D4

The Babbling Introvert

By Angelo Fernandez

Technews
ust add Orcs and plunge into the melee. Taking the Tower Defense genre to a new perspective, Orcs Must Die! (OMD) prompt players to take the defensive against the hordes of Orcs threatening to overwhelm. The premise of OMD is about as simple as the title. Players play as an impulsive and overconfident Apprentice tasked to defend the rifts from the combined horde of the Orcs and the Mob. The Orcs are similar to the brutish green skin obnoxious creatures found in the Lord of the Rings. The Mob on the otherhand, is composed of Ogres, Goblins, and Gnolls. The hordes true intentions and motivation are unknown as to why they attack the fortresses, but it is hinted that life beyond the rift is better than the life they have in Dead World. The objective in OMD is simple--- to prevent the enemy forces from reaching the rifts. At each level, player is given a number of life points. If an enemy manages to enter the rift or if the Apprentice dies, the players points are deducted. Each round starts ten seconds after the previous round, after a number of rounds, the player is given a grace period. This grace period gives the player a chance to choose the time of the assault paving way for dismantling and setting traps. After finishing a level, the player is given a new device to be used in the next stage. These tools are ex-

EVERY MONDAY March 12, 2012

Orcs Must Die! Or Else...

Some Thoughts On USB Devices

he advancement in technology over the past several years has been so massive that something that we take for granted today was something new and luxurious before. For example I still remember when Bluetooth technology was the cool and new thing for gadgets to have. It was a more convenient way to transfer files like pictures between devices and of course it brought forth a new way for devices to communicate. Today its something that we still have but it has been eclipsed by more advanced technology. As I write this article, I am still recovering from a few day trip to Bacolod to attend the wedding of my brother (congratulations again). The day before we left, I found out some news that made me panic a bit. I found out that my brother and his new wife would be staying in our room for a few days before they leave for their honeymoon. Heres the problem. Thats where my computer was. I didnt want to have to invade their privacy just to use my computer so I decided it was best to move it out to another part of the house. The other problem was that my PC used a cable to connect to our internet router. I got my PC in 2008 and it didnt come with a WiFi chip, something I took for granted all these years. I then realized that all

I needed was a WiFi dongle, which you connect to the USB port to act like the WiFi chip I needed to connect to the internet. Good old CDRKing had one! If you are reading this article, it was made possible because I sent it from my PC accessing the internet through the WiFi dongle. I first came across the concept of a dongle several years ago when I used to use a Bluetooth dongle to give a computer I had in the past Bluetooth access. We already have all sorts of things that we plug into the USB port. It started out with the keyboard and mouse. We also have flash drives, memory card readers, and dongles for WiFi, Bluetooth, and mobile intenet. Now we even have Smartphone chargers. Of course we also have the funny gadgets that plug into the usb port like flashlights, electric fans, lamps and I even saw a hair blower in CD-R King the other day that might also connect to the USB port. I was thinking we might possibly even see USB coffee machines, pressure cookers, microwaves and all sorts of appliances! Who knows, maybe future electrical outlets will also double as USB ports! The things we find to attach to the USB port are either really helpful or amusing or even both. Who knows what the future has in store for these USB devices but I know well continue seeing all kinds of them and youll probably find it in your local CDR-King too!

tremely useful in the consequent levels as their strengths are fully utilized with the construction of the level. Levels range from easy levels such as bottleneck bridges, to the harder ones such as halls with more than two entrances. Traps are the real star in this OMD. Deadly contraptions range from the cartoonish ground pounder, to the traditional floor spikes, down to the gruesome wall grinder. Traps are organized depending on how they are placed and can be upgraded by accumulating orc skulls at the end of each level. Acquisition of orc skulls are dependent on the players performance and may be used to shorten the cooldown times of traps or increase their triggering range. The Apprentice stands as the last line of defense if all else fails. The player can choose a number of items to equip him depending on his/her playing style. Equipments such as melee spears, fire and ice

bracers, and wind belts can be used in synergy with the traps and surroundings. OMD is cartoonish in terms of presentation. Characters are modeled in a way that would remind you of 3D movies such as Toy Story but with blood and gore. Though violent in its presentation, its a bit toned down compared to what we have in our gaming shelves. On the audio side, the audio presentation of OMD is both creative and engaging. The Apprentice will spew out comedic statements from time to time and will definitely tickle some bones. The music itself will inspire the player to cut down some orcs with its speed inducing tunes. Robot Entertainment developed a game that fully exemplifies what games should be: fun. It may be neither a hardcore shooter nor an intensive RPG game, but I will definitely recommend OMD to persons who love to play tower defense. (Jose Gamaliel Felongco)

How Friends Influence Our Purchases

hen several of your friends show you the same item again and again, do you feel influenced to buy it too? This generations purchases, electronic or not, are highly dictated by the circle of friends and connections we have. Digitally, we can say that online social networks play a big part in harnessing the information at hand and making it into relevant product sales. I have asked several PR agencies about brands going digital. Apparently, the main reason why companies and brands turn to digital media nowadays is because of what we so call online word of mouth. Whether the product is new or the brand just lacks popularity, agencies tap online writers, because they are influencers in their own rights. These writers are usually part of several social networking sites, therefore being able to promote the brand or product to a mass number of people in just one posting. There are still events for ac-

Less Heat With Genius Laptop Cooler

Genius, a leading brand of computer peripherals, brings you a stylish aluminum cooler stand for laptops. NB Stand 280 is a notebook cooler stand designed to help prevent your notebook from overheating during extended use. The aluminum base makes the design much more fashionable and heat dissipation more efficient. A fan draws heat away from the base of the notebook, allowing for better circulation and ventilation under the notebook casing. Its flat and lightweight and the cable stores around the fan easily. The NB Stand 280 is an ergonomic slim and smart design, and an additional USB port is included for another device. Features Powerful built-in fan cools your laptop Aluminum case makes cooling more efficient Additional USB port for other device Compatible with 10 to 15 notebooks including wide screen Silent solution for notebook cooling Cable storage area, makes travel easy

tual product launches, but these one-time parties may be forgotten right after the guests step out of the event venue. In addition, not everyone gets to attend events due to various reasons. On the contrary, having articles and features published online reaches more people in a shorter span of time and in a more dynamic way. Entries posted in the cloud can be referenced repeatedly anywhere, anytime, and can last for a lifetime. Outside the Internet and computers,our friends are also key influencers in our choice of products and services. Examine your choice of smartphone and mobile network. Most likely, your close friends use the same mobile network on the same brand of smartphone as you do. Those who communicate together tend to adopt together. I was a loyal Nokia user before I switched to BlackBerry. It wasnt because I didnt like the Finnish phone brand anymore. Several of my close friends switched to the Canadian brand specifically for BBM, and so

I did too. When the iPad launched several years ago, I actually didnt care at all. However, when I started seeing most of the people I look up to like the pastors, doctors, and businessmen carrying their iPad everywhere they go, it appeared to me that this piece of device could be useful to me too. It stirredmy curiosity and ledme to believe that the iPad is a must-have gadget. Yes, there are exceptions to the rule, because not everybody conforms according to what the society says. But its undeniably true that social variables have a huge influential power in our purchases. However, social connections arent everything. The qualities of whatever items spreading through a network still matters. Indeed, product adoption will spread like wildfire according to its quality, and not just basing wholly on the number of friends who already own it. How many of your devices were influenced by the people around you? Tweet me at @GlennOng. (Glenn Richmond Ong)

Boomer Gen
hen my techie son Jayvee decided to get married, he chose a place he had fallen in love with since his first visit there the Lacson Ruins in Talisay, Negros Occidental just outside the city of Bacolod. He was obviously swept up by the romance and legend of the place, especially since my cousin Raymond Javellana managed to single-handedly turn the place into a historic icon, a beautiful setting for evening weddings and functions. The Lacson Ruins came down to our maternal side of the family after several iterations. The original plantation was said to be about 4,000 hectares, reduced to 400 hectares by the time it got to our maternal great-grandfather, Mariano Ledesma Lacson. It was he who built the Mansion that became the Ruins (long story) in honor of his wife who passed away while delivering her 11th child. To make a long story short, the 40 hectares that was inherited by my grandmother, Mercedes Lacson vda de Javellana, contained the Ruins. Well, the immediate family and

Jose Ma J Fernandez

Charging Woes
Jayvee and Chies buddies from different techie, ABS-CBN, social media, scuba diving groups et al converged on Bacolod and helped to transform the wedding and the venue into an occasion to remember. Everyone brought the latest in gadgets and equipment the better to record the event with. Since I am known to be a regular Boy Scout in most things, preparing in advance for any occasion or event, one of the first things I did was to set aside two portable chargers for our Android units and a regular charger for the older Nokia phones we have. To make a long story short, I assumed that one of the Android chargers was working well, and it promptly gave life to that old Marine drill sergeant charge: Never ASSUME anything, because that makes an ASS of U and ME! So, at least one charger short, I decided to try my luck in one of the stores in a nearby mall but they did not have any original Samsung or HTC chargers on stock, but did have some in their downtown store. Not wanting to commute to crowded downtown, I kept on looking around and found not just one but three inexpensive chargers that I thought would do for the meantime. Well, my dear friends, follow this advice: Never ever use fake or inexpensive chargers! We saw our precious Android units going crazy even while charging and we unplugged in time so as to prevent further damage. But my Nokia N86 really went crazy, shutting off and draining its battery and now refusing to send messages!!!! This was a bummer of a situation, one that could have ruined an otherwise perfect setting. It is a good thing that my good friend and buddy, Polly Nazareno, was there as a principal sponsor to my son and his new spouse. I joked him about his using an iPhone and he innocently asked me if he had given me one. Of course, I told him that no, he had not given me an iPhone. I will soon test him to see if he was just pulling my leg and that should assuage the problem caused to my present other phone with most of my files. All because of a deficient and cheap charger that did not work as intended!

Surf and Snack at Manila Hotel

Manila Hotel is offering Snack Byte, a light and delicious in-between meal that perfectly suits your time even when you are in a meeting via teleconference or just browsing the Internet for real time updates. This scrumptious snack can be taken anywhere around the Hotel at the Lobby Lounge, Business Center, or at the MacArthur Lounge while you enjoy the Hotels high-speed WiFi Internet connection. The Snack Byte selection includes smoked salmon on pumpernickel with lump fish caviar, mini bagel with crab stick mayonnaise, pepper seared tuna loin with tapenade and wasabi mayo, and custard cream tartlet with fresh strawberry and a choice of coffee or tea. Snack Byte is priced at PhP 320.00 NET and available from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. For inquiries, please call 5270011 local 1260 to 62.