Taeng's Down-N-Dirty Quick Reviews

RED 2
Frank Moses & Co. are back, with a little additional help of some new and old "teammates" in R.E.D. 2, the sequel to the original R.E.D. How does it live up to its predecessor? Not that well. While the crew is still the same, the feel isn't. Oh, its got explosions, humor and all that. But it doesn't beat or match the level of fun that R.E.D. was at. I guess its because that was the introduction to these characters and it all seemed new & cool at the time. And while R.E.D. 2 had its moments, it pretty much just kept the same formula from the first movie.
With the addition of Catherine Zeta-Jones as Katya (Frank Moses' former flame, kinda) it was interesting but not enough. Then there's Korean action actor Byung Hyun Lee (Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe movies) who adds youth and martial arts coolness and humor ("Where's my plane?") but cannot save the movie.
Don't get me wrong, its a OK movie but I was expecting something cooler.
I did like the fact the Helen Mirren and Brian Cox are together in this one...they're better than Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker, even with what little screentime they had together.
Final shot: The decision on if I like a movie is usually if I decide that I'm buying it on Blu-ray when it comes out. Barring any ridiculous sale prices ($11.99 or lower? I'm THERE!), R.E.D.2 is a no-buy. When it drops to the $9.99 level, then we'll see.

THE WOLVERINE
Having suffered through the first movie, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, with its twisty, somewhat inconsistent plot and just plain WTF sequences, I wasn't too hyped about this one. But after reading mostly favorable reviews, it started to pique my interest. And with the much anticipated X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE, PAST to be released next year, I decided to get into mutant hero mode and take the chance. Was it worth it?
YES.
I do not claim to be an X-Men fanboy but I read it when I was a kid and loved it. And you guessed it, Wolvie was my fave character becuz he didn't take sh!t from anyone. And I knew some of the storyline that was adapted for WOLVERINE but not all of it, so it was a nice surprise. I loved the female leads in Mariko (Tao Okamoto) and Yukio (Rila Fukushima), both were strong willed and a could fight (Yukio more than Mariko) and Logan himself shows some depth (What? In a comic book movie? Nooo) and you can actually relate to his pain and may even root for him (I did). Guest appearances by Jean Grey help convey his regret and loss.

All in all a well-balance action/drama with a couple of scenes that may make you roll your eyes but are still enjoyable.
Final Shot: I'd buy this on Blu...but I still want it to be a good price...
Oh and stay for the epilogue during the credits. It's become a staple for EVERY Marvel movie.

Minions Get All The Fun...

SNSD were on their way to the airport terminal when they encountered...

Note: Seohyun &Taeyeon will return to voice act as Edith & Margo in the Korean release of  Despicable Me 2.

"euigeung that jerk^^ he touched my butt!! Lol #AsExpectedMyFriends"

 -Taeyeon's Instagram

Tiffany couldn't resist...

Sunny: Wha--?

Also, Taeyeon's Instagram has a video of her and Seohyun with the Minions so go check it out! Meanwhile, lucky Taiwan Sones get to see SNSD their GIRLS & PEACE Tour.

SNSD's Tiffany from Ceci Magazine August 2013. 'Nuff Said!

OMG!

BONUS:

This one always gets me when watching the "I Got A Boy" MV..

PACIFIC RIM: Taeng00ey808's Take & More

First off, I have to say that growing up in Hawaii and having seen some of the Giant Robot animated shows from Japan broadcast through American and local Japanese TV, I always wondered when someone would make a movie of it...or something like it.
The 1980's did a have a couple, ROBOT JOX and CRASH AND BURN and both used the then tried-and-true stop-motion animation techniques. Love ya, Ray! Computer generated images were in the very early stages of development and mostly used in stickman figures or 10-second TV spots and that still took months to make.
Still, with the advancement of CGI into the 90's and then the millenium, no one took the chance on making a full-scale motion picture of Giant Robots fighting...whatever. I thought that Japan would've been the first, since they basically brought the genre to life and this continues today in the form of the long-running Gundam series.  C'mon guys, we were expecting you to be the first.
But alas, decades would go by and then The TRANSFORMERS (again, a Japan import) makes its live-action film debut to the delight of those who grew up watching it on TV every afternoon after school (that and Robot---, I can't say it but you know which series). And this is done through the American film industry. Now, I know all 3 movies got trashed by critics, but REALLY, how do you critique Giant Robots? It's a POPCORN movie of a toy line, for chrissake! Check your brain at the door, take your seat and enjoy the ride. =)
Flash forward to 2012 and the rumblings of the latest Guillermo Del Toro (HELLBOY, MIMIC, PAN'S LABYRINTH, BLADE II) film called PACIFIC RIM. I didn't really pay it much attention becuz it didn't shout "Giant Robots VS Giant Monsters!" just by the title. It took a little bit of time but the first images came out and I was like &$#^* (expletive)! It was starting to pique my interest and then the first trailer hits and I AM HOOKED. But, having waited so long for something like this to come along sorta made me hesitate as far as whether it would be any good...you know, the first model will have some bugs so it may not function great all the time and you wait for the next version. Except if this fails, there won't be another version. So I headed into the movie with low expectations, even if a director that I admire and whom brought fantastic characters to life onscreen with awesome results, was behind it all.

Honestly, I really wasn't that excited but I had committed to seeing it (to myself) and this was the only way to see it...on the big screen, with Regal's RPX system and nice, somewhat racecar-like comfy chairs.
The result?
It was AWESOME! And intense. One of the few movies in a long time that made me actually sit up in my seat (don't lie, you slouch in those seats too) and dig into the action. I've already made up my mind to buy the blu-ray.
It had interesting concepts, especially dealing with the Jaeger/Giant Robot and human link up through a neural net and that you needed 2 drivers (1 for right and 1 for left brain hemisphere control). Remember, the Japanese animated versions just had the operator sit in a chair and drive the robot. Not so for this movie. There so many concepts I found interesting that, in addition to cool Jaeger/Monster battles, I found myself liking the movie more and more. Yeah, some of them were a bit far-fetched...but we're talking about Giant Robots...I think we're past "far-fetched" and deep into "Holy Crap, that's crazy!" territory.
Nevertheless, for the little kid in me who loved those animated Japanese Giant Transforming Robots from childhood, PACIFIC RIM more than satisfied him.  I may even go see it again.
Critics and non-critics can bash the movie for whatever reasons but I took it for the thrill ride it was and believe that was, in part, the intent.
Oh yeah and if you go see it, stick around for the gag during the credits.

A film like this opens up the idea that we can now make a Giant Robot movie, as the technology has allowed us the freedom and scope to make it happen. I, personally, would love to see a live-action Macross or even Gundam. Heck, Japan already has a life-sized Gundam robot on display. I think its time he started walking...

What do you think?

How to install JDownloader

Written by:

Leonhu

http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/922

Because JDownloader isn't part of the Linux Mint Software Center, you have to download the automated Install/Start-Script from http://212.117.163.148/jd.sh.

After downloading, place the file wherever you want, best place for me is the Desktop (because that is the file, which starts JDownloader after the installation).

If you want to edit the Installation-path, open the file with a text-editor and edit line 19. Default is "~/.jd" (home).

Now you have to make the file executable. Right-click on it and select "Properties". Go to the Permissions-Tab and mark the option "Allow executing file as program". Then open the file again.
JDownloader should now start the installation.

When the installation is complete, run the file again. Now JDownloader should start.

Tags: JDownloader install
Created: 1 year ago.
Last edited: 1 year ago.
Reviewed: 1 year ago.
Read 0 times.

Asian Actors from the 80's that were awesome!!!

Victor Wong

 

James Hong 

Al Leong

Mako

  

George Takei

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Pat Morita

Professor Toru Tanaka (Charles Kalani, Jr.)

Sho Kosugi

Toshiro Mifune

Sonny Chiba

Maybe Your Next Most-Wanted Gadget Isn't a Smartphone....

(Personally, for me, it IS a new smartphone, but let's not diminish the coolness factor here.)

OK, so the 41 megapixel camera sounds impressive...but can a human actually SEE in 41 megapixels? With contact lenses, even?

Here's something that sorta puts the fun back in the picture-taking game, especially if you missed the original Polariod cameras that printed a photo out instantly. Granted the photo quality was less than perfect, but that was part of the "charm".

Anyway, read on for info on the newest version of the Polaroid Instamatic from Softpedia.com:

Based on a concept created by ADR Studio back in 2012, the Socialmatic Polaroid camera is set to launch in 2014 for under $250/€190, according to designer Antonio De Rosa.

De Rosa, who is the author of several awesome iPhone concepts, confirmed to Softpedia earlier today that, despite the concept imagery, this thing is in the works!

He also tells us that pre-production will kick off alongside a new social network to back up the product.

The cool thing about it is that it comprises every bit of photography functionality your heart could desire, and sports a design that will murder all point-and-shooters.
Just look at it!

It’ll have a 14-megapixel front camera and a 2-megapixel rear-facing camera, LED flash, a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 4 gigs of internal storage, stereo speakers (for video playback), GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (because why not?), a front-facing LCD with Mood Assistant A.I., and Socialmatic instant filters (take that, Instagram!).

That’s not all, though (I saved the best for last). In addition to all this oomph, the Socialmatic camera will boast remote printing capabilities and a Zink Instant Printer to spit out readily-developed shots on the spot, just like the old Polaroids.

This thing begged to be created! Socialmatic should give themselves a big pat on the back for not waiting any longer with the announcement.

“Make room in your bag for a must-have gadget. Prepare your hands to control the passion, the instantaneous need to live the moments, sharing and printing them. In the real world,” says the company.

“Because your ‘Hello!’ can be shot in Italy, printed in France and moved in USA. Maybe your next most wanted gadget is not a new smartphone…,” reads the marketing.

Spot on, guys!

Anxious tech editor waiting for his review sample right here [waving hands frivolously].

Disclaimer
 This is a Personal Thoughts piece reflecting the author’s “personal” opinion on matters relating to Apple and / or the products associated with the Apple brand. This article should not be taken as the official stance of Softpedia on Apple-related matters.

Honestly, this sounds pretty cool to me. I'm just not sure about the $250 price tag. It's a bit steep considering it has nothing to do w/Girls' Generation. (Inside joke)

A 41 megapixel camera on a phone?!?

Ok. Now things are getting a little out of hand...
This is neither a leak, review or anything of the sort. Just my opinion.


From the Verge:

The 41-megapixel Pureview sensor includes optical image stabilization, 6-lens Zeiss optics, and a xenon flash, making it the centerpiece for the rear of the phone. It can shoot still images at 38-megapixel in 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. At the same time as it captures the high-resolution images, it also takes an oversampled 5-megapixel image using the sensor that can then be easily shared thanks to its smaller file size. The Lumia 1020 supports 1080p video capture, complete with 4x zoom and up to 6x at 720p. Nokia is releasing a Pro Camera app with the Lumia 1020 to take advantage of the sensor and manually adjust flash, focus, ISO, white balance, shutter speed, and exposure. It also includes a number of editing functions to crop and alter photos. Nokia is bundling a leather wrist strap with the Lumia 1020, making it even more point-and-shoot-like, but a optional Camera Grip accessory provides a casing for the device with extra battery, a shutter button, and even a tripod mount.
--http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/11/4513556/nokia-lumia-1020-release-date-specifications-features

As a tech person, this sounds sooo coooll!!!. I would love to be able to walk around, yank out my phone/camera and snap pics in this pixel range. Is this going to boost Nokia out of the tech dungeon that they find themselves in since back in the day? Probably not. Nokia is no longer the name of cutting edge phones any more. And Microsoft is no longer the OS producer they once were (remember who bailed you out back then, Apple! XDDD). But still barring any other problems that it may have, this sounds too niche to make any traction against the juggernauts

that are Apple, Google and Samsung (in alphabetical order, not preference). And as for replacing that whopping big pro-sumer DLSR, again, prolly not.

Helllooooooo Nurse! A-JAX's "Insane" MV is released!

You didn't think I'd forget that Randomness posted the Jaekyung/Hyunyoung nurse pic, didja? Take a gander...

.

 

 

 Although they're only in the MV for a few seconds (not sure if it amounts to a minute, even), its still worth watching. Oh yeah and the song is pretty good, too.

It kinda sounds like Tasty's "You Know Me" just a lil bit... =)