StreamTalking.com is a great solution for Live Streamers!

 

 STREAMTALKING.COM - brings sanity to the chaos of Live Stream

One of the problems with doing Live shows is audience participation.  It's not hard to engage them and have conversations, but more a problem with the technology and also audience content cultivation.  

The major problem is LAG... There's latency with live streams and to make it easy to follow, if I ask a question, "What's your favorite color?" It will take a few seconds to get to the viewer and then a few more for them to respond.  In some cases this LAG will be around 21 seconds.  This makes it difficult for a lot of new streamers to work with.

Then add in the problem of streaming to different platforms at the same time.  Some streamers are lucky to have a staff of some sort to moderate and hand pick answers.

Add in the chaotic nature of live chat.  Asking a question where you are trying to do any real data-mining is reduced to a majority answer of "Yes or No"...

That's where StreamTalking.com comes in.  It allows Streamers to ask questions BEFORE the stream and then they can present the results in the live stream.

How do I use it?

With the Real-Time Storytime show, there was a huge time sink in the beginning of the show where users would chat their keyword or phrase and then I had to write it down and have it in a book.  The users couldn't see the list in front of them to remind them.  When I used the keyword or phrase, I would toggle "Keyword Used" on the screen but they had to remember the words.

You can see samples of the recent show submission here: https://streamtalking.com/RobertRRicks/the-real-time-storytime-show/NtwxFN0Y-16018713 

You can see it in the video of the show embedded into it:

 

 By using StreamTalking.com the users login and submit them, and then when the show begins I can choose which ones to display on the screen and it stays there for the show.  Users can see it, and it also shows the world who has been providing these amazing keywords/phrases.  

It has saved me about 10 minutes from what I used to do and that's an extra 10 minutes of actual content for the viewers.

I've also used it on the Angry Jackalope show where I ask questions like "What are some things you'd like to know about me?" and then I would activate only a single User Question at a time and it would show up on my Live stream.  

On the Angry Jackalope show I also used it to test and ask questions like "Who do you think will be the next president?" and "How many people do you know who got Covid19?" both of those questions were good tests to see charts.

As a Viewer it is really easy to setup an account... Here's the explanation for Viewers:

You can be part of the shows by signing up as a Viewer at:

https://streamtalking.com 

If you're a Streamer, this could be a useful tool to help mitigate the chaos of viewer engagement!

It's been useful for me.

 

Neuro's Sonic "Energy Refreshed" is helping me push harder!

One of the hard things doing 16-hour days 7-days a week is being alert, energized and productive.  There's a lot of times where I could literally site for an hour with a 'what the fuck?' look on my face not doing ANYTHING.

Not to long ago i was in my neighborhood Harmons and as I was checking out there was a display shelf with 3 for $5 of a brand called Sonic which I had seen before and I grabbed a few and threw them on the conveyor belt and brought the groceries home.  The next morning instead of my normal coffee ritual I tried the Sonic Refreshed.

And then it happened, not right away but in a gradual manner, I started getting shit done.  Nothing like Crack or Crank type intensity, but it was a measured noticeable difference.  Just enough to get going without my normal internal pep talk that I'd do with coffee.

So I was intrigued.  I was curious how this stuff was working when the normal copious amounts of energy drinks, coffee, etc wasn't.  Was it placebo?  Doubtful since I normally don't believe shit works period.  

Looking at the back of the bottle gave me some information.

The marketing text did provide me some base information but I wasn't satisfied, so I went to their website to learn more about the product.

https://drinkneuro.com/pages/sonic

NEURO Drinks... Hmmmm 

Here's some of the info:

"Executive Function..."  Yep mine was working away like it was supposed to.  So placebo or not, so far this shit works like a champ for me and has me snapping up and alert like I got Samuel 'Muthafucking' Jackson waking my ass up!

 I like it.  The taste is actually really good.  Nice little snap to the flavor.  Not difficult to drink at all.  So let's get to the score:

8.5 out of 10

So far this stuff works.  I've been drinking one a day for the last five days and it has been doing the trick for me consistently.

Definitely Angry Jackalope Approved!

Arctis|5 Headset from steelseries is awesome! They ROCK!

The ARCTIS|5 headset from steelseries is by far one of the best headsets I have ever bought.

Score: 9 out of 10

Some of the features:

S1 Speaker Drivers + DTS Headphone X

The same speaker drivers found in their flagship $300 headsets, the S1 drivers are engineered to deliver a detailed, balanced soundscape with ultra-low distortion. 

ClearCast Microphone

The ClearCast microphone uses an exclusive bidirectional design delivering good vocal clarity and background noise cancellation.

Ski Goggle Headband

The adjustable elastic fabric helps support the cans across your head, evenly distributing the weight, eliminating pressure points.

AirWeave Ear Cushions

Inspired by fabrics found in athletic clothing, the incredibly soft AirWeave ear cushions keep you cool, dry, and comfy for hours of gaming.

Compatibility:

Works great on my PC, Phone and XBox One. 

Unboxing was easy and presentation was top notch.  

Comes with USB connector and Cellphone/Console adapter which has one of the best features I've encountered with its breakaway cable allowing you the flexibility to unplug and switch.  I use the headset so much and the connector is well built and has never been a problem connecting and disconnecting.

Build material is solid and comfortable.  Design is well thought out and features are there that make sense and add to the overall value of the headset.

Sound.  Sound is great the bass response is good and the highs are clear and crisp.  Wish the bass was just a tad bit lower but for the money it is completely fine.

Using with the Xbox One worked like a champ and the sound was clear and I decided the only way to game is with a headset.  I was able to hear my enemies in full surround and it makes a HUGE difference. 

When plugged into the USB the LEDs light up and you can program different light styles.  I have also added in some morale patches on my headsets to add a little extra pizzazz. 

Configuration of the headset settings is pretty straight forward and intuitive.

This is a close up of the cable.  You can see how it disconnects from the cellphone/console adapter.  I pull it and then plug into the USB controller.  

Fort a sub $100 headphones these are Angry Jackalope Approved.

You can learn more by going to the official website.

www.steelseries.com

Colombos... The BEST Sandwich shop in the Bay Area!

Growing up in Pacifica, there was a sandwich spot that still makes my mouth water.  If you find yourself in Pacifica California (In between San Francisco and Santa Cruz) Make sure you check out Colombos!

In this fairly nondescript shopping plaza you'll find it.  And trust me when I say it'll be money well spent!  They know how to make sandwiches.  

Since 1986 they have been putting it down!  Making some seriously amazing good eats.  I have only been able to find Dutch Crunch bread in the Bay Area and they have it on hand there and it makes the sandwiches BOMB!!!!

I didn't want to pause to take this pic.  I wanted to tear into my grub.  So that's why you don't see a grin on my face because I was about to go to town on my food!

They have meats and all kinds of other goodies and I wish I could convince them to come to Utah!  They'd kill it out here!

You can learn more by checking out their WEBSITE

Man Crate was a perfect Valentines Gift from my Wife!

Man Crate was a perfect Valentines Gift from my Wife!
Very interesting was a complete blade kit that you assemble from scratch and use only hand tools.

This was the final blade... Was a LOT of work to get it there.  And it gave me a better appreciation for knife makers and the work they go through to make a final product.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

Highly recommended!