Changing the selfie game: Nubia X flaunts first dual-screen phone

Image source: gizmochina.com

Smartphones today have been having a lot of form factor issues because of the front-facing camera. Not only does this require a bit of screen real estate, but it can also be annoying how manufacturers implement this feature.


For example, a lot of people have complained about the notch in smartphones where the front-facing camera is kept. And while there are manufacturers that have created ways to bypass this issue by making mechanisms to hide the camera. But one manufacturer decided to change the game.


Nubia X, a Chinese-developed smartphone, came up with the idea of eliminating the selfie cam or front-facing camera altogether. So, how will users take selfies then? This is what Nubia X has that other phones don’t have. Most cameras have two cameras, one on each side. But the Nubia X only has one camera at the back. Also, there’s a fully functional touchscreen at the back of the phone.

Image source: mysmartprice.com

This new design allows users to take perfect selfies using the phone’s primary and only camera. Since primary cameras are often superior in image quality compared to the front-facing camera, this results to better quality selfies.


And because there isn’t any room required for a front-facing camera, the bezels in the main screen are significantly smaller compared to other smartphones. Being the first dual-screen phone certainly answers the problem of notches. Will this be the new trend for smartphones everywhere? Only time will tell.


I’m Daniel Volitich. I’m currently enrolled at the San Francisco College of the Arts studying animation. One of my passions, of course, is technoiogy. For more about me and the stuff I love, visit this page.

It’s time for Blizzard to release Diablo 4

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It’s been more than six years since the release of Diablo 3, the third iteration of the celebrated hack-and-slash RPG from Blizzard Entertainment. And as Blizzcon 2018 nears (this 2nd of the November), fans everywhere are keeping their fingers crossed that a reveal for Diablo 4 will be showcased.


While nothing is yet etched in stone, rumors have been circulating in the past few months that Blizzard may indeed reveal that the gaming company is working on a new Diablo game. It makes perfect sense, too: fans who’ve stuck with D3 have been clamoring for it, especially as the current game has already reached maintenance mode. This means that no new add-ons and expansions are forthcoming, the last being last year’s late release of the Necromancer pack.

Image source: gameskinny.com

Dedicated players are dwindling, often only coming back to play for a few days when new seasons become available. Most of these gamers only do so to get achievement bonuses in the form of cosmetics like new character pets, pennants, wings, and portrait frames. It doesn’t help that alternative options like League of Legends, and Torchlight 2 are attracting old players to switch.


The timing of a D4 announcement would be perfect, given little moves by Blizzard to hire new game development staff and release the D3 on Nintendo Switch. The once-PC-exclusive game now has the chance to attract more portable console gamers. Veteran Diablo players who’ve been patiently waiting for D4 will return in droves, once again proving that WoW and Overwatch can wait when new heroes of Sanctuary enter the tavern door.


Thanks for dropping by. I’m Daniel Volitich, a pop-culture enthusiast and student based in San Fran. I enjoy animation, films, and comic books. I also take pride in my collection of Marvel action figures and vintage video games. Visit this blog for similar reads.

Virtual reality and the future of design

Image source: VirtualRealityPop.com   

New realities abound in today’s world, and they cannot be escaped anytime soon. They include virtual reality (VR), which offers new opportunities as well as challenges for any well-meaning designer. VR design is on the rise, with major players such as Google, Apple, Oculus, and Sony jumping on board and making things happen.


Virtual reality is software designed to be immersive. It uses a massive headset to fill one’s entire field of view with an image, and its responsive nature enables participation in a virtual world. It’s used for virtual offices, events, products, and more, and with the technology people can preview designs scaled to real, life-size environments as well as depth.


VR experiences can be roughly segmented into three: active, semi-active, and passive. Active VR allows the viewer to interact with the environments, whether when killing the bad guys or solving puzzles. Semi-active is seen in a 360-degree video with hotspots where someone can choose to follow a character or unravel the next part of the experience, while passive VR pertains to a 360-degree video where the user can turn his head to watch the action at any compass point – and yet cannot influence what happens in front of him.

Image source: Reuters.com  

The future of VR design is limitless. Facebook sees its future as a “metaverse,” where instead of posting updates to each other, people actually walk along a virtual street and talk to each other. Microsoft is developing Holo Lens, while Magic Leap is showcasing a tiny projector shooting images directly onto one’s eyes.


VR enables designers a more realistic and detailed rendering of objects, allowing close-up encounters with virtual objects and the ability to move back from them. But how VR actually affects design remains to be seen, as the ever-changing technology dictates it’s always a little early to tell.


Daniel Volitich is a student at San Francisco College of the Arts taking up Animation. He is a pop culture geek who enjoys video games, animation, films, and comic books. Learn more about his passions on this page.

A dive into the latest in laptop technology

Over the past few years, people have switched from laptops to tablets, and from tablets to phablets.  The smartphone technology is slowly trying to make laptops extinct, yet the laptop has a lot left in its arsenal that the smartphone will find hard to beat.

Even with OTGs (on-the-go) included in smartphones, the latest laptops offer USB Type C and Thunderbolt 3 ports in them.  The USB Type C is an addition to the classic laptop setup, enabling new models to carry data and electricity through a single wire.  This makes it a practical innovation for the person who would like to bring just one cable for their smartphone, laptop, and other gadgets.

Higher resolution screens offer better entertainment experience to gamers and enthusiasts.  A laptop with a full-HD screen can come with a low price tag, unlike years ago when this feature was only available in flagship models.  Switching from your smartphone to your laptop, you might think the latter has a dull screen.  Forget about that problem as new models come with OLED displays. 

2-in-1 PCs have the power of a laptop but can transform into a tablet.  This feature is incredibly useful for those whose work requires them to stay on their PCs for extended periods of time, but choose to unwind with the same gadget when they head home.  These PCs are perfect for when a person just wants to check e-mails while on a plane, or watch their favorite series by the fireplace. 

Daniel Volitich here. I enjoy videogames, animation, films, and comic books. I’m currently studying animation at the San Francisco College of the Arts. For more updates from me, subscribe to this blog.

Modern Masterpieces: Video Games As An Art Form

In a stand up performance in 2010, comedian Dara O’Brian claimed that video games did something that no other art form did, which was stop you from going further if you’re “rubbish.” That’s true. A book doesn’t just shut close and quiz you about the chapter you just finished nor does music stop playing if your dancing is abysmal.

Image source: time.com

Video games are truly modern forms of art. The dedication designers, artists, and writers put into the aesthetics, gameplay, and storytelling is just as compelling as a Hollywood movie. Here are some reasons why videogames are modern art masterpieces.

It takes a great deal of craftsmanship to pull of an aesthetically great looking game. From character design to level design, animators have to recreate stunning 3D worlds complete with textures, lighting, and elements that can interact with a player.

No great game is without an awesome score. The music played in games vary from when you’re buying health potions from a town’s item shop to when you’re duking it out with the game’s ultimate bad guy. Much like popular movies, some games even publish OSTs after the game’s release.

And lastly, the player becomes involved with the artwork as they play through the game. A player’s run is always unique because modern video games aren’t as linear as before. For example, “Detroit: Become Human” contains a multitude of ending scenarios which are affected by all the player’s decisions leading up to the very end.

Image source: artstation.com

I’m Daniel Volitich. I'm a student at San Francisco College of the Arts taking up Animation. Growing up in the late 90's exposed me to an era of great cartoon series and videogames. Visit my blog for more videogame related topics.

Six Reasons I Will Always Love Final Fantasy Vi

I’ve played a gazillion games in my life, but only a handful have held a special place in my heart. And even fewer were from old-school consoles. Squaresoft’s Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III in the United States) is one such game.

Here are six reasons I love this game.

Image source: finalfantasy.wikia.com

The world:  Every Final Fantasy world is unique in its own right. While my favorite is still the world of FFVII, FFVI’s world is still a classic with medieval and steampunk influences.

The characters:  No other Final Fantasy has had such an amazing cast of diverse characters with deep heart-felt backstories. In our opinion, this is FFVI’s greatest strength.

The gameplay:  Once you get used to it, FFVI is ridiculously easy to play. Squaresoft has always catered to fans when it comes to gameplay.

The building options:  When I say building options, I mean building up the characters. While they all have their own special attacks, you can use Espers to customize their strengths.

The Espers:  There are a whole lot of Espers to choose from once you’ve collected all these magical beings. And they bring more than just power. You can learn magic and become faster, stronger, and more agile because of them.

The story:  Because of the diverse cast, FFVI has tons of stories to tell. From tragedy to romance, to sibling rivalry, to more mature themes such as child abandonment, and mind control, you name it, FFVI has it.

Image source: play.google.com

I’m Daniel Volitich. I’m currently enrolled at the San Francisco College of the Arts studying animation. One of my passions, of course, is videogames. For more about me and the stuff I love, visit this page.

The Greatest Virtual Reality Games Ever Developed

For a lot of gamers, virtual reality, or VR, represents the complete escape from the real world and total immersion into the game.  Over the years, great VR games have come out and been praised by critics and gamers alike.  Let’s take a look at our top three.

Chronos

For our money, Chronos is the greatest VR game adaptation ever.  The original game was good enough as it is, but the VR take just took the game to another level.  You’d be hard-pressed to find a game as immersive as the VR version of Chronos.

Image source: roadtovr.com

Thumper

Whereas Chronos is immersive, Thumper is innovative.  Just like Chronos, Thumper started out as a non-VR title, and even then, it was an entertaining romp with a one-of-a-kind gameplay.  Thumper, the VR version, has proven to be so much more hypnotic, and so much more addictive.  Gamers have spent hours on the game simply because of how fun it can be to control your character.

Obduction

And we have yet another adaptation of a non-VR game.  Obduction may not be as immersive and as free-flowing as Chronos, but it’s more detailed, which counts for a lot in VR.  Inspired by Myst, Obduction takes a player through a challenging journey that tests one’s wits at every corner.

Image source: roadtovr.com

Daniel Volitich is an animation student from the San Francisco College of the Arts. He loves video games, tech, and movies. You can find more about Daniel here.

My Favorite Comic Book Adaptations That Aren’t Mcu Or Dceu

In celebration of the release of “Avengers: Infinity War,” which was by all accounts the most epic superhero movie in the history of superhero movies, I’ve put together a list of my favorite comic book films that aren’t a part of the MCU or DCEU.

Image source:wordpress.com

The Crow

While “Avengers: Infinity War” is the grandest comic book movie ever produced, Alex Proyas’ 1994 classic, “The Crow” remains as the best comic book movie we’ve ever seen. It was a dark and thrilling ride which was adapted from James O’Barr’s graphic novel of the same name. The film hits fast and hard and will gut your heart out.

Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I couldn’t separate the Hellboy movies, because love both equally. Master director Guillermo del Toro’s vision for the Hellboy universe is unparalleled and Ron Perlman and the rest of the cast were just splendid as unique, flawed, and humorous comic book characters. This is one of the most creative superhero films we’ve ever seen.

Image source: slashfilm.com

Blade

“Blade” doesn’t receive as much acclaim as many superhero movies. It should. Wesley Snipes brings to life the gritty, graceful, and tough half-vampire vampire hunter who is unstoppable until he meets Stephen Dorff’s Deacon Frost, one of the coolest vampires since “The Lost Boys's” David. While the visual effects may not hold up by today’s standards, “Blade” is still one pretty exciting ride.

I’m Daniel Volitich, an animation student at the San Francisco College of the Arts and a lover of anything geeky. Check out my blog for more about the stuff I love.

Are These The Best Video Game Movies of All Time?

A video game movie could be a hit or a miss: it could rake in so much money and enjoy critical acclaim, or bomb at the box office while failing so badly in quality and reviews at the same time. Here’s an amateur’s attempt to chronicle the best of all time.

Image Source: GamesRadar.com

Resident Evil: With at least six of these movies we’ve seen, it’s not difficult to have a lasting fondness for the glaring emphasis on action, dynamic plot, and the kickass lead that is Mila Jovovich. 

Tron: This 1982 classic draws its charm from its clunky 1980s computer graphics and its pioneering role that has influenced a whole generation of computer animators and special effects enthusiasts.

Mortal Kombat: What is a video game adaptation without sheer entertainment value? This 1995 Paul W.S. Anderson movie offers feelings of nostalgia among the gamers of its time. It doesn’t hurt that the feature boasts a colorful cast of characters, from the immortal deity Raiden to sinister elements such as Shang Tsung.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: This one draws from the deep well of Final Fantasy tradition in style and storytelling but with new, bold, and refreshing elements and the hard-to-define magic of Hollywood bringing it to the big screen.

The Last Starfighter: What could be a bigger fantasy form gamers growing up in the 1980s than to be a kid whose video gaming skills turn him into an interstellar hero? This is one of the earliest to showcase CG, and while it received mixed reviews, The Last Starfighter will always have a place among the best and the first.

Image Source: ScreenRant.com

Daniel Volitich is an animation student from the San Francisco College of the Arts, a video games geek, and a pop culture enthusiast. Similar reads on this page.