In yet another one of my optimistic plans, I'm going from 60 to 500 and unleashing the tiger...
That's right, I've been talking about upgrading my trusty Macbook from Tiger to Leopard OS. In the process, I have gone the full hog and will be replacing the internal 60GB drive with a Seagate Momentus 500GB.
My Mac is already quite fast for what I use it for --- web browsing, kids' photos, home video editing --- so I chose to stay with the low-rev 5400RPM SATA2 drive to keep power usage low and have a longer battery life.
By installing the Leopard on a new drive it means that I have a rollback plan when things go south. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
going naked has never been cheaper
I've decided to take the plunge and go starkers. Naked in all its glory is saving me a lot of money.
It does have its downside --- no internet access during the changeover period. While the phone line is disconnected, it is quite obvious that ADSL also is unavailable while the line is being converted to Naked DSL. The claim is that turnaround is 20 days.
This option will save me around $500 a year, not a small drop in the ocean.
More importantly, I also get an upgraded wireless router (I have a 10-year old setup) with VOIP for $9.95 a month and no longer have to pay for local and national calls.
I will provide updates on the progress. Have you gone Naked? What was your experience?
It does have its downside --- no internet access during the changeover period. While the phone line is disconnected, it is quite obvious that ADSL also is unavailable while the line is being converted to Naked DSL. The claim is that turnaround is 20 days.
This option will save me around $500 a year, not a small drop in the ocean.
More importantly, I also get an upgraded wireless router (I have a 10-year old setup) with VOIP for $9.95 a month and no longer have to pay for local and national calls.
I will provide updates on the progress. Have you gone Naked? What was your experience?
Thursday, May 6, 2010
5 reasons why you shouldn't bother with Clash of the Titans
Clash of the Titans was a real let-down. It was so disappointing after the hype surrounding the trailer.
Here are my top reasons why you shouldn't bother with this movie, or just wait until it comes out on DVD.
1. Uninspiring story line
OK, so you don't go out to watch a movie like this expecting to have a meaningful plot but they could have at least tried.
They didn't stray at all from the standard formula of leading character seeking revenge after being hard done by then goes on a quest to get retribution. It wasn't so much that they followed the formula but more that it was so predictable with no twists.
2. No character development
The story was all about the god Zeus, his brother Hades, and son Perseus. All other characters were just incidental to the story. By this I mean they weren't introduced and they just suddenly "happened", i.e. walked into the scene.
How can you like/sympathise/associate with a character when you don't know anything about them.
The 2 "monster warriors" are case in point. They just showed up to join the "fellowship of the ring" (ok, so that's a different film altogether) but they were quite likeable. I would have wanted their characters to have been built up, e.g. they could have appeared in an earlier scene as an obnoxious pair disliked by Argos dwellers due to their mischief, then [boom!] it turns out they are good guys after all.
That kind of character build-up is Literature 101.
3. A waste of 3D technology
From my perspective, I got the feeling that the film was made first, THEN adapted into a 3D version. Lots of scenes were in 3D, but the experience was absolutely lacking.
Just like other special effects --- digital theatre sound, position perspective, graphics --- 3D should be used to enhance the experience of being there. It should give you the feeling that you are part of the scene.
For example when someone throws a spear, it should come at you and almost get the feeling that you need to duck. This is exactly the experience that 3D shows in theme parks do. That's nothing new and it can be overdone, but there are clever ways of making effective use of the technology. Otherwise, why bother having a 3D version?
4. Lack of depth
This is what it all boils down to: not having depth in all aspects of the movie.
The characters had no depth. They were just people enacting a scene but you have no sense of their motivation, their experiences, their story.
The plot had no depth. It was very predictable and there were no surprises.
The 3D had no depth. Let's face it: no one goes to see a movie like this for the story or the characters. We all see a movie like Titans expecting to be wowed by the effects.
5. Seriously...
Really? After all the points I've raised above, you're still expecting a 5th reason?
Then go ahead. Blow your $25 on a lame film. But don't tell me I didn't warn you.
Here are my top reasons why you shouldn't bother with this movie, or just wait until it comes out on DVD.
1. Uninspiring story line
OK, so you don't go out to watch a movie like this expecting to have a meaningful plot but they could have at least tried.
They didn't stray at all from the standard formula of leading character seeking revenge after being hard done by then goes on a quest to get retribution. It wasn't so much that they followed the formula but more that it was so predictable with no twists.
2. No character development
The story was all about the god Zeus, his brother Hades, and son Perseus. All other characters were just incidental to the story. By this I mean they weren't introduced and they just suddenly "happened", i.e. walked into the scene.
How can you like/sympathise/associate with a character when you don't know anything about them.
The 2 "monster warriors" are case in point. They just showed up to join the "fellowship of the ring" (ok, so that's a different film altogether) but they were quite likeable. I would have wanted their characters to have been built up, e.g. they could have appeared in an earlier scene as an obnoxious pair disliked by Argos dwellers due to their mischief, then [boom!] it turns out they are good guys after all.
That kind of character build-up is Literature 101.
3. A waste of 3D technology
From my perspective, I got the feeling that the film was made first, THEN adapted into a 3D version. Lots of scenes were in 3D, but the experience was absolutely lacking.
Just like other special effects --- digital theatre sound, position perspective, graphics --- 3D should be used to enhance the experience of being there. It should give you the feeling that you are part of the scene.
For example when someone throws a spear, it should come at you and almost get the feeling that you need to duck. This is exactly the experience that 3D shows in theme parks do. That's nothing new and it can be overdone, but there are clever ways of making effective use of the technology. Otherwise, why bother having a 3D version?
4. Lack of depth
This is what it all boils down to: not having depth in all aspects of the movie.
The characters had no depth. They were just people enacting a scene but you have no sense of their motivation, their experiences, their story.
The plot had no depth. It was very predictable and there were no surprises.
The 3D had no depth. Let's face it: no one goes to see a movie like this for the story or the characters. We all see a movie like Titans expecting to be wowed by the effects.
5. Seriously...
Really? After all the points I've raised above, you're still expecting a 5th reason?
Then go ahead. Blow your $25 on a lame film. But don't tell me I didn't warn you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
