Arun K Ravindran

E3 2011 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) is here , and along with it, some very exciting announcements regarding the upcoming year in gaming. Typically, it’s only the Big 3 (Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo) who hold press conferences at the industries biggest show. However, this year they were joined by Electronic Arts and Ubisoft. They all presented new game trailers, game demos, and one even brought a new game system.

Microsoft

Microsofts major announcement this year was the unveiling of third party game developer support for their Kinect gaming peripheral. Developers such as Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Lionhead Studios, and LucasArts will all be releasing games that use the Kinect in new and interesting ways. Case in point, Kinect Star Wars, in which you play through the Star Wars universe as a Jedi, utilizing the Force and a lightsaber as you make your way through the game. The twist here is that “You are the controller”, meaning the player will have to stand in front of their TV, speak commands, and make lightsaber and Force motions throughout the game. Check out its trailer below:

Another great example of third party game developers jumping aboard the Kinect wagon was Ubisofts unveiling of the Kinect-enabled Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Players will be giving the game verbal commands and be making gun firing motions in order to progress. Ubisoft demo of this technology was excellent:

Additionally, Microsoft announced that it will be adding live TV and DVR functionality to the Xbox 360. These new features will be made possible by partnerships with leading cable operators, such as Cox Communications and ComCast in the United States. Microsoft will be releasing these new features as part of the Xbox 360 Fall 2011 Update, and it will allow you to control your television viewing via your voice and the Kinect. Simply say, “Xbox home” to get to the home screen, then “Xbox play Family Guy” and you will be watching the episode of Family that is currently on-air. Unfortunately, Microsoft was light on details regarding how this new TV system would work, but you will find out as soon as I do.

The future of the Xbox 360 seems to lie in the Kinect, which is why it is important that so many game developers will be supporting it and new functionality is being added to it. I personally plan on investing in the Kinect when more Kinect-enabled games make their way to store shelves.

Today at work, I was installing a new webcam on my boss’s computer. Simple enough. However, he has a corner-style desk, and I accidentally dropped the webcam behind the desk. Unfortunately, I could not simple pickup the webcam from under the desk, because the tabletop is situated on vertical wooden boards. So I was in a bit of a pickle. I didn’t have any long, slim reaching apparatus’ on hand, so I searched through my cable bin for something that could help me in this situation. I pulled out a VGA cable, which is notorious for getting snagged on cables. I used that annoyance to my advantage today. Using the VGA cable, I fished for the webcams USB cable behind the desk, and after a few tries, up it came! I’ve never really MacGyver’ed anything like that before, so I’m proud of myself!

Last night was a very historic night in terms of world history. It was a night that future generations will read about in their U.S and World History eBooks.On Sunday, May 1 2011, a small US task force found Osama Bin Laden in a mansion in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and after a firefight killed him and several members of his family. There are no words I can use to express how happy I am right now. The most evil man in mankind’s recent history has been shot in the head! Headshot! Ha!

Osama Bin Laden was, for two decade and three Presidential administrations, the face of terrorism and leader of Al-Qaeda. He was the man who orchestrated several attacks against the United States and its allies.  It took long enough, but he has finally been killed. Unfortunately, America’s War on Terror is far from over. Our next mission is to dismantle and destroy all remaining forms of Al-Qaeda. Bin Laden has several disciples working in remote parts of the world. Finding and destroying these organizations may prove to be even tougher than finding Osama himself.

In an address from the White House, President Barack Obama stated that “justice has been done,” in regards to the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Former President George W. Bush added, “No matter how long it takes, justice will be done,” regarding the future of Al-Qaeda.

Where were you when you heard this undoubtedly historic news? I was at home and received the news from @CNNBRK, when it was tweeted that Osama Bin Laden is Dead. I then immediately turned my TV onto CNN and saw Wolf Blitzer reporting this news, followed by President Obama’s address which officially confirmed it. A bunch of people had gathered outside the front gate of the White House to celebrate this momentous occasion. Others celebrated at Ground Zero in New York, and at the Mets-Phillies game in Philadelphia. This is a moment that none of us will soon forget.

The following is President Obama’s address on the death of Osama Bin Laden:

As a fan of the series, I truly loved each and every minute of Fast Five. It follows in the footsteps of the previous films by taking on the same fast paced film style that this series is known for. Once the action started, it didn’t stop until the end. What makes this installment different is that it brings back cast members from all of the previous movies in the series, and also adds a new element in the form of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. My favorite scene is the one that a lot of people consider the most ridiculous. The “vault scene” in which Dominic Torretto and Bryan O’Connor drive through Rio De Janeiro towing a giant safe  behind two 2011 Dodge Charger police cruisers, is just amazingly awesome to watch. As far as heists go, this is the most creative technique I have ever seen in a movie. On top of that, we get a balls to the wall fight, pitting The Rock (Special Agent Hobbs in this case) against Dominic Toretto! If you are a fan of the Fast and Furious series, Fast Five is a must see in theaters. Be sure to stay for the scene that plays after the initial batch of credits. It contains a surprise that sets up Fast Six.

For more information on Fast Five, check out its IMDB page: IMDB – Fast Five

You can also check out it’s previous below:

Sucker Punch, which was directed by Zack Snyder, is a science-fiction / fantasy film that is based on the story of a group of girls who are trying to break out of an insane asylum, which is actually is front for a whore house. I really enjoyed watching this movie because it had creative and inventive fighting sequences, and that is in addition to a cast of beautiful women wielding weapons. One woman in particular, Vanessa Hudgens, surprised me with how bad ass she could be. The rest of the cast, who were all new to me, did a fantastic job during the fighting scenes, which were my favorite parts of the movie since they were so fun to watch. It was also Zack Snyder’s unique visual style that made Sucker Punch even more enjoyable for me.

However, Sucker Punch has been receiving some mixed reviews. While a lot of people enjoyed the fighting scenes, they found the dialog in other scenes to be bland and uninteresting. I found this to be true as well, and would go so far as to say that this film would be better without these long, dialog-driven scenes. There were others who felt even the action sequences were not very fun or interesting to watch. I wholeheartedly disagree with this opinion, because these were the scenes that I enjoyed watching, and Sucker Punch has plenty of them.

While Sucker Punch is a fun movie to watch, I’d recommend renting it once its run in theaters has ended. This is a great movie to watch at home with friends and family around. However, I did not find it fun or interesting enough to justify the price of theater admission.

While you wait for its eventual DVD / Blu Ray release, check out its trailer below:

What would you do if someone offered you a pill that could unlock 100% of your brain power? That is the premise for the Bradley Cooper starred film, Limitless. In it, he plays Eddie Morra, an author who is struggling to even begin writing his book due to creative difficulties. His ex-brother-in-law then offers him a pill, known as NZXT, that can unlock the potential of his entire brain. Eddie pops the pill out of curiosity, and is suddenly able to learn and recall information much more easily and efficiently than ever before. It effectively made him limitless, albeit not without its drawbacks. If he ever stopped taking the pills, he would die.

Limitless is certainly a fun movie to watch. The plight of Eddie Morra, as a man who is struggling with his job, is one that a lot of people can relate to, and it aids in the believability of the aforementioned premise. The film then presents the viewer with the previously mentioned “what if” situation, and that is where it started to get interesting. Eddie Morra decided to use his newly discovered mental powers to build a powerful stock portfolio, and conflict (read: actions sequences) arises after he gets a large loan from the mafia. During these action scenes, the frame rate slows down and the viewer is shown all of Eddies available options based on his current predicament. Scenes like this were fun to watch, and it had me guessing which of these options he would take.

While there is a lot to like about Limitless, I did not feel as though it was worth the price of admission. One thing in particular that I didn’t like was the over used zoom effect. It was an interesting effect to use during the initial title sequence, however it annoyed me when I saw the same effect being used during the film itself. Additionally, this film did not seem to make great use of the big screen it was being projected on to. Simply put, the best way to view this movie would be on a TV at home.

If you are a Bradley Cooper fan, then I would suggest waiting to see Limitless until it is available to rent, since it is not worth the $11.50 I paid to see it. Until then, check out its trailer below:

Battle: Los Angeles is a modern day alien invasion movie. However, this film is unique in that its story is told strictly from the military’s point of view. The film begins 24 hours prior to the attacks, when mysterious meteor-like objects are seen in the skies over Los Angeles. However, these things aren’t falling like normal meteors, because they are decelerating before impact. The attacks begin when these alien objects start firing at and killing the people at Santa Monica Beach. The military soon comes to the realization that these aliens are trying to colonize Earth, because our planet is covered in liquid H2O, a very valuable resource. Unfortunately for us, the first step in a colonization is to wipe out the indigenous beings. In the ensuing battle, the American military uses all its strength and power to no avail. It seems as though the alien forces are unbeatable. That remains true until we discover and exploit their weaknesses. After that point, mankind’s victory is all but inevitable.

Some noticeable faces in the movie include Aaron Eckhart, who plays SSgt. Michael Nantz, Michelle Rodriguez, who plays TSgt. Elena Santos, and Bridget Moynahan, who plays a Veterinarian civilian. While they all played their parts well, I wouldn’t say that any of them had their best performance in Battle: Los Angeles. An example of this would be when SSgt. Michael Nantz gives a speech to rally his few remaining troops against the onslaught of alien invaders. This speech simply didn’t come out as powerfully as it should have. However, most of this movie is filled with non-stop action that is fun to watch. I personally enjoyed seeing the technology and weaponry the aliens used against our military. The grunts on the ground were covered in impenetrable armor. There were also airborne drones that used our radio signals to find and destroy us. This may be examples of technology that our real-life military may soon possess.

While Battle: Los Angeles was a fun movie to watch, I wouldn’t say it was worth the high price of theater admission. It’s actually a great movie to watch at home with family and friends, so I’d recommend waiting a few months until its available at RedBox kiosks or on Netflix to rent or stream.

Until then, you can check out it’s trailer below:

Screen Gems Studios has recently acquired the rights to produce a film based on Capcom’s popular demon-slaying franchise, Devil May Cry. Kyle Ward, a newcomer to the Hollywood screen writing scene, has been hired to pen the script, in which our hero Dante will be avenging his mothers death. Not much else is known at this point. As is well known, most movies based on video games suck. Movies such as Doom, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, and D.O.A all received horrible reviews. However, I have high hopes for the Devil May Cry movie, because Screen Gems is also the film studio behind the Resident Evil franchise, and those movies turned out really well. As a fan of the Devil May Cry franchise, I can only hope that Kyle Ward will base his version of Dante on the original, and not on the new emo-looking Dante in Ninja Theory’s upcoming reboot, DMC.

Drive Angry is a really fun movie to watch if you’re into grindhouse-style action flicks. What makes it even better is its use of 3D visuals. However, it does not have much of a story.

Nicolas Cage stars as Milton, a man who has broken out of hell and is seeking revenge against Jonah King, the man who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter. That is not much of a plot, but then again, you don’t see a movie like this for its story. You see it for its adrenaline-pumping actions scenes, and Drive Angry has plenty of them. My favorite scene, apart from the intense and climactic final battle scene, was when Milton gunned down a gang of Jonah Kings thugs in a hotel room, while still screwing a chick he met at the bar. Being a guy who loves hybrids, I really enjoyed this sex-and-gun-fight hybrid scene. This movie is filled with exciting scenes like that.

The 3D effects used in Drive Angry did well in enhancing my viewing experience. While these effects were a bit gimmicky, they seemed to fit well with this type of movie. Effects such as bullets and metal debris flying towards the audience made Drive Angry a bit more enjoyable.

Most movies released in 3D are not worth the $15 ticket price. I would, however, recommend seeing Driving Angry in 3D because the effects used really enhance the experience.

Check out this trailer for Toyota’s new FUN-Vii concept. Although this video is all types of ridiculous (in an awesome way), it certainly puts the concept back in concept car. Toyota envisions a future that puts the fun back into the driving experience. In the above video, Toyota shows us how we can customize the look and feel of our vehicles on the fly using our mobile devices, and how the car can drive itself by entering a designated “Auto-Pilot Lane.” My favorite part is the Cortana-like interface that interacts with the driver and shows him a map of his current route. I have no idea which parts of Toyota’s FUN-Vii concept will ever be seen in a production model, let alone when, but the video is certainly fun to watch. Check it out.

BMW had some exciting concepts on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show, including the Husqvarna E-Go concept electric motorbike. Currently, not much is know about this bike other than its 150lb weight. Check back here for more information as it is released.

Volvo’s Concept You is the automakers vision of their in-car entertainment and driver information systems. It consists of several touchscreens and panels that will give the interior of their future models a much simpler and cleaner look than those with lots of knobs and buttons. Basic driver information, such as speed and navigation, will be displayed on the screen that is behind the steering wheel. Additionally, the center console is nothing but an iPad-esque touchscreen that is used to control in-car entertainment and comfort levels (i.e air conditioning, seat warmers). A similar touchscreen is made available to rear seat passengers as well.

Amar Toor has more information and a video demonstration of Volvo’s Concept You over at Engadget:

Engadget

Fisker used their time at the Frankfurt Motor Show this year to unveil their second electric model, the Surf. As you can see, it is based on the Karma and adds rear seats and a hatch. Apart from its body design, the Surf is virtually identical to the Karma, meaning it is also capable of driving up to 250 miles on its gasoline engine, and 50 miles on its electric motor. The Fisker Surf is set to start its production run in mid-2012.

Tim Stevens has more information and a gallery of the Fisker Surf on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show over at Engadget:

Engadget

At this years Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW displayed their previously unveiled i8 and i3 concepts. The sporty looking i3 is a lightweight electric car that is made from a combination of carbon fiber and aluminum, and has a maximum range of 100 miles. The i8 is a speedy plug-in hybrid that is capable of a sub five second 0-60mph time, and is rated at 87 miles per gallon. Both the i3 and the i8 are currently concepts, but are set for a production run starting in 2013.

Head on over to Engadget, where Tim Stevens has a more information on these concepts and a gallery of them on the show floor.

Engadget

At this years Franfurt Motor Show, Croatian automaker Rimac Automobili unveiled a new type of car, the hypercar. A hypercar is what you get when a supercar just isn’t fast enough. The Concept One is powered by four electric motors which gives it a maximum speed of 1,088 HP, and a 0-60 mph time of just 2.8 seconds. It also has a maximum range of 375 miles per charge. Very impressive for an electric car.

Tim Stevens has more information on the car over at Engadget, including a gallery of it on display at the on-going Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany

Engadget

The Ford Evos concept is a first-of-its-kind cloud-connected electric car. It can use the cloud to recognize you, learn your driving habits and most frequented destinations, and even interact with other cloud-enabled devices. For example, if you are listening to Pandora at home, the Evos will recognize this and play the same station when you get in the car. That is just one of the feats of brawn this smart car will be capable of. Check out the video below for a more complete overview of what the Evos is capable of.

This mystical beast is powered by a plugin-hybrid drivetrain, but operates as an electric by storing and releasing electricity in its lithium-ion batteries. That is all that is know about it for now.

Update: It has been officially announced that the 2012 Fisker Karma will go on sale on March 21, 2011, starting at $95,000. Initial deliveries will go out to those on the reserve list. Starting in October, Fisker will produce 1,500 Karma’s per month, with a goal of producing 15,000 per year starting in 2012.

Original Post:

After test driving the Fisker Karma at the California Speedway in Fontana, Autoblog can be quoted as saying:

“The Fisker Karma is a rolling dream machine for anyone who wants something very different the works and drives exceptionally well”

Here’s what else Autoblog revealed about this electric dream machine:

• General:
  • 124.4 inch wheelbase
  • 22 inch wheels
  • 52.4 inch height
  • 20 kw battery
  • Twin 201 HP motors
  • 9.5 Gallon gas tank
• Stealth Mode:
  • 50 mile range
  • 95 mph in
  • 0-60 mph in 7.9 seconds
• Sport Mode:
  • 300 mile range (claimed)
  • 125 mph in Sport mode
  • 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds
  • 100+ mpg (claimed)

Check out Autoblog for more information on the 2012 Fisker Karma:

Autoblog – First Look: 2012 Fisker Karma

Rolls-Royce will be unveiling a new electric version of their popular Phantom model at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show. However, it will strictly be a concept at that point, meant only to gauge customer interest in an electric ultra-luxury vehicle. Complete technical specification will be known when the model is shown off at the show next month. Until then, the auto-maker has released this teaser video: