Review: NextBit Robin

Preface:
I wrote this review in the first week of January. I have not been able to publish it because of our blog's publishing schedule and because I have important things outside this blog to attend to. During this time, major changes have happened that have altered the course of this phone's manufacturer, Nextbit. They were purchased by Razer, and they are now in the process of potentially being shut down and swallowed by the larger company; Razer itself claims that NextBit will be allowed to run as their own company, but I don't see any real positive prospects. Eitherway, I am not quite clear how this affects the product as a whole, but I have updated the parts of the review where I know there will be changes to. 

On with the review.

I love this phone. A lot. As of writing, I've used it for over a month. A family member purchased this on my recommendation and they've been kind enough to let me use this as a test device. It's a phone I've slowly fallen in love with, because it's simply so unique and brilliant. I'll be going over the phone under specific titles so you can keep up with it.

First, my unboxing video:

Design & Speakers

Countless friends and acquaintances have expressed surprise at how unique and distinctive this device looks; they were always very impressed. 

The device feels so good in hand! The plastics are soft touch and have a very solid feeling; the phone has a good weight in the hand, and it feels sturdy. The materials are also very durable to drops and scratches (maybe not bending apparently- as tested by JerryRigEverything on Youtube, but not a concern for me). 

It is a shade too big in height for a 5" phone, but it's for those great speakers so it's worth it. They have great balanced sound and get quite loud. The phone's boxy retro radio shape also allows you to keep upright in most places and use it as great front facing speaker. 

Here are some photos of the device itself: 

Note the NextBit Cloud logo

NextBit Logo

Top Speaker

Bottom Speaker

Note USB C Charger to the left

The round volume up and down buttons

Headphone jack

The softtouch plastic is prone to fingerprints

Very clean and elegant front

Looks very unique; easily distinguishable

Display (1080p)

The display has a slight vintage-esque tint to it, but I like it, it doesn't interfere much with viewing anyway; it's good for reading and entertainment and doesn't strain your eyes, and the resolution is more than high enough. It's a good screen, and probably better than the rest of the screens at that price.

Original NextBit lockscreen, it looks gorgeous

Fingerprint Sensor

The fingerprint sensor is also something that almost no other phone of this price offers, it's very fast and pretty reliable. It allows upto five fingers registered and it's right side edge placement is something I love, as it's very easy to get to, while pressing the power button. Reminiscent of the Sony fingerprint sensor actually.

Note the coloration difference of the sensor itself

Software (Tested on Android Marshmallow)

I don't really like the NextBit home. It doesn't have an app tray and it's home screen interface is quite non-intuitive and very easy to clutter.

However, Pop a 3rd party launcher, as always, and you're good to go.Otherwise, the software experience is superb. It's quite close to stock android, so the experience is smooth, easy to navigate and very simple. The Cloud Storage features are the NextBit's biggest thing, but to be brutally honest, I don't really care for it. 

I find my Google Photos account and 32GB storage more than enough. Nevertheless, having it is just great extra value I guess, as I'm the person to delete many apps, and 100GB is a pretty large amount for archiving; I appreciate its presence.

Update: Android Nougat will come to the Robin in due time, and NextBit has pledged to provide updates till Feb 2018. I am not entirely sure about how the Cloud Storage thing is going to work after that, so I wouldn't recommend you depend on it.

Battery (2680mah)

Battery life is okay too, it usually lasts a working day. 

If it doesn't, it doesn't really matter because a USB C Aukey Fast Charger (which you have to buy anyway- the phone doesn't come with a charging brick) can pump it to full from 0 to 100 in less than 1 hour 45mins, and 0-50 in about half an hour. Fast charging is amazing!

Internal Hardware

The Snapdragon 808 and 3GB of RAM are a very able duo, so the Robin speeds along very well, and has not failed me in any task I've thrown at it. It is able to handle most games at a reasonable quality, and it certainly won't fail the daily stuff; my G4 with the exact same spcs is still great, after almost a year. No problems here.

Camera (13MP rear, 5MP front)

The rear camera... it isn't amazing, but it's good. I don't think you can expect LG G4 or Samsung S6 quality here, but it's okay for FaceBook sharing and the sort. The viewfinder is a tad bit annoying (it's pretty quick though) and quality suffers a lot in low light. The different quality modes aren't great but I guess they do the job. 

I'd recommend you use HDR where possible. 

Here are some shots for you to decide for yourself. So sorry about the portrait orientation of these photos, but I didn't take them! My relative took them on a trip to Sri Lanka, and let's just say they're not the most photography savvy. I did take some photos but I lost my copies....

Cropped

The front camera is good, and it does the job. It suffers from many of the same faults as the rear one, but if SnapChat and Instagram are your deal, it works.

The camera is good in broad daylight but mediocre in lowlight, but like I expressed before, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to take, because the phones other features make it up for me.

Market

The closest phone with this spec is the LG G4, which is £250. The higher resolution screen and better camera are the only trade offs for me, but in daily use they haven't made a huge difference to me (I have both). You can also look into the Moto X, which compares more or less equally to this as the G4. 

At the price of just £159 on Amazon, you don't get these specs elsewhere. You find cheap lower mid rangers with barely half the specs or pedigree of this, so it's tremendous value. Major credit for the seller and NextBit for making this device available at this price.

Major Update: Nextbit has sold itself to Razer. While this is good news for the company itself, it isn't necessarily good for the buyer. While the device itself is stunningly good value, the warranty period on the device if brought brand new has been reduced; it is only 6 months from purchase now. I am sad this had to happen, but it seems these days all the startups are being brought up and scrapped by the big companies. Hopefully, Nextbit will stand by their promises to make a great smartphone with Razer. I look forward to seeing their creation, whatever shape or form it takes.


Verdict

Overall, the Nextbit Robin is very highly recommended for someone who wants a upper-midrange phone for a lower-midrange price. It's certainly worth way more, but the reason, I think, Amazon is selling them so cheap is because NextBit needs to get rid of stock, and to gain more exposure as a brand capable of making a great phone. It's good thing for both customers and the sellers. Good job, NextBit.

I rate this device a solid 9/10.
Update: Because of the warranty and sale affair, I am reducing the overall rating to a 8/10. 

Thanks for reading! If you're looking for more tech to check out or buy, do check out our Technology section. Our reviews section also offers many reviews of devices and games/apps we use.

Face Off: Evernote vs Google Keep (App)

Hi there! Welcome to our first contradictory post on the blog!

(Intro by Thisath) 

This started off as a review of Evernote by Yasaru. However, I didn't agree with him that Evernote is any good, because I have my dibs elsewhere, in the name of Google Keep. In my opinion it is waaay better than Evernote. But we're gonna let you decide which you like best. Here's to the battle of the notetakers! Read on!

EverNote

I'm Yasaru and this my review of Evernote.

Evernote is an app by the EverNote corporation released in 2007. The app has been on my phone for a solid 2 years after I saw it a while back as a "recommended app" on the google play store.

I got through the initiation process and was done with the app the day I installed it, never getting around to actually using it. That is until recently I found the app tucked away in a folder, so I decided to give it a try, and boy was I missing out on a lot.

The app is a master at getting me to plan out all of my work. The first few days might be tough when you don't know what you want to write, but with time you'll find out what you want to get done.

You'll manage to ask just that from the app, from planning down to what you want to complete the next day to jotting down small notes when needed, the app will always be there on your phone (silently judging your work ethic).

If you're like me (rather 'were' but eh.) and like to procrastinate about everything that is gonna get you to your goals, then Evernote is the app for you. The app isn't only meant for us, so even if you're a person who likes being organised (totally not envious of your skill to do so. and like to help sustain the your time on earth by reducing wastage of trees then Evernote is for you as well.

                              Interest Concentrated (Yasaru) rates the app: 8/10

Google Keep

Hey! I'm Thisath and this is my review of Google Keep!

First, I'm going to clear the air on why I think this is superior to EverNote. There is one reason. Google.
I'm a HUGE Google fanboy. I just like anything that works well with Google, Google makes and is Google. That was why I choose Evernote over every other app out there, and I do not regret it.

The Keep app shines because it works perfectly and incredibly simply with Google accounts.
The app itself is simple, easy and well designed. It's easy to make notes and it has all the features you'd need; archiving, reminders, lists and colour sorted notes.

It is available on multiple platforms, be it iOS, Android or Web based (just like EverNote of course). I just love how it easily syncs everything I write across all of my phones and computers, which makes it really easy to transfer texts between them.

On the face of it, it is really similar to EverNote. But what puts it across the finishing line for me, is that you only need one account and one app on all your devices and boom- you're set. Google Keep is a much more "wireless" experience than EverNote, and it's way less hassle. That's why I'm sure you need Google Keep. It is simply the best. Sorry, Yasaru.

My rating? Keep is one of my favourite apps, ever. I give it a very fair 9/10!
That minus one because I don't really like how you can't make text bold or italic, which is important to me (which Yasaru tells me Evernote has... smh). Otherwise, perfect!

Interest Concentrated (Thisath) rates this app 9/10

Review: Shadow Bug

Hola! I'm Shehan, and it's time for some mobile gaming reviews with me as usual.

Today I will be reviewing 'ShadowBug'.

Release your inner ninja skills with shadow bug. A game developed by Muro studios, for $4.21(there are no additional in-app purchases) and if you are a fan of silhouette styled games then you're going to like this game right away. The game is mainly action, with a few traces of puzzle.

The Plot:

Players take control of an overpowered ninja hero named Shadow Bug. A evil factory nearby has caused terrible creatures invading his home forest and it’s up to him to take it back by slicing these creatures into pieces.

The game's controls consist of simple one finger touch. And it's even better with the great music to which they also recommend using headphones. It's silhouette heavy and has amazing backgrounds.

The game animations are lag free (tested on an iPad 4) from the game's protagonist to the enemies.

The game offers several chapters with 8 levels each, boss fights included. Most of the time it is effortless, slicing and dicing your way up, but sometimes you will just have to stop and think.

To have Shadow Bug move left or right, just tap-and-hold on the appropriate half of the screen. When an enemy appears, just tap on it to attack — Shadow Bug instantly warps over to the target, so that’s how you get through otherwise impossible obstacles and make your way to the gate... Failure to do so would mean the death of shadow bug due to spikes, enemies and other hazards. While you’re in the air, you can still long press on the left or right side of the screen to “fall” in that direction, but just watch out for dangers.
The only disadvantage would be the price, which is certainly quite high. I don't know whether it is worth that much to you, but I got it for free during a AppStore sale.

Nevertheless, I really had a mesmerizing experience in this game. Not only for its amazing art work and soothing music but also for its sheer simplicity. I highly recommend this game.

Interest Concentrated rates this game 7/10

Note: I found out that there is a free of charge sequel for ShadowBug. I will definitely post that too... So stay tuned.

Review: Alto's Adventures

Welcome to another gaming review with me Shehan A.K.A 'Tyrant Beast'.

This one is going to be special because I really had a blast playing it.

Alto's Adventures, an incredible free of charge game by Noodlecake and Snowman studios, what's so great about it? Well let me explain....

Alto's adventures is an endless run arcade game, displayed in a 2D manner.

The plot: It's a simple plot, really. Alto is just sitting, watching his llamas when all of a sudden his llamas get out and starts galloping away. Alto who is controlled by the player is supposed to pass the llamas to catch them, each time gaining speed.

The game uses a one finger controls. Simply tap to jump and hold for a backflip (unfortunately the game does not provide frontflips) but watch out! Failure to execute a complete backflip when you land could lead to Alto falling off his snowboard or crashing into an obstacle or falling off a cliff. Game over.

Its sheer simplicity (it's simpler than the previous game I reviewed, ShadowBug) helps you concentrate on the game and the beautifully generated artwork it provides.

The graphics are just amazing, they really took artwork to the next level! I honestly haven't noticed any other game do that... just capturing you in the moment, from the sun itself to the lightning and rain. The in-game time goes by while you're playing, so it begins from day and transitions to night. At night it almost feels like a silhouette themed game. The music is also very soothing (which is why the game recommends headphones).

The game has a intricate combo system which players tend not to look at. You have to collect coins to buy powerups and upgrade skills while doing tricks like flips, grinds and airtime help increase your combo for high scores.

The game also features a "Zen mode" where the game gives you the freedom of an endless run without points and game overs. The game explains it in this manner:

'Welcome​ to Zen Mode.
No score, no game over, no distractions.
Just you and the endless mountain.'

Crashing into an object, failure to execute a proper back flip or falling off a cliff simply respawns you. The disadvantage of this is that you lose your speed. This mode is especially helpful when you want to practice until you want to take on high scores.

I was rather speechless when I first came across this game.
It's visual scenery takes home the trophy for me; if not for that it's just another usual endless runner.
I really had a blast playing this game as I've said in the beginning of this review, do try it out.

Interest Concentrated rates this game 9/10.

Review: Call of Duty Infinite Warfare

2016 was indeed amazing. We got so many great games; Doom, Battlefield 1 and they're all better than Infinite Warfare’s campaign. It's not for want of something to differentiate it: this is a Call of Duty game where you fight in zero-G environments, and where you fly a spaceship. If you're not into that, then I assure you, this game or this review isn't for you.

Firstly, I need to assure you that this review is spoiler free, and purely based on my opinion, so trigger-kings and trigger-queens cannot do their everyday duty, which is getting triggered over random internet posts. Secondly, I do not intend my salt in this review, if I did, I'd rather just join a League of Legends forum.

Now, since I've acclaimed that I will follow the internet rules, lets get on with it. Now if you've read my other reviews, you will notice that I follow formats.

Lets get on with the Graphics and Optimizations of this game. I purely have to praise Infinity Ward for the breathtaking graphics. They looked so beautiful, it made me tear (trust me, almost nothing makes me tear, except the time I accidentally kicked my dog, and I broke down).

After the backlash from releasing the trailer on YouTube (Trailer) (the video got a ton of hate, including 3M dislikes), Infinity Ward decided "No, lets not give them any more reasons to hate on us". So they optimized the game.

So well that it ran on my Laptop on high at 60FPS, which is pretty good, considering my old architecture (cries). I have to give Infinity Ward the prize in this case, since they have done a marvelous job in optimizing this game.

The story of this game is okay, depending on which perspective you view it from; if you're into space travel, interplanetary wars, and such scenarios, then this game would be perfect for you. If you're into the old Call of Duty scenarios, Cold War, Vietnam War, then this won't be the game for you.

Infinity Ward tried a new approach to the call of Duty game here, but the old COD gamers did not want this. The story is the basic COD story: there's good humans and there are the baddie humans.

Yes, it's a war between humans on an interplanetary scale (which will be definitely happening here soon) and the base story is this: Humans on Mars wants to destroy Humans on Earth, including the Earth itself. There are feels at the end, but it feels kind of forced, like the game is telling you to feel, like "ALL THIS HAPPENED, AND YOU NEED TO GET YOUR INNERMOST EMOTIONS OUT".

The gameplay is "less better" than the story. There are new guns (which are next to useless, like the energy rifles), there are robots, and there're many AI systems, which are a backlash to the story, since this is based on human deaths and such. In my opinion, they should've stuck to the Human side of the story, which used to be the original Call of Duty storyline (rolls eyes). 

When I first got the game, I was expecting nothing from it. I was disappointed because while I got more than I expected, it wasn't more than the Call Of Duty Modern Warfare series expectations. I'm expecting Activision to run out of names for the Call of Duty series, like "Call of Duty Advanced Warfare" and then "Call of Duty Infinite Warfare"...... What's next? "Call of Duty Even More Warfare"?

No clue what's gonna happen next.

The more crappier the names, the more crappier the backlash. Did I mention there are space battles? Like the kind of ones where you are in a Jet kinda thing, you follow enemy jets and you shoot 'em down or up (no gravity probz). It is kinda fun. You can also modify your Jet, which is called a "Jackal". So basically, it's a renamed Star Wars game.

It's a good game, not the best in the Call of Duty series, but not the worst either. Infinity Ward and Activision could've done a better job, but they didn't. I liked the game, and it was extremely worth its money. I recommend you playing the game.

Interest Concentrated rates this game 6/10

Catch me on Steam: TheMusicFella
Also stay tuned for more gaming reviews. Watch_Dogs 2 review will be out sometime next week.

Keep it cool.

Dinera

Upcoming Sony Cameras: Round Up and Overview

Hey, I'm Duruthu and I'm camera geek who has a deep interest in all things photography. For my work I use a Sony A6000 paired with a mixture of Sony, Canon and Nikon glass, and my primary interests are in event, portraiture and creative photography.

So, Sony has always delivered new camera bodies at a fast pace, and now with 2017 having arrived we can expect a brand new sweep of them. This article focuses on the latest leaks, rumors and expectations from mirrorless shooters and photography enthusiasts.

Sony is expected to come out with the following bodies in 2017:

• ·        Highly Likely: Sony A7 III
•       Highly Likely: Sony A7R III or A9
• ·        Sony A7S III
• ·        Sony A77 III
• ·        Sony RX5

             Sony A7 III

The A7 lineup is the Entry level Full Frame mirrorless from Sony, so we can expect some things to stay similar like the resolution to keep their lower price. Like its predecessor the A7 MkIII will come with a new 24MP sensor, along with improved AF possibly giving a bump to the number of AF points this time unlike in the A7II where it stayed the same to the first generation. This of course means better low light and higher ISO performance, other additions may be the inclusion of dual SD cards hopefully.

While rather unlikely since it is the entry level of the full frame series a back-illuminated sensor may be included which would further push its low light capabilities, but more likely than not it’ll instead show up in the A7r series again.

The A7ii

            Sony A7R III or A9

In 2016 Sony Japan Managers hinted that the New Flagship A7R was in the works saying;

   A7RIII the new sensor will be between 70 – 80 Megapixels. They are working on improved IBIS as well. Although officially the new lenses per the 24-70 F2.8 GM and the others have been tested for QC at 60+ Megapixels and 6K+ Video they achieve even better results than that.

                                                    

                                                           

However the Flagship of the A7 series may be no more as there is a possibility that Sony will introduce it as the Sony A9 for its high resolution Full Frame series. As hinted this new camera will feature a new higher resolution 35mm FF Sensor (70-80MP) to its predecessor which came in at 42MP. Improvements to the AF is to be expected with it likely receiving a bump in AF points from 399 phase detection points on the A7RII to 425 Phase-Detection AF points, following the standard set by the new A6500, Sony’s Flagship APS-C Sensor camera.

Here’s hoping that the A7RIII (or A9) will also follow in adding a touchscreen to the back also like the A6500. The sensor like its spiritual predecessor will definitely be back-illuminated, meaning the camera will have both high resolution and high speed, along with increased low light performance.

Other rumors suggest the body will be bigger than A7RII and possibly more similar in design to a DSLR than the previous more compact design of the A7 series. Featuring a bigger grip, hopefully this means a bigger battery, since although battery life isn’t horrible, they still don’t match up to DSLRs.

Other inclusions may be support for dual SD or even XQD cards hopefully, along with the ability to shoot unlimited RAW files in continuous burst, 4K video will of course be included as the A7R II already had it.

          Sony A7S III

 Recently, shortly after Sony revealed the new A6500, an image wasp published by CameraBeta in what they claim is a leak of the forthcoming A7SIII, and granted if we can go by this leak, reveals the specs of the coming flagship.

Specs

– 15.4MP BSI-CMOS with LSI
– Variable IR Filter can be used as variable electronic ND filter
– Native ISO: 100-102400
– Maximum ISO: 409600
– 3” 1.23million dot articulating LCD screen
– 4:2:2 8bit 4K recording support

                                 

As the leaked images shows Sony might finally upgrade the resolution of their A7S series from 12.2MP to 15.4MP as well as the sensor itself being new, as the leak suggests it’ll be BSI-CMOS (Back-Illuminated) further adding to the already insane low light performance in the A7S series.

On another note there is a low rated rumor going about that Sony might be developing a RGBW sensor for its A7S line, which in short is an RGB sensor that carries an extra white pixels inside it which increases brightness in images by 32% and decreases color noise by 78% when compared to the normal  CMOS sensor, this means it would make sense for Sony  to fit a RGBW sensor in its high sensitivity cameras for much improved low light performance.

         Sony A77 III

Sony announced the A77 II in the spring of 2014, we can expect an update to their APS-C fixed-mirror DSLR lineup. Latest news about the upcoming A77 III suggest it will support 4K video and have built-image stabilization.

                                                     

                                                       

We can probably expect to see a new sensor sporting the same resolution at 24.3MP although this might change have and an improved AF, as the A77 is marketed for its high speed shooting capabilities. Besides this there isn’t much to say about the expected A77 III other than speculations.

         Sony RX5

According to newest rumors the RX5 is expected to be a cross between the A6500 and the RX1R II, and to come with the same sensor found on the recently released A6500 meaning it will feature a 24.2MP sensor which means it will feature the same AF system of the A6500, that being 4D Focus with 425 Phase-Detection Points. However it is also expected to come with a fixed 23mm F/1.8 lens.

                                           

AF points on the A6500

   

The body is expected to house 5-Axis SteadyShot INSIDE Stabilization and be a similar body to that of the Sony RX1R II along with the same XGA OLED Tru-Finder EVF. While an exact announcement date is unknown it is expected to show in the CP+ show in February this year.

So that’s all the information I could round up for now, thanks for reading! I hope you'll enjoy reading my posts and I'll do my best to keep them coming for all the photographers and camera enthusiasts out there. I look forward to seeing you around in future posts!

Follow me on social media to see my photography:

Instagram:
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Review: Wanted (2008)

This is me, Thisath, taking on my first film review. In the film review world, I'm as ordinary as you can get; I don't watch many films- but if I do I will probably enjoy it. I don't dig too deep or expect too much and I am always easy on the creators. That said, I know a bad film from a great one when I see one, just so you can know my recommendations aren't absolutely rubbish.

So, on with the review:

The film is absolutely blastedly amazing!
( I wrote this sentence as I watched the film)

No Spoilers ahead!

I love the action, the tension and the non stop gunfights with slip second timing- absolutely unreal, but who cares? The intense, fast paced action really, really makes this film for me. I love action in any form and this film is just that. It's just really great to watch. Think of it as a quality adrenaline rush. It keeps you on edge all the time, and twists and turns in the direction of the plot every 10 minutes it seemed! Never gets old to me if executed nicely. You can't go wrong with curving a bullet, can you?

The filming is really nice, with great angles and camera trails, and the sets look absolutely fabulous! Great editing and good direction, in my opinion. I've seen better, but it was good enough to not distract me in any way as some films have. The CGI was surprisingly good, there were multiple places where I couldn't actually figure out whether it was graphics or reality.

The acting is also on point. It has a great cast, with Morgan Freeman taking up Sloane, a powerful and godly leader of a key group called the Fraternity, and James McAvoy taking up the young, desperate but 'magically'  (superhuman almost) talented young Wesley. Angelina Jolie is Fox, an elusive and very able assassin, and Thomas Kretschmann is the seeming bad guy. 

Their main goal is to be cool characters and they have achieved that. I mean, the joy of hearing a swear word through the mouth of our film god, Morgan Freeman, itself makes it up for anything bad in the film. They work very well for their parts. I was hooked from the moment I started watching. The biggest fault if I had to point one out is the lack of character development, but I'll be honest, I never really cared about character development (I saw you cringe back there)...

The music also, I loved. It was well assembled! It fitted in perfectly with the scenes and served to enhance the experience. The main score is so good, it's definitely going on my play list.

The story line isn't too complex, but it's got a big twist and so it follows the traditional action film script; I can't really complain. It is a bit ridiculous- sometimes funny- and there are many holes to the plot and basic logic, but again, you don't expect amazing on a summer blockbuster- I don't say this as a bad thing. If you want amazing story, very realistic scripts and "exquisite cinematography" you're better off with some film that won a Cannes award.

I totally recommend this film to anyone looking for an action film that isn't all that horrible. It's not that long, has a great cast, easy storyline and nonstop, almost stupidly crazy, awesome action. Great for a Friday night movie spree. I rate it a B- (which is NOT bad-an A on my scale is tough to get). So go ahead and bung this on your list and enjoy it.

Interest Concentrated (Thisath) rates this film 8/10

Review: The Pursuit of Happyness (2009)

No that is not a typo *sigh*. Just watch the film, then you'll get it.

The Pursuit of Happiness, a film that is amazing (and I'm not saying that cause I watched it at 2am when I clearly should've been sleeping) and "heart string tugging" at the same time, inspired by a true story the plot of the film in a nutshell is about a man, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) who fights to become an employee of a business firm after landing an internship after impressing a man, with a Rubix cube.

(Spoiler alert)

Chris goes on to show his worth to the company but is left distraught when he can't afford a good life for his son  (Jaden Smith) and almost rejects the internship. Nevertheless, thanks to Chris's dedication and compassion for his son he manages to get the job.

(End of spoiler)

As you've been reading this (assuming you read through the spoiler and haven't watched the film) you might feel like this movie is pretty boring and generic.

HOWEVER, have you ever heard the saying ,"It's about the journey and not the destination"?
That's pretty much what this film is; the lengths that Chris goes to and the emotional backlash that comes with it is what makes this film a superb watch.

The film really makes you think about what you've taken for granted in your life (and what the hell happened to Jaden Smith as well) and leaves you "feeling" after watching it.

                              

                                        Interested Concentrated (Yasaru) rates this film: 8.5/10

Review: Sherlock- Season S4 E3

Was this the last Sherlock we will ever see? Is the last time Cumberbatch (no, I’m not going to make the ‘joke’) and Freeman join up as Sherlock and Watson to play the iconic duo?

I don’t know, but I hope not.

I have mixed feelings about this last episode. I recorded my thoughts as I watched and at every scene, I was like WTF? Sometimes positive, sometimes negative. There was too much twisty turny curly wurly wtf moments. It didn’t feel… serious? It didn’t feel like a real episode. It felt like we were being tortured- in all fairness that was great audience-character empathy, because (spoilers!) they were too. But I didn’t really like it. As I watched I thought to myself, “that’s pretty cheap”.

It gets boring after a while when they- the people behind Sherlock, I don’t know who to point to- try and cheaply mind-blow you with ever so obvious, why didn’t I think that stuff like (spoilers) making out that John Watson was actually shot by a tranquilizer gun. What?! Why would she, Euros do that? She’s a heartless killer, they show, and she doesn’t have the heart to kill Watson?! I DON’T SEE THE LOGIC HELP ME! Or Mycroft being stupid enough (spoilers) to not be prepared for everything that could come his way. He’s a bloody head of security at some place ISN’T HE?! So Sherlock (ok, he's Sherlock), could so easily out smart and trick him into (spoilers) revealing that they had a sister? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

However, in many ways it felt like a return, somewhat, to the old; this episode was distinctly different from Ep 1 and Ep 2, at least in my opinion.

Let’s try and talk about something good now. The cinematography is BEAUTIFUL! I loved every minute of it. The scene transitions, the camera work and the colour grading. Just what I’ve come to expect from the team behind Sherlock of course, never boring- always epic. The CGI was shit though, like really, really bad. The episode was very creepy and maintained a tone of being gory and full of horror- like Silence of the Lambs. That was, what I believe, the effect they wanted. Well, good job guys! I still like it was a bit too crazy to be believable, something which I thought Sherlock tries to be?

In this episode, Sherlock was made into a human. He always likes to think of himself as being above that, but as they show here, he bloody well isn’t. Euros does an amazing job at bringing out and making him behave like a person- a human. People like that. Me? I don’t mind. Don’t like it that much though, I like him being removed and analytical, but as Euros shows that might also be one of his biggest weaknesses.

(Spoilers) Drones, bombs, jumping out windows, pirating ships, are they really needed? The James Bond theme that people have complained about lately sticks. Do I really care- me being the action lover? Well, kind of. I like Sherlock for the technical stuff, the real life beauty, the “believability”. Why would you take that away? That’s kind of sad, that they have to turn to that sort of thing to keep Sherlock going. A bit lazy, don’t you think?

I wanted this post to be an opinion post. Not quite a review; I just wanted to talk about how I felt of it. But it kind of did become a review at the end didn't it? I really liked the other two episodes in the series and I really like this one too. But I felt like I tried to analyse this one a bit too much, and because of reading other opinion posts, developed a more critical eye. Plus, I was annoyed by the horrible CGI. How even?!

So, do I recommend this episode? Of course I do, there’s no reason to not watch it. The acting is AMAZING. The cinematography is AMAZING. The music is AMAZING. The story… it got me down at the end, thoughtful- EPIC! (Thanks 9gag for killing the mood). So all together, this episode is a win at least for me. I like it, not as much as I’d want to, but I do. I just hope they can bring the next series, whenever that ever is, back to what Sherlock series 1/2/3 were, real, believable and with the old charm.

So yeah. Watch it, but Sherlock- fix your stuff. Thanks for reading.

Thisath.

Review: Into the Wild (2007)

Yasaru here with first installment in our movie reviews section and I feel like we're opening with a strong one.

Sean Penn's beautifully directed movie with amazing cinematography fully equipped with a story that is thought provoking in more ways than most pop culture films today. The movie revolves around Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) and his struggles to experience life with the hardships that come along with it. At the risk of spoiling the film, it is , in a nutshell, a story about a man who refuses to live in a world that is built upon what society tells him to and as the name suggests forces him into the wild to be "who he always wanted to be".

Whenever I talk about this film the first thing that comes to mind is it is emotional, very emotional. The messages that this story implants in it's viewers as the movie progresses is what really makes this film what it is, along with the interesting characters that help Christopher with his journey. With that comes my first nitpick (proceed with caution, spoiler alert) the characters aren't given that much of time to be embraced and understood by the viewers and to see how their relationship with him really means anything to the viewer.

However the movie certainly does have ideas that are wonderfully implemented into the storyline. The whole idea of how man must be one with nature is evident throughout the film. But the emotional trip that Penn elegantly takes the reader through is one that will stick around for a while. Penn does an absolute work of art of capturing the essence of the true story the film was written upon and does little to change the authenticity of it. The film is paced well enough with a certain lackluster scenes occasionally but nevertheless it manages to keep the viewers engaged.

This movie truly is a great watch; IMDb wouldn't have put it on their "list of films to watch before you die" for no reason, to be fair.  If you want something more than the rather stagnated films that rarely ever affect your life in by even the simplest of ways, Into the Wild is an absolutely phenomenal film.

                                Interest Concentrated (Yasaru) rates this film: 8.5/10

                                                                                       

Review: AKG K451

Hello, it's Shehan aka Tyrant Beast!

Today I'm going to review something different. I'm going to review my headphones, my AKG K451!

Released at £50, you can soon understand why it won the "What Hi-Fi? Product of the Year Award" in 2012.

They're a pair of a foldable mini on-ear headphones. The earpads are super soft and just touch your earlobe, so like all on ear headphones, they aren't noise cancelling. The adjustable ear pieces are really comfortable for long listening sessions. The ear cups rotate freely and can be fit however you like!


They can also fold  in (like I suggested earlier) when you're not using them for easier transport, a very nice touch if you don't have a large bag or need a very compact pair of cans.

The headphones are also very stylish, with the contrasting black and silver plastic build. It feels pretty good in hand and is quite premium.

If you buy your very own AKG K451 headphones you get:

•Two detachable 3.5mm cables, one with an inline remote control and microphone and one without.
•A 3.5 to 6.3mm converter
•A carrying case

The headphones are able to reach from 11Hz to 29.5kHz so it has amazing bass and treble. Weighing in at 120g, its also very light. The headphones are specifically engineered for portable devices, but that doesn't stop you from using it at home full time, like I do!

Overall it's a great add on for any commuter.  I myself found it very relieving to upgrade from my old Philips headphones (which were really, really bad, trust me on this one) to these AKGs. I would highly recommend it!

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out our tech reviews by clicking the Reviews and Technology labels.

Note: I recently purchased a new phone (which I will make a review of very soon). I will be able to write more often, so expect to see more of me :)

Dan The Man: Gaming Guide

Heeey guys! Welcome to another 'mobile-gaming' guide with me.
Today I'm sharing a review of an arcade styled mobile game.

From the creators of  'Jet Pack Joy Ride', 'fruit ninja', 'fruit ninja FX', 'Fruit Ninja Kinect', 'Fruit Ninja whatever-the-hell', we present to you 'Fruit Ninja....' Just kidding!

This time 'Half Brick' studios made a new kind of game. And not just any game, a game where the story videos are more popular than the game (ok, probably not anymore), a game with some history...

This year Half Brick released 'Dan the Man', a retro styled game. The game's protagonist, named 'Dan' is quite popular on YouTube.

The game starts at stage 8 of the story and the rest of the 7 are on YouTube, one for each stage. It would help you understand the story if you watch all the videos so you could get a clear view of what happens as the game doesn't help you understand what happened before, but the game helps by linking the game to YouTube so you can easily watch the videos without having trouble searching for it.

The game lets you choose from 4 characters:
1. Dan
2. Josie
3. Barry Streakfries ( you may know him from jet pack joy ride)
4. And a custom character

The game's simple but effective controls takes the game a long way and trust me, it's great to kill time, especially when you're at your grandparents place without wi-fi. You can even throw an enemy overhead, forward and even backwards! The creators even remembered to insert the standard 'special moves'. I mean have you seen any fighter game characters without special moves?

They did a great job in the retro looking graphics (like check out the background dude) and the cliché Kung-Fu shouts. Oh and those soundtracks tho, mhmm, 8-bit and rock. Yeaaaaaah dude!

The many hazards and ledges will definitely keep you over the edge and the unending number of enemies will keep you glued to your device.

The game consists of 3 modes:
1. Story mode (campaign)
2. Events (events change every week)
3. Battle (a mode where you keep on fighting wave after wave)

The levels are quite lengthy with many checkpoints, there are a total of 12 levels.

Shops can be entered as you come across a shop to refill health, buy health potions, reload ammo or buy weapons.

As usual, you get your score list when you finish a level which consists of:
1. Time taken
2. Number of enemies defeated
3. Secret areas discovered
4. And objects smashed

The game also makes your character stronger by letting you upgrade your character and weapons which consists of:
1. Shurikens
2. Throwing knives
3. Modern rifles
4. AK rifles
5. RPG7 (a missile launcher)
6. And a 'Carlgustav' (another missile launcher, sounds good eh?)


Another smart thing they have done is that (and don't ask me how they did it) when you play music, the in-game music stops (but not the SFX sounds). And that's a good thing, you don't get annoyed since both are not being played at the same time, or worse, your music stops.

In conclusion this game is a great time killer. With a story which makes sense and effective controls keeps you entertained and focused. And if you by any chance (probably not) be new to gaming. This is the best starter.

Thanks for reading,
Tyrant Beast :)

MacBook 2016: Impressions and Opinion

This is the MacBook Pro 2016 (non touch bar)

This is the MacBook Pro 2013

I decided to cover this new MacBook Pro 2016 as this has been fairly trending news these days and it's a laptop line up which I've grown quite attached to.

I've used the Mac Pro's, the MacBook Pro of both 2013 (retina) and 2008, and several other Mac products over the years. While I never owned one myself (I came close to a MacBook Pro or MacBook 2016 while shopping for a PC a few months ago), I have loved having them in my household and I've loved using them. 

They're amazingly well made products with a very wide field of use in both the amateur and professional world. Don't agree? Look how many professionals use them. Stupid, you might say, they don't know the power of the Windows. Well shucks, they still bought one and a majority of them love using it, so in practical terms, that's your argument dis-validated. 

Firstly, I've got to make a bit of a disclaimer. I own a Surface Pro 4. A very Windows PC. All of the computers I've owned in the past have also been Windows. I love, and I mean LOVE my Surface Pro 4. It's an utterly, utterly magical computer and it's so good I've been through 4 replacement Surfaces because the first impression of my first one was so good. Their quality control however, not so good. That's another story right there, but this is on the MacBooks so I am not gonna go there. 

So that said, while it might seem like I'm hypocritically bashing Windows in general at some points in the article, I don't want to. My Surface was in the range of the MacBook Pro price bracket and I could easily have gone with one but I didn't. I'm Team Windows.

(Fun Fact: I'm writing this on a MacBook Pro Retina.) 

Onto the MacBook Pro 16.  An overpriced hunk of jewellery. A twist to what the MacBook Pro of old represented. Isn't that what it was? I watched the keynote. While I hate them on some sense, I really want them to start wowing me the same way they did when they made the iPhone 5. That thing blew my mind at the time. But for the last 3 years, they have consistently depressed me. 

This MacBook reveal was very lacklustre. It felt... fake; forced. Apple is now at this point where they realise they say 'thinner, lighter, faster' way too much. You could sense it. The cheesy jokes? They felt like it was Apple mocking themselves from the inside. 

But you know what's sadder? The fact that the people at Apple seem to have lost faith in their products. To those who watched the KeyNote 2016 October, I dare you go onto Youtube and watch the reveal videos for the iPhone 4 and MacBook Retina and not feel the excitement and passion the designers were feeling for the product themselves. Go on. Pause this now and go do that. 

I'm not going to bother you with the specs and the technicals. You probably already know them. That's not why I'm here anyway. I will bother myself with saying this one thing. It's overpriced. A lot overpriced. for what it offers at least. Then again, Microsoft does more of the same on it's Surface Book, but it offers way more besides basic MacOS privilege.

I think the MacBook Pro 2016 is Apple ditching the professionals they initially made the Pro for in 2006 up till 2016. They differentiated this product as being capable and offering reliability for tasks that needed it, and being powerful enough to do anything that a professional could want to do, with gorgeously elegant looks casing it all in a slim and elegant package- something that was almost unheard of at the times.

A state of the art Windows laptop in 2006: Toshiba Portege m400

MacBook Pro 2006

 That there sums it up.

Apple, from the day they last released a redesigned (arguably) MacBook Pro in 2012 (which was still great) has transitioned from being a professional's toolkit essential to a typical 'Starbuckers' essential, if you excuse the huge generalisation there. But that is what it is. Apple has gone from the Pro's expensive laptop that everyone wants to the laptop everyone has.

Is that good? Is it really? Does it really retain any of the Pro-ness that made it special when all it caters to is the ordinary person? Given, most people like to think that they are pros and want to buy a MacBook Pro to feel like a pseudo-pro, and be more productive; but if you switch your demographic from the Pros to the ordinary, won't you be loosing the original Pro appeal? You won't have a laptop packed with real professional specs like before; you'd have something for the ordinary person.

There is the overhanging thought that maybe ordinary people are becoming more and more demanding while the pros are becoming less and less demanding, but if you look at the other side of the world, the Windows world, you're going to see that actually isn't the case. Pro users still demand more than the ordinary person.

If you look at Apple as a whole, they've abandoned their real professional tools, like the Mac Pro, or the Mac Mini and are making iPads which tarnish what it really means to be Pro in the first place. They don't understand what a Pro is now- but I'll admit, it's hard to describe what a Pro is the first place. I'm talking graphics designers, editors and the like, to whom the efficient Mac exclusive software really appealed to. This MacBook is only the next one to fall prey to Apple destroying their own Pro lineup.

The lack of ports is stupid and very easily showcases that Apple only cares about your money. I cannot think of one reason why they would not put a single USB A 3.1 port in there other than to make you pay for adapters.

You might say, "Hey, they're getting ready for the future!". But I ask you, why the hell would they pack in a Intel 6th Gen chip with some mediocre graphics if they really cared about the future? The KabyLake chip has been out for a while now. There's really no excuse to not have packed either that with all USB C or minimum 1 USB A port with the SkyLake.

The lack of a SD Card is either a hilarious oversight or an example of how Apple has transitioned from Pros to Bros (sorry). It was an absolutely essential port that had no reason to go anywhere. A huge majority of MBP customers are photographers or editors, and Apple very well knows this. The SD Card port was simple and slim, and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere in the future. Why would they remove it? Why?

Money, of course.

Actually, I wouldn't be going down so hard on my beloved MacBook Pro if Apple wasn't so greedy and actually included an adapter with all the lost ports to make up for it in the box. I really wouldn't.

The SD Card still hasn't been replaced, and it's the most efficient way to transfer data from a camera to a laptop. Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior VP, said they removed it because "it’s a bit of a cumbersome slot. you’ve got this thing sticking halfway out". Which is absolutely genius, because I mean how beautiful is a huge, chunky, heavy adaptor with an SD Card sticking halfway out, right?

This SnapChat by Marquees captures the struggle creators are facing

You're paying 3000 pounds for an already overpriced as is computer, and you have to shell out another, what, 100 pounds to use it properly? What?! I mean how simple could it have been: include a single hub adapter with a USB A port, a MiniDisplay port and a SD Card port. Apple probably makes these for about 5 pounds each so why the bother, right? Except it'll hurt their ego so bad to do this, to admit that they were perhaps wrong.

I just don't get this about Apple. They think they are so perfect, so visionary and so amazing, that they can't admit it when they make a mistake and amend it.

One last point. The Touch-Bar. I see how useful it. I see the point.  It's a new way of thinking and I think if Apple does it right, they can do something good with it. But there is one major flaw with it.

It can't be used if the laptop is docked. My father uses a MacBook Pro (it's what I borrowed to write this on), and he has always used it docked to a Monitor and with an external wireless keyboard and mouse. It's only removed for transport. This, I'm told, and have seen, is how a lot of professionals actually use this. You see where I'm going with this. That Touch-Bar is pointless if you dock it, and completely inaccessible. It's a great idea, but I think this flaw really devalues it. Oh and those emojis? No, that oughtn’t be a feature. That's the 'hipstery’ things I’ve going on about the whole while.

That said, this isn't all going to be bad stuff. There's somethings which I inherently adore about the MacBook Pro 2016.

(now changing to the SurfaceType Cover)

First, the trackpad. Awesome! I never felt the current MBP’s one was small, but it’s nice to see it bigger. Mac's have always had the best trackpads, hands down, and this is just where it needed to go. Reviewer have complained that it is too big, and when I used it, it did seem a bit too big, but I think it’s alright all around.

That's how big the TrackPad on the 13" MBP16 compared to my hand.

This is the old 13" MBP13 trackpad compared to my hand. Note the difference of the keyboards.

The keyboard, whatever you might think of the ButterFly mechanism, is actually not bad! I hated the keyboard on the 2015/6 MacBook (the tiny one) because it had almost no feeling to it at all. It was exactly what a keyboard shouldn’t be, and I had similar expectations for this one.  This time Apple has taken heed of the raging reviews and have tried to give it some depth and feeling to it. My favourite keyboard right now is the SurfaceBook and Surface TypeCover (I like the flex it has), and while I think the older MacBook keyboards were good, but comparing it directly to the new one, it’s a bit too mushy for my tastes. I’m going to go as far as to say it’s, for me, a good improvement.

The display is also a good improvement. Microsoft has truly been killing it with the display tech lately, and it was time Apple needed to change their stuff up a bit. They essentially added the iPhone tech to their laptops, and I’m guessing it wasn’t much of a hard task for Apple. Apple has caught up with the market, but not beaten it. I LOVE my Surface Pro display, and I think the Mac is now more or less on par with that.

I guess I now have to comment on the improved specs and graphics, but I really have to? The competition offers better specs for almost half the price, and these specs aren’t very impressive on the Mac either. I’m just going to avoid this, and I’ve already raged about an aspect of it above. The new faster SSD though is a nice addition.

There’s also something I’m divided on. Why does this laptop need to be so thin? Having felt around it, I can agree it’s very appealing, but it just doesn’t feel any better. I never thought the current MacBook was fat, and I don’t think anyone else did either. It seems like Apple fulfils some their huge ego every time they needlessly make a product thinner. It is though much lighter, which is probably what people wanted, but the cost of better battery life, which is not what people wanted. It doesn’t seem to have quite the fantastic battery the old one did, as several reviewers have complained about.

I can’t comment on the speakers because I didn’t get to try them out, but they’re supposedly very good, much better than the old one. I think the old ones are great, so I expect the amazing.

To round this post off, what is the MacBook Pro? Has it filled the shoes of the old MacBook?

The MacBook represents the new direction Apple is taking, now trying to cater to ordinary people more than the professionals; pushing the prices up as far as they can to increase their brand value. It’s trying to become the laptop to the laptop world that the iPhone is to the smartphone world. Unlike the iPhone however, the MacBook already reigns king among the creative professionals, so Apple had a hard task in making the replacement Pro any better. Have they done it? To me, partly. To you, maybe not. To the rest of the world? They’re split over what it actually brings to the table with that huge price tag. And so am I. If Apple priced this fairly with the $4000 one at about $3000, I think the reviews would be raving. 

The MacBook, as Dave2D says is, “a thousand dollars overpriced”, and at the price it’s hard to justify this purpose unless you are a huge Apple fan, absolutely need Final Cut (or other exclusives), or don’t really care about the price. My verdict on whether or not to buy this is a resounding no. As I’ve highlighted in the points I’ve made above, I have slowly grown from hating to loving to disliking it. As even my long time Mac user (and 'never going to switch') father would say, it’s simply too much for too little. It hasn't got the presence of the 'older' MacBook.

This remains the sweet spot of the MacBook Pros

This, I believe, is the future.                

Thanks for reading! I look forward to writing more of these tech articles; I've already written ready for  publishing in the next few weeks. Don't forget to drop your email address in the gadget thingy below for updates on our latest posts. You'll get notified every time we post. 

If you have any suggestions of want you want me write about next, or want to hear my thoughts on something (I didn't know I was this interesting..), pop a comment in below! 

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