by Kush Bansal | Jan 27, 2021 | Opinion & Reviews
New year, new tech. It’s almost one year after the pandemic when most of the world had to shift to their computer as their portal to work, learn, and socialize. As a result, the latest and greatest technology became all the more important . Of course, Apple is one of the front-runners in terms of brand popularity and technology quality. In November of 2020 Apple released their new models of MacBooks AKA their laptop line that has been evolving for the past 30 years. While on the outside they look similar, Apple has introduced brand-new technology that is a game-changer for computer processing. Now look, the computer I am reviewing is not for everyone as everyone has a different budget BUT this should give you a good idea on whether or not a computer upgrade is worth it. Additionally, some features are only available to the MacBook Pro, which I will point out throughout the review. That being said, these are my thoughts on the brand new MacBook Pro:
The M1 Chip:
The main upgrade introduced in this version over the others is the brand-new CPU. In an effort to regain control of the CPU market, Apple created their own chipset to better adapt to their software system while also provide faster computing power and stabilization than from chips by Intel. In layman’s terms, this computer is fast. It takes the computer 15 seconds to start up and instantly wakes whenever you want to use it again. While gaming can be a hit-or-miss depending on the intensity, it can definitely handle multitasking, video editing, and video streaming. The only downside as of 1/9/2021 is that not every app you can get on the Intel Macs supports the new chip yet, however, that is expected to change in the coming year. Still, the best reason to upgrade is because of the M1 Chip.
The Hardware:
While borrowing the same features from its previous iteration, the hardware of the M1 MacBook is nothing to cast aside. The screen, while not bezel-less, is still full of detail with high levels of brightness and color brightness.
The only unfortunate thing is that it is only available in a 13″ variant as opposed to the 16″ model that Apple offers with the Intel chips, although this will hopefully change in 2021. Although there is no touchscreen, there is a Touch Bar, which is a touch screen that replaces the function keys on the keyboard and adapts to each app, offering functions and shortcuts that change with each app (only on the MacBook Pro). The keyboard has also improved significantly with the move to scissor-switches instead of butterfly-keys, since butterfly-keys kept on getting stuck if there was any debris in the key, therefore Apple scrapped the design and redesigned the keyboard from scratch. The mousepad is also fast and responsive although I would recommend used a separate mouse for more precise control. The last thing about the hardware that I found to be great was fingerprint reader, which replaces the power button and, like the name implies, can log into your computer with the touch of your finger. This also offers an easy way to access your online accounts as well as make purchases on iTunes or the App Store by simply suing your fingerprint, something that is very efficient compared to a password. The hardware is solid all around and hopefully it will improve in the future with a better screen.
The Software:
With the release of Apple’s new operating system (called Big Sur), Apple has added in new features that not only benefit this computer but other recent MacBooks as well. The main features that set the M1 MacBooks and Intel MacBooks are the ability to download and use iPhone and iPad apps directly on the MacBook, allowing for a wider arrangement of apps to be accessed by the user. Additionally, every app, Intel or not, can be used on the M1 MacBook thanks to Rosetta 2, which essentially emulates older apps directly on the MacBook. That being said, it all depends on whether the App Developer would want to port the app to the new computers, however, this is subject to change very soon. Big Sur offers faster performance and battery health as well as makes the UI easier to use. Apple’s OS, in my opinion, is much better than Windows OS.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, the M1 MacBooks are fantastic and a sufficient upgrade to its predecessors. The M1 MacBook Pro starts at $1299.99, however, if that price is too expensive the M1 MacBook Air starts at $999.99 and offers almost all of the same features as the MacBook Pro. If you are looking for a brand new computer, I cannot recommend the M1 MacBooks enough. Thank you for reading my thoughts on the new MacBooks, and be on the lookout for more reviews soon!
by Saber Slate | Feb 11, 2020 | Opinion & Reviews
One of the websites that has been a staple of our childhood and our generation is Coolmath-games.com. To this day, me and many of my friends pass the time on this website if we have our work done and are bored. Today, I will be ranking my personal Top 5 Coolmath-games based on how memorable they are to me and how fun they are.
- IQ Ball
IQ Ball is a fun platformer where you play as a little purple creature who moves around by swinging like Spider-Man, and who doesn’t like Spider-Man? Now you can get to live your dreams within IQ Ball, where your goal is to grab the swirly target to beat the level. This game is memorable to me because I played this throughout the third and fourth grade trying to beat this game and seeing what my “IQ” was compared to my friends.
- Run 3
Run 3 is the third installment in the Run series. This time, there’s more levels, worlds, and characters, and even cutscenes. Although not as classic as the first two Run games, it’s still very fun to play during a slow day and find the different paths you can take. This game is memorable to me because of the memories I associate with the other two Run games- they took everything great and dialed it up in this installment.
- Parking Mania
Parking Mania is probably one of the first Coolmath Games I’ve ever played, and it will probably be the last one I play. The goal of this game is based on the title- your goal is to park the red car into a parking space. Pretty straightforward, if you ask me. But as you go on, you will have to execute expert-level parking maneuvers (including parallel parking) to get perfectly aligned into the parking spot. However, you must be careful- one hit to your car and you will have to start all the way at the beginning. This game is memorable to me because it’s probably the single reason why I passed my parking test.
- Papa’s Pizzeria series
Papa has many different games in the series, from a pizzeria to a sushiria. The goal of these games is straightforward- you need to manage your business, taking orders from people while simultaneously cooking the food, being a time management game. When I first played this game it was very overwhelming for my little mind to do all this stuff at once but as time went on I became better and better at this, forming better time management skills.
- Idle Breakout
I have a lot of favorites on Coolmath, but this one is probably my favorite newer one. The goal of the game is similar to Breakout, where your goal is to break as many bricks as possible to move to the next level. However, it’s called idle Breakout because you can just let the game run in the background while the balls earn money for you by breaking bricks. You can buy many different kinds of balls, each with different abilities. There’s also power-ups that are unlocked over time. As the game goes on, the bricks become harder and harder to break, and black colored bricks appear, which you can only break once you break all of the other bricks. There are also bosses you can fight to own bonus points for unlocking more skills. For a game with such a simple premise, it’s actually very complex as you progress from level to level. For example, I’ve been running the game in the background with the most powerful balls and I’ve made it to almost level 800 (the levels repeat themselves with more powerful bricks) and made millions of in-game dollars. It’s addicting to see each brick be whittled down each level. You also need to manage your money as well to get the right kind of upgrades for what you need. There are definitely better games to pick as my favorite, but I couldn’t think of anything else because this is one of the only ones I play anymore.
So, I hope you enjoyed my Top 5 Coolmath Game picks. Leave a comment down below if you think I missed a game that deserved a pick, or some honorable mentions you would like to see added to the article. Thank you for taking the time to read!
by Kush Bansal | Sep 23, 2019 | Opinion & Reviews
I don’t need to talk much about this movie. It’s the sequel to 2017’s It. It’s 3 hours long. It’s also double the budget. And it is one of my most disappointing movies of the year.
The plot: Defeated by members of the Losers’ Club, the evil clown Pennywise returns 27 years later to terrorize the town of Derry, Maine, once again. Now adults, childhood friends have long since gone their separate ways. But when people start disappearing, Mike Hanlon calls the others home for one final stand. Damaged by scars from the past, the united Losers must conquer their deepest fears to destroy the shape-shifting Pennywise — now more powerful than ever.
This movie was okay. The acting, however, was great. Bill Hader as Ritchie was hilarious as well as James McAvoy who brought his best in portraying the best version of Bill. The acting kept me riveted and interested throughout the film. The special effects (well most of them) were very good. The makeup for Pennywise was fantastic and brought chills when you saw him on screen. The music was fitting and overall cinematography and look of the movie was fitting for the setting and was excellent, and while the runtime was long, the pacing was well done.
My main issues with the movie were the adaptation from book to the screen — it focused too much on subplots that were not relevant to the overall plot of the movie. I do know that a 6-hour supercut of the movie will be released at some point, but I’m reviewing what we got, not what we will eventually get. Another issue was the fact that I was never scared throughout the movie and expected more thrills for a longer movie. Also, the lighting was atrocious in some scenes because the action set pieces, flashing lights and constant movement distracted me from the scene and it could potentially cause seizures for those with epilepsy. The reason why these aspects of the movie disappointed me is that I expected more from a longer runtime as well as the fact that It: Chapter 2 was a sequel to the far superior It. Still, not everything can be perfect and what we got was acceptable.
Overall, while I don’t think the movie is awful, I did expect more and was ultimately disappointed in the final product. I’m going to give It: Chapter 2 a B. Thank you for reading my review and be sure to be on the lookout for more coming soon.
by Kush Bansal | Mar 12, 2019 | Opinion & Reviews
It’s that time of the year, Marvel released a brand new movie. Yay. Going off of the new trend of female leads, they created a movie about Captain Marvel. Who is Captain Marvel? Let’s just say that she’s that one character in a video game that is overpowered, but never gets nerfed. All jokes aside, this movie has recently been getting lots of hate. Captain Marvel is pretty controversial to some, with some reviews on Rotten Tomatoes even protesting to boycott this movie. While some reviewers say that this is the weakest of the Marvel movies, I believe that this movie is enjoyable.
The action, dialogue, music, and most of the special effects were fantastic. From scene one, I was captivated, as the protagonist Captain Marvel, played by Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson, is wrapped as a mystery. As the movie proceeded, we get bits and pieces of who she is, as well as what really happened in an incident which causes her to lose her memory. The movie is also the set-up Avengers: Endgame which is coming out next month, and while this is done in a post-credits scene, it still flows very well.
The main flaws I have with Captain Marvel is that the movie could have been shorter by about 10 minutes, as nothing was done in that 10 minutes to progress the movie. Another issue was some of the CGI isn’t as good as I hoped it would be, which is an issue, as Marvel has million dollar assets to improve this. Finally, the main villain is slightly predictable, and Captain Marvel did not have the focus to create a compelling antagonist of the film. All that being said, I still really like this movie.
This is my final opinion on Captain Marvel and I am going to give it a B+. Thank you for reading my review and have a great day.
by Kush Bansal | Mar 2, 2019 | Opinion & Reviews
Netflix. Netflix. Netflix. Hm. Interesting. Killed Blockbuster. Brought streaming to all mobile devices. Has great shows like Friends and The Office. Canceled every Marvel show. Hm. But they did spend billions of dollars on original content. I mean, who wouldn’t want to watch Bird Box? The best movie of 2018?
No. No. No. This movie was subjectively and utterly terrible and a sin to mankind.
Bird Box is about Russian aliens who, when they look at you, make you commit suicide. Weird premise but okay. Sandra Bullock (who won an Oscar) is pregnant and goes around avoiding these monsters, and eventually seeks shelter at John Malkovich’s house. Then the alien gets in, kills everyone, and Sandra has to run. Will she survive?
I don’t know. I switched off the movie after an hour.
This movie was bland, unoriginal, and dull. Sure, it looked nice and all, but nothing made sense. It was too convenient and the acting was awful. Now, I’m only reviewing this movie because people told me to. And to that, I said, “Thanks guys, you really are amazing!” All sarcasm aside, I need to get better friends, and also, I need to give this movie an F.
I apologize for being so negative, but I hated this movie. All that being said, thank you for reading my article and I hope to see you next time.
