095 - Mai the Psychic Girl

Mai the Psychic Girl -- Feb2011. written by JCPMA

In the late 1980's/early 1990's I've read at random some of the (few) manga titles available in NorthAmerica and translated into English. The manga at (comic) book stores at this time were all in traditional North American "comic book sizes", approximately 8 x 10", perhaps 50 to 80 pages (ie., similar to the size of a NorthAmerican comic book like DC or Marvel etc titles like Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Archie & Jughead ... well you get the idea). The common manga format that I see nowadays, are in compact digest compilation sizes. They are approximately 6 x 8". They contain 4 or more issues/chapters of the story per volume, and each digest (volume) may have 300 or more pages! It is common for translated manga to be "flipped", that is, read from the right to left direction. Rumiko Takahashi's work is cute. Other authors' work was somewhat interesting.
I even purchased a few titles of Chinese manga (translated into English); One is a story around a martial arts theme set in ancient China. I can't recall the name of the title (I think the work "Sword" is in the title) but it is somewhere stowed away in my "stuff" storage area. This manga is absolutely terrible. The art is good and acceptable with perhaps an average (subjective) rating. The storytelling however is very bad. It is boring to read. There is no real heavy suspense, and I don't really "care" about the characters. It seems much of the story is based on action/fighting sequences.

Back to present times. I don't get out much, but it seems to me Chinese manga never caught on in North America. Am I wrong? (Does this mean all Chinese manga is this bad? There must be some quality work out there, somewhere.) Ironically, I have noticed that there are Japanese Manga titles translated into Chinese! I guess quality is accepted universally.

Mai the Psychic Girl is the series, decades ago, that got me hooked onto manga. It was one of the few titles which was compelling and captivating at the time. This is one of my favorite, if not my most favorite, manga series. Fortunately, the retailer carried back-issues and I was able to collect the entire (28 issues) series! (I understand that Viz recently republished the entire series as a 3 volume manga called "Mai the Psychic Girl, Perfect Collection".)
The writer is Kazuya Kudo. The art is more realistic than in most manga in that the eyes are less "cartoonish". Ryoichi Ikegami is the artist; He also illustrated the adult manga series Crying Freeman. This is from Wikipedia. In Japan, Mai the Psychic girl is titled "Mai"; the Kanji for Mai is " 舞 "
BigFive BB52
EACC 21543D
GB12345 4672
GB2312 4672
Unicode 821E
CCCII 21543D

The original NorthAmerican comic book format of this series was published bi-weekly by Eclipse Comics and Viz Comics.

Plot: Extra-Sensory abilities are seen as a curse as they hinder a young girl's life and freedom. The heroine has to remain strong to do all she can to avoid using her powers and to try to live a normal teenage life. This series is a super-page-turner. A fun roller-coaster ride. One of my favorite supporting characters is "Ron" the dog.

If Tim Burton does direct the movie, I hope it DOESN'T contain an Edward Scissorhands, or Batman type cinematic flavor.

Links.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai,_the_Psychic_Girl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryoichi_Ikegami
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_Comics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viz_Media
http://www.comicvine.com/mai-the-psychic-girl/49-26428/
http://www.viz.com/product?id=3976
http://www.amazon.com/Mai-Psychic-Girl-Perfect-Collection/product-reviews/156931070X/
http://www.screenrant.com/tim-burton-mai-psychic-girl-ross-60405/

5star Manga

094 - Hikaru No Go

094 - Hikaru No Go
written by Yumi Hotta
artist is Takeshi Obata (also artist for Death Note)

This manga is originally intended for young teen's or even pre-teens. (Amazon.com says it is for readers ages 9-12). But it is one of the most suspenseful, action-packed stories I have encountered, even without any elements of violence or sex etc. You have to read it to believe it. The suspense really rivals the intensity of an adult story or movie of action/violence! It is a roller coaster ride!
The main theme of the story is a chess-like game played with colored-stones/pieces. The manga series illustrates the challenging path to become a professional Go player.

plot: a boy finds a haunted Go (game)-board and falls in love with the game of Go.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikaru_no_go

according to amazon.com, this is a 23 volume series.
http://www.amazon.com/Hikaru-No-Go-Vol-1/dp/159116222X/

http://store.viz.com/Hikaru-No-Go-Vol.-1/A/159116222X.htm

5 star manga

093 - Color of Earth trilogy

093 - The color of earth TRILOGY
written by Kim Dong Hwa

This three volume set of manga/graphic novels represents two love stories. The love story of a woman in rural Korea, and the love story of her young daughter. (If I remember correctly, in the notes, these are based on true stories.)

The Color of Earth is vol.1
The Color of Water is vol.2
The Color of Heaven is the final volume, vol.3.

My biggest surprise after completing the stories, is the bio profile of the author. The story is told from the point of view of the daughter, and sometimes her mother. I expected the author to be female! Yet, the author is male. It just caught me by surprise.

published by First Second Books http://us.macmillan.com/QuickSearchResults.aspx?search=color+of+earth&ctl00%24ctl00%24cphContent%24ucAdvSearch%24imgGo.x=22&ctl00%24ctl00%24cphContent%24ucAdvSearch%24imgGo.y=7

(wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Second_Books)

http://www.amazon.com/Color-Earth-Story-Golden-Fields/dp/1596434589


5 star manga

092 - Real

092 - Real

I picked up Real to pass the time; This manga shakes you!
Takehiko Inoue, the writer, incorporates a surreal quality of story-telling analagous as Oliver Stone is to movie-making. (Currently, I have savoured eight volumes of Real).

plot: The lives of 3 teens evolve in the world of Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball.
This simple storyline doesn't do the series justice. It doesn't just expose the lifestyle of atheletes, but also Life's complexities are captured with the feel of snapshots.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_%28manga%29
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Vol-1-Takehiko-Inoue/dp/1421519895/
http://store.viz.com/Real-Vol.-1/A/1421519895.htm

5star manga

091 - Imadoki Nowadays

o91 - Imadoki! Nowadays
by Yuu Watase (Yu Watase)

A short series of only 5 volumes. (This could be the shortest series of my personal favorites).
This is a pleasant surprisingly charming shojo manga. Like many of Yuu Watase's other works, this title is a fun read. I'm almost tempted to find and raise a pet-fox!

plot: a teenager moves to the big city to attend high school.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imadoki!
http://store.viz.com/Imadoki-Nowadays-Vol.-1-Dandelion/A/1591163307.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Imadoki-Nowadays-Vol-1-Dandelion/dp/1591163307/

5star manga

090 - Ooku The Inner Chambers

090 - Ooku : The Inner Chambers

by Fumi Yoshinaga

This MANGA is "epic" literally. It has the same flavor as Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima's expression of medieval Japan. (egs: Lone Wolf and Cub; Path of the Assassin; Samurai Executioner; The Color of Rage).
Throw in a splash of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale". and Ooku is the result.

So far I've only read the first three volumes.
The art is beautiful.
Summary/Plot: Nature inflicts a shortage of males in Japan. This shakes the country's internal and external national politics.

Links
http://store.viz.com/oku-The-Inner-Chambers-Vol.-1/A/1421527472.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Coku:_The_Inner_Chambers
http://www.amazon.com/%C3%94oku-Inner-Chambers-Vol-Ooku/product-reviews/1421527472/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8


5 star manga.jcpma

089 - honey and clover

Honey and Clover

The plot - A handful of college students experience romance and love triangles.
This is a manga set worth keeping. There are 10 volumes. From what I have read so far, the series started in 2000 and finished in 2006 (there are 64 ?or more? chapters).
The Manga-ka is Chica (Chika) Umino. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chika_Umino

It is a story told with charm.
A "rom-com" full of humor and melancholy.

The US site for the english translated manga is:
http://honeyandclover.viz.com/

wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey_and_Clover

It looks like there is: 1 animation series; 1 Japan tv series; 1 Japan? (movie); 1 Taiwan tv series.
I sure would like to see these; My fingers are crossed to see if they will contain English subtitles.

5star manga

082 - Puff v 2 tutorial review

082 - Puff version 2 tutorial and review

click on thumb image for larger size.


link here http://s556.photobucket.com/albums/ss4/jcpma/otherTutorials/?action=view&current=puff-v2.gif

081- jpg+ filebinder tutorial and review

081 - jpg+ filebinder tutorial and review


http://s556.photobucket.com/albums/ss4/jcpma/otherTutorials/?action=view&current=jpg-plus-fileBinder.gif
http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss4/jcpma/otherTutorials/jpg-plus-fileBinder.gif

074 - Nokia 2760 User Guide Manual

document: "1-nokia2760startHere.html"

Nokia 2760 User Guide by a layman; Nokia 2760 cellular phone general notes

written by JCPMA

last updated 2010-11-16; 2010-11-07; 2009-10-31

Nokia's worldwide: http://www.nokia.com

Description:

I made these sets of notes because the documentation on the web and the included

paper documentation are HORRIBLE. I wonder if there is any phone on the market

with decent instructions. It seems, all phone OS's suck. They are clunky and

confusing.

Information I have appreciated or found useful, information which should have been

included in the user manual, is recorded here. [Oct.2009]

INTRO

-----

the Nokia 2760 is a S40 type phone (but i don't know which generation though.)

source [1]

north american gsm dual band phone:

bands: 850MHz and 1900MHz source [2 http://www.speakoutwireless.ca/sim-card-guide/][5]

Speakout sim cards will work on a locked Rogers phone but probably will not work on

a locked Fido phone. [2 (Oct.2009)]

CALLING

-------

Using the speakerphone:

While on an active call, press the Right Soft key to select Loudsp. source [4 document tm51986, 5, 7]

Handset volume:

During a call, you can increase/decrease the volume of the handset by pressing the

right/left cursor key. However, make sure your screen is cleared of all

characters/numbers or else the volume control won't respond. (This is especially

relevant when calling customer service where you are prompted to press 1 or 2 etc...)

Headset: The model-2760 comes with a headset with a button in the center; "Is it a built in mic?

Is the button like a walkie talkie where you push to talk?" or "Does it start the phone

call and end the phone call?" (I wish there was some documentation included.)

CONTACTS

--------

Phone contacts on your sim card:

If you choose to store/use your phone contacts on your sim memory, a sim card icon

will appear on the upper part of the screen. The advantage of this is portability.

The contacts stay with your sim card. The disadvantage, is that the Nokia 2760

will not let you associate a photo/picture with a phone contact, if the storage is

on the sim memory (compared to phone memory). [5] [2009-09-01]

you cannot associate a ringtone/tone to a particular contact.[5] [2009-10-02]

FIRMWARE

--------

[5 (dial *#0000# will show your phone is hardware version eg, RM-259 and a 3 digit firmware version)]

I am unable to find any new firmware for this phone. According to the Nokia,

USA/Europe Websites, there is no software upgrade for this model of phone.[2010-10-27]

I wasn't able to find software available to update current firmware at this site:

http://www.nokia.ca/get-support-and-software/software/device-software-update/can-i-update

source [6, 5(Sept/Oct 2009)] [http://europe.nokia.com; www.nokiausa.com (Oct.2010)]

This link to a list of Nokia firmwares: http://wiki.forum.nokia.com/index.php/Nokia_Firmware_Versions [Nov16.2010]

INTERNET DISABLING

------------------

I found this tip on a Speakout forum[2], I think. You can disable your phone from

accidentally connecting to the internet, for example if you are playing a game and

it decides to connect without your knowledge etc... (I can't remember who the

author is though, but it works.):

Settings-->config-->Personal config-> Add New-> ¤Web-> leave everything blank & save.

Settings-->config-->Default config-> choose PersonalConfig

Settings-->config-->Preferred Access Point-> choose Internet.

POWER

-----

I can get approx. 10-11 days worth of standby time if my phone use is minimal.

It takes me about 2 hours to recharge the battery (that originally comes

with the phone) from a "dead" state to a full charged state.[5]

When the battery level is low to the point of critical, the phone "beeps" once per

minute for a total of 3 minutes. Then, it seems, in the next minute, the phone

"dies"/turns itself off,.[5][2009-10-02]

TEXT/SMS

--------

text quota = 159 characters per sms message

This phone has a bad habit of mixing up your saved texts. That is, if you have

several saved messages, they can be cut and spliced with the body of each other.

"It is quite a messy defect". [5]

TONES

-----

IM Alert tone:

The default is

"Standard" very loud. This one sounds like two "beeps from an Aliens Scanner"

(ie the scanner Ripley and the crew used in the 2nd Alien(s) movie.)

Message Alert Tones:

"Standard" very loud. This one sounds like two sets of loud sonar pings: "ding Ding, ding Ding!"

"Beep once" very loud. Sounds like 1 loud beep.

"Special" medium loud. Sounds like Morse code/telegraph code: ... -- ... ...-- ...

"Ascending" from soft to very loud. plays 4 sets of successively loud 2 beeps. Each pair of beeps get louder than the last.

Calendar Tone:

If you substitute your own tone, the phone makes it sound progressively louder after about the 5 or 6 second mark.[5]

(See 2760bluetoothDownloads.txt for more information on using your own tones/ringtones.)

VOICEMAIL

---------

The first time you activate your voicemail,...

This is how you do it:

(the user manual instructions are missing a step. it tells you to hold the "1" key and then input the 5 digit password code)

but, first you have to program your phone number into the cellphone. (yes, this is the missing step.)

Go to Menu|Messaging|Voicemessages|...

Enter your voicemessage mailbox number here; it is your 10 digit cellphone number. source [5].

Explanation:

a) you program your phone with your 10 digit cellphone number, so that when:

b) you hold down the "1" key, this causes your cellphone to phone itself and the call then connects to voicemail.

c) Once connected to voicemail, you enter your 5 digit voicemail password code.

When you get a voicemail, ...

Speakout texts you, the msg alert tone sounds, and there is a "voicemail" icon on

the top of your standby screen:

O_O

as well as a "sms text message" icon:

_______

| V |

|_/_\_|

Your mini-screen should display "new voice message". You should follow this cue to

check your text (message) inbox for details, or you can go ahead an check your audio voicemail.

Caller-ID does not work with voicemail[5].

This is what is displayed on your main screen sms text:

Voicemail 1 new. Sender not available.

Received hh:mm:ss yyyy/mm/dd

At this point, the screen gives you an option to listen to the voicemail from your handset.

When your phone is off = instant voicemail pickup source [5];

When phone is in use, voicemail probably picks up right away too. (guessing).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Why the Nokia2760 is a good celluar phone:

. flip phone

. buttons are well placed

. speakerphone

. economical

. good sounding audio for phone calls

. acceptable entry level 0.3 megapixel camera

. voice-recorder is handy

Why the Nokia2760 is a bad cellular phone:

* thick

* plastic shell/housing looks/feels cheap

* software/operating system needs more user-friendliness

* require better user manual (cell phones in general do too)

* low capacity memory: approximately 10MB

* no expansion for memory, ie no slot for a SD-MicroCard or other.

* short battery life (shorter than most phones.) ie, 2.5 hour talk time; 10 days standby time.

* lack of documentation on how to save files from/to a PC computer

(Manufacturer should have included a USB cable)

* the low resolution 0.3 Megapixel camera. Other phones have 1 or 1.3 or 2 or 5 or more Megapixels!

* there is no external volume buttons. These would be handy to adjust volume of ring/handset-audio/speaker.

* unable to use your own mp3 files for ringtones.

* no built-in electrical contacts for easy "cradle" charging. You have to lift

a plastic tab at the top of the phone to get access to the charging jack.

* easy to obstruct/cover external speaker with palm of the hand

* using the fm radio requires the insertion of the earphones

* instead of having a radio, they should have added more memory or a bigger battery!

* the predictive texting input is TERRIBLE. i suggest not using it.

Internal Links:

--------------

1-nokia2760startHere.txt a copy of this current document, 1-nokia2760startHere.html, in txt format

2760bluetoothDownloads.txt on Bluetooth and Downloads (and Ringtones)

2760camera-notes.txt on the built-in camera

2760recorder-notes.txt on the audio recorder

2760security-notes.txt on the phone's security settings

bestNokia2670settings.txt on my preferred phone settings to balance power conservation and usability.

External Links:

---------------

Nokia 2760 Guides http://www.nokiausa.com/get-support-and-software/product-support/nokia-2760/guides

Nokia 2760 User Guide in English 2760_US_en.PDF 3.39 MB http://nds1.nokia.com/files/support/nam/phones/guides/2760_US_en.PDF

[This links to the 2007 user guide. Nov.16.2010]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[ ] footnotes:

1. http://www.nokiausa.com/get-support-and-software/discussions or nokiausa.com

2. http://www.speakoutwireless.ca/speak/ The Unofficial 7-Eleven Speakout Wireless Canada Consumer Page

3. 7-11 Speakout Nokia 2760 Quick Start Guide (book, Canada) 9205744 09/07

4. T Mobile website (USA)

5. my own (subjective) notes.

6. http://www.nokia.ca

7. Canadian Nokia 2760 User Guide (book) 9205625

8. Quick Start Guide (color pamphlet) 9205756

9. Nokia 2760 User Guide 9203335 Issue 1, 2007 (Europe?) (pdf format)

10. Nokia 2760 User Guide 9203335 Issue 2, 2008 (Europe?) (pdf format)

Nov.2010.

Below is a "box" from Box.net. (I think it requires a browser to have Adobe Flash or Adobe Shockwave Flash in order for it to be visible.)

This nokia2760box is contains my tips and user information for the Nokia 2760 mobile cellular phone.

Please refer back to this blog-entry or to the link of this blogbox (which is http://www.box.net/shared/5i4hmkqj2u ) for any updates.

073 - How to Restore your Portable Settings on Locate32

How to Restore your Portable Settings on Locate32 version 3.1
=======

Locate32 is a file-search tool for Windows which creates indexes for fast searching.
More info is available at www.portablefreeware.com on Locate32.

072 - Zback v. 2.20.b Review and Tips

Zback v. 2.20.b Review and Tips
===
This is a wonderful backup & synchronization tool for Windows PCs.

017 - energizer duo charger

energizer duo charger

model CHUSB

purchased 2009

UsbCharger_setup_V1_1_1.exe = installer software for windows
software that lets you monitor charging progress from your
computer screen (this software is NOT portable)

Energizer_Charger_DriverAndTools(ppc_intel).sit = installer software
for the mac computer (same idea as above)

CHUSB_E_F_S.pdf = owners manual


nickel review:
*this charger is for NiMH batteries only.
*you can charge 1 or 2 batteries, either 1 AA or 2 AA cells,
or similarly, 1 AAA or 2 AAA cells.
*sometimes when charging 2 batteries, the green led flashes rapidly indicating
a bad battery. The way to get around this is either:
- remove the batteries and reinsert OR
- remove a battery and charge only 1 battery at a time in slot 1.
*this charger is small and allows charging by AC or usb port.

* i give this product a rating of 6 out of 10.
-it is handy & is of good value
-software needs to be installed and is not portable
-charging 2 cells sometimes results in a charging error