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monthly summary · July 2024

2024-07 summary

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These summaries describe what appears in the transcripts. A speaker’s claims are not established facts, and transcription or speaker-label errors can carry through. Check the linked transcripts and original recordings for context.

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Overview

Much of July 2024 is Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree build and weapon testing. Daniel ranked DLC weapons, Ashes of War and boss and holy weapons, and recorded damage figures such as nearly 19,000 with a Bloodfiend's Arm heavy-attack build. A series covered hand-to-hand Dryleaf Arts builds (fire, magic/Frost Stomp, cold Palm Blast), with Palm Blast generally giving the highest burst. After the patch, Rolling Sparks, Bloodfiend's Arm and Smithscript throwing weapons were reported weaker while other builds stayed strong. Trade-offs such as FP reliance and health drain were noted.

Source recordings (15)

A large share covers the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which Daniel moved to from an iPhone 12 Mini after returning an iPhone 15 Pro within two weeks. Videos covered unboxing, review, tips, DeX, gesture navigation, multitasking, S Pen customization and gaming, with comparisons to the Flip 4, S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max. He praised the screen, multitasking, software, cameras and all-in-one role, found leaving Apple services easy, and criticized the 240 g weight, price, charging speed and some AI features. He preferred the Apple Pencil to the S Pen.

Source recordings (9)

Daniel's view of the Fold 6 shifted over the month: mid-month he rated it 9.2/10 and said it justified its cost, but later he questioned the purchase and returned it, citing the £1,800 price, financing and weight, and went back to older devices.

Source recordings (4)

Other content included a negative Hades 2 early-access verdict (6.2/10) calling it repetitive, tedious and tiring on the hands, a Warzone Mobile test on the Fold 6, and a personal story about a dating trip in Japan.

Source recordings (5)

Fold 6 gaming with the D8 Majestic controller worked without the USB-C port. Button mapping worked in Call of Duty Mobile but broke under split-screen aspect ratio changes. Diablo Immortal showed minor lag and Wuthering Waves improved with a controller.

Source recordings (3)

Themes

Elden Ring DLC weapon rankings, post-patch build optimization, Dryleaf Arts and Palm Blast builds, and combat testing of damage, stagger and trade-offs.

Source recordings (12)

Z Fold 6 ergonomics, customization, Good Lock, multitasking, DeX and S Pen setup.

Source recordings (5)

Mobile gaming on the Fold 6 versus handhelds and PCs, including controller setup and button mapping.

Source recordings (3)

Value, price and competition, including Chinese foldables, financing and the return.

Source recordings (3)

Hades 2 critique, run builds, roguelike systems and boss mechanics.

Source recordings (2)

Dating experiences in Japan.

Source recordings (1)

Developments

Recording dated 2024-07-01: Daniel beat the final boss with a Bloodfiend's Arm build and was locked out of the Magic Scorpion talisman.

Source recordings (1)

Recording dated 2024-07-04 (catalog date): Daniel ranked Elden Ring weapons including Bloodfiend Fork and Leda's Sword, and tested a Fire Monk Dry Leaf Arts/Palm Blast build with damage of roughly 7,000 to 12,000.

Source recordings (2)

Recording dated 2024-07-06 (catalog date): Daniel reviewed post-patch Elden Ring builds as still viable and tested patch 1.12.3 nerfs on Rolling Sparks, Bloodfiend's Arm, thrusting shields and Smithscript throwing weapons.

Source recordings (2)

Recording dated 2024-07-08 (catalog date): Daniel demonstrated a Backhand Blades blood build, which ended in deaths from stamina depletion and Bloodsucking Flask health drain.

Source recordings (1)

Recording dated 2024-07-13: Daniel recounted fleeing a woman he met on HelloTalk during a castle outing in Japan and leaving his belongings behind. She tracked him down, accepted his apology and mailed the items back. The trip itself is undated.

Source recordings (1)

Recording dated 2024-07-15: Daniel played Hades II, died to the second boss in Oceanus on one run and quickly beat Selene on another, and advised against the game. A brief household power outage hit during the first boss fight.

Source recordings (2)

Recording dated 2024-07-19: Daniel unboxed and set up the foldable and S Pen Fold Edition.

Source recordings (1)

Recording dated 2024-07-21: Daniel said he bought the Galaxy Z Fold 6 the week before and preferred it to the S24 Ultra. Other recordings that day covered Fold 6 tips and a Wuthering Waves performance test.

Source recordings (3)

Recording dated 2024-07-22 (catalog date): three days after switching, Daniel compared the Fold 6 with his earlier phones.

Source recordings (1)

Recording dated 2024-07-26 (catalog date): Daniel tested Fold 6 gaming with the D8 Majestic controller across three games.

Source recordings (1)

Recording dated 2024-07-29 (catalog date): Daniel covered first things to do on the Fold 6, including S Pen customization and split-screen multitasking.

Source recordings (1)

Recording dated 2024-07-30: Daniel returned the Z Fold 6, packaging it and handing it to his mother for DPD drop-off.

Source recordings (1)

Uncertainties & gaps

Whether Daniel would return the Fold 6 was open in one recording. Later, the outcome of the £150 deposit refund after a torn box and the handling of the Flip 4 trade-in remain unresolved.

Source recordings (2)

Daniel's hardware complaints, the claim that Samsung AI may become a paid subscription, and why Samsung rushed the Fold 6 remain uncertain.

Source recordings (1)

Several Elden Ring details are unconfirmed: Godfrey Icon effects, Rolling Sparks staggering, whether the Barbed Staff-Spear is a boss weapon, whether Shadow Sunflower deals holy damage, why standard affinity showed no blood buildup, whether Flame Art triggers blood loss, and whether holy counts as magic for talismans.

Source recordings (5)

Reasons for variable damage and exact setups behind some figures were unclear. Patch effects are partly unclear: whether the patch downloaded, Rolling Sparks efficacy and hit counts, and the shield affinity and Shield Strike difference. The Fire Monk build's damage inconsistency, fire versus strength buff value, lost stagger and a Palm Blast helmet are unresolved.

Source recordings (5)

Daniel's suspicion about why the woman in Japan fell for him, and his worry that she might follow him, are speculative.

Source recordings (1)

Gemini photo identification was inconsistent, and AI image generation briefly stalled.

Source recordings (2)

Fold 6 gaming questions remain open: whether showing the build number is safe, how much stress two simultaneous games cause, whether lag came from multitasking, a download, network or client, the button-mapping app's name, whether other Diablo Immortal players were real users, and whether split-screen gaming without cooling could overheat and shut down the phone. Daniel initially could not find split-screen swipe settings before locating them under multi-window.

Source recordings (4)

In Hades II, Daniel did not know the storyline or some item details, the power cut's cause was unconfirmed (tripped fuse suspected), and it was unknown whether a controller would ease hand discomfort.

Source recordings (1)

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