Solo Leveling: Arise Are we there yet?

 I was just watching the latest livestream, 9.0, was it?

 New stuff, blah blah, new characters, blah blah, and the maximum character level is going up to 105.  I get close and then, it changes.  My Guild leader is at level 100.

 The list of updates is here.

CM Prizm mentioned that he uses "Radiant Goon", which is what I've been using for months, but I've never seen anyone else using it in the Top 100 listed.

 

 

We still have a month and a half until one year.  That seems crazy to be playing something that long, but I've still got Honkai: Star Rail going, even though I don't play often.

I suppose it's just business and they need to keep finding ways for us to spend money.  I've spent a little, where I didn't spend any on Honkai: Star Rail and still got my characters to maximum levels.

 

There are still loads of upgrades with artifacts and weapons and skills.  I'm still trying to increase Hunter skills, so that they're all at level 7 or more.  I've leveled up Hunter weapons, even for SR-ranked Hunters.

System has managed to allow me to Advance some of the early characters and their weapons recently, which has made the game more playable.  I'm still working on the story in Hard and Reverse mode, and apparently, they've added to the story again.

 Hopefully, it will all be interesting. 

 

Update 2025.03.15: Did you try upgrading the skills on your shadows yet?

 

Update 2025.03.16: Did you make it to the next Job Change?  It took me three tries.  I noticed later that the usual 30 points didn't appear.

Update 2025.03.19: Character level is 99 and Reputation level is also up. There have been so many strange bugs.  One of my QTE skills can't decide which to use and it seems to choose the one I want in certain circumstances and everything else when I need the stronger one.

I chose the Phone 15 over iPhone 16e

Friday evening, I bought an iPhone 15.  I considered the 16e but I felt that it was an experiment I didn't want to try.

The 60 Hz OLED display and the Apple modem seem okay, but for someone else to try.

 Obviously, the iPhone 15 has been out for about 1.5 years and that's good.  There won't be any surprises. Whichever device I bought, the inane gestures are part of the package.  I've become so accustomed to using the Home button (since the iPhone 4S) that I will have some trouble switching.

 Given that the iPhone 15 was only about US$1.50 more per month for 24 months than the iPhone 16e, it wasn't a difficult choice.  It still has a newer SoC than the 2022 iPhone SE/iPhone 13 but it's only one generation newer.  They only had black and pink phones and I chose a black 256 GB model.  Immediately, they wanted US$99.99 upfront, plus $36 activation fee plus tax.

 AppleCare+ will be quite a bit more expensive.  I'm expecting it to be around $10 higher but it would also be higher for the 16e.

I ordered a Spigen Liquid Air case that I'd been watching for a few months.  It's supposedly 50% off at US$14.99.  I've used one on another phone and it was agreeable without being too heavy or bulky.  It's not as strong as the Ballistic cases I used to buy, but I'm not sure they're in business any longer.  I could throw the phone in those.  I ordered through Amazon, but there aren't many ways to do this now, and without a car, I just can't go to multiple stores looking for a case.

I'm not sure about the phone-to-phone transfer but restoring the phone from my Mac at USB 2.0 speeds takes too long.  I tried to do that for someone who got an iPhone 15 when iOS 17 was new and not stable and it did not work.  I'll make a backup and try the WiFi transfer.  I'm not completely sold on iOS 18, but I suspect I won't be able to replace it with iOS 17.  I'm not ready to update my Mac to Sequoia, but that may happen, as well. 

Wish me luck!

Update 2025.03.10: The phone arrived.  I asked the UPS driver to wait because T-Mobile customers have been receiving empty boxes from UPS.  After the problem I had recently with the local UPS location losing something else, I was concerned.

The Quick Start phone-to-phone transfer did not work.  It managed to transfer my SIM contents to the eSIM but that's about it.

 I backed up my phone Sunday evening and restored to the new phone on Monday afternoon.  It was better than usual.  I remember starting the restore and going to bed.

 The phone is a bit bigger and definitely needs a case because the camera module sticks out.  I wouldn't want to drop it on a table and damage it.  The Liquid Air case has such an unusual feeling.  It's grippy but smooth.  The price was right, also.  It took some time to get everything to where I can use it and shop.  I can't seem to get away from using Face ID, but I'll be damned if I want it.

The phone is faster but I don't see that it's really fast.  There is only a one generation difference between the SoC in the 2022 iPhone SE (A15) and the iPhone 15 (A16). 

Update 2025.03.18: It's been a week.  The iPhone 15 works well enough.  It's not as huge as I thought it would be because of the smaller display of the iPhone SE.  I don't like the pill-shaped opening, but it ill be okay.

 I tried the Kishi V2 controller.  It didn't work with the Nexus app, which is very different from Android.  Then, I looked at the Razer website and they mention the iPhone 15.  I suspect that they mean any USB type-C iPhone, but they only mentioned one as not working.  Maybe, in a few years, they'll have the app working with this port and not the Lightning port.  Oh, second try.  The Kishi V2 works.  The Kishi V2 Pro that comes with the Razer Edge does not.  That's the one with Force Feedback.

I haven't played as much but I haven't seen any scrolling problems, so the OLED display must be quick enough.

Apple's Home Button is dead and gone: iPhone 16e

 I've been using Apple devices with a Home Button since the 2nd generation iPod touch around 2009.

With the iPhone 16e, the Home Button is gone.  There is still a fingerprint reader in some iPad Power Buttons but that's it.  The iPhone 16e has Face ID, along with a passcode to secure the device.

As someone who has kept with the original aesthetic through the 2022 iPhone SE, I'm not sure that I want to switch, but will probably do it just to arrive sooner than later.  I dislike the inane gestures, and there won't be any substitutes as there are on Android.  People around me have switched and when they need help, we struggle a fair amount.

The price is up US$170 with a minimum storage size of 128 GB in contrast to the 64 GB base of the 2022 iPhone SE.  When I bought the 2020 and 2022 models, I paid the extra $150 up front to get the 256 GB model.  Then, the 2020 was $0.00 per month (for 18 months) with credits and the 2022 as $1.25 per month (for 24 months) with credits.  If I remember correctly, I had a pay off at the end of the 2020 plan.  I would expect to pay something like $3.75 per month for the iPhone 16e.

What's good is that it has a version of the iPhone 16 SoC (System on a Chip), just as the 2022 iPhone SE had a version of the iPhone 13 SoC.  It's probably not as powerful, but better than the competition and 40% faster than the 2022 iPhone SE.  It has more RAM for games and AI.  I have zero use for AI right now.  In 30 years, it will probably be very useful.  Right now, it's an infant and I don't want to change diapers.

It also has the Apple-developed 5G cellular modem that they bought from Intel who bought from someone else. The modem in the 2022 iPhone SE isn't particularly quick but it is reliable.  This new one is the first of its kind.  It might work okay.  Supposedly, there are some outstanding patent issues they need to settle.  It does not support the infamous mmWave, which is just fine with me.  Who will be close enough to the tower, without obstructions, to actually use mmWave connections?

I hope that the OLED technology is at least as reliable as the LCD is on the current model.  It's a 60 Hz OLED display and that could mean problems scrolling.  I've seen how bad that could be with the Google Pixel 6a.  I don't care to revisit such a situation with an iPhone.

They replaced the 12 MP camera sensor with 48 MP and a 26 MP telephoto mode.  That's more than either of my camera bodies and they will still have better image quality because they're not trying to squeeze so much into a small space.  I have referred to this as a noisy bus.  The bus is nice and quiet with a few passengers, but when you overload it and have people standing in the aisle, people will be unhappy and complain.  The size of most phone sensors is tiny.

All that said, if you're looking for an iPhone, the 16e is a place to start.  It's only US$100 cheaper than the next available phone.  You can get less expensive Android-based phones.  If you're looking for something Android, take a look at OnePlus.  I saw a deal on a 120 Hz OLED display, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for US$599.  It's a OnePlus 13R.

Update 2025.02.27: Apparently, the 16e has better battery life than the iPhone 16, and the 5G modem is partly responsible.

Update 2025.03.07: I just bought an iPhone 15 with my 2022 iPhone SE going back as a trade-in device.  It won't be as powerful as the 16e but it will have a better display.  At about US$1.50 more per month for 24 months, it wasn't a huge difference.  I would normally wait for Memorial Day deals but I don't care for the iPhone 16e.  I'm not saying that it's a bad phone.  It's just not a good choice for me.

With the iPhone 15 having a better SoC than the iPhone 13 generation, I'll have better power but not ultimate power.  Being pushed into a 6.1 inch display, I'd rather have one that is a bit better.  I'm not sure the extra camera module will have any significance.  I'd rather take a real camera with me.

Update 2025.03.11: The iPhone 15 is good.  There was lots of updating and the side-by-side phone transfer did not work, except for the SIM to eSIM  part.  I connected the cable between Mac and phone to restore.  Just finished with with operating system updates last night and there was a new one with security updates.  I guess their separate security update thing isn't working or they forgot how to use it. 

People on MacRumors are mentioning that the iPhone 16e is good and that they're happy with it.

Update 2025.03.19: I've been learning the inane gestures since there is no Home Button.

I can get the Control Center to work and there are three different pages, unlike the smaller display version.

I can somewhat reliably bring up the App Switcher, but sometimes, it just doesn't want to work in one swipe.  The App Carousel swipe at the bottom works okay.

Switching between Home Pages works the same as on the small screen.

Editing Home Pages requires press-and-hold in an empty area.

 I suppose it's not so bad, but it's certainly difficult to change from 15-16 years of doing everything with the Home Button.

OM System OM-3: Is it for you?

 Those of us who have been using micro Four-Thirds for a while have been waiting for this HUGE announcement of a retro camera.  The company showed the original, 135 Format OM-3.

 I've been happy with the way the E-M1 worked but not necessarily its shape.  The grip was a bit cramped for my fingers and the rear display out in the open meant that I could change settings with my nose.  They fixed the rear display, and they slightly changed the grip with the E-M1 Mk II.

Time passed and the photographic division of Olympus was sold to a holding company.  They paid to finish updates that had already been through the engineering phase, and they created the OM-1.  Then, the time ran out for using the "Olympus" name and they modified it to say "OM System" and slightly modified it otherwise.

The other day the OM-3 arrived, as slippery as my old OM-1N from the 1970s.  Nikon has two bodies like that, the Z f (135 Format) and the Z fc (APS-C) .  I don't understand why, except for nostalgia, anyone would want a slippery camera body.  They're too expensive to drop. 

At US$2000, it's way too expensive to drop.  I immediately thought about buying an E-M1 Mk III to get much of the functionality without the risk.  The OM-3 is priced between the OM-5 and the OM-1 Mk II.  The functionality is between the two.

The one difference that the OM-3 has is the Creative Dial.  This is something they added to the Pen-F, a model which won hearts but didn't sell well enough for a follow-on camera body.

I've seen a few of the first impressions videos on YouTube.  Most of them are sales pitches, which isn't a good idea.  PetaPixel's Chris Nicholls and Jordan Drake tell it how it is but OM Digital probably doesn't appreciate that.

It's a good camera body.  The Creative Dial gives it interesting options that no other camera has.  I like my Panasonic S5 Mk II for the ability to use LUTs to change the look of photos or video.  It's color grading in the camera.  The OM-3 Creative Dial goes further.  You can play with the color as you're looking at the scene to create your own look right there.  That's impressive, but who will spend the time to use it?

There are a lot of Pen F users who feel abandoned by the lack of a Pen F Mk II.  Would they spend US$2000 for the OM-3 to get an update? 

Update 2025.02.20: Watching Micro Four Nerds video about the re-made 17mm f/1.8 and 25mm f/1.8 lenses that arrived with the OM-3, she states that they're rated IPX1, which is just slightly better than nothing.  I don't have the 17mm f/1.8 but I won't be replacing the 25mm f/1.8 until it's inoperable.

It's all interesting that OM Digital has been around five years now and they've survived.  The OM-1 was an improvement over the E-M1 Mk III with a new sensor but will they just create equipment by using what parts are already in the warehouse?  To many of us who became familiar with Olympus in the 1970s, it just seems sad that the innovator has gone away.  Other companies have examined and re-created Olympus' innovations over the years and put their own name on them, but without the company, would any camera body today be so good? 

Update 2025.02.21: I have mentioned the E-M1 Mk III on a few YouTube videos about the OM-3 and to my surprise, when I looked for one today, they were all gone.

Android 15 on a Pixel 6a

 It's been about a week since Android version 15 arrived on my Pixel 6a.  I just got a security update, as well.

I haven't seen a difference, positive or negative.  Being a stable operating system is the best thing about Android right now.

My replacement Razer Edge is still on Android version 12 and recently got a security update.

When will new dSLRs no longer be sold?

 Recently, I've seen a few Japanese quarterly sales listings where the Nikon D7500 is still fairly popular.  Everything else listed is a mirrorless camera or the latest version of the Ricoh GR.

It's interesting to me that things have changed so much in 16 years.

When Panasonic introduced the G1, no one was sure what to think.  For me, Panasonic had only recently got into interchangable lens cameras with the DMC-L1 that was announced with the Leica Digilux 3 and the Olympus E-330.  They had no real history in stills photography before 2007.

I waited until 2012 to trust them with my money and I wasn't completely satisfied.  By 2014, Olympus' E-M1 arrived and I could see mirrorless cameras pushing out dSLRs eventually.

Being that Pentax doesn't have any mirrorless cameras now, and those they tried were awful, will they go away?

Nikon and Canon seem to have a new model or two every few months.  Their first 135 Format models were setbacks for mirrorless cameras in general, they are finally finding their way with third generation models.  They both have a few dSLRs available, mostly in the bargain basement.

I don't believe I'd used a dSLR since 2016 and that was a necessity because the Olympus E-M1 did not cooperate with my Four-Thirds lenses and micro Four-Thirds didn't have the focal lengths I needed.

Imagine people from the 1970s, when ASA(ISO) 400 film was new, being shown a modern camera body that is huge in contrast to the typical SLR of the time.  Leica users, though, will probably be at home for the most part because of the M-series.  Don't show them the L-mount bodies.

Do you think by 2030 that dSLRs will only be part of the used camera sales?

Solo Leveling Arise: A New Beginning, On to Jeju Island without leaving home

 Another Wednesday has passed and the game shows improvement.

Thanks to the developers for speeding up the animation slowdown in the shop and elsewhere!  I haven't seen that ugly blue progress circle since the new release.  It's been slightly more than seven months, so progress should be expected.  In development, it's always better to get it working correctly first and then, speed it up.  Trying to make it fast from the start often requires re-working it far down the line when there isn't time or money for it.

Now, Jeju (pronounced chey ju) Island is a real place in South Korea.  So far the game hasn't talked about much but Seoul and Jeju Island.  Now, the ant king is another matter.  I don't remember a king ant in biology, but a queen ant.  We'll see.

The whole year has been put into future plans.  I was wondering if the game would last a year with the quick progression toward maximum levels.

My Sung Jinwoo is quite strong and the Hunters are showing their strength, also.  It was good to see that they have new light-oriented weapons for Sung Jinwoo.  For so long, I had one R-ranked weapon and then, one SR-ranked weapon.

Now, I have several weapons in both categories that are at level 100.  I've eliminated all of the R- and SR-ranked weapons except for Hunters, and those that remain are for Hunters I have rarely used.

Our tiny, 3-member Guild is going strong, on the way to C-rank.  With the re-balancing last month, it's become easier to finish every daily task.

I'm still unable to enhance/enchant artifacts.  Also, I have three cores, already assigned, but I'm slow to learn how to enhance those.  Being that I started playing the first official day, I should be picking it up better, but I'm sure people with school or jobs are having much more difficulty.

I hope you're all having fun.

Update 2024.12.21: I started on the journey to Jeju Island.  I'm a little concerned about some of the language.  I'm Japanese and I've had Korean friends.  I have the audio in Japanese, but I'm using English subtitles.  All along, when Korea is mentioned, the characters say in Japanese "Japan", which is very confusing since there is at least one word for Korea.

Ahead of the trip to Jeju Island, the Japanese Hunters meet the Korean Hunters in Korea.  There is some dialogue which is aggressive, as though our countries are not friendly.  I'm surprised, especially since this is a video game.

In any case, the first few episodes have been okay, but I'm not to the point where the characters met the queen ant or rather, king ant yet.

Update 2024.12.24: Character level is up to 91 and Army of Shadows is up to level 55 of 72.  Reputation level is 59.

Update 2024.12.28: The Army of Shadows is up to level 57 now.  Battle Tier is up, as well.  Plus, our little three person Guild ツムツム is up to C-rank level 2 and will probably be at C-rank level 1 by Wednesday.

I'm working on getting weapons upgraded with better skills, and getting the Hunters' skills up as well.

Update 2025.01.06: Character level is up to level 92 and Army of Shadows is up to level 60.  I've been fighting the Ant King, but without enough success.  He was down to level 15 when I ran out of time, so I have to have different Hunters, different weapons, a better strategy.  I'm not sure what else I can do, but, as with the rest, I'll figure it out.

 Getting the Hunters skills up to level 10 would be nice.  I still have some level 5 skills, so I definitely need to continue to upgrade them.  Resources take time or money and sometimes, you can spend money and still not get what you want.  I could have concentrated on three Hunters but I typically use nine regularly.  Also, I've been using the SSR-ranked healers lately.  Getting everything up to maximum is difficult for so many.

Update 2024.01.13: Got through the entrance to The Workshop of Brilliant Light.  Therefore, I have four more Cores for a total of seven now.  Trying to fill out those trophies to get to the next level.  Got the Gold-Tailed Fox for my second light-oriented weapon, finally, and it's at level 100 now.  Getting Hunters' weapons also to level 100 is happening slowly.  Getting the skills of Sung Jinwoo's weapons up takes time, also.

Update 2024.01.14: Up to character level 93. Resources are few right now, but I'm doing my best to continue to upgrade anything and everything that the character use regularly.  I have an SSR-ranked healer for Dark, Wind, and Light now.  Min Byung-Gu is the newest and most of his skills are at level three, so he's okay, but isn't quite as useful as he will be and he still needs his own weapon.  The other two have skills at level five, which is somewhat better.

  

Update 2024.01.15: New raid style, Esil Radiru is being added as a character.  About 3.5-4.0 hours until maintenance is finished.  Also, found that Tower of God, another Netmarble game, is under maintenance.  I suppose it's easier to do all of them at once, if new server hardware is involved.  Lag has improved.  After playing five different games from Netmarble, I'm down to two.  I removed Genshin Impact, as well but I still have Honkai: Star Rail.

 

I got a couple of surprises, Esil Radiru and Truth: Kasaka's Venom Fang.  It will be a while to get them up to max levels, but it's interesting to get the latest and greatest.

Update 2025.01.16: Also have Esil Radiru's weapon.  Working on Workshop of Brilliant Light again.  Have more Cores to add to Hunters.

 

Update 2025.02.09: Character level is 95.  Reputation level is 62 and Army of Shadows is at level 66.  I'm still working to level up Hunters' skills to level 7 or higher.  Having so many Hunters in use every day makes it difficult to find the resources.  Trying to do everything required for more of everything.

 

Update 2025.02.11: Got through Jeju Island and defeated the Ant King.  Still working on the Ant Queen in a side chapter.  It's clear but not complete. 

 

Update 2025.02.13: Another Live Stream and more codes.  CM Prizm is still out, but they showed him going to get chicken through their promotional deal.  He wasn't even good at that.

Guild Boss is now the Queen Ant.