Extra Future

Year: 2017

  • Dan Luu’s Keyboard Latency Tests

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    by

    Phil Nelson
    in

    [Apparently, keyboard latency has gotten measurably worse over time][link]- computers in the 1970s had faster keyboard input that we do today. The post does a good job of debunking several of the most common BS claims made by “gaming” keyboard manufacturers, too. They aren’t any faster than regular ‘ol consumer-grade keyboards, and in some cases…

  • Introducing TapMeasure – Occipital’s new measurement / room CAD generation tool

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    by

    Phil Nelson
    in

    TapMeasure is a whole new way to build a 3D model of any room in a few seconds. It works with Apple’s new ARKit framework, and adds Occipital’s special sauce to provide artwork alignment, quick measurements, and the aforementioned generation of (SketchUp-compatible) CAD files. It’s free, and will ship as soon as iOS 11 drops…

  • WWE wrestling star Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan dies aged 72

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    by

    Phil Nelson
    in

    RIP, Brain. He’s arguing with a gorilla in a suit right now if there’s any justice in the universe. Source: [Legendary WWE wrestler and commentator Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan dies aged 72 after losing battle with throat cancer][link] [link]: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4894270/WWE-wrestling-star-Bobby-Brain-Heenan-dies.html “WWE wrestling star Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan dies aged 72 | Daily Mail Online”

  • Rassler Release 8 AKA Random Events Part II

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    Phil Nelson
    in

    Just pushed a new release of my free [retro pro wrestling RPG, Rassler][link]. This one contains some small updates and an interesting, complicated, unintended consequence: >The last bullet point, explaining the changes to the activity system, is essentially a naive implementation of drug dependency. The player needs their health to be above 0 in order…

  • A List Apart going ad-free, patron-supported

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    by

    Phil Nelson
    in

    ALA was instrumental to my start in this business. I both bless and curse them for this. [Here’s the Patreon.][pat] It’s a move I am fully in favor of. Death to ads. >[We’re getting rid of advertisers][link] and digging back to our roots: community-based, community-built, and determinedly non-commercial. If you want to highlight local events…

  • Unreleased Sim City NES prototype shown on the Internet

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    by

    Phil Nelson
    in

    [I’ve never wanted any single object more than this one?][link] If there is any decency left in the world this will get dumped and I will get to play it. I can barely make words about this. [link]: https://retronauts.com/article/526/unreleased-sim-city-nes-prototype-shown-on-the-internet “Unreleased Sim City NES prototype shown on the Internet”

  • Doomiablo

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    Phil Nelson
    in

    Some poor soul has [created a mod for Diablo 2 that re-implements Doom 2 as an isometric Diablo 2-style dungeon crawler][link]. It has been dubbed “Doomiablo.” [link]: http://www.pcgamer.com/someone-has-finally-recreated-doom-2-in-the-diablo-2-engine/ “Someone has finally recreated Doom 2 in the Diablo 2 engine | PC Gamer”

  • iOS 11 has a ‘cop button’ to temporarily disable Touch ID

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    by

    Phil Nelson
    in

    [Now that’s what I call usability][link]. [link]: https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/17/16161758/ios-11-touch-id-disable-emergency-services-lock “iOS 11 has a ‘cop button’ to temporarily disable Touch ID – The Verge”

  • Takeshi no Chousenjo is being released for iOS and Android in Japan

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    by

    Phil Nelson
    in

    The classic Famicom *kusoge* (literal translation: “shitty game”) [is coming to Japan][link], but likely not the US. I’ll have to be happy with my Famicom version. Related: [This game was Arino-san’s very first challenge on Game Center CX][yt]! [link]: http://tinycartridge.com/post/164215380587/beat-takeshis-nes-game-is-out-today-on-mobile “Beat Takeshi’s NES game is out today on mobile ⊟… – Tiny Cartridge 3DS –…

  • June Foray, RIP (1917-2017)

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    Phil Nelson
    in

    [We have lost a titan. She almost made it to an even 100.][link] It’s hard to put into words how big of an effect on my personality Rocky and Bullwinkle had, even though it was cancelled decades before I was born. My mom loved it, and it would come on one of the local stations…

  • Adobe Announces Plans To Discontinue Flash, Will Stop Supporting Entirely in 2020

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    by

    Phil Nelson
    in

    [Ding, dong, the witch is dead][link]: >But as open standards like HTML5, WebGL and WebAssembly have matured over the past several years, most now provide many of the capabilities and functionalities that plugins pioneered and have become a viable alternative for content on the web. Over time, we’ve seen helper apps evolve to become plugins,…

  • What Happens When You Run Away to Join ISIS, Then Want to Come Home

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    Phil Nelson
    in

    [What a story][link]. Somehow I feel like this isn’t the last time we’ll hear it, though: >After fleeing to join ISIS in 2016, 16-year-old German Linda Wenzel has been found in Mosul with a baby boy. She says she wants to leave ISIS and come home. But what will happen to her now? [link]:https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/evd9en/what-happens-when-you-run-away-to-join-isis-then-want-to-come-home “What…