Rambaran’s Log

My dated Motorola cell phone does what its supposed to do. Its a phone. It doesn’t do anything else, but send and receive calls. I’ve never realized that a phone can be much more, until I booted up my very first smartphone last week. Earlier this year I had initially decided to pick up an iPhone 4, based on its popularity, but after actually seeing the phone and playing with it, I was unimpressed by the build quality and pricing for the phone (750 dollars to buy after taxes, on no contract). Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing but praise for the iPhone and its revolutionary navigation functionality to its robust application library which remains unchallenged in today’s marketplace. It is the true leader in the smartphone media world, and has raised the bar very high for the competition to enter this market.

Regardless, the price was too high for me. A quick Google search steered me to the HTC Desire, an Android phone which has everything the iPhone 4 has and more (you can add an SD card for additional memory, use the phone as a wi-fi hotspot for your laptop to connect, plays adobe flash, real multitasking). I read a number of reviews from iPhone users that made the switch to the Desire and had nothing but praise for the phone. Soon after I found out about the Desire, an announcement was made by Telus where they would be the exclusive carrier of the phone beginning this month at the low no contract price of 449. I picked up the phone for 349 on a one year contract.

So, how is the HTC Desire? It is a true marvel. I can do everything … FAST.

Email, Facebook, Twitter, Web, GPS (Google Maps native with voice directions), Bluetooth, and more. What makes this phone special is the true multitasking feature where I can have several applications open at the same time and jump back between them. I can also toggle my gps/wi-fi/bluetooth on/off quickly without jumping into the settings of the phone. As for the phone itself, the voice quality is crystal clear. I went one further step and rooted my phone (easier than jailbreaking an iPhone) which allows me to install custom ROMS which are images of the operating system optimized for speed. Tomorrow I will unlock my phone so I can move from one carrier to another, or if I travel internationally, I can just swap SIM cards with a local phone agent in Europe to avoid hefty roaming charges from my carrier.

I can’t find anything bad to say about the HTC Desire. The build quality is excellent, battery life is stellar (36 hours on one charge [after rooting and Froyo 2.2 ROM]), and I can pretty much do anything I need to do without using my computer. I’ll try and post my own video review shortly, but for now, the one below gives you a good overview of the Desire.

Twenty-eight years ago feels like an eternity, but turning back the clock brings us to 1982.  The year E.T. and Tootsie stood tall at the head of the box office and won the hearts of moviegoers worldwide.   The year that Captain Kirk screamed out ‘KAHN!’, and Harrison Ford was blasting Replicants in a distant future.   1982 was a great year for film, but there was one movie that was completely forgettable by audiences, and that movie was TRON.   A young Jeff Bridges plays the role of Kevin Flynn, a software engineer who gets jettisoned away into a video game world he created.   Technologically, TRON was one of the very first commercial films to use computer generated effects extensively.   Disney produced the film for 15 million dollars, and executives were skeptic about the return on their investment.   TRON generated lackluster box office returns and mixed reviews.  However, the film did earn enough money to pay back its costs.

For myself, TRON was a thrill ride event.   I first saw the film on the big screen (and yes, I was 10 years old at the time), and I was taken with the originality of the story and the special effects (even after Star Wars).  Twenty years later I saw the film again and I was just as taken away with the movie as  I was the first time.   There really is something special about this movie.   I hope they make a sequel one day, even after all of this time.   Well, it looks as though my wish will be granted.   And although I am a Fanboy at heart, it looks at though this next iteration of TRON is going the route of AVATAR.

There were always rumors and rumblings at Disney regarding a TRON sequel, but nothing happened.   Twenty years passed and fans began to lose hope, until 2005 where Variety reported a script was being written.  Flash Forward to last year’s comic-con and the cast (including Jeff Bridges) were on hand to discuss the filming of the sequel and its December 2010 release date.   I was luck enough to be in attendance for that event, and from the footage I saw, I believe TRON: LEGACY has a good shot at appealing to audiences worldwide and generating AVATAR box office returns.   The film is entirely shot (not converted) in 3D.   It will be formatted for IMAX projection systems.   Moreover, all of the visual effects will be created by Digital Domain . . . James Cameron’s effects company.   Bolstered by the return of Jeff Bridges who now is an Academy Award winner, it looks like we’re in for one hell of a ride with TRON: LEGACY.

You are probably asking why I’m talking about this film now if it only opens in December.  Well, I talked about AVATAR last July well before its opening and predicted great success for the film.  I’m hoping word of mouth gets out about TRON: LEGACY.

To all of you who grew up in the 80s: GO SEE THIS MOVIE!   Hot Tub Time Machine is a laugh out loud ’strictly-adult’ comedy which delivers on every joke.  Veteran comedian, John Cusack (Adam), and his compatriots played by Rob Corddry (Lou), Craig Robinson (Nick), and Clark Duke (Jacob), deliver solid performances in this over the top film which follows a bunch of middle aged high school buddies who somehow get thrown back to 1986 via a hot tub in an effort to correct the mistakes they’ve made in their lives.  Sounds ridiculous?  IT IS!!!  And that’s why this movie works.

Hot Tub Time Machine is a ‘time machine’ movie which makes fun of every ‘time machine’ movie we’ve seen.  The most popular being the “Back to the Future” series.  On that note, Crispin Glover who originally played Marty McFly’s dad in the BTTF series  is in this movie and what happens to him (or what should happen to him) will make you laugh and cringe at the same time.  It is absolute comedy brilliance.   There are some other ‘classic’ scenes which can NEVER be played on TV.  Let’s just say someone loses a bet . . . BIG TIME.

There are some ridiculously hysterical scenes in this film and I won’t ruin them for you (‘White Buffalo’), but if you’re someone who grew up with Alf, New Order, and a yellow hard case walkman, then you will definitely enjoy this retro trip back in time.   I guarantee you’ll be laughing your way out of the movie theater by end credits.    Hot Tub Time Machine opens in theaters March 19th.