Tag: Prepared

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Solo runs

My love for single player games continues; this skillset is particularly fruitful in a real-life Person versus Environment (PvE) situation. This morning I arrive at Gatwick Airport knowing I had just one hour to get to the terminal gate.

Navigating major airport terminals during summer holidays is challenging if you don’t anticipate the delays and have a countermeasure in mind. Also, any Network specialist will tell you that the last ‘hop’ is often the most problematic.

Airport terminal log – target Gate arrival time 11:20

10:30 arrive at Gatwick by train
10:40 arrive at terminal monorail shuttle 
transfer (Primary service)
Delay 1 - (Service failure)Terminal train 
out of service transferred to slow buses.
10:45 arrive at terminal
10:50 Checked-in luggage (I don’t normally do this)
10:55 Arrive at security check
Delay 2 - (Slow Service) Carry-on luggage 
selected for ‘random’ check
11:05 Cleared to proceed to gateway
Delay 3 - Gate allocated at 15 mins walk 
11:10 Arrive at Gate sweating and panting
11:30 Actually boarding plane
Delay 4 - Sitting on runway 
waiting for flight slot
12:14 Flight actually takes off

Flight departure scheduled for 11:55 and there no compensation or anything I can do about it except bitch and blog.

Tom Clancy’s The Division – the downside of Server side gaming
Hazards and delays avoided
Heavy or cumbersome hand luggage 
Travel document misplaced 
Gadgets misplaced 
Fast steady pace walk pass all NPCs 
(In real life - families, groups,tourists, 
airport staff walking the opposite way and 
folk who arrived early)
Shopping queues 
No window shopping 
No phone calls
No App checking
No SMS or VoIP 
No other players
...single player runs are definitely faster

Mission accomplished – Side effects

Elevated blood pressure 
Massive adrenaline surge
No time to think
No last minute detours
Hight chance of verbal conflict

Countermeasure

Arrive 2 hours ahead of time. 
(Problem: 4 out 5 EasyJet flights delayed)
ABSOLVER – Time to relax

Chaos can raise its head rapidly. Are you prepared?

Winter version is similar with the added bonus of being able to use your coat to conceal a second carry-on bag avoiding the additional fee….whoops, did I say that out loud.

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28 Years ago, I should have known better

On reflection, I now crave the simplicity of my life in the 90’s.  The flow of data was slower, less widespread and simpler to secure as not many people knew it was there in the first place.

Today, we are swimming in data flows and everyone is their own system administrator.  iOS Beta 3 is now available, I can’t see the differences but no doubt the vendor is crunching an exabyte of test device data.  I’m still hooked on the Screen Time application.

I’m part of the generation that didn’t realise what it actually meant to push all end-users to be Network-centric and eventually dependent.  Now, turn off the Network and all hell breaks loose.  The option to live an offline digital life is now cumbersome, awkward and attracts suspicion as to why you are “not online”.

Data availability

28 years ago I knew users would have to be on the network to make data availability work, now I realise that helping to create that dependency was a mistake.  And like South Londoner, Michelle Wallen sang so wonderfully as Pica Paris “I Should’ve Known Better”.

Back in days of the BootLeg

Of course, it creates a nice arena for Data Privacy specialist like me.

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Getting to know you…Getting to know all about you

iOS 12’s new features are perfect for self-analysis. The built-in Screen time feature is just the sort of transparency an users now need.  A pure non-technical approach to analytics give you granular control over your downtime, App time limits and content restricts.

My screen time is 77% down from last week and it’s very fitting as I was using social networking frequently with a Loved one.

Here’s some interest stats about me from ScreenTime

I picked up my phone 30 times a day
Once every 35 minutes after 14:00
I get around 13 notification a day

The most obvious use of this new resource is parent control, although I deliberately changed by device usage behaviour based on these stats.

Many of us won’t want to know these statistics.  The truth about our device dependency is confirmed and proved.

Ignorance is not always bliss.

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What are you current priorities?

Keeping focus is a critical tactical skill nowadays.  There are so many distractions and attractions where you can very easily wander down a non-revenue generating rabbit hole.

I’ve debriefed myself from InfoSec Europe, London’s annual Circus gathering of Security folk but now deep into the flashing press releases, demos and surprises at E3.

My upcoming game list is still hooked on Last of Us 2 but the surprise new free game in the Life is Strange Universe promised for this month is perfect timing as I get to the end-game of FallOut 4.

Last of Us 2 - release date unknown
Skull and Bones – release date 2019 unknown month
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit - June 26th 2018
The Division 2 – release date March 15, 2019 – Beta expected

Today’s brute force attacks on my site were routed through Panama 45.227.254.252…interesting.

STAR WARS Battlefront II – step back on focus
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5 hour Disruption

At just rank 17, Star Wars Battlefront 2 version 1.08 is as addictive as ever.

Its in-game economics have been nicely engineered to only reward the player with better guns through hours and hours of gameplay only.  No more using real money to buy in-game weapons but, for me, this resulted in total disengagement from real life just to focus on ranking up and avoiding being killed every 10-30 seconds or so.

STAR WARS; Battlefront II – Trying to become an elite manager

The ranks system means the upper upgrades are only available at Rank 22 and 35.  In-game currency can only be used for cosmetic changes to your appearance.

The multiplayer sessions seem to be crowded with either folk over Rank 50-100 or newbies like me under 22.

Negative side effects

Poor eating or drink
Lack of quality sleep
No communications with friends or family
Total AWOL on projects
....I can't feel my legs (only kidding)

Conclusion: An absolutely fun game to play and a dream for real Star Wars fans wanting to relive the movies (now down to $23.99).

STAR WARS Battlefront II – Already an old game.

It’s too much of a disruption to my life (2-4 hours continuous gameplay) so I’ll eject the disk and conceal it in the office till the winter months and probably a new game patch.