Saturday, December 15, 2012

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Review

Very few quality action games have much depth. The sheer length of Deus Ex: Human Revolution provides you your money's worth. It pleases old players of the original Deus Ex as well as new players who haven't played Deus Ex. The cyberpunk atmosphere of the original and this prequel form a cohesive link.

The cover system is the major gameplay difference between two games - and you will need it. A controller is a better option for this game but the keyboard-mouse combo works better for hacking. Although the game offers the player the choice of playing style, stealth using non-lethal means is the only way to go if you want the protagonist, Adam Jensen, to be decently augmented. However, this style makes more exciting augmentations such as the Typhoon (an all-round blast that kills enemies close to you) and aim improvement enhancements useless if you wish to always remain stealthy. The game does not offer a "New Game+" option to start off with enhancements you received in your previous playthrough.

The persuasion system in this non-linear game is welcome and appreciated for drawing the player into making choices. If you listen carefully to what each character says you will be able to get through parts of the main quest with just people skills.

Unfortunately, there are several issues with this otherwise solid game. The graphics aren't impressive and the facial and gesture animations are repetitive and off the mark.The ragdoll physics of dragging bodies remind one of Hitman 2. AI could certainly use improvement. Glitches such as wall clipping and being seen even when behind cover are annoying but do not break the main quest.

DXHR is a must-play game for its story telling and nostalgic value it offers. It shares a similar story format with the original game but the story is unique. The gameplay, story and music form a cohesive whole that provides a satisfying experience and leaves a lasting impression.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

iPhone 5: The No-Nonsense Phone

Note: Screen protector is affixed.

Note: There are different GSM versions of the iPhone 5 but they differ only in LTE band support. 
Contrary to what reports are saying, there are no scratches on the retail unit and there is no backlight bleeding. As with any expensive touch-enabled phone I would recommend putting a screen protector and a case to protect the body.
Update: Google Maps is available for iPhone. 
Side view of iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 arrives at a time when there is no clear best phone in the market. It does not win the best affordable phone award, but it certainly is the only premium phone in a small size; the only one with a 4" screen size and the slimmest of them all. The design is refined and understated and, dare I say, masculine unlike the androgynous designs of its predecessors. 

The iPhone does what flagship smartphones do but with finesse. This is evident in the details. Seamless syncing with iTunes, fast browsing speeds, accurate colour reproduction, camera autofocus and auto-exposure, scratch-resistant camera lens, good battery that yield's about a day's usage and charges fast in two hours or less, video stabilization, easy camera shooting and other details are present.

The iPhone 5 provides great display resolution and true colour reproduction
The tightly integrated Apple ecosystem of iDevices, enhancements, iTunes, and the App Store is a major draw. Yes, similar programs are offered on the Android platform but the user must be wary of permissions sought by individual apps before installing. Apple's vetting of apps makes choosing apps safer. Mobile apps roll outs are done on iOS before other mobile operating systems so the library of the Apple Apps Store is larger than other app stores. 

It's not a perfect phone. It would have been helpful if Apple could facilitate contacts migration and backup right out of the box. There is no smart dial and you cannot delete or insert digits in the beginning or middle of a number while dialing. These are minor niggles that do not spoil the experience and ease of use.

The internet is what makes a smartphone a smartphone. Without it, most of the features of such a phone are useless. At the basic level, smart choices show through. The iPhone is the only premium phone that fits comfortably in a jeans pocket. It's telephony is good with noticeable noise cancellation and the excellent signal reception. The battery is adequate for a day's usage and the battery charges in less than two hours. The user interface is speedy and intuitive and naturally complements the physical device.

The iPhone 5 exudes style and sophistication in both form and function. It is a product of deliberate choices in making the best iPhone yet. It doesn't try to overwhelm you with a smorgasbord of features and a slab-size screen. It makes an impression with distinctive simplicity.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

How to Uninstall MyWinlocker

If you have an Acer computer, it usually comes with pre-installed software including third-party programs such as MyWinlocker by EgisTec. MyWinlocker is basically a file encryption program. If you don't want this software on your computer then you can uninstall it. However, the installer may encounter an error and the program will not be uninstalled. In that case follow these steps:

  1. Ensure no services of MyWinlocker start at login. You can use CCleaner - it's free and it lets you disable/enable startup programs, services, and context menu items (go to Tools\Startup and click on the corresponding tabs).
    You should see entries such as "mwlDaemon", "EgisUpdate", and other similarly named ones. If you are not sure about an entry, check its description and file location. Assuming MyWinlocker is the only EgisTec software you have, you can disable related entries.
  2. Restart your computer.
  3. Ensure no processes and services of Egistec are running by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
  4. Go to www.egistec.com and click "Learn more" about MyWinlocker. Click the "Program Update" link.
    Or try this link: http://www.egistec.com/oid0x0100cid0Alidenpid196609sid02/mwl-update.aspx
  5. Under "MyWinlocker latest version and tools." you can try:
    • Downloading an running the smaller tools and then running the uninstaller.
      OR
    • If the above step doesn't work, download the larger update file, install it and restart your computer your computer when prompted to.
      In this case, go to Task Manager and shut down processes and services of EgisTec and run the uninstaller of the latest installed MyWinlocker program (You will see two MyWinlocker entries).
      After restarting both entries should disappear and only a log file should be left in the MyWinlocker folder. You can delete the remaining folders, startup entries, and run a registry cleaner to remove traces of the program.
Disclaimer: Follow these instructions at your own risk. I will not be held responsible for any damage caused to your computer and data.