MOBILE EXPRESSIONS

Virtual Cooking: Teaching Rudimentary Cooking Skills

2009-08-28T20:08:00.001+08:00

If you've ever loved cooking but hated the mess, would you ever consider cooking through a video game instead?

Cooking video games now abound in the gaming industry. From cooking video games on the Nintendo DS and PSP, cooking games are also available via online gaming sites. Cooking video games are not only engaging, but they are actually quite educational as well.

The great part about cooking video games is that they give the emphasis on the precision of the measurements and processes of cooking. This gives the gamer an understanding that in real life, in order to make chocolate chip cookies just like Toll House or Chips Ahoy, you have to have the oven exactly at that temperature, and the ingredients tossed in the bowl at those exact weights and measurements.

Other than the precision, cooking video games also help emphasize the importance of certain oft-neglected ingredients like salt and spices. While a bored and jaded gamer may just click through everything in routine motions, if a gamer actually pays attention, he or she gets to understand the essence of using every single ingredient on the recipe list. Hopefully, the gamer gets to understand that even the littlest details count, and would make the dish complete.

More on the skill of measurements, cooking video games also help in letting the gamer understand the difference between the teaspoon and the tablespoon, and the weight of why 1 cup of sugar should be used for a particular recipe, instead of 2 cups or just half a cup.

Another skill that cooking games pose to develop is the skill of substitution. There are some ingredients in a recipe that can actually be substituted for a similar item, and would actually make the dish even tastier at times. If a gamer pays attention to that detail, he or she learns one secret of top chefs: knowing how to substitute ingredients in a recipe.

While these skills taught are not exactly as close to real life as they should be, these are quite well-taught as basics in cooking video games. It is only up to the gamer if he wants to absorb these skills or not.

The best part is that cooking video games engage the mind and help a gamer learn, as well as entertain him. The bad part is that the reward of executing the process perfectly is just a level up or a score. Unlike in real-life cooking, where one gets to taste the actual product of executing a cooking process perfectly, video game cooking just gives you virtual rewards for a job well done. Either way, you can surely while the hours away by learning how to cook on your Nintendo DS, PSP, or even through Y8.com.

Cooking Games:

http://www.games2win.com/en/romance/play-choco_mania.asp

http://www.y8.com/tags/Cooking

Playing Life: 2 Simple But Addictive SIM Games

2009-08-27T20:05:00.000+08:00

When it comes to Simulation games, or SIM games, nothing beats the success and fame of the SIMs series. However, there are two offbeat, not-as-famous SIM games that are equally as addictive: "Game of LIFE - The Path to Success" the video game, and Y8.com's "Daily Life."

Game of Life was originally a board game developed by board game company Milton Bradley Company. Among its other famous products are Jenga, Twister and Yahtzee. The objective of the game is to "retire" with the most success possible.

In the video game version, your character needs to satisfy the people around him, as they make requests, or require "interaction" with your character. If you successfully meet all their needs, you get the points needed to level up, and you get to juggle more and more responsibilities, progressively.

The great part is that this game really tests your multitasking skills. It also gets more fun as you "automate" your character by clicking through the tasks he needs to get through in advance, and he just "automatically" goes through all of them, meeting his targets, as you sit back and enjoy the game.

The only downside to Game of Life - The Path to Success is that its graphics are rather, pardon the blunt language, lame, and the tasks are repetitive that the game gets boring.

On the other hand, where Game of Life fails, Daily Life may be able to have an advantage. Daily Life boasts of good, clean, attractive graphics, and the tasks are quite challenging. While it's not exactly Game of Life where you get to see everything you need to do in one space, in real-time, Daily Life may well be a great free substitute to Game of Life.

In Daily Life, you need to "enter establishments" and do your tasks, make friends, and even balance all that activity with "resting." Even if the system of earning your "life points" is pretty lame: just clicking through the task hours, it is still one SIM game worth wasting minutes to an hour on, if all you need to do is to clear your brain. There is a level of challenge anyway, as you need to get a perfect balance of getting promoted at work, getting the right amounts of food and rest, on top of getting your main goal of earning a diploma by the end of one level.

SIM games may have their appeal in that it helps you escape real life with amusement while actually letting you "play through" or practice the skills needed in real life in a safe venue. These are two SIM games worth trying out. If you get addicted, don't hesitate to thank us!

Links:

http://www.macgamestore.com/detail.php?ProductID=992
http://www.y8.com/games/Daily_Life

Prepare the Tissue: Top 9 Movies To Change Your Life

2009-08-25T20:27:00.003+08:00

You don't have to set aside your brain when you watch a movie. In fact, movies could be some of the most educational media in our world today. You just have to choose the right movies to watch.

Bucket List was the biggest box office hit of 2008 that surely made a hit in millions of people's hearts. It's the story of two men with terminal illnesses (Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson), who strike up a friendship in the hospital, and decide to make a list of things to do before they die. The movie strikes a chord in the viewer's heart, as he starts to understand that life should be lived on the edge, fulfilling one's dreams and not putting them off for tomorrow.

Seven Pounds is Bucket List with a dark, tear-jerking twist. Join Will Smith as he gives deserving people the things that they need the most. Just brace yourself for a lot of tragedy and heartache. Keep a roll of tissue beside you.

Pay It Forward was one movie that made quite an impact on the real world. Haley Joel Osment's character is a young boy bent on changing the world through good deeds and having the recipient of the good deed do to another person a favor, to "Pay It (the good deed) Forward," and pass the peace, love and joy on and on, in a ripple effect phenomenon. What was just a concept for a school project became the crux of the movie, and sparked a phenomenon even beyond the silver screen. Truly a tearjerker and a heartwarmer, taking Pay It Forward's lessons on to real life surely makes a difference.

***

When it comes to family relationships, the biggest and the most difficult really involve the relationship between a child and his or her father. If you have these hard issues in your life, these six movies would help you put things into perspective.

Pursuit of Happyness is the adapted story of prominent millionaire stockbroker Chris Gardner. From a life in shambles, watch Will Smith crawl his way from the gutter in order to bring his life -and his son's- back on track.

I Am Sam is the story of a girl and her autistic father: their journey as they battle through legal proceedings as American state authorities get in the way of their family relationship.

Big Fish explores a son's doubts towards his father who had a penchant for tall tales. What were, in his estimation, lies, turns out to be embellished truth, and he gains a newfound appreciation for his dad.

And When Did You Last See Your Father? A similar movie with a harder edge, this movie explores the more intense tensions between critical love and life choice disagreements between a man who was a doctor, and his son, who became a successful writer. Explore your own heartaches and allow yourself to be nudged by the movie, as life steers you to make peace with your own father.

Life is Beautiful and The Bridge (Original Title: "Most," Czech for "Bridge) would be complementary movies, if you are looking at things from the Judeo-Christian perspective.

Life is Beautiful is the story of a father who helps his son survive the Nazi-led Holocaust by making believe that their life in the concentration camp is a game. Expect to cry and be crushed as you witness this father's great love for his son, which he wraps in humor and play.

The Bridge, or "Most," is the story of one father's sacrifice to save people riding the commuter train: in a crucial choice to save the people or sacrifice his son, we see the analogy of Jesus Christ being offered by the Father/Creator to Himself, in order to save human souls. If you're a Christian, expect to be broken up in tears by this movie. If you don't believe in God, your heart will still melt, as you witness the father's extreme love for his son, and yet a mind-blowing paradox of the level of his altruism.

***

This movie list is designed to tug at your heart. But beyond the tears and the bucket load of wasted tissue paper (and trees killed), we hope that these movies' lessons would truly sink in. A lot of these life lessons will be learned the hard way, but trust a movie to give it to you in pill form. Kinda like vitamins for living.

Desktop, Laptop, Netbook: Which One?

2009-08-25T19:53:00.003+08:00

Between a laptop and a desktop, which would you prefer?

It really depends on a person what he or she would be using the computer more heavily on. Different needs are catered to by the different types of machines available for your use.

For gamers, it is actually more advisable to get a desktop: greater, more kick-butt specs, and a sturdier machine to play with. Laptops are for the mobile set: the jetsetting executive, the student on the run (to keep up with school requirements), or even for those who have health conditions that require them to shift positions throughout a work shift.

On the other hand, there is another machine that would still be of great use for those who already have either desktops or laptops: the netbook. The netbook is the toy.. Err.. Machine that you bring around for instant access to the Internet, or just for working, jotting down notes, or even writing, while you're out of the office. Thanks to the netbook, being ultramobile need not be a dehydration on the wallet, nor an anvil on your back.

When it comes to what you would need, it's actually just a matter of figuring out what you should be looking out for, really:

1. Understand what you would be using the machine for.

2. Understand how sturdy you would need your machine to be.

3. Figure out the specifications that your machine should have, and whether the particular type of computer could fill that need.

Bear in mind netbooks have far lower specs than desktops, and they have specs a few shades lower than laptops. Some laptops, on the other hand, have specs that could compete with desktops, but are not as sturdy, because of the chassis and the build. Desktops, on the other hand, have a great handicap, you can't keep moving it around your house, let alone bring it around.

Figuring out the kind of machine you would require is not so daunting as it may seem. Just be honest with what you need, prioritize these, and you'll be on your way to matching yourself with the perfect computer in no time!

Photo Credit:

http://magicalharsh.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/desktop-vs-laptop/

Snip That Visa! Confessions of a Shopaholic - A Movie Review

2009-06-05T16:50:00.000+08:00

You know you're a shopaholic when:

When stresses at work get you down, you resort to shopping.
When your boyfriend dumps you, you resort to shopping.
When you're happy, you resort to shopping.

We know that this is a very girly topic, but if you're in the mood for a chick flick with a great lesson and a bit of warm fuzzy romantic feelings, then Confessions of a Shopaholic is the movie to watch this weekend.

If you're looking for a bit of light laughs while learning a few life lessons, you may catch quite a bit through this movie.

Confessions of a Shopaholic is the story of a funny, adorable New York journalist, Rebecca Bloomwood, who gets herself in a truckload of trouble when she maxes out all of her credit cards, BUT lands a new job as a down-home financial advice columnist who gives the most sensible money management advice to the average joes and janes, and even... Her parents.

In Confessions of a Shopaholic, you are sure to get into a whole lot of laughs and a whole lot of "Aww, I just wanna hug her," moments. The movie's sense of humor is a combination of verbal/intellectual humor, but leans more heavily on slapstick, with a bit of class.

Jog with Rebecca, as she coasts through the movie, in the process of her reformation from debt-ridden clueless girl to a young lady who has fought her giants and won.

And as all chick flicks go, there's always a knight in shining armor. Rebecca's boss eventually became her prince charming. Luke Brandon, played by Hugh Dancy, became Rebecca's knight in shining armor in several quirky, heartwarming, even surprising moments.

And what chick flick would be complete without the ever-loyal best buddy? Rebecca's best buddy Suze, played by former model and rock band girl Krysten Ritter, a dead ringer for Princess Diaries' Anne Hathaway, provides both stability for our girlfriend Rebecca and an unlikely twist towards the end of the story.

Confessions of a Shopaholic isn't all about the gloss, the shimmer, and the glimmer of a glamour girl journalist's life. It isn't all about a funny/quirky take on a serious issue (overspending and shopaholism). Confessions of a Shopaholic also offers insights into interpersonal relationships, and how lies and deception could taint otherwise happy and healthy ties, especially when addiction issues (shopaholism), debts, and other financial woes are involved. Indeed, this movie packs a punch in life lessons, and gives it to you wrapped inside a gum ball: serious lessons learned in a fun package.

Bring your sister, your aunt, or your mom, or even all of them when you watch this movie. Guaranteed to make you shed tears, as well as give you the biggest belly-aching laughs on a happy Saturday evening.

For Spoilers, go to Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_of_a_Shopaholic_(film)

Amazing Possibilities: Touch Screen Technology

2009-06-04T16:43:00.000+08:00

See Product Here

Touch Screen devices abound in the market today. From music players like the iPod Touch down to mobile phones, and even tablet laptop computers and tablet netbook computers, the Touch Screen device is becoming a staple in the tech industry. What sets the Touch Screen device apart and why does it have the degree of appeal that it does?

Touch Screen technology is actually quite old. With the first crude version being invented in 1971 by the University of Ketucky instructor Dr. Sam Hurst, and the first-ever touch screen perfected in 1974, it's taken quite a while for the rest of the tech market to catch on and see the potential of this technology. Nonetheless, it seems like the consumer tech industry has finally realized that there is a world that could benefit from the touch screen device, and countries like China are now exploiting this technology tremendously.

From the button-navigated systems that are more widespread in use, touch screens offer a bigger convenience to the end-user. A touch screen phone gives the user functionality that another type of phone would never allow him: touching the screen directly to make selections, choose options, configure the use of the phone, surely saves one's precious time and brain cells by simplifying the navigation and even configuration of these devices. No more figuring out which buttons to press! Just press the screen to get to where you want to go!

On a laptop computer, touch screens also give a graphics-based professional the dexterity that a mouse or even a trackpad, even a drawing tablet could offer. Even if you get really good with the mouse, nothing replaces the tactile precision of drawing directly on paper. Even if tablet graphic design tools actually have shadows of what you need to edit on its "screen," you'd still crave the tangibility of working with a full-color, full-graphic-glory tablet computer with a touch screen.

Wacom, the global leader in tablet tools, has a line of touch-screen tablets that you could use with your PC or Mac. The great part: amazing pressure sensitivity means more precision in your graphics work. The sad part, you'd be better off buying a full-feature tablet netbook, even a tablet laptop. These are better options because they offer versatility.

And who could forget the mention of the iPod Touch and the iPhone. Since these are from Apple Inc., the Apple fanboys surely helped make these popular. But above the versatility of their use: from PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) to mp3 player to video player, video game gadget, and even a portable web browser, these two machines pack a bigger punch in their small bodies. If you want the ability to call and text with your web browser, PDA, portable game console and media player, get an iPhone. If you just want a life organizer and portable fun buddy, get an iPod Touch.

There is no telling what the future holds, with touch screen technology in our midst. All we know is, with just your fingers and an iPod Touch, you can surely go around the world in ten minutes.

Related Links:

http://www.wacom.com
http://www.apple.com/itunes/
http://www.apple.com/iphone/
http://www.cooltoyzph.com/viewitem.php?iid=135

Facts Source:

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bltouch.htm

Addictive Slicing: Trauma Center for Nintendo DS

2009-06-03T16:38:00.002+08:00

If you thought that having the Nintendo DS is a complete waste of money and time, think again.

There are games on the market that would not just challenge you. For certain types of people, they could actually be helpful.

One such game for the Nintendo DS is "Trauma Center" series.

The "Trauma Center" game is a game of skill that requires a gamer's reflexes to be quite quick, and his brain to be as fast, in figuring out what needs to be done. It is a surgery game that not only helps the gamer understand the importance of antibiotics, it also helps a gamer understand the importance of following the steps in "executing a perfect surgery."

This game is not only for frustrated surgeons. This game may even be helpful to medical students, as they get to practice their vocation in a less-pressure arena. If you make a wrong cut, no one dies literally.

Practicing one's dexterity on the Nintendo DS sure would help a person's reflexes get quicker, as well as would help him fine-tune his fine motor skills. Hand to eye coordination gets developed, and quick thinking is surely sharpened.

The Trauma Center series is a very addictive game. Just taking those "cancerous tumors" out gives this extreme pleasure and satisfaction that gets you hooked for hours just slicing and dragging those pesky monstrosities out of the "organs" you are "operating" on.

If you are looking to spend hours upon hours learning how to obliterate bacteria, cancer cells, and the like, or if you just get a perverse addiction to slathering "antibiotic ointment" to your "patient's organs" after every operation, Nintendo DS' "Trauma Center" promises hours upon hours of getting lost in the world of surgery: perfect for a long trip or an idle afternoon.

Link:

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/action/traumacenter/

Bluetooth: A Phone Function You Should Learn to Maximize!

2009-06-02T16:33:00.001+08:00

Bluetooth makes a person's life easy.

When it comes to transferring files back and forth through machines, the best way to go would be through a Local Area Network or (LAN) connection. If you don't have that, the next best way would be to use a thumb drive and manually transfer your files, as what can be fit on, and ferried back and forth from, your USB thumb drive. However, if you're in need of your files to-go, portable, and accessible wherever you are without a laptop or even just a netbook, you may as well exploit your snazzy 3G phone to the maximum.

If you thought that Bluetooth file transfer is just to swap files between phones, it's actually another way to help keep you literally in sync with your computer, even as you travel.

If you have a 3G phone, complete with mobile connectivity, bluetooth can help save your day in quite a few ways:

1. Portable Files Your Problem:
You're going on field work, and you need to be able to bring a few office files with you.

How Bluetooth Can Help:
If your laptop has bluetooth connectivity, you can just bluetooth your office files on your 3G phone, and if your phone supports it, you can read your documents from there.

2. Mobile Internet Your Problem:
You have to send your boss (or your teacher) an email (or email him your project) ASAP, and there is no WiMax, no WiFi in the area where you are at.

How Bluetooth Can Help:
Use your 3G phone to connect to the Internet. Most 3G phones allow computers to access the Internet through your phone via bluetooth modem functions.

3. Syncing Contacts Your Problem:
You just bought a new phone, and you just have no time to manually transfer your contacts from your Mac or PC-based address book to your phone address.
How Bluetooth Can Help:
Most 3G handsets can sync between Mac/PC and phone, and it only takes around 5 to 10 minutes to completely copy your contacts to your new phone. The only thing you need to do is figure out how to pair your computer with your phone, then you can leave your phone alone to sync with your computer while you do something more important.

If you also don't have an iPod, a phone is a great way to bring around your media files. Thanks to bluetooth synchronization technology, transferring your media files from computer to phone is a no-brainer.

Bluetooth is one nifty function that a lot of phone users just neglect. But once you learn how to use it, you can actually save yourself a lot of time and pain, if you make use of the life-easing functions of your phone's bluetooth.

Online Games: The Best of Browser-Based Gaming

2009-06-01T16:25:00.004+08:00

When you're bored at work and you're one of the lucky few who work in companies who don't care to put up firewalls and productivity-maximizing rules like no browsing "fun" sites like Facebook and MySpace, there are quite a few sites out there that would keep you from the boredom bogeyman. These game websites host flash games that you can play right from your browser. Nothing to download, no tracks, no sweat.

www.1980-games.com - If you are one of those geeks who are into 1980s video games, then this French website is the site to visit for you. The URL can get no more straightforward than that: this site hosts all the games you love straight from the 1980's: from good ol' Mario to Battle City and even to Donkey Kong. For the classic gamers, this site will definitely be a treat for you.

www.games2win.com - If you like "cake-making," and other "cooking" games on the Nintendo DS, SIM (simulation) games, wherein you guide your character through several steps in order to win a level, and even addictive puzzle games that help you understand the true meaning of that idiom "Time flies when you're having fun," this is the website to go to. If you're a home-based worker stuck with a programming snag, writer's block, or an uninspired moment in web design, this site's games would surely help you de-stress, rearrange your brain, and help you get back into project deadline fighting form.

www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal - This is a web designer/flash games expert's haven. It's his personal stash of games. If you like games that are absolute eye and ear candy, this is the best place for you. The games themselves, however, are rather simple: most of these involve a lot of jumping and dodging. And yet, it takes a learning curve to get the hang of these games. The graphics are cute and nice; perfect for children, especially girls. If you want a sensory treat while de-stressing via computer games, this site is for you.

www.y8.com - Is the ultimate flash gamer's website. From blood and gore games that involve obliterating zombies, to fighter plane games, Bomber Man knockoffs, even SIM games and surgery games, this website has it all. Who needs a PSP or a Nintendo DS when you have a tablet netbook and Y8.com? ;)

There's a study that says that playing video games is actually beneficial, as opposed to the common notion that it's just another source of time wastage and addiction. The brain actually gets exercised and learns new things. And, hey, scientists do say that in order to combat brain degeneration and dementia, a person has to exercise his brain via thought, learning and other brain activities. Quite a heavy amount of which, you can get from playing video games.

Happy gaming!

Dual SIM Cellphones: What? Why?

2009-04-29T00:31:00.002+08:00

There is a phenomenon in mobile gadgetry, and it's not exactly new. From the eastern shores of Asia comes the ultimate in mobile telephony convenience: the Dual SIM phone.

A Dual SIM phone is a cellular phone with a twist: it can house two SIM Cards (Subscriber Identity Module) in one phone. Thus, you can operate two plan-based or two prepaid (or even one plan-based and one prepaid) phone lines, in one phone. Pretty convenient, if you'd have a need for it.

The Dual SIM phone was first launched internationally by Singaporean tech company Verzio, to cater to the world's biggest base of texting consumers: the Philippines. Almost simultaneously, a local company, Solid Group, also saw the Filipinos' text addiction as a launch pad of a new line of mobile electronics. Thus, the My|Phone and the Verzio phones: Verzio Duplii and Verzio Twinn, entered the market around the same season.

Close on their heels, other Dual SIM and even TV-bearing mobile phones also flooded in from the factory capital of Asia, Mainland China. And not long after, Samsung launched its first Dual SIM slider phone. A little while later, while Philips launched its new Dual SIM phone line, Samsung also rolled out its first candy bar Dual SIM phone. Thanks to this Dual SIM innovation, a new level of mobile telephony was ushered in. Not just in Asia, it's also quickly catching on in Eastern Europe and America as well.

The real question here is, why would anyone want a Dual SIM phone anyway?

The user is a jet-setter, thus he would need a SIM Card slot for his phone line from his home country, and another for the temporary prepaid SIM Card from the currently he would be in, for a week or so. If his travel stretches into a month, the quad-band Dual SIM phone would really be a convenient gadget to have.
The telecoms providers in the user's country have steep rates for cross-network calls and texts that it's a necessity to have two numbers from different providers.
If the user needs two lines or two numbers: one for work and one for personal use, the Dual SIM phone would come in handy.
The user is always in danger of going over his cellular phone service's plan credit limit, that he would need to have a temporary SIM card to use while his cellular phone line is on the fritz.
The user lives in the Philippines, where people go gaga for Unlimited calling and texting offers, and the user's friends won't text him, unless his SIM card belongs to the same telecommunications network they're on.

As you can see, there are quite a number of reasons why you may need a Dual SIM phone. If you see yourself in any of the descriptions up there, you may well need one. Get a Dual SIM phone from China, and you'll no doubt get a mobile TV thrown in, as well.

Related Article:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/World-039-s-First-3G-Dual-SIM-Mobile-Phone-73460.shtml

Image Credits:

http://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/jwd-kaoge/product-detailZebJRDaMJtpg/China-TV-Mobile-Phone-with-Dual-SIM-Card-Dual-Standby-amp-CE-U826A-.html

http://www.yugatech.com/blog/mobile/why-dual-sim-phones-arent-picking-up/

http://www.unwiredview.com/2007/10/02/samsung-d880-duos-dual-sim-card-phone/

My|Phone T13: Love It Or Leave It

2009-04-29T00:03:00.004+08:00

Speaking of Dual SIM phones and Touch Screens, my friend Lorie shares that she just got herself a free Dual SIM phone from a cellular phone service plan in my country. The My|Phone T13 is a phone that has both features from our previous articles: the Dual SIM card, and the Touch Screen.

While the My|Phone T13 may not be available outside the Philippines, you can order it from dealers; it's easy to send things abroad, and even to pay for goods nowadays, anyhow.

Lorie related to me these observations regarding the My|Phone. We're here to give you an understanding whether it's for you or not.

The My|Phone T13's biggest strength is the main reason why a user would buy it in the first place: it's a far more reliable Dual SIM phone than any other generic China Phone. Texts come in, without hitches, in the right SIM Card, and get sent, also without hitches, from the SIM Card that you choose to send it from. This is perfect for those who have a cellular service plan subscription, as well as a prepaid service subscription: if you run out of prepaid credits on your prepaid SIM, you can temporarily call or text from your plan-subscribed SIM.

Calling is also seamless. Your friends can call you from either SIM card, and the call goes through sans problems. One thing that is yet to be tested, however, is if a call would come in, in another SIM card, while one has a call on the other.

The My|Phone T13 is so easy to use, that it's almost like a Nokia phone. It has Bluetooth, a media player, and a camera, and even an FM Radio. It's all you need in a candybar package.

On a step higher than the standard features, you get the touch screen functionalities of the My|Phone. When Lorie gets tired from using the keypad, she avoids calluses on her thumbs by using the stylus and the touch screen instead.

On the other hand, my friend does have a few complaints about the My|Phone T13:

Don't expect a Canon camera from this phone. It just takes pictures, but some of these have washed out colors, or the colors aren't accurate. You could get better pictures by tweaking some settings, but don't expect a Rembrandt. Maybe you'll be getting a Picasso from this thing.
When you move files, you have to move every single file from one folder to another, and it takes a few clicks to get to where you need to go. Quite a pain, but until Lorie gets a better media playing device, it's "Beggars can't be choosers" mode for her.
Texting, as with older 3G phones, takes a bit of response time. You should have memorized the Nokia format of characters, so that you can text accurately by judging from the number of presses you make to compose a message.
You can't seem to add games to it, because there's no Java. If Lorie finds a workaround, we'll let you know.

Despite her gripes, Lorie still loves her My|Phone T13. Like a boyfriend she's committed to for the long haul, she'll take her My|Phone, flaws and all.

On the whole, the My|Phone is a great Dual SIM card phone option. It sure beats the anxiety a consumer will get when purchasing an unknown-brand China Phone, complete with the kitsch of being a Nokia phone knockoff, the funny incongruous buttons, and the equally horrid font. The only plus you'll get from the China Phone is that most of them include TV's at a price you won't be able to resist.

Yes, the My|Phone is an amazing Chinese product, with the style and flair of Filipino design. Quite an amazing marriage of two Asian influence. Quite an amazing gadget, for all its flaws.

Image Source: http://compexinternational.com/edit-cel.htm

MyPhone Official Website: http://www.myphone.com.ph

How Long?

2009-02-24T13:25:00.006+08:00

Man. Dogs talking. Imagine. When will be the day when we talk to animulz again? Heheh! If you're not content with that vid, here's another one.

Film Preview: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-01-09T10:58:00.002+08:00

There's a new movie coming to the theaters this season, and it's for both kids and adult alike. It's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and it's sure to spark your childlike imagination.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This had first appeared off the press in 1921, and from this story comes the movie we are about to watch. F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the most celebrated classic short story writers in America. To his name, he had written the literary great "The Great Gatsby," "Babylon Revisited," among other classic works.

This short story turned movie is not for the unimaginative. Its plot is centered around a boy who grows up backwards: he was born with a body of a man in his 70's, and dies a baby.

This is a story of life, love, and a timeless friendship that goes beyond the bounds of romance. It is a story for young and old alike, but judging from the trailer, it may require that mom, dad, big brother or big sister would watch this with you. Especially if you're 16 years old and below. There are scenes that need explaining... And eye masks.

Parents, big brothers and big sisters should take it upon themselves to explain some scenes and exhort their kids or siblings who watch this movie with them, because scenes like Benjamin straying from his wife would cause them to think that it's normal to do that.

If we view it from the rationalization of Psychology/Biology, Benjamin Button only looked for other women because his body was getting younger and his hormones were causing him to look for women who are compatible with his age. Something that's totally subject to moral scrutiny. Something that big brothers should explain as not acceptable.

How would YOU feel if your Dad suddenly got younger and left your Mom for the next girl?

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" also reminds the avid (but slightly getting older) moviegoer of the old Robin Williams film "Jack," released in 1996. Jack was about a young boy who has "Progeria," or "Werner syndrome," a disease that makes him age four times faster. It's similar in the way that both Jack and Benjamin are not the age that they should be; but different in that Jack grows up normally, only much faster, while Benjamin grows up backwards.

In this previewer's opinion, "Jack" would seem to turn out to be definitely lighter and a lot more heartwarming and funny, especially since Robin Williams played Jack. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," on the other hand, since it is a period film seemingly set in the time it written, around 1920's, it has a rather dark cinematography. Its mature themes of Benjamin's coming-of-age also leaves much to squirm for the parent who is anxious about his/her child's values formation.

However, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" also has its light, poignant and heartwarming side, through Benjamin's life-long friendship with Daisy.

If your brother, sister, or children are raring to watch this with you, prepare for a great and long discussion: about age, possibilities, the seemingly impossible, as well as about values like fidelity, and whether it's permissible to rationalize decisions based on what our hormones urge us to do.

In all, this is an interesting movie that promises that you and your kids or siblings would start thinking and talking about possibilities and even serious matters. For parents, this could be a great point of discussion for values; for siblings, let your imagination run wild, but don't forget to teach your brothers and sisters the difference between right and wrong.

Rohan Online Guild Guide

2009-01-06T14:28:00.002+08:00

Rohan Online’s guild system is not very different from most MMORPGs. Basically, you have a group of people that band together and have an emblem or a name for them to represent. In any case, guilds still serve the same purpose, which is for players to have a sense of camaraderie.
To make a guild, you have to be at least level thirty. It would also be helpful if you prepared two million crones and thirty sweetfishes.

The quests are long and tedious, but hardly difficult. Start out at the Yarrow Forest bindstones. You won’t even register the quest if you’re not level thirty or above. The first part is to kill twenty Orc Warriors. Simple enough: they’re just a few steps away from the quest start point.
The next leg of the quests is to find three tombstones. One is just north of Birch Tower. One is at the left of a statue at the Temple of Silva. The last one is at a wooden pier at Ehres Harbor. After finding this third tombstone, you’ll be given a scroll. Give this to Zibrian at Ehres Harbor to finish this rung.

Zibrian will ask you to check out four caves. You’ll satify the requirements of this quest by opening a chest near the entrance of each cave. You’ll find Akhma Cave on the left, when you enter the Bloodsouls room. You’ll find the Crystal Quarry on the right side of the first 4-way intersection you’ll see venturing from the entrance. Lauke’s Monastery’s cave is through a door to the left side of its boss, after turning right at the first fork. Finally, Caronia’s Tomb is just past the mob of eye monsters. Go left at the fork, then left again to some soldiers with flaming swords. The chest is just beyond them. Report to Zibrian after. He’ll then ask you to fish for twenty sweetfish. You can fish for them, but it’ll be easier if you just procure them somehow earlier on. Cash the quest in at Robert.

Robert will ask you to kill mobs. Twenty Stone Golems and twenty Iron Enigma within an hour. It’s a lot easier to have a party help you out. After finishing this rung at Einhoren, you will be instructed by Margaret to go to Chaahti, who doesn’t register on the map as a yellow dot. You really have to find him. He’s somewhere at the Liom map. He’ll ask you to kill the boss at Spiritual Heaven, then you’re done!

You can now go to a town and talk to the Guild Master. Simply choose the “I want to form a Guild” option, enter the guild name you want, and pay the two-million-crone guild fee.
A Rohan guild can have up to 1023 players, and developing a guild can have a lot of good bonuses including experience for low-level members and crone for high-level members via Rohan’s taxation system. Of course, the Township Wars allows you to expand your turf by massacring other players. Most importantly, guilds give access to skill resets.

Finally, here are the guild ranks:

Guild ranks:
Rank 10: Grand Duke
Rank 9: Duke
Rank 8: Marquis
Rank 7: Count
Rank 6: Viscount
Rank 5: Baron
Rank 4: Baronet
Rank 3: Knight
Rank 2: Officer
Rank 1: Soldier

Rohan Online: Warlock

2008-12-24T07:38:00.002+08:00

The Warlock specializes in dealing out some massive AOEdamage and crippling opponents. This build gives you a few hit points but mostly magic attack power. Its important for a Warlock to keep mobs and opponents away from them or you will die quickly.

The Dark Elf Warlock is, like all devotedly-offensive magic users in any MMORPG out there, is a dynamo of damage at the cost of being a bit on the fragile side. Anything from debilitating buffs and massive AoE spells, killing players and mobs of monsters alike should not be a problem for Rohan Online’s Warlocks. Unfortunately, staying alive can be a bit of a challenge, too.
Stat Build: The Warlock should care for little else aside from doling out as much pain as possible in the shortest span of time, so most stat points will go to Intelligence. Once in a while, some points in Vitality can help in keeping you alive, but it’s often wiser to make sure that the other guy just doesn’t get up. The Warlock should also expect to burn through his mana pool like mad but pumping Psyche up at the expense of damaging power just isn’t worth it, especially since the Warlock’s high-cost skills ensure that his mana pool never stays up for very long. Hit hard and fast is the Warlock way, and it’s often a kill-or-die deal.

PvE: Like all mage classes, the Warlock has a pretty easy time downing monsters that are usually too tough and bulky for melee classes to hack through. However, making sure that you don’t overcrowd is important because Warlocks can’t survive accumulated hits from too many monsters, and if the mob is too thick, your mana won’t hold out either, and you have no means to escape. Getting too reckless will mean lots of deaths that will just keep your XP dropping. Regardless of the mana supply generated by Mana Coil, you can only expect the boost once in every batch of monsters because the 15 second cool down will means that in dire situations, you’re better off just calculating it as part of your mana budget instead of something that you can fall back on if things get hairy. Once you get together with a party, though, things will get easier for you and your pals. The warlock’s frailness won’t matter with a tank, and your tough friend will greatly appreciate you providing a means to deal with mobs quickly. Dungeon crawls at low levels is particularly deadly for you because your AoE spells aren’t that great, and having a healer pay attention to you instead of the tank might get all of you killed. Just explore dungeons later, when you have Rise Root, Pollution Mind, and Magic Push. Pollution Mind stuns mobs for your party mates to clean up, and Magic Push followed with Rise Root makes sure that you can squirm out of tight spots.

PvP: Warlocks are good in PvP, mainly because once they start hitting, the other guy won’t really have much time to hit back. The downfall, similarly, is the low mana pool. Running out of mana means losing which basically means that outliving the first barrage of spells is equal to killing you. Treating melee classes like mobs with Magic Push and Rise Roots have the same effect: they’re immobile and away from you to shoot at your disposal.

Twilight: Vampires Can Love Me, Too

2008-12-24T07:35:00.001+08:00

“Twilight” is sincere and astonishingly faithful to Stephanie Meyer’s best-selling series, “The Twilight Saga”, and it captures all of the loaded eye contact between a vampire and his human lover. The concept may have been milked throughout the ages, but there seems to be something about “Twilight” that grips its teeny-bopper audience. This same thing is actually its biggest failing as a film.

Bella Swan is played with a slightly angry intensity by Kristen Stewart, a slight woman-girl who gets caught in daughter roles often—and plays them well, actually. This time around, she expresses more than half of the film’s dialogue with piercing glares dotted with softenings that betray a forbidden love’s intrusion upon her heart. Unfortunately, the film really doesn’t say much apart from, “I love you, I really do, even though I shouldn’t.”

Opposite her is Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson. Dark, brooding, and inhumanly beautiful, Bella’s Edward is Buffy’s Angel and Mina’s Dracula. Despite having so many mirrors for the archetype, Pattinson actually does a very good job. Through intense stares and communicative silences, Pattinson expresses the caged beast that the many other charismatic vampires have raging under the perfect pale skin.

The casting was flawless and the cast delivered, a lot of tension going back and forth between them, else sparking invisibly whenever their eyes meet. However, there is something about the mythos of the Twilight world that boggles the mind of anyone who would get past the delicious and tormented romance between the two main characters: why them?

Edward’s family is a gaggle of well-meaning, pro-human vampires who control their urges for the good of humanity. Apparently, the vampires in this world have no outward weaknesses. Sunlight, the traditional bane of the handsome undead, does nothing more that to make them sparkle. A poignant question of versimilitude asks, “If vampires are the world’s greatest predators and are unhindered by the weaknesses of traditional vampires, why would any of them play nice?”

It’s this blatant negligence of logic that actually makes the target demographic squeal. Of course it had to be true love. “Given that there’s nothing keeping my boyfriend from making me into a happy meal, and yet he doesn’t, it has to be true love!”

All in all, “Twilight” was well acted and well directed. Kudos to the cast and crew who played to the material’s strengths because that’s all they can do. Given the banality of the plot, what’s more horrifying is that Stephanie Meyer concludes through the afterthought of a subplot involving the “bad vampires” who have more than enough justification to act like they’re on top of the food chain, is that having a perfect vampire boyfriend is all that matters in the world. The wantonness is romantic, for sure, but it’s also what makes it so implausible for a cynical Bella to love a bland Edward for anything but his looks. Unfortunately, this provides the ultimate fantasy for squealing fangirls everywhere—that you can be a sarcastic, pretentious, and ungrateful twat, and still win the love of the campus hottie.

Cabal Online: Blader In-Depth Class Guide

2008-12-20T10:58:00.003+08:00

Speed is the bread and butter of bladers of Cabal Online. Like thief and assassin classes in other MMORPGs, bladers specialize in avoiding getting hit by attacks and dealing a lot of small bursts of damage really, really quickly to take down their enemies. This guide will cover stat distribution, skill selection, and gear.

Stats

The blader does not need int except to meet prerequisites for armor sets, so keep int at a minimum—in fact, you can just opt to never invest any points in int because the bonus int point you get as you progress are likely to be enough. Distribute dex and str depending on the type of gear you intend to wear.

Skills

The mandatory skills for bladers are:
Aura Barrier - Buff (HP and def increase)
Iron Skin - Buff (HP and def increase)
Vital Interfere- Stun
Mirage Step- Buff (Def rate increase)
Force kick- Stun
Soul Blade- Buff (Attack increase)
Lightning Slash- Attack skill
Blade Scud- Attack skill

All the skills of expert level and above are mandatory, so be sure to max them out, as well.

For upgrade skills, get Vitality Mastery, Defensive Sense, Offensive Sense, Damage Absorb, Impact Control, and Sixth Sense for pvp. Get Vitality Mastery, Reflex, Offensive Sense, Sixth Sense, Damage Absorb, Impact Control for pve. This simply follows the defense rate for monsters, defense for players rule.

Gear

PvE for bladers emphasizes on defense rate over defense because bladers have fewer hp than the classes that specialize on having huge amounts of hp. Therefore it is better to avoid getting hit by monsters at all. On the other hand, other players make sure that they always have enough attack rating to hit even the highest defense rates. The short of it is, if you want to focus of pve, customize your armor to give higher defense rate and if you want to focus of pvp, go for higher defense.
As for weapons, blades don’t really have much difference with katanas. Just get the best one that you can wear depending on your stats. The two swords are basically the same except that blades require more strength and katanas require more dex.
For upgrades, try to boost your damage with every piece of equipment you get. Because bladers attack really fast, added crit rate is good. However, sword amplification and increased critical damage are also top picks.

Combo

It seems that the best combo with the best mixture of simplicity and effectiveness is Blade Scud 9, Blade Cry 19, then Mirage Grind 20. Bladers just need the quickest skills around and cycling these three will not disappoint. Of course, you can always experiment with other skills, especially ones that involve some way to incapacitate your enemy. However, for pve, it might be a good idea to focus on dealing the most damage per second and let the wizards and force shielders keep the monsters stunned.

That’s all for the blader, at least at this time. Enjoy your bladers, and have fun in Nevareth.

Comprehensive Blader Skill Guide

2008-12-20T00:01:00.002+08:00

In Cabal Online, you are given a lot of skill points, but eventually you will discover that you really don’t have enough points to max out every skill. This is why Cabal Online players burn through so much of their alz learning and unlearning skills. This guide is a detailed list of the skills you need and for what purpose. Hopefully, it will save you a few million alz. There are also a number of blader combos in this guide, optimized to perfection.

Skills Categorized

Blader skills can be categorized depending on their speed and damage output. If you’ve played a fighting game before, you can compare skills to normal attacks because the principle is to divide them into jab, strong, and fierce.

1. Jab Skills
Jab skills are quick. They have short cast times and short recovery times. Although relatively weak, you can cycle jab skills over and over, making great to start combos with.
2. Strong Skills
Strong skills are characterized by medium speed and medium damage. They’re not a fast as jab skills, and they’re not as damaging as fierce skills. They’re in the middle, and they’re good for dishing out the bulk of your damage.

3. Fierce Skills
Fierce skills have long, complicate animations but they also boast the best damage. Because they’re so slow, you’ll want to use them as the very last skills in a combo. One reason is that you can’t cycle them as easily as the faster skills because they have a slow cooldown. The other reason is that the long animation will give you enough time to click another target in case your current target is dropping.

Skills By Rank

Dash and Fade Step

You can get Dash and Fade Step if you want, but at really early levels you don’t need to. However, they are quite useful in maneuvering. You will eventually feel the need to max them.

Novice
When you start out, don’t worry and just get all the skills you want. At novice level, the skills are cheap and because you have a very limited selection,you really don’t have much choice, do you? You’ll get an idea of how quick blader combos are. Just grind until you rank up to apprentice rank.

If you feel like maxing out a skill for power, pump Stab & Slash. Eventually, you’ll need to unlearn all of the skills at this level, though.

Apprentice
The first skill you need from this rank is Double Slash. It’s the first jab skill you’ll get so start your combos with it.

You’ll notice that skill xp will start to slow down dramatically. Just keep on grinding those mobs.

When apprentice level 8 rolls along, get Triple Slash, which will be your first actual strong skill. You can unlearn Impact Stab because that skill has outlived its welcome.

Regular

This is the fist skill rank that you will be advised to totally avoid a skill, and that poor skill is Rising Shot. Just don’t bother with it because it only damages one enemy and for one hit. There are better skills for your slots so save the alz and skip on this one.

Blade Force, on the other hand, is quite delicious with a healthy damage bonus. Use it until you get Blade Aura.

Another good one is Double Rising, which can be both a jab skill and a strong skill. You can unlearn Flash Draw to pick up Double Rising because DR hits thrice, knocks down, and damages an area. Not bad, eh?

Your first fierce skill is Death Cross. Drop Stab & Slash because you’ve had a long and meaningful friendship. Now it’s time to start finishing combos with Death Cross. Note though, that you might eventually feel like dropping Death Cross for Hasing Dance, which can be a strong or a fierce skill.

Expert

This skill rank is where the big fun starts. One word: Assault. Get it. It makes Dash useless for anything more than backup maneuverability. It’s the best jab skill out there.

One other skill that would be great to have is Iron Skin, which heaps a lot of survivability on you.
After a while, get Hasing Dance because it can function as both a strong skill and a fierce skill. It’s pretty good to watch. AoE damage and knockdown makes it very useful. You can ditch Double Slash at this point.

At around 40, get Storm Grind, which is a great strong skill. Ditch Triple Slash.

A. Expert

Don’t bother getting Round Cut. Or just get one level of it so you can watch the animation, then get rid of it. Just wait a bit more and you’ll get access to Mirage Grind, a strong/fierce skill.

At around skill level 30, replace Blade Force with Blade Aura. You could have gotten it sooner, but then you would be running around with a buff that gives less attack.

Master

You get 3 skill slots for this skill rank, which gives you room for Dash and Concentration unless you got them earlier. At level 9, Dash is really good for running through maps in addition to its combat applications.

The skills will get pretty pricey at this level. This is when learning and unlearning skills would actually be painful, and you’d save yourself a lot of alz if you pick well. Get Twin-Moon Slash, which has the speed of a jab skill and the damage of a fierce skill. Great, right? Try using Dash to get close, then Twin-Moon Slash your target, then Dash away again. It’s a good, frustrating attack for pvp.

Vital Interfere works great for players who don’t use combos. 3-second stun, which is enough time to pop a few hits then stun them again. Great for pvp and war.

Wait until later before getting Aura Barrier because you’ll just end up having less damage.

A. Master
Just get Blade Cry as a wicked fierce attack. Always use it as the last skill in combos because it has a monster cooldown.

G. Master and Beyond

This skills for these advanced ranks are too good to pass up. Get them all and just remember how to categorize them according to speed so you can place them correctly in your combos.

Some Combos

Here are some combos you can try and experiment with.

Flash Draw to Stab Slash to Double Slash (to Triple Slash)
Double Slash to Triple Slash to Double Rising
Double Rising to Triple Slash to Death Cross
Assault to Hasing Dance to Storm Grind (to Mirage Grind) – good for nice big mobs
(Assault to) Double Rising to Hasing Dance (to Storm Grind) to Mirage Grind (to Twin-Moon Slash)
Double Rising to Hasing Dance to Mirage Grind (to Twin-Moon Slash)
Hasing Dance to Storm Grind to Mirage Grind to Blade Cry – good for grinding
Assault to Triple Slash to Double Rising to Twin-Moon Slash to Hasing Dance to Death Cross to Blade Cry to Storm Grind
Assault to Double Rising to Death Cross
Storm Grind to Hassing Dance to Mirage Grind to Storm Grind to Round Cut

Rohan Online Class Guides: Dekan Dragon Fighter

2008-12-12T20:06:00.003+08:00

Here is my Dekan Dragon Fighter Guide:

The HP Bomber

The HP Bomber is a build that is simple and effective for easy solo leveling during the early levels, which is something everyone could appreciate in Rohan Online. It also has good PvP potential as well as PvE, a balance that shines in any MMORPG. This guide, however covers only from level 1-50, but it can potentially work for both Dragon Knight and Dragon Sage.

Stats:
There are two approaches. You can just invest all points to vit or raise str to 40 by putting 1 point to str every level and putting everything else to vit. Dex doesn’t need to be high, but not totally ignored. Try putting 1 to 2 points every 5 levels. At level 50, dex at more or less 40 is quite sufficient to get by.

Gear:
You would want to prioritize on physical and/or magical defese bonuses so get armor. High resisitance bonuses can be gotten from accessories. If you consider stat bonuses always prioritize vit. Str is nice, but if it is a choice between two items with the same bonuses exept one raises str and one raises vit, pick vit because as you may have noticed by now, vit and defense are the focus of this build.

Important Skills:
Health Funnel: Keeping your HP up is essential to maintain Forefoot Swing’s damage output. Max this.

Forefoot Swing (FFS): This skill is where your damage will come from. High vit means dealing high damage with this skill, which is why you need lots of hp. Use this with health funnel to keep casting Forefoot Swing “hp bombs” and besides, as long as you have hp, you can’t die. FFS never misses, which is why you don’t need much dex.

Dragon’s Power: A prerequisite for FFS, but in any case is a good buff to have on in a fight so no reason to not cast it on yourself. After you max out FFS, max this next.

Health to Mana: You just need rank 1 of this because your mana pool is small and your hp pool is huge. Casting this a few times will be enough to fill your mana and you can then cycle that with Mana to Health to replenish both mana and health faster than by sitting and without needing potions.

Micellaneous Skills:
Elemental Imbue: Just pick one and invest one point and no more. These buffs eat up your mana constantly, which is better off being used for your more important skills. The bonus damage from Elemental Imbus skills are nothing compared to the damage you’ll deal with FFS. But since you have to pick one anyway, just get blaze or dark to help you through the first few levels. Later, it’s just too meager to be necessary, and it will just expend your mana.

Taunt: Another skill you need to get to proceed up the skill tree. Pretty useful anyway, because in parties you can use it to keep monsters away from more fragile party mates.

Dragon’s Tail: A prerequisite skill for Health Funnel. Actually, 1 point is enough. You’d notice that its damage isn’t really bad, but compared to FFS it’s smaller so you’re better off spending your mana for FFS. In any case, max this or don’t max it, but max FFS first.

Mana to Health: You just need 1 point of this. Remember to cycle it with Health to Mana to regenerate your hp and mp quickly. Actually you can opt not to get it at all, but for one skill point it’s useful early on when you don’t have Health Funnel.

Method:

Using this build is a bit more complicated than just spamming skills. As you engage a monster, buff yourself with Dragon’s Power. Use FFS. You can use Dragon’s Tail if you want. If you run low on hp, use F1 to target yourself and cast Health Funnel because you need to target yourself with it for it to work. Just attack the monster with physical attacks until FFS cools down. Lather, rince , repeat. Keep an eye on your hp. If you’re getting damaged too much, refrain from using FFS as much. Use Health to Mana whenever you have a quarter of MP left, and Mana to Health to push your hp up once in a while. When the battle’s done, just cycle Health to Mana and Mana to Health and then you’re ready for the next mob.

Notes:
-This build can handle mobs of 2-3 comprised of monsters 2-3 levels above your current level. You can obviously mob more monsters of level lower than that. You’ll never need to pause fighting very long because of the hp/mp replenishing cycle and you’ll only need to use potions in dire emergencies.
- Nevertheless, you are not invincible, though it might seem that you are many times. Don’t rush into impossible mobs. Feel out what you can handle because too many monsters can outrun the cooldown of Health Funnel. Play smart and don’t spam FFS recklessly without keeping an eye on your health. That said, you’re still tough as nails. Lots and lots of hp means that even if things get tight, you’ll have enough life to run.
- You can play the support role quite handsomely because you are a tank in the purest sense of the word. Party up with characters with better damage output and let them do the hurting while you just stand there and let the monsters tickle you. Just keep in mind that it’s probably a better idea to cast FFS less and shift your attention to maintaining your health up.

Because the stats can potentially allow for either Dragon Knight or Dragon Sage, progression is really up to you. Maybe you can get a stat reset if that feature becomes available. For level 1-50, you won’t really need to worry because this build is pretty solid for a variety of roles, solo or in a party. Enjoy Rohan Online.

Cabal Online: Warrior and Force Shielder

2008-12-12T20:01:00.002+08:00

This is the second part of the class overview for the Cabal Online MMORPG. As we have discussed last time, this series covers the pros and cons of each class. This time, we will talk about the two toughest classes in the game: the warrior and the force blader. In general, classes that specialize in Strength are specialize in taking the brunt of damage while relying on bashing slow but large chunks of out of their foes’ faces.

The Warrior

The warrior in Cabal is the standard swordsman classes in other MMORPGs. Basic fighters, warriors are pretty straightforward and that in itself is their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. The warrior is absurdly simple to play and effortless to handle. A new player who wants a decent and reliable character without needing to learn too many complications cannot go wrong with a warrior. Simply pile all stat points on strength, don that heavy armor, and start bashing away with sword skills.

Simplicity is also the warrior’s biggest disadvantage. The biggest challenge for a pvp situation is the damage that ranged classes will deal you while you close the gap—at which point they Dash away and start hurting you again. With ranged classes, the Panic Cry skill is your best friend, and Seismic Wave and Sword Cannon if they’re running. If not, well, you’ll get a diced wizard soon.

Play a warrior if you want an easy time leveling, but not necessarily fast leveling. With lots of strength, you’ll have tons of HP and considering that you wear heavy armor, the damage against you is minimal. Mobbing hordes of monsters won’t be a problem for you, although taking it out may take some time.

The Force Shielder

The force shielder is Cabal Online’s natural tanks. Defence is their specialty and enduring hits is what they do best. Play a force shielder if you enjoy being the last one standing after a grand melee, or if you enjoy the feeling of your party mates rallying around you (well, behind you is more appropriate, if you think about it). Force shielders are also natural guild masters. In MMORPG, the players who think of the group more than themselves draw the attention of other players, and the force shielder is all about taking one for the team.

Skill-wise, players who want to use force shielders are actually torn between strength and intelligence. The force shielder boasts awesome magic skills in advanced skill ranks such as Shadow Shield, which allows you to take damage in a party mate’s place. This skill is important for keeping softer wizards and bladers alive and dealing damage. Skill leveling, therefore is quite difficult because you’ll need sword skills and strength to have damage and high hit points, but you need to raise your magic skill rank too. Like the force blader, it is necessary for the force shielder to master both to be at maximum strength. More importantly, force shielders excel in dealing AoE damage instead of massive damage to a single target. Therefore, going one-on-one with a more focused class might not be a good idea. Nevertheless, force shielders rock in party battles.

That’s it for the force shielder and the warrior. Next time, we’ll tackle the classes which deal death from afar: the wizard and the force archer. Until then, enjoy your stay in Nevareth.

Rohan Online: Priest

2008-12-11T21:25:00.002+08:00

If you like supporting your party members then this is the class and build for you. This build is not pure group PvE but it get the job done without any complaints from your party, which is useful for any MMORPG. This build is hard to kill because you will depend on Magic Barrier, so being debuffed is really, really bad.

Stat Build: Put points in only 2 stats. Most builds like this in Rohan Online just put everything in psyche but I recommend putting some in Intelligence so that you have light pvp ability. You will have more than enough points in psyche to use Magic Barrier efficiently. Barring external influences, you should not be worried about running out of mana. Add some intelligence so that you could maximize Poison as well as other spells that are dependent on these two stats. However these psyche/intelligence skills are not in the build because you can only get them from skill stones off mobs or buy them from the cash shop.

PvE: If you can’t find a party, you’re better off finding solo quests and live off of those. However, because of the nature of the build, you will do yourself a favor if you just find a consistent party. The life of a healer isn’t very hard because all you need to do is keep track of life totals. You will be pmed like mad to join parties and you can get into some great boss farming parties and get some really great gears or items for synthesis.

PvP: Frankly, this build isn’t really build for one-on-one fights. Sure, you’re tough as nails with Magic Barrier and some damage reduction spells but you won’t be able to deal enough DoT damage and DPS to kill many people unless they screwed their build up. Priests really shine in group pvp to keep those tanks and DPS guys alive. The main focus in group pvp is to keep people alive.

Cabal classes: Blader, Force Blader

2008-12-11T20:45:00.002+08:00

Like every MMORPG, Cabal Online lets you choose a class for you character which basically maps out your character’s career. Each class would have its own advantages and disadvantages so there is no such thing as the ‘best class’. Your enjoyment largely depends on your own playing style and you are likely to have more fun if you pick a class that corresponds with your own gaming preferrences. This guide will detail each the pros and cons of each class and how each class appeals to a certain style of play.

Blader

Bladers are Cabal Online’s fastest attackers. They are like assassins or rogues in other MMORPGs. Bladers can wield two katanas or blades and wear martial suits. The advantages of playing a blader is that leveling is quick and safe because they attack quickly and they never get hit. High attack rates and high damage output makes bladers a popular choice among players.

In fact, the popularity of bladers is actually one of the disadvantages. There are lots of bladers in Cabal Online. As any of you who have played an MMORPG before would know, being quick and unhittable is very appealing to many players. Of course, like all of the blader’s analogs in other MMORPGs, the problem is fighting players. Most players have enough hit rate to consistently pierce through the blader’s high defense rate and because bladers focus on dodging attacks, they have very few hit points. Bladers have no trouble dispatching of classes with fewer hit points, however. Because of the insane attack rate, bladers cleave through wizards once they get up close. Most mobs do not last long with the Blade Scud skill and Assault can quickly close the gap between a ranged character and being chopped to pieces.

Force Blader

Force Bladers are kind of unique to Cabal Online, mainly because other MMORPGs do not have such a blatantly balanced character in terms of magic and physical attacks. Force bladers are literal jacks of all trades, masters of none. A force blader is good for players who enjoy being versatile. If an enemy is far, force bladers can zap them with magic. If the enemy gets closer, force bladers chop them up with sword skills.

Force Bladers are actually notable for utility skills. Many force blader skills increase critical hits such as Lightning Blade and they have a wide selection of negative buffs such as Execration. The main disadvantage of playing a force blader is tedius leveling, which is tedious enough in any MMORPG. Because force bladers depend on both magic and sword skills, leveling both is exteremely important, so they are expected to perform really well at higher levels. However, this pays off by being very versatile. It is said that only the most experienced players in Cabal Online can use force bladers effectively because they usually have a foil for any class but a quick mind and quick fingers are needed.

Here concludes the first part of Pick Your Poison. Next time, we will cover the toughest classes in Cabal Online: the warrior and the force shielder. Until then.

Cabal: The Non-leveling guide

2008-12-10T23:32:00.005+08:00

So you have installed the game and created your character. First of all, welcome to Nevareth, the world of Cabal Online. Cabal Online has a lot in common with other massively-multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG), and the first half hour or so you spend playing will be filled with a series of tutorials to show you how to control your character.

Whether you play a wizard, a force blader, or any other class, there are some aspects of the game that are not covered by the opening tutorials. This guide details on three things you have to remember regardless of class.

The most important thing is do quests. In most games, quests are simply a means to gain experience points (XP) and a little cash which is called alz in Cabal Online. However, quests are more important in Cabal Online. In fact, you have no choice but to perform certain quests to advance in the game.

A lot of players just complete enough quests to get them to the next level bracket, then disregard the other quests for the previous one because in other games, questing serves only that purpose. In Cabal Online, a long series of quests is required to access the advanced maps. A lot of players are forced to backtrack for hours performing quests that they could have finished earlier without much trouble. Perhaps the most important tip for Cabal Online is to do all the quests. Also, questing is a good source of honor points, which is another often-overlooked aspect of the game.

The next thing to remember is to advance your skill rank, which is separate from from your character's base level. It has been proven that in Cabal Online, being able to learn the most advanced skills is more important than having a high-leveled character. Therefore, it would be good to prioritize on skills with the shortest casting times instead of ones with bigger damage because your skill rank goes up with each instance you use a skill and not the amount of damage it deals.

On this note, invest on Adept equipment, which adds to the skill experience you gain. Many players wear Adept gear until they get to the highest skill rank possible (currently, Transcender). A lot of alz gets spent on learning substandard skills and then unlearning them again. Leveling your skill rank ensures that you get your alz's-worth because you get to purchase skills that you are more likely to keep.

The last thing to take note of is to raise your honor rank. Like skill rank, honor rank is more important than base level because it opens game features that would otherwise be unavailable to even a character at max level such as better potions and items for sale at the NPC merchants. Late in the game, your honor rank also helps your guild, as it factors in more heavily in guild ranking than the members' base levels.

These three things puts Cabal Online apart from other MMORPGs and they can also present certain complications to players who assume that base level is the most important thing to work on, as it is with other games. Hopefully, this guide would let you avoid certain frustrations while playing the game. Enjoy your stay in Nevareth!

My History of Personal Computing

2008-08-14T00:51:00.004+08:00

Phoenix, my past tech love, before it was allowed to rest. In pieces.

When it comes to computers, consider me the consummate mezzo geek. Mezzo, because I can't, for the life of me, program. Heheh. I was 8 years old when my family first had our own desktop. Since then, I cannot recall a year when we hadn’t had our own computer at home.

In the Philippines in the 90’s, having a computer was already a status symbol of sorts. In short, at that time, my family and I were considered technological trendsetters, even if our computer wasn’t exactly the most state-of-the-art, the other parents in my elementary school looked up to us, because of that computer.

It was even funny at that time, because, when I was 7, before my family had our own personal computer, some kids in class were gossiping that I got the top spot in class only because we had a computer.

Pooh. What kids would say when envious.

Either way, my love affair with computers has lasted since my early days with a clunky circa-90’s non-tower thing.

I also had my first laptop when my dad finally passed on the IBM 365 from his client on to me. It ran Windows 95, and it was pretty stable, until my classmate (and Vin’s batchmate) Marjorie set my bag down from the chair where it was perched and onto the floor, with a bit of a thud. We all blanched when the poor old thing refused to start up.

All it took was for a particularly disliked (not to mention equally forgettable) compsci (computer science) teacher just pressed on some of the injured machine’s innards, and it was back up, running and churning out one of the famed theatrical productions my class was known for.

That beloved laptop finally “died” in 2001, after I took it apart when my dormmate returned it to me unresponsive once more.

My dad then declared that:

-I had a fix-it streak.
-And I rendered his former machine into a museum piece. Heheh.

After that IBM laptop came Phoenix, my beloved desktop, which I finally took apart last year.

On Phoenix, I was able to learn how to fix computer hardware, and how to install and appreciate Linux. I was also weaned out of the Microsoft dependency on Phoenix, when Windows XP finally quit on me.

Because I got that first brush with Linux on Phoenix, I was then able to dare to order Sayuri, my Macbook, from my aunt.

And like Ploning Director Dante Nico Garcia quoted in his post on the iMac he prayed for and got FOR FREE, once you try working on a Mac, you’ll never look back, I’m not missing Windows any one bit.

Though I used to miss the Windows interface, whenever I would be on Windows, I would always be looking for one of my Exposé corners, whenever I would be looking for some window I’ve buried among the ones I’ve opened... So it’s safe to say that no one can tear me from the Mac now...

This is the history of my use of computers, hope you enjoyed reading about it, as much as I enjoyed recounting it before you!

Ehem.

2008-08-11T20:24:00.002+08:00

Some Opening Ceremony fireworks were faked

By Chris Chase

If you watched the Opening Ceremony on Friday night, chances are you said something like, "no way that's possible" at least once. It turns out you were right.

London's Telegraph newspaper reports that some of the fireworks which appeared over Beijing during the television broadcast of the Olympic Opening Ceremony were actually computer generated. But -- hold on -- it's not necessarily as bad as you think.

The faked fireworks were actually set-off at the stadium, but because of potential dangers in filming the display live from a helicopter, viewers at home were shown a pre-recorded, computer-generated shot. It sounds dishonest, but I'm not sure it's such a terrible thing.

The Opening Ceremony is, at its core, just one big performance. And isn't it accepted that some things might not be legit at a performance? The final torch bearer wasn't actually running around the top of the stadium, does the fact that everyone could figure that out make it any less impressive? It might have been unnecessarily deceptive, but the firework-faking isn't really that big of a deal. But, if I found out that the lighted-drum thing wasn't on the up and up, then we'll have problems, China.

I couldn't help laughing about this post, coz the tone is sooo possessive and soo irate and soo... "I own the world."

I also couldn't help reacting to the fact that apparently, everything is all about deception nowadays. :)

I woke up last week realizing how a key person in my nearest proximity is the king of deception, and I can't help laughing hysterically at how hostile this world is to us Christians, actually. Hoo boy. Sisa Moment. :)

Snide remark: Oh Chris Chase, get a clue. :p