Hung Truong: The Blog!

Awesome Choose Your Own Adventure Photoshopping!

This is semi-old, but I saw it at boingboing today, so hey! Over at somethingawful, there's a bunch of covers for Choose Your Own Adventure Books that didn't quite make it. Most of these are incredibly awesome.

Whenever I read those books, I'd always keep a finger on the last page where it branched out, just in case I died. This didn't always work, because sometimes you'd die no matter which path you took. Stupid books!

I think there's still a few of these books lying around my house. I'll have to find them and see if I can do any better now.

Google Page Creator: Test Drive!

So I tried out the super-hip Google Page Creator that everyone's talking about. I don't think it's that super awesome. For one thing, the templates are kinda rigid. I suppose they're good for really simple web pages, but after using css and php and all that snazzy stuff, I'm not impressed by Google's offering. They only offer 100MB of space, too. Didn't geocities offer more like, 10 years ago?

Anyway, in order to increase my web presence (in an effort to control the world), I made Hung Truong: The Google Page! Enjoy.

Fun New Apple Products: Intel Mac Mini, iPod Hi-Fi, and Leather iPod Case

Today Apple had a “Fun new products” event. I think everyone was expecting a cool new video touch screen iPod gadget. Instead, what we get is kind of boring…

Intel Mac Mini

First off, there's now an official Intel Mac Mini. I've been meaning to get a Mac, so now that there's an Intel Mac, I can not feel guilty about buying one. (Disclaimer: My mom works at Intel). The entry model starts at $599. It's still kind of expensive, so maybe I'll wait 'til I strike it rich.

iPod Hi-Fi

The new iPod is… not an iPod. Bummer. The iPod hi-fi is just an overpriced jukebox that you can stick your iPod on. iYawn. It seems that Apple is tired of letting all the third-party manufacturers profit from the iPod, so now they're making overpriced accessories as well. The iPod hi-fi costs $349.

iPod Leather Case

Speaking of overpriced accessories, check out iPod Leather Case! Only $99! If this is a “fun new product” for Apple, I'm not impressed. It doesn't even provide access to anything while the iPod is in the case!

So there you have it, Apple's fun new products. I may get an Intel Mac Mini (I wonder if my mom can get a discount), but the others just plain suck!

Final Fantasy XII Potion! Only $12.50 a Pop!

NCSX.com is taking preorders for the “highly limited” (only 3 million units) Final Fantasy XII Potion drink! It's only $12.50 per bottle! Hey, whatever happened to the standard 300 gp retail price? Now, if it was somehow reasonably priced, I'd totally grab a few just in case I ever got critically hurt. It would have to be a huge emergency for a $12.50 potion, though!

This comic makes a lot more sense now too. It pretty much describes my behavior during all the Final Fantasy games. Why use a phoenix down when a mage can use life? The mage is dead? Oh, I guess we have a catch-22 on our hands. I'm still not using that phoenix down, though. Don't even get me started on the subject of Elixir hoarding…

I also used to calculate the cost efficiency of using an ether on a mage to cast healing spells, rather than buying potions to heal. Then I'd calculate which healing spell (cure1 vs cure2 vs cure3) would be most MP cost efficient (because casting cure3 on a guy that only needs like, 300 hp is just stupid). Seriously, that's how big of a nerd I was.

Anyway, getting back on track, anyone wanna split a case of Final Fantasy XII potion with me?

Update: Play-Asia.com has the premium potion in stock for $12.90, though I think shipping is cheaper.

If you wanna go the cheap route, go with Jlist.com. They have the regular bottle for $4.50. That's the one I went with.

Super Princess Peach Comes Out Tomorrow!

No, not out of the closet, out for Nintendo DS! Now, I'm no girl, but I kinda really want to play this. It's too bad Peach isn't as hot in this game as she was in Mario Strikers (um, did I just say Peach was hot?!). Princess Peach has an umbrella to whack enemies with, and she cries a lot. Must be that time of the month... I wonder if she can levitate like she could in Mario 2. That would be pretty cool!

Peach has to save Mario and Luigi, or something like that. I think this game is actually catered towards girls, because check out the official webpage. It's all... girly. There should be some kind of special feature in the game where if I sense someone approaching, it'll turn into a super violent macho game or something!

This could be just the thing to keep me occupied until the new Super Mario Bros. comes out for the Nintendo DS. Then again, there's also homework to keep me occupied. Speaking of which...