Archive for July, 2008
One particular game on my distant radar is Mirror’s Edge by DICE. It’s a First Person Action-Adventure game where the main character is a Runner, someone who delivers packages and messages via their own feet. Why not just use FedEx? Well, it seems information is a heavily controlled commodity and many wish to be discreet in their dealings. If you’re intrigued by this concept, check out the wiki site dedicated to the game. Don’t forget to check out the video (mp4 encoded).
How does a century old assassins guild with members that have mastered gun use to the point where they can impart curve in a bullet’s trajectory, like the massé shots in billiards, sound to you? What if they added the ability to increase their heartrate to incredible levels and pump an excess amount of adrenaline in their bodies to react faster than normal men and women? Sounds pretty interesting?
Well, that’s what Wanted is made up of and while it’s no Summer Blockbuster, it’s a decent action flick worth watching in the theaters for a matinee price.
The story revolves around a young man named Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) going through life apathetically. He has a deadend job, mean boss, cheating girlfriend, and an all around crappy life. Until he encounters Fox (Angelina Jolie) in a convenience store and his life turns upside down. He learns about his father, who left him and his mother when he was just born, and learns the lineage of weavers turned assassins that have gone through the ages killing people according to fate, maintaining balance in the world.
The film is based upon a comic miniseries by Mark Millar, which I’ve never read so can’t comment on how faithful the movie is to the written piece. However, the action scenes were great and there were some segments that caused chuckles in the theater. There was one scene that didn’t make sense after watching the entire movie, but still looked cool at the time. All the actors, ranging from Morgan Freeman to James McAvoy did a pretty good job. One actor I was pleasantly surprised to see was Konstantin Khabensky who is the main protagonist in Nightwatch and Daywatch (film adaptations to the wonderful books by Sergey Lukyanenko).
All in all, Wanted is worth watching in the theater to see those bullets curve and home in on their targets, but I’d say catch it at a discount.
Years ago, I had watched a Japanese Anime series called Bubblegum Crisis. Of course, being Sci-fi and a cartoon there were many fantastical gadgetry and neat technology. One such combo, that pertains to this entry, was a laptop one of the protagonists used. It was sleek looking and had a cool OS, but the nifty part? It was used as an alarm to wake the protagonist up. Now, there are many programs out there that could be similar, however how many of them could wake a computer from sleep and activate the alarm? That’s right, the laptop was in sleep mode and the alarm triggered and woke the laptop and blared its incessant buzzing. Ever since, I always kept an eye out for an application like that. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything for Windows, however my search ended when I got a Macbook Pro.
The first application I encountered was Aurora. It did the job fairly well but settled into the dust for a time. Recently I stumbled upon Awaken and I must say that its sleeker and sexier (not to mention cheaper than the current release of Aurora). While both hook into iTunes so you can play your music, use the Apple remote to snooze or turn off an alarm and both have a sleep setting to play your tunes and stop, putting the system into Sleep mode, after a defined amount of time, Awaken’s presentation is very well done and just looks better. Call me superficial but it’s one of the big reasons why I have a Macbook Pro and an iPhone. They look hot and work pretty darn good. One thing going for Aurora at the moment is its support of EyeTV, which Awaken doesn’t. I don’t use EyeTV so it’s not a problem for me, however for those that do, you might want to keep that in mind. Perhaps the cost of Aurora is worth it then?
I’ve been using Awaken for a week and half now and have been very satisfied. The full screen mode doesn’t emit too much light to be bothersome when using it at night during Sleep mode, but the text is large enough for me to see from my bed to check the time, either at night or when the alarm is blaring in the morning. Oh, and the developer is on Twitter so be sure to check out what he has to say about the new version of Awaken.
Square Enix is doing a great job in sucking money from me. The latest siphon? Final Fantasy IV remake for the Nintendo DS. While not the first remake of this classic, it seems to be running up for the best. Complete overhaul in both graphics and gameplay tell the story of redemption of a fallen knight in a new light.
Have you pre-ordered your copy? On the fence? Check out the official site and watch the trailers. 
I have left all reason behind and surrendered to the siren call. Do not fear for me as I have not fallen into a fatal trap, but sunk willingly into the embrace of my fate. I wear the adornments of the Chosen, not shackles of bondage for the enslaved. I fear not the crux of my journey for it is the blissful resolution that I seek.
This temptation is not sin, nor folly. It is all that I am and all that I desire. Pity me if you will, but I am not ashamed to choosing this path. You may think I am superfluous, yet I am content and see you as empty. I am whole.
I am complete.
Welcome to my techno-lust.
On a whim I purchased the Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and must say, it’s pretty good. I never wanted to get it because I hate the art direction they went with it however, I wanted to play a game that took the Nintendo DS Lite’s capabilities, in terms of controls, to their full extent. Most games I have use either the stylus or the microphone and in a lot of cases only used them to a limited capacity. Not so with the Phantom Hourglass. You use the stylus exclusively in controlling your hero and solve some puzzles using the microphone, which is something that’s surprisingly enjoyable and makes up for the horrible graphics.
Good:
- Wonderful control scheme
- Able to jot notes on most maps
- Puzzles are fun to solve, especially ones involving boss battles
- The character animations are surprisingly fluid in contrast to the graphic textures
- Nothing’s more amusing than being ripped to shreds by enraged chickens
- It’s Legend of Zelda
Bad:
- I HATE the graphics (some people may like it, but it’s a direction I’m disappointed in seeing)
- While I love the control scheme, it’s a bit awkward to get the hero to tumble
As I went through high school, I had one favorite backpack. It was green and black and made by Jansport. It carried Trapper Keepers on some days and basketball on others. It withstood being overstuffed with an assortment of textbooks and held the secrets of the divine (aka banned paraphernalia). The backpack went everywhere with me, from the beach to D&D (and other paper RPGs) sleepovers.
Through the years, I’ve never found a bag that was a perfect fit as that backpack. Until one day, while I was basking in my acquisition of a Macbook Pro, I stumbled upon a blog article talking about a strangely named bag made by a company with an equally strange name. The company? Crumpler (looks like they redesigned!). The bag? The Considerable Embarrassment.
The only thing differentiating this bag from any other messenger bag is the Crumpler logo boldly displayed on the flap and zipper tabs. However, it fits better than other bags I’ve tried.
What I like about it:
- For some reason, it feels Mac-like
- Has enough pockets for my Urban Assault mode
- My 15 inch Macbook Pro fits just perfectly
What I don’t like about it:
- The fit can be a little too tight
- For some reason, I missed the velcro in the pictures I saw
Due to the negatives, I tried out a bbp bag. It certainly had a lot more room and I did appreciate the separation between the laptop compartment and the bag area however, I began using the Crumpler bag again and have reinforced my belief that it’s the best bag for me. So, to my pleasant surprise, I discovered that the Considerable Embarrassment is being sold at the online Apple Store (not sure if it’s in-store as well). Go Crumpler!
Gotham City has mostly recovered from being nearly stripped down by R’as al Ghul, the Scarecrow and Gotham’s local mob boss, Carmine Falcone, and the city’s inhabitants have settled into a routine of normalcy.
Part of that normalcy is the ever vigilant Batman (Christian Bale) prowling the city at night, rounding up all the escaped patients from Arkham Asylum. He’s given hope back to the people of Gotham and all seems well. Especially with the appointment of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) as the District Attorney, who promises to end corruption in the government and law enforcement and deter crime in the streets. The time that Bruce Wayne no longer needs to don the Dark Knight’s dress seems to be imminent.
However, with Batman nearly crushing the local crime syndicate, the criminal leaders get some help from the Joker (Heath Ledger) who leads Batman, via a trail of bodies, on a game that will answer the questions: “Can the Joker break the Batman?”, “Will the Joker succeed in destroying good and hope and bring Gotham City down into Chaos?”
All the actors played their parts well from Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox to Maggie Gyllenhaal, who replaced Katie Holmes, as Rachel Dawes, but none so well as Heath Ledger. Of all his roles, this final one is his best. He didn’t just act the part, he lived it. Personality and mannerisms are a given, what he did was bring the Joker to life. Posture, ticks, inflections—every element of the character felt spot on. Great action sequences and a few twists aside, The Dark Knight is well worth the full price of admission just for Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker.
How do you one-up a revolutionary mobile device? You don’t. At least for now when other manufacturers are trying to catch up to Apple’s iPhone. The first generation iPhone was revolutionary due to its incredible integration of different applications. For example, using the Google Maps application, one can find directions to a restaurant and with one touch, could either call the establishment or bring up its web site. The multi-touch capabilities were also revolutionary compared to other mobile devices.
Other revolutionary concepts of the iPhone:
- Multi-touch interface – zoom in and out on webpages and images
- Accelerometer – Auto-detect in landscape or portrait mode for integrated camera and web browsing
- Safari browser – First (nearly) full-featured web browser on a mobile device
- Smart virtual keyboard – Its ability to learn a person’s typing is uncanny and its “trust in the Force” mentality is a nice nod to Star Wars fans
- Minimal hardware buttons – Features and applications can be modified and installed through software updates, which can be tied to virtual buttons/icons
While the first generation iPhone was revolutionary, the second generation, the iPhone 3G, is not. It merely builds upon the original device. This is not to say I don’t like the new version, I really do, but anyone who has the first version is just as well off as owners of the 3G one.
The only major new change of the iPhone 3G that I really like is the curved plastic back. While I initially thought the change to plastic was a step back, it’s actually really good. The curved mold feels more natural in the hand while the plastic makes the iPhone less slippery and lighter. Many people may like the flushed headphone jack but it doesn’t look as sleek as the first device. I’m also biased because the headphones I had bought actually fit in the first generation’s jack out-of-the-box. The new 3G speed is wonderful but eats through the battery like crazy. Not a problem in the office or at home due to easy power connection, but out and about folks might have concerns and of course, what’s supposed to help such folks out (e.g. no Wi-Fi) actually hurt them more. Until turn-by-turn vocal directions can be integrated, the GPS isn’t all that special. It’s nifty to look at the dot move on the map as you move, but doesn’t provide much practical application… yet. I haven’t explored geo-tagging images, so that might be interesting.
The most major update to the iPhone is via the 2.0 firmware, which nearly puts the first generation iPhones on par with this later version. If you’re new to the iPhone craze, a 3G is a good choice. However, if you can get a really good deal on a first gen, I’d suggest going that route, especially if you’re not an AT&T customer that’s eligible for a device upgrade.
When I was growing up, my parents would take me to the local library and I’d rent about four to five books. They encouraged me to read and, with the majority of the books being fiction, it was great escapism. The library had always been a mystical place with so much to discover—new worlds lined up right next to each other. As I grew older and could go out on my own, I’d venture to the library every so often, hang out for a bit and rent a book or two. However, at some point, I stopped going and even lost track of my library card. I found myself spending more time at Waldenbooks, then Borders and began buying my books.
I don’t know exactly why I stopped but the cut in library operating hours and the slow accumulation in inventory could have been factors. I also began to prefer acquiring my books and creating a collection. The benefits in doing so meant I always had a book handy and didn’t have to worry about returning it. Yet, I found myself becoming very picky about which books I’d buy and thus began isolating myself from new discoveries. Many people say that the Internet is a major cause in lower library attendance, and while somewhat true, it wasn’t a reason for me because I couldn’t read a book on the computer. I need to touch the book, rifle through the pages and smell them. I needed the subtle tactile feedback where the printing press imprinted the words onto the paper. I needed the creaking of the spine of a well worn book—its soft sigh welcoming me. Reading can be a sensual, intimate experience.
The experience has a different texture with “borrowed” books than purchased ones. The ones you buy most often are entirely read by you, whereas there are added personalities with borrowed books and sometimes it makes you think, “Did the previous reader enjoy this passage or did s/he interpret the story as I have?” Sometimes I think I ought to go the library again and spend some time there, remember the past and create new memories. Do it while libraries last, for according to a recent analysis, library attendance in Hawaii is down. There are initiatives to bring attendance up, like wireless Internet and a coffee shop, but change must happen soon, or we may lose some (or all) libraries.
A metamorphosis needs to happen. Libraries can no longer just be the vast vault of unexplored worlds and a repository of knowledge, they need something more. A social aspect that’ll entice people to spend their time in a library instead of a Borders or Barnes & Noble. Nostalgically, I realize that the vast vault was enough for me when I was young and a little place in my heart will be saddened to see how much my library has changed over the years and will need to change in the coming future.
The latest remake of Final Fantasy IV is on the Nintendo DS and seems to be the best ever. Apparently 3/4 of the story was left out of the original version, some of which have been added to this version. While the story is being expanded and improved, the graphics and cinematic cutscenes brings the story to life. Even though they aren’t PSP quality, they sure are endearing.
Another surprise is the craziness of the boss battles. They have been revamped and are more challenging. I had my reservations and even got frustrated at a couple bosses but, for the most part, it’s been amazingly fun to figure out the strategy for a particular boss. Almost feels like an endgame raid in World of Warcraft, like Molten Core, except without the stress of working with 39 other folks.
Anyway, reviewing Final Fantasy IV isn’t the focus of this post, rather it’s about my taking up Final Fantasy XI again due to playing FFIV. I installed the game last night and went through the process of reactivating my subscription and updating the game client. Tonight, I logged in for the first time in ages… and never left the moghouse. I have to learn the controls all over again. I don’t expect to play FFXI much, but there’s a little spot in me that’s pining to run through the world of Vana’diel once again.
Last night I pulled a long work session and doing it again tonight. It’s pretty exhausting, but my brain is being stimulated as I’m doing more coding than I have been doing for a while.
Back when I did a stint at CyberCom, I remember pulling all nighters and even working on the weekend (and I wasn’t around for the Dark Age!). Crazy, but those were fun times, mainly due to the fellowship. Same here, which is why I’m not complaining about working late. The crew is awesome.
But I am getting tired and need energy for Manoa Geeks tomorrow!
