All posts by Saro

Stuff I Can’t Wait to See in 2008

Cars, Technology, , , , ,

Every year, I’ll compile a list of gadgets that I’d like to see (and of course, have) for fun. This year’s toys are as follows.

BMW M3 E90 Sedan

BMW M3 E90

I have always been a fan of BMWs, and even a bigger fan of the popular M series. After a year and a half of hiatus, BMW unveiled and released the new M3 last September. They threw out the V6 and replaced it with a lighter V8, giving 420 horses (just 80 shy from the M5s). The car has been fully revamped, with a nice new carbon-fiber hood to make the car lighter and more maneuverable. The hottest aspect of this year’s release is the fact that a four-door sedan will be available (the E90, as compared to the E92 coupe). I have always preferred sedans for the reason that I don’t have to get out of the car numerous times to let passengers in the backseat in and out. While the Europeans have had the new M3 available for quite some time, us North Americans have been left out in the cold, waiting for an American release to come by. Supposedly the car will be released this spring 2008. Even though I can’t afford this bad-boy yet, it’s on my list for kicks.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

Goodbye iPhone, hello X1. This beauty was recently announced by Sony Ericsson (February 10th) and will hopefully arrive in the second quarter of 2008. The X1 is loaded with features: quad-band, touch-screen, 3G, QWERTY keyboard, WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth, GPS receiver, 3.15MP camera and a 800 x 480 pixels 3 inch TFT screen. The kicker? It runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional instead of Symbian. I was on the verge of buying an iPhone until I saw this puppy get announced last month. I always wanted a PDA with a keyboard and mobile phone that was an all-in-one device. The HTC Touch was a candidate, but didn’t like its style that much (plus, the screen was too small…). The iPhone was a good choice, but I didn’t want to meddle with jailbreaks and other various hacks to get it running since my carrier (Rogers) is not distributing them yet. Regardless, I’m glad the XPERIA X1 will not be delayed as previously rumoured. I know the phone will be upwards 600$ when it first comes out, but I’m hellbent on getting one either way.

Duke Nukem Forever 2007 Trailer Shot

Duke Nukem Forever

I wish there was an easy answer as to why this game has been delayed for the past 11 years, as it has been the sad joke for many gamers out there. Duke Nukem Forever was announced in 1997 and has been under development since, or something like that. Supposedly the game has gone under several engine changes to keep up to date with technology, as noted in the three different trailers that were released over the years. The latest teaser trailer is pretty decent, and it gives its loyal fans some support in hanging in there for a bit longer. The original Duke Nukem 3D has always been a favourite of mine since I first played it back in the day. I’m worried that, by the time DNF comes out, I’ll be over computer games entirely and won’t have any desire to play it no more. Let’s hope, for 3D Realms sake, that the game actually gets released this year, or else I’ll finally put this game to rest and move on. One thing that always cracks me up is the Wired’s Vaporware Awards: the game has gotten a lifetime achievement award.

Justice – DVNO

Music, , , , , ,

I was looking for a specific song today, heard in the Hitman (2007) movie when Agent 47 walks into Udre Belicoff’s lair (filled with weapons, illicit substances and hookers… sounds like my kind of party :)). It sounded like it was made in the 70’s and 80’s, filled with electro beats and a somewhat high-pitched voice singing whatever (you can’t really make out the lyrics that well). The song is called DVNO and it’s by the artist Justice. The lyrics that you may hear in the background are “DVNO, four capital letters, printed in gold”. It’s quite a catchy beat and it suits that one movie scene very well. The full lyrics are as follows:

It’s always the same
always ashamed of sory telling
When I can’t come in
To a hopeless troglodyte
But one more time
my answer stands
I swear I mean no offense
But you better learn to read
it’s all ’bout membership

Hey, all the young and old
Ugly girls and boys
I put you on my list
And make you clap to this
But man it’s just an ego trip
And only one can win
And soon you’re saying different

[Chorus x2]
D V N O
Four capital letters
Printed in gold
‘Cause details make the girls sweat even more
while they’re shaking their belt
No need to ask my name
to figure out how cool I am

[Refrain x2]
Can anyone read, anyone feel
That I’m losing my patience
I just came here to bounce
Ladies are all waxed
They all now I’m coming
I’m losing my patience
I just came here to bounce

[Chorus x2]

[Refrain]

[Chorus]

Here’s the music video if anyone’s interested in knowing what the song is.
 

Powertec Power Rack System Review – Final Thoughts

Reviews and Rants, Training, , , , ,

It has been exactly a month since I last spoke about the Powertec Power Rack System, so it’s time for a quick final take on it. I have been training with it exclusively and love it to death. The whole thing is very sold, and I bumped into it a few times with the plates and bars… not a scratch has surfaced. I haven’t been able to use the lat attachments yet because of the low ceiling height, but I should have a summary of it in two or three months (when I move my setup to the garage). I have been squatting, benching (flat and incline), dead-lifting and power-cleaning for a month and I have no complaints whatsoever. The bench is sturdy and highly adjustable, and it hasn’t failed on me yet. I have done a few dips with the power rack and the thing doesn’t budge with my weight (all 180 lbs of me :)). Yep, this thing is strong and durable, and I’m confident it’s going to last me a long, long time. Since I got it, I have always looked forward to going home and lifting some weights. Damn fine rack.

Nine Inch Nails Ghosts I-IV (HALO 26) Review

Music, Reviews and Rants, , , , ,

March 3rd was going to be another regular day until I heard that Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails released a new compilation/series: Ghosts (also known as HALO 26). The big news, however, was that he released the first volume (I) for free, in high quality DRM-free MP3 files under a Creative Commons license (free to share but not to sell). Reznor finally freed himself from Interscope records after delivering his last album, Year Zero (along with the final contract album, Year Zero Remixed). Mind you, Year Zero wasn’t his greatest work… totally unoriginal and boring. Actually, I think it was his worst work to date. But I guess now I understand why it was that way: he was simply obligated to fill out his contract terms with the label. I read that Reznor was pretty much tired of being screwed over by big record companies, especially when said companies screwed with his loyal fans. There’s a YouTube video of NIN at a concert in Australia, with Trent Reznor telling his fans to pirate his albums because of the over-inflated prices.

I was pretty happy to find out that Ghosts was an instrumental-only series, as I have always been a fan of The Fragile‘s melodic vocal-free tracks (La Mer, Just Like You Imagined, Pilgrimage, etc.). I decided to try out the first album before purchasing the rest. On the topic of prices, all four volumes (I to IV) are 5$ for a download-able version (in either FLAC or MP3), 10$ for a two-disc version with a 16 page booklet and PDF, 75$ for the Deluxe Edition (2 CDs, 1 Data DVD with MP3s/FLACs, 1 Blu-Ray slideshow disc, booklet and 40 page print-book with accompanying images for every track) and a Limited Edition set that has everything the Deluxe Edition has with pressed vinyls for audiophiles. The Limited Edition is 300$ and limited to 2,500 releases. Supposedly, the latter edition got sold out within hours of its announcement. The people who plan on selling the Limited Edition are bound to make some killer profits off eBay.

After downloading the first volume from a fast server, a listen through all 9 tracks made my decision right there and then. I immediately fell in love with Ghosts. So, to show my support, I purchased the two-disc version of Ghosts for a total of 23$ USD with shipping included. Because it was a pre-order (shipments only going through next month), I got offered to download the remainder of the volumes from the website via a one-time download URL. Since I wanted the best quality, I opted for the FLAC files (which I could convert to MP3 easily for the car). I have to say the remainder of the series was totally what I had expected, and I do not regret the purchase whatsoever. I must’ve listened the entire series over twenty times now and I still do not get bored. Ghosts starts from a light, warm-hearted piano solo to an industrial metal-grinding finish that makes you crave for more. Simply put, the volumes are highly original and every track has a different sound and “feel”. The tracks do not have any unique titles whatsoever – they’re just numbers (e.g. “24 Ghosts III”) and that goes for all 36 tracks. For the electronic/industrial/ambient music fans out there, this release is orgasmic. My favourite tracks have to be 9, 31 and 34. I would have to say that the majority of the songs from Ghosts feature that NIN ‘sound’ I have heard over the years from Reznor’s albums and I’m glad to hear them once again. It feels that HALO 26 is a sum of The Fragile, Still and a little bit of The Downward Spiral (in my opinion, anyway). From the soft, melodic piano pieces to the noisy, metal-bashing electronic guitar rifts, Ghosts has a song for every mood and is perfect for those late-night cruises around the neighbourhood.

I could go on and on detailing every track from the series, but I will let the listener decide whether this release is worthy or not. Reznor has definitely polished Ghosts and has given it the NIN feel we all truly love. Some fans might despise the instrumental-only aspect of this HALO, but I always thought a vocal-less song could give the listener the imagination needed to paint the “gaps” where vocals would otherwise be necessary. All in all, I have placed Ghosts among my all-time favourite albums to date, and definitely top 3 Nine Inch Nails releases. I can’t wait to see where Reznor will take this series next.

Nine Inch Nails Ghosts 400×400 - 4

Mazda Tribute 2008 Service Bulletin

Cars, , , , , , ,

For the past two months, I was experiencing a slight problem with my Tribute 2008: each time I was pumping gas on a cold winter day, the fuel would spew back even though the car’s tank was empty. Filling the tank up took roughly ten to fifteen minutes since I couldn’t press on the lever too long (or else gas would just gush out and spill on the side of the car). The engine warning light then came on after a month of having this problem. Having enough of the headaches, I finally brought my car to the dealership the other day to get it checked. I was worried that I was going to get blamed for this problem (and end up having to pay garage labour fees!). This wasn’t the case, however, after leaving my car at the dealership the entire day, I get a phone call with some news on the problem. Looks like there was a service bulletin out for my car, detailing this exact scenario. Below is an excerpt of this problem from the bulletin:

SERVICE BULLETIN: 0103407
NHTSA ITEM NUMBER:10022726
MFG Bulletin Date: 20070803
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Bulletin Summary: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A SLOW FUEL FILL CONCERN DURING WINTER/FREEZING CONDITIONS, OR A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0451 PRESENT. MAY BE CAUSED BY WATER/MOISTURE ENTERING THE FUEL FILLER VENT

The solution was to cut 13 inches off a certain fuel line to make it shorter and allow the gasoline to fill up the tank when the weather was cold. Basically, fuel pumping problem got fixed and I no longer have an annoying engine light on my dashboard. Also, my vehicle’s warranty covered the entire repair process. All I had to do was pay 10.00$ for the gasoline they pumped into my car to make sure the problem was solved. This is a heads up for all Tribute 2008 owners that might be experiencing these difficulties!