Gas or Electric? Lincoln Answers – “Both”

Lincoln 2012 MKZ Hybrid

I got a chance to test drive Lincoln’s all new MKZ Hybrid Luxury Vehicle all around New York City. To be honest, I’ve never driven a Lincoln before and I always thought the brand was for, how do I say it, the generation ahead of mine. I will say, the style and perks with the all new MKZ were a pleasant surprise. See my thoughts below.

Likes:

Body

I was very intrigued by the style of the MKZ. It is slightly aggressive, yet refined. It also has “the car next door” look to it which means it is slightly unassuming. I think the style fits quite nicely because you don’t reek of pretentiousness after you open the car door to step out. One is also pleasantly surprised when he takes a peek inside to find leather seats and a smartly laid out dash.
“Smart Gauge”

This really came in handy as I drove around. It’s almost like an app for making sure you are being as fuel efficient as possible at all times. It literally delivers real time information on how much electricity vs fuel you are using. I could take a quick glance at the dashboard and make certain decisions based on that information to help ease the pain the next time I went to the gas station.

Fuel Efficiency

41 MPG! I didn’t try my luck and drive all the gas out – but I believe that number. After driving for a while I never felt anxious about how much fuel was left. If anything, I started to get maniacal about checking how much energy I was saving over on the battery meter on the Smart Gauge. This is a huge factor and can’t be understated especially with gas hitting around 4 bucks a gallon.

Sync

Not a huge amount to say here other than the fact that I really liked how simple it was to sync my mobile device to the car. I also synced my music and contacts to the car’s onboard memory and I could immediately call the last person who called me or who I had called. I could dial anyone I needed to or command my playlists – all via voice control.

Dislikes:

Lack of Opulence

So you remember earlier on in this post how I said “you don’t reek of pretentiousness when you open the car door?”  Well, I kinda wish I did – just a little. Inside was very nice, don’t get me wrong, but I felt almost guilty about how down to earth the car was. I really would have liked some over the top items like TVs in the back or something. Everything was so useful. The rear parking camera, the blinky-lite every time there was oncoming traffic. It’s just so practical it made me a little nuts! Where was the Champagne dispenser?
Navigation:

I did have a little issue here. I tried on several occasions to get directions to certain areas around the city and found myself trying over, and over, and over again to make the computer understand what I was saying. Then I had to confirm my selections with the number associated with the place I had described on the dashboard which I found quite a bit more distracting than I would have liked. In the end, I just gave up and used my mobile phone’s map for directions.

Summary:

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was to drive this vehicle. Saving money at the pump always puts a smile on face! It’s a car no one will make fun of you for driving, but it is a little unassuming. The sync interface is really good and I can’t wait for it to be updated so that it’s even better. You really get the feel that most cars will have some system like it standard in the next few years.

Elite Social Club Starring the PS Vita!

I’m sure you’ve heard of Sony’s new handheld gaming system called the PS Vita. You know about the 5″ screen, and the front and rear facing cameras. You may also know about it’s wi-fi, 3G, and Bluetooth connectivity. However, have you actually handled one? Held it gently in your arms and played the day away? If not, then here’s your chance! Sony has set up 8 “Social Clubs” around the country for people to go to, to experience the Vita. The eight towns are: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Austin. You can go here for more information. I went to the one in New York located at 154 Stanton Street, New York, NY. They hooked us up with free snacks and beverages as well as let us play as long as we wanted on the Vitas strewn across the many tables in the room. The hip decoration and trendy music made for a vibrant and cool experience. You also get to sign up for free which locks you in to the possibility of winning a Vita for yourself. If you haven’t gone yet, you better hurry as the promotion ends on the 22nd!

A couple of the games you’ll be able to play are listed below. There’s also some pretty cool footage of some of the games and their developers, so click the links below.

Major League Baseball 2K12 Soundtrack Available

If you’re a fan of Baseball there’s a good chance you’ll be interested in 2K’s announcement that they are partnering with SPIN Media, the premiere source for media discovery, to release a sound track for the new game. The game release date is March 6th, 2012. This is the first time SPIN has collaborated with any video game. Check the full PR Release below:

2K Sports partners with SPIN for Major League Baseball® 2K12 Soundtrack

Featuring exclusive original track from G-Side – free to download on SPIN.com;
Plus artists Bass Drum of Death, Grouplove, Skrillex, The Vaccines, and more

New York, NY – February 16, 2012 – 2K Sports today announced that they have
partnered with SPIN Media, the premier resource for music discovery, to create a
13-song soundtrack for the upcoming Major League Baseball® 2K12, the eagerly
anticipated next iteration of the popular MLB 2K series, which hits stores
nationwide on March 6, 2012.

The release of MLB 2K12 marks the first time that SPIN has collaborated on a video
game soundtrack and the first time 2K Sports has worked with a music media company.
The baseball-loving team behind SPIN jumped at the chance to curate the game and
enlisted a hard-hitting team to select the songs.

The resulting playlist covers all bases with a wide range of musical genres from
hip-hop and electronic, to rock and pop, and includes both established and emerging
artists, reflecting the true diversity of baseball fans.  Earning themselves the
unofficial title of “most valuable players,” Alabama rap duo and SPIN breaking-out
artists, G-Side, recorded an exclusive original track called “Put Me in the Game” –
hitting a home run with the fresh, futuristic, synth-heavy beat.

G-Side’s exclusive track, which is inspired by “defying odds to achieve something
greater in life,” can be downloaded for free at SPIN.com/mlb2k12 starting February
21. The rest of the soundtrack will also be available to stream.

"When the match is right, music and sports can complement each other in a profound
way, so curating SPIN’s first video game soundtrack was an exciting challenge. We
were thrilled to be asked by 2K Sports, and took seriously the responsibility of
sharing some of our favorite tracks with MLB fans,” said Charles Aaron, SPIN
Editorial Director. “Many special thanks, of course, go to G-Side for providing an
awesome new track."

MLB 2K12 features AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander on the cover
along with a robust list of features and game modes, improved gameplay, and the
return of the $1 Million Perfect Game Challenge, which will award one MLB 2K12 gamer
the coveted grand prize. SPIN’s hand-picked soundtrack bolsters an immersive
baseball experience.

“This year’s soundtrack is easily the best yet thanks to SPIN,” said Jason Argent,
vice president of marketing, 2K Sports. “They are experts in the music industry and
our fans are really going to enjoy the playlist they selected when playing MLB 2K12.
Music is a key element in our sports titles, so when we’re working hard to create
the best, most authentic experience for fans we expect the soundtrack to follow the
same beat.”

The complete track listing for the MLB 2K12 soundtrack includes:

  1.  Bass Drum of Death, "Get Found"
  2.  Explosions in the Sky, "Trembling Hands"
  3.  The Cool Kids, "Boomin'"
  4.  The Vaccines, "If You Wanna"
  5.  G-Side, "Put Me in the Game"
  6.  Grouplove, "Colours"
  7.  JEFF the Brotherhood, "Shredder"
  8.  My Morning Jacket, "Holdin On to Black Metal"
  9.  Skrillex, "Nice Sprites & Scary Monsters"
  10. Telekinesis, "Please Ask for Help"
  11. The Joy Formidable, "Austere"
  12. Atmosphere, "Just for Show"
  13. Pretty Lights, "Hot Like Dimes"

MLB 2K12 is rated E for everyone by the ESRB and will be available March 6, 2012 for
the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3
computer entertainment system, Wii™ system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment
system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo DS™ and Windows PC.

Twisted Metal Offers Chance to Fire Fully Automatic Weapon at Ice Cream Truck Remotely

No,

the title is not misleading at all. Sony has come up with the idea, as promotion for the new installment of Twisted Metal for Playstation3 coming out on the 14th,  to hook a fully automatic weapon up to a server and a webcam. They are allowing lucky winners to remotely shoot at an ice cream truck in the middle of the dessert. All you sick and twisted individuals interested can sign up here with your facebook or twitter account.