Year: 2019

XIII Classic – available again on GOG.com

by

I got a newsletter from GOG.com today, and in it was XIII – listed as “new”. Which is weird, because some reviews on the site date back to 2012. It looks like this title was unavailable for many years. I know this because as it happens, I’ve been looking for this very PC version for several years. I’m glad we can legally own it once again! Let me explain a bit more.

I used to love XIII back in the day, both for PC and consoles. I played the Xbox version when it came out, and have consequently bought the PC version (on CD, for only 99 pence back at HMV on Oxford Street, when they had it on sale). The graphical style attracted me, as did the intriguing story line. I had always wished for a sequel, but it never materialised (not counting the ghastly iOS “hidden object” version they made in 2011).

Years went by, I moved continents, and I lost my 99p copy of XIII. But I never forgot this game. One day I picked up the GameCube version to play on my old Wii, and that version just doesn’t compare to the thrill of the PC version, which has its own kind of magic. The comic-like insets of closeups when you shoot an enemy far away, superb (yet sparse) voice acting by David Duchovny and Adam West, the dramatic and adaptive soundtrack, the variety of levels, it truly was ahead of its time.

Read more

Xiberia V20 / Jeecoo Gaming Headset Review

by

I’ve recently picked up a new Xiberia headset from Jeecoo for $30 on Amazon. It’s a rather large pair of noise cancelling USB stereo headphones with a built-in microphone. I wanted to use these for streaming without disturbing my wife when she’s hard at work on the desk next to me, while avoiding any echoing that would be induced when using a desktop speaker. I’ve been using for the last week and wanted to share my thoughts on it with you here.

The exact model number is the V20, the exact same model that’s available from Walmart for nearly $120. That’s quite steep, and I’m not sure if it’s worth that much. For $30 however, this is quite a bargain. 

Read more

Apple Pencil Review: My Experiences with the 1st Generation

by

I’ve been using my Apple Pencil 1st Generation with my iPad 6 for the last couple of months on and off, and thought I’d share some thoughts on my experiences. I’ve left this review on Amazon.com and though I’d post it here for posterity. Enjoy!

This is the Apple Pencil 1st generation. It’s title doesn’t do it justice, because it suggests that it’s inferior to the 2nd generation, and that it will soon be replaced. The story is a little different as you may know. This pencil is compatible with the 6th and 7th generation of the iPad, or “The New iPad” as every “new iPad” is now called upon release, until a new “New iPad” comes out. To clarify then, this device (1st generation Apple Pencil) works with the non-Pro and Air iPads that came out between 2018 and 2019. It works with a bunch of other iPads too, like the first and second generation iPad Pro (2015-207) and some Minis (like the 2019 version). Later generations of the iPad Pro require the 2nd generation Apple Pencil, which this device is not. They’re different devices altogether, and Apple did a lousy job explaining this to us mere mortals.

The thing works great, although $90 is very expensive for what it is. I don’t deny that there’s a lot of technology going on, and this seemingly magical approach is a lot of fun if you can draw, or if anyone can decipher your handwriting. I’m one of those “creative” types and my handwriting looks a bit like back in the day when doctors wrote prescriptions out by hand. It’s difficult to read by others, sometimes even by myself. I can’t draw either, but I like to doodle sometimes. Still, even someone like me can use this Pencil for highlighting documents or occasionally putting a signature to a PDF document. I like using it, and it gives the iPad a new dimension it was previously lacking.

Read more

How to remove chatters from your Twitch Stream

by

Every open platform attracts its trolls, and I’ve had my fair share of them. Since I stream to multiple platforms, I have to remember the “ban” commands for each one, as they work slightly differently. Perhaps that’s an idea for another article. I’m used to dealing with Mixer’s /ban command, which immediately kicks a viewer … Read more

Fixed: EPIC Games Launcher does not show games

by

I had signed up with EPIC a few months ago, to try out that amazing UNREAL Engine. To install it as well as the assets that came with it, I had to download the EPIC Games Launcher. It’s a central place to keep track of your own UNREAL Projects, latest updates to the engine and … Read more

UMLAUTBOARD: Easy access to Umlaut Characters from anywhere

by

I’ve just released UMLAUTBOARD, a super simple single-page mobile friendly website that allows anyone to copy German Umlaut characters to their clipboard. Let me tell you a little about why I made this, how it works, and how ya’ll can expand it if you want. And here’s what it looks like:

What is UMLAUTBOARD?

The idea is very simple: it’s a fixed page with umlaut characters at the bottom. Click on one, and the respective character is copied into the current device’s clipboard. Now navigate to where you need that character and paste it in. This works irrespective of your operating system, mobile/desktop device or keyboard/language settings.

All you need to remember is this short URL ub.wpguru.co.uk. Works on any OS, anytime and anywhere.

Read more