Moody Clouds

2009 Toyoto Corolla

The 2009 Corolla will come in five trims: Standard, LE, XLE, the “sporty” S and even “sportier” XRS. The car is about the same size as the last model, but the A- and C-pillars have been pushed out to give the greenhouse a more rakish look. Meanwhile, S and XRS models get a body kit that includes a chin spoiler, fog lamps, rocker moldings, spoilers and even an underbody engine cover to improve airflow beneath the car. Engines include the base 1.8L four-cylinder with dual-VVT-i producing 132 HP and 162 ft-lbs. of twist. The XRS alone gets a 2.4L producing 154 HP and 162 ft-lbs. of torque. Cars like the Honda Civic Si sedan shouldn’t worry. S models also get 16-inch wheels that are unfortunately capped with wheel covers, while the XRS sports 17-inchers that are pure alloy.

2009 Toyota Matrix

Matrix will be available in three grades – Standard, S and the XRS. And Matrix will offer the option of all-wheel drive (AWD) with the S grade. The 2009 Matrix offers the choice of two different engines, a five-speed manual transmission, and either four- or five-speed automatic transmissions.

A 16-valve, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine will produce 132 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 128 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,400 rpm. The engine will feature Dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) on both the intake and exhaust camshafts that helps it achieve outstanding performance and economy. Estimated EPA fuel economy ratings are 26/32 city/highway mpg for manual transmission models and 25/31 for the automatic transmission model powered by a 1.8-liter engine.

For those who want a bit more horsepower and torque, the Matrix offers a 16-valve DOHC 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with VVT-i that will produce 158 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 162 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. Matrix models powered by the 2.4-liter engine with five-speed automatic transmission will have an estimated EPA fuel economy of 21/29 city/highway mpg.

The Matrix’s base wheel is a 16-inch steel unit with a six-spoke full wheel cover. A distinctive 17-inch five-spoke aluminum wheel will be available for the S grade, and an 18-inch aluminum alloy wheel with a twin five-spoke design will come standard on the XRS grade.

At the Sega Joypolis, a 3-story arcade and amusement park at Tokyo Decks Beach (the same place as Muscle Park), they have a gigantic setup of the Initial D racing game. What makes this arcade driving setup different and much, much better than any other? The fact that you ride in real cars while you play. Yes, you get fully strapped into a Subaru Impreza WRX, Mazda RX-7 or the Tofu car from the series, which then move around realistically while you drive. It’ll set you back 600 yen a ride (about $5.25), or it’s free if you have an unlimited day pass, which I did, allowing me to ride it over and over again.

It looks cool, isn’t it? Happy Halloween

Google is expected to announce advanced software and services within the next two weeks that would allow handset makers to bring Google-powered phones to market by the middle of next year, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

According to this WSJ article:

[Google] is drafting specifications for phones that can display all of Google’s mobile applications at their best, and it is developing new software to run on them. The company is conducting much of the development work at a facility in Boston, and is working on a sophisticated new Web browser for cellphones, people familiar with the plans say.The prize for Google: the potential to broker ads on the mobile phones, complementing the huge ad business it has built online. Google even envisions a phone service one day that is free of monthly subscription charges and supported entirely through ad revenue, people familiar with the matter say…

Google is hoping that multiple operators will offer its phone. And Google is ready to relinquish some control over design, allowing manufacturers to create devices based on a common set of specifications. Google has approached several wireless operators in the U.S. and Europe in recent months, including AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, people familiar with the situation say. T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom AG, appears to be the furthest along in considering it, these people say. Andy Rubin, who helped design T-Mobile’s popular Sidekick phone, now works at Google and is involved in its handset project.

Vitas is awesome singer.

This poor doggy beat down by a duck.

Close your eyes, play this movie, and listen. Open your eyes, replay and listen again. Is he saying “ba ba” or “da da”? It’s called the McGurk effect.

Wiki ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McGurk_Effect

Congratulation! Apple. Leopard has a huge success. It sold 2 million copied already in 1st week.

Here is the press release from Apple.com. [Link]