Sunday, October 06, 2024

ClipEmoji.com Updated With New Unicode v16.0 Emoji

Despite the fact that emoji pickers are built into major desktop operating systems these days -- as well as into some specific apps like WhatsApp and Slack -- I still find myself using my own site ClipEmoji.com for quickly getting a copy of particular emoji characters to paste into prose I'm writing.

As such, I took some time this afternoon to make a small update to ClipEmoji.com to add the few recently-added new emoji characters in the Unicode v16.0 Emoji set, such as "🫩" ("face with bags under eyes").

Additionally -- and probably more notably! -- I noticed that the Unicode Consortium added in this version a bunch of new "synonyms" (descriptor words) for existing emoji. For example, the words associated with the simple "👍" were previously:

  • thumbs up +1 hand

Now, in v16.0, the set of synonyms for 👍 is:

  • thumbs up +1 good hand like yes

Since the search on ClipEmoji.com is powered by these synonym words (plus a few custom additions of my own), you can now search for "like" and 👍 will be included in the filtered search results, for example.

Enjoy!

Friday, July 26, 2024

Computer eye strain sufferers: Try "Eyezen" glasses

First off: I'm not an eye doctor; I'm just a guy who spends a lot of time in front of a computer! Double-check anything I'm telling you here with your optometrist or ophthalmologist before you do anything else with this information.

Secondly: This isn't a paid post; I'm not receiving any kind of compensation from it. I'm just a fan!

The last several years, I had been suffering from moderately severe eye strain while working in front of my computer all day. Even though I have a nice setup where my monitors are set up a a little over two feet away from me, after  working for a solid hour two, my eyes would kind of "cramp up," feeling fatigued. I'd need to either close them for a couple of minutes, or at least spend time intentionally looking at a wall or object a longer distance away (e.g. across the room), in order to let my eyes recover enough to resume looking at my monitors and continue working.

At my most recent optometrist visit several months ago, my optometrist -- shout out to Dr. Staci E.! -- prescribed "Eyezen" glasses. The glasses that I got are designed specifically for "near-distance" vision: Things that I look at far away through them are somewhat blurry; but the glasses produce really excellent clarity when looking at my two-feet-away computer monitors!

glasses

These glasses have made a very positive difference in my day-to-day job. When I sit down at my computer, I swap out my "everyday wear" glasses for the Eyezen glasses, which I just keep at my desk. Wearing the Eyezen glasses while working, my eye strain symptoms have mostly disappeared! I no longer get eye "cramps" or fatigue that forces me to stop working to "un-strain" my eyes on a frequent basis. 

When I get up from my desk, I swap my Eyezen "computer glasses" (as I think of them) back out for my daily wear glasses. This is obviously an extra step, but I haven't found it to be at all onerous. The cost has definitely been worth the benefit.

As I hadn't previously even been aware of the existence of specialized "near-distance vision" glasses, or Eyezen glasses, I figured I'd share my experience to spread the knowledge! My new glasses have really helped me; if you suffer from eye strain while working on a computer all day, consider asking your eye doctor if they might be a good option for you, too.

Monday, June 03, 2024

Vigil RPG 3.0 is now available!

Vigil RPG, my classic-style turn-based role-playing game for iPhone, has been updated to a new major version, 3.0! 

Vigil RPG logo

For the first time in 10 years on the App Store: Vigil RPG is now free to download! Vigil RPG has always been a "premium" title, where paying once got you the full game, with no ads, premium currencies, stamina timers, or other such impediments. Vigil RPG still has none of that, but now you can download Vigil RPG from the App Store and play the first portion of the game for free! After that, the game offers a single, one-time in-app purchase, which permanently unlocks the full game for you across all of your devices.

(And of course -- as is only right!-- I added code such that everyone who bought Vigil RPG prior to this v3.0.0 update will continue to have access to the full game (including the other major updates in the new version) without needing to buy the IAP.)

The other major feature in the Vigil RPG 3.0 update is Honor Mode! Inspired by a certain awesome hit 2023 AAA RPG -- (okay, fine, I'll just come right out and say that it's obviously Baldur's Gate 3) -- players considering themselves Vigil RPG veterans (or just hungry for maximum challenge right out of the gate?) can now optionally take on this challenging new difficulty. It features enhanced boss enemies with new move sets, and like Hardcore mode in the Diablo series before it, PERMADEATH upon defeat!

You can see all of this for yourself via a free download of Vigil RPG on the App Store.

Need an expert opinion first? Read a review of Vigil RPG at TouchArcade.com.

Learn more about Vigil RPG on the Vigil RPG website.