Photos Latest Purchases Thread: v2.0

You might already know Byron so apologies if you do but if you have the S/Ns for the MacBooks and Surfaces you can use these lookups to get the specs:

Macs - https://everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/

Surfaces - https://mybusinessservice.surface.com/en-US/CheckWarranty/CheckWarranty

 

Aye, I've got the serial numbers for the Surfaces, so I looked them up already - that's why I know there's two gen4 and one gen7 . The Macbooks however, all I've got is the model number(s) - those model numbers cover a massive range of specs, so they're not much help to me until I get there next week to pick them up.

 

Traded in a bunch of stuff at CeX the other day and picked up these in return:



Viture One "XR" specs, because I want the cyberpunk future I was sold when I was a kid, where everyone uses goggles/glasses instead of monitors and computers are "rigs" or "decks"

In all srsnss, I've been tempted to try these 'newer' generations of HMDs for a while. The 'Pro' version was too much of a stretch for the voucher I had from CeX, and I've read many complaints of image quality issues with the 'Pro'. Didn't fancy the 'Lite' version because that doesn't include the dimmable electrochromic film.

Up until earlier today it was going to be a set of Xreal (formerly Nreal) specs. That is, until I read about major software issues on anything other than iOS and macOS, and an almost hostile attitude to third-party developers. Apparently Viture are far better in that regard; there's already a Linux version of their (closed source) SDK, which has enabled Steam Deck compatibility (via Decky Loader plugins).

 

Vulture glasses eh? Those do sound cool.
Didn't know about them, do tell.

 

Tab S9 Ultra for a slightly lower than seems credible price.
Paid on my credit card just in case...


... aaaand it was a scam. That didn't take long.

 

I’d never heard of the brand until I saw them mentioned in a Reddit thread discussing various Xreal glasses.

They don’t block out your entire vision like VR goggles do, it’s more like a virtual screen overlayed on the “real world”. Most models will at least have black covers for the lenses if you want to block out your view of the “real world”, and some (like the ones I bought) have electrochromic film on the lenses which can alter how much light comes in through the lenses. A bit like transitions lenses for glasses, but controlled at the touch of a button. The glasses themselves don’t do any processing on their own, they’re basically a dumb external display - you move your head and your “monitor” moves with it. You can’t, for example, “pin” a virtual screen in a fixed position so it doesn’t move with your head. At least, not without external processing, such as: a Steam Deck, a computer (with some connectivity caveats on desktop), or the various docks, dongles, gadgets, and widgets that “XR” specs manufacturers will happily sell you as an add-on purchase.

 

I was interested in these last year but the reports of motion sickness put me off.

I'd like to know how you get on with them over the length of a film or couple of hours gaming.

 

I’ve managed watching a 3D film using Oculus Rift DK2, and even my much-unloved Rift S is more comfortable than the DK2 was. I suspect I’ll have little trouble with media in terms of comfort. It’ll just be a question of whether the device I plug them into will handle the 3DoF processing for a “static” virtual display.

Gaming, on the other hand, should be interesting… The only trouble I tend to have with VR games is when it’s an FPS and the movement is continuous, instead of the “blink-hop”. But these aren’t VR, so I guess I’ll have to see…

 

Yeah, if it was VR I wouldn't have given it a second look - not my thing - but a reasonably innocuous wearable display... I can see it being ok.

 

Another visit to the Gerry Anderson pre-order pages...



And some more Scalextric cars to go with the Bluesmobile I got last year

 

A nice copy of The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, previously believed to be a first edition

 

Cooking porn

 

Boob with handles

Filthy boy

 

I hope you didn't have to pay full price.

 

Great to see that old school letter showing Bournemouth being in Hampshire

 

TK Maxx?

 

No dear, of course not

Shudder

 

I could have had a copy of the book for £25, but I went as high as £38 just to get that letter with it, lovely wee piece of history.

 

They've been getting load (and loads) of Le Creuset stuff recently. I bought my Mum some for christmas.

 

Cameras

Also forgot my AirPod pros at the gym so popped into Argos next door and bought the AirPod 4s and they are absolutely crap compared to the pros wouldn’t recommend.