Cedric Lee and Zimmer Raz arrested

Cedric Lee and Zimmer Raz arrested

Yesterday, the NBI agents and ISAFP operatives arrested Cedric Lee, the businessman who was one of the people responsible for mauling actor Vhong Navarro a few months ago, and his co-accused ally Simeon "Zimmer" Raz Jr. at Oras, Eastern Samar. The two claimed that they voluntarily surrendered and they're not hiding but the NBI denied their claims.

Report: http://pep.ph/news/43223/nbi-denies-cedric-lee-and-zimmer-raz39s-claim-that-they-voluntarily-surrendered

Bryan Castillo wins the BIGGEST LOSER PINOY EDITION Doubles

 Since last year, heavyweight pairs in all corners of the Philippines took part of their life-changing weight loss experience in The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition Doubles. After months of desperate struggle, all in the name of losing weight for the benefit of themselves, it has been one heck of a journey for those but on the finale, aired last night, the final four; Bryan Castillo, Francis Asis, Kayen Lazaro, and Osie Nebreja, are on the center stage to find out who is THE BIGGEST LOSER.

Bryan Castillo

In the finale, Bryan Castillo wins The Biggest Loser after losing a total of 155lbs of his weight. He began with a very obese 293lbs but now, he weighs 139lbs! A 52.56% improvement! Kayen Lazaro placed as a 1st runner-up, having managed to drop 50.50% of her weight from 287 to 142lbs.

It's been one heck of a journey for the final four but only Bryan Castillo, the "Pride of Pembo" has the honor and the inspiration he'll deliver about living healthy and losing weight in the name of changing lives.

Congratulations to the Pride of Pembo!

Cardcaptor Sakura gets her own Nendoroid

The anime character that literally ruined my childhood gets her own Nendoroid for the very first time but would I like it or hate it even though she is the anime character that ruined my childhood?

Nendoroid CardCaptor Sakura

Remember this anime character? You'd be right because that's Cardcaptor Sakura, the anime character that ruined my childhood...several times since when I was in my fourth grade. I've became a laughing stock in my school when I was a kid thanks to Cardcaptor Sakura and I HATED IT. I also hated the closing theme song that goes na na na na na na, na na na na na na, na na na na na na na naaaaaahhhh! Sheesh...

Now, Good Smile Company announced that the main character of the anime series finally gets a Nendoroid for the very first time and the fans have been waited for a lifetime just for this...well, not me because I hated this anime thanks to my bitter and painful memories.

She will be available this September 2014 and priced at 4,444 Japanese Yen (around $45) before tax. You can book one for preorders from April 25, 2014 to May 28, 2014 and as a bonus when you preorder her at the official GOOD SMILE ONLINE SHOP, you will get a 'Sealing Wand (Key Form) Charm'.

Feel free to reserve her now...only if you're c*ck enough to mock me with the theme songs.

URL: http://www.goodsmile.info/en/product/4400/Nendoroid+Sakura+Kinomoto.html

Sewol Tragedy: Death toll 187, 115 missing

As of 3:00PM Korean Standard Time, the confirmed death toll from the Sewol ferry tragedy is 187 while 115 people remained unaccounted for, which remains unchanged since the early hours of the search and rescue operation in the disaster zone. The search and rescue operation in the disaster zone has been hampered due to bad weather, strong currents, and high waves. It's been 11 days since the ferry capsized, marking as one of the worst maritime disasters in South Korean history, but the Coast Guard, Navy, and civilian divers continued their efforts on the third and fourth deck of the sunken Sewol ferry.

Source: Arirang Radio

What's in our Car Town garage today? (April 27, 2014)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

1956 GM Firebird II

Part of the wonderful concept cars displayed at the 1956 General Motors Motorama, the Firebird II concept car features a titanium bodyframe and because titanium is the toughest metal on Earth, you might think that this 4-seater concept car is tough as a tank but of course being a concept, it hasn't been proven at this moment in time. The engine that powers it is a Whirlfire GT-304 gas turbine engine developing 200HP of power and with this engine that powers it, this is General Motors' attempt to create a luxury machine powered by a gas turbine that promises good performance and good fuel consumption.

1956 GM Firebird II

1959 Jaguar Mark II

Although this car is popularized by the Inspector Morse TV series, the vintage Jaguar Mark II is proven to be quite a worthy contender that competed at the European Touring Car Championship. Not only it looks really beautiful, it's a fast and nimble sports saloon and with the choice of three XK straight-6 engines offered, there's nothing to go wrong with it.

1959 Jaguar Mark II

Ghostbusters Ecto-1

If there's something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS. Yes, the GHOSTBUSTERS films were noticeably one of the most iconic film franchises of all time and if you're more of a geek or nerd, these films are worth salivating for, especially as the main mode of transportation the Ghostbusters are using when people call them in need. The Ecto-1 features some state-of-the-art technology useful for the Ghostbusters to get through the paranormal scene in time and catch some ghosts!

Ghostbusters Ecto-1

2006 BMW M6

In 2003, the BMW 6-Series nameplate was returned and although it's not somewhat a replacement to the 8-Series, this grand tourer is essentially the coupe version of the E60 5-Series. The high-performance version of the 6-Series is the M6. It's powered by a glorious 5.0L V10 derived from the E60 M5 and it's mated to either a 7-speed single-clutch SMG or a 6-speed manual.

2006 BMW M6

Bubble Gang's 2-Part Summer Special (Part One)

Bubble Gang has gone to The Greenery, Bulacan, for their 2014 summer special! On the first part of this much-awaited 2014 summer special episode, what are the guys are up to?

- Gags at the swimming pool

- Two boys pulling off the bikini open prank

- Bubble Gang spoofs Kambal Sirena as KAMBAL SYOKOY!

- This guy's not bothered taking selfies by himself rather than helping his pals!

- Bubble Gang does Dove by spoofing this commercial as LOVE! For smoother, more glowing skin.

- Antonietta vs. Antonietta!!!

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...posing with your friends while on vacation!

- Istambay, Istambay sa Pasyalan, Si Eddie, di pwede sa hubaran, Ang secret na kanyang iniingatan, Natatakot s;ya, baka...MALAMAN?!

- We urged everyone not to wee while on the swimming pool!!

- Even on summer vacation, Tata Lino's always open for your questions...

...and tons of stuff in the first-part of the special. Well, that's all for the first part. Tune in next week for the conclusion of Bubble Gang's 2014 summer special!

Jaguar F-Type Coupe

Last year, Jaguar heralded the return to its sportscar roots by launching the F-Type, the modern-day reincarnation of the legendary E-Type and even in its convertible offering, it feels really good to drive in all seasons. Roof or no roof, the British sports car of the modern age truly appeals us all.

2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe

Now, they've launched a hardtop coupe version and by the looks of it, the coupe look of the F-Type looks striking to look at and be warned though because this F-Type Coupe can be a cruel mistress if you misbehave it like a Brainiac putting things in the microwave.

So, why is it a little too late to put a coupe version even though the F-Type was introduced as an open-top version only...much to the annoyance of Porsche when the convertible Boxster came first and the coupe Cayman came last? It's still a mystery for now but judging by the stats, the F-Type Coupe weighs somewhat 20kg less than the convertible version because in the convertible version, it takes some stiffening needs to keep it rigid but in this, it's all in the foundation of a sportscar.

In general, I love a good proper British sportscar. It doesn't matter if we got wet in the rain while driving in the British open roads or got frozen in the winter, it's part of what the Brits do because they got used to the ever-changing weather and we are free to do what we want on the road ahead no matter when we got under the weather. I just remember about the Lotus Elise because when it rains, I have to keep going because when I just stop and waste time closing the roof, the rain stopped. How annoying was that?

The F-Type Coupe may not have a proper attributes that a good British sportscar should but by the time you're driving one, it still has the same masterpiece as the original open-top F-Type version and overall, this car can unlearn German or Italian in a split-second. You can forget about the Porsche 911 or the Maserati GranTurismo or the BMW M6 or the Audi TT. This is what you get for being GOOD at being BAD. Get it? Good to be bad! Hey, remind you of any?

2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe

This top-of-the-line version is the R model. It features the same 5.0 Litre V8 Supercharged engine that you'll get from the XKR-S or the XFR-S or the XFR-S Sportbrake. It's the most powerful engine Jaguar has ever made and it produces 550PS of power output and 680Nm of torque output. It does 0-60 in under four seconds and top speed electronically limited to 186mph, about the same as the less powerful V8 convertible version. That's all math but if you wish it was a bit exciting, don't fret because if you don't like the R version because it's too much power, you can have a supercharged V6 engine which, in the S model, produces 380PS of power, 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds and 171mph of vmax. Even though it's slower than the V8 model, the V6 model of the F-Type is one of the best sounding engines you can hear and with the sports exhaust system...time to open up the windows, folks!

2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe

In the handling department, the F-Type Coupe, like the original convertible version, is a really mad car to drive and because this car has a lot of torque, its dynamic driving character can really throw you off the curve if you're not alert so expert driving level is recommended to master the F-Type Coupe especially if you're in the fastest version with the supercharged V8 engine in it. I wouldn't bother though because for a car as dynamic as the highest difficulty setting faced in a video game, it can be a cruel mistress so it takes time to practice until you get used to its cruel behavior of its handling. Not only it's mad at the handling department but it can be somewhat less crude on normal roads and with the turning radius of 35.8ft...it's not bad to turn this car whether you're coming home or park.

2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe interior

The F-Type Coupe from Jaguar is a drool-worthy masterpiece that is too awesome to be ignored and with the introductory price of 51,250 Pounds, it's more affordable than the convertible version so it's a smart buy if you're looking for something sporty and classy but it's too much for a car like this. Despite the high price, the F-Type Coupe balances its sportscar agility and luxury car comforts all rolled up into one and if you have one of those in your car collection, you are worthy of it. This car is worthy of being one of the best cars launched in 2014 and if you have one, you can lick your boring life goodbye.

Available colors: Ebony Black, Polaris White, Salsa Red, Rhodium Silver Metallic, Lunar Grey Metallic, Stratus Grey Metallic, Indigo Blue Metallic, Ultimate Black Metallic, Satellite Grey Metallic, British Racing Green Metallic, Italian Racing Red Metallic, Firesand Metallic, and Black Amethyst Metallic.

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

Sewol Tragedy: Investigation continues

Authorities continue investigating what exactly happened on the day the Sewol ferry submerged and who's behind this. As of now, all 15 crew members that were rescued from the disaster zone especially the captain of the ferry, Lee Joon-seok, who escaped the ferry, WILL face criminal charges. Eleven crew members have already been charged with homicide as well as the violation of South Korea's maritime law while the remaining four crew members have yet to be investigated as suspects.

Now, the investigation escalates to new levels as a special investigation team is looking into some of the probable causes of the Sewol ferry's abnormalities. The prosecutors found out that Yoo Byung-eon, the owner of the operator of the Sewol ferry, and his family own at LEAST three paper companies but there could be more to this...

Sewol Tragedy: Search and rescue update as of now...

So far, the search and rescue operation on the sunken Sewol ferry continues despite the stronger currents in the area where the tragedy occurred. Based on reports, the death toll has been maintained from 185 with 117 people remain unknown. The divers continue their search on the fourth level of the ferry especially in the center where the cabins of the students from Danwon High School were located.

Officials told that the maritime minister and the coast guard chief will stay on the site for further operations and assist the relatives of the victims.

Source: Arirang Radio

Subaru to stop selling 5th-generation Legacy in preparation of the next model

The Touring Wagon will be axed from the Subaru Legacy lineup

In preparation for the upcoming sixth-generation model, Subaru announced that they will stop selling the outgoing fifth-generation model at June 2014, which includes the Touring Wagon, the B4 sedan, and the Outback crossover.

The Legacy B4 sedan (as seen at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show) and the Legacy Outback crossover (as seen at the 2014 New York Auto Show) will be the only Legacy models available just as soon as the next-generation hits Japan on the second half of 2014.

As told, the Touring Wagon is officially axed from the lineup and it was replaced by the similarly sized Levorg (recently launched in Japan this month and to be on sale in Japan this June 2014) sports tourer.

Report: http://autoc-one.jp/news/1740037/

Kia Soul EV

While the electric vehicles made by the South Koreans were not as popular as those made by the Japanese, it seems that they're always looking for some challenge when it comes to introduce those zero-emission vehicles on a global basis and for Kia Motors, their first-ever Soul EV breaks the notion of being the first ever zero-emission Kia car to sold on the public. With the 42,500,000 Korean Won (estimated $40,900) price tag, it may not be the cheapest electric vehicle to buy but is it worth it?

2015 Kia Soul EV

2015 Kia Soul EV interior

Well, at first glance, it looks the same as the latest-generation Kia Soul, the one that was launched last year, but because this is the EV version, the only difference you can distinguish it is the grille where in the Soul EV, you can use the charging tool to plug it in and charge it at home depending on the outlet. Using the power of the UVO 2.0 Eco, your smartphone will notify you when your Soul EV's fully charged or like any other Kia models using the UVO software, you can use the smartphone to unlock/lock the doors or start the car remotely. Convenient, isn't it? But we're not done explaining about the Soul EV just yet because there's some downsides to this electric crossover.

2015 Kia Soul EV

You see the Soul EV has less legroom than the regular Soul by about 3.1-inches as well as the boot space by about 5.1cu.-ft thanks to the space used to reserve for the Li-ion battery but Kia says that despite the reduction to the rear legroom, it's still as spacious as any other EVs in the market but who cares about it? If you even use it for your scheduled road trip with your buddies from school, looks like your mates at the back will get cramped because of the reduced rear space and before you know it, you can't survive against the chatter from your mates about your embarrassing moments at the JS Prom or at the field trip or any other barkada trips you have been for the past moments. Ouch...

Road trips aside, Kia says that it will do about an energy consumption of 5.0km/kWh or an equivalent of 148km on one full charge. 148km on one full charge, that's more than what you got from the Renault Samsung SM3 ZE or the Chevrolet Spark EV and in theory, that will cover from my house in Muntinlupa up to the house where my grandparents stay in Cabanatuan...well, that's about 140km covered but you can charge it while you're staying for the night but I don't hold much hope.

Also, it features a next-generation of Kia's regenerative braking system which regains 12% percent of the car's kinetic energy when braking or coasting. It features four different regeneration modes and the mode that produces the most regeneration is the one where the Brakes setting with Eco-mode "On". It's all in the name of science for this car, eh?

Power comes from the electric motor that generates about 81.4kW (111HP) of power output and 285Nm of torque. It will do 0-100kph in a minimal 12 seconds and a top speed limited to 145kph so it's not what you called fast and because it has a single-speed gearbox that you expect from most electric vehicles...that pretty much sums it up but look at this way...this Soul EV has the similar torque that you got from a hot Volvo V40 T4 Polestar but who cares about it?

There's a rule in some parts in the world that most EVs need to emit a sound for the safety of pedestrians in mind but for the Kia Soul EV, they're way ahead of them because it comes with a rather controversial Virtual Engine Sound System which mimics the noise of an engine at speeds up to 12kph when the car is in reversed.

2015 Kia Soul EV interior

So, what to like about the Soul EV? Well, what I like about the Soul EV is the range that will keep me going from my house to Cabanatuan in a single full charge, it's loaded with technology, it's always ahead of my thinking because it has some safety features that will keep the Soul EV the safest EV money can buy. What I don't like about it is that it's not quite fun to drive, the rear space is too small because of the battery, and it's more expensive than the regular Kia Soul. It may not be one of the best EVs in the market but it's worth being a game-changer in the world of electric cars.

Available colors: Snow White Pearl + Electronic Blue and  Caribbean Blue + Clear White

Photo: Kia Motors

Let's Do The News! (April 24, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- China Anne McClain from the recently concluded ANT Farm (and one of the hopefuls to appear in the upcoming ABC reality series SING YOUR FACE OFF) and Kelli Berglund from the Disney XD action comedy series, Lab Rats, will star in the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie titled How To Build A Better Boy, slated for its summer premiere on the Disney Channel. SweetyHigh has this report.

- IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Real Racing 3 has the latest update featuring none other than open-wheelers. Open-wheelers are basically one of the trickiest to feature in the world of Real Racing because of the physics but thanks to the advancement of modern technology, they are now able to feature it for the first time. There are four new open-wheelers offered on RR3 such as the Ariel Atom 3.5, the KTM X-BOW R, the Caterham Seven 620R, and our favorite, the Ariel Atom V8. CHECK IT OUT!

- The third-generation Audi A3 is hailed as 2014 World Car of the Year.

- The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle belonged to actress Angel Locsin will go to the hammer as beginning from April 21 to 30, they can place their bids on the auction of her car and proceeds will go to the Sagip Kapamilya foundation. Place your bid at http://auction.abs-cbn.com/ if you want her car for a cause.

Angel Locsin's Chevrolet Chevelle

- MEET THE NEW BOSS: Mark Fields, the chief operating officer of Ford Motor Company will be replacing Alan Mulally as the new boss of Ford beginning next month.

- Lawmakers in the Philippines are mulling about installation of speed limiters on trucks aside from buses.

- Deniece Cornejo and Cedric Lee are now branded as wanted criminals.

- Lupita Nyong'o is declared the MOST BEAUTIFUL PERSON of 2014 according to People Magazine.

TTFN!!!