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Monday, March 31, 2014

Cars Wallpapers 8

Car Wallpaper (71)

Car Wallpaper (72)

Car Wallpaper

Car Wallpaper (73)

Car Wallpaper (74)

Car Wallpaper (75)

Car Wallpaper (77)

Car Wallpaper (78)

Car Wallpaper (79)

Car Wallpaper (80)

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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Dojo Update Start 05 06 07

This is your first update of what has been published in the Dojo. I will aim to publish every Sunday, however, I have missed the first one as I was in Cornwall. This week[ish] has had no major updates. There are a couple of music tracks and some characters that we already knew about. Also, there are some items, which are probably the most exciting updates. So here is what has been announced.

Battlefield - Map

This is the simple map. The maps structure does not change has the battles goes on. It features just a simple set of platforms that can provide a very simple, but none the less fun, game of SSBB. To counter the relative dullness of the map, as the battle progresses, so does the time of the day. You can start in the afternoon, fight right through the night and in to dawn. This will probably be the most long term played map in the game.

The Musicians - Music

This item lists the musicians that will be behind the soundtrack in the game. Also, there is the most iconic piece of Smash Bros music ever. Almost anyone who has shown the slightest interest in video games will recognise this epic piece of music. This music is, and will remain until the Dojo trumps it, on the sidebar at the top. All future music updates will have the player embedded into the post.

Mario - Character

The most famous character is, unsurprisingly, in the latest Super Smash Bros. Some cool images are revealed in this post but not very many details. He is said to be the balanced character that will be easy to get to grips with, combining good attacks, with good jumping and good everything else. His Smash Move (see later) has been announced. Basically he will catch fire and damage everything near him in a massive attack.

Link - Character

The character taken from the Zelda series will also be featuring in this game. The model will be based on his latest adventure, Twighlight Princess, you can read my review for that here. This character will be more weapons heavy than Mario, and will require a little more practice to get the best performance

Gooey Bomb - Item

This weapon is similar to the likes of a plasma grenade in Halo. You throw it and it will stick on most things in the game. I will then explode, causing serious damage. However, if you get one stuck on you, all is not lost as it is possible to stick it back on to the person who "tagged" you.

Pit - Character

Pit is a character from Kid Icarus. No details have been released about how he fits in with the rest of the characters, two special moves however, have been announced. Firstly, he will be able to fire a "Palutena Arrow" This can be controlled after fire, but this will require quick reactions as the arrow moves at the speed of light! Also, he can enter a free flight mode, which is basically a superior jump with much greater freedom. However, be warned, it will end, so make sure you are over the ground

Final Smash - Game Feature

Final smash is a unique move that exists in each character. Although only Marios has been officially announced, Warios appears to be a gigantic fart and Kirby appears to cook people. You can find out more speculations in this post. It will be a move that each player can conduct once throughout the whole game. It can only be executed if you get the Smash Ball. I imagine that many of these attacks will be amusing to say the least.

Moving and Shooting - Game Feature

Automatic firing weapons have been brought back to the game. This time round you can move and even jump whilst shooting. Power to the people!

Cracker Launcher - Item

This is basically a rocket launcher. You pick it up and fire. Simple, but effective. Some of the pictures in this update really show off the graphics.

Delfino Plaza - Map

This map will fly you around the beautiful city of Delfino. Every so often the map will fly you to a different section of the map. This can be very distracting, making it a much harder map for veteran players. As for the set up of the map, it changes as you fly around but none of the screen shots make it look to complicated.

Yoshis Story Ending - Music

This song is very good. It is not as good as menu 01, but is certainly worth a listen. Check it out here:


Pokeballs - Items

Pokeballs make a predictable return to the SSB series. When you find one and throw it, a random pokemon creature will appear and help you by destroying everything in its path. So far only one pokemon has been announced (see below) so it will be interesting to see which creatures make the grate.

Groudon - Pokemon

This is a massive dragon type thing. It burns everything it comes in to contact with and will cover the whole map. But, the thing is, it wont burn you. So therefore, you can have a massive advantage by fighting on the dragon and watch them burn.

Make sure you are here next Sunday for a summary of all the new updates. Incidentally, this will be the first game to have a label to itself, that is the reward for keeping the public up to date with information.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X201 Review

The ThinkPad X201 is the newest 12-inch ultra-portable business notebook from Lenovo. As a refresh to the X200-series, the X201 showcases Intels latest Calpella platform. One of the most interesting new processor options included in the X201 is the new 32nm Core i7-640LM dual-core CPU clocked in at 2.13GHz. In this review we take a look at the entire X201-lineup including the X201, X201s, and X201 Tablet and see how well they stack up against previous models.



Lenovo ThinkPad X201 Specifications:
  • Screen: 12.1-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) LED Backlit (Matte finish)
  • Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (64bit)
  • Processor: Intel Core i5-540M (2.53GHz, 3MB Cache)
  • Memory: 4GB DDR3 RAM (2GB + 2GB)
  • Storage: 320GB Hitachi HDD (7200rpm)
  • Wireless: Intel 6200 802.11AGN, Bluetooth
  • Graphics: Intel GMA HD Integrated Graphics
  • Power: 94Wh 9-cell, 65W 20V AC adapter
  • Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.2 x 0.8 - 1.4"
  • Weight: 3.52lbs
  • Retail Price: $1,625
Lenovo ThinkPad X201s Specifications:
  • Screen: 12.1-inch WXGA+ (1440 x 900) LED Backlit (Matte finish)
  • Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (64bit)
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-640LM (2.13GHz, 4MB Cache)
  • Memory: 4GB DDR3 RAM (2GB + 2GB)
  • Storage: 320GB Hitachi HDD (5400rpm)
  • Wireless: Intel 6250 802.11AGN, Bluetooth
  • Graphics: Intel GMA HD Integrated Graphics
  • Power: 57Wh 6-cell, 65W 20V AC adapter
  • Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.3 x 0.8 - 1.4"
  • Weight: 2.77lbs
  • Retail Price: $1,335
Lenovo ThinkPad X201 Tablet Specifications:
  • Screen: 12.1" Multitouch LED WXGA (1280x800) panel with Wide Viewing Angle
  • Operating System: Windows 7 Professional (64bit)
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-640LM (2.13GHz, 4MB Cache)
  • Memory: 4GB DDR3 RAM (2GB + 2GB)
  • Storage: 320GB Fujitsu HDD (5400rpm)
  • Wireless: Intel 6200 802.11AGN, Bluetooth
  • Graphics: Intel GMA HD Integrated Graphics
  • Power: 66Wh 8-cell, 65W 20V AC adapter
  • Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.1 x 1.04 - 1.31"
  • Weight: 3.95lbs
  • Retail Price: $1,900
Build and Design
The ThinkPad X201 carries the same delightfully-intimidating, ultra-portable business-notebook-on-steroids design as all the X-series notebooks before it. At first glance it looks like any other T-series notebook with a boxy frame and rubberized paint but much smaller. With the notebook open, you see that the design is as small as it can be without reducing the size of the keyboard. Keeping the large keyboard on the small frame does have consequences, however, such as a short palmrest thats too short to support most wrists with your fingers in their typing position. The X-series notebook is essentially the smallest ThinkPad that still allows Lenovo to incorporate a full-size keyboard in its design.

Build quality is great compared to many of the small netbooks and CULV notebooks that have hit the market in the past couple of years. Just like the larger T-series counterpart, the X201 retains the strong stainless-steel screen hinges, durable ThinkPad keyboard, strong plastic cladding, and alloy chassis. The thinner design does introduce some minor flex and the screen hinges feel "weaker" when scaled down but this is all relative. For a 12-inch notebook the X201 can easily be tossed around with little worry about it breaking ahead of schedule or wearing out before its useful life is up. Try to do the same thing with cheaper consumer competition and you wont like the results.

End-user servicing is still taken into consideration with easy memory and hard drive access. The X201 retains the side panel to quickly swap out the hard drive and the bottom cover to upgrade the system memory.

Screen and Speakers
While the build quality surpasses many CULV-notebooks one area the X201 really falls behind is in the screen category. Compared to many of the modern 11.6- and 12-inch glossy screens found on new consumer ultraportable notebooks, the panels on the X201 and X201s fall behind in color saturation and contrast. Colors appeared faded and weak while black levels felt washed out. This seems to be the downside to most business notebooks. Vertical viewing angles are average with colors starting to invert quickly when you tilt the screen 10 to 15 degrees forward or back. Horizontal viewing angles are better with colors staying consistent even at steep angles.

The X201 Tablet screen is a step above the X201 or X201s and offers much better color saturation and contrast. Viewing angles are also greatly improved with minimal color inversion even when tilted 45 degrees forward or back. One problem we noticed on our X201 Tablet review model though was the screen appeared very warm (yellow/orange). This gave the screen an aged look and was not very pleasing to the eye.

The backlight brightness of all three notebooks was plenty bright to be viewable in an office setting. The X201 was the brightest of the bunch and measured 250cd/m2 at its brightest point. The X201s was second and measured 232cd/m2 at its brightest point. The X201 Tablet came in third measuring 182cd/m2 at its brightest point. If you plan on using the X201 outdoors, Lenovo offers a high-brightness outdoor-viewable screen on the X201 Tablet as an option.

Each of the new ThinkPad X201-series notebooks we have in for review offers the same keyboard that was previously seen on the X200. After the huge change with the T400s and T410 we were expecting to see a similar redesign with the X201 models but that wasnt the case. With that said the typing experience is everything we have come to expect from the trusted ThinkPad brand. The keyboard size is 100% with the 12-inch widescreen chassis which is an improvement from the 4:3 aspect ratio X61 which had condensed keys along the perimeter of the keyboard. The typing surface has excellent support with barely any flex under moderate pressure. The tactile feel from each key is great with soft clicks emitting very little noise when fully pressed. If you plan on spending hours sitting in front of your computer typing the ThinkPad keyboard is hard to beat.

One entirely new feature on the X-series ThinkPad is a narrow Synaptics touchpad on the X201 and X201 Tablet. The X-series has always had the limitation of being TrackPoint only—which is a huge turnoff for some users. With the majority of buyers preferring the touchpad interface it was a no-brainer to see Lenovo adding it to the X201 to help increase sales. The small touchpad is odd to see at first– it is about half the height of a normal touchpad–but you get used to it really quick. During the review process I favored the touchpad over the TrackPoint and had no trouble using it with common multitouch gestures. The touchpad had an excellent response time with no noticeable lag and each axis offered the same acceleration rate to prevent unwanted ovals.

Ports and Features
Port selection has stayed the same as previous models with three USB ports, VGA-out, LAN, ExpressCard/54, audio jacks and a modem jack. For storage expansion Lenovo also includes an SDHC slot located on the front edge of the palmrest. I was really hoping to see some form of digital video out but as this is a business-oriented model most business users still demand VGA-out for legacy projectors.

Performance and Benchmarks
I have to admit that when I first heard Lenovo was sticking a Core i7 processor in the X201 I had the mental image of a 12-inch gaming or workstation-class notebook. That was not the case as the Core i7-640LM processor included in our X201s and X200 Tablet are dual-core processors designed with power efficiency in mind and not breakneck performance. It also turns out that the low-voltage Core i7 processors are slower than the Core i5 processor we tested—making things even more confusing for the average consumer who might be purchasing a notebook on model numbers alone.

Compared to the Intel P8600-equipped X200 we reviewed more than a year ago, every X201 we reviewed offered a substantial boost in speed, including the X201s with the new Core i7-640LM. Overall system performance went up 30 to 50% across the board depending on configuration. 3D-performance went up 63 to 106% with the newer GMA HD integrated graphics over the older X4500 chipset. Users will note that the GMA HD inside notebooks with the low-voltage Core i7 processors are clocked lower–at a 266MHz base frequency instead of 500MHz–than similarly-equipped Core i5 systems.

If you depend on your notebook to be your "desktop-away-from-home" the newer platform offers plenty of performance to satisfy most users. Multimedia enthusiasts will enjoy streaming 1080P Flash video through YouTube or decoding downloaded 1080P movies with barely making the notebook break a sweat. If you find yourself wanting more power than the standard run-of-the-mill netbook or CULV notebook can provide, one of the 12-inch X201 ThinkPads might be the best alternative.

Heat and Noise
Thermal performance of the X201 is very good even with the Core i5-540M processor. Under a light load the keyboard and palmrest stayed a few degrees above room temperature. Temperatures increased with the system under a full load but "touch" areas on top of and below the notebook stayed within reasonable levels. The cooling fan was audible in a quiet room but only when the system was being stressed. With our sound meter in a room with a tested 31.5dB ambient background, we measured the system fan on low speed at 33dB, mid speed at 38dB, and high speed at 42dB 6 inches from the exhaust vent.

Battery Life
Battery life across all the models we tested was excellent—even on the X201 with the Intel Core i5-540M processor and 7200RPM hard drive. Each model was tested with the screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and Windows 7 set to a balanced profile. Note that the X201 is equipped with a 9-cell battery, the X201 Tablet has an 8-cell battery, and the X201s is configured with a 6-cell battery.

During the test the X201 with the Intel Core i5-540M and 7200RPM hard drive consumed between 7.5 to 8 watts of power. The X201s with the Core i7-640LM consumed between 6.5 to 7 watts. The X200 Tablet also using the Core i7-640LM consumed between 7.5 and 9 watts of power. If you want the perfect mix of speed and battery life the X201s tested with the 9-cell battery stayed on for 11 hours and 50 minutes!

Conclusion
The Lenovo ThinkPad X201 offers quite a few solid features compared to the older X200. Users who prefer a touchpad interface can now get it on the X201 and X201 Tablet, and even though it is netbook-sized it is still very usable. The newest Intel platform offers a huge boost in overall performance from the previous generation and in some cases doubled the 3D performance. Battery life also increased across the board with the help of the power-sipping Intel Core i7-640LM processor. If you find yourself always wanting a bit more than what most netbooks or CULV-based notebooks have to offer, the Lenovo ThinkPad X201 packs a huge punch in a small package.

Pros:

* Great battery life
* Finally includes a touchpad
* Great performance

Cons:

* Screens could be better on the X201 and X201s
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Saturday, March 29, 2014

Dell Studio 14z Review


Dells latest premium 14-inch consumer notebook, the Dell Studio 14z, promises to give students everything they want in a high-performance notebook for the back-to-school season. The Studio 14z is indeed the thinnest and lightest 14-inch notebook Dell has ever produced and promises more than 6 hours of battery life, but you might have to make a few sacrifices. Keep reading to discover what we found after spending a few weeks with the Studio 14z.



Click here :

Full Review

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Friday, March 28, 2014

Password RECOVERY Console

The password recovery software(download link given blow)
helps u 2 recover u r password
Adobe Acrobat Password Recovery Key
Advanced Archive Password Recovery
Advanced RAR Password Recovery
Advanced ZIP Password Recovery
Messengers Password Recovery
Office XP Password Recovery
Dialup password Recovery
MSN Password Recovery

http://rapidshare.com/files/17830985/Passr.rar
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Resetter Epson Stylus Pro 4000 Waste Ink Counter Reset

Epson Stylus Pro 4000 Waste Ink Counter Reset

1. While Powering up the printer, hold down the the left arrow, down arrow, and Up arrow buttons
2. You will get a “Self Testing” message.
3. Use the Up Arrow button to select the “Clear Counters” menu.
4. Press the right arrow button (the Menu button).
5. Scroll through with the up/down arrows to select “Maint Tank”
6. Select with the right arrow and execute with the right arrow
7. Turn your printer off then turn it back on
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Thursday, March 27, 2014

intoduction to batch programing


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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

DimensionalBall


DimensionalBall
Addicting and fun puzzle game where you must break out from strange dimension.

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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

QuarkStar Mission


Online game - Quark Star Mission.
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King Kong and my Gaming Mood Board

You have to go see King Kong. I went to see it on Saturday and it is the kind of Movie where it wont be nearly as good at home unless you have a home cinema system. You wont get the branches cracking behind you as you are running through this forrest or the deafing roar echo all around you. Aside from the experince the film is AWESOME. When Kong grabs those planes. Just go see it. I recomend it.

Also, for my Textiles we had to make a mood board. I did it on gaming. So here you go. It is a supplment of CONSOLE WARS.


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Monday, March 24, 2014

Cabal Online – The Revolution Of Action review

Cabal Online

Site: http://www.cabalonline.com/

Cabal Online is a free to play MMORPG* created by ESTsoft. The game is 3D fantasy in an alternative world known as Nevareth.


Requirements:
CPU: Min: Pentium 3 800MHz +....Recommended: Pentium 4 1.4GHz +
RAM: 256MB + .............................Recommended: 512MB +
Graphics Card: 3D accelerator
Sound Card: Any DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Hard disk space: 2GB +

Gameplay
The game is your usual point and click MMORPG centered at fighting mobs. The world of Cabal consists of several zones. A player passes between them through a special dungeon-like passage-chamber. The new players have access only to three of the world zones.

Characters:
- Warrior
The Best Melee Fighter with Unrivalled Strength
Warriors practice physical strength by using force rather than manipulating it.

- Blader
The Deadly Blade Dancer, the Fastest Dual Sword User
Their practice is focused on maximizing physical abilities by
using force, and they prioritize dazzling technique and speed
over destructive power.
Use dual swords.
- Wizard
Ultimate Destroyer, the Ruler of the Force
Wizards invest a lot of effort in intelligence in order to efficiently control Force. At the same time, they do not possess much physical strength or agility.

- Force Archer
The Sniper Fires Deadly Force Shots
that Cut through the Wind
Among the three independent combat skills, "Force Archers"
originated from the Wizard group. They realized the potential of
long-range magic spells, and studied how to intensify the
potency of magic spells. It is common knowledge among
force handlersthat the relation between range and
space is in inverse proportion to the one between space and power.

- Force Shielder
The Faithful Warrior that Uses the Force to Shield Others
Force Shielders specialize in short-range force control, which means that
they are incapable of doing long-range attacks. However, they make up for this
weakness by developing supporting magic spells which increase their attack strength by manipulating outer forces near their bodies. Its these methods which match those of the Wizards strongest asset.

- Force Blader
A Swordsman whose Blade Flares with the Force
Since Force Bladers must be equally skillful in fencing and magic, they try to keep balance their practice in physical strength and intelligence. Although there are not yet many Magic Sword Skills introduced, still Force Bladers can use joint sword and magic skills.

Available: PVP, PK, Guild Wars, Nation Battles
Cabal Forum
Wikipedia about Cabal Online

Interesting item in the game is the "Astral Bike". This bike is not only a convenient transportation, but it also protects the owner from monsters to a certain degree.

Cabal videos:





MMORPG - Massive(ly) multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing games in which a large number of players interact with one another in a virtual world.
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Sunday, March 23, 2014

BBC planning MMOG

Just logged on to my Google homepage which has GS news syndicated to it. The number one story was : "BBC planning MMOG" My heart practically missed a beat, BBC making games! Awesome. I clicked more:

Executive says the UK public broadcaster is working on a number of game projects--including a massively multiplayer title.

Wow, I followed the link, I was taken to a page, and then quickly forwarded back to the GS homepage. This is interesting enough for me to find out whats going on. I search GS for the same title revealing only one result which was a Warhammer MMOG, not developed by BBC. Checked the XML feed on GS, no sign. Writing down the address and taking a screen grab for safe measures, I refreshed the page. It is still there after refresh... I type the URL in manually. I get re-forwarded back to the home page. Annoyed, I check with IE.While I am waiting for IE to load up, I go to BBC. IE no luck, time to search BBC. Some results, for example BBC are planning a online festival on Project Entrophia (I have been watching that game!) but no hint of BBC developing one. I try something else, "BBC make games". Nothing...

Weird... Well, time to ask forums...

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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Shipping Five ScopeRoller Orders In The Morning

I hope my jumbo mailbox is big enough. 

Partly this was because I was waiting for a big box of 5" casters to show up -- but it is still a lot of orders to come in over a two week period.
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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

HGUC 1 144 RB 79 Ball Gundam Thunderbolt Ver Review by Kenbill

HGUC 1/144 RB-79 Ball [Gundam Thunderbolt Ver] (Released in Japan, Price: 2000)
Review by Kenbill







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Et tu Adobe Updated

Scumbags … I hate software that installs other software with minimal warning. And during the *update* process no less.

Adobe reader asked to update itself, I gave it permission, and a while later McAfee pops up and says that it was installed as part of my recent download (I was just fricken updating!) … and asked permission to continue scanning my PC.

So I said no and instantly uninstalled it.

I use Microsoft Security Essentials, which has worked so far to keep viruses and malware at bay.

Unfortunately, it does not yet detect sleaze-ware Sad smile

Update: My friend Sue sent me to the Abstruse Goose web site where this little cartoon was waiting … it is definitely on point here.

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Monday, March 17, 2014

GEJ appoints new chief of staff


President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed a new Chief of Staff, Brig-General Jones Oladehinde Arogbofa (rtd).

This was made known to the public by spokesperson to the president, Reuben Abati via a twitter update.

Arogbofas appointment comes a week after the sack of former Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadome, who was fired by the president due his deep involvement   in the mega fraud at the  Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
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Sunday, March 16, 2014

Internet Download Manager IDM Android Apps Free Download


Hello Android Lover,
Internet Download Manager,IDM,Android Apps,free,download
Today I share awesome apps Android Internet Download Manager (IDM).Internet Download Manager is the most popular software for computer/Laptop. There is nobody who doesn’t use IDM. Now it release as android apps now you can enjoy the super speed download test in your smart phone, so download this popular apps and install your cell phone.

Android IDM Facilities:
01. High speed download big file.
02. Easy to use or easy functions.
03. Resume facilities.
04. Key shortcut options.
05. Suitable for lower version phone support.
06.Speed limiter facilities. 
So harry download now from below link full free.
For get more free apps regularly visit our site & if you face any problem drop your comment below comment box..
***Get Free More Android Apps & Tips
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HGAC 1 144 Wing Gundam Zero Runner Manual Preview

HGAC 1/144 Wing Gundam Zero (Release Date: Mar 2014, Price: 1,600 Yen) 
GG INFINITE: ORDER HERE
Images by Kenbill



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Saturday, March 15, 2014

Gundam Seed Destiny Astray R B Mobile Suits Revealed Info Updated 3 6 14

Gundam Seed Destiny Astray R / B  - Mobile Suits Revealed

Gundam.Info has posted an image of a custom build MBF-02VV Gundam Astray Turn Red mobile suit on their site today.  This is one of the two secret Gundam Seed Destiny Astray R / B mobile suit announcement teased at last years C3 x Hobby event in Japan.  The MBF-02VV Gundam Astray Turn Red is the red secret Gundam.  A line art of the MBF-02VV Gundam Astray Turn Red is shown in this months Dengeki Hobby magazine (seen in an image below).

Last months Dengeki Hobby magazine has revealed the blue secret Gundam, the MBF-P03D Gundam Astray Blue Frame D.

[Updated 3/6/14]
MBF-02VV Gundam Astray Turn Red - Custom Build
Image via MyDesign-Club.net

[Updated 2/27/14]
MBF-02VV Gundam Astray Turn Red

MBF-P03D Gundam Astray Blue Frame D

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Friday, March 14, 2014

The Concept Sites

There are a string of blogs that have the base idea of presenting images of a central concept.  These sights can be excellent sources of inspiration.

Concept: Tanks

Concept: Robots

Concept: Ships

Concept: Vehicles

Concept: Guns  This ones still in the beta phase.

Concept: Aliens  This one might not be as much use but, Im including it for the sake of completeness.

Take a look.  See if anything catches your eye.
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Thursday, March 13, 2014

Purity 9 Kre O Micro Transformers Review 2

Okay, so I caved in and bought more.

This is the bag from the first series of Micro-Transformers.













This is "Blast Off".  Ive just noticed now the helmet is missing.


The 2x2 neck bracket is an interesting piece.





I think this is "Crankstart".  This is a 1st series Micro-Transformer.

I find the translucent color of the gun neat.






This is the one Id wanted since I first got a look at the Micro-Transformers in the 2nd series, "Airachnid".


Those claw/leg pieces look great.  The clip-on missiles could be great for SSRs.  The 1x1 plate with 2 vertical clips could be very useful too.




Once again, get these on sale if you can.  Of course being able to buy the ones you want will help immensely.
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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Battle of the sensor sizes – full frame FF versus micro four thirds m4 3 – is there a 2 stop difference

Well, yes. In fact, if you look at low light JPEG output from say, the D600 (almost state of the art – the D800 holds that crown) and the E-M5 (pretty much state of the art for its body type – I actually prefer its output over the newer E-M1), you will find that there is more than a 2 stop difference.

Looking at the D600 at 6400 ISO and the E-M5 at 1600 ISO, it is striking how much extra noise reduction is required for the E-M5 to present a decent image. Remember … low light.

Now, if you are reducing to something tiny such as 720px, which happens to perfectly fit the center column of this blog, then you are not going to see much difference. Although, in this case, the D600 JPEGs are much more palatable to me as I am favorable to warm tones and open shadows. The E-M5 presents a colder look and the contrast and processing are overall fairly harsh. That has always been my opinion, though, so make up your own minds.

I chose a pair of images from the mannequin series on http://imaging-resource.com, so of course they hold the copyright to the original images and you will not see me reproduce those here except at tiny size and crops.

Note: I got a huge amount of information about how the images were shot from the excellent EXIF viewer that Jeffrey Friedl offers on his blog. It binds into Chrome and gives an amazing amount of insight into any posted JPEG image that still has its embedded EXIF.

image
image

The effective focal length for the Olympus is 30% higher, with the adjustment in distance being only about 8 inches. After I cropped the D600 to 4:3 aspect ratio to match the Olympus, I also upsized the Olympus very slightly to match the Nikon’s size so we could get a normalized comparison.

In keeping with my definition of fairness, I then applied Topaz Denoise to both to get the best balance of noise reduction and sharpening (if you know how to use Topaz Denoise, you can get amazing results with no detail destruction at all.) I also played with curves a wee bit to get the softer Nikon to come closer to the harsher Olympus in tone.

And here is what they look at in tiny sizes … clicking on either image will take you to the originals on Imaging Resource.


Nikon D600  Sigma 70mm 2.8 Macro  6400iso  f/4  -.3ev


Olympus E-M5  Olympus Zuiko 50mm 2.0 macro  1600iso  f/4  +.3ev

So we have very little visible difference at such small size, at least in detail. The Nikon image is warmer, with the reds being particularly warm. But otherwise, they are a pretty close match.

Now … what is under the hood? Here are crops at 100%:

Now, that is not even a contest. The smearing on the Olympus image is very evident in each of the crops. The hair is a true helmet when compared with the D600 image, which has some clumping but masks it well with retention of a lot of detail. And that is already at 2 stops advantage, so the difference in JPEG prowess is probably approaching 3 stops. This is a phenomenon I have mentioned in past posts (although it has been a while.) That being that larger sensors have more of an advantage than simple noise measurements would suggest. The quality of the details is just that much higher as less noise reduction appears to be necessary.

The flowers are a truly extreme example, where the Olympus is a painting while the Nikon has a very fine grain that would not be noticed on paper, even at gallery size. Remember that you are effectively viewing a 55” print from about 20 inches with these crops.

And the pocket is the same issue … the Olympus is ok, but the Nikon is excellent. Again, at 2 stops higher ISO.

Now, the differences really would be closer to 2 stops if I had processed these myself in Lightroom. That way, the heavy handed noise reduction can be avoided and you can sneak up on the best balance of noise reduction and sharpening. But that is not the nature of a JPEG engine. To satisfy the largest number of people – most people still appear to favour the sledge hammer that Olympus uses for a JPEG engine – they have to “turn it to eleven.”

I favour the Nikon and Panasonic approach to JPEGs … much more subtle. Of course, Panasonic JPEGs have only recently managed to get there, but Nikon has been putting great JPEGs out for a long time.

Now … remember when I said take this with a grain of salt? Well, the crops are no obvious that there is no salt involved in this equation at all. If you are a JPEG shooter and want to do, for example, weddings … then do yourself a favour and shoot the D610 and skip over the m4/3 bodies. Helmet hair is just not on.

If, on the other hand, you are a RAW shooter, you might get away with putting the Olympus cam up to 3200 and processing very carefully. But even then you will struggle as the light dims to get lots of keepers (contrast AF is not happy in low light) and you will struggle in Lightroom to come anywhere near the quality the D600 would deliver.

I think Montgomery Scott said it best: “ye canna change the laws of physics!”

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