innate magical reflexes to avoid death!? Why the need to learn how to block spells?

So either guns would work, or they wouldn’t and it’s not explained at all.

Also Hermione slaps Malloy at one point. If his innate defensive magic reflexes didn’t kick in then, no reason to think they would if he was hit with both barrels from a shotgun to the chest.

Yes, you’re right, I think I’ve mixed that up with the mention that Sirius had a gun when he ”killed” Pettigrew. There doesn’t seem to be any mention that guns wouldn’t work on wizards, other than maybe Hagrid’s lack of fear of Vernon Dursley’s gun when he got to Harry.

I think there’s a bit in the first book where Harry says his parents were shot, and Hagrid laughs and says no muggle gun could have killed them.

But like, why not? It’s never explained. I’m sure if they survived being shot, magic medicine would sort them out pretty quickly. But there’s no reassign to think a gun couldn’t kill them. Wizards struggle to react fast enough to block spell s most of the time, and bullets seem to move faster than that.

I think the hardest part would be successfully ambushing Voldy, but no reason to think a gun wouldn’t fuck him up if you can hit him.

It’s still 12.5%. I don’t think it was ever as low as 7 or 8. I don’t think it’s gone up to 15% yet either, but it was being talked about for sure.

The entire thing is the author wanking himself silly over his knowledge of pop culture references from his childhood. Some of it reads like it was written by a 14 year old who isn’t all that into books.

The bit about the gaming suit that wanks the user off but also means you’re exercising so you get fit from wearing it was honestly one of the cringiest things I’ve ever read. If I thought the author was capable of the level of self reflection required, I’d have thought writing that part of the book was him acknowledging that the book is literally a work of literary masturbation.

It should have received the same response as The Room; a bad book only made into a cult classic by the people laughing at it.

I’m guessing New Zealand.

I saw a Vespa today for the first time in ages, and kind of wondered why mopeds have fallen so out of favour. There used always be a few 16 year olds belting about on them.

But why would anyone get one when they can have an ebike? Vespa is likely more expensive, needs petrol, you need a licence, a (relatively) expensive helmet, you need costly insurance.

Compared to an e-bike that’s half the price, doesn’t need a licence or insurance, can be ridden with a normal cycling helmet, and is allowed use bike lanes. It’s a bit of a no brainer.

This is one of the many things Homer taught us all.

Ya, it’d still be huge for Firefox, but what I’m really getting at is that even with this change, Chrome is going nowhere. They’re the big fish, they can afford to make these kinds of changes, because the people who care are a very small minority.

If coos don’t want to their they shouldn’t get paid.

I think this should be “If COOs don’t want to work there, they shouldn’t get paid”.

Or are getting somewhere else

No idea on this bit. Maybe “or should get a job somewhere else”?

The uBlock Origin chrome extension has had 34 million users. Chrome has 3.45 billion users.

Even if every uBlock user switched, it’s less than 1% of chrome users.

A computer: does anything.

Tech journalists: is this AI?

Gaming journalists sure want a Sony monopoly of gaming consoles, don’t they?

Despite the inflammatory headline, I don’t think that’s really the point of the article. It’s much less “why even bother”, and more “do they even know what they’re doing over there”?

Any hatred the writer has for Xbox seems to be focused on how Microsoft are running things, not letting the studios take chances or even make a bit of a dud game.

As a platform, the point of Xbox is supposed to be to make things people enjoy. But MS seem hyper-focused on insane rates of growth, more users, more subscribers, bigger profits. Anything that doesn’t fit that gets cut, regardless of how well it was received by fans or critics.

I don’t get the impression the writer hates Xbox, but is just frustrated that they’ve been making the same mistake over and over again, which has allowed Sony to dominate the console space.

Yup, think it was pretty common too. Mine had it, all the photos would come out purple.

If you’re looking for something you can carry about and use to store data on, why not just a USB-C thumb drive or external SSD?

Edit; this is intended for photographers, but you can get external SSDs that create their own WiFi network so you can transfer files wiressly to and from them: https://www.westerndigital.com/en-gb/products/portable-drives/wd-my-passport-wireless-ssd?sku=WDBAMJ2500AGY-EESN

I have a Garmin Forerunner 55. It’s light on my wrist and the battery lasts 2 weeks. I don’t think it’s lacking any functionality I had on my OG pebble, but it’s got a few more bells and whistles.

“I cast lightning bolt”

Flicks switch