Just this guy, you know?

I post about two things here, games and Google products. I bought a Pixel 2 (non XL 64GB) and it arrived yesterday. My oh my is this a lovely device.

No weird issues with keyboards like the Pixel C. Just a beautiful device with rock solid software (so far).

We’ll see how it goes from here.

x1101 sent a question to the podcast a few weeks back about what we’re listening to these days. At this moment I’ve got 29 feeds in my podcatcher (I still use Pocket Casts, recently it got SONOS support). I wont bore you with the full list but I’ll go through some of the choice cuts.

All Units is Sean McTiernan’s two year project to dissect the Thriller movie. I don’t know anything about films and I learn stuff from this. I also really dig Sean’s humour.

It’s not EVE. It’s not Netrunner.

“You’re not on brand” I hear you scream.

The canonical best game of 2016 is Stardew Valley.

We’re back for episode 4! We chat about Ben crashing his car, going to Black Library Live, Blood Bowl, Netrunner, and field some questions from our most excellent listeners.

Ben’s post is here with the feed available here.

It’s been almost ten months since I got the Pixel C so I think it’s about time I got around to writing more about it. I think I promised I would “finalise” my thoughts on it on an episode of GNR.

If you’re looking for a mid review turn around you aren’t going to find it. This little thing has been a joy to use! Things only got better once android Nougat turned up and we got the split screen features. I can type this and have watch YouTube at the same time! THE FUTURE. Or at least feature parity with a laptop.

Fab used the remote kill switch he installed in my PC to prevent me recording episode 3 of Not as Grumpy they Look a few weeks back.

We managed to sneak a recording in without Fab noticing and here it is!

We chat a lot about LCGs and party games. Then we fawn over some bits of plastic.

My good friend Icarus has started a podcast! A spin-off if you will, from his blog Not as Grumpy as He Looks.

More importantly, I’m on the first episode! We talk about board games, randomised combat mechanics, I attempt to talk about EVE after a couple of glasses of wine and, we discuss how perfect the latest Sabaton album is. You can find it over at Soundcloud.

I played No Man’s Sky for the first time today. It’s alright. I can hear the internet scream “BUT DAVE! WHERE’S THE HOT TAKE? WHAT ABOUT THE BRAND?” Deal with it.

I came into NMS knowing pretty much nothing about how it all works or really what it is. So if you want to watch the first 40 minutes of me faffing about and being awful at computer games, see the video below (Note to the reader from a more recent Dave: as of 2024 that video no longer exists).

I’ve got a love hate hate relationship with Halo 5. I am inexplicably invested in a series where the main character emotes less than a block of cheese. Since Halo 3 I’ve been hooked. The teenage power fantasy of being that power armoured super soldier still appeals and probably always will. I’ve played all the games to some extent and 10 months after Halo 5 was release it’s about time I wrote some words about it.

It’s that time again (just over a year in fact), I’m attempting to be organised. Well at least have a plan about what I’m doing. I probably should look back at what worked and what didn’t from the last attempt.

Pomodoro timers? Well that depends on what you’re doing really doesn’t it? I started using them as part of finishing my dissertation and they rocket. The app on my Pebble watch really helped me stay on track even if I did have a lot of waiting for calculations to run. I think this is primarily because writing my dissertation was an entirely solitary process. I wasn’t marching to anyone else’s drum so I could take those regular breaks. They don’t gel well with working at a company (yeah I do that now). Meetings get in the way, getting/giving help, not appearing to slack off. So that isn’t continuing.