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Under the hood: Digressions with the iPad mini (w/ LTE)

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Ah, the executive class. There’s nothing like a technopreneur toting an iPad mini as he strides down confidently to a business meeting. With the sophisticated wallpaper (that’s my crinoid squat lobster and it helps break the ice sometimes) masking the reveal of the huge bag of digital tricks, the iPad mini is ace for bringing just about anywhere.

What could I possibly have under the hood? My creds deck? A ton of other presentations? QuickOffice documents? Well. There’s that. But 80% of my iPad mini has ….

[brace yourselves]

GAMES!

As an owner of a PC, a Playstation Vita and a 2nd gen iPad, the iPad mini is becoming my go-to choice for portable gaming. I never expected cutting a few inches away from my 10″ 2nd gen tablet to make a huge difference. And we haven’t even started talking about LTE.

Ever since the big change in my lifestyle, gaming took a slight backseat — PC gaming that is. And for the most part, I find those 10-15 minute intervals while digesting lunch, commuting, or waiting inside an ante-room convenient for a quick round of games.

Quintet

I’m a huge Star Trek fan and Bridge Commander for the PC didn’t quite cut it for me. Quintet is living the dream of manning a station within a starship bridge and performing menial yet essential functions, that, coordinated with the rest of your friends makes for a very rewarding experience.

In this screenshot, I’m in engineering (have a look at the chat bubble at lower center) and having a ball!

Quintet = FREE

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Rebuild

Zombie Apocalypse meets SIM City. Sort of. In this turn based game, survivors set out to reclaim and rebuild a city that has been ravaged by the Infestation. As acting Mayor of the city, you can send survivors out to hunt zombies, gather food and supplies and reclaim territories while balancing the wavering morale and confidence of your constituents.

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Rebuild – USD $2.99

Warhammer Quest

If you’re a fan of X-Com (which is also out on iOS), Warhammer Quest is the definite turn-based strategy game built for the iPad. This game hails back from the cardboard era of board games and has been remastered into the digital age for iOS. I’ve clocked in a total of 20++ hours and all of these were from the stolen moments of 5 minutes a piece. Warhammer Quest is turn-based action at its best.

Warhammer Quest – USD $4.99

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War of the Zombie

I found out about this game from my cousin who, like me was a big X-Com and Syndicate fan. Yes, these were games from my high school years and some brilliant folk put these two nostalgic concepts together to bring the real time isometric battle elements of Syndicate with the top-down micromanagement of X-Com. It works brilliantly on the touch screen. Also, it has zombies.

War of the Zombie – USD $2.99

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Conclave

Not an app per se, Conclave is a turn-based dungeon sim that runs on really good HTML from your browser. So the way it works is friends get to take their turns to cast their moves on the board and you get sent an email when the round is over, signaling your turn at the board. It’s super fun and super convenient as it will literally take less than 2 minutes to make your move.

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A bunch of these games — like Conclave and Quintet rely on Internet to get things done so the fact that the iPad mini comes with LTE is a big deal. I’m able to get 25-40Mbps in places I frequent including BF Homes, Alabang, Makati CBD and many areas around Bonifacio Global City.

If you’re planning to make a switch to SMART, you might want to check out their current Infinity promos.

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Infinity Power Plan
The newest plan offered by Smart Infinity keeps you in control. Some of the highlights of the all-new Power Plan are the following:
– 12 months lock-in contract
– Unlimited calls and SMS to Smart and Sun
– Unlimited Data

smart infinity power plans

Smart Infinity users also get access to a number of VIP services through the Infinity VIP, with the following highlights:
– VIP Network Access: network prioritization for calls and data
– VIP Customer Service: 24/7 concierge, Infinity Management Officer, and VIP lane in dedicated Smart Stores
– VIP Rewards: premium lifestyle perks

To learn more, contact Smart Infinity
– Call: 0918-888-INFO(4636)
– Email: [email protected]
– Visit: www.smart.com.ph/infinity

By Jayvee Fernandez

Jayvee Fernandez is a tech enthusiast and sitting Techbology Editor for The Philippine STAR.

He is also an EAN certified SCUBA Diver and underwater photographer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. His photos and videos have appeared in various international and local publications including Random House Germany, Discovery Channel Canada, and CNN.

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