It’s been awhile since I last did any review, so here’s one on a neat little device I picked up recently. This is the Buffalo Ministation Pro TurboUSB 500GB Portable Hard Disk. The Ministation TurboUSB was actually my last pick of the lot when I initially set out to look for a portable hard disk. The other storage devices I was considering included the Seagate Freeagent Go, Transcend StoreJet 25M, Toshiba Portable External Hard Disk Drive, and the Western Digital My Passort Essential. My initial dislike of the Ministation TurboUSB was due to its thickness and weight, which at 23mm and 225g was the thickest and heaviest of all the portable drives I had in mind. I then realized the thickness was due to its anti-shock protection design, as the drive itself is suspended in a shock-absorbent inner floating structure within the case, great for butter fingers like me! And although it was the heaviest device on paper, when I did a comparison by holding all the devices in my hand, I hardly noticed any significant weight difference. After all, we’re only talking about 20-40g differences between all the units here.
The Transcend StoreJet 25M and Toshiba units came with anti-shock protection as well, but the Toshiba was more expensive and I didn’t see a point in paying extra for the same amount of drive space. The Western Digital Passport Studio II came with a Firewire 800 interface which means it’ll have much faster transfer rates than the Buffalo Ministation’s USB 2.0 interface, but again that meant the WD Passport was much more expensive and I don’t think I’ll be doing nearly frequent enough transfers to justify that price difference. The feature which pretty much convinced me that the Buffalo Ministation should be the pick of the bunch was its very clever way of keeping the USB cable neat and tidy. If you look at the first picture I posted, you’ll notice that the cable can actually be securely wrapped around the unit itself for storage. I thought it was a simple but brilliant idea, and since I can’t stand messy cables this was an absolute Godsend!
The unit also comes with AES 128-bit encryption which is available by default without having to install any additional software. This means that the drive will automatically encrypt data so they remain safe if the disk is lost or stolen.
However, the TurboUSB feature which was supposed to be a selling point of this device really didn’t make much of a difference for me. I didn’t notice any significantly faster transfer rates with TurboUSB. But I ain’t complaining as long as it’s not slower!  Couple all the above mentioned points with an attractive price and the Buffalo Ministation TurboUSB became my pick of the bunch and so far, I’m pretty happy with it.
Update: The Ministation’s Secure Lock Ware data encryption utility as well as the Memeo backup utility do not work with Ubuntu Linux, or other flavors of Linux. If you’re a Linux user and would like the data on your Ministation to be encrypted, use TrueCrypt instead. It’s open-source and is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. I use it on my Ministation and it works flawlessly.
STOMP: Anti-shock drive protection, AES 128-bit encryption, TurboUSB feature, Brilliant cable management feature, Attractive price point.
CHOMP: Size and weight, Plain design, Lack of Firewire interface
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written by stompandchomp
\\ tags: 500GB, Buffalo, Buffalo Ministation, Buffalo Ministation 500GB, Buffalo Ministation Pro TurboUSB, Buffalo Ministation Pro TurboUSB 500GB Portable Hard Drive, Buffalo Ministation Pro TurboUSB 500GB Portable Hard Drive Review, Buffalo Ministation Review, Buffalo Ministation TurboUSB, Buffalo Ministation TurboUSB Review, Portable Hard Disk, Portable Hard Disk Drive, Portable Hard Disk Review, Portable HDD, Portable HDD Review, Review, Seagate Freeagent Go, Toshiba Portable External Hard Disk Drive, Transcend Storejet 25M, Western Digital My Passport Essential
Haven’t done a review in what seemed like eons now, so I thought I’d do a quick report on one of my more exciting recent acquisitions. This is of course the Metroid Prime Samus Aran Resin Kit from Japanese garage kit maker Dimension Diver. This beautifully cast kit was a Wonder Festival 2009 Summer Event Exclusive and a hot one at that. It did cost me quite a fair bit of change to acquire but I’m really happy with it.
I like how the kit comes with individually colored-cast parts, so you could pretty much build it without having to lift a paintbrush (or airbrush). The kit is a little small for the price though, and IMHO it would’ve been perfect if it was done in a slightly larger scale. It comes with just a single sheet of printed instruction in color. The kit itself looks fairly straightforward to build though. I have yet to build it since I have a tonne of other kits sitting around so this’ll have to wait.
Since it was such a highly coveted kit, supplies of the kit has pretty much dried up even on the secondary market. My search on Yahoo! Japan came up with nothing, but ironically there’s one up for auction on eBay with 5 days to go. The price is already at $188, wonder how much it’ll finally sell for.
So this is it for my short review of the Dimension Diver Metroid Prime Samus Kit. Be sure to check out the photos.
STOMP: Beautiful clean casting, Colored parts, Very Limited
CHOMP: Expensive, Would have been perfect if it was in a larger scale
eBay Auction for Dimension Diver Metroid Prime Samus Aran Wonder Festival 2009 Kit here (Ends 22nd Sept).
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written by stompandchomp
\\ tags: Dimension Diver, eBay, Garage Kit, Metroid Prime, Resin Kit, Review, Samus, Samus Aran, Wonder Festival, Wonder Festival 09, Wonder Festival 2009, Wonder Festival Summer, Wonderfest, Wonderfest 09, Wonderfest 2009, Wonderfest Summer 09
Good evening folks! Today I’ll be looking at the Hot Toys Batman Dark Knight figure. The Dark Knight suit is supposed to be an improved version of the original suit as seen in Batman Begins. I’ve been meaning to get myself a Batman figure from Hot Toys, and I’m glad I held off on purchasing the original suited figure when Batman Begins was released some years ago as I prefer the look of this new suit instead. First impressions is that this Dark Knight version has significantly more armor than the original suit. Props to the costume designers for the Batman: The Dark Knight movie for creating a much more dynamic and realistic suit and one which looked less like those worn by comic book heroes from the 60s. (Just compare the suit of Batman of the 60s as portrayed by Adam West and this one and you’ll be able to better judge how far Batman suit design has come).
Now let’s get on with the packaging and contents of the figure. The figure comes in a pretty standard sized Hot Toys box with an outer slip bearing a picture of Bale in the Dark Knight costume. The box is dominated by Dark Blue and Black undertones, which I really like as it represents the darker and bleaker nature of the film itself.
As many of you would already know, Hot Toys actually went back and made changes and improvements to the sculpt and costume of their prototype figure because some very observant fans noticed that the suit was not film accurate enough. From what I can see on the figure I have in hand, most everything looks spot on and I doubt Hot Toys would have been able to do a better job than they already have with this suit. The figure looks like a miniaturized version of Christian Bale in the Batsuit and is indeed a sight to behold. I often take glances to admire the accuracy and beauty of the figure, and I haven’t gotten bored of looking at it after all this time! However, I do have a gripe with the suit and that’s with its durability. As with most rubber suited figures, I have real reservation that the suit would be able to last over time. Hot Toys have been under fire in the past over the durability of their rubber suited figures, such as the Deunan Knute and Briareos figures from Appleseed: Ex Machina. I have had my Dark Knight figure for a few weeks now, and I realised that there is a slight indentation on the back of the legs where the suit rested on the figure stand. And it doesn’t seem like an indentation that would go away either, since it looked as though the rubber might actually have a small tear over time. It is however almost unnoticeable because it is very tiny. My advise is if you intend to display this figure with a stand over extended periods of time then try rotating its pose and placement on the stand regularly. Otherwise, just try posing him without a stand. I would hesitate to pose him in extreme positions as well in fear that the rubebr suit might tear or lose its elasticity over time.
Due to the nature of the suit, the figure will not be able to perform any uber extreme poses. But overall, I’m pretty happy with the articulation and the myriad of poses I’ve managed to get out of this kickass figure. The accessories that came with the figure are quite satisfactory. He comes with a Batman with cowl headsculpt, a Bruce Wayne headsculpt, a pair of Batarangs, Grappling Gun, mine bomb, 3 sets of hands and a utility belt. The headsculpt is fantastic as usual, as with most Hot Toys figures. The sculpt quite accurately resembles Christian Bale, with that steely blank expression. Overall, I’m extremely happy with this figure and would highly recommend it to all 12-inch figure enthusiasts as well as Bat fans everywhere. Finally, please check out some of the pictures I’ve managed to take, some with Bats standing right next to Clark Kent. Woohoo..now I can finally create a scene right out of DC’s Superman/Batman comic books. Well done, Hot Toys. Here’s looking forward to the upcoming Predator and Terminator: Salvation figures!
STOMP: Excellent Sculpt, Fantastic Costume, Nice & accurate accessories
CHOMP: Limited articulation, Concerns over durability of costume, Expensive
Where To Buy:
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written by stompandchomp
\\ tags: Batman, Christian Bale, Clark Kent, Dark Knight, Figure, Hot Toys, Review, Superman
Today I’ll be reviewing a pair of Sennheiser HD 205 DJ headphones. I’ve been looking around for a pair of headphones with decent bass for games, movies and music for awhile now, and decided on getting the Sennheiser HD 205 based on the good things I’ve heard about it. Best of all, it very decently priced which means any extra money saved can go towards my other purchases.
Before I continue with the rest of this review, I’d like to say that I’m no audiophile, so this review is based on my opinion as an everyday user, not a hardcore listener who has intricate knowledge of the best and most expensive sound systems in the world. I’m just not one of those who would spend a fortune on a pair of headphones or a sound system.
The package comes with the following features:
Powerful stereo sound
Rotatable ear cup for one-ear listening & DJ use
Convenient protective pouch included
Outstanding passive attenuation of ambient noise
3.5 mm jack plug and 1/4″ (6.3mm) screw on jack adapter, gold plated
Single-sided cable
Acoustic principle: Dynamic, Closed
Ear coupling: super-aural
Frequency response (-3 dB rel. 1kHz): 14 - 20,000 Hz
Max SPL at 1 kHz, 1 Vms: 112 dB
THD at 1kHz, 100 dB SPL: <0.5%
Impedance: 32 ohms
Weight: 260g
Signal cable: 3m copper cable (OFC), single sided
Connector: 3.5mm stereo jack with 6.3mm adapter
Sound:
I tested the headphones on some games, movies, as well as music. I was quite surprised that the headphones managed to produce a nice solid bass and sound clarity at such a price point. The bass didn’t feel overwhelming at all, and dialog was crisp and clear with games like Bioshock and Dead Space. Now I can finally crank the volume up and do these games justice without annoying the crap out of the neighbors!  I also watched Batman: The Dark Knight using the Sennheiser HD 205, and the explosions were intense and lent a great deal of atmosphere to the film. I don’t listen to music very much, but when I do, I like my music with substantial base. The HD 205 provided lots of it without drowning out the mids and highs. The HD 205 also did a great job in drowning out external noise. This is good if you’d like some privacy, but is not that great when you’re expecting a phone call and won’t be able to hear it while you have the headphones on.
Comfort & Design:
The HD 205 is a relatively good looking unit with its black and silver accents. It has large cushions surrounding the earpieces and the headband to keep you confortable for extended periods of use. It also has retractable arms so you’ll be able to adjust it based on the size of your head. However the Sennheiser HD 205 felt a little tight around the head when I initially bought it. My suggestion is to put it around something(I put it around a large box of tissue) for a day to keep the headphones extended to loosen its fit on your head.
Conclusion:
I’m very happy with the HD 205. The sound quality far surpassed my expectations for its price and I think it’s fantastic value for money.
STOMP: Fantastic value for money, substantial base and great sound quality.
CHOMP: Headphones felt a little tight around the head for the first few days.
Where To Buy:
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written by stompandchomp
\\ tags: HD 205, headphones, Review, Sennheiser
I’ve been meaning to do a review on the Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 stick since I bought it a couple of months back. However, I thought I’d put it through a few more games so I could make a fairer and more accurate opinion. The first impression I got was that the box housing the HRAP 3 controller was huge and hefty! After carefully unpacking the controller and holding it in my hands for the first time I totally understood why. The HRAP 3 is built like a TANK, it’s extremely sturdy and well-built. It sports a very clean carbon fibre-like design, nothing fancy and just the way I like it. I think the combination of black and carbon look will help to withstand dirt and wear over time too.
For all you arcade purists out there, you’ll be delighted to know that the HRAP 3 uses the same Sanwa lever used in the majority of arcade cabinets in Japan, which is the Sanwa JLF-TP8Y-SK lever. However, unlike the significantly more expensive Hori Real Arcade Pro SA, the Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 does not use either Sanwa or Seimitsu buttons. But it’s good to know that if you insist on having these superior buttons, you may have the buttons changed by yourself with a little work without having to opt for the more expensive HRAP SA. I personally found the HRAP 3 buttons to be very arcade accurate, and don’t really see the need to pay anymore for Sanwa or Seimitsu buttons.
I’ve since used the HRAP 3 controller for quite a few games, including Melty Blood on the PC as well as a host of other console fighters like Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, Guilty Gear Accent Core, Hokuto no Ken (Fist of The North Star), as well as one of my all time favorite series, Metal Slug! The HRAP 3 was a joy to use and performed admirably in most every game except Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, which I realised would periodically have a very slight lag to some button inputs. It did not in any way ruin the experience, but it wasn’t as perfect as I would’ve liked. It was a real surprise playing Metal Slug using the Hori HRAP 3, as it felt exactly like the arcades and it brought back memories of the good ‘ol arcade glory days! The controller also comes with a turbo fire setting for those who enjoy shoot-em-ups I presume. I’m not a huge fan of aerial shoot-em-ups, so I can’t comment on how well the controller and the turbo setting would work, but I’m guessing they’ll work as good as they do on fighters.
If you’d like to modify the HRAP 3 lever or buttons yourself, Shyoruken forums has a great guide on doing just that. It’s quite an easy process since there’s no soldering involved, just simple plugs to disconnect and reconnect and you’re good to go!
Overall, I’m extremely happy with the Hori HRAP 3 stick and I’ve been using it for most of my arcade needs ever since. The Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 (HRAP 3) retails for $99.90 on Play-asia, and that seems like a reasonable price given the quality and authenticity of the HRAP 3 to arcade controllers.
STOMP: Built like a TANK, Excellent Ergonomics & Authentic Arcade Feel, Very Fairly Priced For The Quality You Get, Nice Carbon Look
CHOMP: Very slight delayed response on certain games
Where To Buy:
Play-asia
Amazon.com
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written by stompandchomp
\\ tags: Accessories, Arcade, Games, Hori, Review
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