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The Gadget Nook Grand Opening Promo!

It’s nearing Christmas and if you’re wondering what you can give to your loved ones and save a bit of money, The Gadget Nook has an excellent offer for you!

The Gadget Nook offers products from Cresyn and You SB.

Cresyn is number 1 in South Korea for the earhpones/headphones segment. They are present in Singapore and Thailand; they recently entered the Philippine market and want to expand. The company behind Cresyn is the OEM for Sony, JVC, Kenwood, Apple, Technica, and Denon; hence Cresyn is sure to have great sound quality and affordable price—you’ll surely get value for your money.

CS-HP500 Open Air, Dynamic Stereo, Foldable Headphones.

You-SB is a line of custom designed USBs which fits your personality. There are designs such as Hello Kitty, Android, DLSR Camera, and Mr. Monkey, which are all pleasantly cute and attractive. These are available in  4GB and 8GB storage capacities.

You SB Monkey USB Flash Drive. Because we all like monkeys!

Okay, now, for the grand opening promo: purchase any three items and it’s shipped free of charge! But hurry! Promo runs until October 31 only! Click here for a direct link to The Gadget Nook’s website and place your orders now!

For more info here are gadget Nook’s contact details: Smart – (+63)929 887 4495/Globe – (+63)926 626 9848  or email thegadgetnook@gmail.com.

Discuss in our forums!

Tiffany of Girls Generation (SNSD) listens to Cresyn.

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Ubuntu 11.10 is out!

I downloaded it and tried to install it. Unfortunately, while downloading packages it hanged (on the last minute!) and after restarting it wont go to the desktop.

To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. I had very high hopes for this release.

Should you dare, download it here. Share you experience here.

I’m gonna try to install again tomorrow or the next day.

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Dragon Nest Open Beta Impressions

Dragon Nest Open Beta Impressions

As if there are not enough time sinkers and distractions in your life already, here comes another contender: a free-to-play fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) from Eyedentity Games called Dragon Nest.

Dragon Nest is a fast-paced online game wherein players assume the role of different characters. You can choose between playing as a Swordsman, Archer, Priest or Sorceress. As of the moment, however, gender choice is restricted. Only Swordsmen and Priests are males, Archers and Sorceresses are females. This doesn’t bother me much, but some players may have issues with this. As typical of MMORPGs, these classes gain levels and advance to more powerful forms. Take the Archer, for example. Once you hit level 15 (achievable within a day or two of playing), you can choose to become either an Acrobat or Bow Master. Each has its own strengths, weaknesses and different playing styles. Bow Masters have access to devastating long-range attacks while Acrobats specialize in pummeling their opponents at close range with a variety of swift attacks.

Moo.

Players tromp though the land of Lagendia through a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective which is quite different from typical MMORPGs. The game is surprisingly story driven unlike most MMORPGs that commonly demand hours of grinding through the game to gain levels and discover items. While Dragon Nest certainly requires quite a number of hours to advance, it does offer a promising main storyline that players can follow. On the other hand, there are also numerous side quests to finish.

Deckard asks that you help a pretty lady for him. Good guy.

What I particularly liked about Dragon Nest is that it is absolutely newbie friendly. After the opening cut-scene and first battle, you are introduced to the game through a comprehensive interactive guide. After this, you are seldom on your own as the game offers helpful hints and trick whenever a loading screen appears. I mentioned that there are many quests to finish. After accepting the quest, there usually is an arrow on the screen that points you to where your destination should be. Also, there’s a notification on the side on how near you are actually to your target. This is very useful for those people (like me) who can easily get lost. Also, the map shows exactly where NPCs (non-player characters – those characters who are controlled by the computer) are and there are even NPCs that “teleport” you to the NPC you are looking for. This saves quite a lot of time and aids a newcomer adjust to the game.

There's plenty of loot to grab.

I mentioned that the Dragon Nest is a fast-paced game. Unlike most MMORPGs, it’s not point, click, use skills and wait till the target falls. I play as an Archer and with the third person point-of-view it feels more like an action game. I have to actively point the crosshair at the enemy (it doesn’t lock on the target), click the mouse to shoot (or press a shortcut key to use devastating special attacks) then move around to dodge or better position myself to hit targets. And you would really have to be mobile or else be overwhelmed by monsters whose role in life seems to be to stop you from your goal and drop loot for you to sell or use. It’s frantic and it’s fun. Boss battles are particularly challenging and require concentration and fast reflexes. Since potions can’t be used repeatedly because of a certain amount of cool-down before reuse, player skills play a large role in survival. Click here for a video of a typical battle in Dragon Nest. 

Exploring hostile areas (those outside the towns) can be a daunting task. But Dragon Nest made it simpler and better. Every time you try to enter a dungeon (or other places where your presence is unwelcome) you get to choose what in what difficulty you want it to be. The harder the difficulty the more experience is gained, and the chance to acquire good loot improves. The game also recommends a party size and at what level you should explore the area. There’s also an indication of what kind of treasures you will find, which is a welcome relief for those who hunt. No more guessing and relying on third party information (which can be inaccurate) in Dragon Nest. The hardest level of difficulty, Abyss, is so challenging that it may require several cooperating players to finish the level.

Boss battle.

Enemies normally would attack you in groups and they act and react differently. Some of them attack straightforward. Some will try to flank and overpower you. Some prefer to injure you with long range attacks or magic from afar. Foes in Dragon Nest are an unforgiving lot, especially in Abyss mode areas where they are even more powerful, more numerous and more durable.

Since dungeons tend to be completed in less than 30 minutes and you are assured of rewards afterwards, this is a game you can play casually. There’s little pressure to spend too much time. And since this is free to play, no need to spend money on it either, unless you want premium items and upgrades to enhance your experience.

The graphics are truly splendid and the background music and sound effects are great. During cut-scenes, however, subtitles and voices are often not synchronized, which is quite annoying. I noticed that translation is pretty good; there are few grammatical errors to be found. I also found that the game has very helpful and accurate tooltips. Here’s a tip for Windows 7 users: run Dragon Nest as an administrator to avoid some errors I experienced before.

Since this is an MMORPG, there’s a community of players whom you can interact in the game. I’m playing with Dragon Nest SEA, which accommodates players from the South East Asian region. Most players are friendly and courteous enough but here and there are Filipino players who cuss and whine. And I thought they are restricted to Ragnarok Online.

Leonidas Goblin (who appears after you defeat 300 Spartan Goblins) is just one of many quirks in the game.

Overall, I am pleased with Dragon Nest. I started playing it because I can’t download Ragnarok Online client (all that’s available is a direct download and no torrent, unlike Dragon Nest which offers that option) and I saw someone mention the game in the forums. It’s a good thing I tried it. It’s an excellent MMORPG that will enchant you with its friendliness and charm, but won’t require you to be enthralled in front of the monitor for long hours daily.

Should you wish to try it, download the SEA client here, create an account and character, and join me at Springwood where my Bow Master Zharilee stalks her prey.

 Discuss the game in our forums!!!

Dragon Nest is a surprisingly good story-driven MMORPG.

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Introducing Smart Gold Reseller Program

A while back Smart introduced the Smart Bro Reseller program.  Enterprising Filipinos can now take their business on another level with the new Smart Gold Reseller program!

There will be a general assembly on Thursday October 6 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at Room 3301 33F Smart Tower, Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

For those interested to join the program, please bring the following:

- 1 Valid ID
- Proof of Billing or Barangay Certificate
- 2 copies 1×1 picture
- Smart Money

Contact Mr. Godwin at his number 0949-792-7399 or his email grmagat@gmail.com for more info.

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ITpreneurship Academy Offers Tech Integration Business Course

 Last Saturday I attended a preview of ITpreneurship Academy’s entrepreneurship training at Informatics Festival Mall, Alabang. It consist of three topics from varying areas that every entrepreneur should be familiar with. I learned quite  a lot from just a few hours of listening and interacting with the facilitators and fellow audience. I wish I could divulge in detail what was discussed but I don’t think I’d want to spoil those! 

Full PR here:

Jumpstart Entrepreneurship, the program that grows your business

Jumpstart Entrepreneurship is a course offered by ITpreneurship Academy. The program is made for new or aspiring entrepreneurs. This is best attended by IT people, creatives and artists, housewives, employes, bloggers, those with online stores, everyone who considers seriously putting up their own business and those with newly set up businesses.

A unique feature of the class is the incorporation of the Information technology to business which teaches attendees how to use IT as a tool to develop and grow the business; the method is called ITpreneurship.

All students, by the end of the class are expected to submit a business plan that is both workable and actionable

This is a transformational program that changes the entrepreneur venture from micro to small or small to medium enterprise. There are plenty of benefits in the program. Those who will attend will learn the process of creating and managing successful business which they can apply in every business they set up. They will also learn how to find business opportunities that fits in their personality and financial resource. The entrepreneurs will also be guided by professionals throughout the program who will serve as business coaches to ensure the entrepreneur will have a big chance of succeeding in the venture.

ITprenuership Academy aims to improve the entrepreneur and his business and this is done through ITpreneurship, a technique we created and developed. 

ITpreneurship is defined as the creation and pursuit of business opportunities in IT-enabled business enterprises, or in enterprises where operations and goals are achieved through the aid of IT tools, technologies and processes.

To learn more about, check our  Facebook Fan page or visit our website

Help us reach 200 likes on or before the October 13 and we will raffle off 1 voucher from Informatics Festival Mall worth P3000.00

There will be a FREE Seminar this October 8, 2011 @ Informatics Festival Supermall, the seminar will start 1pm. 

 

I invite everyone who would like to start on their own business or would like to grow their current one to take a sneak peak of what they have to offer. It’s for free anyway and you get to meet the people who would like to help you start and grow your business.

Just how good are these guys? After the seminar I chatted a bit with them. They came from diverse backgrounds, each has  their own specialization in the field. Each of them are qualified to be a mentor. When I mentioned what I was doing and what projects I am working on, they excitedly brought up ideas I have never thought of. I believe with that little bit of chat, I could grow my business exponentially in the coming months. Suffice to say, it has something to do with my company diving into the fresh waters of a new market that none of my own team – and certainly not myself! –  has ever thought of.

Such is the importance of consulting with qualified experts.

One of their specializations is the integration of IT into your business. These days, technophobia is a fatal ailment in business. They can teach you how to be more efficient and how to maximize your enterprise through IT.

So reserve your free slots for the next seminar through this:

Cellphone: 0906 238 22 23
Email: itpreneurshipacademy@gmail.com
Point Person: Ms. Venus

Slots are limited so reserve now!

Discuss here!

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Tom’s $500 Gaming PC

Tom’s Hardware has here their recommended PC specs for the budget conscious.

Click here!

Specs are as follows:

  • CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition
  • CPU Cooler: AMD boxed heatsink/fan
  • Motherboard: ASRock M3A770DE
  • RAM: Crucial Ballistix sport 4 GB (2 x 2 GB) DDR3-1333 BL2KIT25664BA1339
  • Graphics: Sapphire 100314-3L Radeon HD 6870 1 GB
  • Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500 GB SATA 6.0Gb/s
  • Case: NZXT Gamma Classic Series GAMA-001BK
  • Power: Antec EarthWatts Green EA430D 430 W
  • Optical Drive: Samsung 22x DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222AB

Good enough for moderately graphics intensive games.

Anyone who would like to put in the equivalent specs using components available locally? Let’s limit it to P20,000.

Share your ideas here!

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Gamers Solve AIDS Puzzle, Gain 9000+ Experience Points

Scientists tap the unmatched intellect of gamers to help solve the decade long puzzle of an AIDS enzyme.

Click here!

This is where Foldit comes in.

Developed in 2008 by the University of Washington, it is a fun-for-purpose video game in which gamers, divided into competing groups, compete to unfold chains of amino acids — the building blocks of proteins — using a set of online tools.

To the astonishment of the scientists, the gamers produced an accurate model of the enzyme in just three weeks.

Cracking the enzyme “provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs,” says the study, referring to the lifeline medication against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

It is believed to be the first time that gamers have resolved a long-standing scientific problem.

Contribute to the betterment of the world: play video games!

Maybe the imagination and problem solving skills of video gamers – honed by countless hours of interacting with pixels in the TV or monitor – should be harnessed more productively more often. Personally, I am proud to attribute my creativity and problem solving skills to being a video gamer for more than a score of years.

Perhaps in the future, when tasks become more automated and human skills are being valued more than ever, having a vast experience in playing video games will look good in a resume.

Discuss here!

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Windows 8 for tablets hands-on preview

It seems that the excitement for WIndows 8 is escalating. Engadget has a preview of Windows 8 for tablits.

Click here!

Metro UI, Touchscreen support, tablet support… looks like Microsoft is planning to go back in the game big time.

I’ll try to download the developer copy and experience for myself the upcoming MS operating system. Or you can download it and share your experience here!

 

 

 

 

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Samsung Series 3 Netbook with AMD E-450 Spotted

I was checking out several stores at Megamall yesterday to inquire about netbooks and I saw something I didn’t quite expect: a Samsung netbook with the updated AMD E-450 processor.

Samsung Series 3 Netbook

Specs are as follows (as written down by the sales personnel):

AMD E-450 Dual core Processor

2 GB Memory

500 GB Hard Disk

11.6″ display

Windows Home Basic

It’s priced at P23,900, lower if paid in full or cash. I wish it doesn’t come with an OS to make the price lower. I’d gladly install Linux Mint in it. But I think Samsung got it right in terms of price, size and hardware.

Previously, all I ever saw were overly expensive 12″ netbooks from Toshiba and Sony (well over P25,000), cheap 12″ netbooks with the weaker AMD C-50 processor (generally below P20,000), and what in my opinion is a mismatched AMD E-350 (predecessor of the E-450) in a 14″ laptop (around P20,000, quite heavy to carry at over 2 kilograms).

Around 2 weeks ago, I saw an MSI Wind U270 12″ netbook packing an E-350 priced a little more than P18,000.

I asked Asus when netbooks with with E350/E450 processors will be available, and the answer I was given is “soon.”

Personally, I think a 12″ netbook with the AMD E-350/450 processor is the sweet spot in portability and performance.

Now if only Samsung could send me a unit to review…

Forum discussion here!

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How to Play Classic PC Games in Windows 7

PCWorld has some useful tips on how to play classic games in your modern, Windows 7 PC.

Click here!

I have some classic games I want to play again so I tried DOSBOX to run the turn-based, alien shooting game X-Com. It works!!!

Running DOSBOX and assigning drives...

… and after a while….

... DOS games come back to life!

What about you? What classic games do you want to play again?

Speak up in the forums!

 

 

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