Archive for the ‘Ramblings’ Category

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Ubisoft: Is it about piracy anymore?

Monday, March 8th, 2010

There has been a lot of flak on the web about AC2’s DRM system. When it was first announced, everybody went “They can’t be serious!”. And when it did actually come out, people just stopped and pooped in their pants. “They ARE serious!”

Just a small recap of the DRM system that Ubisoft is using:

  • Permanent Persistent and consistent online connection required.
  • Game pauses if connection is disrupted.

See Ubisoft’s official page to read more. A reviewer managed to see and experience first-hand the benefits/meh/horror, as viewed by the publisher/developer/player respectively, of such a system.
(more…)

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Question Of The Day: Are You A Robot?

Monday, January 25th, 2010

To find out if you are a robot, you must truthfully answer these questions three:

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I, mat.

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

I love Physics. I’m always fascinated by the world around me. How infinitestimally tiny particles, governed by the Uncertainty Principle, can form everyday objects, which if large enough, can influence space and time itself, is truly a miracle to even fathom. And to think, just a 100 years ago, we thought we were at the precipice of knowing all there is to know about our physical world.

A friend of mine recently showed me a very cool way, how I can show I am mat.

We start with the definition of an Impulse. Impulse, I, is the change of momentum, p, of an object.

I = Δp

Momentum is simply the mass multipled by its velocity.

p = mv
I = Δ(mv)

Mass is usually constant (unless one is eating while moving around which, according to the superstitions of my culture, means that one will become polygamous), and velocity is usually the property that’s changing.

I = m(Δv)
I = m(v - u)

, where u is initial velocity & v is final velocity.

From Newton’s equations of motion we have the simple equation relating initial and final velocity.

v = u + at

, where a is acceleration and t is time.

u = v - at

We can plug that equation into the equation for impulse derived earlier.

I = m(v - u)
I = m(v - (v - at))
I = m(v - v + at)
I = mat

Therefore, I equals mat. There has never been better proof of this.

Of course, there’s a much simpler way to do this but where’s the fun?

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My BrainHex

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

A post on Indigo Static talks about the BrainHex test. It seems interesting. It genuinely seems to try to categorize what sort of gamer you are.

Here’s my results:

Your BrainHex Class is Mastermind.

Your BrainHex Sub-Class is Mastermind-Achiever.

You like solving puzzles and devising strategies as well as collecting anything you can collect or doing everything you possibly can.

Each BrainHex Class also has an Exception, which describes what you dislike about playing games. Your Exceptions are:

» No Mercy: You rarely if ever care about hurting other players’ feelings – mercy is for the weak!

Learn more about your classes and exceptions at BrainHex.com.

Your scores for each of the classes in this test were as follows:

Mastermind: 20
Achiever: 15
Survivor: 11
Daredevil: 9
Seeker: 8
Conqueror: 6
Socialiser: 1

Hahaha! No mercy!

I guess the survey interpreted my disdain for playing with unknown people over the net as me being merciless. Actually, I like playing multiplayer, only if they are in the same room. I have hosted Wii parties at home when my parents are out a few times a few times back and they were a blast! You only need Wii Sports, Wii play and 2 sets of controllers. I have not yet had PS3 parties, but I can imagine a bunch of us having mini Street Fighter tournaments for both Street Fighter 4 and Street Fighter 2 HD Remix. That would be cool as well.

I guess that merciless remark about me is true. Even when same-room multiplayer gaming, I don’t give any quarter to my opponent. It’s not that I am out to humiliate them. I don’t want them to give me any quarter as well. It’s a bit lame to win because your opponent gave you chances. Of course, all of us aren’t experts in the games we play so it is somewhat of a level playing field.

Yes, I love to solve puzzles. Maybe that’s why I am such an RPG buff. I don’t know about the “devising strategies” part. I am absolute sh*t in RTS games, except maybe Red Alert 2. But I do like empire-building games and trying out ways how to win a boss-fight in RPGs.

I like to do personality tests like these. Of course, it is because I am insecure about my own self. I know myself better than my own parents. I am just curious to see how accurate the test is. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test was spot on when I took it. It was so accurate about how I feel, it’s unnerving.

This gaming aptitude test seems pretty accurate too. It’s not as precise, because there can be different meanings to certain terms in games, like my example above about multiplayer which can be with friends or over the Internet, usually using a service. It’s quite cool. If you like to play games, do try it out!

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Posted in Ramblings | 8 Comments »

And It’s Positive!

Friday, August 7th, 2009

pregnancytest_positive

‘Nuff said! :)

Will need to confirm with the doctor though. Stay tuned!

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District 9 Preview

Monday, July 20th, 2009

I’m quite excited about the upcoming movie District 9. I hope that it shows actual emotion, rather than the basic whizz-bang-kapow alien movies we are so used to. And for once, extra-terrestrial creatures did NOT land in the US.

The movie is apparently to be inspired by this short.

Seems nice! Looking forward to the movie version.

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Posted in Ramblings, Videos | 3 Comments »

No iPhone 3GS For Me At Launch

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Dear SingTel,

First and foremost, I would like to thank you, SingTel, for the willingness showed to screw with the people who have bought the iPhone 3G with you. As we all know that the date was August 22 2008 when it was first made available here, there is no way that anyone who purchased the original iPhone has finished even the first year of their 2 year contract.

I do not remember the actual penalty that one must pay for breaking the contract, but I do know that it is a pretty large amount for the first year. That is pretty much common knowledge. I have heard and read about many horror stories of people who has to pay hefty penalties for breaking their contract.

Imagine my dismay when I read this particular line in the advertisement for the iPhone 3GS launch:

We know you have an iPhone 3G contract with SingTel and are keen to upgrade to an iPhone 3GS. As you are a valued SingTel customer, we have introduced an early upgrade fee just for this launch at $600 (in addition to the handset prices above) if you take a 24-month contract with the pricing above. This offer is only available at the launch event at Comcentre between 10 – 12 July 09.

How can you even dare call that an offer? To call it that is simply to mock my intelligence. That is the worst piece of marketing I have heard. So much for subtlety. This is simply the same, or similar, price for breaking one’s 2-year contract with SingTel within the first 12 months.

Is this the value that SingTel place on existing iPhone 3G owners? Sure, I have a passion for gadgets. I love getting my hands on any new piece of hardware, and rest assured, I will get the iPhone 3GS, one way or another. However, I am still a rational human being. Asking me to pay $600 as an “early upgrade fee” is horrendous, which sad to say, supersedes my love for gadgetry. I am not one with unlimited resources. And don’t you even dare suggest that the trade-in value of my current iPhone can cover that. I might as well use the credit from a trade-in to cover the cost of the new phone!

Sorry SingTel, I’m sure you will make a sh*tload of money on Friday. Too bad, you won’t get my $600.

Regards,
Mart

PS: All you fanboys of faceless corporations (Intel, AMD, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, etc), this is why it is stupid to be one. I always wondered why you love to troll forums with such junk threads and posts when all they want is your money.

Update: I received another promotional email for the iPhone 3GS the next day, saying that SingTel is willing to slash the “fee” to $300. Hahahaha. Sorry, it’s still too high and the damage is done. Besides, I’ve used up part of my savings for a new toy. ;)

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Hiatus

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

The past 2 weeks have been busy, fun, tumulous and relaxing (probably in that order). Nope, this site of mine still has hope; it’s just on hiatus for now. Think of the last post as the season finale.

Onwards to Season 2 of The Singaporean Gamer. Probably should now be called The Married Singaporean Gamer. :P

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A New Beginning

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

“I do take Nuraishah Bte Abdullah as my lawfully wedded wife with the dowry as stated.”

In one breath saying those words, I was bonded, by God and state, with my girlfriend of nine years in holy matrimony.

Phew! That wasn’t so bad, now was it? :)

I have at last fulfilled one of my life’s goals. It’s been a long nine years of courtship. We’ve been ready to tie the knot for a long time now, probably since I was still in university. Somehow I think the letter to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett asking for sponsorship for our wedding must have got lost in the mail somehow, forcing us to fend for ourselves. Nevertheless, we (somehow) persevered and with a lot (and I do mean freaking a lot) of fiscal help from our respective parents, managed to pull off the greatest stunt of our young lives. So what’s next? A family, of course! And no, I’m not going to pull that off my playing Sims 3 together.

We’ve already decided on two kids; of course, a boy and a girl would be extremely nice. The probability is 1/2 that I will have two children of a different gender. Puzzle: if I already have 2 children, and one of them is a boy, what the probability of the other being a girl? Bonus points for anyone who can supply me with the correct answer! Their names will be considered once I knock my wife up. I would love a nice simple names with a good meaning behind it, which is one of the main responsibilities that I will have to bear as a father.

Like I’ve said, I’m absolutely positively looking forward to married life. I couldn’t think of anyone better to spend my life with. Some things will change. Some things won’t. As an example of things that won’t change, she got me a PS3 as a wedding gift! That has got to be the single coolest gift any girl could give her man at their wedding. I’m looking forward to doing write-ups of PS3 games here!

Ah, the perfect girl for the imperfect guy.

“Honey, I’m very happy to have you as my wife. I cannot promise you that I will be the best husband, but I can promise you that I will never stop trying to be. I love you with very much with all my heart and wish nothing more than for us to be together until we step through Heaven’s door.”

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Now That Mother’s Day Is Over, Can We Go Back To Insulting Our Mamas Now?

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Yo’ mama’s so fat, she can be seen from the moon.

Yo’ mama’s so dumb, she hid her computer mouse from the cat.

Yo’ mama’s so dumb, she thought an iMac is a new burger at MacDonald’s.

Yo’ mama’s so dumb, she makes Homer Simpson look like a Nobel Prize winner.

Yo’ mama’s so dumb, she invented a wind-powered fan.

Yo’ mama’s so dumb, she bought a solar-powered torchlight.

Yo’ mama’s so fat, she has a satellite orbiting her.

Yo’ mama’s so dumb, she sold her car to buy petrol.

Yo’ mama’s so fat, her bathroom scale needs to add additional digits.

Yo’ mama’s so fat, she make Jabba the Hutt look anorexic.

Yo’ mama’s so fat, her butt has its own postal code.

Yo’ mama’s so dumb, she rearranged the letters on the keyboard.

Yo’ mama’s so dumb, she thought LOLcats is written in perfect English.

What’s the difference between yo’ mama and a pail of turd? The pail!

What is yo’ mama known as when she’s resting under the tree? Fertilizer!

Feel free to add more below!

[Credits to myself, and to Google]

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