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Last week on Drex Live, topics included the new laptops from Hewlett Packard and what Deadmau5’s new studio looks like. We also gave away a bunch of geek swag from Loot Crate.
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This week, HP gets serious with some new laptops and Joel Zimmerman shows off his new in-home recording studio. But first, what is Loot Crate and why do you want it?
Whether you identify as a geek, a nerd, or an aficionado, Loot Crate is for you. It’s a monthly surprise box full of collectibles and t-shirts (and other things) that are sure to satisfy the pop culture critic in you.
From bobbleheads to limited edition plushies, from pins to posters, from socks to backpacks, each month Loot Crate puts together a collection of themed items and mails them to your door.
You can subscribe to Loot Crate or order month-to-month, and each box comes with at least $60 worth of items. Subscriptions start at about $40 a month and get as cheap as $35.
February’s theme was “Dead” and March’s was “Versus”, and we’ve got items from those Loot Crates to give away on Drex Live this week.
Listen to the show just after the news at 9 p.m. PT for your chance to win.
Hewlett Packard recently updated its line of laptops, and the venerable computer company is really pushing the design.
The new HP Spectre may be “the world’s thinnest laptop” at just over 10 mm with a 13.3-inch screen (the Macbook, by comparison, is 13 mm at its thickest point with a 12-inch screen).
The Spectre runs Windows 10 on either Intel Core i5 or i7 processors. Canadian pricing and release haven’t been announced, but the laptop will start at US$1,170 when it releases in the U.S. later this month.
HP also updated its line of Envy laptops. The Envy x360 is a 15.6-inch laptop with an optional 4K display and improved battery life that converts to a tablet.
The base Envy’s, available in 15.6- and 17.3-inch models, now sport three USB 3.0 ports and HP Fast Charge technology, which can charge the battery to 90 percent in just 90 minutes.
As with the Spectre, the new Envy laptops will be available in Canada later this year.
Joel Zimmerman has pulled the wrapping off a new recording studio built in the master bedroom of his Toronto home.
The musician and composer, popularly known as Deadmau5, has been working on the studio, the “mau5 den,” in secrecy for more than a year. The space includes dozens of pieces of digital and analog equipment, including a new Razer Blade Stealth, which was released earlier this year.
Deadmau5 uses the ultrabook as part of his music production process.
The new studio was unveiled on Razer Music, a portal for music creators and producers. Released at the same time was a new music tutorial video featuring Deadmau5 and long time friend and collaborator, Steve Duda.
The first video provides production tips on melodic structuring.
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Last week on Drex Live, topics included media formats that are so old nobody remembers how to use them (VHS), why Google might be making Nik’s photo filters available for free, the rage over Tesla’s Model 3, and why Uber was back in Vancouver.
You can listen to Drex and I ramble about”:ttp://omnyapp.com/shows/drex-live/drex-blaine-kyllo-tech-round-up-april-6.
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This week, some thoughts on the Tesla Model 3, Google makes Nik photo editing software free, and what old media can do to you. But first, Uber is coming back to Vancouver, but it’s not what you think.
Uber will be back in Vancouver tomorrow. But the company won’t be in town to lobby politicians or the general public, and least not overtly. This time, it’s all about UberPitch.
Uber will be rolling around with investors in cars, giving people in Vancouver’s downtown core a chance to pitch those investors with their money-making idea.
Between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., entering the promo code “PITCHYVR” into the Uber app on your smartphone will put you in a car with 15 minutes to sell your start-up.
The investors participating are:
Once available at a cost of about $500 (most recently the price had come down to about $150), the Nik Collection of photo editing plug-ins is now free, courtesy of Google, which acquired the company in 2012.
There are seven plug-ins, including filters for enhancing and modifying photos, and sharpening and noise reduction tools. They are best used as plug-ins that modify existing photo software, including Lightroom, and Photoshop.
The Nik apps work on OS X and Windows, but Mac users should note that it does not work with the new Photos app.
It may be that Google has chosen to release this software for free because the apps will no longer be updated or supported – the company just discontinued Picasa as it tries to move users to Google Photos – but this is only speculation.
Last week, a North Carolina man was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant for failing to return a rented VHS. James Meyers rented the comedy flop, written, directed, and starring Canadian Tom Green, in 2002.
The store closed long ago, but the warrant never expired. When Meyers was pulled over for a broken tail light, a police check resulted in the arrest.
Tom Green told Australian television program, The Project, that he called Meyers and had a laugh about the incident. Green has also offered to pay the fine. “If it’s 200 bucks of course I’ll pay it for him, just for the principle of the thing,” Green told the New York Daily News.
So last week we got our first look at the Tesla Model 3.
It looks cool (i love the glass roof), it’s priced (for now) at US$35,000 (at today’s rates that’s Cdn$46,000), and it will have a range of at least 345 km (Elon Musk has suggested that the range is likely to improve by the time the production cars are available).
One weird thing about the new vehicle is it’s complete lack of an instrument panel. There is no speedometer or tach above the steering wheel.
More than 250,000 people around the world have pre-ordered one. That was at least double what Musk expected. In a Twitter reply last Saturday, he wrote, “No one at Tesla thought it would be this high before part 2 of the unveil.”
Musk gave us a hint of what “part 2” will be all about in another Twitter reply during the same impromptu Twitter AMA on the weekend.
“Wait until you see the real steering controls and system for the 3. It feels like a spaceship.”
Wait here while I go open my PayPal account.
Tesla Unveils Model 3 from Tesla Motors on Vimeo.
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This week, how B.C. is paving the way for more electric vehicles on the streets, a look at the EVs that were on display at the Vancouver International Auto Show, anticipating the new Tesla Model 3, and which Gary would you rather kill?
In the latest provincial budget, the rebate on qualifying purchases of an EV was renewed for another year. The rebate is managed by CEV for BC.
But the province understands the need for additional charging infrastructure, which is why it announced $1 million to support the installation of charging stations, particularly in multi-family dwellings.
A partnership between the province, BC Hydro, and BMW, will upgrade 10 public DC Fast Charge stations in the lower mainland into double chargers.
The 2016 edition of the Vancouver International Auto Show took place over the Easter weekend. There were more electric vehicles on display at the Convention Centre than ever before.
The Chevrolet Volt was named the Canadian Green Car of the Year for 2016.
BMW and Ford each had three electrics on display. BMW was showing off the i3 club car, the i8 sports car, and the X5e SUV, while Ford had the C-Max Energi, the Fusion Energi, and the Focus Electric.
Toyota now has three versions of its Prius, all of which were there. The Prius V is a larger, upscale vehicle while the Prius C is an entry-level compact. The mid-level Prius has been completely redesigned and is equipped with a new battery.
Hyundai debuted its new Ioniq line of electrics, which include a standard hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and a full electric.
Also on the show floor:
People are curious about EVs, too, as the lineups to test drive them proved.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk is poised to unveil his new electric vehicle tomorrow night at the company’s California design studio.
The Model 3 is an EV for the average person, and is expected to be priced at around US$35,000 and have a range of over 300 km.
Preorders begin in stores tomorrow, March 31, when they open. Online ordering will be enabled at 8:30 p.m. PT when the event begins.
Existing customers get priority. Reserving at a retail store will get you a better spot in the queue, and each region will have its own reserve list, so that Australians, who will get first crack, won’t get them all.
Deposits for Canadians are Cdn$1,000 and are fully refundable.
Hitman is a video game franchise in which players take on the guise of a contract killer. The new game, developed by Io-Iteractive and published by Square Enix is set up as an episodic game, where missions. or contracts, are issued every few weeks.
As a build up to an upcoming contract, the Gary Mission, players can choose whether they want to #KillBusey or #KillCole.
The campaign features Gary Busey and Gary Cole, totally having fun at their own expense.
Hitman is now available for PS4, Windows, and Xbox One.
The Mind Control Division is the intelligence arm of Blaine Kyllo's Solo Corps Creative Incorporated. This department conducts investigations and experiments into media and technology culture.