Review #3 - Secunia PSI

            I’m kind of cheating for this blog post. It’s not something new per se, but I still think it counts because it’s new to me. So, for review number 3, I’m covering the Secunia Personal Software Inspector.

One thing I was afraid of when I chose Secunia PSI for my third post was that people would be turned away if they were either not computer-savvy or they were turned away by “techie” stuff. Hopefully, you’ve stuck with me to this point, because I want to tell you that this is a program for techies and non-techies alike, and is not difficult at all to use. But more on that in a little bit.

So to start, I’ll answer the question I’m sure several of you have: “what is the Secunia PSI?” In simple terms, Secunia PSI is a computer security program that monitors all of the programs that are installed on your computer, and tells you how secure they are. If a program is either out-of-date or at the end of its life, then it can be very insecure. Secunia PSI lets you know when you have out-of-date or end-of-life programs so that you can take care of the problem. 

My favorite thing about the Secunia PSI is that it’s a free download (make sure you download the free version and not the pro version). So many options for computer security carry a high price tag (unless you’re one of those people that get their programs in a less-than-legal manner) that it’s nice to be able to get a decent program for free.

     Right after the cheap price tag, my second favorite thing about Secunia PSI is how easy it is to use. Once the program is installed (with one of those ever-helpful installation wizards), you can start it right up merely by double-clicking on it (and yes, you want to allow it to make changes to your computer). Once started, you’ll see this home screen:

     And for the rest of the explanation, in order to make it easier for you to follow along, I’ll refer to the screen using these number tags:

     So, the first thing I’ll point out is the System Score (#1). This tells you just how secure your computer is, as of the most recent scan. There are three levels: Green, which means you’re completely up-to-date; yellow, which means you’re starting to become insecure; and red, which means you’re really insecure and need to fix it.

            This brings us to point #2, “Scan your PC”. This is what you need to click on for a manual scan of your computer. Upon clicking, you’ll see this window:

    To run the scan, all you have to do is click “Start scan”. The length of the scan depends on how many files are on your computer, and how fast your computer can run through them. When the scan is complete, you’ll get this screen:

     Ideally, you’ll get the congratulatory green text that says you’re 100% secure. Otherwise, you’ll get text that says you have insecure programs on your computer and there will be a break-down in the bottom half of the message. The next step is to click the “View Scan Results” button (or if you have a 100%, then you can just close the program completely). After clicking this button, you’ll see this screen:

     This screen shows you all the programs on the computer, as well as their status. As you can see, all of mine are registered as “Patched”, since they were insecure at one point. If the programs are insecure, the word “Patched” will be replaced with either “End-of-life” or “Out-of-date”. If they are one of the latter two, then the “Install Solution” column will feature links that will allow you to “Install Update” or it will have a link that says “Microsoft Update” (there may be another option, if so, contact me and I’ll let you know what to do). What you want to do is click these links one at a time for each program that needs to update and allow it to do its thing. As each program finishes its update, your System Score will steadily increase. Once you reach 100%, then you can click the “Dashboard” button, located above where the “Scan your PC” button was (#2). This will return you to Secunia PSI’s home screen, where we’ll continue with points 3-5.

    Point #3 takes you to the “Scan Results” page we just left. However, this is how you’ll get there after an auto-scan (more on that later).

     Points #4 and #5 aren’t really that important, they’re more to see how your computer compares. #4 will tell you how secure your computer is compared to how secure it was the week previous. #5 will tell you how your computer compares to users in Colorado (or some other location, which you can’t change without making a Secunia account). Again, this is more to see how your computer compares.

     So that’s how Secunia PSI works. It is really simple to use and doesn’t require any technology skill past how to click your mouse. And that’s what I like about it.

   As far as what I don’t like about it, there are a few things. For starters, I feel as though the comparison to computer users in Colorado is rather unnecessary. I think you should be able to choose a location without making some account.

     I also don’t really like how vague the charts at the bottom of the home screen are. They really don’t tell you much about what was patched or how secure your computer is. But that’s just me.

    As for what I would do, I can’t really come up with anything that I would include. This is a pretty solid program, and I can’t really come up with anything I’d do different. I also don’t know what all’s in the pro version, so I can’t say that I would do something that is simply in the pro version.

    That’s pretty much all I have to say about the program. I highly recommend it for anyone that has a computer, because it really does help keep your machine secure, especially if you’re not a tech person. If you want to download the program (again this is for Windows), simply go to:

http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/download_psi/

Let me know your thoughts and opinions. I look forward to reading them and I will see you all next time!

Saberdragon Out!

Final Score for [Secunia PSI]:

Hype Score: 7

Production Score: 8

Effectiveness Score: 8

Innovation Score: 7

Opinion Score: 8

Total: 38 out of 50

           

           

Review #2 – Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Wow, what a turnaround from my last review! After putting all of my disappointment at DBZ: UT into a blog post, I felt the need to do a review of something awesome in order to balance things out. So, I chose my favorite new thing of recent times, Inheritance by Christopher Paolini.

But before we go any further, let me throw in one of those SPOILER WARNINGS! DON’T READ UNTIL YOU’VE FINISHED INHERITANCE! So, let’s start with what I liked about the book. And this is going to be a very in-depth section, so just be ready.

            From the start, I noticed that Christopher Paolini was going to be going full throttle with Inheritance. From the right-into-the-action start in the city of Belatona, to the lonely voyage that marked the conclusion of both the book and the series, I was enraptured by the skill, heart, and soul that Mr. Paolini poured into the climax and finale to the series that made him who he is today. I was impressed by the flow that Paolini utilized, rarely was there a lull in the action, and even those existed solely as transition.

            Of the manner in which the series was wrapped up, I must say that I was surprised and impressed; indeed, it was not the sequence of events that I imagined to take place. Most surprising to me were the true secret of the Vault of Souls and the absence of the new dragon from both most of the book and all of the real action.

            And speaking of the new dragon, Fírnen, arguably the biggest mystery in the whole series, filled few of the expectations readers had of him. This is something I give Paolini a lot of credit for: taking note of predictability, and reversing its advantage. What I mean here is that readers predicted several things about the new dragon: that his Rider would be Arya, that he would be a male, that he would be a love-interest for Saphira, etc. All three of these turned out to be the case; however, Paolini did not allow predictability to dictate his story. With Fírnen’s Rider, it was an accurate prediction that Arya would be the one to bond with the long-awaited green dragon. However, I don’t know of anyone that expected that he would not appear until after he was truly needed. In the case of being a male, this was confirmed during the climax of Eldest, but it was expected, by me at least, that he would become the “alpha male” if you will, of the dragon race. I did not expect him to serve as a relatively minor character. And finally, most readers and polls that I saw correctly predicted that the green dragon would serve as a “love interest” for Saphira. Once again though, the true situation was unpredicted, as Fírnen did not really progress past the “love interest” stage, or so we’re led to believe.

            The Vault of Souls was something that really caught me off guard. My assumption leading up to Inheritance was that the Vault would somehow contain the souls of the slain Riders, and that they would be able to reach out to their enslaved partners who were being manipulated by Galbatorix. The reality of the Vault was completely unexpected for me. I can’t say that I was completely pleased with it, (more on that later) but it was definitely a very clever plot twist on Paolini’s part.

            The final aspect I want to cover in this section is Galbatorix. The final villain in the series - and the shadowy tyrant that has plagued Alagaësia through-out all four books in the Cycle - did not disappoint in his appearance, or his actions. In fact, his first act after being introduced in a physical sense was to torture Nasuada through very despicable and sadistic means. Paolini obviously wanted his readers to despise Galbatorix, and I can honestly say that I didn’t like the “good king” in the least.

            On an off-shoot of the Galbatorix sub-section, I also would like to mention how impressed and awed I was by Shruikan’s appearance. Leading up to Inheritance, I was naturally expecting Shruikan to be a terrifying and awesome creature befitting the servant of the evil king. However, I was blown away by the sheer awesomeness of Shruikan. This is a dragon who is so massive that Eragon was able to hear the clatter of claws on cobblestone from several kilometers (and yes, I believe that America needs to switch to the metric system, but that’s for another time) away. He was so big that his wing was mistaken for a floor-to-ceiling curtain. I for one was really pleased with Shruikan’s portrayal.

            Now we move on to the negative third of the review (a figurative third, not an actual one). There are not many things I can say I didn’t like about Inheritance. That being said, there are a few. The biggest thing I didn’t like about Inheritance was the fact that Fírnen did not make an appearance until nearly the end. Granted, I thought the reality was still good, but I would’ve liked to have seen more of him. The dragons are my favorite part of the series, so I was disappointed when the “infamous” green dragon was not present for the majority of the book.

            The next thing I was disappointed by was the fact that we really didn’t learn much more about the Riders themselves. I would’ve liked to know a little bit more about Vrael and some of his Knights on Shining Dragons (yeah, I said it). I did like the inclusion of Umaroth, but as I said, I would’ve liked to have known more about his Rider. For example, I’m curious about how Vrael became leader of the Riders and what kind of responsibilities the position carried.

            Finally, I was somewhat disappointed with the final battle. Like Harry Potter (but thankfully not to the same degree) the final confrontation was somewhat anticlimactic in comparison to the build-up. I would’ve liked to have seen more unique spells and cunning, and I believe that the “explosion”, while dramatic, was not a very entertaining fate for the King. I would’ve liked to have seen something a little more ironic or fitting, such as a disarm-and-kill with Vrael’s blade. That’s just me though.

            As far as what I would’ve done with Inheritance, I can’t really say much. I was really impressed with Paolini’s work and I hope that my own book is half as good. I guess the only thing I can really say in this section is a repeat of the final battle argument – I would’ve went for a more “fitting” death.

            In conclusion, Inheritance had a few faults, but they were negligible, and mostly my personal preference. I can honestly say that this was the best book I’ve ever read. I only wish that they had done a better job with the movie adaptation of Eragon so that there would be a possibility of a movie version of the other three books. Oh well, that’s a rant for another time.

Let me know your thoughts and opinions. I look forward to reading them and I will see you all next time!

Saberdragon Out!

Final Score for [Inheritance]:

Hype Score: 8

Production Score: 9

Effectiveness Score: 9

Innovation Score: 10

Opinion Score: 10

Total: 46 out of 50

Review #1 – Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi

I wish I could say that there was nothing bad that I could say about this game. I was looking forward to this game ever since it was announced, and when I saw some of the features, I was certain that this would be the greatest fighting game of all time. Boy was I wrong.

 

            In keeping with the GBM style, I’ll start with what I did like about the game. My favorite part, and the real reason I bought the game, is the character customization of Hero Mode. I’ve seen reviews online that criticize the lack of extensive customization. For example, the reviewer mentions the lack of true uniqueness between custom characters online, even saying that “taking that [custom] character online isn't so special when you run into Hero Mode characters that look just like you, but a different color” (McKinley Noble, Gamepro.com). While I can see where he’s coming from with this statement, and in fact I somewhat agree, I can forgive this monotony this time because a) this is the first game that allows customization, so it’s not expected to be perfect and b) there is a lot more customization options than I had expected, so I was pleasantly surprised. I particularly like how the move system works, and by that I mean I like the “learn from the master” system. It’s really satisfying to bestow the Kamehameha on your own character.

            Another thing I liked about the game was the use of anime scenes as cut-scenes. This was a very pleasant surprise to me and I was impressed that they were utilized as well as they were. In fact the only problem I had with the cut-scenes was that they (and correct me if I’m wrong) were scenes from Dragon Ball Z Kai. That’s not to say that I don’t like Kai; I’m actually impressed with how good it looks. But having grown up on the original Funimation dub of Dragon Ball Z, I wish that it was the Funimation dub used instead of the Kai dub. But that’s just a personal preference.

            Unfortunately, this is the end of the positive section of the review; now we move on to the darker and more ruthless aspect: what I didn’t like.

            We’ll start this section off by getting my least favorite aspect out of the way, so we can more gradually segue out of this negativity. The thing I dislike the most is the fighting system of the game, which I can sum up in 3 words: repetitive, unrewarding, and restrictive. Let’s look at “repetitive” first. From the very beginning of the game the entire fight system’s unwarranted repetition makes itself apparent. Those of you with the game are probably nodding along right now, but for those of you who are considering the purchase of the game, the whole fight system is divided into 2 categories: Blast Range and Melee Range. In Blast Range, the fighting takes place in a 3D setting, just like most of the recent Dragon Ball Z titles. In this range, all attacking takes place through the use of Ki blasts. Nothing seems wrong with that at first. In Melee Range, the fighting switches to a 2D setting, reminiscent of many classic fighting games such as Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and the Tekken Series. The attacking here takes the form of the usual punches and kicks. Again, nothing seems wrong at first. But when you try to switch between Ranges, or when you connect three bursts, the problems begin to spring up very rapidly.

            We’ll talk about switching first. When you go between Ranges, typically using the “Double Tap X” method (proving that anything with the phrase “Double Tap” leads to bad things), a short skirmish situation is initiated (I won’t go into specifics). In this skirmish, which is always the same, no matter the character, players have to choose to tilt the joystick either to the right or to the left. If the CPU or other player picks the opposite direction, then the attack connects. However, if they pick the same direction, then the other player counters, dealing damage. We’ll come back to this in the “unrewarding” section. This is repetitive because there’s always one of two outcomes when switching: either you connect, or they counter. End of story. The only reprieve comes when you move your character from Blast Range to Melee Range manually, then the two characters clash without damage. Again, repetitive.  

            The “problem base” is when you initiate a chain. These can involve either the square path, which is always the same no matter what, or the triangle path, which changes between five different endings. Five may seem like a lot, until you go through them all, again and again and again. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to avoid them, because these chains are almost impossible to avoid using, so originality is completely removed from fights. I won’t go into minor details like what Strike Booster does to affect chains, because it’s the same repetitive conclusion.

            The second word I used earlier is “unrewarding”. As I mentioned in the Range Switching sub-rant, success depends on luck in a 50-50 situation: whether or not your opponent picks the same button/direction or the opposite. This choice also comes at the beginning of the chains (unless when using Strike Booster, which is the only way to take luck out of the chains). So the winner of the fight may not be the more skilled player, it may be the luckier.

            Finally, I described the fight system with “restrictive”. I chose this word because the new Spirit Gauge and Ki Gauge systems take away the option to use Super Attacks and Ultimate Attacks on your own terms. In order to use Super Attacks, you need to build up Spirit by landing chains on your opponent. So, if you are unlucky, then your gauge will remain unfilled, and you won’t use a Kamehameha on anyone. Ultimate Attacks are similarly restricted, because you have to wait until either you or your opponent reaches Spirit High, or as I am choosing to call it: Screwed Mode. I am of the opinion that Ultimate Attacks should be used to deal large amounts of damage to the opponent, in order to either hasten the end of the fight, or even things up. Such was its role in previous DBZ titles. However, you can only use it now by completely filling up the Spirit Gauge when in Spirit High. This can be hard to do without killing anyone.

            In addition to these three sub-rants, I cannot leave the fight system subject without mentioning the blocking and recovery systems. If attacked with a Super or Ultimate Attack, you have the choice to intercept, evade, or block, depending on how much Ki you have. So if you deplete your ki and don’t recharge quick enough, you can’t do anything. And call me crazy if you will, but I don’t think you should be this restricted. In Tenkaichi 3, which I believe to be the greatest fighting game I’ve ever played, not just DBZ games, you could counter on your own by moving, guarding, or trying to intercept. That system was based on skill. This system, in Ultimate Tenkaichi, is based on a combination of luck and timing. I do not approve. And the recovery system, if you are the unluckier of those involved in a chain, requires you to press all four shape buttons at the same time, rapidly. Even then, you can still take a lot of damage, because the recovery depends on how much ki you have. If the gauge is empty, you might as well get yourself a pop for all the good that staying with the controller will do.

            That’s enough about the fighting system. The next thing I didn’t like was the actual game cut-scenes that were not from the anime. My gripe here is that the character’s mouths rarely match their words. To me, this is a sign of laziness on the animators’ part.

            Finally, the third main thing I disliked (though I could go on for several more pages) is the limited character roster. Tenkaichi 3 had 161 characters/transformations and pretty much included everyone you could possibly want to fight with. Some may consider this too many, but I very much approved of the wide range of selection. This game however, with only 41 different characters, is a major decline in selection and quality. I could forgive this if the characters behaved/worked differently, but as I said earlier, repetition is the theme of this game and all 41 function the same.

            Now that we’re out of that section, I’ll briefly wrap things up by offering my idea for the next game: Natural Selection. What I mean is that the character customization and anime scenes should be retained and expanded, and all of the negative aspects should be eliminated. Chains are okay, as long as they are controlled by the player and rely on skill, not luck. If the roster has to remain small, then the differences between characters should be more prominent, and the characters should be chosen better (I vote for a complete removal of Kid Gohan, he just annoys me to wit’s end and could be replaced with someone better such as Super Saiyan 4 Goku perhaps). The ranges are okay, but I think Tenkaichi 3’s system was much better, more efficient, and more realistic to the anime. The recovery system is fine, but it needs to be easier to use. And for the love of all that is holy, NO MORE FREAKING BUTTON SLIDERS! In several parts, you have to push a button when it’s in a very small target. So if your hand-eye coordination isn’t up to the task, you’re screwed.

            That’s all I’m going to say for now. In conclusion I was very disappointed with this game and I hope that the developers put more effort and consideration into the next one. They could do so much better. 

Let me know your thoughts and opinions. I look forward to reading them and I will see you all next time!

Saberdragon Out!

Final Score for [Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi]:

Hype Score: 2

Production Score: 4

Effectiveness Score: 4

Innovation Score: 8

Opinion Score: 3

Total: 21 out of 50