Let's Do The News! (December 9, 2014)

Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- Typhoon Ruby/Hagupit continues to weaken and now classified as a Tropical Depression. All storm warning signals within the affected areas have been cancelled but despite being a Tropical Depression, it will still bring moderate to heavy rains within its 200km diameter. It's moving west at 13kph and it's expected to leave the country by early Thursday. No risk of storm surges but PAGASA warns of rough sea conditions, making maritime travel more dangerous.

- According to the Philippine Red Cross, the number of casualties brought by Typhoon Ruby are now 27 as of now. Most of the casualties were on the far eastern island of Samar where this typhoon made landfall last weekend. More casualties will be reported later.

- The village of Nagoro in the Tokushima Prefecture used to have hundreds of families but now, only 35 people remained, outnumbered by scarecrows created by a certain villager residing there to replace locals who died or moved away. This is one of the cases why most of Japan's villages and towns are depopulated, worse than the economic strife this Asian superpower has faced.

- According to a senior US general, the ISIS aggressors are starting to dwindle down and are now on their defensive position with less chances to counterattack against the joint strike force led by the US military forces.

- The Royal Couple are visiting the USA in separate ways as Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, visits New York to say hi to the kids and other locals while Prince William is in Washington D.C., the USA capital, to talk with President Barack Obama about a plan to end illegal wildlife trading.

- In the Egyptian capital of Cairo, 25 men were arrested by the nation's security forces at a bath house raid and they're suspected of homosexuality, dragging them naked out of the building.

- Although uncommon to have someone from an American-made web series to spawn a figure from a Japanese toymaker, Good Smile Company unveiled a threezero Ruby Rose figure based on the popular animated web series RWBY. Coming this April 2015, this 20,500 Yen (plus tax) collectible is a must-have for RWBY fans.

threezero RWBY Ruby Rose

- Disney teen actress from DWAB, G Hannelius, will be introducing her Make Me Nails app where users can create their own nail art just the way they want. They can customize their own nail wraps and order them online! Sweet! This app is a collaboration between her and Lauren Jones, the president of Jones Social PR.

More about this upcoming app: http://www.makemenails.com/

- Check out the first trailer for the upcoming Pan movie starring Josh Miller and Garrett Hedlund. This movie discovers the untold story of Peter Pan and how his adventure to Neverland changed him forever. It's set to show in cinemas Summer 2015.



- Former BCWMH actress Aiza Seguerra finally married to her non-showbiz couple Liza Dino in the US. They're both married at a private wedding at the Stones & Flowers Barn and Wedding Retreat at Sunny Patch Lane, California, recently.

- The Department of Health (DOH) is under fire by netizens over their infomercial on Teen Pregnancy. This infomercial features a certain cheering squad dancing to a beat and in that informercial, the jingle goes "hindi naman ako gaga, girl (I'm not crazy, girl)" and "hindi naman ako bobo, boy (I'm not dumb, boy)". At the end of the infomercial, it features DOH chief Dr. Janette Garin saying "Ang planadong buhay ay maayos na buhay (A planned life is a good life)".

Here's the informercial that sums everything up...



In light of this, the DOH removed the controversial informercial from their Facebook page after tons of negative comments pouring in from netizens.

TTFN!!!

Toyota Aqua/Prius C Minor Change and Aqua X-URBAN

2015 Toyota Aqua

Having been there for three years since its debut in late 2011, the Toyota Aqua hybrid compact is served as the most fuel-efficient and cost-effective Toyota that money can buy if a normal Prius is so expensive for them. Even if its facing stiff competition from its chief rival, the latest version of the Honda Fit Hybrid with its double-clutch gearbox, looks like this compact car's fighting back with its fuel economy that shows that the Aqua is by no means the most fuel-efficient compact hybrid car everyone will buy. With this latest version, the newly facelifted Toyota Aqua features a mildly refreshed look that will keep this best-selling model updated for what lies ahead in the modern world.

For this minor change, the Aqua features the world's first switchable Bi-Beam LED headlamp first applied on the recently facelifted Prius Alpha MPV as well as a new front face that looks like it was similar to the 86 sportscar. Not only that, the rear view's been changed thanks to the new rear lamp design that kinda reminiscent of the Toyota 86 sportscar as well but don't be fooled though, this compact car is still a reasonably-priced baby Prius for the masses.

2015 Toyota Aqua interior

The Aqua's interior has been slightly refreshed for this minor change and when you see the difference between this and the pre-facelifted interior, you can't really tell but a spot at the climate control and some added materials should do the trick. Apart from the refreshed interior that seats up to five people, the software's been changed to accommodate Toyota's T-Connect telematics system. If you're new here, T-Connect is basically a smartphone-based navigation app that allows its customers access useful information as well as services and can also be access via an interactive touchscreen. The Toyota Aqua has this one via optional extra so if you're looking for some sights and sounds around downtown Tokyo as well as other Japanese locales, be sure to have one for a change.

2015 Toyota Aqua X-URBAN

Apart from the minor change, the Aqua added a nippy crossover variant called the X-URBAN and although it looks more like a rugged compact, the X-URBAN still feels like a normal Aqua so who cares? On the X-URBAN variant, it comes with three different accents such as BRONZE BASIC, SPICY COLOR, and COOL BLUE. It's all in the name of personalization of course but on the wrong hands, this X-URBAN may end up looking like a hideous-looking rubber shoes that your mom wore for jogging in the morning sun. For the fun of it, try the one with the SPICY COLOR accent and the Cool Soda Metallic exterior color. That will give you the look of the Gulf Oil team livery except this isn't going to race at your local track because it's a city car. A boring city car that's about as nerdy as your classmate seating next to you.

2015 Toyota Aqua

It still features the same 1.5L petrol engine bolted to an electric motor and nickel metal battery as with the previous model while mated with the same old CVT gearbox. As told from the previous update that combat against the Honda Fit Hybrid, the Aqua features reduced engine friction, an inverter, and an updated motor so fuel economy is a record-breaking 37.0kmpl by JC08 standard, depending on the model and your actual driving mileage. Yes. That's .6kmpl more than the latest Fit Hybrid but still it's worth dull because let's not forget, the Fit Hybrid's got double clutch rather than CVT that the Aqua had but with so many recalls about their faulty double clutch gearboxes that Honda faced since last year, the Aqua could be your safe but boring bet.

Although boring, it's still more enjoyable than the normal Prius and with seating up to five people, going out with your friends on a trip to the mall isn't half bad for a barkada car for a stop. It may be sluggish to accelerate but its handling wasn't half bad although some understeering is a high possibility just like any other subcompacts when going in too fast.

How much was it? The new Aqua starts at 1,761,382 Yen for the base model (around $18,000) while the heavier X-URBAN model is priced at 2,046,000 Yen (around $21,000). Although more costly than the previous Aqua, it's still a bargain to own although you might need to spend more on the optional extras as well as the T-Connect telematics essential on your Japanese holidays.

Available colors (Aqua): Super White II, Lime White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Grey Metallic, Black Mica, Super Red V, Cherry Pearl Crystal Shine, Orange Pearl Crystal Shine, Yellow, Fresh Green Mica Metallic, Blue Metallic, Cool Soda Metallic, Dark Violet Mica Metallic.

Available colors (Aqua X-URBAN): Super White II/Bronze Basic, Lime White Pearl Crystal Shine/Bronze Basic, Silver Metallic/Bronze Basic, Grey Metallic/Bronze Basic, Black Mica/Bronze Basic, Super Red V/Bronze Basic, Orange Pearl Crystal Shine/Bronze Basic, Yellow/Bronze Basic, Fresh Green Mica Metallic/Bronze Basic, Blue Metallic/Bronze Basic, Cool Soda Metallic/Bronze Basic, Super White II/Spicy Color, Lime White Pearl Crystal Shine/Spicy Color, Silver Metallic/Spicy Color, Grey Metallic/Spicy Color, Black Mica/Spicy Color, Super Red V/Spicy Color, Orange Pearl Crystal Shine/Spicy Color, Yellow/Spicy Color, Fresh Green Mica Metallic/Spicy Color, Blue Metallic/Spicy Color, Cool Soda Metallic/Spicy Color, Super White II/Cool Blue, Lime White Pearl Crystal Shine/Cool Blue, Silver Metallic/Cool Blue, Grey Metallic/Cool Blue, Black Mica/Cool Blue, Super Red V/Cool Blue, Orange Pearl Crystal Shine/Cool Blue, Yellow/Cool Blue, Fresh Green Mica Metallic/Cool Blue, Blue Metallic/Cool Blue, Cool Soda Metallic/Cool Blue.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

My 20 most memorable PSX games I've played

In case you've missed or if you already heard of it, the original Sony PlayStation is now 20 years old since its Japan launch in December 1994. To commemorate the historic milestone, looks like it's time for me to take a trip down memory lane as I'll be listing some of my 20 most memorable PSX games of ages.

(Sigh). I remember about the time when I went to a certain place where I have to spend every buck playing PSX games for an hour after class and when I got my hands on the PSX, I spent my childhood playing with it along with my family. Time flies so fast but this is no time for lumpy throats. Here's my list.

1) Auto Destruct - Combining high-speed driving and weaponry warfare, Auto Destruct is every hardcore gamers' fantasy to enjoy driving in an open-world while carving destruction against terrorist forces. In this game, you are part of The Temple and you're avenging the death of your family against an extreme terrorist cult called The Cult of Lazarus. You are driving a high-tech sports car loaded with an arsenal of weapons essential to bring The Cult of Lazarus to oblivion.

2) Theme Hospital - This game is one of my all-time favorites, wasting my time building my own hospital, manage hospital staff, cure patients, research new equipment, and so much more while dealing with numerous situations such as earthquakes. I know the earthquake part feels scary as I progress through each level but in this game, you shouldn't feel a lot more comfortable while taking control of your own hospital. This is a serious game that needs to be taken seriously.

3) Star Ocean: The Second Story - I know this game says "Second Story" but this RPG is the first for PSX and this game has a lot of fanbase. This Japanese Role Playing Game is one of the games I got hooked on and in the game, whether if your main character is either Claude or Rena, the game's epic storytelling is worth addictive. My favorites in this game is Celine for her powerful magic spells, Bowman for his Poison Pills attacks (which is wickedly powerful), and Dias because I believe he sees Claude as his rival...I believe.

4) X-MEN Vs. Street Fighter - Capcom did invade one of the world's biggest names for their crossover fighting games and one of them is X-MEN vs. Street Fighter. I remembered playing one since when I was a kid, me and my family love to play Street Fighter at our family computer and I end up losing...and winning. Oh well. Anyway, you get to play as either one of your favorites from X-MEN and Street Fighter on an all-out tag-team brawl on a multitude of locations and unleash their most powerful combos to win. Sadly for me, I can't manage to pull them off for a change.

5) Mortal Kombat 4 - This installment from the cult-classic franchise features some of the most memorable characters such as Raiden, Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion, as well as new additions. It's the first MK game to feature weapons, kinda like the ones from the Soul games, where the right combo can pull one off and unleash devastating damage to your opponent. Although the game is very brutal because of so much blood in it, this game is worth addicting until you get to the "FINISH HIM/HER" part where, at random occurrences, can unleash character-specific FATALITIES. Looks scary to watch but this is how it's done. FATALITY.

6) Gran Turismo -  First launched in Japan since December 1997 and then worldwide a year after, the Gran Turismo series is one of the most successful Playstation games ever made. It features a huge roster of licensed cars ranging from Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Chevrolet, Aston Martin, Dodge, and TVR. For starters, you have some cash to buy some car but sadly, you can't afford a car from the NEW CAR dealership so for beginners, they chose the USED CAR dealership to buy their first car. Of course, in Gran Turismo tradition, the USED CAR dealership changes occasionally so if there's a car that interests you the most, buy it. If you have spare change, you're tuning it to make it competitive and then you're off to a race but before joining in the big leagues, you must first get a license. Each race requires a certain license like B, A, i-B, i-A, and the Super License and to get one, you must first pass series of challenges. Getting a bronze target maybe enough but true professionals go for the gold. I know, license challenges keeps on getting tougher and tougher but if I  get it right, I had the urge to pass all challenges to get the license.

7) Gran Turismo 2 - Two years later, the Gran Turismo experience expanded in Gran Turismo 2, which I believe that this is undoubtedly the best GT game I have ever played in ages. For an added twist, GT2 has two discs; disc one is called the Arcade Disc where you can race against opponents, time attack, two-player, and so on. Disc Two is called the Simulation Disc where in this disc, you are here to collect over 500 cars, complete license tests, and race in different cups to win new cars. The cars you obtained from Disc Two can be imported for Disc One gameplay. Of 500 cars in the game, there has been the inclusion of rally cars (which is new back then), kei cars, and the hybrid car they called the Toyota Prius. One of my favorite cars in the game is none other than the fan-favorite Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Version because with over 900HP of power and 4WD, you are truly invincible in most races! Other memorable cars include the long-forgotten Venturi, the Vector M12, the Renault Espace F1, the HKS Drag R32, the Daihatsu Midget II truck, and many other cars that made a huge mark in this game. There's also some one-make race series hosted by car manufacturers in GT2's Simulation Disc. Pick the right car for the race and race against equally matched cars! Simple is that.

8) R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 - Launched in late 1998 by NAMCO, this is the fourth installment of the Ridge Racer series and probably one of my favorite installments from the series due to the game's grooving music as well as the closing theme song that I love to listen all the time. In this installment, you get to be part of one of four racing teams, then choose a machine to drive for the championship. Keep in mind that each team serves as a difficulty setting for gamers. The Mappy team will give cars better handling, the Pac Racing Club possess a well-balanced performance, RT Solvalou focuses more on speed and nothing else, and the Dig Racing Team is by no means the hardest team to be for the championship.

9) Metal Gear Solid - The stealth action game that started the craze is one of the best PSX games of all time. It's the pride of Konami and the creator Hideo Kojima because even though it's complicated to progress because it's focused on stealth just like its MSX predecessors, the storyline is brilliant as are characters, the soundtrack, and the boss battles. One of the most memorable boss fights is against Psycho Mantis where players trying to defeat him using the second controller from their PSX. This game really set the template for other installments of this hit franchise and it keeps evolving as years pass by. SNAAAAAKKKKEEEE!!!

10) Bust-A-Move - One of the most memorable rhythm music games in ages and by no means one of the most complicating games to play. In this game, you have to tap the right buttons before the next set of buttons to tap will appear and do it over and over until the music is over. Even though the gameplay sounds tricky for a rhythm game, the soundtrack is worth enjoyable to listen over and over again. My favorite soundtracks from this game are from Shorty, Strike, Hamm, Hiro, and Kitty-N. Can't believe Japanese music label Avex got involved in this game.

11) Syphon Filter - I'm sure most of you hardcore gamers remember this one. In this game, you are Agency operative Gabe Logan and your mission is to stop the terrorists from unleashing the Syphon Filter virus. Spanning around the world from Washington D.C. to Almaty, Kazakhstan, this game is worth pulse-pounding as you progress through each mission. What's disturbing is shooting down enemies equipped with Flak Jacket and what's cool is the taser weapon that can barbecue enemies in a few seconds. Cool.

12) Crash Bandicoot 2 - This is the first Crash Bandicoot game I got even though this is a sequel to the previous Crash Bandicoot, which has been the pride of developer Naughty Dog a few years ago. In this sequel, the once defeated N Cortex is back with the vengeance and as Crash Bandicoot, you are warping through a series of twisted dimensions, defeating enemies, stopping bosses like Ripper Roo, Komodo Bros., Tiny Tiger, N Gin, and N Cortex, and save the universe. Of course, to complete a level, you have to find a crystal but if you're a seasoned pro, you have to smash every single crate. Be advised because there are some crates that are dangerous such as the TNT box that can detonate within three seconds and the Nitro box that explodes within contact. How can you destroy those without touching it? Not unless when there's a voodoo mask protecting alongside you.

13) Crash Bandicoot Warped - The third installment of the Crash Bandicoot game is always an enjoyable one and not only you can enjoy the added thrill that you expect from the last two, you can also play as his sister Coco for the first time but only in the part where she rides with a baby polar bear or a baby tiger named Pura.  In this installment, there are power-ups to collect after defeating a boss and these can be a lot helpful in numerous situations.

14) Syphon Filter 2 - Continuing where the first one left off, his partner Lian Xing was captured by the Agency and Gabe Logan is on a race against time to stop the virus from spreading, with the help of a former Agency operative Teresa Lipan (via radio). This sequel features a whole arsenal of weaponry such as handguns, snipers, or close-range weaponry such as a knife and a hand taser. Not only you can play as Gabe but also Lian as she tries to survive with the virus at her body. If solo gameplay isn't their thing, they can play as their favorite characters and go all-out with the 2-player versus mode.

15) Crash Team Racing - Probably one of the most enjoyable racing games for the whole family. In Crash Team Racing, you get to play as Crash Bandicoot, his friends, or his enemies, and then race your way to victory. There are some power ups scattered through the track where you can speed up or slow down your foes, making it more thrilling and enjoyable. In the game's quest mode, players have to progress through numerous races, defeat bosses, and get keys for a chance to defeat Oxide. Have you guys made it all the way?

16) Spyro the Dragon - I remember playing one when my mom introduced it to me. It's about the titular character named Spyro as he sets for an adventure to free his dragon race from their crystalline prisons done by the evil villain named Gnasty Gnorc as he set off across six worlds, running, jumping, gliding, rolling, and spit flames against baddies. Although I might find this game a lot boring, the first Spyro game is worth enjoyable and repetitive as you're looking for some secrets lurking around the world around him.

17) Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! - In this sequel, Spyro wanted to deserve a break after saving the world of dragons from Gnasty Gnorc so he's on vacation to Dragon Shores until... Well, that's how the sequel tells and on this sequel, Spyro the Dragon is on the biggest adventure of a lifetime, saving the world from the evil Ripto and his henchmen. Throughout his journey, Spyro gains some new abilities such as swimming, climbing, glide-hover, ground stop, superfly, supercharge, and superflame. These newly found abilities are highly essential for gamers as they progress through a vast world of surprises, meeting new friends, stopping new enemies, and save the world...again.

18) Syphon Filter 3 - In the third installment of the franchise, Gabe and Lian are under trial for the crimes they didn't commit. As they retold about their past missions, the virus keeps spreading and on this race against time, they have to clear their names and find out who's responsible for this. This third installment features a flashback full of storylines gamers will progress through numerous missions in the name of redemption, more exciting 2-player VS mode, and mini-games that will test your skills.

19) Die Hard Trilogy - Three games based on three Die Hard movies are in one unique game for the hardcore gamers and movie fans alike. There's the first Die Hard in the form of a third-person shooter, then there's Die Hard 2: Die Harder in the form of an arcade-style shoot-em-up game, and then there's Die Hard With a Vengeance in the form of a driving game in a race against time to save New York from exploding the heart of the city. Whichever Die Hard game I've played on this 3-in-1 PSX game, Die Hard Trilogy really feels like I'm reliving the first three Die Hard movies starring Bruce Willis as John McClane. Yippee Ki Yay!

20) Chocobo Racing - This Final Fantasy spin-off features the loveable Chocobo as he and Mog are on the quest to find fragments of the legendary Blue Crystal, which they can only gather by racing against memorable FINAL FANTASY characters. Although being childish for a fantasy racing game, it's still cute to play even when there are powerups and special abilities that can turn the tide on your favor. Yes. I said it cute because there are very cute characters on the roster except for the unlockable one.

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY TO THE PLAYSTATION! Here's hoping for the evolution of the PlayStation brand in the future and with the PS3, PS4, and the PSVita leading the PlayStation line, I expect greater things to come from them.

One GMW episode reunites TV's beloved BFFs

In case you missed it, there was a Christmas episode of Disney Channel's hit comedy series Girl Meets World where, for the first time ever, one of classic TV's beloved BFFs has been reunited as Rider Strong from the original Boy Meets World series made a comeback as Cory's best friend Shawn Hunter. Hard to believe it's been 14 years since the original BMW series went off the air but look at them, their friendship still making the rounds.

Here's the clip that really sums it up.

Let's Do The News! (December 7, 2014)

Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- Continuing on the updates of Typhoon Ruby/Hagupit, the Department of Education or DepEd announces class suspension on numerous areas affected by Typhoon Ruby. Here is the list of class suspensions as told by the DepEd:

ALL LEVELS:

Region IV-A

Cavite Province (Dec. 8 to 9, 2014)
Quezon Province (Dec. 8, 2014)
Rizal Province (Dec. 8, 2014)

Region IV-B

Oriental Mindoro (Dec. 8, 2014)

Region V

Camarines Sur (Dec. 8, 2014)
Camarines Norte (Dec. 8, 2014)

Region VII

Cebu Province (Dec. 8, 2014)
Talisay City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Lapu-lapu City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Mandaue City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Carcar City (Dec. 8, 2014)

NCR

Paranaque City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Pasay City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Navotas City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Valenzuela City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Pasig City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Muntinlupa City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Pateros (Dec. 8, 2014)
Quezon City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Makati City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Marikina City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Mandaluyong City (Dec. 8, 2014)
San Juan City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Las Pinas City (Dec. 8, 2014)
Malabon City (Dec. 8, 2014)

PRESCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL:

Region IV-B

Palawan, Palawan (Dec. 8, 2014)
Coron, Palawan (Dec. 8, 2014)
Culion, Palawan (Dec. 8, 2014)
Busuanga, Palawan (Dec. 8, 2014)
Region VI

Sorsogon Province

PRESCHOOL:

Dumaguete City (Dec. 8, 2014)

- Over 52 thousand people have been evacuated in the Mimaropa region to get away from the wrath of Typhoon Ruby.

- Typhoon Ruby brought down numerous debris from the Mayon Volcano in Albay after hours of heavy rainfall, rendering some the roads uncrossable.

- Meanwhile in China, there was a 9-year-old boy killed when the wall of his house collapsed during an earthquake in the southwest part of the nation, according to the state media.

- Somewhere in the Indian capital New Delhi, there was an Uber driver allegedly raped a female before threatening to kill her is she called the cops. Such report results to a bad reputation for Uber in India, where women exercise extreme caution due to the alarming cases of sexual assault.

- IS IT REALLY COMING BACK?! Prince Michael of Kent announced that the long-delayed London Motor Show will return this 2016 in Battersea Park after its long hiatus due to economic strife.

- Watch out! Capcom announces Street Fighter V coming soon exclusively for the PlayStation4 and PC with cross-platform play for the first time in history. Also coming exclusively on the PS4 is the updated version of Street Fighter IV called Ultra Street Fighter IV.

- Next year, Toyota Motor Corporation will introduce Toyota Safety Sense which offers two different safety packages. First, the Safety Sense C offers a Pre-Collision System (PCS), a Lane Departure Alert (LDA), and an Automatic High Beam (AHB) function. Then, Safety Sense P offers high-tech features such as a camera and a millimeter wave radar.

Toyota Safety Sense

- The Pokemon Company announced that next year's Pokemon World Championships will be held at Boston, Massachusetts this summer! Proven ace trainers from a multitude of countries will have plenty of time to prepare, either on their Pokemon Card Game decks or their video games via XY or ORAS, as the 2015 championship will held on August 21 to 23, 2015.

- Listen to Austin and Ally's Laura Marano as she's doing Last Christmas as part of holiday-themed Disney Playlist Sessions!

TTFN!!!

smart fortwo & forfour (W453)

2015 smart forfour

2015 smart fortwo

The smart duo compacts, the fortwo and the forfour, have now been regenerated with a brand new look and improved mechanisms that will keep these city cars well-refined for the next generation of first-time buyers but which smart would you want?

If you're single and if you don't have any friends, you might want to go with the fortwo, but if you have friends, well three of them, you can opt for the forfour. Either way, they're now both based on the latest Renault Twingo and just like that latest Twingo, they're rear-engined, rear-wheel drive just like a Porsche 911.

Of course, you might think that being a rear-wheel drive hatchback can be quite as enjoyable as a day at the theme park with your dabarkads but on these two, they're on a totally different story and how you drive these two will provide the same feeling that you felt after your field trip that starts with the boring part and ends with the exciting part.

The fortwo starts at 10,895 Euros while the forfour starts at 11,555 Euros and what do you get from these two are the same choice of petrol engines you can expect from the latest Renault Twingo such as the 1.0L and the 0.9L turbo engine. The 0.9L turbo engine that powers both the smart cars develops 90PS of power and 135Nm of torque.  As for the transmission, you can opt in for either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed double-clutch gearbox. Yes. There is a manual gearbox on a smart car so praise the driving gods! Sort of...

Although lacking in the power department, these little mice can have as much fun as they want but sometimes, those unswitchable driving aids are going to end your fun preemptively when you keep jamming the throttle. Also, when you go too fast on the corner, these cars tend to understeer and that's odd for these German city cars that had the same drivetrain as the Porsche 911.

For first-timers, they don't really care how problematic its handling is but what will appreciate these smart cars are the best-in-class turning radius and its refinement similar to its front-wheel drive oppositions like the Peugeot 108, Citroen C1, Fiat 500, VW up!, and many other Cozy Coupe-sized chunks.

2015 smart forfour interior

2015 smart fortwo interior

Well, even though they're larger than your baby boy's Cozy Coupe, both of these smart cars are really are cozy and, of course, convenient. You can opt in for some more extras including the one with the satellite-navigation system with hands-free connectivity so you can listen to your favorite playlist while on the go. And depending on the variant, they have enough space for your shopping bags after your weekend shopping spree with your mates.

Evaluating these two microcars are hard because, let's be honest, even though the new fortwo and the new forfour are different to each other, they still have the smart sense not as a city car, but a good car for a stop. These two cars are more than welcome to be part of their garages if spending a day with a ridiculously expensive sportscar is not part of their schedule but be advised for the macho men because driving one of these will make people think you're less matured and more of a Bondying.

Maybe these new smart cars makes you feel like a Bondying if you asked me.

Photo: Daimler AG

Driving Music (What is the name of the song on car commercial?) Vol. 64

NEW HOSTILES ON THE RADAR! According to the radar, I've detected some bandits trying to steal the music industry upon hearing it from a certain car commercial! Such bandits have queries like...

• acura tlx commercial song
• das auto commercial song
• fiat grand finale commercial song
• lexus christmas commercial song
• song used in jeep commercial
• what is the name of the song in the nissan commercial
• who sings the song on the renault advert

Hostiles to the music industry, prepared to be bailed out as I'm going to launch something straight at your conniving faces. I'm talking about...10 MORE DRIVING MUSICS! FOX TWO! Sorry...too much airforce references. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah!

10) I'm not Like Everybody Else by The Kinks - from an Acura TLX Commercial

9) Pimpin' All Over the World - Ludacris ft. Bobby V. - from an Acura TLX "Whatever Ludacris is Doing Right Now" commercial

8) My Way by Sid Vicious - from the Acura TLX Commercial.

7) Spark the Fire by Gwen Stefani - from the Fiat USA Gran Finale commercial

6) Guts Over Fear - Eminem Featuring Sia - from the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat commercial

5) Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt - DJ Shadow - from the Chevrolet "Attract Attention" commercial

4) What a Wonderful World by Michael Buble - from the Honda Grace commercial

3) Let It Go by Idina Menzel - from the Honda Cars minivan commercial

2) 踊ろよ、フィッシュ by 山下達郎 - from the Subaru Impreza Sport F/L commercial

1) Mony Mony by Billy Idol - from the Nissan USA Sentra "Spread Your Joy" commercial.

Driving Music from Leopaul's Blog is the segment where solves every car enthusiasts' questions about the title of the song of car commercials...with the risk of MATCHED THIRD PARTY CONTENT on their status. Acknowledge or dispute, it's your choice.

Let's Do The News! (December 6, 2014)

Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- On the situation of Typhoon Ruby/Hagupit:

Latest Pagasa bulletin: (As of 11 AM, December 6, 2014)

Signal # 3:
(Winds of 100 - 185 kph is expected in at least 18 hrs)
Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Ticao Island
Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran

Signal # 2:
(Winds of 61-100 kph is expected in at least 24 hrs)
Camarines Sur, Burias Island, Romblon
Capiz, Northern Cebu, Cebu City, Bantayan Island, Camotes Island, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Province

Signal #1:
(winds of 30 - 60 kph is expected in at least
36 hours)
Southern Quezon, Camarines Norte, Marinduque, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Antique, Aklan, Iloilo, Guimaras, Northern Negros, Rest of Cebu, Bohol, Surigao del Norte, Siargao Island

 - Officials from the Department of Science and Technology states that this typhoon will make landfall five times on Sunday and Monday. Here are the list of areas where the typhoon will make its landfall:

Sunday (Dec. 7)

2 a.m. to 4 a.m. – Borongan, Eastern Samar

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Masbate

8 p.m. to 10 p.m. – Sibuyan Island (Romblon)

Monday (Dec. 8)

2 a.m. to 4 a.m. – Romblon

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Mindoro

- The Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office ordered a preemptive evacuation of residents of the capital's coastal barangays by Monday, should Typhoon Ruby hit the NCR, due to the possible storm surge on Manila Bay.

- The chokehold death rally is on its 3rd day as rallyists from all over the USA staged die-ins, blocked roadways, and marched into stores to protests against the New York Grand Jury's decision to not indict a policeman who chokehold a black man to death.

- An all-female theater group has found a great way to save the diminishing theaters in Spain from the nation's sales tax hike is...and they're not joking...selling pornography.

- Shortly after its announcement, the track-only Ferrari FXX K hybrid racer has all of its units sold out. Oh FXXK...

Ferrari FXX K

- Volvo commenced some bizarre experiment on their brand-new XC90 SUV by crashing it to a ditch, just to find out how tough is their new SUV.

- The Ferrari Sergio sportscar, which is based on the 458 Spider, has been revealed and the first out of the six planned units to produced, has been delivered to the SBH Royal Auto Gallery in Abu Dhabi, the capitol of the UAE.

Ferrari Sergio

- The brand new, eighth-generation, Suzuki Alto kei car has been teased and it's going to be revealed this 22nd of December. Although the upcoming model's look can be somewhat odd and boxy with the front view reminiscent of past Altos of yesteryears, this new model will be helmed as the king of fuel-efficient petrol cars. What's the fuel economy? I can't tell but Suzuki warns that this will be a lot higher than its rival, the Daihatsu Mira e:S, by a huge margin. There's also a turbo version coming this Spring.

Teaser for the 2015 Suzuki Alto

- Over 7.7 million copies of Pocket Monsters ORAS have been shipped globally. That's great for being one of the most anticipated 3DS titles of 2014.

Pocket Monsters Alpha Sapphire

Pocket Monsters Omega Ruby

TTFN!!!

#BGBinatilyaBeaucon

On the December 5, 2014 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Airport gags

- Istambay, Istambay sa Looban, May bagong na namang kalokohan, May nagpapa-audition sa tambayan, baka daw kami ay...MAPALITAN?

- Desiree the Binatilya is joining the beauty contest and he's facing stiff competition against the other bekis!

- Trailer spoofs!

- One of Don Cantoni's associates messed up with him but who?

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...Throwback Thursdays!

- Some words to live by from Tata Lino:

• Ang sukatan, hindi lang bait at ganda. Huhusgahan ka rin sa amoy ng iyong hininga.
• Mahirap magpaalam sa mahal mo sa buhay, pero mas mahirap magpaalam kung galit ang iyong ina.
• Ang relasyon na walang pag-ibig na bumubuhay ay parang isang tablet na walang wi-fi.
• Pwede mong kareerihin kahit anong palakasan, pero hindi sport ang katangahan kaya wag mong galingan.

- IyoTube in Wiggle by Jason Derulo feat. Snoop Dogg.

Ford Mustang - Sixth Generation

2015 Ford Mustang

For over 50 years, the Ford Mustang has been the poster boy of the American muscle car craze and even if it's facing stiff competition from Chevy and Dodge from past and present, the Ford Mustang is still on top as the king of American muscle cars and now, the iconic muscle car has been given its much awaited regeneration so let's fire up this new generation Mustang and find out how it's made.

The first thing I want to know about the new Mustang is the design and at first glance, judging the way that Ford still keeps using its Aston Martin-esque grille in most models like the Fusion, the Fiesta, and the Focus, I'm starting to think this is more of an Aston copy rather than carrying the tradition but I was wrong. This car still keeps the classic look alive and with some modern-day touches in it, it looks like it spent the whole day eating Century Tuna for breakfast, lunch, tea, even elevensies. Now that's hot stuff.

2015 Ford Mustang interior

Aside from having the body of a Superbods model, the interior is brand new and look at those silver-colored flickers below the climate control, it's just like the ones I found on the legendary Ford GT supercar and judging from its muscle car atmosphere, the inside is all about being retro-futuristic, although the sat-nav system is a bit of a letdown for me because most Ford sat-navs with the SYNC on it is worthless. Sigh. But that doesn't stop me from like the new interior.

2015 Ford Mustang

2015 Ford Mustang Convertible

Prices start from $23,600 to $41,600 and there are two body styles available on the brand new Mustang such as the hardtop coupe for a more traditional feel and the open-top convertible if you want to go on an open-air spree on the open road. Whichever Mustang you choose, you can be opted for one of three available engines such as the brand new 2.3L EcoBoost 4-cylinder turbo engine, a 3.7 V6 engine, and the top-spec 5.0L V8 engine for the flagship GT model.

While a turbocharged engine maybe a sacrilege for Mustang purists but this is the first ever turbocharged engine since the Mustang SVO of 1985, Ford says that this brand new 2.3L EcoBoost engine develops more power than the V6 variant and it has best-in-class fuel economy of 25 combined MPG. It produces 310HP of power and 320lb-ft of torque when it comes to performance figures. That sounds great but there is one major problem about the Mustang EcoBoost and that's the noise because it has revealed that it uses a system that triggers a synthesised version of the exhaust note through the stereo.

That sounds cheating but there's a bigger problem about this system; this synthesised version of the exhaust note will be gone if the factory-equipped audio has been removed so there's a word of warning though that if you're planning to replace its radio, you're going to lose its fakey exhaust note so exercise extreme caution. So, who would want that kind of Mustang that you can't replace its factory-equipped radio? My best bet would be nobody because speedo boys don't like that kind of thing much like what happened to the latest BMW M cars when they have turbo engines at the cost of exhaust notes.

It seems odd that why there are some modern-day turbocharged production cars doesn't want to sound like a speedo boy's Honda because there's one thing: NO CAR SHOULD EVER SOUND LIKE RICE. That's the reason. They'll do it on their own and that sounds a lot harsh than your Auntie visiting your home and telling your grandparents some bad news.

Anyway, I'm not mind getting one and my choice is the flagship GT version. The 5.0L V8 engine Mustang fans love has been given more power so now, it produces 435HP of power and 400lb-ft of torque. Such added power is done by its bigger intake and exhaust valves and new camshafts with increased lift. Fuel economy maybe a 19MPG combined but meh. This is the one to have if you're a Mustang aficionado and for the hell of it, that noise takes me back.

For the first time in Mustang history, Ford has finally freed from their fear of adding sophisticated suspension to the iconic pony car and now, this Mustang comes with the first ever fully-independent rear suspension and new double-ball-joint front suspension. While Ford says it has less body roll and improved pitch control during hard acceleration and hard braking, driving the Ford Mustang is like memorizing a tongue twister. If the tongue twister gets more slippery, the Ford Mustang shows off its dynamic side and even with the added sophistication that you get from its European foes, it still feels more Americanized and if you get twisty, it's difficult to go back to its normal state unless you're a skilled driver.

No matter which engine I'm choosing as well as the body style, I strongly believe that this new Mustang is now ready to take on the world, be it in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or in the Americas. Yes. This car is now ready for its world stage and looks like it will have a cult following in countries that doesn't know the Mustang story yet. It's great for rookies and experts alike and if you want to be part of the Mustang community, there's no better opportunity to do it. Praise the driving gods because this pony car's going global!

Photo: Ford Motor Company

Forza Horizon 2: The Last Barn Find!

Horizon intellectuals told that the final barn find is located at the heart of Southern Europe and what heart of Southern Europe I was talking about? Nope. You're wrong because the heart of Southern Europe and everything in Forza Horizon 2 is the Horizon Festival of course!

Upon my investigation, my witness instincts told me that the final barn find in the game is located less than two miles to the Festival, depending on your navigational skills, and this final barn find is none other than the mythical Lamborghini Miura, the car that gave birth to the supercar craze.

This is it! The last barn find and I'm on my way to complete my barn find collections in FH2! Isn't it awesome! I've finally got ten out of ten barn finds scattered all over the Southern European landscape! It sure is one heck of a ride out there.

There's no need to tell me what in the world is the Lamborghini Miura because this is the mythical sportscar from Lamborghini first introduced the supercar trend. It's styled by the now-bankrupt Bertone and it's powered by a 4.0L V12 engine mounted sideways to keep it compact just like a Mini. When production ended in 1972, over 760 units were made and such numbers is what you called "exclusive".

With the final barn find unearthed and now in my hands, I decided to drive this one for a road trip back to where it all started: Castelletto! Remember, in a road trip, you have a lot of decisions; follow the path from your GPS or take chances by yourself. Since I'm more of a risk-taker in FH2, I decided to take my chances as I cross my way to Castelletto.




Now that we arrived back to where it all started, our journey to the Horizon Finale continues.

Let's Do The News! (December 5, 2014)

Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) continues to strengthen as it continued to track the Eastern Samar-Northern Samar area as of today. It packs maximum sustained winds of 215kph near the center and gusts of over 250kph. So far, eleven areas are under Signal No.2 such as Sorsogon, Ticao Island, Masbate, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Cebu, Bantayan Island, and Camotes Island.

Track of Typhoon RUBY (HAGUPIT)

- The Commission on Elections or COMELEC rejected the petition of several groups seeking to blacklist election technology provider Smartmatic from joining the public bidding for the 2016 election systems.

- Some college in Florida used strippers as admissions officers, forged documents, and coached students to lie on financial forms as it fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in federal money, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Miami.

- Anthropologists said they've found an earliest engraving in human history on a fossilized mollusk shell about 500,000 years old, unearthed in colonial-era Indonesia.

- Polish anthropologists unearthed remains of one of over 2,500 Soviet and Italian soldiers who died in a Nazi German stalag near the city of Przemysl during World War II.

- MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino urged the Filipino public to secretly record every traffic enforcers' movements and upload it to the official MMDA website.

- The 24th James Bond movie has been named 007: Spectre and it's showing in cinemas late 2015. In preparation for the upcoming Bond movie, Aston Martin created a car exclusively for the movie called the DB10. Its mechanism remains a mystery but this machine is part of Aston Martin's involvement in Bond movies since the DB5 in Goldfinger. They're going to produce up to ten units for this new-age Bond machine as well.

Aston Martin DB10 for 007: Spectre

- McLaren's MSO branch has been expanded into five different categories and we can expect more one-offs from the British supercar maker.

- Episode Three of Cartoon Hangover's Bee and PuppyCat web series is now streaming!

- Dutch supercar maker Spyker files for bankruptcy due to its financial woes. You may remember that Spyker once bought Swedish carmaker Saab in the past but efforts for Spyker to save Saab ended in complete failure.

TTFN!!!