Atma Xplorer

Hasselblad 40 MP “entry-level” camera

sylv3rblade — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:35:54 +0000

It’s a numbers game when it comes to dSLRs and their respective pixel counts right? But what about Hasselbald’s new H4D-40 with 40 MegaPixels? O_O Read that part yet? 40 megapixels… 40 million pixels in 3-by-44mm CCD sensor. At that size, it’s about twice the size of a typical full-frame 35mm DSLR sensor.

With those specs, it easily beats my Nikon D90 out of the ball park.

As with all cameras in the H4D line of medium-format DSLR, H4D-40 gets a True Focus AF system (which tracks camera movement to calculate and predict proper focus during recomposition) and Absolute Position Lock processor (APL).

The H4D-40 will also feature new low-noise color filters and an 80mm HC/HCD lens which will allow for an increased depth of field. The lens features digital lens correction (DAC) for any color aberration, vignetting, or distortion.

Interested yet? Be prepared to shell out some serious dough, $19,995 for the H4D-40 kit. The kit includes the camera body, viewfinder, and 80mm lens as is now available for purchase.

Anybody interested in getting one?

Hasselblad 40 MP “entry-level” camera originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on February 5, 2010, 11:35 pm.
This post is part of the category Photography. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Official Final Fantasy XIII International version trailer

sylv3rblade — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:31:12 +0000

The International version for Final Fantasy XIII is set for release on March 09, 2010, several months after the original japanese release. The official trailer below shows the reason for the delay. Square-Enix took it’s sweet time to do localization properly and apply it to the video (not just the sounds.. or voices). No more lip-synching

You can see the video after the jump.

Of course like games before it that went through localization, some of the experience/story gets lost in the translation. This is specially true in games that include jokes/puns in Japanese that doesn’t have it’s humor translated to English (or whatever language it’s getting localized for) so I’m looking forward to playing the International version then the Japanese version (my japanese isn’t that good but I hope that playing the International version will give me enough familiarity with the game’s system ).

As for the game itself, Final Fantasy XIII has been receiving much flack for it’s linearity but I think it’s an unfair rating, considering that it’s a JRPG and not a western “sandboxed” RPG with the promise of an open world. In those games, you’re playing as YOU as the hero. Final Fantsy XIII is meant to be played as Lightning from your point of view. And since this is a post about a Final Fantasy game, let’s not forget the rabid fanboys that’ll bring up the old “but Final Fantasy 7 is better” routine. Meh. It’s a game and it’s appeal to you depends highly on your preferences but I guess it’s more fun to compare apples and oranges .

In any case, I’ll be waiting for the XIII with my brand new HDTV. Will be posting pictures of my current gaming setup once I’ve set up the furniture (which is proving harder to procure than the consoles themselves ).

Official Final Fantasy XIII International version trailer originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on February 3, 2010, 1:31 pm.
This post is part of the category General Gaming. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Polaroid makes an instant camera comeback with PIC-1000!

sylv3rblade — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:45:40 +0000

I’ll admit, when Polaroid announced the decision that they’ll stop producing films for their Instant film cameras (AKA Polaroids), I felt sad because the sheer legacy of the company and it’s cameras to the world of photography has come at an end. Or so we thought.

Impossible Project has acquired (legally of course) the equipment necessary to produce the instant film and aim to start production this year in cooperation with Summit Global Group for distribution. But what about the cameras?

Instead of getting wheedled out of your money trying to buy that vintage camera, why not wait for Polaroid’s revival of instant camera line. Yep, Polaroid will be releasing a new range of film cameras that resemble the beloved Polaroids of the good old days starting with the PIC-1000, it’s latest (albeit very retro ) instant camera offering.

Oh and yes, Polaroid has also announced that they’re back in the film business so you may want to wait for film prices to go down before buying .

The PIC-1000 will come in either metallic plastic, or a ’70s wooden throw-back and will require the classic Polaroid Color 600 Instant film (those with iconic, white border prints). The film will be available in packs of 10 shots and can be used in the PIC-1000 as well as the older models.

As for the camera itself? It features a self-timer, flash and even red-eye reduction. None too shabby eh?

Now for the all important price. Polaroid said that their target price is at $100 but let’s not get our hopes up just yet on that. No final word on availability although the company says to expect the Polaroid PIC-1000 cameras to debut sometime this year.

Nostalgia anyone?

Polaroid makes an instant camera comeback with PIC-1000! originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 27, 2010, 5:45 am.
This post is part of the category Photography. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Enjoying my Nikon D90

sylv3rblade — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:07:52 +0000

Phew! Things have been really hectic for me since the New Year began and one of the few joys during the interim that I found throughout my currently busy busy busy schedule (aside from the obvious lure of moolah) was the opportunity to take pictures with my new baby, the Nikon D90. I posted it’s first pics (well picture of the D90 box at least) via my New Year greeting but failed to record the unboxing pics because I didn’t remember to take pictures Oh well, at least I got the hang of all the new buttons, nubs and features pretty quickly because I dropped everything and played with the cam’s features up until the New Year’s celebration on the beachside but that’s another story.

In any case, I bought it last year, on December 31 via kimstore (order placed December 30 and item received December 31). That should give you an idea of how fast kimstore is with transactions Ok enough of the shameless plug. The moment I got my hands on the new cam, the very first thing I did (you should too, especially when you’re getting a new cam in the near future) was to read the manual to make sure I’m doing things right and that I won’t do anything to harm my new cam. To further sate my appetite for what-to-know, I also printed out a copy of Ken Rockwell’s D90 review and PDF guide. If you’re new to digital SLR cams, looking for equipment reviews and recommendations, I recommend paying a visit to his site. Photography is his bread and butter so that should indicate how important (or relevant) his opinions are.

Coming from the very simple and lightweight D40, the very first thing I noted and loved about the D90 was it’s sheer number of buttons and nubs. You can see a comparison of the physical differences of both cameras from the table below:

Nikon D40	Nikon D90

Notice anything? Yep. Compared to the D40, there’s quite a lot of buttons for the D90. They’re not just for display though, they actually quite useful once you know how to use them You see, with the D40, if you need to set something for a shot… say, change your Image Size, you need to navigate through your menu and change it. With the D90, just press the proper button and rotate the secondary nub. That’s just a simple example but lets go on What if you wanted to switch your ISO setting? Your shooting mode? During normal circumstances, you don’t need to change these on the fly but it’s handy especially when shooting in the field where lighting change over time.

As for the all important specification head to head?

BASIC SPECIFICATIONS D40 vs D90
Camera Model	Nikon D40	Nikon D90
Field of View Crop Factor	1.5	1.5
Dimensions	4.94 x 3.69 x 2.51 in (126 x 94 x 64 mm)	5.18 x 4.04 x 3.02 in (132 x 103 x 77 mm)
Weight	1.1 lbs (475 gramms)	1.4 lbs (620 gramms)
Weight (with Batteries)	1.2 lbs (522 gramms)
Body Material	plastic	metal/plastic
Waterproof	No	No
Announce Time	November 15, 2006	August 26, 2008
SENSOR
Total Pixels	6.24 Megapixels	12.9 Megapixels
Effective Sensor Resolution	6.1 Megapixels	12.3 Megapixels
Optical Sensor Type	CCD	CMOS
Color Depth	36 bit	36 bit
Light Sensitivity	200 – 1600 ISO, Auto ISO	200 – 3200 ISO, Auto ISO
Max Resolution	3008 x 2000	4288 x 2848
Sensor Dust Reduction	No	Yes
FEATURES
Video Recording	No	Yes
Manual setting of shutter speed and aperture	Yes	Yes
Live View	No	Yes
Af Assists Illuminator	Yes	Yes
Manual Focus Adjustment	Yes	Yes
Face Detection	No	Yes
Features	Tripod mount, Remote Control, Camera orientation detection	Tripod mount, Remote Control, Camera orientation detection
White Balance	Auto, Manual, Presets	Auto, Manual, Presets, Bracketing
Max Shutter Speed	30 s	30 s
Min Shutter Speed	1/4000 s	1/4000 s
X-sync Speed	1/200 s	1/500 s
Exposure Modes	Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority	Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority
Auto Exposure Bracketing	1/3 range in 5 EV steps	1/3 range in 5 EV steps
Exposure Metering	Center-weighted, Spot, 3D Color Matrix	Center-weighted, Spot, 3D Color Matrix
Exposure Bracketing	No	Yes
Still Image Format	3 JPEG, RAW	3 JPEG, RAW
Digital Video Format		AVI
Digital Video Codec		MJPEG
Built-in Microphone	No	Yes
LENS SYSTEM
Lens System Mounting (bynet)	Nikon F	Nikon F
Image Aspect Ratio	3:2	3:2
Video Max Resolution	1280×720
CAMERA FLASH
Built-in Flash	Yes	Yes
Hot Shoe	Yes	Yes
Flash Features	i-TTL	Flash exposure bracketing,i-TTL
Red Eye Reduction	Yes	Yes
VIEWFINDER
Viewfinder	Optical TTL (through the lens)	Optical TTL (through the lens)
Viewfinder Field Coverage	95%	96%
DISPLAY
Display Form Factor	Built-in	Built-in
Display Pixels	230000	920000
Display Size	2.5 inch	3 inch
STORAGE
Supported Flash Memory	SD, SDHC	SD, SDHC
BATTERY
Battery Capacity	1000 mAh or 470 frames	1500 mAh or850 frames
Supported Battery	MB-D80	EN-EL3e
Power Slot	Yes	Yes
ADDITIONALS FEATURES
Continuous Shooting Speed	2.5frames per second	4frames per second
Self Timer	Yes	Yes
Self Timer Delay	2, 5, 10, 20 s	2, 5, 10, 20 s
Turn On Time	0.18 s	0.15 s
Cables Included	USB cable	USB cable, A/V cable
Included Accessories	Eyecup, Neck strap, Battery charger, Body cap, Lens cap, Shoe cap	Eyecup, Neck strap, Battery charger, Body cap, Lens cap, Shoe cap, LCD monitor cover
Interfaces	USB (2.0), Video output	USB (2.0), Video output, HDMI, Audio output, Remote control

If you’re a numbers guy/girl, the D90 is a cut above the D40. Sure, the D90 can capture more pixels but what’s important is it’s sensor. The CMOS sensor brings the D90’s performance at par with Nikon’s more professional offering, the D300 . It’s like getting a D300 for cheap. The D90 has video but unlike Canon’s latest offering, the 500D, it seems like a feature added at the last minute . Autofocus doesn’t work and sound is jittery at best. I understand the decisions that Nikon made that put the HD video feature on the D90 but I would’ve liked it better they really didn’t add such a crippled feature. Maybe they’ll fix most of the D90’s quirks with a firmware update but still, I would prefer to disable it entirely. I have a Flip HD for HD video purposes .

Now, what I like about the D90. First would be it’s size. My fingers are quite long which makes holding my D40 quite cumbersome because it’s quite small, small enough to fit in one hand. Optimally, we should should with both hands right? The left hand cradles the lens for stability and the right holds the cam and the shutter button. This is problematic with the D40 since it’s light and small enough to be held with one hand, I usually end up holding the cam with ackward position for my fingers >_>. The obvious solution would be to get a camera grip but since my budget permitted it, I got a D90 instead. The sheer size of the D90 makes it comfortable to hold and shoot with and it’s weight makes it easier to stabilize the camera (for me at least since I feel like I’m fighting against the weight of the camera, not the weight of my own arm >_>).

The D90’s advanced feature set are quite helpful as well. D-lighting in particular has been very useful in composing lowlight shots or shots with very high lighting contrasts (i.e. the subject is bathed with background light). Without D-lighting, finding the right exposure would’ve been a nightmare in those situations .

Now, the part that you’ve been waiting for, the pictures . I was only able to process a few pics so please bear with me. These shots were taken during one of our frequent visits to pizza hut. The manager was kind enough to give us a discount card taking 10% the usual price Imagine that. If you want to see more of my pics, you can just follow updates on my flickr account.

I’m still working on the pictures from the photoshoot with Genre productions but even if I do finish processing them, I’ll still waiting for the go signal to post them . Now, I did promise a post on Canon vs Nikon (specifically the 500D vs the D90). I’m still working on it but it’ll probably be put on hold while I process more pics. *sigh*

So what happens with my D40 now that I’ve switch to my D90 full time? Well it’s relegated to the status of secondary body. I’m still saving up to get a Nikkor 35mm f/2.0 AF-D lens to replace it’s current 50mm lens. The 50 mm is a good lens but I feel that at 35 mm, I’d get better use out of it. Will post an update on my current camera gear in a few so please look forward to it

Enjoying my Nikon D90 originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 25, 2010, 2:07 pm.
This post is part of the category Photography. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Dead or Alive heads to the PSP.. in bikini

sylv3rblade — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:04:01 +0000

A Dead or Alive game is headed straight for the PSP. It’s coming out in english (that’s a rarity no? We usually get to see the Japanese version out first) and in bikinis O_O. Did you read that right? Yep. Dead or Alive Paradise is headed for the PSP, in english and in bikinis.

Taking the ropes from Dead or Alive Beach volleyball, instead of battling it out with other DoA characters, you get the dating sim game with tons of fan-service via bikini-centric mini-games (beach volleyball, pool hopping, poker, photography, gift-giving and the like)….. Nosebleed much? Tecmo promises paradise in the palm of your hand.. unless you missed that from the title of the upcoming game (yes it’s called Dead or Alive Paradise). Ummm OK. The gist of it is that we’ll be getting another PSP game.

If you haven’t seen any of DoA’s spinoff games, all you’ll be doing with Paradise is to pick your DoA girl of choice, play mini-games with her, earn points, buy her stuff, take pictures of her (with which you can brag off to your other PSP buddies) and buy her more stuff. Mini games range from beach volleyball, pool hopping, poker, etc…

“You’ll also be able to snap candid photos of your giggling beauties in their beachwear which you can store in your very own private photo album and collect ‘Venus Clips’ to enjoy later,” the seemingly shameless Tecmo company added. “It’s all on-the-go, and all in the palm of your hand. Take your girls anywhere. Play with them any time.”

So half-way thru the post and I still couldn’t believe that we’re getting a gal-game (a Japanese term for what’s effectively a dating sim) until I saw the screenshots. Here’s the full set:

Ok so that really proves it. I’m gonna put this title under my “to-skip” list but I’m pretty sure some of you guys will pick it up for the lulz or more.

Dead or Alive heads to the PSP.. in bikini originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 23, 2010, 1:04 pm.
This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Currently Playing: Project Diva – Hatsune Miku

sylv3rblade — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:31:30 +0000

I’m not an avid fan of the Vocaloid meme but I must admit that Project Diva has had my undivided attention for quite some time now (approximately two months and counting).

It’s cute, it’s challenging but more importantly, it’s great fun. The game can be categorized under a rhythm game like patapon but instead of battling zigotons and monsters, you try to score points by continuing your button combos

The object of the game is simply, press the buttons on the screen before the required time expires….. That might sound complicated so here’s some screens. Once you see them they’re pretty explanatory.

Pretty simple right? All you need to do is build up your combo up to the end of the song and you’re done. The gameplay is simple, there’s no doubting that but it’s challenging as well and subtly so (save for a few tracks that have really insane difficulties ). How challenging? Project Diva puts up several subtle obstacles that make the game quite harder than it looks. Let me enumerate them below:

You have a cute vocaloid character dancing infront of you while you’re trying to hit the right rhythm. It’s either very annoying or very distracting.
As you progress through the game, and continue to unlock characters, items and costumes, you also unlock higher difficulties for each track
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with a song, you usually end up trying to sing along, lose concentration and end up missing your beat and loosing the stage (this happens to meet quite a lot)
Once you unlocked the PV mode for a song (usually completing a track’s hard mode), you’ll end up watching what’s happening in the background and repeat the events of number 3

Of course if you play games with great concentration, the items above won’t bother you. If you’re into moe (which is probably the reason you’re also playing the game) then be forewarned The game is challenging, fun and addicting.

If you need a list of unlockable items, costumes, songs and characters just head to the Project Dvia Wiki.

If you still don’t have the game, you can download it via our list of free PSP games. There’s also a translation patch available so you’ll be able to navigate the menu (if you haven’t noticed, Project Diva is all japanese) better. Have fun

Currently Playing: Project Diva – Hatsune Miku originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 21, 2010, 2:31 pm.
This post is part of the category General Gaming. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

PSP Games to look forward to in 2010

sylv3rblade — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:16:32 +0000

It’s the new year and we have a new set of PSP Games to look forward to. Looking back on last year’s post, we only missed three games that didn’t have a 2009 release date. Fortunately, Kingdom Hearts:Birth by sleep is already released in Japan so a US (English) release date isn’t going to be far off. The remaining titles are Parasite Eve: 3rd Birthday and Final Fantasy Agito XIII but sadly, it seems that they won’t be appearing this year either so they’re back on this list under the Games we want to see in 2010 category.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

Currently a Japan-only release, Kingdom Heart: Birth by Sleep explores franchise’s prequel with three new characters Terra, Aqua, and Ven. Expect more keyblade and disney action with this highly anticipated title!

No word on the English release but it’s probably not very far off, the latest would be next year but let’s hope that Square-Enix doesn’t take too long with localization

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

It’s just what the PSP as a platform needs, another Metal Gear Solid game!

Peace Walker is the unofficial sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and is expected to be out in May. As another Hideo Kojima work, need it more introduction?

Valkyria Chronicles 2

Valkyria Chronicles is a surprise but pleasant hit for the PS3. Fans of the game (and PS3 owners) are probably pissed off that the sequel went straight to the PSP instead of maintaining it’s presence on it’s bigger brother (this is probably due to the lower than expected sales but that’s just my speculation). Nonetheless, Valkyria Chronicles 2 is expected to bring the rock solid gameplay of the original along with a new cast of characters.

Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake

Another PS3 hit coming to the PSP.

Our portly, cel-shaded herione gets a whole new game so expect more bloody and gory battles (if but less pixels btw) over to the PSP. Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake gets six new levels (including all levels from the original PS3 game). Of course I’m pretty sure the feature that most people will look into would be the Adhoc multiplayer . Fat Princess supports upto 8 players in (4 vs 4) multiplayer mode. Food fight anyone?

Dante’s Inferno

While there’s much expectations of the game, careful not to put your hopes too high. It’s an EA game. Nonetheless, Dante’s Inferno looks to be an interesting game.

God Eater

Anime + Monster Hunter = Win right? Well that’s the current formula Namco is trying to cash in with God Eater and from the get go, it looks like it’s a winner.

The Japanese demo is already available (and has been downloaded a million times since it’s release on November last year) via the Japanese PSN Store so be sure to download it to test it out

Games we want to see in 2010

No, these games haven’t been confirmed for release, much less been reported as actual work progress. Yes, they shouldn’t be here but admit it, you know you want to see these games on the shelves (or the PSN Store in this case) and SOON.

Parasite Eve: The 3rd Birthday

Again, very little info is known about the game but that’s what makes hopeful fans tick no? Just like an FF7 remake. The Parasite Eve 3rd Birthday is one of those games that fans hold their collective breath for.

Final Fantasy Agito XIII

Square has made it clear that the current technology for the PSP won’t be able to handle Final Fantasy Agito XIII. Imagine Crisis Core but you control multiple characters (similar to FF XII). Here’s to hoping that the game gets released before the PSP2 even goes on radar.

Resident Evil Portable

I’ve wanted to keep RE out of this list for the longest time but since RE 5 has been released for both the PS3 and the 360 and no other incoming title under the franchise, I think it’s the best time for Resident Evil Portable to appear on radar.

No official information about the game (just like the two above) has been released except for the E3 announcement. All that’s about the game is that it’s a full-on survival horror game and built specifically for the PSP. Feel free to start speculating

That pretty much sums up this year’s PSP Games to look forward post. I’ll be editing it to add more games as they come along but feel free to post a comment if you think a game deserves to be here.

PSP Games to look forward to in 2010 originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 11, 2010, 7:16 pm.
This post is part of the category Playstation Portable. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

PSP Plugin: Hold+ 4.0

sylv3rblade — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:43:59 +0000

I guess I’m getting rusty with keeping up to date with the latest PSP stuff as the latest update on Hold+ plugin appeared right under my nose. The latest version for the plugin is currently at 4.0. What makes it so useful? When using your PSP as an MP3 player, it nearly doubles your battery life (at least the developer says so )

The Hold+ plugin does the following when activiated:

Switches off the LCD screen and backlight.
Underclocks the CPU to 60MHz
Fixes malfunctioning Hold switch.
The original screen brightness and clock speed are restored only when the Hold switch is released fully to the power off position.
Prevents the PSP from going into suspend mode if you accidently push the power switch too far when turning off Hold mode.
Turns off LEDs in hold mode.
While in hold mode, allows the use of Left, Right, LTrigger, RTrigger, Volume and Start buttons, if you hold the Select button first. Useful to skip songs, pause etc.

Requirements:

A PSP with Custom Firmware installed
Download: Hold+ 4.0

Installing the Hold+ plugin

Download the installation file listed above
Extract Hold+ v4.0.zip on your computer
If you have a seplugins folder on your memory stick, copy the hold.prx file to it, otherwise create the seplugins folder first.
Open up the VSH.txt file and add the line:
```
ms0:/seplugins/hold.prx 1
```
Note that if you don’t have a VSH.txt file, create a VSH.txt file first
Reboot your PSP (if you’re on any 5.03 firmware or have a partially hackable PSP, you don’t need to reboot)

Changes from Hold+ 3.8
Now when the Hold switch is enabled, the PSP remains in hold mode permanently until the switch is fully pushed to the power off position. This will prevent a malfunctioning Hold switch from randomly interfering.

Removed Display Off mode (hold ANALOG UP while releasing Hold) since holding Select is sufficient for most users.

PSP Plugin: Hold+ 4.0 originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 11, 2010, 12:43 pm.
This post is part of the category Homebrew. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Currently Playing: Dragon Age Origins

sylv3rblade — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:51:33 +0000

I know, I’m late. Dragon Age Origins was released by Bioware in the 4th quarter of last year and it’s been hailed (depending on who you listen to ) as the current epitome of RPG games (I’m pretty sure some folks will chime in Final Fantasy XIII is that game but as I said, it depends on who you listen to).

I’ve been restraining myself from reading reviews, guides, etc about Dragon Age:Origins (DA:O for short, repeating the whole title over and over again is so SEO >_>) but from what I’ve garnered, it’s like past Bioware offerings. Deep, intriguing, exciting and time-consuming. From the get-go, DA:O feels as much as an old-age RPG should. It feels like NWN all over again (at least for me ).

Now as for my current progress in the game, I’m already past ten hours into the game and I still feel like it’s just the beginning although that’s probably from being spoiled about what’s going to happen after Ostagar. Damn it Gamesradar

I guess posting a game review at this late into the game’s lifetime doesn’t make much sense so I’ll be doing a conclusion post of some sort once I finish the game.

In case you’re wondering, currently playing will become a regular part of Atma Xplorer’s posting schedule. I have a few games on my PSP that I’m still/currently playing but I haven’t decided which one to post about. I guess it’ll be Hatsune Miku’s Project Diva first. Please look forward to them

Currently Playing: Dragon Age Origins originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 7, 2010, 12:51 pm.
This post is part of the category General Gaming. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

PSP Plugins you can’t live without?

sylv3rblade — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:49:04 +0000

The PSP’s Homebrew scene is one of the best modding communities out there which is why there’s quite a lot of quality plugins that’ll turn your PSP to something much more than a portable gaming device. Of course that’s not to mention the games that the homebrew community are releasing that only requires that you have custom firwmare installed to run. We’ll discuss them in a later post but for now let’s stick to just PSP plugins . Note done and share the PSP plugins that you can’t live without.

Popsloader – Not all PSX games works with just custom firmware which is why you need the Popsloader plugin to load and run PSX games. Final Fantasy VII anyone?
Hold+ plugin – If you’re using your PSP as an MP3 player, battery life is definitely and issue and Hold+ will help you trim down your PSP’s battery usage. It’s quite a must for people on the go.
Screenshot plugin – Instead of pulling out your phone or camera to take shots of your PSP, this little plugin will allow you to take screenshot right on your PSP. Perfect for sharing that gamebreaking moment!
Fatmsmod – Although I’m not using the official DA release (since it’s just for 5.00 M33), the FatMSmod is simply a must due to the increased speed in memory stick access. Just a warning though, flash at your own risk.

So what’s yours?

PSP Plugins you can’t live without? originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 5, 2010, 8:49 pm.
This post is part of the category Homebrew. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

What’s new in Monster Hunter Tri?

sylv3rblade — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:19:22 +0000

Apparently a LOT.

As a Monster Hunter player since it’s first incarnation on the Ps2 and it’s iterations on the PSP, I can say I’m really excited for Monster Hunter Tri on the Wii. Aside from radically different control scheme, the upcoming (or already release if you’re referring to the Japanese version), Tri offers a whole new different world filled with new maps, new equipments, new moves and of course, new and powerful monsters! I’ve been looking at several videos of Monster Hunter Tri and I must say, I’m really quite excited about the game’s release.
Since there’s quite a LOT of things new and updated in Monster Hunter Tri, I’m not about to post every single video I see on the net but tThe video below seems like a very good summary of showing what’s new in the game.

I’ll try to enumerate the differences from P2G from the video above:

Overhauled Graphics. For a wii game, it’s definitely something to see.
A much larger area (or dungeon if you’re an avid RPG fan)
New attacks (The great sword seems to have an additional charge attack and two other moves)
Monsters can maul you now (I think this is in another vid)
A hit from wyvern fireball seems like it has a burn status (you can see the embers on the armor after getting hit by a fireball)
Battles are more chaotic (there was a scene were about five monsters were attacking at a time)
Gameplay is much faster (maybe that’s just me)

As for the additions from other videos (you can view the official trailer and the control demo here.

A new pet – a shakalala (for underwater battles, felynes can’t swim )
A new weapon – the slash axe
New areas (like underwater)
New monsters (every new MH title ups it’s monster catalog so no surprise ther)
New attachments for the bowguns
COOP Multiplayer split screen (I think this is for playing with 2 players on one Wii)
Online Multiplayer (no details though but there’s rumor that it’s going to be a paid system)

I’ll add more once I get my wits about me. There’s simply too much stuff that it’s hard to filter Capcom has really out done itself with Monster Hunter Tri.

Even from just seeing the videos however, I can see how intense Tri is. If you think Freedom Unite is hard, you’ll probably end up hating Tri. The US/EU version for Monster Hunter Tri has been confirmed for 2010. Note: post seems very cluttered. I’ll polish it once my wits are about me.

What’s new in Monster Hunter Tri? originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 5, 2010, 8:19 pm.
This post is part of the category General Gaming. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Happy New Year from Atma Xplorer

sylv3rblade — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:04:22 +0000

It’s quite a late greeting as the new year has already pass throughout the globe but I’ve got one good reason to post this late. I went out to watch the first sunrise of the year! Too bad I didn’t bring my cam since I was afraid of it getting wet (what cam? we’ll get to that in a bit) but hey, at least we’re still here.

Ake Ome to everyone! (Akemashite Omedetou -> Happy New year in Japanese) . Now on with the mandatory, first day of the yer post.

So what’s new for the year?

Aside from the usual conundrum of PSP-related stuff like the latest CFW or the latest free PSP games (and the latest free dsi games for DSI users), there’s photography, anime, fanboyism stuff and all stuff geeky. If you’ve noticed, the recent trend of posts for Atma Xplorer has trickled compared to my earlier posting frequency (I peaked at once every two days). That’s because I’ve been quite busy managing several blogs (personal and otherwise), some money making gigs (one with megaupload, thanks to bhatugan.com’s dcoyy for helping me with that ), a secret project that I’m still working on the foundations of and work (we’ve shifted our web dev team to RoR yay!).

As of now, I’ll be running just a handful of blogs (downsized for quality and other reasons…. thanks a lot john /sarc) to keep focus on post frequency/quality and make time for my other activities like gaming (yay for our PS3, Xbox and wii though our first wii died earlier last year so I’ll be getting a new one by the end of the month), field shoots (on location photography if you’re not familiar with the term) and freelancing gigs (courtesy of my still secret project ). So yeah, busy busy, busy!

If you’re wondering what’ll be the break down of post topics per blog:
Atma Xplorer – Gaming, Anime, Photography, Random yet interesting stuff. I may even start running contests (with prizes from Play-Asia or even cold hard cash) but those plans are still under wrap for now
Techie Xplorer – From the ashes of Pinoy Tech Guy (my earlier attempt at a tech-blog), Techie Xplorer is just another tech-related blog. You’ll find gadgets (and hopefully reviews soon), tips and tricks and other geeky stuff that don’t fall into Atma Xplorer’s plethora of categories.
sylv3rblade.com – currently it’s just a personal blog (an empty one at that) so I’ll be posting stuff that comes out to mind
The secret project – is currently a photography, face-painting and web development gig. I’ll be posting more info after the public launch but for now, that’s the only information I can give out

Anything else?

I’ve been busy for that last few months of 2009 so here’s an x’mas present for myself:

Yep, that’s a D90 kit.

I know, I know. I was supposed to get it last year but due to several complications, I was able to get one just now. I’m still playing with it and thus far, I can safely that it’s quite a level up compared to my older D40 (my head is still buried reading the thick manual and kenrockwell’s D90 manual). I’ll be posting a review on Techie Xplorer but for now, I’ll be tinkering and testing it out until I get the feel of it. If you’re curious, I got my D90 from kimstore! The kit (D90 body + Nikkor 18-105mm VR lens + LCD cover) is currently at Php 53,000. They even threw in a free 8GB SD card .

Well that’s all for now. I was supposed to write a year end report but I guess I got carried away . Will be posting a few interesting morsels in a bit, stay tuned via Atma Xplorer’s feeds.

Happy New Year from Atma Xplorer originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on January 1, 2010, 2:04 pm.
This post is part of the category Random Post. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

K-On! second season incoming

sylv3rblade — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:12:15 +0000

Looks like it’s going to be a good year for anime. After the announcement of a new Geass project, here comes news of K-On!’s second season

Although there’s no “official” announcement as of yet, the confirmation of the second season was announced via Live, a recent K-On! event so there’s doubt that the press release is going to follow soon.

Personally, I can’t wait for the new season if but for the new songs that the anime will release with. At the moment, the first season’s “Don’t say lazy” is still at the top of my to-listen list. Moe, moe, kyun!

K-On! second season incoming originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on December 30, 2009, 8:12 pm.
This post is part of the category Anime. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Limited Edition Evangelion Fender Guitars

sylv3rblade — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:08:32 +0000

Fender really knows how to give otakus a treat as a set of limited edition statocaster and telecaster electric guitars with the enigmatic Rei Ayanami painted over them goes on sale a few days ago via auction. The price tag?
$85,000 for the all to famous telecaster and $100,000 for the stratocaster. I’m pretty sure having seen this, most Evangelion die-hard fans simply stopped and drooled (including me of course).

These beauties were built by Fender’s Senior Master Builder, Yuriy Shishkov. My hat’s off to him as these are simply two of the most beautiful (and pricey) guitars I’ve ever seen.

Now if the telecaster or the stratocaster (or their respective prices ) aren’t your taste, then maybe this cute haruhi guitar is for you!

Limited Edition Evangelion Fender Guitars originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on December 28, 2009, 2:08 pm.
This post is part of the category Fanboyism. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you:

Meri Kurisumasu from Atma Xplorer

sylv3rblade — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:31:06 +0000

A bright and happy holiday greetings to everyone from Atma Xplorer. It’s the 25th and yes, and I know I should be resting but I’m still here answering your PSP-related problems! Thanks to everyone who continue to come to the site and help out (you guys know who you are )

Now, if you’re scratching your head as to how meri kurisumasu = merry christmas, it’s the japanese pronunciation of the holiday! Forgive my otaku-mannerisms as I’ve just started a week-long anime marathon . I need the break from this month’s overbearing workload so I may not be online as much as I did so I hope you can bear with me (this is still a one man show!). If you’ve posted a question and are still waiting for a reply, why not treat yourself to some free psp games and free dsi games? I promise to be back before the new year’s celebration

Again, Merry Christmas everyone!

Meri Kurisumasu from Atma Xplorer originally appeared on Atma Xplorer© on December 25, 2009, 12:31 pm.
This post is part of the category Random Post. Below is a list of related posts that might be of interest to you: