Toluu

Webomatica - tech, movies, music blog

Movie Reviews, iPhone App Reviews, and Tech Commentary by Jason Kaneshiro

On Apple’s Battery ChargerJuly 28

Easily overlooked amid Apple’s new iMacs, Mac Pros, Magic Trackpad and 27″ LCD monitor is the Apple Battery Charger, meant for recharging AA batteries. And it’s clear what Apple products those batteries are meant for: the Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad (not necessarily in that order). It comes with six AA batteries.

And in a sense, this battery charger is nearly necessary; it seems every month and a half I’m swapping out the batteries in my Magic Mouse.

And this is a testament to how savvy Apple can be in regards to what products they choose to make. A few months ago I bought a Sanyo Eneloop charger. Had an Apple version existed then, I would have bought it. I’d have avoided the research into the best rechargeable battery and just trusted Apple.

This battery charger will be an easy sell in Apple Stores: to customers complaining about their Magic Mouse eating batteries. Or, every time someone buys a Magic Mouse, suggest the battery charger as a nice-to-have accessory. The Magic Mouse comes standard with all new iMacs, and many of those people will be looking for a battery recharger in the months to come.

The marketing copy for the battery charger is brilliant (Don Draper would be proud). It mentions “vampire draw” – a scary problem I never cared about before (

Movie Notes: NumbJuly 28

= 1 star

Starring Matthew Perry, Lynn Collins, Mary Steenburgen
Directed by Harris Goldberg

Synopsis

Screenwriter Hudson (Matthew Perry) suffers from depersonalization disorder, which causes him to completely withdraw from the world, affecting his work and relationships.

The Good

• Will give Perry some credit for branching out into left-of-field roles – but not too much, because he chose this one.

The Bad

• The unusual medical disorder could have been an interesting enough subject to drive all the drama, but it’s soon sidelined by dumb romance.
• Prime example of the bad flick where a plot starts developing in your head that is infinitely more interesting what’s playing out on screen. Then you fall asleep.

Conclusion

Should have been way more interesting than it eventually became. Skip it.

IMDB: Numb
Wikipedia: Numb
Rotten Tomatoes: Numb

Mad Men. StarCraft 2. Hikikomori.July 26

Happened upon an (old) article about “hikikomori,” a Japanese social trend where people (usually young men) withdraw from society and spend months, sometimes years holed up in their rooms. Many have obsessive / compulsive habits or entertain themselves with video games.

I wondered while reading that article how anybody could entertain themselves for that long within the confines of the indoors, but with a fast Internet connection, it seems increasingly possible.

And this week, in regards to my interests, season 4 of Mad Men just started up, and StarCraft 2 (finally) arrives. The former is available via iTunes, and the latter, digital download respectively. No leaving the house for either. The broadband is getting a workout tonight.

With the exception of work, I may be headed down the “hikikomori” path for at least a week.

Movie Notes: Beverly Hills ChihuahuaJuly 24

= 2 stars the first time, subtract one star for each subsequent viewing

Starring Drew Barrymore, Piper Perabo, Andy Garcia
Directed by Raja Gosnell

Synopsis

Chloe (Drew Barrymore), a spoiled, pampered Beverly Hills chihuahua, ends up abandoned in Mexico and has to work her way back home, learning some valuable life lessons along the way.

The Good

• If you love dogs, one hook is already in you. The dogs are cute, and the CGI animations used to anthropomorphisize them are moderately amusing. Think Babe gone Disney-fied bananas.

The Bad

• My wife loves this movie to excess. Due to its availability on Netflix Watch Instantly, it has played in our household nearly ten times over. I now must leave the room and watch French New Wave elsewhere. This is some addictive stuff.
• I think there are some humans in here somewhere, smiling because of the easy paycheck.

Conclusion

Tolerable the first time around, my brain feels like it’s melting on each subsequent, undeserved viewing. Aye-yai-yai chihuahua.

IMDB: Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Wikipedia: Beverly Hills Chihuahua

iPhone 4 First ImpressionsJuly 24

Picked up an iPhone 4 Thursday, after reserving one at the Burlingame store about two weeks ago. Just when I began to wonder if I should have ordered online instead, I got an email saying the iPhone was in, and reserved for 24 hours. At the store, there was a moderate line of about ten people, resulting in a half an hour wait. The employees were checking people in on an iPad. A few passers-by asked what we were waiting for, and our response was met with slight confusion (still?).

The Good

• The solid, flat edged, rounded rectangle “brick” design feels like a glass bar; like in iMac in one’s pocket.
• Huge speed difference over my iPhone 3G (with iOS 4); everything from app launching, camera, keyboard, and games. Comparable to iPad.
• The gorgeous Retina Display screen is most evident when reading small type on websites, where previously I’d find myself tapping and pinching to make out pixellated words. App folders containing nine tiny icons are now recognizable. And suddenly, I can make out pixels on the iPad screen, which once looked so gorgeous. Someday, when Retina Display comes to Macs proper, heads will explode.
• Camera is very responsive. Still pictures and video look great. The LED flash is much appreciated, plus you can turn it on when the camera is in video mode to use your iPhone as an extremely expensive flashli