Final Fantasy 6 Hooray!!

Since I was a kid I've been a big fan of video games. I could play nonstop for more than five hours and not get tired. Ever since Sony has released it's new CD and DVD games console, I've been addicted to playing PlayStation. This radical switch to disk games with 3D graphics and realistic environments was such a mind-blowing experience. It was so overwhelming that I forgot how good the classic 2D games were. And I only realized this when I started playing the "Lost" Final Fantasy series revived on the GBA SP console.

Just 3 weeks ago I bought a Final Fantasy VI Advance for GBA. I was really choosing between Dawn of Souls (FF I & II) and FF Tactics Advance. Like any self-respecting gamer, I consult online reviews to help me make my decision. Tactics had poor feedback from consumers while the price of Dawn of Souls was too steep for my budget. I made a sudden decision and bought FF VI. It was cheaper by P150 but when I played it, it was worth more than what I paid for. The review I read on this game was right. The whole game is worth more than 50 hours of play time. And with the many twists on its plot and unlockable secrets, you will surely want to replay the game. I can say that FF VI Advance is one of the games that kept me from putting down my GBA SP. I'm not an authority when it comes to video games but I highly recommend this game to those who would like to get their money's worth. For a 2D game, FF IV really blew me away.

Now I wonder how the other Final Fantasy series would measure up? I sure would like to collect them all!

Still Curious About the Micro

I never really possessed a gameboy until the arrival of the SP. That old bulky unit that runs on AA batteries, plays limited games, gives pixelated resolution and black and white graphics seemed like a very costly commodity to maintain. Buying a unit for myself seemed like a real waste of money. But now, thanks to the advances in computer technology, Nintendo gave the aging console brand a new life. The GBA SP is a leap in innovation from it's predecessors. It has a rechargeable battery to extend game play and reduce costs in maintaining it. The LCD gave a clearer, more colorful and richer graphics. Nintendo also added shoulder buttons to add more functions and complexity in the games. What I like best is that the game cartridges are half the size of their old counterparts. The more compact the unit and parts are, the more portable they are. Nintendo even went further in making the GBA more compact when they released GBA Micro.

I'm pretty happy with my current SP. Although it satisfies my gaming needs, I'm still curious about the experience GBA Micro has to offer. I'm really intrigued about its size but I'm concerned about the screen size. Some say its not really a problem while others say the difference is significant. And compared to the clam shell design of the SP, the screen is relatively more vulnerable to damages and scratches since the Micro cannot fold up. I used to love the headphone jack of the Micro but since I turn off the sounds (to conserve battery) when I play, it's not anymore a concern. Price is not anymore an issue since they now have similar selling prices in the market. I guess the SP is still a better choice. With my big thumbs, I need a more durable unit and the bigger screen of the SP just might save me from more eye strains.

Philosophical Journey: Kant

The thing I like about Philosophy is that you can predict the style of writing by the nationality or cultural background of their respective authors. Americans are known to be organized and always conclude their works by repeating and summarizing what they've said. The French are notorious for being messy and seemingly having no direction at all (as in the case of Levinas). German philosophers write in a very systematic and straightforward manner. Sometimes, the work becomes too systematic that one can get overwhelmed by the degree of organization the author has invested in it (but I'll take the German philosophers over the French any day). This is exactly what I encountered when I studied Kant.

I'll tell you right away that reading Immanuel Kant was no walk in the park. That's because he kept mentioning terms like universalizability, Kingdom of Ends and categorical, which were all alien to me (I then realized that "categorical" meant "unconditional" and not used as a function of enumeration). It was only then later when I encountered his philosophy multiple times in other subjects that I was able to grasp his message, which turned out to be very simple. Immanuel Kant essentially advocates the rule of law, or more specifically, following your maxims. The core message of his philosophy can be summarized by the "Golden Rule": do to others what you would like to be done to you. And it is this maxim or rule that should be followed out of moral duty.

Despite the criticisms on Kant's philosophy for being very vague, his ideas on moral duty is what appealed to me the most. It is still my dominant guiding principle up to this day. It really makes a lot of sense because our duties give direction and meaning to our lives. It is what gives us reason to exist on this planet in the first place. More importantly, it is that sense of duty that drives us to get things done. It is the initiator and catalyst for a person's accomplishments. We do certain things in the name of fulfilling our duties.

Kant's ideas are very noble and chivalrous like that of medieval knights but they once again hit a snag. We now know that fulfilling our duties is a must but our duties are linked to our roles. And it is these roles or careers that we must find for ourselves first before we can determine our moral obligations. What are we called to do? Where do we fit in society? Are we called to be doctors, politicians, lawyers? These are the questions that I continuously struggle with and what helped me answer them came two semesters later when I studied Eastern Philosophy.

Going After Apple?

Apple is known for the sleek design and compact structure of its computers. This is evident not only in their Macbook laptops but also on their iMac desktops. The company created a one-stop desktop in which usual peripherals like LCD monitors, optical drives and web cameras are built into the entire unit. The only things sticking out are the keyboard and mouse. They wanted to make the desktop free of loose cables as much as possible and the experience as clean and compact as possible. The idea is really great for those who want to save space but the catch here is the really steep price for this innovative technology. An Apple iMac can cost as much as, or more than, a Macbook.

This type of all-in-one desktop became a luxury commodity until the arrival of the Intel Atom processor. Apple's competitors finally had the chance to answer the iMac with more affordable substitutes. Acer had the EZ1601, MSI with the Wind Top AE 1900 and Asus with the Eee Top. They are equipped with optical drives, card readers, web cameras and USB drives. As an added bonus, some of their monitors have a touch-screen feature, meaning they can be operated without a keyboard or mouse!

All of these all-in-one desktop contenders are a fraction of the regular selling price of the iMac. Thanks to the Intel Atom processor, costs are kept low and manufacturers are able to add more features to their products. Not only are they affordable, they also consume less electricity. All these features look very attractive but one question still remains. Are these systems up to the regular rigors of computer tasks?

The main difference between iMac and its competitors is the processor. While the others run on Intel Atom, iMac has Intel Core 2 Duo, which is obviously more superior in terms of performance. Atom is a processor known for its portability and not its performance. It is not recommended for heavy tasks like video editing, games and Photoshop. Could this difference compromise all of the features of these low-cost desktops? Maybe they are all just filled with unnecessary bells and whistles. Maybe they are only meant for light tasks.

I wonder why Asus, Acer and MSI used Atom as their processor of choice (aside from lowering costs). Maybe they haven't figured out a way to install a fan unit to cool the extreme heat generated by the dual core processors without destroying the compact design of the desktop.