@imalcolm@mastodon.social
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

imalcolm

@imalcolm@mastodon.social

Writer, editor, game designer. Occasional bass and uke player.

Worked in game dev as a designer from Star Wars and Nightshade on NES through to Need For Speed: Shift on iOS, with 30+ titles in between.

Freelance writer and editor on various books and publications.

Bassist for several bands you never heard of.

And so on and so forth...

#reading #writing #books #fantasy #scifi #videogames #retrogames #boardgames #ttrpg #MacGaming #music #movies #photography

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timrichards, to random
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

I've been trying this clever idea someone suggested, in order to cut down on my excess photos in iCloud (I have 65,000 photos there, believe it or not).

To keep the deletion process manageable, each day I search on that particular date – across all years – and then work my way through the 200 or so photos that result.

It's actually quite fun doing it that way, and after a year I should've discarded something like 40,000 photos. I find it I'm deleting about 2/3 of everything each day. So many duplicates!

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@timrichards

Good tip - I need to do something similar, though I only ("only"... 😂 ) have about 38,000 shots at the moment.

It's kind of insane, cos the sheer volume prevents me doing anything with them, and yeah, the reality of shooting digital nowadays is that 10+ slight variations of the same shot is the norm, so a majority are totally redundant.

(Another modern dilemma I could not have foretold... 😉 )

alexkidman, to apple
@alexkidman@aus.social avatar

The Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max is ridiculously powerful... but it should be for its asking price. Here's my review!

#Apple #MacBookPro

https://alexreviewstech.com/apple-macbook-pro-m3-max-review-very-powerful-very-expensive/

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@alexkidman

Yep - very nice, but that price is eye-watering. 😱

Thankfully my M1 MacBook Air still does everything I need and more, for a fraction of that sticker price. 😎

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@troberts @alexkidman

Whilst definitely not against tech progression, I never get the "Oh if you're creating content you absolutely must have the latest and highest-spec and most ridiculously expensive kit possible" thing, especially as something like an M1 or M2 (for example) is already relatively super-powerful compared to top-spec stuff just a few years old and... it does the job.

But then again, I only got the M1 Air to replace a still-functioning but slightly creaky 2011 iMac. 😉

imalcolm, to music
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

Walking to the station I just passed the Iron Maiden tram, so taking this as a sign to break out a bottle of Fear of the Dark stout when I get home. 🤘🍺

#IronMaiden #music #metal #Melbourne

craiggrannell, to random
@craiggrannell@mastodon.social avatar

Column! Old games consoles aren’t redundant – I think they’re a fantastic must-buy. https://www.stuff.tv/features/old-games-consoles-arent-redundant-i-think-theyre-a-boon/

In which I note my tendency to buy consoles late and keep them for ages, and that is not a bad thing.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@craiggrannell

I'm outing myself here as another member of the "bought a Dreamcast only after it was officially dead" gang.

I got absolutely years of great gaming out of it, before I finally passed it onto someone else. And not just the heavy-hitter games: stuff like Sega Bass Fishing (with the fishing controller) became a "boys night" beer and relaxo- gaming staple for a while there.

NanoRaptor, to random
@NanoRaptor@bitbang.social avatar

Honestly that’s a pretty tidy crosscut, little bun.

A closeup of the phone cable that until 15 minutes ago carried my vdsl internet. It is sliced fairly neatly in a diagonal cut by the teeth of a small demon in the form of a rabbit named vanillabean who lives with me.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@NanoRaptor @mnemonicoverload

Our house rabbit defines her home "range" as the connected dining and living rooms, and weirdly never goes beyond.

Happily this meant I only had to bunny-proof two rooms instead of a whole house.

After having wires for landline, TV co-axial, internet and floor lamp destroyed by gnawing, I tried corrugated ducting - it worked like a charm!

She gnawed some initially so I replaced - far cheaper/easier than rewiring(!) - but after that she lost all interest in it.

Black corrugated ducting covering power cord going into upturned wicker basket. (By way of explanation, due to location issues, our broadband internet box has to sit on the floor in one of the only two rooms our house rabbit goes in. The ducting protects the power cord, and the wicker basket stops the internet box being knocked over or otherwise interfered with by the bunny. Despite being wicker she never gnaws it - which also saved some work, as the basket was only ever meant to be a short-term solution, whilst I made something more impenetrable, but several years later this has proved unnecessary, huzzah!)

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@NanoRaptor @mnemonicoverload

Ah, wonder if that's why Nyra never strayed - we had doors either end of those rooms closed when she was smaller. Weird!

Re: diameter, checked with tape and I have three sizes for different things. In left photo it's not clear but conduit either side of switch is different sizes. Upper is 13mm as it's covering standard power cord, lower is 7mm over flat wire. I also use 16mm for covering a combo of both types elsewhere, and 13mm again on TV co-axial. TBC...

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@NanoRaptor @mnemonicoverload

Cont...

7mm is good for any flat wires (eg.. transformer lead to digital piano) and 13mm is my go-to for most bigger stuff..

I got split tubing cos it's easier to fit over (though can still be a PITA!) and for things like piano transformer wrapped electrician's tape around the very end so it doesn't easily shift and expose wiring - everything else I just had the tube.

And yeah, about $8-10 for 3m, depending on diameter, at Bunnings. All the best with it!

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@cabel @NanoRaptor @mnemonicoverload

Oh noooo! Such a familiar sight - good luck with it!

And hi Cowboy! Meet Nyra! - the reason for all the conduit covering wires at our place...! 😉

OutofPrintArchive, to random
@OutofPrintArchive@mstdn.games avatar

Little update.

Still not feeling well at all.
Been really rough the past couple of days with a lot of pain, but also a lot of sleeping or trying to sleep, even during the daytime.
Yesterday was the worst. Woke up incredibly sick to my stomach and the nausea lasted till the evening.

Feeling a little better today, but still incredibly off, so I'll probably be asleep again in a couple hours.

I really can't wait for all of this to be over already.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@OutofPrintArchive

Bloody hell, that's not good at all... Hoping today means you've turned the corner and will be back to full health soon.

gedeonm, to 80s
@gedeonm@mastodon.social avatar

And now your moment of retro, Gen X zen. #80s #Arcade

Screen capture of the retro vector arcade game Tempest.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@gedeonm

This Gen X-er is still playing it, albeit mainly in updated and more heavily psychedelic form as Tempest 4000 on the Switch (Created by Jeff Minter, who also did the great Tempest 2000 on Jaguar.)

https://youtu.be/8EpdI0sTPxg?si=ww0vdQAY8cHjtakp

craiggrannell, to random
@craiggrannell@mastodon.social avatar

My column for Stuff this week is ‘My phone does everything, which is why I want to resurrect my iPod’.

I realise my inability to focus for more than about two seconds is a me problem. But as I look around, I find it’s a ‘lots of other people problem’ too.

https://www.stuff.tv/features/my-phone-does-everything-which-is-why-i-want-to-resurrect-my-ipod/

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@craiggrannell

I still use my 5th gen iPod (the first click wheel model with a colour display!) daily.

Had it from new, and while it's needed a few repairs now: headphone socket replaced twice, and switched out the 80 GB hard drive when it finally died (after 15+ years) for a 200 GB SSD, I prefer it precisely for its single-focus use.

If it dies I'll just get it repaired, or hunt down another. Love having my entire music collection in one place, never reliant on streaming. 🤷‍♂️

imalcolm, to VideoGames
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

Parked under a shady tree waiting for partner and youngest to finish shopping - perfect opportunity for a quick run (or ten) in Porklike on my phone.

Only discovered this minimalist Pico 8 roguelike with ZX Spectrum-esque graphics last week, but it’s now my current fave “just one more go” five-minute filler.

Normally I play on Mac, but nice to see on phone it adds virtual touch controls. Goal is to reach the 10th floor - my current best run ended on the 6th…

#pico8 #roguelike #videogames

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@jake4480 @krystman

Indeed! I didn't realise they were here on Masto, or would have noted in my post, so thanks for that! 🙂

imalcolm, to random
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

Disappointed to discover that 'Stath Lets Flats' is not a property-based reality TV show centered around Jason Statham.

llamasoft_ox, to random
@llamasoft_ox@toot.wales avatar

Tipyn bach o drama y bore 'ma - oedd Brambles yn edrych ar dafad bach yn y cae drws nesa, pwy oedd sownd yn y brambles! Wnaethon ni ffonio am Brian drws nesa. Gobeithio bydda e'n helpu'r ddafad bach! 🐑

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@llamasoft_ox

Perhaps an extra digestive for Brambles tomorrow, as a reward?

DJDarren, to random
@DJDarren@mendeddrum.org avatar

What cooking direction shook you to the very core with how bloody good it is, and you’ve done it that way ever since?

For me, it was discovering that traditional bolognese ragu uses celery, carrot, and milk, and has no garlic.

Milk. In a bolognese.

But believe, it’s incredible.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@witewulf @DJDarren

This… I am going to have to try later this week… 🧐

grumpygamer, to random
@grumpygamer@mastodon.gamedev.place avatar

First rule of Secret Garden Club is don’t have a sign to Secret Garden.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@grumpygamer

Are you… at SkyHigh gardens on top of Mt Dandenong, by any chance?

donni, to random
@donni@mastodon.social avatar

The terrible knowledge that Crab Rangoon contains no crab haunts me

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@donni

[whispers] Who's... going to tell donni about sweetbreads...?

OutofPrintArchive, to random
@OutofPrintArchive@mstdn.games avatar

/me Goes to Youtube....

-Oh wow! A two part Wii U retrospective that's over 4 hours long! click

/Continues to shit on the system and it's games as well as the Wii from the very beginning and just doesn't let up,

/me mumbles, dislikes, closes tab and unsubscribes from channel, while continuing to curse underneath my breath for quite a bit longer.

Again, why the hell put in all that time and "effort" just to shit on something over and over?

/sees watch numbers... :huh:

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@OutofPrintArchive @COMPU73E

Yeah, never had a Wii U (just the wrong console for me at the time - with two toddler-age kids gaming was rando 5-10 minute sessions, for which the good ol’ DS was irreplaceable) but was so grateful to later be able to enjoy things like Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World on the Switch.

I find the whole “shitting on most things” edgelord thing kind of pathetic. It’s like they’re scared to openly express joy. 🤷‍♂️

imalcolm, to animals
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

A pretty warm one here today, so we took the doggo out for a walk earlier before it got too uncomfortable for her.

It was 24 C when we left and 31 when we got back two hours later, but an hour of that was spent with all of us lying under a shady tree in a park, where our girl found a very satisfying stick to chew. 😉

(Expected top of 37 today, so now inside for the foreseeable, with cool drinks being order of the day. 🍻 )

#dogsofmastodon #GoldenRetriever #melbourne

Binder, to random
@Binder@petrous.vislae.town avatar

I was educated in the Midwest United States so my post-graduate work was in fencing.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@Binder

World always needs more sword fighters, I reckon.

troberts, to Metal
@troberts@theblower.au avatar

I'm reading that the track 'Bloody Kisses (A Death In The Family)', also the title track of the 1993 album by Gothic Metal band 'Type O Negative', was about the death of the 17 year old family cat named Venus.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@DJDarren @troberts

Oh yeah, absolutely.

(Was also a big Tyoe O fan who skipped past the occasional ignorant stuff from Big Pete. “Iconic” is right - and that band generally just absolutely hit my sweet spot between metal and goth, from the first time I heard ‘em.)

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@DJDarren @troberts

So they say. Apparently that can't buy you happiness though...

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@DJDarren @troberts

PS Guess I'm going to be listening to 'em later tonight. Now have 'Love You To Death' as a mental earworm... 😉

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