Shiisa's random findings

rhamphotheca: Rose Myrtle Lappet Moth (Trabala vishnou...

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:45:16 +0200

Rose Myrtle Lappet Moth (Trabala vishnou guttata)

- family Lasiocampidae, subspecies endemic to Taiwan, species found throughout East Asia, males are green, females are yellow, larvae feed on the leaves of Poplar trees.

(photos: T/2/3L - Shipher Wu; 3R - Logan Lai; B - Thomas Brown)

thepredatorblog: He is so happy even though he’s technically...

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:30:12 +0200

thepredatorblog:

He is so happy even though he’s technically resting his face on a stick.

(by Tambako the Jaguar)

Photo

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:15:15 +0200

nepetaquest: angelfire93: Alright, if you’re a consumer and...

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:59:43 +0200

nepetaquest:

angelfire93:

Alright, if you’re a consumer and you’re considering picking up the new Xbox One console, then please, take a moment to listen to me. Before we begin, no, I am not a fanboy or a hater. I have no console Bias. I have a PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and a Gaming PC. Each has their pros and cons but now onto business.

DO NOT BUY AN XBOX ONE. Why? See the reasons below:

Xbox Requires an internet connection. Here’s how it works: Every 24 hours your Xbox will try to connect to Microsoft’s servers for verification. If it is unable to connect, sucks to be you. You’re blocked from playing even single player games until it can connect.

Source: http://kotaku.com/xbox-one-does-require-internet-connection-cant-play-o-509164109

Do you like renting games, lending them to a friend, or even borrowing them from a friend? No longer possible. Every Xbox One game you get must be registered to your Xbox live account to be played. After that point it will only work for you. No one else can use it unless they pay a fee. Essentially it works like this. You pick up a used Xbox One game from somewhere or someone, pop it into your console. The system verifies it’s been registered to your account. Uh-oh, it isn’t! In order to play it, you have to pay Microsoft a fee, which is currently slated to be full retail price. Doesn’t matter how scratched up it is or how cheap you got it at gamestop or from a friend. You aren’t just buying the physical copies anymore. You’re paying Microsoft for a LICENSE to be allowed to play that game.

It is worth mentioning Microsoft is exploring ways for you to trade in and resell your used games. This is rumored to mean that you can sell your digital license to play the game (registration) back to microsoft, likely for microsoft points. You can then trade in the game at gamespot for some cash if you like. Either way, as it currently stands, the new owner would still have to pay a fee on top of the price of actually buying the physical copy.

Source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-fee-for-buying-used-games-full-retail-price/

Is it worth mentioning that Microsoft if shafting Indie Developers as well? Where as on Playstation Network or (whatever the Wii has) Indie Developers can self publish their content easily. Playstation even encourages this. Microsoft however forces these Indie Devs to enter publishing deals with them to be allowed to market their content. You don’t go through them, you don’t get to sell what you developed.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/22/indie-devs-cant-self-publish-on-xbox-one

I’m not quite done yet! Now, I’m sure you heard a lot about “TV TV TV TV SPORTS TV TV SPORTS SPORTS TV.” Yes, the Xbox is slated to be able to stream live tv, live sports, etc. So let me ask you this. You obviously already have something like cable or DirecTV. Do you really want to shell out hundreds of dollars more and pay a monthly subscription fee to have another television provider? Yes, I said hundreds of dollars, and I don’t mean the cost of the console. To view live TV from the Xbox you are required to purchase ANOTHER separate device for it to work. Why would you even consider shelling out more money for something you already have anyway? Even if you didn’t, DirecTV is cheaper. Or you could even subscribe you Hulu.com and watch live tv on your computer. FOR MUCH CHEAPER. You essentially have to buy another cable box if you don’t have one. And if you do… what do you need the Xbox One for?

Source: http://www.vg247.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-live-tv-available-in-us-only-at-launch-requires-separate-device/

So far we’ve discovered that the Xbox One is not really a gaming console, at least… not a consumer friendly gaming console. It’s being marketed as an all-in-one home entertainment system. Something to replace all of the other devices in your house. But there are drawbacks even to that. Put on your tin foil hats for this part folks. Take from it what you will, all I’ll say is… possibilities…

The Xbox One’s features will not function unless the Kinect is plugged in and active. This is not an optional piece anymore.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/21/xbox-one-will-not-function-without-kinect-attached

So imagine your Kinect piece breaks? Tough luck, no more Xbox for you. But you know what’s worse?

Pay attention, because this is important. The Kinect is always watching. Always listening. Even when the system is off.

Yes. One of the ways to turn the system on is to audibly say: “Xbox On” while the system is off. The Kinect, which is always on, hears you and turns it on. Now this might seem like a cool feature, but did you know Microsoft patented a feature that would allow the Kinect’s camera (It’s no longer just a sensor, but a camera) to spy on you for the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America?) While they may not actually do this, it is actually possible for them to do this now. It has a camera, and a microphone. The Kinect is always on. It is ALWAYS listening, ALWAYS watching.

An idea has been tossed around that by using this feature, it will allows game developers and movie produces to set a limited amount of how many people can be allowed to view the entertainment. So as a hypothetical example, you and three friends are watching a movie, which is the maximum allowed. A fourth friend enters the room and the Kinect’s sensor registers the fourth individual. The movie stops and you a prompted to pay a fee so that the extra individual may also view the film. Again, that is NOT currently the case, but these are the ideas currently being tossed around with the system’s current capabilities.

Source for listening: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4352596/the-xbox-one-is-always-listening

Source of spying: http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/139706-microsofts-new-kinect-patent-goes-big-brother-will-spy-on-you-for-the-mpaa

Now, just two more things and I’ll be done here!

This isn’t really a good or bad thing, but it’s annoying. It also explains how they can prevent you from playing a used game if you didn’t pay their fee. Xbox one no longer plays games off the discs, you HAVE to install them to the hard-drive in order to play them. I believe PS3 also has you do this (on a number of games but not always it seems), except that PS3 isn’t trying to Nickle and Dime you at every corner. It also seems according to this article there is something related to the Online portion at the beginning of this post. The option is there for Developers to require the Xbox to always be online to play their particular game. Well, it seems PC gamers and console gamers have one thing in common now… DRM.

(At least pirates on PC can bypass DRM easily. Not an option for Consoles.)

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4352314/xbox-one-hard-drive-game-installs

And last but not least, another annoyance… Xbox One will not be compatible with any and all current headsets. Nope, companies will either have to make new headsets altogether specifically for the Xbox One, and they have to adhere to what Microsoft wants. Look forward to price gouging.

Source: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/22/xbox-one-incompatible-with-current-gaming-headsets

Oh, one more thing… If you have an Xbox 360, don’t get rid of it. Why? Well if you want to keep playing your old 360 games you’ll need it. The Xbox One isn’t backwards compatible. At all. Not only that, but President of Microsoft’s Xbox Division Don Mattrick insults the very notion of backwards compatibility! He calls it: “Backwards thinking.”

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4350662/new-xbox-has-no-backwards-compatibilty

Source of insult: http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/22/4355984/xbox-one-backward-compatibility-backwards-thinking-don-mattrick

That is all I have to say currently folks, and I hope you took the time to read this far. I’ll conclude with the following… please… PLEASE do not buy this console. Paying for this supports greedy and anti-consumer business practices. Speak with your wallet, and pass up the Xbox One. No matter what games it might have that you want, even if they are exclusive. Do the right thing and make a statement. Refuse to be nickle and dimed like this. Refuse to be seen as a mindless consumer who will buy anything tossed to them.

We won’t know much else until after E3, but as it stands now, the PS4 or a decent gaming PC is the best way to go.

If you are willing to do so, please spread this post around. Liking is not even remotely necessary, but do please share it if you agree with and acknowledge what you’ve read here. The more people know, the fewer of them waste their money.

Thank you, kindly.

~Dylan Jordan

(Originally posted on Facebook by one of my friends. He brings up many valid points. Mind you, I haven’t been a fan of Xbox in a long time and I will most likely get a PS4. But this confirms further for me that I won’t be getting an Xbox one any time in the foreseeable future.)

TL;DR —The XBOX One is going to be a piece of shit and you really shouldn’t even remotely think about getting one.

alousydinosaur: Pangolin -from Last Chance to See (Episode 4-...

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:49:46 +0200

alousydinosaur:

Pangolin

-from Last Chance to See (Episode 4- Komodo Dragon)

Christina Aguilera’s Here To Stay from Back To Basics

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:36:15 +0200

Christina Aguilera’s Here To Stay from Back To Basics

reaill: thank u

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:46:46 +0200

reaill:

thank u

nevver: Remembering Futurism

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:00:51 +0200

grant snider

grant snider

grant snider

grant snider

nevver:

Remembering Futurism

flickeringmuse: The Laws of Robotics 1. A robot may not injure...

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:52:58 +0200

flickeringmuse:

The Laws of Robotics

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

nipresa: tai-sign: rita—lin: “Ma come si è arrivati a questo smantellamento...

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:52:29 +0200

nipresa: tai-sign: rita—lin: “Ma come si è arrivati a questo smantellamento...:

ze-violet:

theblackmonk:

tai-sign:

rita—lin:

“Ma come si è arrivati a questo smantellamento progressivo di una legge dello Stato? È legale che interi nosocomi non abbiano più medici che applicano la 194, a trentacinque anni esatti dalla sua approvazione? “No, non è legale, e infatti come Laiga abbiamo fatto…

…e bla, e bla, e bla.

Vorrei vedere se provassero a fare obiezione i cardiochirurghi, o quelli che espiantano organi (perchè per espiantare ci vuole la vegetazione in morte cerebrale, il cuore batte, l’organismo è vivo).

Dice il produttore di coproyoghurt lì sopra: “non vedo mai proposte gnè gnè.”

Niente di più semplice di una proposta: Ogni ospedale non può avere più del 50% di personale addetto obiettore di coscienza. Se c’è un ginecologo, non può essere obiettore. Nessuno ti impedisce di obiettare per ragioni di coscienza, ma nessuno può essere obbligato ad impiegarti perchè tu possa non fare il tuo lavoro obiettando.

Ah, piccola nota: Quando c’era la leva militare, chi obiettava (prima che istituissero il servizio alternativo, o chi obiettava in tempi diversi da quelli specificati) si faceva 18 (poi 12) mesi di galera, senza condizionale. Se i ciellini maledetti (perchè lo sappiamo che gli obiettori sono una lobby dei cattofasci) ci tengono così tanto a fare i ginecologi “della vita” (siano maledetti dal Cielo per la loro ipocrisia), si facessero un anno di galera anche loro, così dimostrano l’attaccamento alla “vita”!

E vediamo chi ci tiene così tanto.

.

iwuzlykedamn:

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:24:25 +0200

iwuzlykedamn:

sparkysmachine: I dressed my cat, Sir Didymus, up as Thor, to...

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:48:22 +0200

sparkysmachine:

I dressed my cat, Sir Didymus, up as Thor, to match my favorite “Thor Cat” print by artist Jenny Parks. The mini-Mjolnir and shoulder-thingies (uh, technical terms) were printed on our PrintrBot Jr. 3D printer.

Although he looks miserable, he was actually fine with the ordeal since I put a lot of catnip on his Mjolnir.

Photo

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:12:23 +0200

Photo

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:36:25 +0200

kirai-korai: 365 Day Music Challenge: Day 120Scrubs *My...

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:11:38 +0200

kirai-korai:

365 Day Music Challenge: Day 120
Scrubs *My Musical* - Everything Comes Down To Poo

(notes: If you say you don’t love it, you’re a liar.)

doodlebuggy: usb-dongle: geggidy: not-quite-normal: THERE I...

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:10:04 +0200

doodlebuggy:

usb-dongle:

geggidy:

not-quite-normal:

THERE I FINISHED THIS THING, ENJOY 8)

Big hugs and smooches to baysalt for helping out with colouring a bunch of scenes! Also to everyone who stopped by the livestreams I did throughout working on this, you guys are the best. *u*

WOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

There needs to be more made like these!! Oh god I need this more then air!

theartofanimation: Minna Sundberg

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:06:53 +0200

theartofanimation:

Minna Sundberg

parjures: did i just hear someone badmouth sansa stark?

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:03:32 +0200

parjures:

did i just hear someone badmouth sansa stark?

farewell-kingdom: Sir Peter Cook and Colin Fournier -...

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:39:22 +0200

farewell-kingdom:

Sir Peter Cook and Colin Fournier - Kunsthaus Graz

laughingsquid: MuteTab, A Chrome Extension For Managing Sound...

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:31:36 +0200

laughingsquid:

MuteTab, A Chrome Extension For Managing Sound in Individual Tabs