RIP Steve Jobs, Thank You for the Magic 0 comments

(CNN) -- Steve Jobs, the visionary in the black turtleneck who co-founded Apple in a Silicon Valley garage, built it into the world's leading tech company and led a mobile-computing revolution with wildly popular devices such as the iPhone, died Wednesday. He was 56.

The hard-driving executive pioneered the concept of the personal computer and of navigating them by clicking onscreen images with a mouse. In more recent years, he introduced the iPod portable music player, the iPhone and the iPad tablet -- all of which changed how we consume content in the digital age. 

His friends and Apple fans on Wednesday night mourned the passing of a tech titan. 

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives," Apple said in a statement. "The world is immeasurably better because of Steve." 

See reactions from Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and many others

More than one pundit, praising Jobs' ability to transform entire industries with his inventions, called him a modern-day Leonardo Da Vinci. 

"Steve Jobs is one of the great innovators in the history of modern capitalism," New York Times columnist Joe Nocera said in August. "His intuition has been phenomenal over the years." 

Jobs' death, while dreaded by Apple's legions of fans, was not unexpected. He had battled cancer for years, took a medical leave from Apple in January and stepped down as chief executive in August because he could "no longer meet (his) duties and expectations." 

Born February 24, 1955, and then adopted, Jobs grew up in Cupertino, California -- which would become home to Apple's headquarters -- and showed an early interest in electronics. As a teenager, he phoned William Hewlett, president of Hewlett-Packard, to request parts for a school project. He got them, along with an offer of a summer job at HP. 

Jobs dropped out of Oregon's Reed College after one semester, although he returned to audit a class in calligraphy, which he says influenced Apple's graceful, minimalist aesthetic. He quit one of his first jobs, designing video games for Atari, to backpack across India and take psychedelic drugs. Those experiences, Jobs said later, shaped his creative vision. 

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future," he told Stanford University graduates during a commencement speech in 2005. "You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

I've never been this upset about the death of someone I've never met. 

Steve, thank you for making our lives more magical. You are definitely an inspiration.

Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs. The world just lost a genius.

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs

Sims 3: Play With Life 0 comments

There is something oddly satisfying playing God in a highly graphic and detailed virtual world where you can practically do whatever you like. The Sims 3 is an addicting alternate universe where you can create Sims with the look, personality and even life aspiration of your choice and guide them through a 3D world which you, yourself, has helped create.

I don't know about other players, but even as a 20-something young professional, I found this game highly addicting and entertaining. When I was a kid, I used to play with Barbies and doll houses complete with a highly detailed storyline in my head. I think this is exactly the same thing but with more potential because of the availability of interactive items, self-designed houses and personal relationships between Sims. If this kind of technology was invented in early 90's, I would've went insane from all the story-telling possibilities of the game.

So with all the stress and limitations that comes with real life, it's nice to have something to escape to where there are no boundaries and an unlimited number of possibilities exist. Even if it only exist in my laptop. ;)

Cooking Dash: Thrills & Spills (Review) 4 comments

I've mentioned before that I'm a sucker for these Dash games and was looking for quite a challenge. Well, I think PlayFirst heard such request and cooked up a sumptuous serving of action-packed culinary adventure worthy of staring at the computer screen for hours on end and suffering a splitting headache afterward. Seriously, I think my eyesight noticeably worsened after finishing the 6 restaurants in Casual mode. And there's still Expert mode to cook and conquer.

Cooking Dash 3: Thrills and Spills is a lovely concoction of diverse recipes, interesting customer personalities and insane rushing around the place to meet the sought-after goal. This time, mini-games were added to the gameplay where the dish prizes that you get from playing will be usefully waiting for you in the next round. I loved how they incorporated these individual miniature tasks to the over-all experience of getting through all the levels the game has to offer.

I also noticed that there was a change in the long-time standard of having to clean up the plates and drop them off to the bin two at a time. Now, a power-up is available so that Flo just "throws" the dirty dishes aside rather than having to walk all across the screen and back giving us players more time to concentrate more on the complicated dishes being demanded mostly by impatient customers.

I loved how in every level, a different kind of menu is presented for the players to learn and get used to. Cooking Dash 2: DinerTown Studios failed in that aspect which cooking specific dishes were just the same in every level, just with a different background.

All in all, the third installment of the widely popular game franchise is a definite success, as it keeps all the main addictive ingredients from the previous releases while adding a dash of fresh twist to every coke with ice served. I'll give it 5/5 stars.

Hotel Dash: Suite Success 0 comments

 A laptop and an hour of free time every lunch break. Turns out, those things are all I needed to finish the game's 50 levels in just less than two weeks.

One of the latest incarnations of the DASH family (Diner Dash, Cooking Dash and Wedding Dash all ring a bell?), Hotel Dash: Suite Success is set in the hospitable world of hotel management. Apparently, running a restaurant and even cooking the meals weren't enough for Flo who wanted to put her Bachelor of Science in HRM to good use.

The gameplay isn't as addictive as its Dash cousins but it fortunately can stand on its own, although I must admit that it gets repetitive after a while. The task is simple: put hotel guests in their color coded rooms, deliver items like food, towels or extra pillows then successfully check them out just in time for the arrival of new guests. Oh, and we cannot forget to clean up the messy spills all those clowns can make while running around the place.

Though creative and amusing enough, the game lacks the unpredictability and diversity of actions of the other Dash franchises. It also isn't challenging enough for time management addicts like me who is looking for something to keep my neurons up and awake (although probably not as hard as the last levels of Cooking Dash: DinerTown Studios where I'm still stuck at Level 45).

The irony is, there were times when it felt that the game was trying too hard, introducing sleepwalking visitors, wake up calls and even ghosts as hotel guests, which made the whole thing feel over-the-top while being underwhelming at the same time. My guess is that with a few more tweaks in the creativity department, Hotel Dash 2 will be just what its predecessor had implied, a success.

Cityville on Facebook and Why I Now Hate Zynga 1 comments

Everyone, meet the thing that has been keeping me up into the wee hours of the night, sabotaging productivity and work ethic and over-all wasting the precious hours of my young adult life. It's not drugs (although it would be way cooler if it was).

I'm actually ashamed to say that this evil time-wasting entity is Zynga's CityVille on Facebook, the latest game craze that has hit the FarmVille playing users of the social networking giant. Seriously, before I got lured by its powerful skyscraper-building claws, I often scoff at the  childishness of some of my friends for still playing Facebook games. I kept thinking, don't they have anything else to do?  Virtual crop-planting is so two years ago.

Little did I know that the end of that era is near.

So it turns out, curiosity killed the cat and my Facebook Game Sobriety. One day, when I pathetically had nothing better to do, I saw my Wall filled with free gold coins and invitation of mayoral friendship so I foolishly clicked on the cartoon link.

And the rest was history.

Not only was it fun, but the game is also quite addicting, even to young professionals (at least those who still have free time every night) like me. And yes, that is my way of sharing the utter dorkiness of this so-called obsession to other people.

Being a hybrid of FarmVille and Monopoly, CityVille is a one of a kind time waster that ingenuously utilizes everything good about almost every popular game on the social networking site. It harnesses creativity from the freedom to design your own city, it motivates daily visits by eliciting fear that your crops and ship cargo goods might get spoiled and most cunningly of all, it is overly-dependent on 'neighbors' for level progress. After a few minutes of playing, I got to understand why so many of my friends post requests for energy and other random stuff when in fact, most people view them as very colorful version of Facebook Spam.

Scoring a 1,000 on the Geek-O-Meter or not, I have found that playing the game is a good stress reliever especially after work when all I want to do is to stare at moving pictures and click at stuff. It is the time of the day when I can't even write a single paragraph much less a whole cohesive article or a story even though I know I have to get my writing neurons going. It is a good application for shutting down hyperactive thoughts for a while so that they can rest for a moment, at least until dinner is served. 

So with that defensive rebuttal, whether a childish time black hole, Wall irritant or a stress freeing visual candy, whatever others might say, I am at peace with my inner nerdiness. And I'm keeping my Empire.

Plants Vs. Zombies Game Review 2 comments

When I first heard of a game involving planting various kinds of greenery to ward off brain-eating monsters, I thought it was a time-wasting endeavor only for children with half-formed cognitive abilities a wide definition of the word "fun".

I now fully admit that I had made a mistake.

Within three days of playing the game via a downloaded copy of the program from the Internet, I finished all the levels in the Adventure section and was still hungry for more.

For some reason, the strategic demands of the game stimulated more neurons that I ever thought it could. There is something about the different kinds of plants with their corresponding powers that kept the game interesting and repeatable for many rounds in the future. The different species of the feared, yet oftentimes comical, Creatures of Doom made it more challenging to players of all ages.

Lastly, like a cherry on top of an ice cream sundae, the hilarious music video of a Sunflower singing a catchy original song about, what else, plants and zombies made me laugh out loud like it was the Harapan Vice-Presidential Debate all over again. I was so amused by the video that I felt like all those wasted time in front of the computer playing the game was all worth it.

And good news, you don't have to battle forces of the undead to watch said video. In fact, I have it right here.

Ain't that grand?

Keep those Sunflowers blooming. :)

Burger Shop 2 0 comments

Getting stuck at a certain level of Cooking Dash makes one cranky and thirsty for more restaurant adventures. Hence, after raiding Big Fish's online games and looking for a free full version of it at 4shared.com, I've installed Burger Shop 2 in my computer and played it for 6 hours straight. Talk about eye sore.

The goal is set up and deliver the orders of the customers lining up at your shop by picking up items from the conveyor belt and either cooking it or just stacking them up together or both. You need to complete the customers orders before his/her patience runs out and leave.

The game is basically like Cooking Dash except for the conveyor belt factor and having to stack up buns, burgers, lettuce etc. together while filling up drinks at the same time. It's not as easy as it sounds, mind you. A power up or an additional item on the menu is given after every level, either helping or making the next one more exciting to play. The great part about this one is you can choose which item or power up to incorporate to the next level so you know which direction you want to go to.

Burger Shop also has a variety of customers ranging from the patient Normal Guy to the agitated Punk and the eccentric clown who orders weird combination of food items. This brings a pleasant twist to the potential repetitive game play.

The game is not as challenging as its other restaurant time management counterparts but it as addicting. Especially to people who have nothing else to do. Ha.

Rated: ♥♥♥♥/5

Bookworm Adventures 2: Fractured Fairytales 2 comments

And again with the geek mode and addictions, the latest member of the short list is a PC game starring a non-vertebrae. Bookworm Adventures 2, the latest offering of PopCap games is an addicting vocabulary game combined with RPG environment.

Your goal is to guide Lex the (book)Worm into different twisted fairy tale worlds and defeat equally crooked fairy tale characters to gain points, power ups, lives and saves. Every now and then, Moxie the Fox will intervene and offer you 4 mini games in which you can win ever so useful powers and lives. This time, companion guides like Granny Goose, that weird cat from Alice in Wonderland and other mystery guides I have yet to unravel can accompany you through the different levels of tiledom and grant healing elixirs to freshen up waning health.

For me, the game is pretty easy until you reach the difficult levels at the end of each chapters where all you can see on your tile grid is X, Y, and Zs and you need to Scramble or else play 3-letter elementary words. The characters are interesting and amusing to watch. Witty quips and character descriptions bring attitude to the game. It's not hard to stay glued to the monitor for hours long.

Like all games, it can get tiring after long hours of play, but it's enjoyable enough to keep you coming back for more. :)

Facebook is the New Friendster and DOTA 2 comments

Harvesting is the new trend nowadays. And no, it's not because of a sudden uprising of agricultural and environmental concern among young Filipinos. It's because of a social networking site games, of all things, that got this generation hooked on becoming farmers.

Facebook exploded on the Philippine web market this year (yes, a couple of years behind other countries but we're getting there) and many have already made the switch from the prehistoric Friendster to this new and exciting site. If you're like me, you still keep your Friendster account but rarely visit it much less update it. People with no internet access at home and are not that comfortable in the cyberworld may find it more difficult to create an account from scratch and adjust to FB's more complicated user interface but I see a FS like phenomena with FB in the near future, I daresay.

But with addictions come great drawbacks (and hilarity). A few years ago, some internet war game stole the time, money and attention of males of all ages from the things they should be doing and/or spending time with (e.g. their girlfriends). Scorned women were everywhere and needless to say, text message jokes didn't let this instance pass.

I remember reading jokes and hearing true stories on how girlfriends were forgotten because of their man's addiction to DOTA. I think it's despicable how guys can be so immature to let everything slip away because of some stupid game. Plus, the fact that they look so barbaric shouting at each other while pounding on the keyboard like madmen did not help.

These days, a new trend of girlfriend vs. computer is on a rise. And it has flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables on its side.

One time while I was staring at my wall looking for new updates of my friends, I saw one status saying something like this, which really cracked me up.

"Tigil tigilan mo nga yang pagtatanim dahil hindi ka magsasaka!"

Followed by:

"Ngayon alam ko na ang feeling ng mga girlfriends na pinagpapalit sa mga computer games at Facebook."

I was, like: Seriously? Guys are also hooked on virtual planting?. This was hilarious! A comedy goldmine! Having been addicted to the same kind of thing 2 months ago but quickly got over it, I now find this situation extremely amusing.

Thank Obama my boyfriend doesn't use the internet that much and does not even have a facebook account. He even complained to me how annoying his teenage (male) cousins were playing "those games where you plant things" because he thought they were acting like kids. I've also received a text message some time ago making fun of the same situation which I LOLed at.

What I just want to point out is that... Well, I have nothing to point out. Just want to share this to you all because I'm finding this freakin funny, and you should to. :)

Cooking Dash 2: DinerTown Studios 2 comments

There's something about mindless PC games that just gets so addicting you forget it's time to eat, drink or sleep. What is it about doing nothing productive that just makes you want to do it more?

The latest addition to my current list of Really Pointless Time Wasters is, yes, you guessed it, Cooking Dash 2. Now I've been a fan of these strategy games where you get to serve customers and stuff back in high school and even in college. Boy, these games can take hours off your precious time and make it seem like minutes have just passed by.

It all started with the famous Diner Dash saga where Flo, the star of this popular restaurant strategy PC game series, is a waitress trying to seat customers in their proper color arrangement, serve food, pick up the tab, clean up mess and provide high chair for those irritating crying babies. Put in that way, yes, it sounds a game a toddler would play but it's more entertaining than that, believe me. So entertaining that the original version generated sequels to further enhance its franchise giving birth to Diner Dash 2: Restaurant Rescue, Diner Dash: Flo on the Go and many more.

The latest addition to the Flo Restaurant strategy takes us to the land of the grill and fryers. She is now a chef trying to cook and waiter at the same time with the help of Grandma. Thus, Cooking Dash is born. I've also tried the first version of the said game and all I can say, aside from the breathtaking graphics, is that it is as addicting as its older sister. I didn't get to finish the whole game because I got stuck in a certain level I can't get past and my computer decided to have its annual issues at that time resulting to another re-installment of my OS.

Now, Cooking Dash 2 is out and, as expected, it delivered the usual customers we all know and love with additional characters to spice things up.

• 3 New celebrity customers
• Special power-ups
• Over 25 decoration and upgrades to purchase
• 5 New on-set restaurants, each with an original menu
  

I do not read the cartoon comics that comes up after each level depicting some kind of a story I don't really care about. All I know is that the setting is in some kind of a show shooting and it's Flo's responsibility to feed the production crew and the cast. It's not much different from its predecessor, meaning it will probably eat up my hours in the upcoming days until I get stuck in a certain level I can't get out of. Oh happy happy days.

I have just finished my 5-day BLS and CPR training and is now a Licensed First Aider. So, maybe, I deserve to waste a few days clicking and straining my eyes. *wink* :)


P.S. If in case you've paid close attention to the first image in this post, you may have noticed that it is welcoming a player who calls him/herself WAYSTED. Now, let me make it clear that I am not that player and I will never use such username in any account that I have or will have in the future. I have no affiliations with the seemingly alcohol induced player. He is a product of google image search. Thank you.