Honda bids CR-Z farewell with final special edition

Launched in 2010, Honda's CR-Z should have been known as proper hybrid sportscar for the discerning enthusiasts because of being the first hybrid car to be mated with a manual gearbox. Such uniqueness led the CR-Z won its Japan Car of the Year on the year when it was launched.

Six years from now and here we are, Honda annouced that production of the CR-Z hybrid hatchback has come to an end but they're not leaving out without a sendoff because the final edition, called the CR-Z Final Label, has launched.

Priced at 2,800,000 Japanes Yen, the Final Label CR-Z features special equipment including front seats that has the words "CR-Z Final Label" on it, specially-designed 17-inch wheels, and a special "CR-Z Final Label" plate mounted below the gear lever, among many other extras.

Still comes with the same 1.5L hybrid powerplant and its available transmissions include a 6-speed manual or a CVT.

What a way to say goodbye to Honda's rather unique hybrid hatchback that was quite a ride for some speedo boys.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: The Supreme People's Assembly meeting

North Korea will hold a meeting of its Supreme People's Assembly on the 29th of June to carry out follow-up measures to last May's Workers' Party Congress.

The Supreme People's Assembly is the highest branch of state power in North Korea that establishes basic principles for domestic and foreign policies. The meeting is expected to carry out additional personnel reshuffles and lay out plans of North Korea's nuclear and economic policies.

There's speculation North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will change his current title as first Chairman of the National Defense Committee. Kim was declared Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea during the congress.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News! (June 9, 2016)

- Despite losing his presidential bid, outgoing Philippine vice president Jejomar Binay is not turning back on politics just yet. Instead, Binay plans to strengthen his political party, the United Nationalist Alliance, especially that a lot of its local candidates have won in the recent elections.

- Senator Tito Sotto released the initial list of Committee chairmanship in the Senate for the 17th Congress. Sotto said that Senator Gringo Honasan will be holding the Senate Committee on Defense, while Ping Lacson will head the Public Order, Senator Nancy Binay will be the Tourism Committee chairperson, among many others.

- The military and police have added reinforcements as they run against the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu as the terrorists continue to hold other hostages. The government is doing everything to make sure that it will be able to save the hostages of the ASG amid the deadline given by the terrorist organization on June 13, Monday.

- Vote counting on the Peruvian Presidential elections is still ongoing. The race between former Prime Minister Pedro Kuczynski and Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, is too tight to call. Latest tallies show Kuczynski leads with 50.11 percent of the votes while Fujimori wins 49.89 percent of the votes.

- Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova was suspended by the International Tennis Federation for two years for violating anti-doping rules. Sharapova says she will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sports.

- In Game 3 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Cleveland Cavaliers scored their first win of the match after defeating Golden State Warriors at the score of 120-90.

- Ryeowook from the K-POP boy band Super Junior said he will postpone his supposed military enlistment on June 14 due to overseas schedules and sudden changes to the management of the team.

- The Ford Fusion midsize saloon added a new Sport variant, packed with 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engine producing a class-leading 325HP of power and 380lb-ft of torque, mated with a 6-speed automatic.

2017 Ford Fusion Sport

- Last month, Suzuki Motor Corporation admitted that the company lied about fuel consumption data for some of its vehicles, especially recently released ones. Now, it was announced that chairman Osamu Suzuki will not become CEO and executive vice president Osamu Honda resigned from his post at the next shareholder meeting, due on the 29th.

- Let's face it, the "brand new" Top Gear with Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc on it isn't as good as the Clarkson, Hammond, and May years. Right now, the former TG trio, who are hosts of the upcoming Amazon original series, The Grand Tour, are passing time by uploading a video of Jeremy Clarkson having problems assembling a box, which caused positive comments more than the "brand new" TG.

TTFN!!!

Fiat Tipo

Fiat was known for making affordable cars aside from the iconic 500 through the years such as the Siena, Bravo, Linea, Seicento, Cinquecento (not to be confused with the 500), Stilo, and Albea. Yes, they're all affordable but they don't give much of the "aha factor" as you take it for a spin. Now, there's a new low-cost Fiat called the Tipo that promises to be not just to be affordable but enjoyable for first-time buyers. Does it really live up to its promises?

2017 Fiat Tipo

Sourced from Turkey and available only in the EMEA region, Fiat's brand new Tipo is just another kind of commoner's car that you can expect to see one on the road and then another one a few seconds later. Reason why you can expect to see one after another is because the Fiat Tipo starts at 14,500 Euros for the saloon, 15,900 for the hatchback, and 17,300 for the station wagon, making it one of the most reasonably priced cars available in Italy. So, what do you get with that kind of pricing?

2017 Fiat Tipo

2017 Fiat Tipo 5-Door

2017 Fiat Tipo Station Wagon

First, let's take a glimpse on the exterior design. At first glance, the Tipo's striking design makes it look like you mistook it for a Dodge Dart but this ain't your commoner's Dodge at home. It's just a Fiat that doesn't feel as exciting as the other cars. Design-wise, the Tipo features a best-in-class aerodynamic, to ensure low fuel consumption and pretty much about it. There's nothing to excite about how it looks, even if it switch body styles, well, save it for the station wagon anyway, for which the side view kinda reminds me of a mashup between a BMW 3-Series and a Hyundai i40...in my mind.

2017 Fiat Tipo interior

Although nothing exciting about the interior design, the Tipo has everything you can expect in most cars. There's the steering wheel, a radio, an aircon, seats, radio, everything that a car should have. In terms of comfort, it's not half bad but it feels like a cabbie when you at least expect it or your dad's car that fetches you to school or a ride back home. Although not what you called luxurious, the Tipo's trunk has enough room to store your grocery shopping or if you go for the station wagon variant, that a lot of room to fill in aside from groceries and garage sale loots.

Anyway, what to see under the hood? Being an economy-class car rather than business-class, the Tipo offers three engine types such as a 1.4L petrol, 1.3L MultiJet diesel, and a 1.6L MultiJet diesel engine, which is the most powerful in this lineup with 120PS of power. All engines are mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

What about handling? Well, with turning radius of 11 meters, getting through roundabouts wasn't a pain in the arm because of its reliable suspension layout that Fiat claims, it's not so bad to drive at city centers or at subdivisions but don't get too excited because deep down, you know it can get too dreary to drive one, event at traffic.

So, thoughts about the new Tipo? Overall, the pricing is surprisingly what you called value for money and it drives rather well for an economy-class car. However, being an economy-class car, the Tipo is not exciting to drive at and the engines doesn't give you the oomph it deserves. To conclude, the Tipo is the ideal first-timer's car to start with. Although it lacks some character, this car is plain accessible to drive.

Photo: Fiat

Gyakuten Saiban 6

All rise again, ladies and gentlemen. Capcom's hit courtroom game has hit its 15th anniversary this year and to commemorate this occasion, the brand new chapter of the Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney) series has arrived. Take that!

Gyakuten Saiban 6

Gyakuten Saiban 6 (Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice) may be more than just a present for the franchise's 15th anniversary but this is by no means one of the most dramatic installments of Capcom's hit franchise. When I say dramatic, yes because some returning faces are appearing as well as new ones in this dramatic new storyline, which has been the hallmark of the franchise.

Returning faces, you say? Yes, apart from main characters such as Ryuichi Naruhodo (Phoenix Wright), Housuke Odoroki (Apollo Justice), and Kokone Kitsuki (Athena Cykes), and villains such as Reiji Mitsurugi (Miles Edgeworth) and Jun Yugami (Simon Blackquill), we can expect long-awaited return of supporting favorites such as Akane Houzuki (Ema Skye) and hers truly, Mayoi Ayasato (Maya Fey). Aside from returning favorites, there are new cast that will spice this new story up, including a priestess named Rayfa Padma Khura'in.

The story begins with Naruhodo venturing on the Khura'in Kingdom, the origin of the Kurain Channeling Technique that Mayoi tried to master. Naruhodo discovers that trials in Khura'in are different than his home country and instead of evidence or arguments, trials and verdicts are judged by visions conjured by seance trials by Rayfa, the Royal Priestess. Thanks to those bizarre trials, lawyers are no longer necessary and defendants are useless. As Ryuichi Naruhodo is known for turning things around during countless trials and tribulations, can he turn the seance trials around in the same way he did back home? Meanwhile, way back home, Housuke Odoroki tries to defend the honor of the law agency he and his mentor, Naruhodo, they've worked hard for, no matter the odds.

True to the franchise, storyline is the main topic of this game and how your decisions as a defense attorney will affect the outcome based on the evidences you've gathered and the testimonies you've heard. Taking advantage of the new 3D fingerprint identification that Akane (Ema) provided to you, seeing through lies in Odoroki's eyes, Psyche-lock that requires crucial evidence to unlock the truth, and the new multi-angle camera, gathering evidences shouldn't be a slouch for gamers but it's important not to rush in the investigation process. You need to search through the whole corners of the place to collect more evidence needed to uncover the killings.

And then the trial part is what makes this game as interesting as the previous installments. Again, you should never rush in this one because you have to review everything what the characters said before presenting the evidences and go "objection" over and over until the tension builds up. Remember, one small mistake will be devastating, leaving the trial to a complete disaster, so be careful. 

When tension builds up in the trial, you will be engaged to more ways to deal with the witnesses. As Ryuichi Naruhodo, you will be able to cooperate with Rayfa with her Divination Seance, which reveals the final moments of the victims before their brutal murder, allowing you to find the contradictions and discrepancies on this case. As Housuke Odoroki, you can cooperate with Kokone's Mood Matrix, as seen in the previous installment, to detect unexpected feelings the witnesses faced. There's so much stuff you can do to uncover the truth to put the masterminds behind bars and save the innocent who are accused for the cases.

Gyakuten Saiban 6, like the others, features new and thrilling episodes in this game. From Naruhodo's Khura'in arrival gone wrong, the magic show where Minuki (Trucy) was on it ended in disaster,  to the unfateful reunion between Naruhodo and Mayoi, and it all leads up to the biggest plot twist in this game; the one where the master and his nugget will face each other in the courtroom and that faceoff was none other than...well, can't tell who are those two but keep playing this game to find out.

HOLD IT! There are DLC contents coming in this game such as three extra costumes for Naruhodo, Odoroki, and Kokone and a new episode. In this special costume pack; Ryuichi Naruhodo wears a funky oriental-style shirt while Odoroki wears a school uniform and Kokone's in a maid outfit. It will be free to download until the 29th of June. On the 30th of June, a special episode will be available for free until the 20th of July. In this special episode; a character who appears in both Gyakuten Saiban (Ace Attorney) and Gyakuten Kenji (Ace Attorney Investigations) games is about to get married...and its initials start with the letter M. Could it be Naruhodo's arch-nemesis Reiji Mitsurugi (Miles Edgeworth)? Still, could be worse. With Masashi Yahari (Larry Butz) making his comeback, Naruhodo's wisecracking pal warned him about...time travel and the runaway bride who leapt through time. How would our favorite Ace Attorney crack this bizarre mystery?

So, there you have it. With new and returning faces, a fresh new batch of stories to uncover the truth, and new ways to collect crucial evidences, Gyakuten Saiban 6 takes a lot of patience for players to play this much-anticipated installment and delve deeper into the game's unique storyline that sets them apart from other murder mystery games, perhaps this is just one of the main reason why everybody loves the Gyakuten Saiban franchise not just the whole courtroom drama but the emotions it delivered.

Court is adjourned!

Let's Do The News! (June 8, 2016)

- President-elect Rodrigo Duterte told the United Nations rapporteur to "go home and get some sleep" following the statement accusing him of "inciting violence" after he made his controversial remarks on media killings. Duterte was criticized by media groups after saying that some of the slain journalists had received bribes or were involved in shady deals.

- Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said the government's news bureau needs efficient internet connection to function well as a response to the Commission on Audit's report that the Palace's News Information Bureau's bills last year are excessive.

- The Armed Forces of the Philippines will be joining the nations as the Philippines celebrate the 118th anniversary of the nation's independence on the 12th of June, this coming Sunday. The AFP will conduct programs in recognition of the Filipino heroes, and remind the soldiers of their commitment to defend the freedom of the Filipinos.

- Hillary Clinton declares victory in the Democratic Presidential Primary, naming as the first major-party female nominee. The former Secretary of State declared victory after an uphill fight against Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.

- British Prime Minister David Cameron and UKIP chief Nigel Farage have each made their cases on the imminent Brexit ahead of the EU referendum on the 23rd. At a TV debate on Tuesday, Cameron, who supported UK's remain to the EU, noted that immigrants from EU member countries have contributed to the British economy. Farage, who supported Brexit, said with rising population, Britain is now forced to build new housing just to deal with immigrants.

- The organizers of the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympics have again stressed that the Zika virus will slightly hamper the games. The members of the organizing committee held a news conference for foreign media on Tuesday. Joao Grangeiro, the committee's chief medical officer, said the incidence of the mosquito that transmits the virus is extremely low in August and September.

- In honor of the upcoming 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 2016 #66 Ford GT Le Mans Race Car will be coming in Forza Motorsport 6 as a free download. This week, Turn 10 will roll out download codes for those who played this game. Apart from this car, the Forza Racing Championship was announced, debuting later this summer. This championship welcomes players of all levels to hone skills as they compete for glory and real-world prizes.

- The second-generation Porsche Panamera has been teased with a brand new rear view.

- Camille Hirro, 2016's Philippine representative for Miss Global, is revealed that she was a "ghost writer"

- Eight years have passed since the death of famed action star Rudy Fernandez and his widow, actress Lorna Tolentino marked that very moment.

TTFN!!!

TGUSA: Postal

The boys of Top Gear (The hit US Show) are finding out which is the best alternative for the aged postal vehicle the USPS had been used for decades. Rut goes for the Honda Element, Adam goes for the Lincoln Town Car hearse, and Tanner goes for the Mitsubishi 3000GT (GTO).

The first challenge involves how fast can they pickup mail from the mailboxes without causing much federal offense. In this challenge, its a three-way tie, resulting to an obstacle race to declare the winner, and it's a no contest after trouble's brewing the gang.

The next one is how to handle deliveries while surviving simulated weather conditions. On this challenge, Rut wins.

While the gang are busy upgrading their vehicles, Tanner tries out the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 and challenges against a cyclist on the streets of Long Beach, California. After that, the cyclist defeated the muscle car.

Later, the gang are back with their improved cars (except for one) at an abandoned suburbs and take on the final challenge involving mail deliveries while taking on The Stig in the LLV.  The man who got as close at Stig's time is Rut, meaning the Honda Element is the best delivery vehicle substitute.