30 April 2009

BMW X1 Concept



I just found out about this interesting new SUV (or Crossover) from BMW. This might be the result of me being a huge BMW fan, but I really think this car looks nice. Two things I don't like though: Different colored skirt and bumper, and the rear headlights could do some tweaking.


You can check out the Concept's page [Here]


28 April 2009

Pontiac Done?



Is Pontiac really done? I just read in an article that GM will announce the end of the Pontiac Brand on Monday. Not big news for Kuwait, as we don't have Pontiacs, but the situation in the States doesn't seem to get any better, especially for GM. What next? The end of GMC? Now that will affect Kuwait a bit, as I know many people like GMC's vehicles. This might seem a little too "overstretched", but don't you think if some main automotive brands start relocating to the Middle East (where there's still a market) then we would benefit a lot from it? I think the Gulf countries should pounce on that idea and start to take advantage of it. (Although the idea seems to be a little to distant in my imagination). Who knows?

Update: WOW! I feel smart now ;p ... Qatar is eyeing Porsche now!! [Link]


27 April 2009

Sony Cybershot DSC HX1 - Review



Ok, so i've had the camera for a couple of days now and would like to share some thoughts about it. First off, let me tell you that all photos in this post are taken by the Intelligent Auto Scene Mode. Also, this review doesn't include any specs, as you can find these at Sony's official website. I got the camera from Sony Style store in Columbus, OH for $499.99 (Plus around $30 tax).

Ergonomics
I really like the design of the camera. The grip is very tight and comfortable. The nice thing about this mega-zoom, is it is actually smaller than you would expect. Now I'm not saying you can carry it in your pocket, but it is considerably smaller than regular mega-zooms and dSLR's.

Panoramic Mode
Now here is the interesting part. Panoramic mode is STUNNING. It is amazing. Unfortunately, its brilliance is hindered a little under low light conditions. None-the-less, this feature delivers stunning photos. I imagine taking panoramic photos in different stadiums and arenas. The photos will be breath-taking. Here is an example of a panoramic photo.

(Click on HERE for bigger view)

Zooming
Zooming is amazing on this camera. With the autofocus button (half shutter down), a 20x zoomed photo is as clear as a 4x zoomed photo. The zoom range is very long at 20x max. Really neat for a mega-zoom.

4x Zoom

12x Zoom

20x Zoom

Performance
I really like the speed of the HX1. It is very fast between shots. My only concern is that it takes around 3 seconds to start up once you open the camera. Other than that, it is very snappy. I'm not sure if it's because of the "mechanical shutter", but it's really done a good job. I always felt that speed between shots was an aspect Sony should work on, and thankfully they did.

Macro
Now I know that macro is a setting that is usually made manually, but I'm not a pro, and so I continued using the intelligent scene mode. The camera does take pretty good macro shots. You can also tweak the contrast so you would get excellent flower shots.



Overall, I would highly recommend this camera. I definitely like the Intelligent Scene mode, as it will automatically detect the type of shot and accommodate to the conditions in a split second in order to ensure that you take those fast shots before they're gone. I like the build of this camera. It feels rugged, yet comfortable in the hand. The mechanical shutter does deliver exceptional speed. HD Video mode, which I didn't cover, is as good as it sounds at 1080 HD. Minor things: Love the articulating screen on the back, package surprisingly doesn't come with a memory stick, optical view finder is a very nice touch.


Swine Flu



I recently heard about this Swine Flu from a friend. I "googled" it and found out that it's actually a developing story. It is only recently (and by recently I mean a few days ago) discovered in humans. The source of this flu is supposedly from occasional contact with pigs and being around them. It is currently detected in Mexico and now in Southern American states. Read more about the Swine Flu [Here].


25 April 2009

Finally!



I have finally purchased the Sony Cybershot DSC HX1. I'm currently fiddling with it, but so far I found out that it doesn't come with a memory stick. I got it from the Sony Style store for $499.99 (Plus $30 tax). More to come soon...

UPDATE:
Ok, so i've had some time to snap hundreds of shots, and so
 far I'm impressed. I only tried the panoramic function once, and it looked decent. Now the only problem I faced was with low lighting. It wasn't much of a problem, but I think I should take more time and try to shoot some more under low light. The only bad thing I can think of at the moment i
s the fact that a memory stick is not included with the camera. A little disappointing, I know, almost all electronics include at least a 256MB memory stick. So I had to pass buy Best Buy to get one. Anyways, the only thing I still didn't try yet is the HD movie mode. Here are some pictures that I've taken so far (Keep in mind that I'm not a pro, but suggestions as to how I could improve my photography skills are more than welcome).




22 April 2009

MP4-24 & M3



So what have I been up to? Well, let's just say I became a car freak suddenly. I used to have memorized all car models back when I was 12 years old, and for some reason, I'm back! The weird thing is, I never loved F1 racing, but now I do. I'm looking forward to watching some races on TV. I've decided to be a Mclaren guy, simply because of Lewis Hamilton. I think he is one of the best drivers. Plus I like their new car (the MP4-24) pictured below.

As far as street-legal cars go, I've been going crazy over the BMW, and especially the M's. The M3 is a beast. I could confidently say that I have watched every single video of an M3 on Youtube! I really want an M3!


13 April 2009

KAUST




I just found out about this university (which I believe is fairly new) in Saudi Arabia. I think this university has a pretty decent potential. The campus looks great (from photos). I got a flyer today at OSU which invites all students to admit to this university where they will receive a full scholarship for their studies here at OSU then get full coverage for their master's studies at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). I think this is really good for the gulf countries. Many good universities are opening up, and it's become an alternative to studying at foreign countries. I know many parents who don't allow their kids to study abroad, and they feel that their future has been destroyed because of the limited choices they have. Not anymore. I just hope a DECENT university opens up in Kuwait...


05 April 2009

Parks and Recreation



I'm really looking forward to this new show called "Parks and Recreation". The cast looks pretty good with Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones. Interestingly, this show is from the makers of The Office and SNL, so the potential in this show is pretty high. Hope it lives up to it. The series premiere is on April 9th.


29 March 2009

$799.77



I was looking for an alternative to the Cybershot HX1 (Just in case it gets really bad reviews once it is released) when I found this. Is Amazon really selling the Canon Powershot G9 for $799.77?! You can also see from the snapshot that the G10 is selling for $409.88. Weird.

On another note, if anyone has ever used/owned a Powershot G9 or G10, your comments are highly appreciated. Thanks!


26 March 2009

Hampton Inn on 35th St.



This is why I always like to choose Hampton Inn as my hotel wherever I go. I just came back from NYC (although it was fun, I must admit that NYC is not my type of city), where I stayed for 5 nights at Hampton Inn. Let me start by saying that the location is amazing. It is not right in the middle of the action (Times Square), but located precisely within a 5 minute walk. It had a very convenient location as we (me and my friend) were able to commute to and fro our hotel very easily to places like Times Square, Madison Square Garden, and Rockefeller. Now I must say that this is not your typical 5 or 4 star hotel. No. It's more of a 3.5 star hotel. The management and cleanliness, though, would earn 4 stars easily. The only difference is that some amenities aren't provided here that you would typically find in a Sheraton (such as a swimming pool). Nonetheless, this hotel provided free Wi-Fi, breakfast (which I never got to try), and a small gym room. Also I must note something that surprised me, which is that there was no fridge in our room for some reason. I highly recommend this hotel for people who want to be very close to the action, go easy on their wallets, and want a comfy stay.


21 March 2009

Miss March & I Love You, Man - Reviews



Ok, double posting time. I've watched pretty decent comedy movies as of late, so I only hope that these two movies are good too. Miss March was a very witty idea with a new plot. Basically, the guy gets into a coma the day he was supposed to get laid. The humor continues from that point on. It was a very good comedy film. I laughed so hard. I Love You, Man stars Rashida Jones from The Office. I didn't think she looked attractive on The Office, but she sure did in this movie. The laughs didn't stop in this movie either, although if I were to choose the better movie, it would be Miss March by a hair. Two very good movies, Must-Sees.


16 March 2009

Spring Break



While everyone is flooding to the beaches of the world for a crazy spring break, I decided to lay back a little. Ok, that was a lie (although I'm still not going to any beach). I still haven't decided what to do with my spring break, and it starts tomorrow for me! I already bought tickets for a Cavalier's (basketball) game in Cleveland, but that is like for 1 day. I would really like to drive to a nearby state, but I'm not feeling like researching stuff! I might just end up staying put in Columbus...

* Photo courtesy of MarsW. Check out her Flickr Page [Here].


Laish Il Tifilsif?



American's have their way of irritating everybody. I personally think that they are "falsafchiyeen" zyada 3an il lzoom. Allow me to clarify:

Why do you use feet when everyone else in the World uses meters?
Why do you use miles per hour when everyone else uses Kilometers per hour?
Why do you use pounds when everyone else uses Kilograms?
Why do you use the fahrenheit scale when everyone else uses the celsius scale?

Those are a couple of questions brought up by the fact that I just failed my Finals because of conversions between scales.


12 March 2009

Me Want!



This is meant to be. I lost my last point and shoot camera (Casio Exillim Z1000) around 3 months ago, and it's time to get a new one. Unfortunately, the HX-1 isn't available till late April. Still though, I think this camera has exactly what I want. I'm not a professional photographer, so I don't want a dSLR, yet I want something with stronger capabilities than a compact point and shoot. Along with Panorama and HD video recording capabilities, there is no reason for not getting this (except that its price is a little too much at $499).
April 29th, my calendar is marked.


10 March 2009

Safari Mystery



For the past two days, I haven't been able to use the internet because my computer won't let me. Everything was fine with the laptop, when suddenly it stopped letting me get on the internet. The connection was established with the router, and I have a wireless signal, but Safari itself won't open up the homepage. Somehow, miraculously, everything is back to normal, and I can connect to the internet. Weird...


08 March 2009

Watchmen (Verdict: Sucks Big Time)



I just watched one of the worst movies of the year (even possibly of all time). I wasn't even expecting much out of this movie, and it still sucked. It was very very bad. I wouldn't recommend watching it. A waste of time, really.


28 February 2009

Let It Rock



I just can't get this song out of my head! It is very good --> Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne.


27 February 2009

Joined The Masses



I know everyone pretty much knows everything about the ipod Touch (probably even have one). In this post, I am just going to blog my personal opinion and experience so far.

What I like: Huge touch screen - Fast and very intuitive web surfing - Youtube App - Other Apps (although I have yet to download any)

What I dislike: Back cover is fingerprint magnet - space between screen and outline on the edges.

Overall: I'm loving it! The web surfing is very quick and easy, plus I have yet to add apps (which i'm most psyched about). Oh, and this is my FIRST touch screen gadget :-)