My Computing Setup

Everyone (or maybe just me) is interested in what people of different livelihoods use as a computing setup. Think I'm crazy, there's actually a website (uses this) all about this, interviewing relatively famous people about what they use to do their jobs, write their books, photography, create apps and so on.

I've always liked the laptop form-factor because it allows me to work from anywhere in the home, or if I want to do something elsewhere, I easily can. However, I also like sitting at a desk with a big screen and a comfortable sitting position. To get the best of both, I'd purchase laptops with a docking station that would allow me to use my laptop normally and then plug it into a docking station connected to a big screen, laptop, keyboard, etc.

Lenovo ThinkPad Mini Dock Series 3. A very common docking station compatible with many ThinkPad laptops.

Laptop

I went through a slew a laptops from Dell and Lenovo and right now I've settled on a Dell XPS 9560. It's a good balance between portability, style and enough power for gaming, something I'm avid of. The grunt also helps with compiling large software projects and multi-tasking.

A brief overview of the Specifications of the Beast.

Display

I really wanted something unique to do my work on, simply for the desire of being different (and self-conceited). The main attraction is the screen. I originally got a 24" 2K monitor but it had display connectivity issues and it made me angry enough that I wanted to go to extremes; get a giant 40" 4K TV and get that working properly.

To get a 4K TV working at a proper resolution and refresh rate, you need to take some special things into consideration. First, the TV must support chroma 4:4:4 subsampling, which means no compression is used to display pixels on the screen. Otherwise, text appears blurry but movies and games will look acceptable. Some cheaper TV brands don't have it and each manufacturer has a different way of enabling this feature. I recommend this excellent write up by Rtings about it .

This method allows for 4K@60 Hz (a good refresh rate for gaming and regular desktop usage) but requires HDMI 2.0 or newer. You'll either need to make sure your system supports it (most newer video cards support it but laptops usually don't). I was able to procure a USB-C to HDMI 2.0 adapter for my Dell laptop to get the image to display to my liking. My work laptop, an early-2015 MacBook Pro needs an active (passive won't work) DisplayPort to HDMI 2.0 adapter and a patch for macOS Sierra. Finally, you may need a high-bandwidth HDMI 2.0 cable that is rated for 18 Gbps but you may already have a high quality HDMI quality cable laying around that supports 4k@60Hz just fine. Try before you buy something new.

Keep in mind that TVs are often not designed for low latency or gaming so do some research beforehand to ensure that you screen meets your latency sensitivities. Rtings is my go-to source for this but otherwise other websites found with a quick Google query have useful information too.

The behemoth display itself. 

You really don't need multiple screens with this kind of setup unless you're working at NASA. A 4K display is like the equivalent of four 1080p screens stacked together. Very often, I'll have a small lonely window sitting in the window while I idle around browsing the web. You'll never want to maximize anything as scanning your eyes across a meter of pixels can be tiring.

Input

In terms of input, my route is a bit non-traditional. I really like ThinkPad keyboard with their TrackPoint. It allows me to move the pointer without moving my hands from the home row, though research has proven it to be one of the slower input methods. It's more of a comfort thing for me. I've owned many ThinkPads in the past so I got used to the layout of the keys but I miss the 7-row layout. I'm not very picky about the switch. I like both rubber domes (provided it's not mushy) and mechanical keyboards. I do enjoy the clicky MX blue switch very much, just wish they made a TrackPoint with those.

ThinkPad and Trackball combination.

I prefer a trackball mouse over the regular one because it allows me to move the pointer without actually moving the device. It takes time to get used to but I got to the point where I can play first-person shooters with it. It is very comfortable to hold and fits well in the hand. However, be prepared to clean the sensors for the ball regularly like you did in the good old days of ball mice with mechanical sensors.

Docking

Business style laptops usually come with a very practical docking station that allows to just slot the laptop into this slab and your screen, keyboard and mouse are all connected automatically. Dell didn't have this option so I opted for a stand and a Thunderbolt Dock with a Thunderbolt Connector. It allows me to easily plug everything with a single cable for both charging and connecting external devices. It's not as seamless as a traditional dock but this is the best I can get with this laptop.

Dell Laptop docked in its stand with a Thunderbolt Connector

For my work computer, when I occasionally work remotely, not that I have an excuse since the office is 4.7 km away, I have a few external plugs to connect my MacBook. I just need power, DisplayPort and USB to plug in and I'm ready to go. I have a switch to alternate between the Keyboard and Mouse from main laptop to the MacBook. It's pretty easy to setup and switch between systems.

The MacBook ready for work with just a few plugs.

LED Lighting

The pièce de resistance for me is the LED strip that runs under the screen. It allows for a very atmospheric look on the desk and makes things look a bit less sterile. The colour and brightness can be adjusted along with automatic colour changing. It looks especially great in low lighting though it can get distracting and sometimes I turn it off. It's more of a party piece to show off more than anything else. I purchased the kit from Ottawa LED

An animation of the LEDs slowly changing colours. I find it very mesmerizing and impresses the ladies (OK, maybe not) 

Operating System

In terms of software, pragmatism trumps ideology for me. I don't care about the operating system debates or what software is superior to another. The right tool for the right job and that is what you're supposed to use. I use Windows, macOS and Linux on a daily basis; each one has it's sublime moments and pain points.

At home, I use Windows 10 mostly for gaming. Virtually any kind of software is available for Windows and security has gotten better since Windows Vista but it's still a massive target for malware. Software development is feasible but you really want something more powerful than cmd.exe and PowerShell. With the new Windows Subsystem for Linux, the gap is starting to be filled but it still needs more work to become something production ready. Customizability is also another point, while there are Stardock tools and .dll hacks to get your own custom themes, they are a bit fiddly and don't always work as expected. You can get alternative shells but you'll usually be stuck with explorer.exe if you want things to behave properly. Not to deny you can get a very attractive Windows Setup with the right tweaking. In terms of device driver support, Windows is a clear winner because manufacturers write software for the most popular target. Not to mention that Windows has become pretty stable and has great architectural principles. What other operating system allows you to switch display drivers on the fly with WDDM. Not to say that things are perfect with the infamous BSOD.

My Windows Desktop

At work, I was given a MacBook running macOS Sierra. The aesthetics and consistence are second to none and things look so cohesive. The polish is amazing and though it's not something I'd use everyday, I definitely see the appeal. As a bonus, because it's a Unix-like operating system, you get all the POSIX commands out of the box, great for software development. They're the BSD flavours instead of GNU but it's hard to tell the difference. A man page will explain the differences for you and it's sufficient for me. Otherwise, just like Windows, everything just seems to work like multiple displays support, automatic sound output switching and fast boot times. I believe that in terms of plug and play support, macOS is the superior OS. I just wish you weren't stuck with the default look (I know a dark theme is in the works). Customization is a weak point in macOS. Switching between Command and Ctrl for keyboard shortcuts causes me fatigue as I switch between systems and I feel that the Windows taskbar system is superior to the Dock. I just want to see what I'm running, not everything that I've pinned down there. Admittedly, those big icons look gorgeous.

My work macOS setup. I've hardly done any tweaking and it looks pretty great.

For both work and home, I use Linux on servers and virtual machines. For the server, it is an excellent operating system, reliable and dependable. Amazing scripting capabilities and development tools up the wazoo. If I need something that will run my docker swarm without a hitch, Linux will do it for me. It's a testament that even Microsoft Azure let's you run Linux on their VMs. However, don't get me started about the Linux desktop. It's been a running joke that the current year is the year of the Linux desktop, but we'll never get there. Even the most user-friendly of distros like Ubuntu will eventually require you to use the command line to do something. Say get a second display with a different DPI working with xrandr, when on the other operating systems that start with W and M, it just works. Distros like Arch and Gentoo require a deep understanding of how an operating system works. It's a great hobby, but it's not fun when you need to get work done but a recent update borked your GPU driver for the third time and now you're just staring at a blank screen. However, when it comes to customizability, there is no contest. The most beautiful desktops are on Linux and there is so much variety. Stability would be nice for those desktop apps. I was an avid Linux user for 5 years but when I got a full time job and was studying, I didn't have time to maintain the system anymore. Nothing will able to replace Compiz Fusion for me or the excellent i3 window manager however. If you got time to tinker and computing is your hobby, you can't go wrong with Linux. Controversially, I actually quite like systemd, it's well done from an architectural point of view but it does not follow the Unix philosophy. But GNU/Linux is not Unix. Almost every distro has adopted it and it's a good sign as maybe Linux is moving to a unification movement as that's what we need for a successful desktop. Just look at macOS, it's basically a single-unified Unix distro and look how popular it is.

My souped-up Arch Linux i3 Desktop running in VMWare. One thing you can't argue about, Linux is cool.

Software

I'm not very picky about software, I just want something that works fast, efficient and does the job well.

For browser, I use Google Chrome but Firefox works just as well and so does the more obscure ones like Vivaldi. There's so much choices for web browsers and things are getting a little more standardized with WebKit and Blink (though we might have another IE era again). Extensions are common between most browsers but Firefox is the winner when it comes to customization (what other browser lets you change the colour of the tabs and their shape?). However, for some reason, Google Chrome feels the most responsive for me.

For music, this was a hard one for me. I tend to listen to quite a bit of a lot of obscure music. Google has the largest collection of music but I'll admit the recommendation engine needs some work, not that I was satisfied with any recommendation engine so far from Spotify or otherwise. Last.fm was close but it sometime still had unrelated tracks in my playlist but it's too bad they removed the radio feature. With the new YouTube Music, you get access to the largest collection of music on the Internet, everything is there. The recommendation engine is based on the YouTube Mix engine which so far has been providing good recommendations. I'm excited to see them merge Google Play Music with YouTube music.

Microsoft OneNote has to be my favourite piece of software in existence. The freeform nature of writing document really allows me to organize my thoughts in a way that makes sense in my brain. The autosave feature is the icing on the cake on top of the cloud synchronizing. I've enhanced my version with OneNote Gem for some extra goodies. I use OneNote as a loose todo-list and for drafting some of my compositions like this blog post.

I use the Microsoft Office suite because it is undeniably the most stable and feature rich out of all the paid options. While LibreOffice might be a functional free alternative, it's hard to compare. Look how much easier it is to write equations in Word compared to Writer, there's no contest. Disclaimer, I am paying for an Office 365 subscription.

For my backups, I use Macrium Reflect for a full disk image back up saved on a network drive. It's pretty headache free and it just does daily backups in the background without any fuss. For my really important files, everything goes into OneDrive but I've used Dropbox before and it's worked just as great. I use OneDrive because it comes with my Office 365 subscription with 1 TB of storage. I can't say I had a good experience with Google Drive though as the Desktop client was really unstable and sometimes my files didn't make it onto the remote storage.

For software development, it's a combination of tools. For Virtual Machines, I use VMWare Workstation mostly because I'm used to it and it has really good guest utilities. VirtualBox is great too but it's missing some features like having support for VT-x extensions within a guest. I do like the interface of VirtualBox better though. I use IntelliJ and Android Studio for Java-based development but I've had no problems using Eclipse. For me, the only real difference is the keyboard shortcuts and IntelliJ feeling a bit more polished. For light editing, it's mostly a mix of Visual Studio Code and Notepad++. Visual Studio Code has good plugins for auto-completion for various languages but nothing beats Notepad++ for a quick edit of a small script file, it's just so much lightweight than Electron-based Code. ConEmu is my go-to choice for Terminals, it's just so much more sophisticated than Command Prompt with the ability to start different shells, tiling and themes.

For budgeting, I like to use You Need A Budget. I was a PocketSmith user for a long time but it was a bit too cumbersome for my needs. I'm sure advanced budgeters would love the projection feature and all the fine tuning but I just need to categorize and shift money around. YNAB does the job but for some others all they need is a spreadsheet.

For games, my choices are pretty boring. I like sandbox and simulation games. Think Flight Simulator, Assetto Corsa and BeamNG.drive. I also enjoy my Tycoon games and have a slew of retro games for times when I need something simpler to play.

I use Renoise for music production. Even though it's one of the stranger DAWs, I find the sequencing arrangement to be much more intuitive than the timeline-based system. Most people will disagree with me, it's just a matter of taste. Unlike classic trackers, Renoise is very modern with VST support and ASIO4All.

For writing books, I like Scrivener due to the way it allows me to easily draft documents. However, I have to admit that OneNote or Word is just as well suited for the job but the folder arrangement for chapter and export abilities make it indispensable.

For 3D Modeling for the 3D printer, I use Autodesk Fusion 360. I'm not an expert modeler so I find it simple enough to make basic models. It has tools to make things like extrusion, holes and so on very simply and allows to define precise measurements. I know Blender allows for more sophisticated designs, one day I'll get there.

For electronics and microcontroller stuff, I like using Frizting to design the circuit which is a very basic tool for doing so. Theirs is nothing special about it, it's basically a fancy diagramming tool. For programming the micro-controller, I use what almost everyone else uses, Arduino IDE. It has syntax highlighting, auto-completion and easy way to send code to the micro-controller, what else do you need?

Finally, for system tools, I have a basic RainMeter system to show basic stats about my system. I had to write my own plugins to display additional sensors from HWiNFO but that's about it. On macOS, I use iStatMenus which is a great tool to display system info on the fly in the menubar. Good way to keep tabs on the system when npm is pulling in dependencies and compiling dependencies while taking 100% CPU and turning my laptop in a toaster oven.

Window Management

I like minimalism so my desktop is as empty as possible. A simple wallpaper with no desktop icons. A tray with almost no icons. A simple RainMeter display in the corner. My taskbar has no pinned apps and is made to display on apps that are running with nice labels instead of the default dock style. I am using Taskbar Tweaker to allow me to use the scroll wheel to switch between apps.

For organizing my windows on Windows and macOS, I use Divvy which allows me to have a pseudo-tiling arrangement on my screen. Since I have a giant 4K screen, it comes in handy to arrange the mess that my desktop becomes. On desktop Linux, I love i3 and nothing will ever replace it for me. The ability to arbitrarily define layouts is genius and I will never ever find a replacement for other operating systems. Also tiling window manager just looks cooler than anything else.

My messy desktop organized into neat tiles. A great way to keep your workflow in check.

Phone

My phone is a lot less fancy than my desktop. I'm still rocking a OnePlus 2, which is about 3 years old now. However, I have installed a custom ROM called Resurrection Remix for additional customization. I won't go into details but it's just for small quirks like having the volume slider only adjust the media volume. I've also rooted it so I can install an AdBlocker on the phone. Finally, I'm using Franco Kernel to downclock the processor to squeeze out an extra bit of battery life out of the phone.

My Phone following the same minimalist theme as my Computer.

In order to save money on an expensive phone plan, again, Canada has the most expensive phone plans in the world, I have a data only plan designed for tablets. I use a VoIP.ms line for my phone calls and I haven't noticed any difference in terms of call quality. I can also get cheap international calls with one of those Betamax clones. At the end, my phone bill rounds up to 30$ a month. I'm using Bria as my softphone client.

Finally, one thing I'm very proud of is that I have a phone in the kitchen also connected to VoIP using a Cisco SPA3102 gateway. It is an outbound only phone, but if the lobby intercom rings, both my cellphone and kitchen phone go off. Like this, if I can't answer the lobby from my cellphone, someone at home can answer it instead.

My phone doesn't get much use other than communication through WhatsApp and Telegram and navigation. I also use it to read books using Moon Reader+ Pro. I sync my books from OneDrive to the phone using FolderSync.

Parts

Conclusion

What my setup looks like as a whole. In general, I'm pretty pleased with the result, took me about 6 months to get to this point but it was a really fun endavour. 

Everyone has a different setup and some may have very simple setups because they don't care much about computing but as a hobbyist I like to have something to be proud of. Just like a car enthusiast wants to tune their car for the pride of it, I do the same with my most expensive hobby, computing.

Please feel free to share links or short descriptions in the comments on your setup. What do you think of my setup? Is it too boring? Where can I get ideas to inspire me with more intricate setups? All opinions are welcome.

 

Endothalmic Adaptance

Henceforth a model of endothalmic adaptance emerges from resistifying anticouplers, one can understand the comprehensive theory of pluridimensional cystors. In all scenarios, the suspendation of maxima-based theoria causes the eloption of famnistic verifiable visiothermic systems. Whereas the examples herein are based on systematic mediocracies, their validity still lies within the thalmus of integration.

All starts with the pseudo-automatic of grammarial variances in a multiversal with a higher panametric velocitors. The variabation explains the dimenstionality of all existances, no model currently outlies a suspense-based hypothesis relying on capacitrons and transistrons.

The nanometric and femtometric divisions occur in natural organical stators presented by hospictacular exothalmic adaptences adapted to multivariant divisionation of all automatronic variabulations poorly understood by scientific communiti.

This theory envisions an explanation for the quarkic submolecular anti-physics producing an encompassing viewance on existory exhibitors for the production of an omnithermal motoric force. Therefore, all theories and hypothisiac tractance can be accounted for.

The endothalmic adaptance view can be summarized in these simple equations parametrized with mathematronic on a philosophist creatance.

Endothalmic Adaptance Equation.png
Endothalmic Adaptance Equation 2.png
Endothalmic Adaptance Equation 3.png

Automatic Transmission Simulation in Games

I know automotive enthusiasts will hate me for saying this, but automatic transmissions are an incredibly fascinating technology. Manual transmissions these days are reserved for the track, while most of the developing world is moving to a fleet majoritarily composed of automatics.

These days, even enthusiasts will admit that automatics are more efficient, shift faster and easier to drive than a stick shift. However, no one will disagree that a standard is much more fun and engaging.

How Automatics Work

To over-simplify things a little, transmissions exist due to the limitations in a combustion engine. It has a several narrow RPM ranges where it either produces the most power, the most torque or is the most efficient. The different gears in a transmission allow the engine to operate at the speed ideal for the driving condition while staying within those narrow RPM ranges. For a more complete and accurate explanation, please see this section on Wikipedia.

The part that I always found the most interesting about automatic transmissions was the shifting schedule. In other words, at what car speed to shift the gear up or down. The algorithm didn't seem simply arbitrary or simple and before I could drive, I did not have a way to experiment in computer games to figure out this logic.

Most driving games don't actually implement a true automatic. Rather, cars are all equipped with a manual transmission and the 'automatic' mode is actually a driver assist. The logic behind is simple, when the engine is near redline, it shifts up. When slowing down, downshifts occur at the maximum possible engine speed without exceeding the redline on the previous gear. However, this logic does not resemble at all what happens in a true automatic in real life.

After getting my license, I was excited to finally experience this shifting logic for myself. I was very surprised at how intelligently designed the system was, and how it adapted to driving conditions.

How Automatics Behave

The main concept of an automatic revolves around this: the harder you press the throttle, the later it shifts up. When driving slowly in a city for example, you need little power from the engine to accelerate. Therefore, it does not make sense to use the engine's entire RPM range in the first few gears to get up to speed, as running an engine faster is less fuel efficient. Rather, shifting early in the RPM range will maximize efficiency.

Automatic cars attempt to run at the highest gear to allow the engine to run in the most efficient range. However, higher gears provide poor acceleration when in a low RPM.

If the throttle is fully depressed, the car will shift in a way to make use of the entire RPM range of the engine up to the redline, this is the maximize performance and prevent lugging that would occur in a higher gear. 

The other component is kickdown when depressing the throttle. At first, the car is at cruising certain speed and a higher gear will be engaged for fuel economy. However, if the throttle is depressed harder, the transmission will command a down shift, or several, to hit an RPM range suited for better performance.

Current automatics have become very advanced and take a multitude of factors into consideration to decide when to shift. Grade shift logic for example will adjust gear selection based on hill grade to help with acceleration on a steep incline or provide engine braking when going downhill.

Each manufacturer implements their own unique algorithms and systems though the above concepts generally remain the same.

Automatics in Games

I had great difficulty finding games that simulated automatics correctly. In fact, out of the hundreds of driving games I've tried, only three simulated them in road cars. 

Admittedly, this is not an important aspect in racing, as most track cars use manual transmissions for better control. However, many of these games include road cars available to the general public and I found it odd that this kind of detail was missing.

I will analyse each game and demonstrate how it handles and simulates this kind of transmission. We'll be comparing them to the most common type of automatic transmission, the torque converter-based one. 

The Test

A test was devised that will demonstrate each game's capability at simulating the behaviour of an automatic transmission. It only aims to show the basic behaviours of the shifting schedule of an automatic. 

- First, the car will be driven slowly at city driving speeds. We expect the transmission to perform early shifts for fuel economy. 
- Once reaching 70 km/h, the throttle will be fully depressed. This should initiate a kickdown, where the transmission selects the lowest possible gear for maximum acceleration.
- While accelerating, the car should only upshift at maximum RPM to maximize acceleration
- At 120km/h, the throttle will be fully released. At this point, the car will upshift to the highest possible gear for fuel economy. This is the cruising stage.

Other behaviours will be noted which are typical of torque converter-based automatic transmissions:

  • Slipping on acceleration due to torque converter and resulting torque multiplication.

  • Creeping forward when in drive with brake released.

  • Smooth and sluggish shifting between gears with no jerking movements between shifts.

Each test will be shown in a short video demonstrating the capabilities of each games.

Live for Speed

Live for Speed is racing simulation with physics accuracy that can be most admired by a perfectionist. Car handling feels so right and the feel for reaching the car's limit of grip is spectacular. Despite showing it's age now, few racing simulations come close to having the accurate driving feel of Live for Speed.

As a sim for purist racing fans, Live for Speed does not simulate automatic transmissions at all. Rather, the 'automatic' mode is a driving aid, that shifts for you in a way ideal for maximum performance rather than fuel efficiency. I'm including this game to show what a failing test would look like. 

Let's cruise along with the Hatchback XF GTI on the track and drive it through our test:

Notice how shifting only occurs upon reaching the redline. While slowing down, downshifts happen as soon as possible to make use of engine braking. This kind of shifting is great for racing as it is very predictable but not for saving fuel in a city car.

An LFS forum user by the pseudonym 'tigerboyz' created a mod that simulates the shifting schedule of an automatic though it still feels like a driving aid. The slushy feeling of a torque converter or forward creeping are not simulated. Instead, this mod simply uses the manual transmission and shifts at points where an automatic would.

Enthusia

Enthusia is likely to be the first game of it's kind to simulate automatic transmissions correctly. I noted this while skimming a Wikipedia article about the game describing this kind of accurate modeling.

I eventually got my hands on the game through emulation. The game was a commercial failure, likely in part due to it's difficulty stemming from it's accurate driving dynamics and competition from the much more popular counterpart, Gran Turismo 4. Therefore, securing a physical copy is prohibitively expensive.

Let's take a look at how Enthusia portrays an automatic transmission.

As seen in the video, Enthusia pretty much nails automatic transmission shifting behaviour. However, the shifts do appear like they come for a torque converter, albeit an aggressive one. 

The shifts don't happen that early and gears are held for a bit too long. It is almost as if the game is simulates a 'Sport' or 'Second Range' mode which is seen in some cars for sportier driving. This kind of mode shifts at higher RPMs for more responsive throttle feel and allows more use of engine braking for peppier driving.

Interestingly, when slowing down, the transmission down shifts in a way that favours performance driving. In other words, as the car slows down, downshifts occur to make use of engine braking to help the car slow down. In the average car, this does not happen, rather, shifting down only happens when the car has slowed down considerably or during kickdown.

However, one big part is missing: the characteristic creep when releasing the brake. The car stays immobile even with the handbrake released.

The game further emphases the stock transmission normally equipped with the car when selecting 'manual' or 'automatic' before a race. In cars with an automatic transmission, the choices are 'automatic' or 'semi-automatic' emphasizing that the car does not actually include a true manual with clutch and gear selector. For manual cars, 'gear assist' and 'manual' are displayed which indicates that the car won't be equipped with an automatic, rather an AI will assist the driver in shifting.

The selections for a Toyota Corolla, a car normally equipped with a torque converter-based automatic.

The selections for a Toyota Corolla, a car normally equipped with a torque converter-based automatic.

The selections for a Honda Accord Type-R, a car normally equipped with a clutch-based manual.

The selections for a Honda Accord Type-R, a car normally equipped with a clutch-based manual.

The game also simulate CVTs which shows just show niche-focused this game really is.

One last thing I'd like to mention about this game is how quirky it is. The presentation is really artistic for a racing game with a very cinematic intro and lively menu music. The car selection is really something to talk about with not only the stereotypical selection of road and racing cars, but also minivans, hybrids and SUVs. Enthusia really lets even the most niche of enthusiasts drive their favourites. Here's a few of them:

City Car Driving

Russian-based Forward Development seemed to have a very different take on a driving game: one that actually portrays everyday driving. Instead of testing the limits of your cars in a tight racing track, you'll be stuck in traffic in rain, merging on highways while checking your blind spot and of course, wearing your seat belt.

While the driving dynamics are not the most accurate or engaging, they're suitable for the leisurely pace known to most city drivers. Oversteer might not feel convincing, but the traffic patterns seem to mimic reality with impatient drivers, those who change lanes without signals and so on.

Let's get behind the wheel of an average car equipped with an automatic. We got rid of the traffic so we could speed at our leisure.

Clearly, the simulation of the automatic transmission is very impressive. The slushy shifts, the shifting schedule and the lurch of torque multiplication are all there. Everything feels right. There's even the characteristic automatic transmission creep when releasing the brake when in drive.

This game doesn't have much quirks, it's just a good education tool to get new drivers acquainted with the feel of driving, or perhaps those who enjoy driving so much they want to do it at home.

BeamNG.drive

Renowned for it's incredibly realistic crash physics, BeamNG.drive shows how well driving dynamics can be simulated even without any pre-canned behaviours. In BeamNG.drive, cars behave based on the sum of their parts such as drivetrain, tires, aerodynamics and so on. While not the most accurate driving simulator, the mechanics are incredibly convincing.

BeamNG.drive vehicle roaster focuses on daily road cars rather than performance vehicles. As a result, stock vehicles can be equipped with torque converter automatics, CVTs and of course manual transmissions.

Out of all the games tested so far, BeamNG.drive is a clear winner in terms of simulating torque converter-based automatics. From the sluggish acceleration due to torque multiplication to the smooth shifting and accurate shifting schedule, the game provides the most realistic feeling automatic driving experience.

Let's get straight to the test with this game.

What's obvious is how much it feels like you're driving a normal car in the city. The initial lunge from the torque converter to the sluggish shifts. Even the delayed kickdown is portrayed after flooring the accelerator. It's very impressive. Of course, it creeps forward as soon as you put it into drive.

The amount of options simulating different kind of transmissions is staggering:
- High stall torque converters
- CVTs
- Transbrakes
- Dual-Clutch Automatic Transmissions
- Sport Mode Selection
- Manual Mode in an Automatic Transmission

Each one of the features above is simulated in a very convincing way. If you're interested in tinkering with car behaviour, I highly recommend this game.

Final Thoughts

This kind of endavour was more of satisfying an obsession than anything else. This is probably one of the most niche things I've ever written about. Most racing fans simply floor the accelerator when the count down reaches zero, however I like to test the limits of games and see how much attention to detail they really put in. Even when it's not intended, games tend to become a sandbox for me.

Attention to detail is something I really appreciate. Few games go the extra mile to mimic intricate details of reality and it's really admirable. Now, for noticing that a game simulates automatic transmission logic, that is a personal problem of obsessiveness that I may have! 

It's hard for me to believe that the games above are the only ones in existence that simulate such concept of the automotive world. If you know any other games that simulate this behaviour, let me know by submitting a comment.
 

I want to be a cat!

This is satirical…

My home is graced by the presence of a cat. When I'm bored, I sometimes observe them and reflect on her behaviour. I sometimes wonder what it's like to be her. I can't help but feel jealousy…

Cats are so lucky, they get to sleep up to 16 hours a day. I would love to get 16 hours, but I have work and do other nonsense, I'm lucky if I get 8. Plus, some nonsense science malarkey says that too much sleep is bad for you. They're wrong, my cats sleep 16 hours a day and have never ever complained about a health problem. Checkmate scientists! #flawless_logic They also fall asleep so quickly while it takes me eons to empty my mind and relax my body so my slumber can begin. Also, I don't understand how they can sleep anywhere. On the floor, on the kitchen counter, on the couch, on my bed taking MY spot (how dare you Minnie?)… I wish I found the floor comfortable, wouldn't need an expensive bed and mattress.

Cats don't have to work or go to school or anything stressful like that. They can do whatever pleases them at any time. They don't have to worry about income as I pay all their expenses. They have no responsibility.

Cats have food ready for them on command. M cat are my alarm clock in the morning meowing incessantly until I get up from bed and feed her. And don't get me started about their food. That stuff must taste amazing to them and it's still very nutritious. It doesn't need lengthy preparation and has long shelf life. If I want the semblance of healthy food, I must spend a good chunk of the day cooking.

Cats have no social obligations either. When someone calls me I better reply otherwise I'm being impolite. Even when I feel like crap and don't want to deal with people, I still have to. Not with my cat. Sometimes they respond when I call their name, and other times they don’t. Only when they feel like it.

Cats get treated in the best of ways. When we take them to the vet they get greeted by the nicest practitioners. Their offices are nicer than our clinics and they have no wait times and appointments at convenient times. The vets tell them nicest words and handle them with the upmost care. I can't say that about some family doctors I met who treat me like a number and talk to me condescendingly. At home, the endearments don't stop. Every day, they receive compliments.

Cats have fun with the most mundane of things. I can play the most stimulating PC game and still find myself bored and sleepy. My cats play with straws, hair ties, rubber balls, some metal string with some cardboard on it and even a stupid laser pointer. I wish that was fun for me, I wouldn't need expensive equipment to entertain myself. Of course, they only play when they feel like it.

Cats don't get punished. Unlike dogs, cats don't learn via punishment. So when my cat misuses the litter box or throws up on the floor for the millionth time, I can't do anything about it. I have to clean the mess up anyways because they don't have to and never will. I can't spray them with water because they don't learn from it. I can't tell them harsh words because it doesn't mean anything to them.

The best part, cats don't care. They only do things when they feel like it and no can force them or stop them. They don't care about their self-image. They don't care about taxes. They don't care about being for late for work. They don't care about the noisy neighbours. They don't care about anything.

When I grow up, I want to be a cat. I'm so jealous...

Why I hate the weekends…

It's Monday, the dreadful countdown has started. You're already thinking about the end of the week, and it barely started. As the days go by, you are fixated on Friday 5pm. By Friday afternoon, your mind is so overfilled with the prospect of the two-day break that you can barely get anything done anymore. Some of your co-workers are not even at their desks anymore; they left early. When it's your turn to leave, you breathe a sigh of relief. It's the moment you've been waiting for. The start of the weekend.

However, what's so odd is that it's already Monday again. The weekend was a blur. Everything that didn't fit the workday was squeezed into the weekend. Groceries, laundry, chores, medical appointments and so on. By the time you've finished all that it's Sunday evening. Just like work, the weekend made you tired. You want to idle, but tomorrow's Monday and you've already begun thinking about work. You don't have time to do anything anymore because you need to sleep early to wake up for work on time.

Our lives are high maintenance. We need to maintain our relationships with our spouses, friends and family. We need to take care of ourselves with exercise, hygiene and so on. Our houses need to be kept clean and our fridge full of food. And to be able to do all that, we need work to make a wage so we can pay for what keeps us alive.

With only two-day weekends, we find ourselves squeezing all that maintenance in such a short span of time. We meet with our friends on Saturday. We do the groceries on Sunday. We do the Laundry on Saturday morning. Little time is left to do what we enjoy. For some, it's simply watching TV shows. For others, it's learning a new art.

The worst part is there is hardly any time for resting the mind and body. Our jobs can be mentally and physically demanding. Our relationships and our chores demand it too. It feels like being on an endless treadmill and there is no way to stop it. Many experience burnout or depression due to excessive stress and little break.

It's clear that the two days we yearn for so much every week are not enough.

Almost every month, there is a statuary holiday which extends the weekend by a single day. Oddly enough, after those weekends end, I find myself more at peace and rested. The first day of work after feels smoother and I'm not as stressed out.

Personally, I have tried to extend the weekend as much as possible. I do the laundry on weekdays, I shop for groceries on a weekday late at night. I try to meet my friends on weekdays. I do all that hoping that my weekend would be empty of such obligations and I would have it all to myself.

I want to spend time partaking in my hobbies on the weekend. However, I often find myself lifeless and staring blankly out the window. My mind is tired, my body is fatigued. By the time I'm fully rested it's Sunday night. At that point, it's time to head to bed and start the cycle of work again.

I feel like my whole life is centered around work. Even though I work a (what is considered) reasonable 40-hour work-week, I feel like too much of time is taken away from me. Not only is it actually being in the office but commuting too. My morning are devoted to getting ready for work: dressing up, packing up a lunch and so on. When I get back in the evening, I have to empty my mind of work and that can take a while. Only a few hours a day are left for me.

I'm a backend software developer and writing code requires plenty of creativity and thought. There's only so much I can muster before my mind quits. On top of that, I'm mentally ill and thoroughly medicated meaning I need even more rest. However, I hear co-workers who are healthier and more productive than complain about the same things I do. No matter how much fun I have at work, I still get tired. Everyone does and everyone needs rest after that. Even caffeine, energy drinks and modafinil can't fix that.

When I first started writing this, I thought that the problem was the weekends were too short. However, it is that weeks that are composed of 168 hours are not enough to account for 40 hours of dedicated work. Our body and minds cannot optimally function without adequate rest and breaks. We're not made for it. Our lives are demanding and work is demanding too much of our lives.

Even though modern society has allowed us to come really far when it comes work ethic, I don't think we are far enough yet. Our basic needs, our own desires, our dreams, our physiologies and psychologies need to be taken into account when we rethink what an ethical and humane work-week looks like.

We are no longer factory workers where our output is proportional to the company's sales figures. Machines and automation are taking over the remedial roles that we used to do. Today, we are artists and developers and managers and service providers. What we do might not make any money at all. Still, what we do demands of us quite a bit and to provide more, we need to do less.

I'm convinced that we need more time devoted to ourselves and those we care about. I want to spend more time caring for myself but I can't because I'm stuck in the system. To live, I need to pay my bills. I'm not lucky so I have to spend most of day working for it.

Someone has submitted this blog post to Hacker News. I encourage to continue the discussion there.