Gadgets | November 24th, 2008 by Staggs
The world’s automobile enthusiasts (such as myself) have been waiting for an insurmountable amount of time for an official word about Porsche’s latest addition, the Panamera. The reason people have been talking about the car has been because of its unique four-door sedan style. People have been looking at disguised, spy shots of the car, only to judge it in either disgust or curiousity before Porsche had even gotten any words out.
Big. Rear. End. Not too pretty.
I personally had judged the car as being a complete waste of time for Porsche, and thought that the car wasn’t good looking with the odd, stretched 911 look, as well as its extra 2 doors (making it a sedan). Other looks at the car would have you notice its enlarged rear end… quite ugly! Until today, I had believed that the car wouldn’t last longer than a couple of looks and a lot of side speculation.
Where I went wrong was disbelieving in the legendary Porsche design, and making my judgement solely on looks. Remember the addage “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” This applies to the Porsche Panamera. Having been officially revealed to the world today in several automobile magazines and web sites, the car definitely looks like a worthy addition to the Porsche family. Given the high bar that Porsche holds as having the world’s best handling cars, and unmistakable style and brand, the Panamera can be no less than great.
For the gearheads: the Porsche Panamera will feature a healthy amount of horsepower, starting at 300hp for the 3.6-liter V6 base engine. Or, you can opt for the upgraded sport (S) version: a 4.8-liter V8 engine with an estimated 400hp. And lastly, the ballsy Turbo trim will feature a twin-turbocharged V8 capable of an upwards of 500hp (this is more my taste, yes). Porsche is even developing a V6-hybrid engine that may become an option for the Panamera.
While people are still iffy about the Panamera, it is still a Porsche and will likely be no less than what we would expect — exceptional handling and sporty luxury. Pricing for the Panamera has not yet been released. The car is set to be released sometime in the Summer of 2009. Porsche has set up an official teaser site at Porsche.com/Panamera. There is also an official video!
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Gadgets | November 20th, 2008 by Staggs
If you watch television you’ve probably seen the new Blackberry Storm commercials featuring the tactile touch screen feedback, and sleek phone design. The exciting iPhone competitor is definitely going to pack a punch this holiday season, so I’d suggest at taking a good look at the Blackberry Storm form Verizon service.
Since most touch phones are automatically called an iPhone competitor, the Blackberry Storm is no exception. The device will be held to the high bar that Apple had set with its feature-happy iPhone. Like the iPhone, the Storm has a full-screen display with touch-sensitive functions — there is no keyboard, you use your fingers to type by touching the screen.
Typically, touching the screen just presses a button, but the Blackberry Storm has a special feature called “SurePress” touch. SurePress is Research in Motion (RIM) technology that sends feedback to your fingers when you press a button on the screen. It emulates the feeling of there being an actual button instead of just a flat digital screen displaying a button. This technology would help users that feel like touch screens are insensitive to the human touch become more firm believers that the screen is actually working. This is the single most impressive feature about this phone. The button emulation will work with any button - it will just feel “right” playing with the touch sensitive screen.
Other features of the phone is its ability to be tethered to your laptop to use as an external modem. Although Verizon will charge monthly for this feature, if you’re the kind of person that is always on the go it is definitely something to appreciate. Moreso, the phone is capable of 3G network speed connection, so tethering the phone will be just like a real Internet connection, if slightly slower than what you’re used to.
Another great feature of the Blackberry is its data capabilities. Over the past years Blackberry’s have been the executive right hand, so to speak, taking care of schedules, documents, and emails on the go. They’ve been referred to as “Crackberrys” because of the way its users are addicted to having them around. Even the newly-elect president Barack Obama has a nasty case of the Crackberry; although sadly he will have to give his device up by orders of his presidential security (NYTimes.com article on Obama’s Blackberry situation).
The force behind Blackberry is that it is people’s on-the-go email, schedule, and literally an extended right hand. Check out official specs at Blackberry.com/BlackberryStorm and be sure to check it out in stores now.
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Excited about the New Xbox Experience? It will be ready for when you wake up tomorrow, or at 5am if you’ve been playing Nazi Zombies on Call of Duty all night long. The update will take a while, so be ready to sit and wait for it to finish. Get a big snack if you’re bored…
Features | November 17th, 2008 by Staggs
I had the privilege of sitting through this fine James Bond movie this weekend. Quantum of Solace is by far one of the best James Bond movies to date, having all of the features of the past movies with some interesting plot points and non-stop explosive action. I was in my seat, trying to figure out the mystery that had unfolded early in the movie, while the action kept me watching in awe.
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Gadgets | November 13th, 2008 by Staggs
I have always been interested in Netflix, but never had any reason to sign up, mainly because I didn’t like the idea of receiving rental DVDs through the mail. The service is fast, Netflix will ship out your DVD practically overnight and your requested movie will be in your mailbox in no time at all.
The problem I had with Netflix was that it still wasn’t as fast as some on-demand features that my cable company had been offering. Netflix you have to wait for your DVD, while with on-demand services you simply click your remote and a movie will start instantly with the same pause and rewind features of a regular DVD.
But that was a while ago. Now I am really starting to look at Netflix because of their increased amount of services that do allow instant movie watching for low monthly costs - lower than renting a movie through Cable! What has also got me excited for Netflix is their partnership with Microsoft and the addition of streaming high-definition movie rentals through the Xbox 360’s new Live experience coming on November 19th (I covered this a little bit).
Another added bonus is that you can also stream these movies through your browser on a laptop or desktop at home. Or, if you have a home theater setup, you can purchase one of their Netflix ready devices (list of them here) Basically, its any movie you want, anywhere at any time. Sounds great to me. Netflix is definitely a service to be taken seriously. Check out the site at Netflix.com.
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Entertainment | November 11th, 2008 by Staggs
Out now, Call of Duty: World at War, the latest first person shooter from Activision set in World War 2 is of leet status. Check out the trailer if you haven’t already:
The game pits you in some drastically different settings, and the game’s scale is much improved over the previous Call of Duty title, Modern Warfare, where the levels were small and less immense. You’ll play alongside comrades and take on tasks such as sniping, destroying tanks, and even using a flamethrower (seriously, who doesn’t love a flamethrower?) to take down your enemies.
Get this game, you’ll want it for your collection! More information is available at the official web site: CallofDuty.com/CoDWW.
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Features | November 10th, 2008 by Staggs
I was slightly disturbed today by a CBS 60-Minutes article (view it here) on electronic waste. The waste has been piling up for years as people go through hundreds of gadgets throughout their lifetime, recycling the older ones. Gadgets such as cell phones, computer monitors and televisions, CPUs, desktop keyboards and mice, and just about anything else you can think of are all making their way to be “recycled.” Here are some facts from the article:
- 130,000 computers thrown out every day in the US
- 100 million cell phones
- 20-50 million tons of waste every year globally
The numbers are astounding, but what bothers me is that people that do recycle computers hoping they are doing a good deed do not know what happens to their waste once it leaves their hands. What is actually happening in most recycling places is that tons of waste is being shipped to be imported into other countries around the world. There, the waste is broken down simply for the precious metals that are used to make the gadgets in the first place.
Hong Kong, China, is one among the main e-waste importers is stockpiling acres and acres of computer monitors. There, workers are paid $8 a day to “recycle” the materials, and breath in toxic materials by doing so. Check out the full story at CBSNews.com.
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Entertainment | November 6th, 2008 by Staggs
Everyone loved using the chainsaw in Gears 1 to crack through skulls and dismember bodies left and right, and now Gears of War 2 has some more to offer. Furthering the story from the first Gears game, Gears 2 goes more in depth with the main character, Marcus Fenix, and the Delta Squad that fights along side of him.
The storyline of the game is much more important than it was in the first game and the addition of new characters and conflict with Dom being forced into finding his wife who had fled during a Locust horde invasion. The constant battle is taking its toll on the fellow COGs.
Gears of War 2 comes out tomorrow, November 7th. You can even be one of the first to get the game at midnight at your local Gamestop store; make sure the store is even having a midnight release of the game before you wait there for hours… alone…
For more information check out the official web site at Gearsofwar.Xbox.com. Yummy.
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Today is the United States Presidential Election, and I would like to urge everyone that can to please go out and vote. By voting you show your involvement in your own country and exercise your guaranteed rights as an American. You can follow vote reports on Twitter, check it out now.
Gadgets | November 3rd, 2008 by Staggs
Not only are we excited that HP understands the idea of having a laptop to be portable, we are excited that they are doing it a little better than Apple (we’re talking about the Macbook Air here), and a ton better than Sony in comparison to the freakishly huge Sony Vaio we featured.
The HP Mini 1000 will feature a 8.9-inch screen, which is small enough that it makes the laptop fit pretty much anywhere, and is large enough that you have a nice desktop to work with and you won’t be squinting as you would if it were a small smart phone.
If you follow trends at all, this notebook is officially classified as a “netbook,” a smaller-type laptop which its main capability is to access the Internet and hold your important documents along with you. Netbooks are the ultra-portable category of laptops.
Adding to the Mini 1000’s ultra-portable status is its 2.25lbs weight. The Apple Macbook Air is about 3lbs, slightly heavier. The average [reading] book is 1.5lbs, and an average portable laptop is still around 4lbs. The Mini 1000 is one of the lightest laptops we’ve heard of. There are different types of laptops, however, we believe a laptop’s function is to have the ability to be carried comfortably; an 8lb laptop and carry case will definitely bruise your shoulder after even just a little bit of usage.
The real kicker to the HP Mini 1000 is that it’s dirt cheap: it has a price tag of $399 for a basic configuration. The top-end model is $549.99, still very cheap for a mini computer. If you’re looking for a laptop that will go with you from point A to B with the ultimate portability, this will be the pick for you.
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