Joshua Kern's Blog, page 4
October 9, 2021
AutoFull Gaming Chair Review ��� 1 Year
One year ago, I purchased the ���AutoFull Gaming Chair Racing Style Ergonomic High Back Computer Chair with Height Adjustment, Footrest���Headrest and Lumbar Support E-Sports Swivel Chair��� which is how it is listed on Amazon.
It is supposedly made out of leather, and maybe parts of it are I don���t know, but mostly I would say pleather at best. What this stand out from the other chairs I was looking at however was the maximum weight recommendation which is listed as 350 Pounds. Now I am not that heavy, but I am over 300 pounds most of the time. It just comes with the territory of being 6���7 and having a big build to begin with. Most chairs usually seem to top out at 250 or maybe 300 for the most part.
So, when I saw this one it naturally went to the top of my list.
Originally, I was fairly impressed with what I was getting for the price. Everything felt solid while I was putting it together, and to be fair parts of it still are, but I���ll get to that in a minute.
First off, and maybe I should have realized this beforehand, being as tall as I am. The footrest is absolutely useless. Fully extended it hits just under my knees, and it can���t handle any weight. Not to mention that it is also too low anyway. So that ended being an extra wasted chunk of money for something I can���t even use.
Now the main thing everyone cares when it comes to a chair is how comfortable they are, and this one is comfortable! I wish the lumbar pillow was a bit to a lot stiffer at times, but for the most part I have been able to sit in this chair for hours on end everyday for the last year in respectable comfort.
Now, here are the two main issues I have with the chair outside of the stupid footrest, since that one was kind of on me for being an optimist. First the chair rocks from side to side and it has something to so with either piston, or how it connects to the chair. Either way, it is very annoying and more than once I���ve worried that something was actually broken with the chair. There isn���t. It���s just��� off.
Second, the chair back can be locked at different angles. I like this feature, but it gets spongey after a while. I like to have it back a little bit while I work and then depend on the natural reclining motion of the chair for rest. Lately even with it locked, the back has still been going back more. I have a few issues with that, all of which I hope are obvious.
Overall it has been a decent chair, but for what I paid for it certainly didn���t expect to be thinking of looking for another one after only a year.
AutoFull Gaming Chair Review – 1 Year
One year ago, I purchased the ‘AutoFull Gaming Chair Racing Style Ergonomic High Back Computer Chair with Height Adjustment, Footrest，Headrest and Lumbar Support E-Sports Swivel Chair’ which is how it is listed on Amazon.
It is supposedly made out of leather, and maybe parts of it are I don’t know, but mostly I would say pleather at best. What this stand out from the other chairs I was looking at however was the maximum weight recommendation which is listed as 350 Pounds. Now I am not that heavy, but I am over 300 pounds most of the time. It just comes with the territory of being 6’7 and having a big build to begin with. Most chairs usually seem to top out at 250 or maybe 300 for the most part.
So, when I saw this one it naturally went to the top of my list.
Originally, I was fairly impressed with what I was getting for the price. Everything felt solid while I was putting it together, and to be fair parts of it still are, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
First off, and maybe I should have realized this beforehand, being as tall as I am. The footrest is absolutely useless. Fully extended it hits just under my knees, and it can’t handle any weight. Not to mention that it is also too low anyway. So that ended being an extra wasted chunk of money for something I can’t even use.
Now the main thing everyone cares when it comes to a chair is how comfortable they are, and this one is comfortable! I wish the lumbar pillow was a bit to a lot stiffer at times, but for the most part I have been able to sit in this chair for hours on end everyday for the last year in respectable comfort.
Now, here are the two main issues I have with the chair outside of the stupid footrest, since that one was kind of on me for being an optimist. First the chair rocks from side to side and it has something to so with either piston, or how it connects to the chair. Either way, it is very annoying and more than once I’ve worried that something was actually broken with the chair. There isn’t. It’s just… off.
Second, the chair back can be locked at different angles. I like this feature, but it gets spongey after a while. I like to have it back a little bit while I work and then depend on the natural reclining motion of the chair for rest. Lately even with it locked, the back has still been going back more. I have a few issues with that, all of which I hope are obvious.
Overall it has been a decent chair, but for what I paid for it certainly didn’t expect to be thinking of looking for another one after only a year.
October 1, 2021
The Ridden Audiobook is Out Now!
Hi everyone, I just got an awesome email from Audible telling me that the audiobook version of The Ridden is now live!
People called them different things when they first appeared: Walkers, Cryptids, Infected, the Ridden. The most popular was also the least apt, Zombies.
Sands from across the ocean blew in and covered everything in a fine dusting of granules, as they did every year. But this year they carried with them an infectious spore that infected anything that breathed.
Animal or human, it showed no favorites and infected them all. If people were lucky, they retained the ability to think. If they weren’t, they became little more than monsters hungry for more spores.
Chris stumbled out of his cheap motel room after the worst night of his life and straight into the apocalypse.
This is not your normal zombie apocalypse story, as Chris was about to find out. It’s not the monsters he needs to worry about.
It’s the humans.
US: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Ridden-Audiobook/B09HJDGXJ2
UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Ridden-Audiobook/B09HJ9XZGK
CA: https://www.audible.ca/pd/The-Ridden-Audiobook/B09HJM845C
September 24, 2021
Quick Update on Albion and The Ridden!
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to send out a quick update to everyone about how things are going.
First up, the narrator for 'The Ridden' has finished recording everything. I have listened to it, my mom has listened to it, and even my dog has listened to it, and let me tell you Sean Posvistak(the narrator) does a great job! This is my first time doing an audiobook through ACX and Audible, so I'm not sure how long it'll take to get it approved, but I will let you know when it is.
Next, progress on Albion is going great. The Patreon crowd is enjoying it and the people over on RoyalRoad are getting by on the scraps I throw their way. I'm not sure when this book will be released, however. I had originally planned on October, but now I am thinking of doing the release for the rewritten 'Forgotten Spies' then and making the first book in Albion slightly longer. We'll see.
Also, before I forget. I had someone ask me about signed copies of the books the other day. I have paperback and hardback versions available upon request. If that is something you are interested in, then please feel free to reach out to me.
I just wanted to send out a quick update to everyone about what I have been up to. That's about it for now, and I hope everyone is doing well.
Stay safe!
Joshua Kern
September 22, 2021
Can I finish Putting This Mini Tesla Coil Plasma Speaker Set Together?
Can I finish Putting This Mini Tesla Coil Plasma Speaker Set Together? Years ago I bought this DIY Mini Tesla Coil set, and I put most of it together before stopping. I believe I abruptly moved at the time but can't be sure, either way I never finished putting it together. So, I'm going to finally finish the project and hopefully see it in action.
September 15, 2021
I Bought a BROKEN 808 Bluetooth Speaker - Can I Fix It?
I Bought a BROKEN 808 Bluetooth Speaker - Can I Fix It? It appears to be a 808 Audio SP901BKP HEX TL Rechargeable Portable Speaker. It is having power issues that I am hoping to fix and get working again. Sometimes power problems can be tricky, other times they are super easy to track down and fix. We'll see which one this is, but either way, it will be fun and interesting.
EDIT: I took a closer look at the board under a scope and it is fried completely through. I'm not sure how much power they were pumping through it to do that, but that is why you always use the proper power adapter and not just whatever fits.
September 9, 2021
Model Gundam Build Video 2
Here is the second and last video on the Model Gundam build. It was fun putting it together, though I was somewhat disappointed by aspects of it as well.
https://youtu.be/4MOXfYVww_I
September 8, 2021
I Started a YouTube Channel!
You can find the first video linked below. The current plan behind the channel is just a series of miscellaneous projects (hence the name) that I find interesting. The first up is putting together a Model Gundam, something that I have always wanted to do.
August 14, 2021
What Are Good Fantasy Books For 12 Year Olds
Here is a quick list of five fantasy and litrpg books meant for a younger crowd of readers.
Ruins of Majesta: Vol. 1 - Blood and Cupcakes By Taj McCoy El (2 Books)
There’s no problem a cupcake can’t solve.
M.I.T. calls her a genius, her mother calls her Cupcake, her buddies call her Princess Cuddle Fluff and she’s here to kick butt and blow stuff up. At least until she realizes she’s stuck.
Fairy Knights: The Beginning By Dames Handsome (3 Books)
Ching Goo and Oma Bell are fairy kids. Rick is a hamster with rock-hard abs. Together they are the Fairy Knights - special kids (and a hamster!) with the power to do good!
Homerooms and Hall Passes By Tom O'Donnell
In the mystical realm of Bríandalör, every day the brave and the bold delve into hidden temples or forgotten dungeons, battling vile monsters and evil wizards to loot their treasure hoards for sweet, sweet magic items.
Sacred Cat Island: (A LitRPG Progression Fantasy Story) By Harmon Cooper
When Rowan and Toro are brought to Sacred Cat Island by their father, the two brothers expect to hate the place. They quickly discover that the island has untold mysteries and magical secrets just waiting to be explored. What starts as a small quest quickly turns into the adventure of a summer as the two brothers help their father open a general store, befriend the villagers, and find themselves in the middle of an epic mystery that has to be solved before they go back to the mainland.
The Last Oracle: The White Mage Saga #1 (The Chronicles of Lumineia) By Ben Hale (5 Books)
Forced into hiding, the mages of Lumineia have been forgotten. In their absence the world has become known by another name, Earth. The humans have flourished with time, unaware that The Last Oracle is destined to unite them. At her touch magic will be unbound, and known again as truth.
(This article can also be found on my website at - https://joshuakernbooks.com/2021/08/12/what-are-good-fantasy-books-for-12-year-olds/)
What is Portal Fantasy?
Here is the definition of the term provided by the subreddit forum PortalFantasy.
"Portal Fantasy is a fantasy subgenre term for the purpose of describing a category of fiction that focuses on characters who end up in another world. These characters can be transferred in a variety of fashions and are often forced to leave their old worlds behind permanently."
It is a genre that has been around for a long time in various forms. Think of 'Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll, or 'The Chronicles of Narnia' by C.S. Lewis. Both are early examples of how the genre was formed.
Modern stories have taken the idea and run with it. Now we have Portal Fantasy stories that crossover with SciFi, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy and more.
Here are two recent examples of books/series that conform to the genre. One from me, and the other was something that I read recently and enjoyed.
The Dungeon Alaria By Joshua Kern (The MC and his House are transported to the world of Alaria during the onset of the apocalypse on Earth.)
Orphan Wars by J.N. Chaney & Scott Moon (The MC is transported through a device on the moon.)
Now, as I said before, this is clearly not the end all be all of a list. It barely counts as a list, actually. I just wanted to give a couple of examples so people understand what they are getting into when they read Albion in the future.
The Portals of Albion, is my current project and it mixes lite-Litrpg/Gamelit aspects with Portal Fantasy on a near-Earth world.
(This article can also be found on my website at - https://joshuakernbooks.com/2021/08/11/what-is-portal-fantasy/)
