Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Latest PSP Games Reviewed


I’m sure a lot of you are already familiar with the Sony Playstation Portable, or PSP. It was first introduced into the market back in 2005 and has changed very little since. I think that the true test of a gadget’s greatness is its staying power. And if that’s the case, then the PSP is surely a winner.

What makes the PSP a great gaming device is its massive and diverse gaming library. Whether you’re a girl or a boy, a kid or a grown-up, a stay-at-home mom or a high-school student, there’s a PSP game that will surely entertain you. After all, a portable gaming console is just a fancy brick without awesome games. So, for this issue of Gizmo, I will focus on the latest games being offered for the PSP.


God of War: Chains of Olympus

Unleash the power of the Gods and embark on a merciless quest as Kratos, an ex-Spartan warrior driven to destroy Ares, the God of War. Armed with lethal double chainblades, Kratos must carve through mythology's darkest creatures including Medusa, Cyclops, the Hydra and more, while solving intricate puzzles in breathtaking environments… This is arguably the best title for the PSP out there. Its excellent gameplay, engaging storyline, awesome graphics and great soundtrack make it a top pick for the PSP. But because of the graphic violence in the game, this is not for little children. It is appropriately rated M (mature) by the ESRB.


Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Set seven years prior to the events of the first Final Fantasy VII, a large number of SOLDIER members, led by 1st Class operative Genesis, go missing. The severity of the situation prompts Shinra executives to deploy more SOLDIER operatives. The ones assigned to the mission are Zack, Angeal, and the 1st Class hero who is known the world over as Sephiroth… As a prequel to the very successful Final Fantasy VII, this game stands alone on its own merits while adding considerable substance and context to the original. Despite the technical limitations of the PSP, this game still manages to push the envelope with its great graphics and animations. If you’re a fan of the Final Fantasy franchise, you won’t be disappointed with this installment.


Patapon

Behind the Patapons' cute exterior, lies a fierce warrior spirit that can only be commanded by the beat of their God’s war drum. Master up to six different drumbeats to command the Patapon troops to march, attack, defend, power up, retreat, and use magic. Combine the various chains of drumbeats to address each unique level, leading the Patapons to victory over the Zigoton enemy forces… This game may sound simple and childish but it is surprisingly not. In fact it is very challenging, enjoyable and addictive. Singing the rhythm yourself and tapping it out with your foot when your minions let you down demonstrates how hard it is to be a god and how into this game you can become.


Downstream Panic!

In Downstream Panic, players save their scaly sea-friends in more than 80 different levels with five different customizable environments. It is up to the player to protect fish from land, predators and other obstacles through the use of a variety of innovative tools as they guide fish on their descent back into the ocean. Three different game modes (adventure, free play and survival) bring more of a challenge to the aquatic mix… This puzzle game is a gem. If you want games that make you think before you act, then this one’s for you. With eighty stages out of the box, you’ll surely play this one for hours and hours.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Awesome Do-It-Yourself USB Drive

Modders and do-it-yourselfers would love this project. The picture above might look like a hacked USB cord but it's actually a USB drive. Awesome right? It will surely be a hit with your techie (and maybe non-techie) co-workers.

It's quite easy to make too. Check out Evil Mad Scientist for the step by step instructions.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Upgrade Your Life (by Lifehacker)

Lifehacker's Upgrade Your Life is the ultimate compilation of the best Lifehacker tips and tricks. It's a book version of the best Lifehacker has to offer. While you'll have to shell out dollars to get the book, the online version is absolutely free. There are lots of great tips you can use. Here are the most useful for me...

Check out Lifehacker's Upgrade Your Life for many other useful tips.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

9-inch Asus Eee PC


My only gripe about the original Asus Eee PC is the ugly black bezel surrounding its LCD screen. The laptop is already so small, adding a black bezel around the LCD screen makes it even smaller and very hard to read from.

Thankfuly, they have announced an updated version of the tiny laptop which gets rid of the offensive bezel. It's got a 9 inch screen and a 1024 x 600 resolution according to Asus. Not too bad at all, if you ask me.

Engadget has a snapshot gallery of the glorious 9 inch Asus Eee PC screen. It looks so pretty, I'm almost tempted to get one even though I wouldn't have any use for it.
Here's another gallery of pics comparing the 7 incher to the 9 incher Eee. I really think the 9 inch Eee looks a whole lot better than it's 7 inch counterpart. It's a wee bit bigger but who cares? It's still a tiny laptop anyway.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Awesome iPod Nano Video Enlarger Plus Speaker

Think your iPod Nano's screen is too small? Then check out this do-it-yourself iPod Nano video enlarger. It's made out of an old 35mm slide viewer, hacked to include portable speakers. Very cool.


Saturday, February 23, 2008

My Gadget Wishlist

Realistically speaking, I don't have enough money to buy all the gadgets I want. But if ever I did, I'll go ahead and buy these things. These are very simple and mainstream gadgets, nothing too fancy in here. And if I probably starved myself for a year I could buy these, but I just love food too much.
  • Apple Macbook Pro - This one's a no-brainer. This laptop's simply unbeatable.


  • iPod Touch 32 gb - I have the 16gb model but I want the newly released 32 gb! I'm frustrated.


  • Bose iPod Dock - This is the prettiest iPod dock around.


  • PS3 - Now that BluRay's the clear winner, I'd love to get the PS3 not only for games but for watching awesome movies as well.


  • PSP - I used to have a PSP but it got sat on and the screen cracked. Now I'm thinking that I want one again.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Laptop DIY

If the price of your new laptop has left you all broke and laptop accessory-less, then DIY! Here are a bunch of do-it-yourself projects for all sorts of laptop accessories that will surely make you the envy of all your friends. Ok, maybe not, but they're still cool projects! :-)
  • Foam, foam, foam! There's no better and cheaper material to encase your laptop in than foam. This step by step tutorial shows us how to custom make a foam case for your laptop.


  • If foam doesn't float your boat, then cardboard and duct tape might. Check out this instructable for creating your very own cardboard and duct tape laptop case.

  • This PVC laptop stand is cheap, easy to construct and definitely cruicial if you use your laptop on a regular basis. Your back will definitely thank you.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

PSPhone Mockup

If Sony Ericsson came up with a cellphone slash PSP that looked like this, I'd definitely snap one up. It looks gorgeous! The dual-sliding keypad is suspiciously similar to that of the Nokia n95's but I think this one makes use of it in a better way. How I wish this is a mockup of an actual product to be released, but unfortunately, Engadget debunks it's existence as a mere flight of fancy.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

MacBook Pro Mockups

The MacBook Pro is rumored to be updated any time soon. But while that's not happening yet, the time's just right for speculation and excitement. To up the speculation, Engadget challeged it's readers to create mockups of the next MBP. The gallery of submissions is now available at the site and while there were some pretty wacky submissions, some looked great. See my faves below...



Macro Photography 101


I love macro photography. For those who are unfamiliar, macro photography is "the art of taking pictures of things extremely close-up." It's a great way to see your subject in a whole new perspective. However, it's not exactly the easiest thing to do, especially if you don't have a dslr in your camera bag. Erin Manning has created a how-to for taking macro photos using just a regular point and shoot camera. Take a look and you'll be taking terrific close-up pictures in no time.