On Oct 6, Microsoft unveiled a number of devices namely the Lumia 550, Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL, Band 2, Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. The Lumias are phones and the Band 2 is a smart band. The Surface Pro is a tablet while the Surface Book is a laptop of sorts. However, the way Microsoft has pitched these two devices presents an antithesis. When the third generation of the Surface Pro was released, Microsoft pitched it as the tablet that could replace your laptop but with the Surface Book, Microsoft is telling us it is the laptop that could become a tablet when you need it to be. Despite these confusing statements, there are some similarities and important differences between the two.
Waleesa's Opinions
Original analyses by a TechnoMotiveCinemal.
Sunday, 11 October 2015
Why the Surface Pro 4 is better than the Surface Book
On Oct 6, Microsoft unveiled a number of devices namely the Lumia 550, Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL, Band 2, Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. The Lumias are phones and the Band 2 is a smart band. The Surface Pro is a tablet while the Surface Book is a laptop of sorts. However, the way Microsoft has pitched these two devices presents an antithesis. When the third generation of the Surface Pro was released, Microsoft pitched it as the tablet that could replace your laptop but with the Surface Book, Microsoft is telling us it is the laptop that could become a tablet when you need it to be. Despite these confusing statements, there are some similarities and important differences between the two.
Monday, 14 September 2015
Apple iPad Pro: First Impression
I am not going
to get into why I dislike iOS devices. This is simply an unbiased and objective
look at Apple’s largest tablet, the recently unveiled iPad Pro.
The Good
Display/Screen
It has a larger
screen: 12.9 inches. Also there are more pixels. Not that I am impressed by
that sort of thing. Personally, 720p is more than adequate for mobile hand held
devices; 1080p at the most. Anything higher is superfluous. But that’s another
matter.
Sunday, 23 August 2015
What Under the Dome Can Learn From Prison Break
Prison Break was originally
conceived as a two- season TV series about a group of incarcerated guys that
broke out of a high security prison. Unfortunately, the series eventually ran
for 4 seasons with each of the last two seasons being really terrible. Why did
it happen? One word: greed. The network (Fox) got greedy and chose to extend
the show. without a concrete or properly fleshed-out plan for a good story.. Never mind that the series is
making a comeback in what seems to be another poorly-conceived attempt at story
telling. What does all this have to do with
Under the Dome? Quite a lot.
Friday, 21 August 2015
Terminator Genisys Review
I just watched Terminator
Genisys last weekend. Yes I know it has been out for quite some time. I’ve been
occupied. Even after reading James Cameron's endorsement, I went in with an
open mind. And while I am mostly against reboots and unnecessary sequels, I
have always had a soft spot for Terminator:
Judgment Day (1991). To me, unnecessary reboots and sequels portray
laziness, an unwillingness to try something new/different, averseness to
change, and of course, greed. The latest examples are Fast and Furious 7 and Jurassic
World. God rest Paul Walkers's soul but Furious 7 was SSDD. Jurassic World
is good but it's not for we that were around when Jurassic Park and The Lost
World were released. For us, it's the same movie all over again. It would be
fun for those aged 15 and below. And I think Chris Pratt was cast just to
capitalize on his new found stardom/fame. Not that Guardians of the Galaxy was a good movie but I digress. Terminator
Genisys is an excellent movie and is proof that reboots can be done right. It is
not a remix of the first two movies; it is an entirely different film.
Genisys is a reboot not just
for the newer/younger generation but for fans of the first two movies. I am
rather glad that the third and fourth movies were disregarded. Rise of the Machines was rubbish and Salvation wasn't memorable.
Truth be told, I was worried
when the fifth movie was announced and that Arnold was reprising his role as a
T800. My reaction was 'here we go again! Isn't he too old to convincingly portray
a terminator?' Alas, his aged appearance was brilliantly addressed in the
movie. More so, his performance here is superlative and enough to redeem his
last outing in the third movie.
Though a reboot might
contain familiar characters and elements, it should bring something new to the
table and the T1000 did just that; not with the shape shifting and not with the
GPS tracker bit, but with something else. – removing part of its body and then
shape-shifting that part to have a pointed edge and then lobbing it as spear. Also, the T800 now runs. I don't recall Arnie running in Judgment Day. That
said, the lines "Come with me if you
want to live" and "I'll be
back" shouldn't have been used. The movie would be just as fine
without them.
Some have complained about
the confusing nature of the different timelines but I think that's part of what
makes Genisys great. Though not all genres can, a good movie should stimulate
thought and conversation long after the movie has ended. And this movie does
that. I'm still trying to figure out how Sarah Connor knew certain things since
the timeline was different. It could turn out to be a flaw/goof. I'll have to
watch it again to be sure. I'm also unclear as to what actually caused the
different timeline. I don't think the film is confusing. It simply requires some
thought and isn't for simpletons. If you want a confusing movie, watch Cloud
Atlas.
The tone of the undeserved poor
reviews have convinced me that those critics are nothing more than disciples of
Simon Cowell’s brand of traumatising insults masked as critiques.
I watch Judgment Day every
couple of years just to get my terminator fix. With Genisys, I have a new
favourite. The only thing T2 has over Genisys is the score. Genisys has a good score but I don't think it's as good as that of T2. That said, Genisys has a good collection of actual songs.
My advice to the writers, the
Director, the studio and everyone involved in making this film is this: Though
Genisys doesn't have a stellar box office performance, that doesn't mean it
isn't a great movie. A classic example is The Shawshank Redemption. If the
planned sequels don't happen, so be it. It can serve as a good conclusion. This
movie accomplished the seemingly impossible task of properly reopening an already
concluded story. However, if you do make a sequel, please don't give away plot
twists and reveals in the trailers.
The good guys at HonestTrailers would probably ask, why did Skynet bother sending a T800 and a T1000
back to 1984 when it could have easily sent an altered John Connor (T3000)?
That would have ensured success. Now for the most important question of all:
Who sent the T800 back to 1973 to protect young Sarah Connor?
Saturday, 4 July 2015
4GB of RAM Should Be the Minimum for Windows 10
When Microsoft announced
that any PC capable of booting Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 would be sufficient
to boot Windows 10, many PC manufacturers and retailers were irked because it
meant many users wouldn't be upgrading their hardware which in turn meant lower
sales for them. Keeping the requirements for Windows 10 the same as those for
Windows 7 and 8 makes a lot of sense because it means more people will upgrade
to the new OS. - something Microsoft desperately needs and wants. But Microsoft may have done itself (and
Windows 10) a disservice by allowing 2GB of RAM as a sufficient minimum. That's
because there's a difference between booting Windows and running Windows.
Saturday, 27 June 2015
Preliminary Review of the 2016 BMW 7-Series
The New 2016 BMW 7-Series was unveiled recently. As I am yet to see the car in the flesh, I will be relying on the official videos. On the exterior, its strong and definitive beltline give it a defined stance which in turn makes the whole vehicle look athletic. This is a good thing because compared to its archrival, the Mercedes S Class which (in its current generation) is bland, the exterior of the new 7-Series has got character.
It has a few tricks too. It can park itself by driving into and reverse out of a garage or parking space. This is done with the aid of its key; a display key (a slightly larger key fob with a colour touchscreen display).
A Short Review of Person of Interest: Season 4
The fourth season of our favourite show wrapped up about a month ago. Ergo, this review is a bit belated. On the whole, Season 4 was a disappointment. It was supposed to be The Machine vs Samiritan. Instead, what we got was The Machine playing a defensive game mostly by hiding. Also, there were way too many filler episodes. It seems the writers and producers had a good idea but just didn’t know how to execute it properly. There were a lot of inconsistencies. So I guess trimming the upcoming fifth season to just thirteen episodes is a welcome development. If it will be the final season is unknown at this point. Here’s a quick rundown of the major problems with Season 4.
(i) Shaw’s character has been built-up and portrayed
as a cold and precise killer. I would call her the grown up version of Hit Girl in KickAss. So I found it odd
that she couldn’t successful shoot Martine at the beauty parlour (despite the superior
firepower that she was packing).
(ii) All of a sudden, Root is now an exponent
of hand to hand combat. Where did that come from? Meanwhile, Martine who has
sometimes been portrayed as a kind of black ops agent couldn’t do better than
to engage in a girly fight with Root. The writers even went further to portray
Root as an expert of sorts with the ease with which she snapped Martine’s neck.
This is all very inconsistent.
(iii) The Machine’s dialog at the end came
across as very awkward and completely out of character. A Machine that had hitherto
refused to (or accepted not to) talk with Harold is now calling him father. I’m
not sure what to make of that but certainly, I was neither impressed nor
amused.
(iv) The episode with Carter was in my
opinion, one of the worst. It served no real purpose. It neither added to nor
moved the plot forward in any way. It seems the writers just wanted to cash in
on Taraji P. Henson’s fame on Empire.
(v) Also, I have to wonder why Samaritan didn’t
fix the blindspots / deadzones in the city’s surveillance.
(vi) Fusco has heard a Machine being mentioned
twice now. It’s becoming unrealistic that he hasn’t asked what it is. – First
in the Season finale of Season 3 during the blackout after he steps out of the
anti-riot vehicle. The second time is in If Then Else episode of Season 4.
I shall miss Elias, excellently
played by Enrico Collantoni. He was one of the very good characters, much akin
to Gus Fring of Breaking Bad. Scarface
Anthony also got some well-deserved character development. Even Reese commented
that he never knew his name.
And let’s not forget where
Season 4 ended: Finch, Root, and (a probably wounded) Reese were literally
walking towards and shooting at Samirtan agents. A situation where the trio were
both outnumbered and outgunned. I’m wondering how this will be resolved.
The season definitely had
some great episodes though. I think many people would agree that the best was
If The Else. If Shaw’s character had been killed off here, it would have been a
glorious and befitting exit. Dominic got schooled by Elias. Despite his
knowledge of strategy and big talk, he fell for a cheap ruse. I shall miss both
characters though. I would have preferred their conflict to endure another
season or two. My favourite episodes:
(i)
Episode 1: Panopticon
(ii)
Episode 3: Wingman
(iii)
Episode 4: Brotherhood
(iv)
Episode 6: Pretenders
(v)
Episode 8: Point of Origin
(vi)
Episode 9: The Devil You Know
(vii)
Episode 11: If-Then-Else
(viii) Episode
12: Control-Alt-Delete
And to Jonathan Nolan, CBS,
Varese Sarabande and Ramin Djawadi: PLEEEEEAAAAAAAASSSEEEEEEEE, release the
soundtrack (score) already. Both for Seasons 3 and 4. We need something to tide
us over till the next season debuts. And whilst on the subject of musical
scores, it would be better if the scores/soundtrack compilation for any TV
series is released within a month after the end of each Season.
Peace.
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