Bill's Blog

Articles and the rants that just happen to be running through Bill's head at the moment.

[billreeseblog]

Changes Being Made

The last couple of years have been interesting. Covid has taught us all to live more frugal. In the creative software industry there have been many changes. Those changes have caused me to consider the costs and the time involved in being creative.

In October 2014 Serif software released Affinity Designer. The software has continued to get better, and they added Affinity Photo in 2015. In 2019 Serif added a full desktop publishing app called Affinity Publisher. Serif's newest feature is Studio Link. It allows Affinity Publisher to work with Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer. This means that the Affinity suite is a very capable alternative to Adobe’s core apps. It's also viable alternative for professionals seeking to break away from Creative Cloud.

This leads to the first big change. What I do is publications, web, and graphics design. The Affinity software suite is more than capable for my professional needs. That means that as of January 12, 2022 I will be canceling my Adobe CC subscription. I will also be moving my website from Adobe Portfolio to some other service. I will likely be changing web address as well. I will know more in January 2022.  I will be keeping a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 4 for those IDML files that Affinity Publisher cannot open.

The next change will be in time management. There are a lot of things I want to write about, but I don’t always have time. The rigidity of trying to schedule writing around work and artwork isn't working. So I will be creating a new blog, somewhere other than Tumblr where new articles and artwork will live. That new blog will be part of my new website.

Over the next few months I will write a couple reviews on the new software I am using. I will also be posting guides to help people prep content for printers, and designers. 

Please check back for further updates.

[billsneetart]

Happy Halloween

[billreeseblog]

Windows 11

Think back 4 years ago in the tech industry. Microsoft's head of Windows development said that Windows 10 would be the last. Windows 10 was a service, and there would be incremental updates to it. Then Intel, the largest manufacturer of PC microprocessors, got some bad news. Intel microprocessors are threatened by two very nasty vulnerabilities. Specter and Meltdown were all over the news and the Internet. Microsoft and Intel were at odds as to how to handle the problem. Microsoft was going to patch it in software, Intel was going to handle it with micro-code on the CPU. There was a little bit of fighting between the two, and it really was never resolved. Fast forward to today. Specter and Meltdown are still a looming threat, and Windows 11 has premiered. I think Windows 11 is Microsoft's solution to Specter and Meltdown. It is likely the solution to other security threats as well.

As a technician I get a lot of questions, and the one I hear a lot of lately is "Is my computer capable of running Windows 11?" It's a complex question. Microsoft left a lot of people scratching their collective heads over this one.

Requirements

The Windows 11 page lists the system requirements as:

Processor - 1 GHz dual core or better 64-bit microprocessor or System on a Chip (SoC).

Memory - 4 GB RAM

Storage - 64 GB or larger storage device

System firmware - UEFI, Secure Boot capable

TPM - Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0

Graphics card - DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x

Display - 9” or larger display with HD Resolution (720p)

Internet connection - Microsoft account and internet connectivity required for setup for Windows 11 Home.

Most of these specs are not a problem. If you are using a recent computer (2016 or newer with components from 2016) with Windows 10,  you have met these requirements. The problem is item #4 and #5, the TPM Module and Secure Boot. For Windows 11 to work you need a TPM and secure boot.

TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module. It is a security chip found in computers. It is used as an encryption system that can boost a computer's security.

Secure Boot is a technology that ensures the right software loads on your PC.  It ensures Windows or Linux are booted on a computer and not some malware. Malware as you can guess is bad. If it is loaded with the OS it can leave the system open to a plethora of attacks.

In theory this set of security measures should help protect the computer. It should also protect the speculative execution stack set from specter and meltdown.

So in all reality the Windows 11 requirements are all about security.

Microsoft is trying to protect your computer from hardware and software exploits. Its their way of avoiding the unpleasantness of 4 years ago.

[billreeseblog]

Project Summer Fun - NesPi4 Build - Part 1 The Build

So here we are it's the middle of July and as work slows down I tend to look for fun things to do. This summer I want to playt some retro video games like Tetris, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Space Harrier. Games from my childhood as I grew up in the 8-bit and 16-bit console era. Since I do not have an older TV to play these older systems on I think I am going to build a retro game console.

To do this I am going to need some parts. So here is the parts list:

Raspberry Pi 4B 4GB (that should be plenty of Ram for most every retro game I want to play)

Retroflag NES-PI 4 case. This case is awesome. It looks like a retro Nintendo Entertainment System case. It has an AC adapter, SATA SSD adapter cartridge and a CPU cooler in the box. It is the perfect retro gaming case for this project. It even has working power and reset buttons.

2.5 inch SSD drive or a Micro SDXC UHS1 drive. If you are using a Micro SDXC flash drive you will need a USB card reader.

Micro HDMI to HDMI cable.

8BitDo SF30 Pro game pad. It is designed like a Super Nintendo Entertainment System controller, only wireless. It also has the benefit of having dual analog sticks. This should allow for game emulation up through the PS2.

Batocera Linux.

Raspberry Pi Imager

PUTTY

USB Keyboard and mouse

A PC (Mac, Windows, or Linux)

The Build

I am going to refer you to a video over at DB Tech. His assembly of the NesPi 4 case is great.

Once you have assembled the NesPi4 Case you are going to need an OS. We will cover that in the next article.

MacSwitch - Project Summer Fun - NESPI 4 Build Part 1 - The Build

Once you have assembled the NesPi4 Case you are going to need an OS. We will cover that in the next article. In this case I chose Batocera Linux. It's a great Retro Gaming OS. It even seems to have the fix for booting Batocera from the 2.5" USB 3 hard drive.

[billreeseblog]

Half a Year Down

It's been well over a year since Covid decided to slow life down to a crawl. Did it really though? We all learned to work, think, create, and produce differently. As a freelancer things didn't change much for me work-wise. I was less social due to the pandemic so I had more time to spend on my art, improving my skills on paper and on the PC. In about 10 minutes from writing this June will be behind us.

So far this year 50+ percent of the population have been vaccinated.  It's still a scenario where for every 2 people you meet 1 person has not been vaccinated. In my little town we are only about 25% vaccinated. It's not from a lack of availability. It's the fact that there are a lot of people who are incorrectly waiting for herd immunity.

So I am still a recluse. Avoiding  the chances of getting Covid. I am vaccinated, so I have been out shopping and I have been to the movies. Life moves on.

I hope everyone is staying safe and creative. Please be happy and healthy everyone.

[billreeseblog]

Anime I am enjoying so far in 2021

It's been a long year, life was stopped due to COVID, but that hasn't stopped anime. Here are a few of the anime I am currently enjoying.

So I'm a Spider, So What? (2020 - 2021)

You are at school, and all of a sudden a cataclysmic event ends your life. You and your classmates are all reincarnated. The only thing is that you reincarnated as a monster, a spider no less. If this wasn't bad enough you are in the most dangerous dungeon ever, with everything trying to kill you. Including your mother, relatives and siblings. Here is a bit about the series from Wikipedia:

In a world where the battle between Hero and Demon Lord repeated itself time and time again, an enormous space-time spell misfired and hit a certain Japanese high school class on Earth, killing everyone in it. However, guided by what seemed to be a miracle, the students were all reincarnated into that other world. While a handful was fortunate enough to become royalty, nobles, and other kinds of influential people, one girl was not so lucky. Being reborn as a spider monster of the weakest kind in a dungeon filled with vicious beasts, she is forced to experience extreme hardship. Even so, armed with nothing but her human knowledge and overwhelming positivity, she continues to press on and survive against creatures much stronger than herself. -- Wikipedia ( So I'm a Spider, So What? - Wikipedia)

BNA: Brand New Animal (2020)

In a world where humans and beast men are failing to co-exist. Michiru Ogami, a human girl, turns into a tanuki beastman. She escapes the anti-beastman patrols and thugs to reach the beastman city. There she finds that the human and beastman cities are loaded with contradictions. As she begins to adapt to her new life she learns to use her new powers to help the people in Anima City. She is trapped in a conspiracy with Sylvasta Pharmaceutics and the Silver Wolf Cult. Here is a bit about the series from Wikipedia:

Set in a world where humans coexist with a branch of humanity called Beastmen who face persecution due to their ability to turn into humanoid animals. The series centers on Michiru Kagemori, a young teenage girl who suddenly turned into a tanuki beastman after her best friend Nazuna Hiwatashi was abducted. Michiru ran away to seek refuge in Anima City, a haven made for the Beastmen, and meets the mysterious wolf beastman Shirou Ogami who works for the city's mayor Barballet Rosé. As the two work to investigate the circumstances of Michiru's transformation while keeping the peace in Anima City, they get themselves mixed up in a conspiracy involving Sylvasta Pharmaceutics and a cult dedicated to the Silver Wolf whom the Beastmen revere. -- Wikipedia ( BNA: Brand New Animal - Wikipedia)

Let's Make a Mug Too (2021)

Let's Make a Mug Too is a slice of life story about Himeno Toyokawa and her adventures in the pottery club. Along the way she makes friends, learns about the local pottery, and learns about her mother. Here is a bit about the series from Wikipedia:

Yakunara Mug Cup mo is a Japanese manga series about pottery, set in the Tajimi city of Gifu Prefecture. It has been serialized online by Planet since 2012, and has been collected in thirty-three digital volumes. A second manga series by Osamu Kashiwara has been serialized online via Akita Shoten's Manga Cross website since January 28, 2021. An anime television series adaptation by Nippon Animation is set to premiere on April 3, 2021. -- Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let%27s_Make_a_Mug_Too)

[billreeseblog]

About Me - Q&A

About two years ago I was sick, and things kind of slowed down for a couple months. Sounds familiar since I was sick in February. Any-who I asked for people to send me questions over social media. I never used them though. So, here I am behind again, and I still have this list of questions, here are some answers.

Q: Do you hate Apple?

A: That question again. It just keeps popping up. I was an Apple fan boy, but as Apple progressed into their ecosystem, they began to ignore the Mac. They also keep making their apps more rigid. It's hard to be creative when you can't adjust your workflow to suit a project. When that happened it felt like it was time to move on. No, I don't hate Apple, I don't hate the Mac, iPhone or iPad. I like the freedom to work the way I want to work, and to borrow a phrase "think different." It's something Apple isn't doing anymore.

Q: Why do you draw?

A: Simple answer, I like drawing. Long answer, When I was in college I hurt my dominant wrist, and had a bit of nerve damage from the injury. As part of the physical therapy I was told to do something with my hands like building models and such. I chose to draw, and as I worked at it I found that I enjoyed it, so I still draw.

Q: What games do you play?

A: I play games in the Borderlands franchise, and Overwatch. I also really enjoy retro gaming. This will become a little more clear as the year goes on with upcoming articles.

Conclusion

That's all I have this round. I have more questions to answer though. So, if I need an article, or have a little extra time I will break out more questions. There are actually a couple good ones that can be an article.

[billreeseblog]

Broken Down

Things have been rather precarious. The last two weeks of February, and the first week of March I was stuck in bed with an infection in my foot.

When I started feeling better I found that my Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 stopped working. The cursor coordinates keep shifting. So I needed a new tablet. I purchased it about 2 weeks ago, and it has been on my desk for the last week, and I am starting to get used to it. I will be posting a couple drawings sometime in the next week.

I will also be getting back to work on my educational plans for updates in my art and programming skills.

[billreeseblog]

A New Normal Schedule

The new normal. I am seeking a new normal schedule. Here is what I am going to attempt this year. I have a lot I want to do this year. From improving my art to learning animation and updating my programming skills. It is looking like this year is an education year. so here is the schedule. I am planning to produce 2 articles per month 1 history and one tech on MacSwitch. Some of the articles might be re-posts. There will also be 2 pieces of art each month. As for tech articles I need to correct something. I was going to upgrade my PC, but high end hardware is becoming hard to buy. This means the A Generation Zero Upgrade article will likely not happen. I am still planning on trying to get a hold of a new graphics card though. The other articles will be written as planned.

[billreeseblog]

The New Year

It's 2021 and in this new year I want to wish everyone a better year than last year. Hopefully we will become more accustomed to remote commuting, social distancing and such. If we keep  social distancing and mask wearing up the Corona Virus will give up.

As for me I have a lot I want to do. It all comes down to improving my art skills, and the technology I use to produce artwork. For instance computer upgrades and a new pen display are in the plans. I also hope to have more work this year so I can keep busy as I shelter in place.

2021 will be a better year if we use our heads, and do what we need to do to stay healthy. So please stay healthy and have a great 2021.

[billsneetart]

Merry Christmas.

[billreeseblog]

A Rough Couple of Weeks

About 2 weeks ago my financial information was leaked, and money was stolen from my account. My bank did their job, and called me, canceled the card, and started the process to get my money back. I commend my bank for all of their hard work. Now I am presented with another problem. A friend who works in digital security covering Digital Identity Theft sent me a report. It identifies how bad my digital security is. So over the last week I have begun the process of changing my security practices. That is a future article topic.

For the last couple of weeks I have been changing passwords and setting up a new e-mail address. It's going to take another week or two.

I do have some upcoming articles for Mac Switch, and I will likely have some new artwork to post as well so stay tuned.

[billreeseblog]

Remembering Sputnik 7 (2000 - 2007)

In 2000, before CrunchyRoll, Netflix, Hulu, and Prime there were few streaming services. In fact there were only a few services in total. One of those services was a media site called Sputnik 7. In the late 90's and the early 2000's it kept me entertained during my shift in the university's computer lab. I ran across the advertisement while reading my favorite web-manga Megatokyo

Sputnik 7 aired Armored Troopers Votom, Blue Seed, and Straight Jacket. This was a big deal in the web 1.0 era where most of the rural towns in the country were still using dialup. In fact my little town didn't get DSL until 2001. So, streaming video in the computer lab with a dedicated T1 line was pretty cool.

I don't know exactly when Sputnik 7 started. The Wayback Machine at Archive.org shows the URL's first appearance in May 1999. In 2000 they started providing articles, and licensed media including anime. By August 2007 the site had shut down. In September the site returned with a splash screen saying that the site would be back. In February 2008 the site returned promoting indie artists and videos. Later they added sponsored shorts from film and animation studios for upcoming releases. They continued with indie content until 2012 when the URL and site content went on sale. In June 2012 the site became a porn site, months later it changed into trending music and film. In 2014 it became a security company site. In 2018 it became a 360 degree image and VR content website. In late 2019 Sputnik 7 moved into 3D experience and immersive education solutions.

Though the site address is still around, for me, it was about it's first seven years and the great anime it provided. That was the Sputnik 7 that I fondly remember, and enjoyed.

[billreeseblog]

Inktober Week 5

Day 25: Buddy

Day 26: Hide

Day 27: Music

Day 28: Float

Day 29: Shoes

Day 30: Ominous

Day 31: Crawl

[billreeseblog]

Tablet Shopping

My Android tablet died … Well in all honesty it has been dying for a while. I have been able to interact with it using a keyboard and trackpad. Recently though the display will not even turn on. The truth is that I do not like Android on a tablet, and I do not want another iOS device. I am directly against Apple's draconian policies and their penitentiary like walled garden where money goes in, but content can't come out.

So I am out shopping for a new tablet, and it is down to a choice between a Chrome OS tablet and a Windows tablet. Check back in the next couple weeks to see what type of tablet I end up with.

[billreeseblog]

A Rough Week

Auto Repairs ... check, computer issues ... check, working for the oblivious ... check-times-three. I feel dead on my feet. I have a lot going on over the next few weeks. I am beginning to work on some self-education projects. I am learning how to create game art character design, background designs, and game concept designs. I am also planning out next year's projects. A few overdue art pieces have been posted at Bill’s NEET Art, and there is another on the way. Please check back later.

[billreeseblog]

Moving On

I am still self-quartining, and there are very few projects to write about. So it may seem that I am running out of stuff to write about. No, I am not out of stuff to write about, and unlike some of the other blogs that have closed I am not going anywhere. I am still running short of products to review, but I will have a couple hard drive reviews in the coming months. I am replacing the Shingled drives in my server, and upgrading it at the same time.

I am researching Wacom, Nokia, and Apple for some history articles.

Until 2014 and 2015 I used Macintosh computers so Apple is a big part of my history.

When I was a Sophomore in college I decided to start drawing, I turned to wacom for my digital art needs.

Before the Apple iPhone and the myriad of Android phones, cell phones were simpler. Over the years most of my non-smart phones were Nokia phones.

I am also taking myself back to school. I know how to program, but I want to update my skills, and create a video game of my very own. I will likely blog about my experiences.

I will also be upgrading some of the tech I use on a daily basis. I am currently researching display tablets and a new laptop. My current rig is more than capable, but for work on the go I will need a new laptop and display tablet.

There are also a couple of other fun projects I would like to build. A Raspberry Pi based retro game console for my TV and to go. All these upgrades and build projects will happen in 2021.