as for security issues and stuff, i’ve never been concerned about it personally. i still use a windows XP computer for a lot of my web browsing and light computing duties, and i’ve never had any issues with it. while there are some security issues out there that do occasionally warrant a software/hardware update or at least in increase in caution, like the wannacry ransomware from a few years ago, for the most part i think the risk is massively overblown by people who just want to scare you into updating to The Newest Thing when it would otherwise be unnecessary. just exercise a little bit more caution while surfing the net than you would on your modern computer and you should be ok. also, as other people have mentioned, disabling javascript on sites that don’t need it will both increase security and make your browsing experience smoother. (i keep javascript enabled personally though because a lot of sites require it nowadays (including mine unfortunately)).
This is a yes and no. The security issues are real threats, but the worst ones are targeted attacks. Businesses, governments and public figures absolutely should keep their systems up to date. For your day-to-day personal use, unless you catch the attention of the wrong person, you're kinda safe. There are still the broadly targeted attacks that can catch anybody, but the behavioural steps to mitigate it that you already described are pretty good at keeping you safe.
Wow though that screenshot looks almost perfect; Im surprised the CSS holds up. One of the rules I try to maintain is that sites should at least be navigable without Javascript for exactly things like this! (Unless it really needs JS)
I used to have the same rule for all my personal sites. Then I became a full time Angular developer and... would still have the same rule for personal sites. Javascript is great for web applications that need interactivity and dynamic feedback. But for static content it just doesn't make sense.
I set up an old Win98 laptop a few years ago and found that Opera worked pretty good for browsing. It was long enough ago that it might not be the case anymore, but if you haven't already tried it maybe it's a workable alternative.
I didn't do anything too strenuous on it though. No big downloads or social media. I basically just browsed a few sites and installed Diablo 2. So your mileage may vary.
The DS versions of the CoD games, and even Metroid Prime Hunters to a lesser extent, get too bad of a rap now. I always thought that the main selling point to those games was the Download Play, but anyone I see playing them now focuses on the singleplayer experience instead. Multiplayer on the DS is such a weird thing to do now unless you know somebody else with a DS who happens to have the same games as you, or if you're willing to possibly reconfigure your router just to get a homebrew version of DS WiFi working.
I really enjoyed Metroid Prime Hunters. The touchscreen controls worked really well for first-person shooters, and I'm always nostalgic for those chunky, PS1-like graphics.
There are a lot of parodies that I'd rather listen to than the original, or comedy albums that are just bangers. I can't be the only one who would rather listen to Weird Al's "The Saga Begins" than "American Pie", so what are some that you enjoy?
I like Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories," but most days I would rather listen to "Random Access Fhqwhgads," which just takes every track and mashes it up with Strongbad's Fhqwhgads song.
Sal does a dope series on dying/dead shopping malls (mostly) in America and other fascinating abandoned or nearly-abandoned locations, called his Expedition Log Series, which is over 100 episodes now. Great for fans of liminal spaces and/or urban exploration!
The death of malls in the US is fascinating to me. Here in Canada we don't seem to be having the same cultural shift. The two malls I usually went to as a teenager are still pretty busy today. A few retail stores have closed since COVID, but they've been replaced by others. But I'm only speaking for one city, so maybe it's different elsewhere in the country.
For a keyboard, wired is definitely preferable because it’s not moving around lots.. for mice.. I’ve had big issues with wireless but it’s just so handy not having a wire dragging on stuff while your surf’n.
Wireless mice were definitely a huge upgrade. I remember playing Quake 3 as a kid and the cord getting caught and screwing up my shots. It was the cord, I tell you! That's why we lost the match! Also I haven't cleaned the mouse ball in a while, so the tiny civilization growing around it probably worked to sabotage me.
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Also it’s not Bluetooth, but the public transport cards here have NFC; so you can scan them on a phone to check your balance or top up the card; I found that really cool!
I love the convenience of NFC, just tapping my debit card to pay for things instead of entering a pin. But I'm paranoid about it. I need to do some research into NFC blocking wallets and see if they actually work, because I never set my wallet on top of my phone or anything else that could possibly read my cards.
I think its better to use rechargeable external AA(A) batteries (unless manufactures make it just as easy to replace internal batteries when they need to be)
I did this for a while, but found that even the name-brand batteries and chargers didn't last very long before either the batteries stopped charging or the charger kicked the bucket.
How do you feel about everything being wireless/Bluetooth these days? On the one hand, I appreciate not having a tangle of cords everywhere. My TV area and computer desk look a lot cleaner now than they did in the early 2000s. And the number of times my headphones snagged on something as I walked by and they were ripped out of my ears or pulled my phone out of my pocket is too high to count.
But on the other hand, I hate replacing and charging batteries. Given the option, I'll pick devices with internal batteries instead of AA or AAA batteries to reduce waste. Even better if you can use it while it charges, especially if the battery gets too old and can't hold a charge anymore so you can still treat your device as if it were wired.
I had to buy a new mouse recently and there were two with the same ergonomic design that I liked. One took AAAs and the other was rechargeable but cost literally twice as much. It took some debating with myself, but I went with the rechargeable one because I don't need yet another piece of hardware chewing threw batteries.
To anyone unfamiliar, it's set up as a radio news broadcast in a small town where every conspiracy and supernatural thing you can think of is real, but they're reported on as mundane, everyday events.
I eventually stopped listening because it became too serialized and was more about the established characters and their relationships than the town itself and the weird things that happen there. But the early episodes are amazing.
I just started a new playthrough of Mass Effect 2 on the legendary edition. I skipped ME1 this time because it's my least favourite and is usually where I get stuck whenever I try to restart the series. It's just too dull and clunky compared to 2 and 3, so I haven't been able to get through it again.
I used the motion comic prelude to choose a few different options this time, like killing Wrex and saving the council, just for some variety.
I've been playing every other GTA game I have a few missions at a time now, but the two I've spent the most time with are Liberty City Stories and Chinatown Wars. I play LCS on breaks during homework, while I play CTW whenever I feel like it. CTW might be my favorite game in the series right now, with Vice City being a close second.
I got hooked on Chinatown Wars for a while, but never finished it. I got too preoccupied by the drug market, buying low and selling high, and never did any story missions after that.
I might be a little bias because its my ALL TIME favourite game; but I think SSX Tricky holds up really well (So do all the other SSX games). The graphics have aged and are very PS2 aesthetics, but once the game starts you forget about the visuals really fast. The soundtrack is fantastic 90s electronica and the controls for the most part still feel snappy and as you'd expect. I think it you sat a 10 year old down with it today they would enjoy it just as much as I did when I was 10!
I never played Tricky, but SSX3 is one of my all-time favourite games. I loved being able to ride from the top of the mountain to the bottom without any loading screens, and the music and art style are both great.
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