iOS 6 Review (On an iPhone 3GS)

Updating. And you can have both Apple and Samsung products together...

As expected with every new iPhone Apple will release new iOS to improve their product. Well for me and most owners of the aging ancient iPhone 3GS, we are delighted with the iOS 6.0 update as it let us experience some goodies that come along the new iPhone 5.

For starters it took roughly 3 hours to download (what a whooping update!). Then the updating takes roughly another 20-30 minutes. But after doing so you'll be treated with some improvements as shown below:

Typical update menu.

Do Not Disturb - Finally I can simply turn on this mode to still get selected updates without relying to total communication shutdown in airplane mode. Apparently you can set which contact are able to contact you while silencing the rest. Apart from that you can set "Quiet Hours" to make your iPhone leave you in peace even when there are calls and SMS coming in. It'll just sit there quietly waiting for your command. 

New Music Player Interface - Black and orange themed player, looks good. But changes are just visual.

New VIP in E-Mail - So we can get quick access mail from important people. Okay, a new category then.

Passbook - An all in one app where you can digitally get your scan-and-go boarding pass, tickets etc. But knowing Sibu, this neat function is quite impractical for now. Oh you still need to go to App Store to get those passes.

New Keypad - Okay, we have a new white and brighter keypads for us to tap in numbers. This is cool. Again changes are just visual.

New Camera & Photo Interface - Well, not new per se but the interface is now black in colour instead of white like earlier iOS versions. Changes are visual and no new improvements. In Photos, your images can be easily shared with the new icons form the 'More' options.

Apple Maps - Apple replaces Google Maps  with their own app and well... the satellite/hybrid map is horrible (for Sibu anyways)! It's like the comedic Restoration of Jesus! I could see my house in the previous app but now all I see is Pixel Land. At least the streets and roads are adequately named this time.

New Call Response Options - Besides the standard Decline or Answer key, you can now slide the menu up to reveal "Reply with Message" or "Remind Me Later" to your caller. For "Reply with Message" you can instantly reply with present messages to explain to the caller why you can't talk e.g. "I'll call you later" or "I'm on my way".  As for "Remind Me Later" your iPhone will remind you later to call the person. Cool. 

Voice Control - ...still cannot catch Manglish. I was asking "What time is it?"

Overall the iOS 6 didn't come with much features for iPhone 3GS but it's understandable as it was focused on iPhone 5. Some features are gone like YouTube and the good old high-resolution Google Maps. However the introduction of Do Not Disturb mode is very much welcomed. The iPhone do feel to run a bit faster too. I hope we can get the ability to blacklist some numbers too in the next update. And perhaps a map of Sibu with better resolution? Anyways I'll summed up the review:

iOS 6 for iPhone 3GS
by Apple Inc.
★★★☆☆

Some good upgrades like the Do Not Disturb mode (although some already used in other smartphones e.g. Android's Reply with Message), we appreciate the new updates. We just got a beef with the map quality and there are rooms for improvement. (Ability to blacklist please)

iPhone App Review: Dead Trigger

Dead Trigger
by MADFINGER Games

★★★★★

FINALLY! Some high-quality NVIDIA-graphics-powered zombie blasting game for the iPhone! And it works on older generation like my 3GS smoothly (most of the times).

I haven't gone on an undead killing spree since Left 4 Dead 2 two years ago with my mates. Now seeing everyone's busy with work and lack time to get together to LAN or Steam, we went our own separate ways and our tradition of defending humanity from imaginary murderous zombies died down.

Until my girlfriend kept telling me to download this:

 Hey remember us?! We're the zombies from the mall that you didn't kill in L4D2!

Weeeeee I'm a plane~!

Yup she kills zombies too. And my urge to blast the undead was rekindled. You play as a dude trying to survive the zombie apocalypse along with the remnants of humanity who defend themselves from the undead horde. In this game, it's you against the zombie horde.

It's the standard move, aim, shoot, reload and repeat. The money earned from missions are used for weapons and other goodies. The controls are quite easy but cumbersome at times. You progress in a story-based missions which include blasting zombies, go from point A to B, retrieve something and blasting more zombies. There are also side mini games which are represented as icons in the game map.

The highlight here is the mind-blowing graphics and ragdoll physics. I mean, this is the second game with proper physics after Angry Birds (if suicidal birds on slingshot were physically feasible to start with). Zombies will be pushed back with each shot, climb obstacles, stumble when you shot them in the legs and crawl towards you afterwards because you forgot the rule to double-tap and give them headshots. 

The only cons are the control which may somewhat be difficult when the zombie horde is upon you and you start to panic and start to tap the small iPhone screen in horror (should be good on iPad, not sure). 

Apart from that, this game is gold and a must have in your device!

If only Apple Map on iOS6 look like this... please Apple hear our pleas!

"Whoa!" says the stunned zombie at the stunning graphics

The storyline is pretty easy to follow and the characters will tell you to do things which you know will end up with you killing more zombies.

Alright, let's go kill some zombies baby!

Hailstorm in Kuching

Well it is unusual considering Malaysia or Sarawak specifically stands in the equator where it's hot and humid. So does this mean the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" is feasible? Are we at the equator are going to experience a cold winter snap in a strange climate change as foreseen by ancient alien scientists? Too bad no videos or pictures within my reach though.

Anyways below is the news that piqued my interest:

KUCHING: Shopkeepers and members of the public at Central Park commercial centre here were astonished when a small hailstorm hit the area soon after the start of a heavy afternoon downpour yesterday.

Hundreds of pea-sized translucent globes of ice rained down with a loud clatter as they bounced off the metallic surfaces of motor vehicles and rooftops and onto the roads and  footways.

Some pieces of hail appeared to have had air bubbles frozen in their centre.

Many curious onlookers emerged to marvel at the unusual weather phenomenon that began around 4.30pm.

Two occupants of a sports utility vehicle that pulled up by the road shoulder when the storm started were spotted picking up the pellets of frozen rain and putting them in a plastic bag amid the tropical downpour.

However, the hailstorm lasted only a few minutes and the hail quickly melted away in the continuous rain.

The thunderstorm continued for half an hour before stopping altogether.

Source: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/09/16/unusual-hailstorm-hits-part-of-kuching/

Driverless Car in Sibu

So Sibu is in the spotlight again and this time for... a haunted car, a ghost driving a Perodua Kenari recklessly and damages property in town near Island Road. Some who are superstitious claim that there was a ghost or demon that escaped from Hell early before the 15th of the seventh month in the Chinese calender, also known as the day of the Hungry Ghosts. 

I don't know, it all seems suspiciously man's error (or woman). The driver let the car running with passenger inside while he went into the night market. Then the car suddenly reversed and drove forward randomly, hitting other cars and properties. It could be that the passenger accidentally shifted the gear to 'R' then it crashed, causing her to panic and the passenger shifted the gear to 'D' and whatever other gears available. And in the end to avoid being mobbed by angry drivers the blame was put on a ghost. Or it could've been a Poltergeist-class being who physically messed with the car.  Anyways you be the judge.

Source: The Borneo Post

SIBU: A car with no driver sped up and down Island Road on Friday at nightfall here sending chills down the spines of a huge crowd who witnessed this paranormal happening.

The hair-raising incident occurred at 7.15pm after the driver got out of the car to go to the night market, leaving a woman in the front passenger seat and the car engine on.

According to an eye-witness the car suddenly reversed at high speed, screeching, before ramming into a steel railing.

It then continued reversing before ramming into the front portion of another car.

The impact caused the other car to also reverse before ramming into another car behind it.

The driverless car then surged forward before reversing another time to slightly brush the side of a car behind it.

It reversed further after that and rammed into another car.

The car then made a 360 degree turn before surging forward again.

It then made another reverse and surge forward before ramming into the metal gate of a shop. Only then did it come to a halt.

The woman passenger was badly shaken but luckily sustained only minor cuts and bruises on her face, head, knee and arms in the incident.

As it was only a week from the 15th day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar year – the day the Chinese believe the gates of hell would be opened for ghost and demons to roam the earth, many speculated that perhaps some might have snuck out before the stipulated time.

One of the witnesses said it was extremely eerie as it happened in the month of hungry ghost overlooking the fact that such an incident would be frightening anytime of the year.

He likened it to a scene in a horror movie, saying it was like watching “Nightmare on Elm Street”.

“How can a car travel at high speed up and down the road with no driver inside?” he asked with a quaver in his voice.

However, another eye-witness offered a more mundane explanation saying it could be due to a mechanical fault.

When the reporters arrived at the scene, the driver requested the reporters not to take any photos, but, this was stopped by policemen at the scene.

A policeman said this related to public interest and the reporters had the right to take photographs and report the incident.

Rescuers from the Fire and Rescue Department arrived with the policemen.

The rescuers took the frightened woman out and an ambulance sent her to the hospital where she was given outpatient treatment.

Source:http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/08/26/driverless-car-wreaks-havoc-strikes-fear-among-onlookers/

Salam Eid 2012!

Would like to wish Salam Eid-ul-Fitri to all! Congratulations to all who completed their fasting and perhaps lost some excess weights. Do come for open house yea I'll be in Sibu haha!

iPhone App Review: CSR Racing

CSR Racing
by NaturalMotion

★★★★☆

Alright a really polished looking racing game with amazing graphics for the iOS. Mods, imports, NOS, everything you can think of. Did I mention the BMW looks so freaking sexy in the iPhone?

This is a simple drag racing game where you start of like a typical Need for Speed game: Start from nothing, choose a car, race against opponents, earn cash, upgrade car, race some more, pimp your ride and buy an even more exotic car. Comes with a simple story line of you being a racer trying to climb up the ladder where you'll face 5 different racing gangs and their respective bosses. So come one bros let's race!

Choose your stock car. The choices varies from your average meh Ford Focus ST to the Audi R8 Coupe 5.2 FSI quattro.

Then choose your race type. Ideally you'll need to race against cartoon gangs with the tendency to lean sideways.

In game it's all about timing on when to press the shift gear button. There's 0% steering in this game.

The in game speeding effect is exhilarating, but too bad the snapshot could not capture it. You'll feel like the crowd in the back when you finally hit the nitro.

 When you win you gain credits and experience (I was like huh? For what?)

With the cash you can upgrade you car with whatever parks imaginable which was drawn and described with such details.

Don't forget to respray your car. And get your own custom 'Street Name'

And let's not forget the best part. Putting vinyls on your ride. We all love angry pandas from China with a Japanese army's rising sun motif.

Then you need to race some more to unlock more parts and cars. And I wonder why all the drivers in the game seem to be having their feet at the brakes. All the cars have brake lights on before, during and after races.

Of course the more money you have the sweeter your ride can be. Soon, I'll get this M3... in game ::okayface::

And here comes the cons. It's just a timing and pressing game, not quite a racing game you'd expect form a racing game. You'll also need gas to race. After you run out of gas you either need to wait for a refill or pay credits to get a full tank immediately. If only the former was applicable in real life. This limited gas kinda impedes progress and fun when you're that close to winning the next boss with your recently upgraded Stage 5 Engine and Turbo Intake. Nonetheless CSR Racing is an enjoyable eye candy.

Alright I need more cash for that M3, let's race!

iPhone App Review: Rage Wars - Meme Shooter

Rage Wars - Meme Shooter
by MUGOCO Inc

★★★☆☆


If you're a fan of 9Gag you'll love this. It's the war of the Internet memes! Do I need to say more?! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU




It's a very simple run and shoot game where you play as Derp as you try to rescue Herpina from Dr. No. You'll meet all too familiar memes from Yao Ming to Y U NO guy and even Dr. No armed with a Nokia 3310. Hurry stop reading this post and click the download link below!

SHUT UP AND DOWNLOAD THIS GAME!

Sibu Gym Review

Sibu Gym

At Dewan Suarah Sibu,

Jalan Suarah

★★★★☆

Alright, Sibu Gym has relocated to a new location at Dewan Suarah. It's at the Dewan's left handside and under the signboard shown in the pic above (I missed it the first few days after relocation because it was hidden by trees and the entrance wasn't so obvious). Click on the picture below to see where it is now:

The good news is everything it is now all in one level. And it is also now air-conditioned and well ventilated than the previous place near Public Bank. The equipment are all from the old place but they're in good shape. A vending machine selling drinks would be appreciated, and I saw one being installed during the writing of this post.

 Must get those biceps ripped!

The fees remain the same. For non-members it costs RM7.00 per entry and members will need to pay a monthly fee of RM25.00 (male) and RM20.00 (female). For students the fees are RM20.00 (male) and RM15.00 (female). Pensioner pays RM15.00. They're open from 8am - 10pm and closes on Sundays.

For review of a nearby gym (Bandong Gym), click here.