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Saw this on Gizmodo, very cool stuff, uses Bittorret, RSS, and the portable media device makes it's appearance in the form of a PSP. Check this out if you want to see the juicy details of how this all works.

We talked about these types of innovations on here before when trying to figure out where podcasting would lead. It's great to see some of them start to come to fruition.

I mentioned the 6 requirements for my new car in the last aricle I posted here.

Here is how the new RX-8 measures up point by point in my first 48 hour / 150 km experience.

1) Warrantee: It has one, by default 3 years 60,000 km bumper to bumper. I leased this car for 4 years, so I will at a minimum have to buy the addtional year, if bought within a year it's less than $400 CDN which is reasonable. It's only $2,500 for the 7 year / 180,000 km version, and based on my first 24 hours I may just keep this thing so it's starting to look good

2) Costs: I actually saved a few dollars a month on the payment / insurance combo with this move, so definitely a check on this one.

3) 4 Doors:    Hmmmmm

Check.

4) Attention to Detail: The interior ergonomics, useability, and safety features are shocking for the price range of this car. Everything is thought through in detail, right down to the way the sun visors are semi-transparent so you can see through them when pulled down. Wow, I'm really getting blown away so far.

5) Fun Factor: This has been the part that's been killing me. I have to take it easy on this thing for the first 1,000 km's and the process is just painfull. So far, when driving like a grandma, I'm very impressed. When under 4,000 rpm she is very refined, you can barely hear the engine at all and I keep having to tap the gas pedal to make sure it's still running.

I can barely hold back from going over 4,000 rpm though, that 9,000 mark seems sooooooo far away, maybe I can get a liiiiittttlllee closer…. NO! I have to behave. More on this section in a couple of weeks once I'm through the break-in period.

6) Uniqueness: In the last 48 hours of driving I've seen one Blue RX-8 on the highway, one black behind me on College street, and about 1,000 BMW's all over the place   ….So far so good…

Next Report…. 1,100 KM's so in about a month. Stay tuned!

“Blogging is like writing an email, cc:World.” - Doc Searls

I made the decision to trade in the 7 year old BMW I own for a new car. There were a couple of considerations I had to take into effect when I decided on the right vehicle going forward:

1) Warrantee…. the BMW has been killing me in repairs this last year. I needed something with bumper to bumper

2) Costs…. I needed the monthlies and insurance to be in the area they are today with the current car

3) 4 Door…. The BMW is a 2 door sports car. I'm in my thirties now and I have to take all things into consideration. Eventually kids etc…

4) Attention to detail…. the reason I have had a German make for the last 3 vehicles I have owned is the pretty standard great attention to detail. The way things are laid out in the interior, safety features, general reliability etc…

5) Fun Factor…. In all reality I am a big kid trapped in an adult's body when it comes to driving. In my youth I raced amateur with a tricked out Datsun 310 I owned for a wonderful 2 years. I have never been able to let go of the need for a sporty, fun to drive vehicle that puts a smile on your face.

6) Uniqueness…. One thing about driving a BMW in Toronto, is that there are almost more BMW's than Honda's on the street in this city… definitely not unique past my choice of Boston Green as the paint color.

After about the last 6 months worth of research, I have come to only one conclusion for the car I have decided to acquire….

Zoom Zoom

What does that symbol mean? It's a reflection of the rotary engine, which is a completely different design than the typical piston engine that you see in 99.9% of all cars driving down the street. This is an engine with only one or two big rotors that rotate in a circle as opposed to a pumping action like a piston engine….really cool stuff, very unique, and allows a listed 238 horsepower out of a measly 1.3 litre sewing machine.

This engine is so small it rests almost directly under the dashboard and is housed inside of the 4 squares of the wheelbase. I won't even go into the details of how this positively affects handling and performance from a braking and traction perspective due to the perfect 50/50 wieght distribution. I'll wait until the test drives turn into a longer term reality to report the true experience.

Here is the kicker, it has 4 doors! Butterfly, but more than enough to get a 6 foot passenger or even a baby seat someday…. I just picked it up last night, I'll share my experiences and upload some more photos once I have had some time to really experience the ride

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At least this time….. I do!

Week 1, day 4, tons of candy so rushing on the sugar, but stable and strong. Loving the clear lungs and not missing the being a 'nicotine slave' thing at all.

I am officially a non-smoker now and proud of it.

..but even I didn't expect it this quick.

Huge feature on Business blogging, Blogware, and one of our reseller's focus on this niche from Smallbusinesscomputing.com.

Kim even get's quoted….

“Be honest. Blogging is not an advertising vehicle, it is a conversation. A blog's credibility comes from the honesty of the medium. Allow disagreements because blogging has an interactive aspect to it, and allowing this dialogue lends credibility to the site. “