Let's Do The News! (July 30, 2013)

River's Diary

River's Diary, I'm bored, can you tell me something what's going on around here?

- The idol-genre wars are heating up because THE iDOLM@STER and Love Live School Idol Project aren't the only idol-related stuff are pitting against. Come 2014 and the idol-genre wars are heating up.

Starting with Nitroplus because just announced that there's going to be a brand-new idol-producing game for the Nintendo 3DS. It's called SoniPro. If that wasn't enough, another Super Sonico game called Motto! SoniComi, which is an updated 2014 PS3 version of the 2011 PC game SoniComi packed with revised graphics and gameplay.

- While in the middle of an idol war, a new anime directed by Yutaka Yamamoto from Kannagi, titled Wake Up, Girls is slated for early 2014 airing. It highlights on the girls who are realizing their dreams in the so-called "idol sengoku jidai" in the Tohoku region. If that name looks familiar, it's because you're drunk or you remember when this region got battered by a powerful earthquake and tsunami since March 11, 2011.

Wake Up, Girls!

Anyway, it's about a small production company in the brink of going out of business. The president of that company came up with a plan to make an idol group and sent manager Matsuda to recruit some hopefuls until he meets up with some certain girl...

Scoop: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-07-28/kannagi-yamakan-reveals-wake-up-girls-anime-characters-and-cast


- In a bold move by the BBC, the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special will be aired simultaneously worldwide this November 23rd. Which means that if this special aired on BBC One at 7:00PM British Standard Time, it will be aired in BBC America at 11:00AM Pacific.

Scoop: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-07-26/doctor-who-50th-anniversary-special-to-be-broadcast-around-the-world-simultaneously


- The production version of the BMW i3, the first ever electric car under the BMW i banner, was revealed.

2014 BMW i3

- There's this special clip courtesy of Honda featuring the use of science to recreate the sounds of the legendary F1 machine driven by the legendary Ayrton Senna round the Suzuka Circuit.




- Remember the HOVERVAN episode from Top Gear Series 20? Well, bad news. It seems that the show's under fire for using actors in the scene where the home made hovercraft blows people in the riverside restaurant away in Season 20 episode 4.

Story: http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/top-gear-watch-video-fake-2099744


- FEZ II, the sequel to FEZ indie game developed by Polytron Corporation, was cancelled and the creator of FEZ, Phil Fish, says that he had it with the gaming industry, saying it's too critical. Here's what it says about the sudden cancellation, as stated by the official Polytron website.

"FEZ II is cancelled.
i am done.
i take the money and i run.
this is as much as i can stomach.
this is isn’t the result of any one thing, but the end of a long, bloody campaign.
you win."

Further reading: http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/27/4563738/fez-ii-abruptly-canceled-after-developer-phil-fish-explodes-in-rage


- Aiding the enemy? Well, sort of. There's an article suggesting that Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG signed a new deal that involves in the supply of V8 engines and some new platforms. Aston says that this new partnership will help launch new machines with these new V8s and "cutting edge technology".

Story: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/aston-martin-mercedes-benz-amg-partnership-v8-engines-2013-07-25

- I believe that there has been some error going on on Rolling Stone's Comic-Con International's Craziest Costumes gallery. No. Nothing's wrong with it but look...

That's not Gameboy. That's BMO!

Sharp-eyed readers of the RollingStone website might have noticed that in this pic, that's someone cosplayed as BMO from Adventure Time cartoon show but RS says its' "Gameboy". GAMEBOY?!? No. That's not Gameboy. (laughing hard) That's BMO! Please get it right, thnaks.

TTFN!

Driving Music (What is the name of the song on car commercial?) Vol. 54

Like my new logo for the Driving Music segment? It's worth not even a single penny. Anyway, so many of you have been inquiring about what is the name of the song as heard in a car commercial, I wouldn't even bothered coming to you anymore. If you want to find what's the song in the car commercial, you'd come to the right place.

Anyway, here comes another set of five driving musics that fits well on your playlist suitable for the long driving trip from boredom to fun.

5) Feeling Good by Michael Buble - from the Honda Accord Hybrid commercial

4) EXPOSE by KAT-TUN - from the Suzuki Solio Bandit commercial

3) Children of the Revolution by T-REX - from the Fiat USA 500L "Italian Invasion" commercial

2) Baba O'Riley by The Who - from the Mazda USA Mazda6 "This is the Mazda Way" commercial

1) 40 Day Dreamer by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - from the 2013 Citroen Nouvelle C4 Picasso "Space" commercial.

...that's it. These are the five driving musics to find it on your local music stores. Driving Music. The segment where all the car commercial songs are archived for findings. Which driving musics will be featured next? Stay tuned for more...

How Cute Is Your Character? - Mog

Deep in hearts of our studio, I had an obsession...

I LOVE CUTE CHARACTERS.

Each week, a bureau will present me with something cute in bid to make it into the top of my CUTENESS RANKER leaderboard as I asked...and sorry if I had to borrow something from Brainiac's How Hard Is Your Thing...

HOW CUTE IS YOUR CHARACTER?

Today's cute character is...

Mog

Is Mog one of the cute characters in the world of Final Fantasy, and one of the playable characters in the spinoff game, Chocobo Racing? All right, it looks kinda cute but HOW CUTE IS MOG?

Each week, a cute character must face three separate tests. The cuteness of Phineas and Ferb's Isabella, the very tightening of being "huggable", but first, the impact of getting kissed.

Some say that a Mog is friendly but if you poke its sides, the Mog will get angry. However, how "kissable" is the Mog? 3...2...1...Mog from the Final Fantasy franchise is kissable but being kissable doesn't last for long. This gives Mog a "kissable" rating of: 8 out of 10.

What happens when you hug Mog? Well, an average Final Fantasy fan would take a few minutes to hug Mog but for a non-FF fan, that's hard. Since I love that Mog character when I was a kid, I just love Mog's cute squeals. I just wanna hug Mog to the death. For that, Mog's hug-me-to-the-death rating is: 8 out of 10.

Last test, resistant to Isabella's cuteness. If you saw the Meapless in Seattle episode, then you will know that Isabella's cuteness outcute the evil alien who kicked poor Meap's butt. However, is the Mog resistant to the cuteness of Lady Isabella herself or will her cuteness outcute Mog? The answer...not quite as good, giving Mog a wimpy Isabella-resistance rating of: 3 out of 10

After three "sweet tooth" tests, Mog from the Final Fantasy series scored a not so bad 19 out of 30 points.

CUTENESS RANKER:

1) Mog - 19/30

How cute do I rank it? Not Bad. HOW CUTE IS YOUR CHARACTER?

VIDEO: See how 2014MY Wagon R's Radar Brake Support works

Weeks ago, Suzuki launched a 2014MY update for the fifth-generation Wagon R range which not only improved the fuel economy to 30.0km/L but also featuring a clever safety system similar to Volvo's City Safety system. We're talking about the new Radar Brake Support system with a clever system that can automatically brake the car in a near-collision scenario.

Wanna see how it works? Here's a clip courtesy of CarniftyTV and find out...

Gran Turismo 5: Classic Fiat Panda

Sometimes though, even the world of Gran Turismo can be a bit too notorious for featuring so many bangers in the franchise, one of those bangers was this, the first generation Fiat Panda. By the time I drove one of those, the first thing that came out in my mind is simple...What am I doing in this old banger anyway?



First of all, let's talk about how it looks like. The first generation Panda, launched in 1980, was styled by Giugiaro, which seems to be an interesting name because he's the man behind numerous works including the first generation VW Golf, the Lancia Delta, and the Maserati MC12. It's not quite bad for a Giugiaro-designed car even though it looks kinda resemble to the Fiat Uno, the car I rarely saw one in the streets when I was a kid. However, let's get back to the question...



What I have here is the one with the 1.0L engine, complete with electronic fuel injection. This engine develops a very disappointing 44HP of power and when I take my foot down on the pedal...that noise from its engine which has the same capacity as a 1-litre bottle of Coke is about as similar as a vibrating chair, only a bit too dull. So, when the noise is too dull, how about cornering? When careful, the cornering of the Panda seems a bit generous but no. The handling is not generous. If I was an old lady, most of my spine will shred every time I turn round a corner in the Panda. Painful, isn't it?

Understeer-wise, I could get likely be crashed. Yep, this banger is all horrid to me. I wonder how did the owners of this old Panda handle this so seriously?

Another thing about the first Panda that since its discontinuation in 2003, about 4.5 million units were produced, making it one of the most common cars you can expect one not just in Italy but in most parts in Europe. By the time the Panda is good to drive in the past, it garnered so much recognition and oh, it was placed 2nd in the European Car of the Year awards in its first full year of production.



For stupidity, this car has been in the butt of stupidity. I saw Clarkson made a limo out of it from an episode of Top Gear and then it got split into two. Also, this Panda got flipped over by a bunch of rockets for some Brainiac experiment about stuff NASA never tried. Remember those? Me too...

But still, despite being too horrid for today's world, the Panda is still one of the most memorable rides made by the Italians. Even though it's all crud, I still appreciate how the Panda gave it all it had for the drivers.

Top Gear S20E05

Top Gear S20E05

In episode 5 of BBC Top Gear Series 20, we saw Jeremy and James investigating crossovers (with some caravan carnage involved) and then using the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Mazda CX-5 as their basis to spend a couple of days living like the kind of person who would buy one.

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento

Meanwhile, Richard Hammond gone berserk in Italy, driving the Lamborghini Aventador Roadster and then the track-only Sesto Elemento. Yes, the Sesto Elemento is track-only and it does not count on the POWER LAP BOARD even though it set an impressive lap time of 1:14.0.

Oh yeah, also, James May tries to show his love for 911's by driving a modern recreation of the classic Porsche 911 called the Singer 911.

In that episode's SIARPC segment, Aerosmith lead vocalist Steven Tyler was the guest and he set a rather disapproving lap time round the Top Gear Track in the Vauxhall Astra Tech Line in 1:51.

Next week will be the Season 20 finale of BBC Top Gear as the boys are bringing on the big guns...THE BEST OF BRITAIN!

F1 2013 Hungarian GP

In the Hungary GP of the F1 2013 season, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton made his first win for this season despite the struggling tyre wear from his F1 machine. From Hamilton's pole position, that gave him a huge advantage right until his struggles as this race went on and on until his victor that makes Hamilton one of the few who won the Grand Prix for Mercedes-Benz.

However, after the race, Ferrari was fined for Fernando Alonso's misuse of the Drag Reduction System and they charged them 15,000 euros by the Hungarian GP committee.

Story: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/7/14855.html

So far, Vettel still leads with 172 while Raikkonen advanced ahead of Alonso with 134 to 133. The next match will be held at Belgium this August 25, 2013.

Super GT 2013 Round 4 Sugo

#8 ARTA HSV-010

It's raining in Sugo, making round 4 of the 2013 SUPER GT season more challenging for the Super GT racers in both the GT300 and GT500 class. In a surprise twist, two ARTA-liveried Honda racers took the checkered flag in the rain. For the first time in 3 years, the #8 ARTA HSV-010, driven by Ralph Firman and Kosuke Matsuura, won round 4 while in the GT300 class, the #55 ARTA CR-Z GT, driven by Shinichi Takagi and Takashi Kobayashi, won the round, making it a double ARTA win in the wet Sugo racetrack.

Story: http://supergt.net/pages/pg:news_detail/device:pc/ln:en/id:13149

Next round is on Suzuka Circuit for the 42nd International Pokka Sapporo 1000km match. This happens this August 17-18, 2013.

What's in our Car Town garage today? (July 28, 2013)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

1959 Cadillac El Dorado Convertible

The Biarritz, named after a posh French resort town patronized by the likes of Napoleon and Queen Victoria, is the open-top convertible version of the legendary Cadillac El Dorado, which redefined the term "land yacht" because of its unique tail fins and the rocketship-style taillights at the back. Powering the El Dorado Biarritz was the 345 horsepower triple-carbureted 390 V8 engine, which bring this land yacht to a top speed of 130 mph. No wonder Elvis Presley had one for him.

1959 Cadillac El Dorado Convertible

2001 BMW M3

Based on the E46 3-Series coupe, this M3 Coupe incorporates with BMWs concept of being "The suspension must always be faster than the engine" because of its clever suspension system which compensates the power of its 3.2L straight-6 engine. Since its launch,  this generation was mated with a Getrag 6-speed MT but later, BMW added an SMG II, the company's double clutch semi-automatic transmission.

2001 BMW M3

2011 Ferrari 458 Spider

When taking a roof of a normal car, it somehow loses its rigidity and then resort to making it heavier than its coupe equivalent by any means of stiffening needs. For the 458 Spider, that's a different agenda. It maybe slower than its hardtop equivalent because of its 198mph top speed thanks to its added weight but when you take it for a spin, you'd never feel its heaviness. It packs the same fun as expected from its hardtop model. You may remember that in the 3rd episode of Top Gear Season 20, the 458 Spider revealed as the choice for the cost-conscious convertible fan. It's the convertible supercar we're all agree on.

2011 Ferrari 458 Spider

Andrew E, IHAW NA!

Legendary Pinoy rapper, Andrew E., is the guest of the day of July 26, 2013's Banana Nite's IHAW NA segment. Andrew E's famed for his rap song "Humanap ka ng Pangit", which he believes that this is the song made to capture the wide audience and Andrew E's famed for his nickname "Gamol".

Meanwhile, Chazz is back for some more CHAZZ DO IT where Chazz roams around the Metro Manila to make unsuspecting men fall prey from Chazz. Some lipstick and a blindfold to those unsuspecting victims would work.

"Ako'y tiwala sa'yo"

On the July 26, 2013 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Zoo gags

- Mr. Assimo is one of the judges of some beauty pageant.

Super Bonggaderang Mermaid

Mr. Assimo

- The Adventures of Rufa Mae Kwento in...getting kidnapped.

- A trip to the principal's office about...a problem child doing magic tricks...

- Tata Lino helps out other people with some quotes such as...

1) Lagi kang hihingi ng tawad sa minamahal mo, eh bakit hindi palengke ang nililigawan mo?

2) Ang lalaking hindi naghihintay, bukas samakalawa maging tatay.

3) Ang pagibig, parang electric fan. Walang manlalamig kung laging nasa number 1.

4) Lahat ng problema, may solusyon. Kung walang solusyon, wag mo nang problemahin yun.

- Caring, Reliable, Trustworthy. Bubble Gang does Charmee by spoofing this commercial as CHARMING. Ako'y tiwala sa'yo.

Bubble Gang does Charmee

- An interview with a psychic who can...awaken the third sex.

- The Adventures of Rufa Mae Kwento in...the rooftops!

- Super Selosa...BASED ON REAL EVENTS. Sort of...

- The story of Antonietta unfolds...

- Highlights of Bagong Gang auditions.

For this highlight, the top 10 soon-to-be-BG-members were introduced...

Jan Manual

Arny Ross

Juancho Trivino

RJ Padilla

Denise Barbacena

Joyce Ching

Nicole Borgonia

Abel Estanislao

Maricris Garcia

Roel Mendoza

For this initiation, 10 hopefuls were split into two groups for their group performance. Each group is doing a sketch about getting stuck by a bottle of rugby.

Anyare?! Bakit di nakadikit yung isang kamay???

Hello!!! Ikaw kaya ang kumuha?!

Sana magkatabi kayo...

Nasusunog?! Eh hindi naman nakababa ang plantsa?!?

Soon on Bubble Gang is the elimination rounds of Bagong Gang. Stay tuned.

Cars GT6 Should Put (Volume 2)

Everyone knows that more and more car gamers everywhere are willing to prefer the upcoming Gran Turismo 6, coming this winter exclusively on the Playstation3 console, than the upcoming Forza Motorsport 5, coming this autumn exclusively on the new XBOX One console. However, despite the 1200-car lineup, there are some cars GT6 should put...

Cars like...

1) Mazda CX-5 XD '12

WHY: If I recall, the Nissan Leaf was added in Gran Turismo 5 last year because of its 2011-2012 Japan COTY win. That was the theory but if that became truth, why not add the CX-5? The CX-5, thanks to its clean diesel engine, KODO design, and SKYACTIV Technology, won the 2012-2013 Japan COTY award and this crossover deserves to be in GT6. Imagine if I can abuse this crossover round the Top Gear Test Track or at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca...

2) Lotus Exige S '12

WHY: What Gran Turismo 6 needs is a lightweight V6-powered Lotus because the Evora is not enough to tickle my fancies. How about the new Lotus Exige S? It maybe heavier than the old one but the supercharged V6 engine from the Evora S really makes it a competitive British lightweight even if it weighs more than one ton. I love driving this new Lotus Exige S so much, I just really wish that the V6-powered Lotus Exige S should be part of the GT6 car lineup. Please make it happen for the sake of Lotus fans.

3) Holden HSV GTS '13

WHY: Gran Turismo 5 never featured a Premium Australia car. The only Holdens offered in GT5 were the VZ Commodore SS and the Monaro sports coupe. That's not enough because what Gran Turismo needs are some new V8 Aussie muscles. With rumors suggesting that GT6's adding an Australian race track, I just hope this came true and if that, I really need to see some new Australian cars, especially the Gen-F HSV Holdens. Maybe the new Gen-F HSV GTS would do. It has the same engine that powered the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, making it the most powerful performance production car ever built in Australia.

I just want one...to be in GT6. Please? Do this for our Australian mates?

4) Mazda Atenza XD L-Package '12

WHY: Two generations of Mazda Atenza or Mazda 6 were featured on GT5. For Gran Turismo 6, can you please just feature the latest incarnation of the Mazda Atenza saloon car? Yep. It's the one that look like the Takeri concept car, has SKYACTIV Technology, Kodo design, and comes with two body shapes; a saloon and the wagon. I wonder if the SKYACTIV-powered Atenza fares well in the world of Gran Turismo 6...

5) Peugeot 208 GTi '13

WHY: The Peugeot 208 GTi uses the 3-door 208 as its basis for this high-performance model that harks back to the legendary 205 GTi. It was reviewed in the Series 20 opener of BBC Top Gear with Richard Hammond behind the wheel. This hot hatch makes it a perfect addition to GT6 so if you had the time, please feature it. Thank You.

The results please? So, if Polyphony's still on the rethinking process whether these cars I've mentioned will be featured on Gran Turismo 6, whether in game or as a DLC, you can't say that I didn't had a bit to do with that.

Take that to Kaz Yamauchi!