Saturday, January 17, 2015

Driving Music (What is the name of the song on car commercial?) Vol. 65



Report from AWACS:

Radar has detected presence of music thieves from our search radar. They're apparently aiming at their nearest DL sites due to the music's presence at a certain car commercial. The content is as follows:

audi a3 cabriolet commercial song

nissan innovation that excites commercial song
renault twingo advert song 2014

Apparently efforts of trying to decode these messages are far from complete and they've been given a "Matched Third Part Content" warning. Your mission, provide another set of 10 Driving Musics on this segment. This is a very dangerous mission but there's no other way to do it.

Launch!

10) Sexx Laws by Beck - Renault Twingo Advert Song 2014
9) 動く霊峰~勇者のためのマーチ~最終決戦 - from the Toyota Aqua X-URBAN Commercial
8) 冒険の旅 - Toyota Aqua 2014 Commercial
7) Rainy Days and Mondays by The Carpenters - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado "Theme Song" ad
6) Back in Black by AC/DC - 2015 Chevrolet Colorado "Theme Song" ad
5) Beware of the Dog by Jamelia - 2014 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Korean commercial
4) Boys & Girls by Sadistic Mika Band - 1989 Mazda Familia Japanese commercial
3) Here Comes The Wizard by LCTRISC - 2014 Skoda Fabia commercial
2) You Win Again by Bee Gees - Asia Rocsta Korean commercial
1) Place of Fire - The BONEZ - 2015 Nissan X-Trail commercial

Driving Music from Leopaul's Blog is the segment where solves every car enthusiasts' questions about the title of the song of car commercials...with the risk of MATCHED THIRD PARTY CONTENT on their status. Acknowledge or dispute, it's your choice.

Let's Do The News! (January 17, 2015)



Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- In Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, the San Miguel Beermen gained ahead against the Alaska Aces at the score of 93-88, in favor of the Beermen. The SMB is now 3-2 lead against the Aces.

- The Japanese Emperor and Empress attended a ceremony in Kobe, Japan, earlier to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Kobe earthquake, which is known to be one of the most tragic events in Japanese history.

- Japanese PM Shinzo Abe met up with Egyptian PM Ibrahim Mehlib in the hopes that he will boost the ties of the two nations at various levels. He arrived at the Egyptian capital Cairo on his first leg of his Middle East tour.

- Following the Belgian policemen shot down two members of a terrorist group and arrested 15 others on a raid across 12 locations related to a certain terrorist organization, Belgium began tightening security after debunking a large-scale terrorist plot. Authorities suspect members of the group planned to kill police officers on the street or at police stations. During the raid, four AK-47 rifles, pistols, ammo, and police uniforms were discovered, spreading fear of terrorist attacks in this European country.

- The US government announced that they will send several soldiers to train with the Syrian rebels in the continuing battle against the Islamic State. According to the Defense Department spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby, the training personnel will be sent to countries near Syria within the next 4-6 weeks.

- The Nissan Fuga Y51 will be getting a facelift this February and following what just happened on the latest-generation Nissan Skyline V37, the latest minor change on the Fuga, which is essentially a JDM version of the Infiniti Q70 (formerly the Infiniti M), will have Infiniti badges all over it while carrying a revised exterior design.

2015 Nissan Fuga

- BMW revealed the facelifted version of the second-generation 1-Series hatchback.

2016 BMW 1-Series

- McLaren is preparing an even more hardcore P1 GTR track car at this year's Geneva Motor Show.

- To celebrate the launch of Nick Jr.'s brand new show, Blaze and The Monster Machines, there is now an educational app available on iTunes which is based on the new Nick Jr. show. Blaze and The Monster Machines follows on the adventures of a monster truck named Blaze and his best pal AJ. It encourages preschoolers about science, technology, engineering, and math as they follow along with their new preschool show. In this app, preschoolers can build tracks and race around their built tracks as they learn about acceleration, trajectory, force, and other forms of STEM. It's now available at iTunes fo $3.99. Ask your parents first.

TTFN!!!

Pope Francis in PH - Part Two

Photo: Interaksyon/TV5

January 16, 2015

On the second day of Pope Francis' Philippine tour, the Filipino crowd's been gathered on the streets around the Malacanang Palace, the Manila Cathedral, the Mall of Asia Arena, to the Apostolic Nunciature, just to say hello to the Pope.

While he was there, the Pope made a surprise visit with the street children at the Blessed Charles de Foucauld shelter in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. He stayed there for a few minutes while watching the street children smiled because of his presence. They never knew he was that kind of friendly among the street children and he believes that "they are not garbage" when he look upon the underprivileged youth.

Although the Pope didn't mentioned about last week's terrorist attacks in Paris, France, mostly the Charlie Hebdo attack, he warned the public that even "free speech" has its limits to follow and that killing "in the name of God" is not just wrong but provoking other people's beliefs is also wrong.

"One cannot make war (or) kill in the name of one's own religion" he said. "...To kill in the name of God is an aberration."

In the midst of the imminent wrath of Typhoon Amang/Mekhala, Pope Francis also warned the public that humans are responsible for climate change. He doesn't know if human activities caused this phenomenon but to him, "it was man that slapped nature in the face." They claimed that the Pope used science to inform his opinions about climate change.

Further reading:




Friday, January 16, 2015

Pope Francis in PH - Part One

Image: AFP


January 15, 2015

After his trip to Sri Lanka, which is part of his Asian trip, Pope Francis arrived in the Philippines, a nation which is home to Asia's largest Catholic population. Millions of Filipinos have been gathered at the Villamor Airbase to meet up with the papal during his five day stay in the Philippines, although he was greeted with a gale blew away his papal skullcap but that didn't bothered his rapturous welcome to the Filipino public.

The Pope said that his encounter with the Filipino public was "very impressive, important and daunting".

The papal visit includes meetings, masses, and speeches in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, as well as his arrival in Tacloban, which was heavily hit by Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan two years ago.

When in Manila, Pope Francis prefers to have a lowered security stance just so he can get close to his Filipino followers, but that meant risking his life. The Popemobile he rode during his Manila leg is based on an Isuzu pickup popularized by Filipinos and it's an open-sided vehicle with no bulletproof means on it. On regular trips, he was chauffeured by a VW minivan while escorted by a police motorcade.

There has been a rumor about authorities caged street children to clean up before the papal visit but the Department of Social Welfare denied the report about street children caged in detention centers for the pope's visit as the government doesn't cage children and they play a role in the papal visit.

During the papal visit, PAGASA reports that Tropical Storm Amang/Mekkhala has gained strength and is expected to make landfall in the capital this Sunday, when the Pope plans an open-air mass for the Filipino public. The Filipinos are very defiant that they will brave the harsh conditions just to see the Pope during his stay.

If that wasn't enough, signal interference during the papal visit turned harsh, meaning social media during Pope Francis' stay in the Philippines is not like a walk in the park. That's because Globe Telecom and Smart Communications disrupted their services in accordance of the National Telecommunications Commission and they're working on this situation during the papal visit.

With the first day done, the Pope's looking forward during his four remaining days on his PH visit.

Further reading:
1) http://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-DISPATCHB-4261
2) http://www.interaksyon.com/article/103095/pope-on-pinoys--1st-encounter-was-very-impressive-important-and-daunting
3) http://abcnews.go.com/International/pope-francis-loses-hat-philippines-arrival/story?id=28240319

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Let's Do The News! (January 15, 2015)



Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- In Game 4 of the PBA Finals, the San Miguel Beermen leveled the score at two wins each against the Alaska Aces after the score of 88-70, in favor of the Beermen.

- Funerals have been held for four Charlie Hebdo cartoonists who were killed in last week's attacks by Islamists. Relatives and friends of the fallen cartoonists paid fast respects as well as a columnist and a policeman,

- Part of the US-Cuba ties, US citizens travelling to Cuba allowed bringing their credit cards and for US businesses to export some technologies. These are one of the new travel and trade rules between the US and Cuba that will take place on Friday, according to officials.

- The recently declassified 1965 Okinawa speech made 50 years ago by the late Japanese PM Eisaku Sato was revised under US demand to stress the important role of the Japanese island's important role and the region's security.

- Another trailer for the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron hits the web! Check it out!

 

- After months of rumors, it's finally official! The 720th Pokemon that will set to star on 2015's Pokemon XY movie is named Hoopa, the Mischief Pokemon and the title of the 2015 movie is 光輪(リング)の超魔神 フーパ. It's coming soon to ORAS as well! Yes, please!

光輪(リング)の超魔神 フーパ

- In addition, The Pokemon Company announced a free-to-play PokeToru (Pokemon Shuffle) 3DS downloadable game coming this February.

- The Top Gear presenters turned themselves into LEGO in this latest Season 22 trailer!



TTFN!!!

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Let's Do The News! (January 14, 2015)



Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- There has been a massive line of people in France who can't get their hands on the latest edition of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine featuring the Prophet Mohammad holding a placard saying"Je Suis Charlie". Over three million copies of this issue are printed, a week after the Paris attacks done by Islamic gunmen who killed eight journalists and four other people in the French capital.

- The Japanese government approved the 4.98 trillion yen budget for defence spending, despite long-maritime tensions with China. Gen Nakatani, the new defence minster, said this record-high defence budget is needed to deal with the nation's changing situation. The spending on the defence budget includes 20 maritime patrol aircraft, five crossover aircraft, and six stealth fighters. They're also planning to purchase 30 amphibious vehicles and an early-warning aircraft that can detect vessels and other aircraft within a long range.

- A new video came from the Islamic State militant group showcased a boy executing two men with a gun. The video released yesterday shows a man who claimed to be an IS fighter and a boy holding a gun, standing behind 2 defenseless men who turned out to be Russian spies. It seems that they're now using children as part of strengthen the aggressor group.

- The Communist Party-run newspaper reportedly detained nine ethnic Uygurs by Shanghai authorities who tried to escape the nation using fake Turkish passports. Not only that, two other Chinese and 10 Turkish nationals were reportedly detained two months ago and they're allegedly helped the Uygurs.

- A soldier from Nueva Ecija became a winner of a 160 million pesos jackpot price of the 6/49 lotto draw last January 11, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

- Bob Arum, the boss of Top Rank Promotions, said that Manny Pacquiao has agreed to terms to fight against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. this spring and the only way to keep this long-delayed fight happen is by Mayweather's approval.

- Good Smile Company unveiled a Max Factory 1/7 scale figure of Chitoge Kirisaki from Nisekoi! Arriving this June, this figure costs 10,926 Yen (before tax). Time to get our checkbooks ready.

Max Factory CHitoge Kirisaki

- Yet another Kancolle figure prepared for its sortie on the battlefield courtesy of Good Smile Company as Nendoroid Haruna is now ready for deployment this May for 4,630 Yen (before tax).

Nendoroid Haruna

- Meet the fastest SUV to lap the Nurburgring and no. It's no longer the upcoming Range Rover Sport SVR now. It's the facelifted version of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. Unveiled at the recent 2015 NAIAS, the improved Cayenne Turbo S sees an addition 20HP increase to its 4.8L twin-turbo V8 engine as well as its Dynamic Chassis Control. Such improvement had made the improved version lapped the Nurburgring in 7:59.74, quicker than the RR Sport SVR. This makes us super jealous to have one.

2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S


TTFN!!!

Ssangyong Tivoli

2015 Ssangyong Tivoli

This is Ssangyong's first all-new vehicle since its takeover by India's Mahindra & Mahindra four years ago and it's called the Tivoli. A crossover that took its name from a confectionary we remember when we were kids. Sounds sweet but is Ssangyong's compact SUV as sweeter as the confection where its name took it from? Uh...not quite as you imagine it.

The Tivoli is essentially a production version of two XIV concepts and it's built on the X100 platform. Although a concept turned reality, the design of the Tivoli looks questionable. On the front, it looks like an MG3 but on the back, the rear lamps are kinda like they took from the Jaguar XJ. Ssangyong wanted to be somewhat as European as the European compact crossovers but even if you get too far away, you will have fewer chances to know that it is a Ssangyong on the road and not an MG, unless you're wearing specs.

2015 Ssangyong Tivoli interior

2015 Ssangyong Tivoli interior

The interior of the Tivoli is not half bad considering everything that you expect from an everyday car is in order. There's seating for five, there's climate control, there's a steering wheel, and everything that a car should have is right here. There is a dial that can change into different colors at the touch of a button and that looks cool. It's like a miniature nightclub from your childhood toybox. And there's more because depending on the variant, the seats are heated and if you're on the chilly Seoul afternoon, you can turn the heated seats on so you can keep yourselves warmer.

The rear seats can be folded down for luggage purposes but sadly, being a compact car, the things you won't fit in are a king-sized mattress or a horizontally-shaped cabinet you bought from the thrift store. Still, it's good enough to store heaps of shopping bags on the go, though.

There was one downside on the inside and this sat-nav system feels more Made In China as those cheap gadgets made by companies you never heard of before. It kinda feels cheap, isn't it?

2015 Ssangyong Tivoli
The Tivoli is powered by an e-XGi160 1.6L engine that develops 126PS of power and 16kg-m of torque. That's a lot more than what you get from the Nissan Juke's 1.5L engine and there's more because while the Juke is available with the rather shoddy CVT gearbox, the Tivoli is mated with either a 6-speed manual gearbox (which is quite good) and a 6-speed automatic sourced from AISIN, a Japanese transmission company. Sadly, though, unlike the Juke, the Tivoli has a smaller fuel tank because while the Juke's tank carries 52 liters, the Tivoli carries 47 liters so...that's a downside for Ssangyong there.

In terms of driving experience, the Tivoli is beyond average. Not too good but not too bad. It even has three driving modes such as Comfort which make it softer, Normal for average, and Sport which makes the suspension firmed up to handle with precision. Sadly though, even in Sport mode, the Tivoli doesn't feel its sporty character at all. And there's another downside as well because despite being an SUV, the Tivoli is available only in front-wheel drive so you might be thinking why would Ssangyong make an SUV that is cheaper than the Korando C but offered only with a commoner drivetrain that we can't take it on a day to day use and only limited to urban driving? The whole story is still shrouded in mystery for the Tivoli though.

Should you buy one? The Tivoli is priced at 16,350,000 up to 23,470,000 Korean Won (around $15,000 to $21,500) so that's more reasonably priced than the Nissan Juke so it's somewhat of a bargain for first-time buyers.

Available Colors: Grand White, Silent Silver, Flaming Red, Dandy Blue, Space Grey, Ice Cap Blue, and Techno Grey.

Photo: Ssangyong Motor Company

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Let's Do The News! (January 13, 2015)



Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- This week's edition of Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine that was attacked by Islamic terrorists last week, will showcase a sketch depicting the Prophet Muhammad holding a "Je suis Charlie" sign while the words above the sketch are "All is forgiven".

- The cockpit voice recorder from the crashed AirAsia QZ8501 flight was finally recovered a day after the retrieval of the first piece of the black box flight recorder. With these two devices recovered from the crash site, they will now be able to find out what caused the disappearance of 162 people on board last month.

- Despite North Korea demanded Washington to cancel bilateral drills with South Korea planned for this year in exchange of halting nuclear tests, the US State Department says that they will not cancel their annual joint military exercise with South Korea. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said that the North's statement inappropriately links the routine exercises to the possibility of another nuclear test and an imminent threat.

- Reports told that the Popemobile will be prepared for the imminent arrival of Pope Francis in the Philippines on the 15th to 19th of January will be based on a popular Isuzu pickup truck and will be assembled by Gencars Inc. The Isuzu-based Popemobile will be reportedly be used by Pope Francis in the calamity-stricken Tacloban, while a jeepney-based Popemobile is said to be used for Manila visit.

Back in 1995, a defunct Philippine car company called Francisco Motors Corporation built a Popemobile based on the Anfra AUV during Blessed Pope John Paul II's visit to the Philippines.

- A trio of high-performance vehicles from Ford Motor Company was finally unveiled at the 2015 NAIAS. The 2017 Ford GT supercar, the 2016 Mustang GT350R, and the 2017 Ford SVT Raptor, are Ford's star cars that stole the crowd. The GT350R maybe a hardcore version of the GT350 Mustang with reduced weight and added dynamics while the new GT and new SVT Raptor are heavily armed with the most powerful EcoBoost V6 turbo engines to date. And it gets better because...

- ...following the announcement of the three new hi-po Ford vehicles, Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios announced Forza Motorsport 6 coming exclusively on the XBOX One console at late 2015. Not only these three became playable for the gaming public but the 2017 Ford GT became the hero car of the upcoming game that celebrates 10 years of Forza Motorsport history. The year 2015 will be the biggest year for the Forza franchise yet!

Forza Motorsport 6

- The production-version Honda/Acura NSX has finally unveiled at the 2015 NAIAS! It's about time the real deal showed up!

2016 Acura NSX

- The all-new, second-generation, Lincoln MKX, has been officially revealed during the 2015 NAIAS. Now ready to take on the world, the new MKX offers a sleek crossover design, high-tech features, and an advanced 2.7L EcoBoost turbo engine that develops more power than the 3.7L V6 engine offered on this new generation.

2016 Lincoln MKX

- Bentley officially announced that their upcoming SUV, due 2016, will be named Bentayga.

TTFN!!!

Kia Morning/Picanto Mk.II (2015 minor change)

2015 Kia Morning

The second-generation Kia Morning (Picanto to the world market) has been around for four years since its early 2011 debut and now, it has been given a minor facelift to keep it fresh for what's ahead for the second-generation model.

For this facelift, the updated second-generation model features a slightly revised front rear bumpers with new fog lights, refreshed signature grille, new alloy wheels, and that's about it. No further changes on its interior though. It still looks pretty much the same as the pre-facelifted one.

2015 Kia Morning interior

2015 Kia Morning interior

For the first time, the 2015 minor change Morning offers a turbocharged 1.0L 3-cylinder engine as well as a Bi-Fuel variant. The turbo model produces 106PS of power and 14kg-m of torque while mated exclusively with a CVT gearbox. Fuel economy is a shy 14.0km/L.

The 1.0L Bi-Fuel, on the other hand, is powered not just on petrol but on LPG as well. It retains the same 78PS power output as the regular 1.0L engine while mated with either a 4AT or 5MT but fuel economy figures can vary depending on the source of fuel it runs. Running on petrol, fuel economy may be about 15.8km/L but running on LPG alone will return about 13.2km/L of fuel economy.

Let's not forget that in the normal 1.0L 3-cylinder engine, the fuel economy is about 15.2km/L for the 4AT variant and 16.2km/L for the 5MT variant.

2015 Kia Morning

The 2015 minor change Kia Morning now starts at 9,500,000 up to 14,400,000 Korean Won, depending on the variant.

Available Colors: Galaxy Black, Bright Silver, Milky Beige, Original White, Titanium Silver, Alice Blue, Dazzling Blue, Celestial Blue, Signal Red, and Cherry Pink

Photo: Kia Motors

Monday, January 12, 2015

Mazda Carol (HB26S)

2015 Mazda Carol

Following with the launch of the eighth-generation Suzuki Alto, the Mazda equivalent known as the Carol is not left behind as it follows suit to the Alto's regeneration that led them to record-breaking fuel economy figures.

2015 Mazda Carol interior

2015 Mazda Carol interior


Set to launch this late January, the all-new Carol, mostly a borrowed version of the Suzuki Alto, follows a much traditional design fit for a budget-friendly car made for first-timers or those who got their driver's license for the first time. Although simple-looking for a mainstream car, its fuel economy stands out from the rest because the new Carol, like the new Alto, comes with the S-ENE-CHARGE system that assists the engine's acceleration with a motor by adopting the Integrated Starter Generator and a Li-ion battery that specifically made for this system. Coupled that with the R06A engine and the CVT gearbox and the result is a record-breaking fuel-economy of 37.0kmpl based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards.

2015 Mazda Carol

The cheapest version comes standard with the 5-speed manual gearbox which leads the entry-level version a simple fuel economy of around 27.2kmpl.

For those who want an all-rounder should choose the 4WD version which is capable when the roads are getting a bit slippery when wet but although mated exclusively with a CVT gearbox, fuel economy is dropped to 33.2km/L. That's a small price to pay but this version really takes the cake regardless of the weather, be it rainy or snowy.

Prices start from 847,800 to 1,123,200 Japanese Yen.

Available colors: Fizz Blue Pearl Metallic, Urban Brown Pearl Metallic, Pure Red, Silky Silver Metallic, Chiffon Ivory Metallic, Superior White, and Pearl White.

Photo: Mazda Motor Corporation

Let's Do The News! (January 12, 2015)



Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- Over three million people took part on a rally that stretches across the entire France following the brutal killings of 17 people during three days of Paris attacks; first the Charlie Hebdo attack, then policemen, and a kosher supermarket. The world's top leaders took part of it and it's not just France that took part of the rally but also Britain, USA, Canada, and Germany, among many other nations.

The three days of Paris attacks occurred on the 7th of January when two masked gunmen, identified as the Kouachi brothers Said and Cherif, attacked the Charlie Hebdo offices, killing 11 people including the magazine's editor. On the 8th of January, a lone gunman named Amedy Coulibaly killed a police officer and injured a man in the south of Paris while the Kouachi bros. robbed a service station near Villers-Cotterets in the Aisne region. And then, on the 9th of January, Coulibaly and the Kouachi bros. were shot dead by heavily armed policemen. Coulibaly was shot during the police raid at the kosher supermarket while the Kouachi bros. came out of the warehouse and were both shot dead during a crossfire against armed policemen.

- Following the Paris attacks, the US Government plans to hold an international conference set for the 18th of February to counter violent extremism and discussing ways on how to prevent civilians getting caught to terror attacks like the ones occurred in the French capital.

- Meanwhile, a German paper that ran Charlie Hebdo editorial sketches, called Hamburger Morgenpost, was firebombed last Sunday. The paper that reprinted sketches mocking the Prophet Mohammed from the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo was the target of an arson attack. No one's inside at the headquarters of the regional daily tabloid at the time of the attack, which caused light damage.

- Officials reported that Indonesian divers finally retrieved a black box flight recorder of the crashed AirAsia QZ8501 flight. Search and rescue officials said that they are still looking for the cockpit's voice recorder. With the retrieval of the flight recorder, investigations will be able to find out what caused the plane crash.

- In Game 3 of the PBA Finals, the Alaska Aces gained a 2-1 lead against the San Miguel Beermen after the score of 78-70, in favor of the Aces.

- The second-generation Chevrolet Volt PHEV was revealed with sleeker looks, new and efficient powertrain, and a brand new Regen on Demand feature which lets the drive control of energy regeneration via steering wheel paddles.

2016 Chevrolet Volt

- The Opel Cascada will arrive stateside as the Buick Cascada, which is set for its 2015 NAIAS debut and in stores early 2016.

2016 Buick Cascada

- Jaguar officially named their upcoming crossover, which is a production version of the CX-17 concept, as the F-Pace. It's set to be unveiled next year.

- Girl Meets World stars Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter will be starring in their own DCOMs. Rowan will star alongside Mighty Med's Paris Berelc in the DCOM tentatively titled Invisible Sister while Sabrina Carpenter will be working alongside actress Sofia Carson on a DCOM tentatively titled Further Adventures of Babysitting.

- For those who missed the 2015 Golden Globe Awards, here are the list of this year's winners:


  • Best Motion Picture, Drama - Boyhood
  • Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama - Eddie Redmayne from The Theory of Everything
  • Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama - Julianne Moore from Still Alice
  • Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy - The Grand Budapest Hotel
  • Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy - Michael Keaton from Birdman
  • Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama - Ruth Wilson from The Affair
  • Best Director - Motion Picture - Richard Linklater for Boyhood
  • Best Actor in a TV Series, Drama - Kevin Spacey from Netflix's House of Cards
  • Best TV Series, Drama - The Affair
  • Best Actress in a Mini-series or TV Movie - Maggie Gyllenhaal from The Honourable Woman
  • Best Foreign Language Film - Leviathan
  • Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy - Jeffrey Tambor from Transparent
  • Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture - Patricia Arquette from Boyhood
  • Best Animated Feature Film - How to Train Your Dragon 2
  • Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy - Amy Adams from Big Eyes.
  • Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie - Matt Bomer from The Normal Heart
  • Best Original Song - Motion Picture - Glory from Selma
  • Best Original Score - Motion Picture Johann Johannsson for The Theory of Everything
  • Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy - Transparent
  • Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical, or Comedy - Gina Rodriguez from Jane the Virgin
  • Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical, or Comedy - Billy Bob Thornton from Fargo
  • Best TV Movie or Mini-Series - Fargo
  • Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie - Joann Froggatt from Downton Abbey
  • Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture - J.K. Simmons from Whiplash
TTFN!!!

Forza Horizon 2: Nissan's IDx NISMO Concept

idx (4)

So this is what "First in Forza" really means on the recently-launched G-SHOCK Car Pack for the Forza Horizon 2 XBOX One game and the arrival of one of Nissan's coolest concept cars really sizzled me to bits. Although it looks a bit boxy and small, the IDx NISMO Concept tries to trace the legendary 510's footsteps in a whole new way.

idx (5)

This experimental sports car concept was premiered at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show and it was based on the IDx Freeflow concept. It was designed entirely by young people who spent their time playing racing games that features cars of the past and from all corners of the globe. They used the legendary Datsun Bluebird 510 as an inspiration to create a modern-day interpretation of a legend.

The design of the IDx NISMO is purely race-inspired inside and out and as proposed, the iDX NISMO is powered by a high-performance, eco-friendly 1.6L DIG TURBO engine mated with a CVT gearbox with 6-speed manual model.

I know it's a bit odd why we had a car mated with a CVT gearbox but on this game, it doesn't feel CVT-ish and by being true to the proposals, the CVT's 6-speed manual mode kicks in. Six simulated gears. That's right. You can really shift this thing with a bit of drama for later but despite the questionable gearbox on a concept car that appeared for the first time on Forza Horizon 2, it feels fantastic to drive for an experimental vehicle.

idx (2)

I was given an opportunity to try one out on a monthly rivals event made specifically for this car. On that monthly rivals event demonstrates the full nature of the IDx NISMO. So I took part on it to find out just how good this concept car is...




idx (3)

It's no surprising for a small car like this, the IDx NISMO Concept really fares well in terms of speed and agility. Although trying to mimic the progress of the legendary Datsun 510, this car never fails to impress me no matter what and I'm actually rather fond of it even though I'm not a fan of concept cars.

idx

The IDx NISMO Concept is part of the G-SHOCK Car Pack on the Forza Horizon 2 XBOX One game and if you want to try out Nissan's coolest concept car, don't hesitate to do it.

The Sherlock Seattle 2015

Sherlock Seattle 2015

 The Broadway Performance Hall, which is just near my former school Seattle Central College (formerly Seattle Central Community College), recently held an annual Sherlock Seattle Convention for those so-called Baker Street Irregulars to share their love for all things Sherlock Holmes. It runs for three days from the 9th to the 11th of January, 2015 and over the duration, Sherlockians are spending the rest of the day discovering all things Sherlock Holmes regardless of any kind of media they'll put this famed and fictitious master detective on. They even took part on any fun and games this year's convention can throw at them as long as they got their inner Sherlock Holmes or Dr. John Watson on.

To them, the so-called irregulars of 221B Baker Street, THE GAME IS ON!


Sherlock Seattle 2015Sherlock Seattle 2015Sherlock Seattle 2015Sherlock Seattle 2015Sherlock Seattle 2015Sherlock Seattle 2015Sherlock Seattle 2015

More photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/leopauldelr/sets/72157647911172713/

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Forza Horizon 2: The Toyota 86

86

The Toyota 86 has been with us since its 2012 debut worldwide and as time goes by, Japan's budget sportscar really proves that a good sportscar doesn't need a lot of power to get you going. Even though it's not one of the fastest cars ever made, its handling style is top notch, even a rookie can handle like a pro at ease, It feels well balanced thanks to its low center of gravity provided by its 2.0L boxer engine developed jointly with Subaru, and because it's a rear-wheel drive car, you can have as much fun as you want.

I decided to show how fun the 86 is by signing in a championship suitable for the 86 and I made some improvements to my 86 to become fully competitive for the championship it was signed to take on.

86_1

This fantasy livery made for my 86 was my idea and although the power remains unchanged on my improved 86, I decided to trim down some of its weight so it can corner better and faster as well but since this is Horizon, I can have as much fun as I want while racing my way to 1st place. Roll VTR...



With my 86 accomplished the Track Toys championship, it was time for me and my 86 to pack up our stuff and heading back through Nice Massena for a road trip as our journey to the finale continues.