Sat May 24 2025

Sleep 0100 to 0845, 45m nap (8-1/2 hours)

• Gaming at Dave and Sophia’s place. Got a couple of hours done though we started very late. Just didn’t find a time when they weren’t talking to start the session.
• We played DDO last night and tonight. Since DW blew up we’ll continue playing I think at least until we’re level 20.

Sun May 25 2025

Sleep 0445 to 0945 (5 hours)

• Drove to mom and dad’s for Memorial Day weekend though just today and tomorrow. Took my car and left a bit late so got there after lunch. Dad made tallerin verde for dinner with breaded chicken (pounded flat then breaded and fried).
• We played Gloomhaven because I forgot my external HD but CSr brought an extra gaming laptop.

Mon May 26 2025

Sleep 0100 to 1015, 1 hour nap (10-1/4 hours)

• Loaded with a lot of food drove home. I left like an hour after the others, I think around 1600, but not too bad traffic.

Tue May 27 2025

Sleep 0400 to 1130 (7-1/2 hours)

• The only thing I miss with DuckDuckGo browser is integration with Apple Passwords. You can import those passwords into DDG but after that it’s not synced. Passwords has a browser extension you can install but not for DDG. Otherwise, considering it’s based on Safari engine it’s a fairly nice browser which I use to keep my Twitch modding separate from my regular web sites.

Wed May 28 2025

Sleep 0500 to 1200 (7 hours)

• C3+S dinner. Costco chicken, tortillas and hot sauce. Not bad.

Thu May 29 2025

Sleep 0400 to 1200 (8 hours)

• There was a NOWN workshop on landscaping contracts but I missed it. Luckily Keystone (our management company) now put the Zoom videos on YouTube.

Fri May 30 2025

Sleep 0400 to 1100 (7 hours)

• Bought Sixth World Shadows bundle of holding.
• We played DDO and got to level 20, finishing Sharn. So now we’ll take a break and do another game.

WWDC 25 Keynote (Jun 09 2025)

Foundation Models Framework - access to Apple Intelligence

Liquid Glass UI
- Unified design across all Apple platforms
- rounded buttons
- glass-like: partially see-through

(I imagine there will be criticism that some/many modes make it harder to read button text/icons. Probably there will be Accessibility settings to make the text/icons more contrasting to the background. Also I feel that better displays/screens mitigate this potential issue.)

Unified OS version numbers: e.g. iOS 26 and macOS 26

iOS 26
====================

Camera, Safari, FaceTime and other apps
- Content shown edge to edge, less controls shown OOTB
- Tap or drag up to show more controls
- Controls and control sheets translucent so content still mostly visible

Phone
- Unified layout: favorites on top, recents below, controls at bottom
- call screening: silently answer call, ask and get a response, if valid ring phone with transcribed response
- Hold Assist: detects hold music, will mute music, live agent causes phone to ring

Messages
- conversation backgrounds that everyone in conversation will see
- polls: manual or AI suggested, everyone can add options
- screen unknown senders: moved to separate section which you can check later, AI will suface important messages (codes or alerts)

Live Translation
- built into all Apple communication apps (Messages, FaceTime, Phone)
- read what a foreign speaker is saying in video/voice call
- speak in English and have it automatically translated to receiver
- Call Translation API

Apple Music
- Lyrics Translation
- Lyrics pronunciation
- AutoMix - mix songs for you like a DJ
- Music pins: pin favorites to top of library

Maps
- iPhone will learn preferred routes and offer alternatives if needed
- Visited Places (data protected with end-to-end encryption so Apple can't see it)

Wallet
- Keeps track of orders by noticing tracking emails (only for Apple Pay paid orders?)

Games app
- Home page has news from games you've installed
- Apple Arcade page
- Library shows all games you've ever downloaded (in case you want to re-install)
- Play Together: see what friends are playing, invite them to play, challenge friends

Visual Intelligence
- Now for anything shown on iPhone screen
- Take screen shot, on bottom will be Visual Intelligence options
- Also has ChatGPT option to ask a question about image

watchOS 26
====================

Workout Buddy
- analyses your data and does TTS encouragement and suggestions

Smart Stack
- improvements using Apple Intelligence

Wrist Flick gesture
- for no/later gestures, like ignore incoming Message

tvOS 26
====================

TV app
- Liquid UI
- Apple TV+ promo trailer
- Profiles
- Automatic Signin API

Music app
- Lyrics and Karaoke (Apple Music Sing)

macOS 26 (macOS Tahoe)
====================

Liquid Glass UI

Folder customization (color and icon)

Continuity
- Live Activities
- Phone app in macOS

Shortcuts
- Run shortcuts automatically (time or from an activity)
- Intelligent actions

Spotlight
- Intelligent suggestions
- Find an launch apps from iPhone
- Actions from Spotlight
- Find app commands and activate them
- Quick Keys: key shortcuts for commands (e.g. "sm" to Send Message)
- App Intents API to make your app actions discoverable in Shortcuts and Spotlight

Games app

Metal 4

visionOS 26
====================

Widgets
- spatial and persistent (e.g. a picture frame on a table)

Spatial Scenes
- automatically adds 3D to 2D photos

Shared Vision Pro view so two people can interact with the same objects.

Support for multiple users.

iPad OS 26
====================

Lots of new stuff that are the same as in iOS.

New Windowing system
- apps open in full screen
- bottom right grab handle to resize app, then move window around
- re-opening app shows window as you last left it
- pointer
- with pointer windows have macOS style close/minimize/full-screen
- flip window to tile
- with pointer there is an invisible menu bar, drag pointer to top to see it

(The new windowing system is pretty cool and more like a regular desktop computer whilst keeping in mind that it's both a smaller screen (some UI elements hidden until needed) and that not everyone has a pointer device (you can do stuff just with your finger). Lot of power users have been wanting something like this so hopefully they'll finally be happy.)

Files app
- updated list view
- folder customization
- choose default app for a file
- add folder in the Dock

Preview app
- new in iPad OS

Audio and Video
- Audio input selector: can choose a different input for each app
- Voice Isolation in all apps
- Record studio-quality audio with AirPods
- Local capture: capture your side of a video call
- Background Tasks: video exports will continue to run even if app is in background
- Background Tasks API

Journal app with Pencil support
- new in iPad OS

Another month of Netflix (until Jun 23). This time can't devote as much watching time since Disney+ is also ending Jun 23 and I want to finish watching a couple of things there.

The Princess Weiyoung (2016) - Chinese romantic drama of 54 45-minute episodes set during the Wei Empire. At two episodes a day it'll be the whole month to watch.

Alchemy of Souls (2022) - Netflix Korean romantic drama of 30 hour-plus-long episodes set in a fantasy Joseon Era-like world. Two episodes a day for half a month.

Vagabond (2019) - Netflix Korean action drama of 16 hour-long episodes set in modern world. I stopped most of the way through episode one because I thought Bae Suzy was going to be bad guy but on reading the Wiki I guess she's a good guy so I'll try to finish it.

That's probably it for this month.

Sat May 17 2025

Sleep 0345 to 0845, 2 hr nap (7 hours)

• Bought Against the Darkmaster Bundle. At first glance layout and art and look are all quite polished.

Sun May 18 2025

Sleep 0345 to 0930, 90m nap (7-1/4 hours)

• Going to move my Twitch subscriptions to first of month and use my checking account debit card (for the 10 debit card uses per month requirement). Too bad there’s no easy way to do this though I guess every subscription service is like that except maybe American Express where you can change the billing date.

Mon May 19 2025

Sleep 0015 to 0845 (8-1/2 hours)

• Bought Treasures of the Troll King for Mörk Borg at $4 (60% discount). At least one review said this is an ok adventure for MB and I guess I’d agree that MB adventures can be heavy on layout/graphic design and one good idea but lacking in organization and adventure design.
• Apple released iPadOS 17.7.8 so hopefully will be able to play STFC on my iPad.

Tue May 20 2025

Sleep 0700 to 1200 (5 hours)

• So hard falling asleep last night so I finished watching the last two episodes of Netflix before the subscription expires.

Wed May 21 2025

Sleep 2315 to 0800, 30m nap (9-1/4 hours)

• C3+S Dinner. Porridge and Things. CSr forgot to add an extra serving of porridge so a bit sad but I had some and it was tasty as always. I got the sausage fried rice and CSr also got beef chow fun. And there was gai lan for vegetable dish.

Thu May 22 2025

Sleep 0230 to 0915 (6-3/4 hours)

• macOS Sequoia 15.5 released. After the last iPadOS update issue I think I’ll wait a couple of weeks and mark it in my calendar as a reminder.

Fri May 23 2025

Sleep 2330 to 1230, 0800 to 1300 (6 hours)

• I had this 1024-piece puzzle almost 40% done and then got on a roll and spent 6 hours last night finishing it. Total time 13 hours. I’m not playing this game again. The dopamine as you add each piece is too addicting.
• Ooh, another month of Netflix. Clashes a bit with last month of Disney+.

GOG is doing an Atari Spring Sale. The sale is mostly really old games and many I don't know their Atari association. These three though are from Atari or IP owned by the current Atari.

Atari Recharged Bundle ($21, 65% off) - "modern" re-imaging of classic games:

Asteroids: Recharged
Breakout Recharged
Centipede: Recharged
Gravitar: Recharged
Yars: Recharged
Black Widow: Recharged
Missile Command: Recharged

Crusade in Europe ($1.50, 80% off) - "Crusade in Europe is a classic real-time simulation game from the 80s designed by Sid Meier and Ed Bever. The first title in the "Command Series" of tactical wargames from Microprose, the game features real-time battles that test your skills as a commander."

It's too bad there are no turn-based war-games in the sale. This is close. I assume it's real-time but you can pause.

Across the Rhine ($1.25, 80% off) - "You've got complete operational control: from a single tank platoon to an entire American or German battalion. Become part of a famous unit, such as the US 10th Armoured Division, and follow it through actual WWII combat scenarios."

Tactical top-down view as you see your units slowly move and fight.

OSE Treasures 2 fixed price bundle goes along with the other OSE bundle. For $18 you get:

The Shrike (Silverarm, 167 pages, $29) - "A huge modular sandbox adventure set in an abandoned fragment of Hell"

Wyvern Songs (Swordlords Publishing, 112 pages, $15, Own) - "Wyvern Songs is an anthology of original Old-School Essentials adventures written by Brad Kerr". Four adventures.

The Dream Shrine (Swordlords Publishing, 24 pages, $10, Own) - "The Dream Shrine is a compact dreamworld escape-room adventure module for Old-School Essentials (levels 1-3) and Cairn."

In the Shadow of Tower Silveraxe (Gelatinous Cubism, 64 pages, $10)
Through the Valley of the Manticore (Gelatinous Cubism, 48 pages, $10)
The Scourge of Northland (Gelatinous Cubism, 68 pages, $10)

This one is nice although I own a couple of them. But now that it's two bundles I'll probably not buy either and instead spend it on the Sixth World Shadows bundle.

Sat May 10 2025

Sleep 0245 to 1045 (8 hours)

• DDO with DS and DW. Last night DW blew up a bit, which really for him is getting snippy. Guess he really wants to play DDO whilst I’ve been putting it and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands off when there are only three of us. So we will be playing DDO as much as possible for the next few months.

Sun May 11 2025

Sleep 0445 to 1230 (7-3/4 hours)

• Called mom to wish her happy Mother’s Day. I thought we’d probably visit them for Father’s Day but later CSr and Steph said we’ll visit Sun/Mon Memorial Day Weekend.

Mon May 12 2025

Sleep 0400 to 1200 (8 hours)

• iPad OS 17.7.7 released and installed. Now whenever I quit/restart Star Trek Fleet Command it’s not logged in and goes to my Lvl 12 account from a long time ago. Then have to sign in to Scopely and load the cloud save so at least can get back to my game. But all badges and new user warnings seem to be reset so that’s annoying. On my iPhone with iOS 18.5 it’s working ok so I guess I’ll use my iPhone for now and hope Scopely has an update later. I guess there’s also the desktop app which I haven’t installed.

Tue May 13 2025

Sleep 0630 to 1230 (6 hours)

• Ran a load of the dishwasher and it didn’t flush enough water to get to the leak under the kitchen sink. I thought it had the time before that. Anyway eventually I’ll take a closer look and maybe duct tape will be enough of a patch.

Wed May 14 2025

Sleep 2330 to 0245, 0815 to 1300. (8 hours)

• Tweaked my back a bit reaching back to scratch my back. If I twist my torso or bend it sometimes I can feel it.

Thu May 15 2025

Sleep 0530 to 1300 (7-1/2 hours)

• I noted last Monday that iPadOS 17.7.7 update made Star Trek Fleet Command unusable. Now the update is unavailable and I guess there will be a new update later. I’ve been playing STFC on my iPhone SE and it’s been a bit rough. I like to use two screens but iPhone screen is so small that I can’t really focus on the small screen and on my iPad/MBP screens. Guess I should have waited to apply the update.

Fri May 16 2025

Sleep 0100 to 0900 (8 hours)

• I forgot you can do an iPad restore to go back to a previous OS version. Apparently only restore from the last backup to your Mac (not sure about iCloud saves) but I’m fairly sure I did backup before updating iPadOS. Restore does erase the iPad so you lose some data (and newly installed apps) unless that data was stored in iCloud… Mind you even if you have an encrypted backup (which stores login and other secure info) the backup doesn’t have the OS or apps. OS is installed from backup installer on your Mac and apps are re-downloaded from the App Store…. Unfortunately I guess I backed up after installing iPadOS 17.7.7 and unfortunately if an app is no longer on the App Store you can’t re-download it.

Bundle of Holding's OSE Advanced Fantasy variable price (currently $20) bundle contains:

Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy Player's Tome ($15) & Referee's Tome (own the latter) - this is equivalent to AD&D 1E Player's and GM's manuals.

Advanced Fantasy Reference Booklet - quick reference rules and tables

OSE Adventure Anthology 1 ($12.50) - "The Jeweler's Sanctum" by Giuseppe Rotondo; "Curse of the Maggot God" by Glynn Seal; "The Sunbathers" by Brad Kerr; and "The Comet That Time Forgot" by D.M. Wilson and Sarah Brunt."

OSE Adventure Anthology 2 ($12.50) - "Barrow of the Bone Blaggards" by Chance Dudinack; "Cathedral of the Crimson Death" by Diogo Nogueira; "Shrine of the Oozing Serpent" by Nate Treme; and "The Ravener's Ghat" by Brian Yaksha.

Halls of the Blood King (own)
Holy Mountain Shaker (own)
Incandescent Grottoes (own)
Isle of the Plangent Mage (own)

So I own half of this already. Theoretically about 30% discount for remaining items (assuming those remaining items are at about 30% off during a sale) so worthwhile to buy.

Sixth Worlds Shadows bundle is for Shadowrun 6E. There is also a Shadowrun Sixth World Essentials bundle which I have all but one item (guess you can count the core book in the bundle which is a different city than the core book I have). This variable price bundle is currently at $41 and gets you:

Sixth World Companion (210 pp)
Hack & Slash (186 pp) - core Matrix rulebook
Body Shop (194 pp) - core augmentation rulebook
Shoot Straight (160 pp) - "provides runner-to-runner advice in a range of areas, from covert ops to con games to making sure you don't blow your big score in one place"
Shadow Cast (178 pp) - "explores 20 different character archetypes"
Emerald City (208 pp) - Seattle sourcebook; I suppose this may have repeated material from my Shadowrun core book
Astral Ways (186 pp) - metaplanar setting book
Null Value (146 pp) - "lists ten threats that can fuel campaigns, character development, and more"
Wild Life (194 pp) - core critter rulebook

Even at $40+ it's a nice bundle though sadly lacking adventures. Still, will buy it since I have the base bundle.

Sat May 03 2025

Sleep 0430 to 1100, 45m nap (7-1/4 hours)

• Christopher Sr was unavailable last night so we played Gloomhaven. Dave S was unavailable tonight so more Gloomhaven. I got my +1 attack so my rain of arrows does base 4 dmg (and usually +1 from my battle cards). A way to recover a burned card would be nice.

Sun May 04 2025

Sleep 0400 to 1200, 45m nap (8-3/4 hours)

• Noticed that Sonic Internet now has Sonic Mobile Communicator phone app so you can make and receive phone calls and view voicemails. A little janky in that it has its own login and settings (some on the app but most on the web site). Internet only of course but supposedly allows you to seamlessly move calls to and from cellular.
• Also there’s Sonic 10 GB Fiber. Not at my location and it’s a service upgrade but nice to see that it’s an option for some customers.

Mon May 05 2025

Sleep 0030 to 0730 (7 hours)

• California Climate Credit in this month’s energy bill ($58.23). I thought the purpose was to encourage people to buy energy saving things. But now that I read it the money from California’s Cap-and-Trade Program. Greenhouse gas emission credits that utilities buy to offset extra CA fees for emissions. A bit complex since at least some of those costs are passed to consumers and the Climate Credit offsets some of those increases. I guess it’s to encourage utilities to convert to green energy so that they don’t have to buy emission credits.

Tue May 06 2025

Sleep 0415 to 1215 (8 hours)

• Bought Shannon’s This is Free Trader Beowulf: A System History of Traveller on PDF. It was on Bundle of Holding for $8.

Wed May 07 2025

Sleep 0215 to 1030 (8-1/4 hours)

• Haven’t been able to view ADB discussion board for months. Finally remember to look in console and see that it’s an http page that loads http content and so Safari blocks the insecure http content (they’re using an old version of Discus though maybe the fault is in how it was setup rather than the software). Searching on line you used to be able to disable this security but not for current Safari. Alternative is to use Chrome which allows you to disable it. Guess for now I’ll live without.

Thu May 08 2025

Sleep 0530 to 1300 (7-1/2 hours)

• Been trying to install macOS on an external HD. When booting up from the external HD it eventually crashes during boot and kicks off another boot cycle. This is both using macOS installer to install or using Carbon Copy Cloner to duplicate the internal SSD (which itself uses an unsupported Apple utility). But at least with CCC all the data is there and if I need to use an old app I could CCC it back to the internal SSD. Would have to be some dire emergency for me to do that.
• Time Machine backup to Airport Time Capsule says I already have a backup, so it’s by machine id of some sort not by OS installation. For my non-Airport backups I’ll have different APFS volumes so won’t be an issue.

Fri May 09 2025

Sleep 2315 to 0045, 0500 to 1100 (7-1/2 hours)

• CSr not around so Gloomhaven with DS and DW. DS is getting pretty competent in this game.