Quicky

Quite impressed with ChatGPT producing this image from this photo of my dog

I'm 46.

This is going to sound like an advertisement, but for anyone streaming Xbox games to Apple devices, I cannot recommend OneCast enough.

Since Microsoft removed the remote play option from the official Xbox app on Apple devices, I’ve had no end of trouble trying to use their new web offering, with it constantly requiring me to sign back in to my Microsoft account when using an iPad.

I’ve had OneCast on my AppleTV upstairs for a long time since there’s no official way from Microsoft to stream from your Xbox or access cloud gaming there. Up until the last month or so, OneCast only supported remote streaming from your Xbox, but after a recent update the app has been overhauled and now allows you to play cloud gaming too. I’ve since put it on my other Apple devices because the experience vs the official “apps” is considerably better.

Combined with higher quality streaming, no performance issues, a simple interface, the ability to restart the Xbox remotely to resolve connection issues, and a consistent experience across iPhone, iPad and AppleTV, OneCast is incredible. While not free, the one-time lifetime licence is so much better than had they demanded a subscription for the app.

For info, my setup is a Series X wired to the router, and an AppleTV, iPad and iPhone on 5GHz Wi-Fi, with FFTP, and the experience is superb.

While not a retro game itself, I was playing Atomfall just now and came across this metal head in the robotics section, which is a lovely little hidden reference to a late entry in the Bitmap Brothers catalogue, Z.

Z was a decent game back in the day, and yet another example of the Bitmaps showcasing their skills at being able to produce top quality games in whatever genre they chose.

Rebellion gained ownership of the Bitmap Brothers games a few years ago, so it's not out of place in Atomfall, but still a nice nod to one of British gaming's most beloved studios.

Holy shit that was the most exciting game I've watched in ages, and I missed the first 40 fucking minutes. Unbelievable Jeff.

Just spotted a cheeky little reference to Last of the Summer Wine in Atomfall, which you'll recognise if, like me, you're old as fuck.

Hated that show as a kid. My grandparents loved it though. Maybe I'll find it peak comedy now that I'm approaching their demographic.

Almost all business applications have horizontal menus and ribbons that take up a decent percentage of a landscape monitor instead of utilising the "spare" screen space on the left or right, and a taskbar usually sits at the bottom or top of the screen eating up even more space (yes I know this can be changed but it's not the default).

Documents are traditionally printed/read in portrait which is reflected on digital documents.

Programmers often rotate their screens to be portrait in order to see more of the code.

Most web pages rarely seem to make use of horizontal real estate, and scrolling is almost universally vertical. Even phones are utilised in portrait for the vast majority of time, and many web pages are designed for mobile first.

Beyond media consumption and production, it feels like the most commonly used workplace productivity apps are less useful in landscape mode. So why aren't more office-based computer screens giant squares instead of horizontal rectangles?

Obligatory not today, but a long time ago when I was at university, I was making my way to a lecture one afternoon. The road I was walking alongside was incredibly busy, with constant traffic and hundreds of buses daily.

At a certain point, a van that was unloading was parked on the pavement, blocking pedestrians from using it. It meant that anyone heading up the street on foot had to walk in the road around it. 

I started making my way into the road around the van at the same time as a female student coming in the other direction. This happened just as a bus was barrelling towards me behind the girl, in the same direction she was walking.

I knew the bus would be extremely close to us because of all the traffic, and the girl had walked further into the road so she could walk around both me and the van. Then I noticed she was wearing headphones and wouldn't have any idea that the bus behind her was bearing down. In a split second I realised I had to do something or this girl was going to die. Just as we were passing each other, I swung my arm behind me to push her towards the van, out of the path of the bus. I thought I was saving her life.

Except I misjudged it. I must have left it a fraction of a second too late. The bus driver on the other hand had read the situation and had steered quickly enough to avoid her. My reactions had been worse. Instead of shoving her out of the way via her shoulder, my arm swung around and although I managed to make contact with her, that contact was on her arse. I literally ended up doing nothing but slapping her ass.

Mortified, I stopped in my tracks and turned around to apologise. But she didn't react. She kept on walking. Then I realised - with her headphones in, and the bus missing her, she had no idea of the danger she was in, and in her mind, all that's happened is some random man has just sexually assaulted her on the way home, and she was too shocked or scared to turn round and ask what the fuck.

This happened nearly three decades ago and I still think about this poor girl. There is a 100% chance that I am this woman's #metoo story, when in reality I was just some idiot trying to be a hero.