General

Man of Steel

By on Monday, June 17, 2013

Finally a Superman movie that’s actually super. Not since Superman (and somewhat Superman II) has there been a worthy Superman movie. I hated Superman III and I don’t even remember Superman IV. And Superman Returns? Let’s just say he shouldn’t have.

The general story is familiar to those who have seen the first two original movies. Kal-El was sent to Earth, Krypton was destroyed, Kal-El grows up to become Superman, outlaw Kryptonian general Zod and underlings shows up, big fight, Superman wins.

But the execution is what makes it super. Fights were dynamic and titanic. Even the ones between Jor-El and Zod. Yes, a scientist kicking ass! Never has Russel Crowe been so cool since Gladiator. And wait till you see Superman vs Zod. No external underwear here. This Superman not just kicks ass but takes names as well. This is Superman for the younger set. Not necessarily good. But not necessarily bad. And it’s definitely a fun watch.

That Man of Steel wraps up the stories of Superman and Superman II makes the reboot complete and in one move (or movie) sets up the stage for what’s next. And that’s the question: What’s next? Given the height of success of Man of Steel, it’s easier to screw it up than make it better. But I hope they’re able to do the former. The franchise now shows so much potential.

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General

iOS 7 beta

By on Tuesday, June 11, 2013
As expected iOS 7 was announced at WWDC and as usual, I grabbed the beta as soon as it became available. IOS 7 is supposed to be biggest change since the original iPhone. Indeed there were some big changes:
  1. New Look – the biggest and most discussed change, the “flatter” interface; Skeumorphism is out, simple and modern is in. Reminds me of Android Jelly Bean and Windows Phone 8. Colors are generally flat and simple, icons and text are generally slim and crisp taking full advantage of the Retina display. Generally because the application is not consistent. Looks like the style guide is not yet in place.
  2. Notification Center – updated with today, all notifications, and missed notifications. And no, the today view is not something Google Now innovated :P Still no swipe to dismiss.
  3. Control Center – a pull up tab with quick access to system settings for Airplane Mode, WiFi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb Mode, Orientation Lock, and brightness. It also has the media player controls and shortcuts for some apps (flashlight, clock, calculator, and camera).
  4. Folders – animated unless it’s on the dock. Also folder now have multiple pages just like the home screen.
  5. Multitasking – improved process list with screen preview of process. You can swipe up on the previews to close apps. Supposedly, apps can actually run on the background when the phone is awake.
  6. Settings – fugly icon, new interface that reminds me of Android Jelly Bean
  7. Safari – fugly icon, new interface, smart address/search bar, tabs no longer limited to 8. You can swipe left to close tabs.
  8. Camera – new interface, swipe left and right to choose between video, camera, square (think Instagram complete with filters), and panorama.
  9. Photos – new interface, new filing system (years, collections, moments)
  10. Siri – enhanced capabilities such as adjusting system settings and new data sources
  11. Flickr and Vimeo Intgration – similar to Twitter and Facebook integration.

Overall, I like where iOS is heading. But this beta is the roughest (and most sluggish) one I’ve ever tried. That’s not a good sign.

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General

Explosion at Serendra

By on Friday, May 31, 2013

Earlier, Jeanne, and I were having dinner at Mary Grace at Serendra when there was a loud explosion. The building actually shook. My first reaction was to grab Jeanne and duck close to the wall and floor.

There was no other explosion so I peeked up and saw people calmly heading towards the source of the explosion. Someone said that the it was at Market! Market!

Still, I had no intention of staying around. We quickly paid and drove out. To avoid the traffic, we went the long route away from Market! Market!

When we got home, I checked the news and it turned out that the explosion was from Serendra! Thanks to God were safe. Others were not so lucky, I read on the news there were some casualties.

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General

Fast and Furious 6

By on Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Last Sunday afternoon, Jeanne, Michelle, and I caught a screening of Fast and Furious 6. Just like the previous installation, it’s a heist movie with cars. But this time around, there’s a hint of James Bond. The crew gets together for a job to stop an ex-SAS international villain from stealing and assembling some kind of doomsday device. See what I mean about the hint of James Bond?

Assembling the crew for the task was care of Hobbs (The Rock/Dwayne Johnson). I guess, James Bond was busy and he needed Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) uncanny ability for doing the impossible with cars (and anything with wheels). He accomplished this by dangling the possibility of Letty Ortiz being alive to the playing-hard-to-get Toretto. Of course he succeeded, otherwise there’d be no movie. First love never dies indeed.

But as usual, the whole point are the cars. It doesn’t matter where they are, what they’re doing. It’s all about the cars. The stunts are over the top and absolutely ridiculous. But there’s no denying it was fun!

You’d think it’s hard to come up with a crazier and more outrageous sequel. But they just may even be able to pull it off. Think Jason Statham of The Transporter fame. Wait for the post-credit ;)

Rating: 3/5

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