On the Bridge

Well guys, I know it seems like I've taken my sweet little time but Grad School does tend to suck the time out of your life in general. In fact I haven't played an MMO in ... I lost count. Anyway, last weekend I made a trip to Japantown here in the lovely San Francisco. I did the usual browsing in Kinokuniya, Daiso...

and let's not even mention the model kit store, I still have two model kits to build...

That Reminds me that I want the new 00 Quant[T] ...

So where did I go new? This restaurant called "On the Bridge", which is literally on the bridge in Japantown by the way.

Yep you're seeing right, I took the photo in the restaurant, they've decorated the place with many anime and manga decorations. Including J-pop playing and a TV with some Anime. Not only that but... -drumroll- Manga! Yep, while you wait for the delicious food, you can help yourself to catching up on that volume of Nana you've just had bad luck finding in any Borders!

So yeah, this almost the closest you'll get to a manga café here in Japantown. But what about the food? Well like the advertising says, Japanese food is not only about sushi, ramen, and anything teriyaki. The Japanese like reinvent a lot of Western food, take for example, pasta!

Even the gyoza I ordered was quite different, but nonetheless delicious, and was certainly a mix of Italian and Japanese cuisine. The food was delicious, and you'd be amazed at the variety they have here. It is a small restaurant though, from what I heard it's pretty much a family run business. The owner is a chef, and from what my friends tell me he's a really friendly person. Considering it's a small place, you got to be patient sometimes with the waiting time, but hey, you're not only here for the food right? Otherwise if you're in a rush, don't go on a weekend afternoon that's for sure.

Well that's all for today's entry, hopefully I'll be posting a bit more regularly.

Till next time,

りんごしゅ

新しい時代が来る。。。 ー A new era is coming...

It's definitely been a while since we'v updated the blog, but what can I say, Life is a mess. So the hyperbolic subject pretty much means we'll probably be seeing some more content flowing in here about stuff Japanese. Being in SF certainly helps me with some good access to a lot of things Asian and I think it's time I exploit that in the blog.

じゃあ皆、ちょっと待ってくれる？

9th Gen Morning Musume Auditions?

I was searching around and for some reason wandered into the Hello! Project website and noticed news posted a couple of days ago that, correct me if I'm wrong, says that THERE IS GONNA BE A NEW AUDITION! 9th Gen! Which is a chance to finally add some new talent... Well hopefully they'll add someone with actual talent or charisma. Not like that impostor and usurper Aika. Man I hate that bitch. Her being chosen in the audition like killed Momusu for me, and left me with a huge gaping hole in my heart. But enough of that, I have faith that this travesty will be fixed. Finally a new chance to breathe life into Morning Musume. I will be watching for this closely, stay tuned!

Sawajiri Team Jacob?

THIS JUST IN! Sawajiri in photoshoot with what appears to be a wolf-man in mid transformation! As one can clearly see, the hair is starting to grow on the back of his hand and he's doing this as he grabs Sawajiri's boobies, which are about to itch like crazy! What appears to be his tail is also wrapping around her body. What will become of Erika now!?

Some Jpoop love, defending Sayumi, and some more stuff

Jpoop Love - It seems that I am so out of the loop with jpop and dramas that I missed on a drama with Yuko Oshima and Eiji Wentz called Angel Bank, and I would've watched cause not only it has an AKB48 girl in it, but also has one of the WaT dudes. I never really liked WaT's music, but I saw them on a couple of shows and they were retty cool dudes. Anyway the two of those seem to be quite chummy, which obviously is fueling rumors that they're together. Because, you know, in the celebrity world, much like the real one, boys and girls can't JUST be friends.

Defending Sayumi - Apparently AKB48 fans and Momusu fans hate each other. I was reading a post on jpopfun when I ran into this article about Sayumi getting hate from fans cause she said she liked AKB48. I wanna tell you, I am a Momusu fan since 2004, and a general H!P fan too. I'm not sure if I voiced my love for the AKB48 product too, but I LOVE IT TOO! Way before it was all "H!P fans can never be Johnny's fans!", but those boybands are awesome! Why have a war if the product is kinda different and is meant for people to have fun and be entertained? Furthermore, why hate on Sayumi for saying she likes the competition? She's showing there's no hard feelings there, instead of saying she hates it cause she's so much better(actually that sounds like the old Sayumi I know lol). Speaking of the boybands apparently she insulted a couple of the Arashi members, namely Jun. Which I think her honest-to-God what her thoughts on their fashion was, but voicing your criticism of Arashi(or anything related to Johnny's) is a baaaaaaad move. Why? AKB48 has fanboys who are cut-throat. But freaking Arashi has "I'll-blow-up-your-house-you-bitch" type fanGIRLS. I shudder to think of the wrath I will bring upon myself for criticizing them. lol

Kenshin Live Action - What? Kenshin? Live Action? Well jpopfun seems to know about some rumors, but till I get some hard info I won't say much. When and if I do... I think I'll foam at the mouth...

Help me PLEASE - If anyone out there reads this and has a way to get Music Station and CDTV and is kind enough to re encode it to a smaller size and upload it to my FTP, I would be really grateful. Anyone? :D

Exploring new horizons - Ipad and new places

[ The picture represents in some way the topics I will be discussing in this post, besides the fact that it's super cute ]

Well nothing is completely official till it happens, but one of the members of the Rubuska team will be undergoing some significant lifestyle changes that will, in my opinion, result in a positive effect on this blog, or at least I hope so. Not going to go public yet about it until it happens but I'll probably be going somewhere else in the summer. Nonetheless, what did I say in the blog post title? You read correctly, Ipad. Interestingly enough, let me take the opportunity to quote myself from the last post:

• "Now with the HTC Evo being released soon, I am already considering changing phones since the Android + HTC Sense combination has worked out so well. Not to mention that cameras in phones are a great plus for me because I dislike having to carry a digital camera with me, so the fact I can record in 720p is quite a treat. Having the phone work as a mobile hotspot is also attractive, and I might just get such data plan if I get a higher specced netbook/laptop/tablet later on."

• "
  Who knows, maybe I'll even get an Ipad too... though I have a feeling that if I do that, Uska will get an Android powered tablet..."

To be honest, I've been let down by what the Android tablets have had to offer, or more precisely, the lack of things to offer. Not only have they've been slow to appear on the market (Notion Ink Adam anyone?) Android's fragmented nature does not support it's case in the market as well. Considering it is a mobile OS, you can not really compare it to something like other mobile operating systems like Ubuntu Netbook Remix, Jolicloud and even Meego that have a higher support for software variety and development. Truth be told though, on most of these tablets it's probably not hard at all to install the mentioned options, but at what price and hassle? I was a big follower of the development of the Notion Ink Adam for many reasons, considering that it offered a lot in terms on specifications, competitive price, and even features. Ever since I've made a full switch to a Linux distro for my everyday computer use, I can't help but realize the irony of it all that I am considering a device that is by all means a product from one of the most - software-wise and hardware-wise - closed companies. But what has convinced me to I prefer the Ipad over the Notion Ink Adam (other than the fact that the Adam is nowhere to be seen or heard of and it's June)?

After using the HTC Hero for two months now, I have become better acquainted with the Android OS in a deeper level. Putting aside the version fragmentation dilemma that I don't doubt Google will solve, there's still the problem of apps. Android is still an infant OS unlike the Iphone/Ipad OS which has been polished considerably over the years. Not only does it look better, but the OS is indeed very smooth, but beyond that there's also something very important: app development. I am not saying Android can not in a year or two catch up on Apple's lead on app count, but the fact still remains that by being an open mobile platform, it is not unified. If it is ported to tablets, they will not have the same marketplace as a smartphones. It will be up for the developers to take care of that front. That is due to the fact that most, if not all Android tablets will be running on custom versions of such OS. Unlike Linux though, where there exists more unity in the propagation and programming

of software among different distros, Android does not have what we could call the modern and completely open package/repository system. I am no expert software analyst, but such a model would greatly diversify app options on android but would break to some extent the consumer micro transaction model of buying apps. My experiences with Ubuntu, Fedora and more traditional Linux distros support this idea, which is one of the reasons I'm a strong advocate of Open Source Operating systems like Linux and my favorite flavor: Ubuntu or more precisely, Debian derivatives.

So yes, the Ipad indeed does exceed in what I would call a strong foundation despite its shortcomings regarding hardware specifications, and probably my biggest gripe is the lack of built in camera for video conferencing, which I have no doubt that it will be solved more sooner than later through an add-on, and the Apple development community is quite active and imaginative to when it comes to overcome many of the OS's imperfections.

So deep down my decision to choose the Ipad over an Android powered tablet is simply the fact that I don't think Android is ready to enter such market. That does not mean Android is an excellent choice for smartphones as it has proven till now. I prefer the more open oriented nature of the OS, such as the ease of use as external storage, freedom to transfer media without the need of obligatory software unlike the Itunes - Apple product relation, better notification system, widget system, greater integration to social networking among other features. For me Android, as does WebOS, show great promise in the smartphone market and are more to my liking than the Iphone OS. The good thing is we have variety, and I think that's good since everyone uses phones differently.

Another reason why I've taken a liking to the Ipad is because it reminds me of the first months I had my first netbook, the Eee PC 701 2GB Surf with the custom Linux Xandros OS. The ease of use, fast connectivity to the world wide web, instant messaging and voice/video chat were all things that seemed pretty ahead of it's time since it felt like it was all there right now at my fingertips, and I have to hang it to the Apple promo guys that make a strong point of this concept that's similar to that of the Xandros OS example and Ubuntu Netbook remix (and it's many flavors). Apple's OS is stable, smooth, aesthetically pleasing and has that instant feel to it. Not only that, but probably what I most like about tablets in general is that I consider them a step forward from netbooks in terms of portability and instant access to web content and productivity tools. That does not mean they'll replace laptops anytime soon, but the market is changing as technology advances, and it's hard to deny it.

What I think we should all be looking forward to is the day tablets advance hardware-wise to the level of current day laptops. This would give a greater amount of freedom in the selection of Operating systems we could use without worrying of being tied to one option. You may have noticed I have not mentioned at all the interest in a Windows 7 based tablet, simply because Windows has proven again and again that it is not quite there in the sense of accommodating itself to tablets, and with the death of the Courier concept, I don't see Windows becoming more predominant on tablets anytime soon. Not to mention that I simply do not use Windows at all with the exception of gaming given the Direct X empire (would be interesting if something happened in that area similar to the current Flash vs. HTML5 debate).

As a final note, depending on how things develop, I will probably be pretty busy this summer but I will make an effort to keep posting on the blog, especially when I get my Ipad :)

Till next time,

Rubi

Into the world of Smartphones, Netbooks and Hybrid mobile devices

I recently switched to Sprint's network after getting tired of AT&T's "GoPhone" service and it was the result of a greater interest in mobility concerning online connectivity on the go. Unlike Uska who's experienced the conveniences of mobile internet for more than two years now, I on the other hand have had little experience, but I would like to share some thoughts on what I think of the current mobile market and my experiences.

I am a big fan of portability and mobility in anything technological combined with a strong pragmatic idealism towards my mobile devices. My first start was with the Eee Pc Surf 701 2gb which was around the time Uska began his journey with a mobile device when he got his first smartphone, the Blackberry Pearl.

At that moment a line was currently drawn between me and him as we debated on the pros and cons of each device. My experiences with the Eee Pc 701 were quite delightful, but like with Uska's Blackberry Pearl, we both quickly felt that the devices aged quite quickly. Rim quickly started releasing higher specced phones and more competition began to emerge as the smartphone market began to expand. On the other side of things the Netbook market/mania had just begun, with higher specced machines rolling out the year after. Nevertheless I enjoyed my netbook fully for like a year and a half, and saw my productivity shift from predominantly being a desktop user, to switching back and forth without much effort. Some people have experienced this change as well when they got their Ipads this year. Mobile computing of this sort is incredibly practical in our lives, and for students and some professionals, having a computer that's so light, inexpensive, small and practical became a great help in everyday tasks. From notetaking to idle internet browsing in Santa Rosa mall, from writing essays to watching the latest remix of Chocolate Rain, the netbook quickly became a device I found myself connected to constantly. As for Uska, his addiction (note: heavy dependence) to his Blackberry became quite clear and his computer habits changed a lot as well.

After calling a truce in our sometimes heated debates on smartphone vs netbook, time passed and that brings us to today's increasingly mobile market: Netbooks being sold by phone carriers with 3G connectivity as well as Smartphones like the HTC Evo pioneering 4G in cellphones and serving as a Hotspot at the same time. Last but not least, the new tablet mania that seemed to have become the highlight in the beginning of this year.

The first smartphone I owned was the Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic. I have to admit that I was amazed as to how practical having a smartphone could be, and like Uska foretold, it would feed my growing need to obtain a contract based agreement with a carrier and have an unlimited data plan. By this time I had stopped using my Eee PC greatly, mostly due to the fact that browsing the internet now is not the same as 2-3 years ago. Modern websites rely heavily on Flash, and browsing on an low specced netbook has become quite a hassle. The Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic was a refreshing take on mobile computing for me, offering me the advantages of a smartphone and the portability I wished. Despite Symbian's shortcomings, I still consider to this day that it's an excellent phone. In fact, it supports Skype and supported the Google Buzz layer long before the HTC Hero, which I find pretty ironic. It does not change though that the OS is quite aged and is by no means flashy. So it finally came down to my switch to Sprint and being and open source linux fan, I was naturally leaning more to an Android phone than an Iphone.

The HTC Hero has proven to be an excellent phone as well. Though I do miss having Skype for long distance calls and I found the wait for Android 2.1 quite annoying. The phone lags quite a bit sometimes but the advantages of the Android OS are great. Now with the HTC Evo being released soon, I am already considering changing phones since the Android + HTC Sense combination has worked out so well. Not to mention that cameras in phones are a great plus for me because I dislike having to carry a digital camera with me, so the fact I can record in 720p is quite a treat. Having the phone work as a mobile hotspot is also attractive, and I might just get such data plan if I get a higher specced netbook/laptop/tablet later on. Surprisingly, Uska got an Iphone 3Gs not too long ago and now I have an Android powered device, we just love being on opposite sides... He was in CDMA, I was in GSM and that switched as well.

To this day I still don' t use my netbook half as much as I used to due to the performance issues I mentioned. Not to mention the smartphone I have can do a lot of the things the netbook can do and it has internet all the time. But I do feel inclined on getting a new netbook or tablet to complete my mobile device arsenal and the trinity of a geek: Smartphone, laptop/netbook/tablet and desktop. Like I said in the beginning, I'm a big fan of portability and mobility, so tablets quickly became quite the attraction for me this year, and more importantly, the line between smartphone and netbook has been blurred. Who knows, maybe I'll even get an Ipad too... though I have a feeling that if I do that, Uska will get an Android powered tablet...