myPhone


Yeah, yeah, I got it.

Over the weekend I went out and just got myself the Apple iPhone (the 8GB version, not the discontinued 4GB model). Of course, I'm not alone- quite a few people have availed of the much-hyped device after the thing was unlocked for use with any SIM thanks to hackers extraordinaire that have defied the dictatorial will of the Mac Lords. I've been thinking about it last week every day, and on Saturday I acted on these thoughts. I traded in my 80 Gig iPod, added some cash, and got my iPhone. It was a bit funny to know that I was the first buyer of an iPhone from that particular stall I availed at, and there was a fair bit of commotion as me and sellers alike ooohhed and ahhhed at the phone as we unboxed my specimen. I have to say, once I had the thing in front of my, I was hooked. It looked so much prettier in the flesh than in all the Youtube videos I've been subsisting on online. And darn, it feels so solid and nice in the hand despite it's svelte slimness.
The sellers were inexperienced with setting up the phone, but they did manage to insert my SIM into it, so I wasn't completely left up a creek without a paddle. Still, it took me walking around V-Mall being very self-conscious and fiddling with the phone before I finally managed to make a successful call and be convinced that indeed, I had bought a replacement for my PDA Phone and not a slimmer, smaller-capacity iPod.

Anyway, after getting home my first order of business was, of course, to input my contacts and sync the phone to iTunes on my PC. It actually took most of the night to do the former- I had to do it by hand (at least I was able to get some practice using the virtual keyboard anyway). The rest of the night and early morning hours was spent getting the darn thing to talk to my computer so I could use it's prodigious media powers. It was a pretty chore, since I had to find and install Windows XP Service Pack 2 and then update iTunes to the latest version. Once all that was done though, I was able to sync my iPhone, loading it up with some videos and tunes.

What can I say? The darn thing is gosh-darn gorgeous. Just sitting there, it looks like a sleek slate of obsidian, ringed by silver. It's seamless and smallish-looking (it's a lot smaller than my XDA IIi), with most of the face taken up by the lovely, huge, 3.5 inch screen. It's all about the screen, I have to say, though side by side, in plain real estate my O2's screen is actually bigger... but the iPhone's has better resolution, brightness, colors and contrast. Watching video or even just looking at pics is damn fine on the iPhone's screen. Damn fine indeed. And better yet, unlike regular iPods, you can listen to music or sounds without the need for earphones, so this is indeed a media player you can just whip out in a moment for use.

But of course, even though it's a heavenly media player, is it a great phone? Let me say that it has lots of quirks. It certainly has lots of flaws like the inability to send a text to multiple recipients, no custom ringtones, weak-sounding text alerts and no cut-and-paste functions. But then, I knew all that coming in (I've read pretty much every review online). My likes overweigh all the dislikes and hiccups.

I'm already pretty used to just using my fingers to type, prod and use a touchscreen. I can live without MMS. I really don't need the functions that I can't use (Stocks? Weather? Maps?), and I don't really use PIM or email functions on a mobile. The camera, even though only a still camera, is quite excellent, even in low light situations, and that's more than I can ever say for my previous phone's almost useless camera. And the memory- you can only use about 7.2 Gigs, but that's a lot more than my previous ceiling of 4 Gigs with SD Cards. I don't need or use 3G or EDGE. If I can get the WiFi and Youtube apps to work, that will be a bonus. Most of my content I love to find, encode and sync on the phone myself. I'll miss DIVX and the TCPMP, but the quality of MP4 softens the blow. I'll have to build up a whole new library of videos again, but that's already a hobby of mine so no problem.

All that, and the phone's damn gorgeous.

I'll still be learning how to use the thing, getting used to the idiosyncracies and little cranks in the week ahead most likely. Right now, I'm just having so much fun just playing with the physics-enabled scrolling. I guess I have to get a belt case since just putting it in my pocket is a no-no. But even with the hassles of starting up my new mobile phase, I'm pretty happy- it's been a while since I got really excited about a phone again, so I'm enjoying the rush once more. WOOHOO!!!

Awakenings
Avatar: The Last Airbender 3.1

I've seen it! Thanks to the glorious Internet, I was able to watch the latest episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender a scant few hours after it was shown overseas. Well, what can I say? The episode picks up a few weeks after the final battle underneath Ba Sing Se- long enough for Aang to grow a full head of hair, and long enough for lots of stuff like the Fire Nation's occupation of Ba Sing Se to happen. The Avatar is in for a rude awakening in hostile-looking surroundings, as he finds himself on board a Fire Nation ship. Fortunately, it turns out the ship is under control of the Water Tribe and headed for the Fire Nation. Despite losing the Earth Kingdom's military might, plans are still underway for an invasion of sorts on the Day of Black Sun.

The Awakening is, to be blunt, mostly setup. We find out what happened since the last time we saw our beloved characters. Some are taken off the active board quite matter-of-factly, like the Earth King. For such an important character, he just goes off ala Kane in Kung Fu to 'travel the world' (with Bosco the Bear) instead of worrying about his occupied land (but I think he'll be back with reinforcements soon enough). Some familiar faces from the past show up, but sadly, not the ones I was hoping for. Aang has a bit of an angsty stage here, as he can't seem to accept that the world now thinks he's dead. Whereas Sokka and the others sees this as an advantage, Aang sees it as a dishonor- if everyone thinks he's dead, there's no more hope. He's failed in his duty and purpose as the Avatar.

On the other side of the equation, Zuko returns home to the Fire Nation to face a hero's welcome and a reunion with his father, the Fire Lord. Unfortunately for little Zuzu, Azula has made sure that his newfound redemption is a double-edged sword. My, my how does that scheming witch sleep at night? Very soundly, it seems!

The highlights and Pros of this episode? The new status quo is pretty cool. Katara and Toph get to show off their amazing powers. Sokka's still the fund for funny lines. Quite a few familiar faces return or make an appearance. Ozai's is finally revealed (not what I expected, really). Once again, great voice performances throughout. Finally we're getting into the Fire Nation. The ending scene made me gasp. WHOA.

Cons and Iffy Stuff... How the HECK did Zuko suddenly hitch up with Mai? Supposedly this happened in a side story, but such a thing should have been shown. No Iroh this week. No Suki or Kyoshi Warriors yet. Aang just flying off on his own was really pretty stupid, but what the heck- the kid's brain was frazzled. One thing about the episode- a lot of things are apparently taken up in the Avatar Nickelodeon Magazine (just out recently), such as Zuko and Mai going steady, and the gaang's adventures prior to capturing their present ride. I wish they didn't do this, but I guess with just 20 episodes to go, they have to cut corners somewhat.

Also, the animation style is the somewhat cutesy style from episode like Tales of Ba Sing Se, which is not bad (not as bad as in The Chase), but not my favorite quality in the series. But I think other episodes, like The Painted Lady will be done by the show's better animation teams.

I am really curious as to how the show will go on from here. As Aang is supposedly dead to the world, the gaang does have a bit more freedom to move in the sense that they're no longer being actively hunted. Aside from the overall plot of defeating Ozai on the Day of Black Sun, there's still Aang finding a Firebending Teacher (I'm still rooting for it to be Iroh) and Zuko's new life path to be followed. Well, at least we can be sure next week there will be another piece of the puzzle added to this fiery mix.

Next Episode: The Headband!

Avatar Day

Today is the day. Well, actually, for us Pinoys yesterday was the day, but we're one day ahead. Today, September 21 in Canada and the US, is the debut of Avatar: The Last Airbender's 3rd Season, The Book of Fire. In a few hours, the first episode, "The Awakening" will be showing and finally breaking the months and months-long fast for Avatar fans. Starting tomorrow, the episode should be available in the usual channels for those who know where to look.

Man, it's been a wait. But it should be worth it. Starting from today, there will be a new Avatar each week for ten weeks. It's gonna be HOT. With fire, I mean. Moving on.

Off the Rack

If there's something really unsettling about being sick (aside from the obvious that your health is in danger), it's the fact that you're on the shelf and in storage, out of sight and out of mind. You feel that the world is passing by without you and may soon think that they're better off without you. On the other hand though, it's for your workmates and people's benefit that you keep any virus and sickness to yourself and to no one else. It's nice that the Internet allows contact and stuff to be done regardless of whether I'm at my desk or not, but there's always that nagging feeling that I should be there.
But then, when you're sick, you're sick and you can only get sicker if you stress yourself out. It's a vicious cycle. The best thing to do is just relax, let the body heal and just redouble your efforts once you're back 100 percent.

Actually, I'm just pissed that I wasted my nice haircut after all this time locked up in The Sanctum. Oh well.

Game Ads

As an advertising person and as a gaming addict, I find it quite amazing to see how ads and commercials for games have progressed since the days of Asteroids and Pac-man. Yeah, a lot are still just slick CG cartoons and there are still those 'out there' spots, but quite a few ads for videogames these days are surprisingly touching or poignant, or exceptionally well-orchestrated with unusual music to evoke different emotions. Or maybe I'm just reading into all this a bit too deeply. They're game commercials, after all. Here are a few of my recent favorites...

This is a spot for the Xbox360 shooter, Gears of War, which has since become one of the most critically-acclaimed and popular games today. The ad features the game's protagonist, Batista-lookalike Marcus Fenix, in some very dangerous situations, set to unusual music.



The Launch commercial for Bioshock, an Xbox360 shooter that has since become a blockbuster acclaimed for an incredibly well-told story and highly imaginative gameplay. It's the use of the classic song Beyond the Sea (sung by Bobby Darin)that elevates this from being just lots of slick action to creepy-cool slick action. The slick CG doesn't hurt either.



An even more recent one, this ad for Halo 3 (which is pretty much guaranteed mega-blockbuster status), the third part of an epic trilogy in which humans battle an alien threat called The Covenant. After a cliffhanger Part 2, Halo 3 promises to 'finish the fight'. The ad campaign includes an earlier spot called 'Museum' where we see an aged war veteran recalling the events of the final battle. This ad, 'Believe' just features the amazing diorama created for the game's promotions, set to a stirring score.



All of the preceding spots are for the Xbox360, so let's put in some stuff from Sony. Here are a couple of movie-quality commercials/trailers for the highly cinematic slash 'em up, Heavenly Sword.

On the Outside

I was finally able to muster the will to leave The Sanctum today, forced more or less by the need to buy a new lithium battery for my TV's remote. So I hied over to Megamall, a place I haven't been in for about two weeks. Now, that isn't really a long time- but for me, who once lurked among the stores and arcades in Ortigas sometimes daily, it was a stretch. Anyways, I've really gotten over my malling phase- I just needed to get my stuff and leave.
The battery was tricky, the search taking me from one corner of the mall to the other. Eventually I found the small disc-shaped power source (also used in watches and specialized electronics, I think) in National Bookstore, of all places. I tried looking for a copy of Mangaholix Presents #2, but it wasn't out yet (I was told by Mangaholix honcho Emman that copies would be coming by Monday or so).

I went over to the Fourth Floor electronics and tech floor, where I looked for the latest cellphones and devices to ogle. Contrary to my earlier posts about it, the O2 XDA Flame doesn't seem to be all that hot. Yeah, the huge screen should be cool, but darn- according to reviews and comments online, the battery life sucks, the device's new system (which includes a 3D engine from NVidia) is pretty picky and doesn't even work with the essential The Core Pocket Media Player. In all, the cons are many and seem not worth the sacrifices.

I saw that the Nokia N92 is out, and it looks quite nice. At about 21K it's not that expensive and I kinda find it intriguing to have Mobile TV. The service costs about P488 a month for unlimited access to a bunch of channels, including CNN, MTV, National Geographic, History Channel and Jack TV (No Animax or Hero TV?), which seems pretty fair. Unfortunately, the service is from Smart currently, and I'm on Globe. With the hassle of switching providers, I'll just have to make do with my own content for now, I guess... or just buy a Smart Prepaid Sim to try it out.

Anyways, back to the Sanctum I went, after depositing blood at the bank (AKA Comic Quest). Still collecting Countdown in the hope that it turns out to be awesome. Really HATED Amazon Attacks... who would have thought a series with armies of hot warrior women would SUCK so much? World War Hulk rocks hard though. Nice stuff all around despite some stumbles.

I wonder what'll be hot the next time I venture out? That'll be something to look forward to. Anywy, closing The Hatch now.

Backbreaker

It's funny to think that with a job that predominantly has me just sitting in a chair thinking all day, typing or drawing can actually cause back pains. But bad posture is certainly a problem for white collar workers and office staff, so much so that after a while we just don't realize our muscles and bones are all misaligned or off-whack from hours and hours of being bent in the wrong shape. That's why people should always take frequent walks around, breaks, stretches and other things to keep you off the seat and desk for regular intervals. It sounds easy to do so, but darn... sometimes you just get so 'into the zone' that you just forget to do these things. One look at the window, and it's noon. You start typing of surfing or thinking, the next time you look at the window, it's midnight. TIME WARP!

This week was particularly busy, with us all banging away at the grey matter and me attending a TV shoot that lasted up until dawn the next day. It was all a bit much and I just had to take a breather. Thank goodness for the weekend.

There are so many things I still have to do, and time is running out. I just have to get back in the zone for stuff that I really care for, even though recently I've been neglecting them for other stuff. It's just so easy to sleep it all away these days. But despite all that, I'm actually feeling pretty good about things. I should start taking vitamins again, I think.

Heavy Metal


Marvel's latest war machine at the theaters.

The Iron Man teaser trailer just hit recently online, and I must say, as a non-fan of the comic or the character (especially after the Civil War event), that I am interested. For one thing, Robert Downey, Jr. makes a pretty smarmy and cool Tony Stark, which is great- it's nice to see him as the good guy. He gets the alcoholic part down pat, at least. I'm actually kinda less convinced and iffy with the actual Iron Man stuff- it certainly looks CG at this point; hopefully they fix this up to look better in the final film. The next, full trailer should give more a sense of what the whole story is, who the real enemy will be for this Marvel Comics adventure. This should be good, but then I find myself thinking about DC's Steel movie with Shaquille O'Neil... Yikes! Crossing fingers then. Anyways, this is set for May 2008. A lot of time to shine things to the fullest.

Status Quo

These days, the pace of work at The Salt Mines has reached a fever pitch. It's been ages since I've been able to just 'take off' for a jaunt down to The Black Market to pick up some bootleg DVDs or go strolling around a mall. There's now always something, whether it's a shoot or a print ad needing my attention lined up and waiting to pounce just after I've taken care of the last wave. Which is kinda like those midieval siege movies where the defenders are taking down those enemies climbing up siege ladders. It hasn't yet reached a point where I'm stressed out- it's a nice mix, I guess, where you are busy but everything is still under control but just shy of you freaking out and reaching for a cig. And I don't smoke.

Then again, I tell myself that maybe I don't go looking for bootlegs anymore since I just do all my 'shopping' for movies at home, thanks to the internet. Or maybe because I'm not really that fond of malling anymore... I know what I want and I usually just go to the mall to get it, then go straight back home.

A year or two ago, I lived for going out on Saturdays, just spending money on food, movies and whatever with the barkada. These days, after a busy work week, I'm pretty content to sleep away an afternoon, surf and blog when I want to, and play the odd game of PS3 or Xbox360. Or work on comics, but that's rare. I may have gone past my 'painting the town red' days, finally finding my true face, as a homebody.

Or maybe I'm just getting frickin' old. Heh.

Anyways, it's nice to have a balance of work, pressure, challenge, reward and relaxation that I've kinda settled onto these days. I can't ask for more, really, especially in the light of how hard life is these days. Every now and then, I'd like to mix it up with something else, I guess. But it's nice to know you have something to fall back on.

Avatar Love



Here's the newest, 30-second spot for Avatar: The Last Airbender from Nick. Starting September 21, TEN STRAIGHT WEEKS OF AVATAR. Ten episodes of bending adventure. Sure, there'll probably be a lengthy hiatus or break after, but darn... ten episodes. That's half the season already. This is going to be awesome. NEXT WEEK. It begins. WOOHOO!!!

Mangaholix Presents #2

More Filipino-made Manga!

According to Mangaholix's Deviantart Page, the second issue of Mangaholix is due out later this week... or it may already be out as you're reading this. Anyways, I was probably mistaken when I posted that Ninja Girl KO will be out in this issue- I haven't even seen the finished, finished, lettered art for episode 1 yet. So most probably, Michiko and Anton will be making their debut NEXT issue.

For now though, you can support local manga artists by hieing off to National Bookstore and plunking down the change for an issue of Mangaholix Presents #2. As with issue 1, the stories include Pulis Pangkalawakan, Fist Fight Manifesto: Midknighters, Kraust and Aporia. Oh, and there's even a nice interview with local otakudom's cosplay princess, Alodia! So what are you waiting for? Support Pinoy comics now!

Where Were You Then?

I remember riding the bus or MRT home that day, when I got a text from a friend informing me of a news bulletin about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. I remember thinking, darn, what a horrible accident. It wasn't until I got a couple more texts about another plane hitting the Twin Towers that I suddenly thought- that was no accident. It was an attack.

I came home to a living room with my parents watching that fateful event happen on CNN. We saw the footage of the planes crashing into the building, flames spreading, smoke billowing. I was glued to the screen right to the moment the towers fell, and long into the hours of the morning. It was a horrible sight to see- an event that changed the world- or at least, the US and everyone affected by their state of affairs- forever.

It's been six years, but strangely, 9/11 still seems fresh in people's minds. The US doesn't want to forget it, of course. You don't have to be an American to be saddened by the events, to be mindful of the fact that we should always be vigilant and aware of what is good, and what is evil. Evil was done that day, and the rest who remain should always remember and be ready for whatever comes next. Filipinos don't have a great memory, the way we so often forgive or forget so many who wrong us so easily. That's something we should keep in mind as members of the 'Free World'.

Awakenings

The Book of Fire, the third season of the Mega-popular and critically-acclaimed animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, is still set to debut this coming September 21 (just shy of two weeks from now!). The first episode, entitled "Awakenings", literally finds Aang waking up from his coma after his life-threatening battle underneath Ba Sing Se. He awakens on board a captured Fire Nation vessel and learns from his friends Katara, Sokka and their father, Hakoda, the events that led to their current plan to infltrate the Fire Nation. Meanwhile, on the other side of the equation, Zuko finally makes his way home, dreading the possibility of being rejected once more by his father, the Fire Lord.

With a tidal wave of anticipation and hype for Season 3 from the legions of Avatar fans, Nickelodeon seems to be dead set on steamrolling the series forward. New episodes will regularly debut after the first Season 3 episode, and will be quickly available for download or viewing in iTunes or online Turbonick. Plans are already in motion for the live-action Avatar movies, and the Season 2 DVD Collection will come with a video feature about director M. Night Shaymalan and his plans for the film adaptations.

Just a couple more weeks before the most anticipated cartoon series ever continues. Wait for it, people. Wait for it.

The Touch


Nope, not the iPhone.

This isn't about that horrible, horrible Michelle Yeoh-starrer female Indy Jones martial arts snorer... it's all about the latest from Apple, the iPod Touch. That's it up there, the iPhone-like device that looks slicker than a puddle of black gold. Basically an iPhone without the phone, it's THE video iPod everyone has been speculating about. Touchscreen, hi-res 320x480 screen that's perfect for watching widescreen movies on... and it comes with WiFi websurfing as well! It's the total entertainment package, and a dream come true. It leads the pack of new iPods just introduced by Apple, which includes the video-capable iPod Nano and the iPod Classic.

But then you find your dreams dashed when you find out about the crappy fact that the Touch comes only in 8 GB and 16 GB storage capacities. WTF??! Apple finally coughs up the TRUE iPod video and they can't even give it a decent amount of storage space? The first video capable iPods had at LEAST 30 or 60 Gigs, and went even better with 80 (the newly released/announced iPod Classic tops it all at 160 Gigs). But come on... 16 Gigs??! What the HELL is that about?

Podcasts and TV shows alone will fill this up to capacity and beyond. That's without music (which a decent collection will at least have at least 4 Gigs), and full movies go upwards of 700 MB to 1.5 Gigs each. This is simply absurd! Yeah, yeah, you can swap in movies easily but come on- if the video-capable 5th and 5.5 Gen iPods had Hard Drives, why not this one? Especially since it's really a video device? Being able to drop in all your stuff and have that luxury of choice- to watch what you want, when you want since you have it all with you- that's one of the best things about iPods.

I'm hoping Apple gets their thinking in sync and fix this up right straight. Certainly an iPod Touch with a proper hard drive might be a bit thicker, but it will definitely be THE portable media player to have. For now though, I'm thankful that Apple flubbed it. Makes me enjoy my iPod all the more for now.

Go, Ninja Girl, GO!



I was as giddy as a little schoolkid a couple of days ago when I saw the colored art for Ninja Girl KO! Every single page of the first episode, due out soon in the second issue of Mangaholix Presents by Groundbreakers, Inc., is simply FABULOUS. I've never really been a color whore for comics, seeing as how most of my past works have been in black and white, but DAYEMN! The lines and colors of sensational artist Kriss Sison's sensational art just leap out at you from the panels. I am just so proud of this work and can't wait for everyone to see it. But on the other hand, I caught myself from spoiling anything more here on the blog. You'll just have to wait a little bit more, but the end (or the beginning) is finally in sight. WOOHOO!!!

Mummy Dearest

Hey, here's news about the next Mummy film. I really loved the first one, was meh on the second and totally wish the third 'sequel' never existed (not even my fondness for The Rock or Kelly Hu could save that stinker). But this one sounds kinda nice. The information is from director Rob Cohen, who takes over the reins from Stephen Sommers.

The story goes like this. In ancient China, a despotic emperor played by Jet Li and his army are cursed by a sorceress (played by Michelle Yeoh) to remain in terra cotta form for all time. Of course, curses have a way of having loopholes, so we know they won't stay statues for long. Fast forward to 1946. Returning heroes Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn (Maria Bello takes over for Rachel Weisz) O'Connell are now retired in England, having served as spies for the allies during the war. SInce they're bored out of their heads, they decide to accept one last mission to return a stolen artifact to the Shanghai Museum.
Meanwhile, over in the somewhat unstable Chinese mainland, Jonathan (John Hannah) has set up an Egyptian-themed bar. Rick and Evy's son, the now-grownup Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford) has followed his parents' footsteps and has just discovered the Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. A beautiful female assassin tries to kill him in order to keep the location a secret, but the younger O'Connell persists. Eventually, the Emperor's monument is transported back to Shanghai where the main plot engages as a military zealot intends to awaken the undead tyrant in order to conquer all of China.

According to Cohen, the movie will have the mummy-fighting family reunited as high adventure ensues. Lots of cliffhanger stunts, avalanches, a trek to the HImalayas and encounters with yetis, big battles, a three-headed dragon (!) and a shape-shifting Jet Li too!

Okay, it all sounds awesome but darn- the Mummy Returns also sounded and looked awesome. But then again, maybe another director will succeed where Sommers turned out to be too heavy handed and clumsy. I'm wondering if Ardeth Bey (Oded Fehr) will somehow make an appearance. Hmm. Anyways, the movie is set for release in mid-2008. A ways off, but something pulp-action and CG fans should look forward to.

Tales from the Dark Side

Last Wednesday, I headed off early in the morning southwards on a working trip with teammates from The Salt Mines and some of our clients. It was basically for bonding and brainstorming, so a nice, conducive setting far away from the everyday hurly-burly was required. Our venue was Hacienda Isabella, a hectares-wide resort/estate which consisted of sprawling lawns and groves dotted with various little villas and resthouses done in a lovely Mediterranean-style and filled with various antiques and relics. The place was the property of singer Kuh Ledesma, though we didn't have the good fortune to catch her there.

I really liked the old look of the place, though my groupmates expressed some fear that there may be restless spirits about. We were assured though by the katiwala (caretaker)that while the antiques were old and smelling of age, the buildings themselves were new and thus free of any ghosts. Which was fine, since us guys in the party decided to each take a big suite with 2-person beds to sleep in. My own room was a third-floor chamber with was basic but at least had a nice, soft bed with lots of pillows and a good, strong aircon.

The days were basically spent listening to research data and then later knocking heads together to plan stuff. But the good stuff happened at night, when we headed off to dinner. The first night, we ate at the much-talked about Sonya's Garden. This unique resto is built in the middle of what appears to be a forest, and boasts of a very green, natural ambience. We sat in the middle, enjoying the food amidst the sounds of trickling water from the surrounding waterfalls (man-made). Though I was at first taken aback by the word that the place was strictly vegetarian, I just hunkered down and made myself ready for whatever flowers I'd be served. ]

As it turned out, the place specializes in pasta and salads- the appetizer salad was simply incredible, with delicious dressing and crunchy greens that had me getting second and third portions. Nice, warm bread with various spreads ranging from sun-dried tomatoes to black olive patte and pesto tickled our palates further. The main course was fettuccine, with various sauces to mix and match. There was actually one sauce which had a bit of meat- creamy chicken- but regardless, I had a nice meal and was pretty full in a while.

The second night had us heading off to Splendido's, which seems to be a golf course or high-end real estate development. For now though, it was basically empty- a vast expanse of clear land- save for the Clubhouse that sat in the middle of the whole area. Since we went there at night, it was mostly an inky dark (not a lot of lights in this part of the country) until we finally focused on the cluster of yellow electric lights in the distance. The isolation of the place kinda mad me think that if Zombies took over Metro Manila, the rich and famous would hole up in here and spend their days eating caviar and imported sardines protected by hired guns.

Anyway, the place was mostly empty (since it was in the middle of the week) save for us and the suppliers we were meeting for a presentation. For the most part, I just sat and enjoyed dinner, which consisted of paella, a chicken dish, bulalo and more paella. The food was delicious but a bit heavy, and our hosts over-ordered. I soon found myself needing to walk around. The air was chilly, but even though I didn't have a jacket, it wasn't unbearable.

One thing that I will surely remember on this trip was the fact that the southern area still consists a lot of roads and areas that have little or no lights or lamp posts. As we drove from venue to venue, we often passed roads that were totally dark, the sides impenetrable groves of trees and wild vegetation. These inky spots filled the gaps between the area's residences, shops and commercial establishments. I found myself thinking, this is a nice place to visit... but I certainly feel lucky to live where I live.

And so back to the grind this week. After that enjoyable but tiring work trip, I'm glad to get back to the familiar, climate-controlled corridors I know as everday work. Sad, but true. Heh.

Shut Up and Dance

I'm back from my Tagaytay trip. It was a working trip, but I appreciate being able to stay at a lovely, lovely place and eat at some new restos (I'll post about them later). Anyway, while there we talked about stuff and ads, and this funny commercial from Thailand just popped up during our time there and it just cracks me up whenever I see it. Thai commercials are so funny, and a lot of them really don't rely on production values or special effects- just funny thoughts or concepts and insights presented hilariously. I wish local ads were this funny. Give us time, Pinoy admakers will find our groove eventually. For now, just watch and enjoy.



Anyways, it's great to be back home, and even greater to come home on a weekend. Later then! For now... just watch!

Trip to Tagaytay

I'll be off on a work trip from tomorrow until Friday. Sadly I'll be leaving behind The Sanctum and my brand-new copy of Bioshock for the Xbox360 until the weekend. I'll also be leaving behind my DSL connection, so don't expect any posts here till I get back. On the bright side, it's Tagaytay, and it'll be a nice chance for me to use my iPod during down time. On the bad side, it's still work nevertheless, and that's three days away from the Online World. But what the heck. You gotta do what you gotta do. Later, then.

Sexy Beasts

Okay, I know I kinda sorta made a point to keep all my videogame talk to The Lone Gamer, but sometimes comes a story that just begs to be told, or at least mentioned here in my own Stark Raving MADman voice. Anyways, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a pretty popular upcoming game- the Metal Gear Solid series by Hideo Kojima has gathered a rabid following among even the most casual gaming fan since the first chapter debuted on the first Playstation. Well, it's many years later (in fact, it's been 20 years later... how about that!) and the supposed final chapter is still a ways off. MGS4 is set for an 'early 2008' release, but this early of course hype is being built up.

E32007 saw the release of a long but ultimately lackluster trailer- heavy on voiceovers but light on real substance, which was only momentarily saved by a kick-ass martial arts battle between Cyborg Raiden and the returning villain Vamp. As if acrobatic vampires and cyborg ninja wasn't enough for MGS4, Kojima has seen fit to add several new boss characters to the mix of Solid Snake's final adventure.

And so, in the just-concluded Liepzig Gaming Convention 2007, the latest trailer of MGS4 debuted, introducing four monstrous new enemies for Snake to tangle with in the game- and take it from me, these new foes take the cake for the OUT THERE category.


Meet the New Bosses in Metal Gear Solid 4; The Beauty and the Beast Unit.

Yep, you read that right. The Beauty and the Beast Unit. It's pretty silly, to name an elite special forces hi-tech unit like this, but here's the schtick. These four war machines are cyborgs- there are humans hidden under the cold metal- made not from professional soldiers, but victims of war. All females, the Beautiful Beasts were shell-shocked during fierce combat, inflicting them with serious mental conditions which prevented them from being able to face the real world. Their only recourse was to become weapons themselves... hence, the freaky cyborg body armor and super lethal powers. And hence the name Beauty and the Beast. Slaughtering of proper grammar be damned- it's from some Japanese guy.

The four are as follows: Crying Wolf is the headless quadruped who literally weeps and sobs as she scampers around bowling vehicles and soldiers aside like rag dolls. Raging Raven is the flyer of the group, equipped with wide wings that are as graceful as they are DEADLY (she cuts a squad of men in half during the trailer) as well as a penchant for shouting out "RAGE!!!"

Laughing Octopus is perhaps my favorite of the four, thanks to her scary but sexy design. Crushing metal tentacles are scary... cruel sadistic laughter is doubly scary. Finally, Screaming Mantis is perhaps the freakiest design, sporting multiple arms and having the ability to take control of people. Oh, and she has two little puppets hovering beside her that resemble Psycho Mantis and The Sorrow from previous MGS games.

Yeah, their names are silly- I mean, they're so damn literal- but you just take one look at the slick designs and you just buy it. It's like Bubblegum Crisis crossed with Hellraiser and Evangelion. I can't imagine how Old Snake can stand a chance against these girls... maybe he'll charm them into submission? Given how the Beauties are all ultimately innocents make them possibly strange damsels in distress to be saved rather than enemies to be liquidated with extreme prejudice. Kojima even teases this possibility in interviews- "Can these women be returned to their true forms like in classic movies? You'll just have to play the game."

Anyway, this all points to MGS4 being a truly action-packed game... I only hope it doesn't end up becoming more movie than game, with enemies being defeated or taken down via cinema instead of actual gameplay. The Beauty and the Beast Unit is silly, but freaky cool. I wanna take them on.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is set for a worldwide release on PS3 in early 2008.

Avatar Season 3 Trailer



Nickelodeon finally released a clear, clean version of the Avatar: The Last Airbender trailer shown during the last San Diego Comic Convention online. Due to the clamor of fans, the hi-res video showing scenes and snippets from the long-awaited Book of Fire has been made available for free download at Avatarspirit.Net. At about 455 MB, the videos incredibly clear, giving Avatar fans something to chew on and inspect frame-by-frame until the season debuts on September 21.

Unfortuntately, if you go there right now, chances are you won't be able to download since literally THOUSANDS of people are probably downloading the spot, hammering on the site's bandwidth. A smaller version of the spot (33MB) was made available for low bandwidth surfers (and for those who gave up trying to get the large version), but chances are that's being mobbed too right now.
I was fortunate enough to download the trailer (just the small one), and all I can say is... WOW! Lots of Bending action, lots of fan service (surprisingly so), lots of plot threads being bandied around. It's much more exciting and satisfying now that I can tell what's going on! Seriously , it's a really cool thing to have this to tide me over until the actual episodes arrive. Unfortunately, there's really no way to share this since Nick has expressely forbidden anyone to place the trailer on Youtube or on any file-sharing service. So, if you want to see it, just head on over to Avatarspirit.Net and take your chances. In a couple of days, the fever should have died down enough for downloads to be possible again. Now, if you'll excuse me... I've got to go back and watch it again...

Donut Buy

Recently my Mom has been bringing home these homemade donuts in the mornings. These are your usual, subdivision/barrio bakery-made donuts... no icing or anything except a sprinkling of sugar. But darn... they tasted GOOD. I mean, yeah, they're no Krispy Kreme, but these donuts are probably worth two or three Krispy Kreme glazed donuts on substance and solid mass alone. When fresh and still spongy but having a bite, the donuts are positively addicting. And they cost a grand total of five pesos each. FIVE pesos. As opposed to the thirty-five or so per donut at those expensive foreign shops. Or even at your nearby Starbuck's (and those sugar-raised donuts at SB are nowhere as good).

The only problem is, these donuts are quite in demand- we're lucky to get more than a half dozen a day. If only we lived closer to that bakery, I'd have a bowl of those scrumptious loops on the table everyday for breakfast. As it is, they're only an occasional treat. Makes you appreciate the simpler, but truly finer things.

Another Gadget to Lust After

I've been happy with my new iPod for the most part- a recent overnight session at The Salt Mines gave me ample opportunity to appreciate having a personal music supply during the wee hours of the morning when it was better to keep to one's self while working or just wasting away the hours to the sunrise. It certainly got me thinking about any possible replacements for my XDAIIi. Yeah, yeah... I knew I said that I'd be keeping my Pocket PC phone- and I probably will, at that. But still, once I really get used to the idea of having my media mostly in my iPod, it would be nice to have a smaller phone instead of the large PPC sagging at my belt.

I've already talked about the O2 XDA Flame in the past, but come on- that thing makes my XDA look as light as a runway model. What I am looking for is a phone that doesn't compromise on size as much as capabilities and feature. And I think I found one that fits the bill swimmingly.


My next phone?

It's the Sony Ericsson W960, a Walkman smartphone with a lovely, 2.6-inch 256K-color TFT Touchscreen (only slightly larger than the iPod's screen). This latest Walkman phone seems to have it all- 3G, WiFi, 8 Gigabytes of flash memory, 30fps video-playing capability, 3.2 Megapixel camera, FM radio, Symbian UIQ OS for apps and games, PIM features... and man, it even LOOKS slick and sexy. It's no wonder though that this phone is Sony Ericsson's answer to the iPhone. Certainly, the Apple device has a bigger and better screen, but the W960 has phone features that the neophyte designers at Apple didn't throw into the iPhone, as well as support for 3G. So if I was actually given a choice between the W960 and the iPhone, I'd probably choose the former.

Perfect, isn't it? Well... no. The wrinkle is, well, that the W960 isn't here yet- it's still coming, but it should be here very soon. Which means its probably expensive, which should mean I will have to wait a bit until I get it so prices go down a bit. If it comes out later this year though, it should make for a wonderful Christmas gift for myself. Heh. We'll see. Later this year, then.

Podded



Last Saturday, I went ahead and became one of the Pod People. Yep, I finally got myself an Apple iPod, after all this time. Well, what can I say? The device is damn sexy (got the black version) and the scroll wheel is addictive to use, if a bit daunting at first. Strangely enough, I wasn't able to sync my Pod with all the gigs and gigs of songs and videos I've been stockpiling for the past couple of weeks right away since my PC's video card picked this weekend of all weekends to DIE. So I had to go the next day to V-Malll and get myself a brand-spankin' new 256 MB Asus Videocard. Once installed though, it was all a matter of plugging in the Pod and getting down to business.

I still think that iTunes is quite a hassle- I actually had to attempt syncing twice after a botched step caused my music to vanish. I really think that the Drag-and-Drop ease of managing files and stuff in Windows devices beats out having to bother with an middleman app anytime in the week and twice on weekends. It's irritating to have to segregate your videos to just either Movies or TV Shows or Podcasts, and nothing else. I hate that you can't hear anything from the Pod without the earphones. And I really miss having a wallpaper or theme to stare at lovingly at the Home Screen. For these reasons, I guess I'll always keep my XDAIIi (or a Windows PPC Phone of some sort) handy.

On the plus side, once I got past some hiccups like un-copyable files and the synching process stopping several times, it was easy as pie to get my stuff onto the Pod. After all was said and done, even with almost 3000 songs, 600+ video podcasts and 40 episodes of Avatar, I still had over 40 gigs of space still left over. Well, I'll leave that for another day.


Lost on the iPod.

One of the cooler things I did with my Pod was install about a dozen games, including this pretty cool Lost game which puts you in the sodden shoes of everyone's favorite Foxy shipwrecked neurotic doctor. The game is pretty complex and far more advanced than I thought possible for the iPod, and supposedly takes you through the series' storyline for quite a bit, up to the castaway's encounter with the invisible monster, the discovery of The Hatch and encounters with The Others. The graphics are quite surprising and cool, but I'll try to save this for a rainy/boring day.

That said, the iPod's screen is simply amazing. Even at 2.5 inches, the screen is damn gorgeous and videos are as crisp as Pringles potato chips. The detail, frame rates and color of the MP4 vids is astoundingly good. I only wish it was easier to encode these H.264 format vids (it's not entirely foolproof with Super) and that iPod-ready shows and movies were easier to find. I still won't be watching LOTR on the Pod, but stuff like TV shows and anime (english, preferably) should be fine.

I'm still in the throes of early honeymoon period bliss with my new toy- I expect I'll be searching high and low for a nice bag for it I can clip to my belt so it'll be easier and safer to bring along. There are things that I will still look to my XDAIIi for, but the iPod has now become part of my world.

Or perhaps, I have become part of the iPod's world..?

Birthday

Today, my parents each turned one year older. Yep, it still mystifies me that these two people who met and allowed me and my siblings to enter this world each share the same day on which they themselves were born.

My Mom was a nurse in a well-to-do family in Manila, prior to which she worked in her brother's casino where they watched figures like Bingbong Crisologo at the height of his notoriety. As a nurse, she was as tough as she was caring, and one time got into a fight with a crabby patient which ended with them throwing flower vases at each other. She's obviously a woman of undeniable toughness, exacting standards yet boundless humor.
My Dad had a hard childhood, serving for a while as a messenger for the guerrillas during the war. He worked through medical school to become a doctor yet he never really wanted the job, wanting instead the simple life of a farmer... but in the end, he turned out to be a world-class bowling coach and instructor, then ball technician. Gentle and nonconfrontational, he's about as opposite from my Mom as can be.

But despite that, they came together and the rest is history.

Happy birthday, Mom and Dad! God willing, may you have more and more and more and more and more to come.

Rainy Days

Lately it's been rain, rain, rain. I'm not complaining. Given the Dry Spell that has been sapping our water supply, people have been literally praying for rain and storms to come- the just passed storm 'Chedeng' (which is incidentally my Mom's nickname)was the country's first this year, I think. From what I heard, there was even a pastoral letter from the church asking people to pray for precipitation.

Well, it's here. Maybe the Philippines has a bit of clout with someone up there. Let's just hope we don't have to start praying for the rains to stop...

Should iPod or Not?

For the past several weeks, I've been obsessing about getting myself an Apple iPod. In particular, I'm eyeing the latest Generation 5.5 80GB model, which is video-capable. As anyone who reads here regularly would know, I am so into mobile video. It's a hobby and pasttime of mine, as well as a way for me to kill time or combat boredom whenever it rears its ugly head. I actually passed on the first video-capable pods since I read that the battery life was lacking; it certainly would be useless to have The Lord of the Rings movie in your pocket when the device can't even play it to its entirety. Well, the latest generation pods now boast improved battery life (the 80GB model has been timed to have up to 7 hours of video playing time) as well as other tweaks like a brighter screen to make watching vids pleasurable.

Some would ask me, why would I need an iPod for watching videos when I already have my XDAIIi? Yes, my pocket pc phone playes excellent video via DIVX and the thoroughly amazing TCPMP app, and I do have a ton of space thanks to a 4GB card. But the thing is, my XDAIIi is, after all, first and foremost a PHONE. I must always take care to keep juice in the battery at all times and that impedes my total enjoyment of other features unless a power outlet and charger are within easy reach. A dedicated media player, which gives me hours and hours to appreciate both video and music, is paramount especially during times when I have to be on standby for extended periods of time.

Certainly other options have been considered. I have my AV700, which is technically a portable media player- but it is too large to bring along unless I have a bag, and thanks to an apparent battery defect, it can take only about an hour of video playing before the power dies unless plugged to an outlet. So, it's basically rooted to The Sanctum, serving primarily as a DV Recorder and occasional hard drive. I've considered other devices, such as the Creative Zen Vision M and the Microsoft Zune (which boasts a large, 3" screen), but the iPod outclasses them in style, ease of use, storage space and just plain cuteness.

If and when I get a pod, I do fully intend to use the 80 Gigs of space. I've already started grabbing music and podcasts for watching, and I've earmarked my favorite shows and series for bringing along. Avatar. Mythbusters. Futurama. The Simpsons. Ghost Hunters. Tons of Discovery Channel specials. About a gazillion anime series. There's no shortage of stuff I can stuff into a Pod. I'm not really thinking of having actual movies since the screen is just too small to appreciate wide-screen flicks. But hey- I'm a guy who was once happy and used to seeing vids on the dinky screen of a Nokia 6600. I'll make do with what I have and be happy as a clam.

Anyways, nothing is really set in stone yet... I've got about this whole week to finally decide and go through with this. Till then, I'll be reviewing my options and considering stuff before I finally become, technically, one of the Pod People.

My only fear though is that if I do get an iPod, what if Apple suddenly announces a new, widescreen (design based on the iPhone), true Video iPod? Nah...

Net Momma

Even though my Mom can't be considered web savvy by any degree, it's pretty cool that I don't have to walk her every step of the way when she uses my old laptop for emailing. In fact, I am pleasantly surprised that Mom has lately started surfing, looking for her interests on the boundless expanse that is the World Wide Web. It feels good that our internet connection is really being appreciated now; it certainly is one of the best investments/acquisitions I've gotten, even more than my PS3 or the widescreen HDTV or that silencer for the Vanishing Ray.

Now, if only I could get Mom interested in Counterstrike, we'd really start using the connection to the fullest...

Box Office D'OH


Finally.

I made it a point to march into a theater in Megamall last night to catch The Simpsons Movie. I have to say, even with the apparently massive Simpsons fan base in Metro Manila, it's been so long since the series has been at it's prime to expect crowds of people to mob theaters to watch Homer and family on the big screen. As it was, I entered a nearly-empty cinema (granted, it was LFS in the middle of the week), and there was only one screen showing off the movie at Mega.

Anyways, how was it? To try and describe the plot is pretty useless- like any Simpsons episode, you have no idea where the plot is headed from the start or even the whole of the first act. It's all about life in Springfield, numerous sight gags and fast jokes that come at you rapid-fire, until the inevitable Homer Blunder that sets the important events into motion. All I can say is, Homer does something utterly HOMER (read: Stupid) and ruins life as everyone knows it in town. Angry mobs gather. Lives are lost. The Simpsons have to take flight. But somehow, someway, the first family will end up all the better for it.

There are of course lots of funny moments that got me laughing out loud (my favorite of the night was a single line from geeky little Ralph). Many more jokes though were hit-and-miss; you know it's funny, just not enough to elicit a laugh. But you appreciate the effort anyway. I wish I could have watched this in a full theater though- that would have been a blast. In fact, I'd want to watch this movie in a place with as many people as possible- just watching this alone on DVD is just kinda... blah. Or D'oh, as the case may be.

In the end, The Simpsons Movie seems in some ways just a flashier, longer TV episode, though they DO do things here you would never see on TV, and 2-D animation does indeed look pretty slick on the big screen. For fans of the series, this is a must and perhaps it will rekindle the love for the family that time may have slightly eroded. For everyone (if there is anyone) else who don't get the Simpsons, take a watch of this film and see what you've been missing.

The Simpsons Movie is now showing in theaters all around the Metro. Don't have a cow, man. Get a ticket!

My Current Phone Wallpaper...



The artwork is from the cover of an All-Avatar Nickelodeon magazine coming this September/October. I'm hoping it comes out here too, but then, by that time Book of Fire may be already showing, so whatever. Darn it... September 21 is so frickin' far away. Patience... patience. All things come to him who waits. Meh.

Shoot!



Last week, we shot a promo commercial featuring a gaggle of beautiful young ladies. TV shoots are a bit hard for me; they usually consist of me having to get up extra-early in the morning since the grind usually begins as early as possible in the day. Still, getting fetched and driven from your door right to the shooting venue and back home afterwards is pretty nice. Also, we usually are served like kings (well, maybe more like lesser nobles) while on the shoot, with food and drinks aplenty readied just for you. Our particular production house for this shoot, Unitel, is known for their yummy food catering, and this time the goodies I will really remember are the unique preparations of leche flan and Braso de Mercedes (served swimming in syrup with fruits) and a particularly nice dinner with Chicken Pastel and LOVELY mashed potatoes on the last shooting day.


It's desserts like these that make it all worth it...

But of course, it was still work and we basically sat there the whole day pouring over this or that take and shot, being consulted for this and that and so on. After two days, it was nice to end the job at the start of the weekend. This week, we get to see the editing and finishings before the ad goes on the air in a week or so. On to the next ad, then!

Led Astray


Vikings versus Indians. Cool, right? Wrong...

Okay, today wasn't a very good day for movies. Me and my bud Pot had intended to watch The Simpsons Movie at Greenhills, but we ended up giving up when we were faced with the prospect of a 2-hour wait to the next showing. So we just passed the time looking around Shoppesville and V-Mall for stuff and then going on home to crash at The Sanctum. For some reason, we ended up popping in Pathfinder into the DVD player. Pathfinder is a pretty recent movie, but I remember it just came and went in theaters locally. The poster looked cool, but the trailer was a mess of gory stuff that I just didn't find enticing. Well anyway...

Pathfinder is set hundreds of years before Columbus discovered America, and is all about the Viking expeditions that apparently made their way into Indian territory. The film opens with a young Viking boy and apparent survivor of one such expedition being found by an Indian woman. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed youth is taken in by the Indians despite being a child of the 'Dragon Men' (the Indians' name for the Vikings) since Indians are like that. The kid soon grows up into a young man named 'Ghost'(Karl Urban of LOTR fame and Doom Infamy). He's of course an outcast to some of the Indians, but liked by many of the ladies, particularly one lovely lady named Starfire, the daughter of the local Pathfinder, or shaman. Ghost however is continually reminded that he is not of the Indians' blood, and his path lies somewhere else.

To crash the tranquil life of the natives, the Vikings return. Now, these aren't nice cartoony Vikings like Hagar the Horrible. They're not honorable warriors like the guys who accompanied Antonio Banderas in 13th Warrior. Nope... these guys are more like the URUK-HAI. I mean, these guys look, sound and act like they walked straight out of flamin' MORDOR. These are nightmarish, horrific, faceless, horned and armored monsters who kill for sport and nothing more. Of course, what do these baddies do? They start hacking Ghost's Indian people into bloody chunks, and aim to do the same to everyone else on the continent, apparently. Of course, the Indians don't stand a chance... good thing they got an Indian-raised Viking Warrior on their side.

Okay, at this point, all sense seems to fly out the window as Karl Urban suddenly becomes a master of the Viking Sword despite the fact that he has received no training at all from anyone in the use of the metal weapons. At the start, the Vikings kill everyone in their path with no resistance whatsoever, and seem invincible. Then Ghost shows up, and he starts killing them in droves. Heck, as long as Ghost is there, even the Indian girl Starfire gets to scratch off Vikings herself. But it really doesn't matter since, despite arriving in apparently just three longships, there seems to literally be no end to the enemy numbers. For every seven killed, another horde shows up. What the heck? Is there a Viking re-spawn point somewhere I missed? No matter how many Ghost kills, it eventually takes both a frozen lake and an avalanche to finally kill off these Terminator-like invaders.

No matter that Indians are supposed to be fierce warriors in their own right, learned in the ways of the land and their environment. Here, they're either cowardly sissies or idiots who walk into their own traps, can't defend themselves for shit, and can't outrun heavily-armored Vikings who are totally alien to the vast land.

HECK, in one crazy stretch as Ghost and his friends are being hunted by the Vikings in a dark cavern, time and again a Viking sneaks up on them DESPITE being in full armor. Apparently the Vikings are also half-Japanese, able to move silently like frickin' NINJA until they are within inches of their prey, at which point they just habitually give themselves away with a loud "HA!!!"

The action drags for far too long; Ghost kills Vikings ala Die Hard. Ghost kills Vikings ala Rambo. There's even a bit borrowed from King Arthur (another crapper). But in the end, the Indians still get their arses kicked so many times it begins to feel masochistic and repetitive. When the final Endgame kicks in and Ghost tricks the Vikings into a lethal trap on an icy mountain, the film STILL can't get the hint and finish stuff cleanly, needing to drag out things unnecessarily. I mean, I half-expected the Vikings to rise out of the climactic avalanche and still kill a hundred Indians or so before finally keeling over.

Oh, and did I mention the acting sucks? The indians are as wooden as their useless weapons, and there are derivative lines of dialogue like "You speak in riddles, old man," and "Fight and you die. Leave, and you may live," all over the place.

Poor Karl Urban yet again gets himself into another crappy action film. I mean, I like the guy. He has a good look, but this kind of junk doesn't do his career any good. I blame the director and the writer for this particular film. Unlike good action heroes of old, Urban isn't allowed to look strong enough. He is never cool or bad-ass enough in this film, as he should for a revenge-payback theme like this one. In any case, the bad acting, horrible dragged-out pace and overly gory Pathfinder is something he should never have wandered into.


Karl Urban vainly tries to escape the horror of his latest bad movie.

This film should appeal for gore buffs, since the bloody action is pretty brutal- in fact, the imagery and cinematography is perhaps the only good thing about the film, capturing the look and feel of Frank Frazetta's barbarian artworks. Oh, and there's Clancy Brown as the evil Viking leader, who is actually pretty cool. Aside from that... this is a movie neither modern day- Norse or Indian descendants would be proud of, since it slams both their cultures with the subtlety of a fist to the nose. I'd tell Pathfinder to get lost.

Avatar Season 3 Trailer



The Avatar Panel at the San Diego Comic Con has come and gone, and here is the result... a 2-minute or so long trailer showing scenes from Book of Fire. The quality of the vid isn't too hot- there are lots of defocused parts, and it's dark- but Avatar fans will be watching this until September, mark my words. Anyways, the scenes shown are pretty awesome and had me going "WHOA!" continuously.

Where do I start? Well, the trailer (at about 2 minutes) shows scenes of a recovered Aang and friends taking the fight back to Azula. Zuko is his usual emo self, still not happy even though he seems to be welcomed back into the Fire Nation. There's a scene between him and a disheveled, ratty-haired Iroh where he says that he has only himself to blame for what has befallen him. OUCH.
There's even more action, showing Katara looking pretty awesome and heroic with her mastery of waterbending. Toph looks taller, buffer and dressed in a new costume in one segment. But it's Sokka who has the most changes, apparently training in the use of a sword and wielding the more mature weapon instead of his trademark club and boomerang. FINALLY, he may get to be bad-ass in Season 3. And of course, we see Aang, sometimes with hair, sometimes without, in a new costume, in various settings to a scene where he seems to be looking over the Fire Nation's capital.

New stuff includes scenes with a young Avatar Roku (apparently), some mysterious new faces who may or may not be enemies, and lots of epic scenery like a force of Earth Kingdom Tanks (lead by Teo the Machinist Boy), Fire Nation war balloons and what appears to be Appa in Battle Armor.

Aside from the trailer, there are tons of screens and shots of artworks and designs over at Avatar Spirit.Net showing the Gaang in Fire Nation disguises, designs of Fire Nation citizenry and warriors, and lots of gorgeous art depicting the tropical paradise which is the Mysterious Fire Nation.

Some Cool Snippets of Information...

Avatar as we know it, the Story of Avatar Aang and his friends and enemies, ends with Book 3. However, it has been confirmed that Nickelodeon has renewed Avatar for three more seasons. The creators have hinted that the series will continue on with new characters and new stories set either in the past or future of the Avatar world.

There will be an episode entitled "The Beach" which has the Ozai Angels (Azula, Mai and Ty Lee) showing off more skin than ever before in sexy swimsuits. This is about as close to anime-style fan service as we can get with a US cartoon, I guess. The bad news? The old crones Li and Lo will alse be baring all... AAARRRHHHH...

M. Night Shaymalan was at the SDCC, talking about the future live-action Avatar movies he is developing. A special feature on the films will be included as an extra in the Avatar 2nd Season DVD Box Set.

Man, that's a lot of stuff. I'm still looking forward to seeing a clearer version of the trailer and more vids from the Avatar SDCC Panel. It's going to be a long wait to September, but darn... all this good info and imagery should make the wait a wee bit more bearable.

Yeah, right.

Hot Date


FINALLY, it's set.

Book of Fire, the 3rd Season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, is set to premiere on television on September 21, 2007. This is the date on the special Avatar hologram cards being given at the currently ongoing San Diego Comic Convention. The long wait isn't over, but at least the end is in sight.

To recap things so far... The Mighty Earth Kingdom, the last great bastion against the invading Fire Nation, has fallen under the control of the ruthless Princess Azula and the Dai Li. Prince Zuko has chosen to side with his once-hated sister, betraying both his beloved Uncle Iroh and Aang the Avatar. Battling against two formidable Firebenders and dozens of Dai Li agents, Aang and Katara barely escaped, with Aang mortally wounded. Using the Sacred Water given by the Northern Water Tribe, Katara brings Aang back from the brink of death. The Avatar's party escapes Ba Sing Se on Appa's back, bringing with them the Earth King and his pet bear, Bosco. It doesn't get any darker that this, people.

The answers we seek, the comeuppance we crave, the action we've come to expect and the characters we love return this September. I can't fricking wait. More information and stuff on the 3rd Season is expected out this weekend as the Avatar Panel at the SDCC convenes. Damn, I wish I were there right now. Oh well.

Tabloid TV

I have to confess that usually at night, I put the TV on to ETC to catch the latest news on The Insider and Inside Edition. While it's quite interesting to see the day-to-day lives of American celebrities being examined with the magnifying glass of a CSI, I have steadily found it unnervingly creepy how the US tabloids and media just go a bit too far as long as it makes news. Like that whole fiasco with Anna Nicole Smith. She wasn't an angel by any length, but the most horrid thing for me wasn't that she died exactly- it was that her death, into her autopsy and burial were on the spotlight and sold on air to the very end. People frickin' DIE on television for the public's pleasure, in a way. Whatever happened to the right to die in peace or dignity?

Well, perhaps that's the price of fame. On the other hand, another really irksome thing for me is how the young, beautiful princesses of Hollywood- Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton... are self-destructing on camera. Rich, beautiful, famous but inexplicably and incredibly BROKEN. Feh.

I should just try to tune off the Hollywood news and just get back to watching clean, pleasant stuff. Like Forensic Files and Murder Investigations on Discovery Channel. Mmm.

Welcome Back, Potter

I haven't been to a mall in days, so I missed all the hubbub about the launch of the latest and last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Spoiler whore that I am, I already know how it ends and all that crap, but I do fully intend to go and read the last three books for myself eventually. I'm more a fan of the movies than the books, but I do see value in having a copy of each of the seven parts of this significant bit of pop literature. Or maybe I'll just download an audio book or something. Whatever.

Anyway in case anybody doesn't know yet, here's how it ends. Harry defeats Voldemort only to lock himself into becoming the next Dark Lord, so he has Hermione kill him. Hogwarts is renamed Potterdore Academy, in memory of Harry and Dumbledore. The End.

Just kidding. Go, read it and enjoy. Heh.

My New Dedicated Gaming Blog



Okay, Jonas offered me a little gig on blogging about games online recently, and while I didn't go for it, it did get me thinking about having a place where I can blog about games more regularly. Really, I talk about games a lot, and I know quite a few of you out there aren't really gamers so I'll spare you all my game-geek rants and limit my posts here on SRM to my non-game MADness.
Anyway, for those who actually love reading about games and the world of digital interactive entertaiment, you can just click on the big header to head for my brand-spankin' new gaming blog. Lock and Load!

Phoenix Rising


School's out.

I was able to catch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last Friday, even though the Glorietta 4 was crowded with the weekend movie mobs. As with the John Rambo principle, one can go where armies can't... it was a spur of the moment decision to watch, so why not. So, with a bag of Wendy's tucked under my arm, I went into the theater and watched the latest Potter flick.

Picking up right after Goblet of Fire, OOTP sees Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) ruled by dark moods. Wracked by guilt due to Cedric Diggory's death and haunted by mysterious, frightful dreams that seem ripped from Voldemort's twisted mind itself, Harry's feeling more and more alone, hostile and hopeless. It doesn't help matters that the Ministry of Magic has suddenly taken an unexpected move to deny the return of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and discredit both Harry and Albus Dumbledore. Even worse, Harry finds himself isolated from the Headmaster of Hogwarts, just in the time that he needs the great wizard's help and advice the most. Now he's being torn apart from within by Voldemort, and from without by Hogwart's new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and this chapter's resident villainess, Dolores Umbridge (played to evil perfection by Imelda Staunton). With the hero at his most vulnerable, the only hope to stave off forces of dark magic lie with Harry's true friends, and with the mysterious group of wizards known as The Order of the Phoenix.

This latest Potter is very different from previous chapters; there's not as much wonder and fun as before (though director David Yates still injects whimsy and humor every so often, thankfully), and not a Quidditch match in sight. This is all about the students of Hogwarts banding together and friends hanging tough in the scariest of times, and keeping true even when the person you love doesn't seem to want your help. Even though their roles are noticeably smaller, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) are at their most refreshingly earnest and natural in this chapter. Ron isn't so much the bumbling fool and more of a staunch friend and ally, while Hermione gets to act against the rules and be a bit of a rebel. Even better, the other students of Hogwarts get to shine, with Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) and the elder Weasley Twins Fred and George (James and Oliver Phelps) getting lots of screen time. While Cho Chang (Katie Leung) has her little (but surprisingly wet) kiss with Harry, she eventually turns out to be a dud character (though her 'fall' softened from the books, as I gather), a pleasant surprise is newcomer Evanna Lynch as the quirky Luna Lovegood. Able to reach the moody Harry and establish a bond through their shared experiences, Luna is a wonderful addition to the core band of Hogwart's Heroes.

As for the rest of the cast, it's the same familiar and comfy cast as always, and each is still as set in their roles as before, though many get pretty short screentime. Michael Gambon gives another strong performance as an oddly vulnerable Dumbledore, while Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonnagall gets cross swords with Umbridge in defense of the school. Other faculty like Hagrid (Robby Coltrane) and Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) get shorter, but no less sweet scenes. Outside of Hogwarts, it's great to see returning faces like Remus Lupin (David Thewlis), Mad-eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson) and of course, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) surface as members of The Order of the Phoenix- Dumbledore's rag-tag resistance fighters against Voldermort's Death Eaters.

OOTP is certainly the shortest of the Potter flicks, moving quickly from the in-school rebellion and formation of Dumbledore's Army to a pretty flashy finale- a properly creepy and atmospheric foray into an aptly-named Department of Secrets, culminating in a Wizard Battle between the Order and the Death Eaters, and an impressive duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort. But sadly, like most middle chapters, it's all ultimately setup for the final battle yet to come. I haven't read the actual book, but the movie struck me as well-paced and tight, without any extraneous or missing bits. Perhaps if I read the book I'd be displeased with some omissions, but as it is I am pleased with the movie's conciseness.

The effects are the usual Potter- which is to say, they're brilliant. It's all just toned a bit darker this time around, as things get serious and the stakes get higher- a lot higher. Easily the darkest of Potters (even with the already melancholy ending of Goblet), this nevertheless got a smile from me at the end. I liked it. I liked it quite a lot, and it just gets me wanting to grab the last three books (all of which I haven't read) and raring for the next film. I just have to say to the studios- keep your cast safe and happy. The core trio of Radcliffe, Grint and Watson MUST end this series together at the very least. I don't care how much money they have to throw at those kids. It's just magic when this cast comes together.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is now showing in Metro Manila theaters. Jump on your broom and zoom off to watch it now.

Preview: Ninja Girl KO

It's only a couple of months away from the next Komikon, and I have to say, sadly, that the big K.I.A. book won't make it. Even so, I am planning to have something to show off during the Kon; a mini-anthology comic, nothing fancy (probably photocopied, ashcan-size). I'll talk more about this when it's more solid (Read: When I've started drawing the pages). On the other hand, if things go well, a project I am involved with WILL be at the Kon... and it's pretty slick.

I am of course talking about Mangaholix Presents, which will feature Ninja Girl KO!, which I wrote and created, with art by manga artist extraordinaire, Kriss Sison. With luck (crossing fingers!!!), the Kon will see Michiko Yamashita's debut issue released. Hope, hope!

Here are a couple of colored preview pages from Chapter One of Ninja Girl KO!


Michiko Yamashita gets lunch.


Anton walks cheerfully into trouble.

Mangaholix is a proudly-Pinoy made manga-style comic-zine featuring slick stories like the Engkanto comedy-adventure Aporia, Street Fighter meets Ocean's Eleven Midknighters, Sci-fi superhero action with the band Kala in Pulis Pangkalawakan and the fantasy adventure Kraust. Issues can be found in National Bookstore and magazine stores everywhere in the Metro.

Mac and Me



One of the cool things to happen this week at The Salt Mines is that our department all got new Macbook Pro laptops. It's been more than three years since we were issued our first Mac Powerbooks, which we got back then on a lease-to-own arrangement. Well, now that our Powerbooks are now OURS, we can take them home or do with them as we like while brand-new, replacement portables have been made available.

As opposed to the first batch of Macbook Pros which were notorious for bugs and defects (our department head went through two lemons before settling on one that worked fine), the new Macs seem fine. The widescreen LCD screens are gorgeous, and brighter by a large margin than the Powerbooks (though age may have something to do with this). Processing power is great, with Intel Core Processors now running under the hood, with 2 GBs of DDR RAM. More than 80 Gigs of Memory are there for use. Battery life seems excellent as well, with a full charge lasting about four hours or so (the Powerbooks were lucky to last three hours). I particularly love the new power cords, which attach to the laptop via magnets instead of your standard plug... this allows the power cord to detach easily without danger of damaging the laptop or someone accidentally tripping over the line and pulling the laptop off the table and to the merciless floor. Oh, and the keyboard lights up with a lovely white glow when you turn off the lights, for some moody night-typing. Awesome.

But I am of course trying to keep a modicum of distance from my new laptop, since it's technically not 'mine' (though we do have an option to buy them in a few years). I won't even dare bring this out of the office unless it's totally necessary. But darn, it's a gorgeous thing.

As for my old Mac laptop, it's now sitting at home in my Mom's room. I'm more of a PC user anyways, and The Sanctum's desktop does all my requirements perfectly. For now, the Mac can serve to get Mom up to speed with using keyboards and touchpads, typing and sending e-mails to my brother and sister abroad, or using Skype to make internet calls. You gotta love technology. Being a gadget freak these days is bliss.

Hot News


The Gaang sport new looks in Avatar Season 3: Book of Fire.

Okay, perhaps another bit of premonition on my part. On the heels of my recent Avatar musing came this bit of surprising but thrilling news. Early yesterday, Paramount Home Video has just announced the release date of the first DVD volume of the YET UNAIRED Season 3 of Avatar: The Last Airbender, as well as the cover art (yeah, that's it up there). The street date for the set, which will contain the FIRST FIVE EPISODES of the new season, is on October 30 (in the US). This has gotten some sites online speculating on a possible LATE SEPTEMBER premiere of Avatar: Book of Fire.
This has, to say the least, caused a furor online whether or not this news is legit. According to reliable sources at Avatar.net, one of the best Avatar fan sites around, it IS.

Anyways, take a gander at that art. Aang with HAIR. The whole gang present, with Katara (with a new 'do instead of her hair loopies), Toph and Sokka... in Fire Nation garb. My gosh. This is just getting me goosebumpy and giddy. It's been so long. TOO LONG. I want questions answered. Issues laid to rest. Cliffhangers hanged. Screw LOST. Screw HEROES. Screw frickin' 24. AVATAR is THE series on TV, man. All I want. NOW. NOW. NOW. NOW. One more would be pushing it but what the heck. NOW. Man, I am so happy about this that I don't mind that Aang's disguise, despite the nice hair, is kinda iffy since YOU CAN STILL SEE THAT BLASTED ARROW. Heh.

I hope this isn't some sick joke. Gah. Anyway, for the full news article that has started this buzz, look here.

Taxi Tale

So here I was along Katipunan one morning, waiting for a cab to whiz me off to Makati. After a bit, one comes along and I flag it down. I open the door and peer inside at the old driver.

"Makati?" I asked.

The driver grimaced and said, "Naka-tsinelas lang ako, eh." (But I'm just wearing slippers.).

Here's me, in outrage. "NASA LOOB KA NG KOTSE!!!" (You're in a frickin' CAR!!!)

Anyway, he drives off and I'm left thinking after, yeah, maybe it was better for me to have to wait for another cab. God FORBID anyone I know sees me in a cab with a driver who only has slippers on. I'll never live that down.

Feh. At the very least though, that was the first time I heard THAT excuse. Oh well.

Avatar Watch

Man, it's been months since the end of Avatar: The Last Airbender's Season 2... and STILL there's no Season 3 in sight. Well, at least, until now. An Avatar Panel has been confirmed for this year's San Diego Comic Convention! Last year, the first peek of the later episodes of Season 2 were featured; this year promises to have Avatar Fans foaming at the mouth with anticipation.

The SDCC's website describes the Avatar Panel as follows: 10:30-11:30 Into the Fire Nation: Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender, Season 3 Sneak Peek".

Get a first look at what's to come in the third season, including clips from new episodes, a visual tour of the Fire Nation from show creator Bryan Konietzko and director Joaquim Dos Santos (Justice League); insider information from the show's head writer Aaron Ehasz (Futurama); and a voice-over demonstration from Dee Baker (The Fairly OddParents), who voices Appa and Momo.

Well, I don't think I'll be able to make it to San Francisco, but I'm pretty sure videos of the Avatar event will make their way online soon after. The SDCC happens at the end of July. As for Season 3? My gut is that we'll be lucky to see the first episode or two before 2008 ends. If it happens, maybe November or December. Sigh. Oh well... it's sure to be worth the freakin' wait.

Simpsonified



This is what I would look like in The Simpsons world. Yeah, my Simpsons Avatar is kinda lacking in detail and... well... depth... but it was the best I could do with what was available. Anyways, if you want to see what you would look like in Matt Groening's reality, zip on down to simpsonsmovie.com and have some fun Simpsonifying yourself or tinkering with the site's other features. The Simpsons Movie will be out later this month in Metro Manila theaters... after more than a decade and eighteen seasons, it's about time.

Die Hardest


Stone Cold Steve Austin- er, John McClane is back to save the world from evil.

The latest installment in the long-running Die Hard series of movies hits theaters in Manila today. Preceded by mixed reviews with an older, balder McClane and a PG-13 rating, does this latest terrorist-fighting outing hit hard or die out?

SPOILERS AHEAD

Things haven't been easy for Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) of the NYPD. After at least three instances of being thrown into 'The Wrong Place at The Wrong Time' and battling terrorist threats hand to hand, you'd think that the hero cop would be living the high life. But nooo... McClane is divorced from wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia doesn't show up- neither does pretty much anyone from past movies aside from Willis) and fighting with his now-teenage daughter, Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). He's got an average pension and quite the jaded, world-weary attitude... so when a ruthless cyberterrorist named Thomas Gabriel (Deadwood's Timothy Olyphant) starts a plan to plunge the United States back into the dark ages, getting back into the game is the last thing you'd expect from McClane. But jump in he does, with the veteran attitude of a guy who's seen a LOT of action, since he's John McClane. He's just that kind of hero.

Taking on a plot against national security and homeland defense that's ripped straight from the headlines and scary History Channel specials, Die Hard 4.0 (or Live Free or Die Hard in the US) concerns the threat of cyber-terrorism. While it may still be mystifying to some how a guy with a laptop can cause real, physical harm to anyone, the plain fact of the matter is that a genius hacker with a computer is about as dangerous as a terrorist with a loaded nuke in his backpack, just on different levels. Pretty much everything in the US is controlled by computers- traffic, power and light, security, the stock market... and if someone messes up with that, all HELL is going to break loose.

That's exactly what Gabriel and his crew of hacker-henchmen are out to do- take down the US one important piece of civilization at a time. Muck up the traffic control networks and the roads get clogged up with pileups and jams. Turn off the lights to blind the frightened masses. Take over the news and spread the terror even faster. Gabriel's thought of every scenario, prepared for every stage of his master plan (which, invariably in the Die Hard series, always ends up with a big pay-off)... except, of course, for an old-fashioned, technophobic arse named John McClane.

Given the premise that this is about 'virtual terrorists', you'd wonder if McClane was going to engage in a game of Counterstrike or Doom to put in some action. Luckily, Gabriel's minions include a small army of foreign mercenaries, including beautiful but lethal Mai Lihn (Maggie Q. from MI:3) and the Parkour-expert Rand (Cyril Raffaeli). The rest of his troops are effectively faceless thugs and goons from Mercenaries-R-Us... not as colorful or filled with personality as Hans Gruber's gang, but they do the job of shooting a lot of guns and dying in various colorful ways. As for the Big Bad himself, Tim Olyphant acquits himself well in the role of the evil hacker-supreme. He's not as suave or as cunning as Alan Rickman's Hans (Darn, who is?), nor does he have the face value or sheer villainous chops of Jeremy Irons' Simon or even the military zeal of Colonel Stuart. But with his quiet menace and ingenious use of computers to wreak absolute havoc and set up dastardly situations for McClane to tumble into, Thomas Gabriel makes for a formidable Die Hard villain; not a trained killer or veteran terrorist like previous heavies, but a thoroughly ruthless manipulator and puppet master whom McClane has to claw his way at to the very end. To his credit, Gabriel actually gets the closest to offing McClane, perhaps even closer than even Hans... and that's something.

Luckily, McClane isn't alone in his latest outing. Justin Long (the Mac guy) plays Mat Farrell, a hacker who was crucial to developing Gabriel's plans. His relationship with McClane is marked by generation gap conflict and the simple fact that he's more used to facing baddies onscreen than in real life. Thankfully, Long's character doesn't become too annoying at any point in the movie, and soon proves his worth getting dragged along.
Probably not as useful but just adding drama to the precedings is FBI agent Bowman (Cliff Curtis), who plays the series' resident "Sympathetic but Ultimately Useless Ally" for this time around. Usually seen in the middle of an office or command center full of government agents and personnel doing pretty much nothing except look pissed, Bowman is just there to clean up after McClane's messes and that's it.

Other characters include comics personality Kevin Smith as The Warlock, another hacker and Farrell's mentor- he's kinda-sorta funny and reminds me of The Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons, just not as sleazy. He's not that bad and gets to act a bit more than his usual 'Silent Bob' role at least. Finally there's Lucy McClane, who surprisingly enough cracked the audience up when she proves herself to be McClane's daughter in more than just name. The way she's portrayed is priceless, and gives a bit of a different spin to the hostage/damsel in distress role she's been given. Aside from that, she's darn HOT, so all's well.

The plot and pacing of Die Hard 4.0 is pretty fast, though you do notice the film's length, in a good way. You don't really figure out what the bad guys are up to until near the third act, but when it does it's not really earth-cracking; it's all about the money, after all it's Die hard. The action, as expected, is loud and flashy with lots and lots of gunfire, the odd 'special' death or stunt, and lots of McClane getting bruised and bloody. What I can say is that the stunts though seem to get more fantastic with every sequel. The first Die Hard had gritty, thrilling but pretty realistic action sequences, which got ramped up to more high-octane hi-jinx in the second and third installments. Well, Die Hard 4.0 pumps up the action to superhuman levels. How would McClane know that a car would fly up high enough to nail a chopper (it's in the trailer anyway) instead of just smashing into the ticket booth like any normal car would? Is it really that easy to jump off a speeding vehicle at full tilt? And that bit with McClane versus the JET FIGHTER... it's borderline Schwarzenegger-fantastic. I mean, I expect that McClane could jump into the Transformers Movie and kick Decepticon arse all by himself with a half-empty gun and a band-aid.

That said, it's all fun if a bit overblown. Scratch that- pretty overblown. Still, it's all fun and quite a crowd-pleasing romp with an old friend. Despite it all, McClane is still McClane- complete with that silly laugh and the "Yippie-Kay-Yay-Mother-" (insert gunshot here) at the end. If you love the Die Hard series, you will want to see this. And if you're not, it's a pretty cool and slick action movie that shoots and scores.

To end... is there room for another Die Hard? Well, as long as Willis can still lift a gun, why not? Or maybe they can spin-off and make a movie with a lady Die Hard starring Lucy? Or team her up with daddy? Who knows. All I can say is, I'll be there to see it.

Die Hard 4.0 is now showing in Metro Manila theaters. Watch Hard.

iPhone

In the US, the Apple iPhone is out. All over Youtube (who by the way deleted my original account for some reason- BASTARDS), there are tons of vids of proud new owners of Apple's newest and brightest tech device. I've watched a few and so far I've gathered quite a bit of info.
First of all, the iPhone looks incredible, with it's HUGE glass touchscreen (glass means it's resistant to scratches, which is great). The touchscreen does seem to live up to the hype, being far more sensitive and versatile compared to previous device screens- we've all seen the vids. Pinch and draw your fingers out to zoom in or out. Throw your finger to scroll up and down and marvel at the way the simulated physics keeps the momentum going.

The screen makes for a great viewing portal for surfing the web, watching movies and browsing photos. You can watch Youtube vids (it's one of the iPhone's built-in apps) and listen to your tunes. It certainly is the best iPod yet, as promised by Apple.

While it does have a Youtube app, it does not have flash; the videos played are converted to Apple's format through YT's agreement with Apple. As it stands, you cannot really watch every Youtube vid, only 'featured' and 'most popular' vids, and some limited access to the search function. Eventually, this should extend to the whole Youtube repertoire. Maybe.

However, along with the perks are coming some quite glaring flaws.

For one, you WILL need iTunes to sync and put in your vids and tunes. Treat it as an iPod (though I have never owned a pod, so I can only speculate) when loading stuff- you can't just drag and drop with abandon. The iPhone plays only mp4 videos or the native Apple format vids- DIVX, XVID and WMV libraries must be converted. GAH.

The iPhone's 2 megapixel camera is... pretty bland. Apparently you cannot adjust or tweak anything. There's no option to do anything aside from the one button to snap pics (which are pretty good anyway). No flash or auto-anything. AND, you can only take stills- no video. In any case, the iPhone's screen makes for a huge viewfinder at the very least...

There is apparently NO WAY to check how much free memory you have.

There are widgets (small apps that do various functions) in the phone, but no games. Third Party developers are barred from the device, so any app will come from Apple and that's that. You can't put in or set up your own custom ringtones, and apparently no way to put them into the phone. No themes or much in customization aside from the ability to put up a wallpaper. Perhaps personalizing stuff will come later- Apple isn't as used to this stuff like Nokia or Sony Ericsson, after all.

It's an expensive toy- the price ranges from $499 for the 4 GB model, $599 for the 8 GB phone. Then you have to pay about $1000 for the phone plans. As mentioned, the iPhone is exclusive to one carrier in the US (Cingular, I think) for the next few years.

Phone call quality is apparently BAD. Perhaps software updates will remedy this, but initial impressions with texting and calling has been less than stellar. Apple makes great iPods, but it all just shows how much of a neophyte they are in phonemaking.

Battery life is apparently pretty good- at least better than similar devices. Supposedly it will give you up to 7 hours playing video, and 24 for music. The battery is replaceable but Apple estimates that they would last for at least 400 charges (or two years).

Well there it is. So far, the iPhone's on the surface niceties are real- but beneath the lovely, huge, mirrory screen lies quite a few things that potential users will have to take notice off. Apple still has a lot to learn from making phones, but that should be remedied by later models. The one year delay between the initial US launch and the eventual Asian debut of the device will hopefully give us a more updated, user-friendly, even better iPhone. Still, I'm not really that hot with it. I'll probably stay with Windows- DIVX/XVID videos, drag-and-drop ease, third party apps and games aplenty, lotsa customizations and more are just too good to drop for looks and gimmicks alone.

But DAMN that screen looks freakin' beautiful. Dammit.