I’m late as usual, but better late than never!
I finally discovered Instagram for my iPhone 4 and how it makes it sooo easy to post good looking blog pics. I love it!
Instagram also helped me to discover Tumblr, a super easy way to post multimedia like pictures, videos and audio. Follow me on Tumblr!
Yes! Finally, easy access and purchasing of magazine issues and subscriptions on the iPad with Apple’s Newsstand. I’m not a fan of Zinio’s magazine store b/c they’re usually straight up conversions of the printed publication. Dedicated magazine apps work the best and I think the Newsstand will consolidate all of these specialized magazine apps into one place. It was hard searching the store to find out which magazines had their own apps. Problem solved!
Probably one of the best blog posts I’ve ever read b/c he described perfectly what is probably my favorite thing to do: The Roadtrip. I just came back from a boat cruise to Bermuda for my buddy’s wedding. Totally not the same as a car cruise! Too bad I can’t take a roadtrip to Bermuda!
Speedhunters – The Call of the Road Trip by Linhbergh
Photo Courtesy of Linhbergh from Speedhunters
Totally Worth the Dough is the Shift 2 Unleashed Legends Pack DLC.
Shift 2 Unleashed has become my favorite driving game ever. Well after tweaking some steering wheel settings for the PS3 Logitech Driving Force GT wheel. Go to the GTPlanet Shift Forums and set up your steering wheel as noted because the default settings are horrible.
Someday I will put together a review but I just wanted to proclaim it in this post that if you love racing games and want to understand what it feels like to drive a souped up racing car, Shift 2 Unleashed is at the top of the list. Better than Gran Turismo 5 in my opinion. GT5, while amazing as a driving simulator, sucks as a racing simulator. And it’s in-car view pales in comparison to Shift 2. Helmet Cam FTW!
Shift 2 Unleashed should claim itself as the “Racing Simulator”
And now the Legends Pack just made the game that much more awesome. For just $9.99 it comes with a bunch of classic racecars and 5 classic tracks. Worth the Dough for just $10. Get it! Get both Shift 2 and the Legends Pack. You won’t be disappointed.
Check out the Speedhunters post about the Legends Pack and for more pics.
Porsche!
Back in December, I wrote about a Magazine Store. And just yesterday Apple introduced it’s newest creation, the iPad. The hype leading up to it was that Apple would revolutionize printed media like books and magazines. So far the vision is there, but it is blurry at best and may take some time to develop. So far Apple has created an iBooks store for books to be added to the iPad, but nothing has been said yet about magazines (and comic books). But it’ll probably eventually happen. If it does, how great would it be if my magazine store had iPads instead of magazines? Well ClarkeHopkinsClarke visualized a wall full of iPads and I think this would be an excellent idea for my store! Their main vision was for the iPads to be like a replacement for mosaic tiles on an interior wall, but they also mention them as a great “life sized digital bookcase.” In this way, it would be a great display for my store. It’d be where the visitors to my store would pick up their iPad magazines to browse. Oh well just another idea floating around for now. 🙂
Rumors about the upcoming Apple Tablet are peaking since Apple’s revealing is less than a week away. January 27th, 2010 at 1pm ET is the big announcement when it is supposed to be revealed. Any details about the tablet are just rumors, and two of the biggest question marks of the device that could determine its success or failure are:
Well posted on gizmodo is an opinion piece of what the interface should be like. Click on the picture below to read the blog. It’s a great read because it runs through the progression of the evolution of the user interface from computers to the windows tablet to the iphone and then the upcoming tablet. And it makes total sense. Here are some selected quotes:
I’m going to Vegas tomorrow!
Check out this panoramic shot of the Vegas strip taken in 2009 (Click on the picture for the Full Panoramic)
Source: Dieselstation Forums and AnthonyMairPhoto.com
The Volkswagen Corrado has gained a cult following mainly because it is a great car that was limited in production in North America and the world. According to the Corrado Club Of America website (which is now defunct), in North America approximately 18,648 Corrado’s were sold between 1989 and 1995. Meanwhile, the US only sold the Corrado between 1990 and 1994 so there are even less in the States. The website also shows that my 1993 Corrado was 1 of only 2,111 sold in North America that year. Finally, worldwide production is said to have been a total of 97,521 from 1988 to 1995. In comparison, one of its chief competitors, the Acura Integra, sold approximately 262,285 units from 1990 to 1993. That’s more than double the number of Corrado’s produced in half the number of years!
The Corrado Database website was created a couple years ago and proves the Corrado’s cult like following. Separated by country, it is a great way to get an idea of how many Corrado enthusiasts are out there and where they are from. It is also a great way to see their Corrado’s and how well they have kept them. Most of them modify them but at the same time treat them like collector cars. Finally, it is one of the many great ways Corrado owners can connect. So far it shows 3,577 active members, including 442 US members. Not a huge number, but pretty cool nonetheless. I finally joined over the weekend as screenname RadoRage. Check it out.
My most anticipated new car coming out this year, the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. It’s the Cadillac Corrado! The only feature missing to its design are proper fender flares. But its performance more than makes up for it!
(Source: Autoblog)
Click here for GM’s CTS Coupe Website. And the following is GM’s Official Press Release:
Art And Science: Cadillac Premieres 2011 CTS-V Coupe
– New CTS Coupe design combines with V-Series performance
– 556-hp (415-kW) supercharged 6.2L V-8
– Six-speed manual or six-speed automatic with paddle shift control
– Magnetic Ride Control and Brembo brakes
– New Saffron interior trim accent color
– On sale in early summer
DETROIT – Cadillac today announced the 2011 CTS-V Coupe, which debuts at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It combines the new CTS Coupe’s dramatic design with the 556-horsepower (415-kW) supercharged V-8 engine from the CTS-V sedan. The result is a luxury sports coupe aimed at driving enthusiasts.
“The CTS-V Coupe marries our most potent and sophisticated technology with our most dramatic production design,” said Bryan Nesbitt, Cadillac general manager. “This combination of visual and technical attributes is designed to create a very compelling choice for luxury sports car consumers.”
The CTS-V Coupe begins production this summer. Its suite of technical and performance elements includes Magnetic Ride Control, racing-bred Brembo brakes and an available automatic transmission with paddle-shift control.
The V-Series Coupe includes a unique grille that doubles the car’s air intake volume, an important enabler for its high-performance capabilities. It is also visually identified by a raised center section of the hood that provides clearance for the supercharger, as well as specific front and rear fascias. Like the CTS Coupe, its exhaust is centered inside the rear fascia, but with unique twin outlets. The car rolls on 19-inch cast aluminum wheels, available in either painted or polished finishes, and Michelin Pilot Sport 2 performance tires.
The CTS-V Coupe’s rear track is nearly an inch wider than the CTS-V Sport Sedan, adding to the car’s aggressive stance and enabling an extra measure of handling capability. The current CTS-V Sport Sedan has quickly established itself among the world’s highest performing luxury sedans, becoming the first production four-door on street tires to break the legendary 8-minute barrier at Germany’s famed NĂĽrburgring. The new V-Series Coupe’s sleeker shape and slightly lower mass ensure a similarly high level of performance.
Inside, the 2+2 cabin combines performance and luxury. A new Saffron interior trim color is offered, with contrasting microfiber seat inserts and stitching on the upper trim areas.
Form follows function
The CTS-V Coupe’s design is a clear visual statement of the technical precision and performance intent of the car.
The Coupe has the same wheelbase as the CTS-V Sport Sedan, but its overall height is about two inches (51 mm) lower and its overall length is two inches (51 mm) shorter. The two models share only the instrument panel, console, headlamps, front fenders and grille.
Key design features include:
* Classic hardtop styling, with no conventional B-pillar
* Touch-pad operation for the doors removes the need for conventional door handles
* Faster windshield angle (62.3 degrees) and a nearly horizontal backglass enable an aerodynamic profile
* Signature vertical lighting, highlighted with LED light pipes
* Signature center high-mounted stop lamp functions as a rear spoiler
* Aerodynamic roof-mounted antenna for OnStar and XM Satellite Radio
Supercharged powertrain
The CTS-V Coupe employs the LSA 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine also found on the CTS-V Sport Sedan. Rated at 556 horsepower (415 kW) and 551 lb.-ft. of torque (747 Nm), it is the most powerful engine offered in Cadillac’s history and propels the CTS-V Coupe from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds.
The LSA engine features an intercooled Eaton supercharger system, premium aluminum-alloy cylinder heads and numerous details designed to ensure it makes its power as quietly and smoothly as possible. The supercharger, for example, has a unique, four-lobe rotor design that enhances quietness while also optimizing the performance parameters of the engine.
A pair of six-speed transmissions is offered in the CTS-V Coupe: a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual with a dual-disc clutch and a Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic with paddle-shift control. Performance Algorithm Shifting is part of the 6L90’s programming and provides a performance-oriented shift pattern during sustained high-performance driving. As with many Cadillac models, the driver needs only to slide the shifter into the manual “gate” to put the transmission into that more aggressive mode.
The paddle shift control requires no shift lever movement. Steering wheel thumb controls allow immediate and quick tap up/tap down gear selection.
Magnetic Ride Control
The V-Series reaches elite levels of road-holding performance, but also maintains the poise of a luxury car in “regular” driving conditions. The technical enabler of that dual-mode driving character is Cadillac’s landmark Magnetic Ride Control. It is standard on the CTS-V Coupe and is the world’s fastest-reacting suspension technology. It uses shocks controlled by advanced magneto-rheological technology, rather than mechanical valves, to greatly accelerate response time and precision.
Electronic sensors at all four wheels literally “read the road” every millisecond, making constant adjustments to damping to create virtually instantaneous and extremely precise control of body motions. This is of particular benefit for a high-performance car because it helps keep the car very composed during hard cornering, acceleration, braking and other dynamic maneuvers.
The Magnetic Ride shocks also enable a broader range of damping control to optimize the ride and handling for all driving conditions. In the CTS-V Coupe, an extra measure of control is offered, with two selectable modes (Tour and Sport), enabling the driver to tailor the suspension for grand touring or more spirited performance driving.
Braking and tire systems
CTS-V includes sophisticated braking and tire systems, in partnership with two companies renowned for high-performance technology: Brembo and Michelin. Brembo brakes are at all four corners and include powerful, six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear.
Slotted and vented rotors enable strong initial braking force while optimizing heat resistance and eliminating fade. The brake rotors from Brembo employ a “dual-cast” technology that combines cast iron and aluminum, resulting in excellent performance and weight reduction. CTS-V also includes an electric parking brake, enabling more legroom for the driver, key for high-performance driving.
Michelin partnered with Cadillac engineers to develop its acclaimed Pilot Sport PS2 summer tire for CTS-V and its exclusive 19-inch alloy wheels. The tires support high levels of grip in track conditions, while also affording good performance on the road.
Interior amenities
Recaro performance driving seats are optional in the CTS-V Coupe and provide excellent support for spirited driving. These 14-way adjustable performance seats include pneumatic bolster controls in the seat cushions and backrests.
The CTS-V Coupe also includes an exclusive new Saffron color option for the interior, providing a contrasting color accent carried on the seat inserts, as well as the stitching, which highlights the craftsmanship of the instrument panel, center console, door trim and seats.
The steering wheel, seat inserts and shifter are covered in microfiber, providing the luxurious character of suede without suede’s inherent drawbacks of difficult care and moisture sensitivity. These accents are standard, elegant to the touch and help support high-performance driving.
The car’s integrated center stack is trimmed in Obsidian black material that is also applied to the center console and door trim. Just like every CTS, the V-Series includes a hand-stitched instrument panel, door trim and center console. Leading-edge infotainment features extend to the V-Series. They include a 40-gigabyte hard drive, advanced navigation system with a deployable screen and Bose digital surround audio, as well as factory-installed Bluetooth phone integration, all standard features on the V-Series.
(Source: Cadillac)
My Worth The Dough postings have been opinions by me, the consumer, on whether a product is worth my hard-earned cash to purchase. Robert Capps of Wired Magazine discussed the corporate side in his recent article, “The Good Enough Revolution: When Cheap and Simple Is Just Fine.” He discusses the success of some simpler products to show why it’s not always WTD for companies like Sony and Canon to develop complex and expensive products. He even goes on to talk about other industries like the military and medical field and how the most advanced and full featured products and services aren’t always the best or most useful. I thought it was an interesting read so check it out!
Steve's Octane Blog 