Posts Tagged ‘ 2013 ’
Check out these great and playful photos taken by Diliana Florentin, assisted by Florentin Tzachev and Verginia Yancheva. They had fun taking these photos for ELLE at Sophia Circus. Check out the video below to get a behind the scenes look at these beautiful models.
Opening in theaters on November 8, Thor: The Dark World continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s “Thor” and “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save the world. “So when do we begin?”
Click the pic to download.
Recently DJ Jeff Phantom came to me with another brilliant idea concerning the new Justin Timberlake album ‘The 20/20 Experience’. So 48 hours later, we had a 16 minute mix of our favorite tracks from the record breaking album, all remixed the way we wanted them. Click the pic above to download the mix.
Check out this new apparel brand called Sayfat. So whether it’s a FAT Burger, a cool hot dog or a nasty pizza, its whole mind spirit is axed around one thing : Food porn. All illustrations were made by DaGhotProd & it printed in Paris on a 100% indian eco-coton.
originally presented as the ‘Porsche 901 classic’ at the 1963 Frankfurt motor show - eventually renamed to the ’911′, as french car maker Peugeot objected to Porsche using any three digit number where the middle number was 0 – marks its 50th anniversary with the introduction of the ’2013 Porsche Carrera 911 4S’. To commemorate ‘the most successful sports car ever produced – of which over 820,000 were sold’, the official Porsche museum in Stuttgart will host four special exhibitions, including an early model 911 turbo coupe, 1981 911 cabriolet concept, a 1997 GT1 version supercar and a pre-series type 754 T7 – leading to the final ’50 years of the Porsche 911 exhibition which will be hosted from june 4th until september 29th 2013. When the ’911′ was officially launched to the market in 1964, it boasted an air-cooled, six-cylinder boxer engine that developed 128 hp capable of reaching a top speed of 131 mph (211 km/h).
A special one-off ‘Bolt Gold’ edition of Nissan’s flagship supercar has fetched nearly double the list price at auction. The car, complete with unique gold paint job and Usain Bolt interior gold plaque bearing the 100 meters star’s autograph, was the star lot of an auction that also included items of Usain Bolt merchandise such as racing helmets, special driving suits and boots, all of which helped to nudge the overall total up to $193,191. The auction, in aid of the six-time gold medal winner’s charitable organization — The Usain Bolt Foundation — saw fierce competition from bidders around the globe when it was launched on eBay Motors on November 22. As well as being one of the fastest and best-handling cars currently available, the Nissan GT-R is also one of the most technologically advanced vehicles on the road.
Each engine is built in a hermetically sealed chamber that enables ultra-high precision and ultra-low tolerance manufacturing techniques more common in Formula 1 and the aviation industry. Commenting on the money raised by the auction, Usain Bolt said:”My partnership with Nissan greatly benefits the work of my Foundation. This donation will help many kids get access to better facilities, play areas and educational materials in Jamaica.” The Olympic star has been working with Nissan since October 2012 when he was appointed the Japanese carmaker’s honorary “Director of Excitement” and is a brand spokesman for the company’s “What if _” global brand campaign.
BMW has launched a 4G LTE hotspot for its cars, giving users high-speed mobile internet on the road. The device, which works like a router, is designed to give passengers internet access whether using a smartphone, tablet or notebook and can support up to eight devices simultaneously. It also has a built-in battery pack, meaning that it can be removed from the vehicle and used on the move for up to one hour before recharging. The device’s range can be adjusted from three meters to up to 10 meters, meaning that the hotspot can stay in the vehicle but users can still access the internet when standing outside of the car.
“The very fast bit rates and extremely low latency mean that an internet connection supported by the BMW Car Hotspot LTE is often even faster than a PC connection in the home,” says Markus Dietz, Project Manager BMW Car Hotspot LTE Development.Compatible with any new or existing BMW with a BMW telephone docking station, the LTE hotspot works via an LTE-compatible SIM card. Once inserted, each device needs to be registered via an eight-digit code and then it is ready to use.
However, because the LTE Hotspot also supports NFC (Near Field Communication), if a user’s device supports the technology, simply touching it against the hotspot will authenticate it and establish a high-speed internet connection. BMW claims that this is the first time NFC functionality has been offered in a production car. “Plug and play’ is something of an overworked term, but this is the genuine article,” says Markus Dietz. But maybe the best feature is that although it is designed to work seamlessly with a BMW car, because it can be connected to a vehicle via USB and has an input for an external power supply, the LTE Hotspot could potentially be used with any vehicle.
“Man Of Steel” is one of Warner Brothers’ biggest 2013 releases, so it goes to reason that a new trailer for the film will come attached to prints of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” (Not that you need to enter Middle-earth to see the latest teaser.) Directed by Zack Snyder and produced by Christopher Nolan, “Man of Steel” recalls the oft-recounted origin story for Superman. As the first teasers hinted at, however, this isn’t necessarily your pa’s Man of Steel: Snyder’s film appears to have the earthy look of a Terrence Malick feature mixed with the gravitas of Nolan’s well-regarded Batman trilogy.
Lamborghini has announced that it is to cease production of its V10 Gallardo. But the Italian company has a replacement waiting in the wings that it is set to unveil in 2013. Credited with reviving the brand after it was sold to the Volkswagen Group in 1998, the Gallardo went on sale in 2003 and over the past 10 years had become the most popular Lamborghini of all time, racking up over 10,000 sales to date. However, while it can still compete with Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren in terms of looks and brute force power, it was starting to struggle to keep up in terms of technology and driver aids. Still, its departure will leave a hole in Lamborghini’s lineup as well as marking the end of an era for the brand. Supercar fans will be keen to see the debut of the much anticipated replacement — and how it compares.
Ducati has unveiled the 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R as part of 2013 lineup. Through the use of carbon fiber body parts, lightweight flywheel and lower curb weight the Ducati has differentiated this model from predecessors. Besides that this model will house 195hp engine with the capacity of 12,000 rpm.
The world of interfaces continues to evolve and surprise us. We still think of it as something we can hold, fold and place in our bag to carry anywhere. What if you can be part of an intuitive and holistic experience where your interface is not reduced to a mouse-click or a two dimensional tablet screen. Welcome to the Immersive Cocoon, a surround display dome with sophisticated motion sensor technology that inspired the technology depicted in ‘Minority Report’. Now your body becomes the interface, as you are enveloped and your body movement becomes part of this digital environment to make our everyday lives more enjoyable, at least that is what this conceptual project tries to explore.
The Immersive Cocoon opens its hatch silently and extends a small set of stairs that helps you move into this 360 degree display covering the entire interior walls. Inside you can sit, lean, and accommodate an adjustable work surface depending on how your imagination desires to utilize the Cocoon. You can connect into a virtual meeting across the globe, do yoga while at the airport or even visit a preserved temple in Tibet right from home, mall, or anywhere else this product will be located. I am not going to lie, I would like this in my job as I would not mind having lunch on the coast of a Greek island at least twice a week.
The Cocoon’s potential extends beyond leisure and into education, productivity, training and other uses that would benefit from this immersive technology. This spherical pod seems to show promise in many levels but the question always become its financial feasibility and social acceptance. Although innovative, something this ground breaking seems to have a hard time being implemented in public spaces. Seeing the roll out of this technology will be interesting and full of insight as more people interact with it. We can guarantee that it doesn’t lack thought and ingenuity as its 3D motion tracking system was developed by John Underkoffer, a former fellow of the MIT Media Lab. This conceptual prototype developed by NAU out of Zurich, Switzerland, shows immense opportunities into future daily and exclusive activities. What will be the price we pay financially, socially and psychologically? Maybe it will not be hard to adopt after all as we are really used to seeing this kind of innovation on the big screen.
ComicCon was in full effect over the last week, and of course, Marvel Studios blew it out of the water. Guardians of the Galaxy, coming August 1, 2014 is one of their newest projects along with, test footage displayed for the very first time for Ant-Man, to be directed by Edgar Wright. With the announcement came the reveal of the first concept art for Guardians of the Galaxy by Charlie Wen, as well as logos for both films. In addition, Marvel Studios announced the official titles to the Thor and Captain America sequels: Thor: The Dark World, in theaters November 8, 2013, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, in theaters April 4, 2014. Check out the all logos, plus the just-released Iron Man 3 logo, below, and also check out the just-launched official Iron Man 3 site by clicking here.
If you happen to think that your Ford GT Mustang is a little boring, look no further. After seeing these photos provided by Autoblog we were pretty much cleaning up our own drool. Reifen Koch slaps the car with a facelift using the Cervini body kits which leaves the Mustang looking amazing. The “Konquistador” package also includes a side-exit exhaust system, a full KW coilover kit and a hydraulic axle-lift system. Check out the whole press release at Autoblog if you’d like, if not enjoy the photos below. I just want to know what my homie Yum Yum thinks of this…
At the annual Nickelodeon upfront presentation recently, über-producer Michael Bay revealed details for Platinum Dunes’ upcoming live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, including a new origin story for the half-shell heroes that is sure to raise the ire of diehard fans.
“When you see this movie, kids are going to believe one day these turtles actually do exist when we are done with this movie,” said Bay as he took the stage to discuss his new vision for the reptilian reboot. “These turtles are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable.”
In the original mythology, four baby turtles fall into the sewer and come into contact with glowing radioactive ooze, which mutates them into four bad-ass warriors trained in ninjutsu by astute rodent Splinter. But could the rewriting of the Turtles’ origin story dissuade some fans from embracing the newest incarnation? A comic book-to-movie adaptation’s worst nightmare is bad pre-publicity, and Bay may have generated that in about 30 words.
On the flip side, it might seem outrageous to non-fans of the series that Teenage Mutant Ninja purists are offended by the new mythos of Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo. Truth, we might sound a wee bit ridiculous when we cry out, “I can’t believe Bay says they’re aliens when they’re obviously derived from radioactive slime!” But Bay is essentially erasing almost 30 years of love for transmogrified adolescent reptile ninjas by claiming each turtle is less of a fearsome, fighting toxic anomaly and more of a forest green E.T. with nunchucks. What would Shredder think!?
PopWatchers, how does this new origin story make you feel? Are you a purist for the original backstory, or will you embrace Bay’s vision? And who would you cast for this live-action TMNT reboot? Personally, I think Splinter’s a toss-up between Morgan Freeman and Kate Upton.
Consider the competition slate for the Cannes Film Festival officially scrambled. Or, you know, maybe not: on Thursday, Warner Brothers announced that it was preparing a third installment in the “Hangover” series, its bawdy, billion-dollar grossing comedy franchise about three friends whose travels invariably result in collective memory loss followed by farcical efforts to retrace their troublemaking steps.
Warner Brothers said in a news release that the series stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis would reprise their roles as the three friends, Phil, Stu and Alan, in “The Hangover Part III,” which is planned for release on May 24, 2013. Todd Phillips, who directed the two previous films, is once again on board as director. He will also produce “Part III” and write the script with Craig Mazin, his screenwriting collaborator on “Part II.”
The original “Hangover,” released in 2009, set its characters loose on Las Vegas and sold more than $467 million in tickets worldwide. The 2011 sequel, set in Bangkok, was even more lucrative and grossed a further $581 million globally, but took lumps from critics who called it a retread of the first film.
No setting or plot description for “Part III” was immediately offered, but Mr. Phillips said in a statement: “We’re going to surprise a lot of people with the final chapter we have planned. It will be a fitting conclusion to our three-part opera of mayhem, despair and bad decisions.”
British manufacturer of super-luxury motor cars Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled the Phantom Series II at 2012 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. The series II comprises Phantom Saloon, Phantom Drophead Coupe and Phantom Coupe featuring enhanced design, drivetrain and technology. The Phantom II features “significant improvements in design, drive-train and technology,” Rolls-Royce says. Phantom Series II family of cars are powered by V12 direct injection engine and mated to a new 8-speed automatic gearbox, while its rear differential enhance the driving dynamics. The interior gets a new sat-nav system with 3D maps and the new and larger 8.8-inch screen is connected to an improved camera system to aid maneuverability of the vast machine. Fuel consumption is said to be about 10 per cent better than the current 17mpg and CO2 emissions are reduced from 388 to 347g/km.
Infiniti has announced further details of a major new sports car concept set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The Nissan-owned brand revealed February 3 that the model will be called ‘Emerg-E’, promising a low-emission, high-performance and high-technology car, with several firsts — and a new design direction for the brand. The concept will use a range extender drivetrain, meaning that it will contain an electric motor and a gas-powered generator, as opposed to Nissan’s proven 100 percent battery technology used by cars such as the Leaf.
It will also have the drivetrain mounted in a mid-ship package, between the two axles, which the firm says is a first and significantly helps the weight distribution to improve handling — a concept which could be transferred to future production models, assuming it tests well.
The first partial photos of the model appear to show a low-slung form, with a two-seater cockpit and a shape which appears to have been at least partially inspired by the Infiniti Essence concept, revealed at Geneva in 2009. The Essence was designed to celebrate Infiniti’s 20th anniversary, and while there have been no noises from Nissan on whether the Emerg-E will hit production, the trend seems to indicate that Infiniti is working towards a very specific goal.
Everyone tends to compile some sort of list of the people they’d immediately help out after they get rich. Some would give to charity, but most would help out the family and friends closest to them. (I know my non-biological big sis Kenya will immediately get a house). But when your already worth half a billion dollars, you can afford to sprinkle your crew with things at random, as Birdman points on a new video-blog. Mack Mane’s reaction to the Bentley key is pretty hilarious. Check the method.
Infiniti has announced further details of a major new sports car concept set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The Nissan-owned brand revealed February 3 that the model will be called ‘Emerg-E’, promising a low-emission, high-performance and high-technology car, with several firsts — and a new design direction for the brand. The concept will use a range extender drivetrain, meaning that it will contain an electric motor and a gas-powered generator, as opposed to Nissan’s proven 100 percent battery technology used by cars such as the Leaf.
It will also have the drivetrain mounted in a mid-ship package, between the two axles, which the firm says is a first and significantly helps the weight distribution to improve handling — a concept which could be transferred to future production models, assuming it tests well. The first partial photos of the model appear to show a low-slung form, with a two-seater cockpit and a shape which appears to have been at least partially inspired by the Infiniti Essence concept, revealed at Geneva in 2009. The Essence was designed to celebrate Infiniti’s 20th anniversary, and while there have been no noises from Nissan on whether the Emerg-E will hit production, the trend seems to indicate that Infiniti is working towards a very specific goal. The Geneva Motor Show runs March 8-18 in Geneva, Switzerland.
To celebrate fifty years of James Bond films, Omega is releasing a special update of their Seamaster Diver 300m James Bond watch. The watch offers Omega’s caliber 2507 co-axial movement, with the winding rotor designed to look like a bullet. It’s also inscribed with ’50 years of James Bond.’ The James Bond 50th Anniversary watch has been created in two sizes, 41 mm and 36 mm. The 36mm case size has a diamond index at the 7 o’clock position. The 41 mm version is being produced in a limited edition of 11’007 pieces and the 36 mm version in a limited edition of 3’007 pieces. No mention of price as yet, but as both a classic watch and a limited edition, this is unlikely be one of the cheaper watches on the market. Interestingly, 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film series — though fifty years ago Bond was not wearing an Omega at all. The classic timepiece has been worn by 007 in every adventure since GoldenEye, when it replaced the Rolex Submariner.
DC Entertainment, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company and home to iconic brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD, revealed today a new brand identity. The new identity is reflective of the company’s mission to fully realize the value of a rich portfolio of brands, stories and characters, distinguished by incredible breadth and depth across publishing, media and merchandise. A new logo for DC Comics was also introduced, closely aligning with DC Entertainment’s new mark.“It’s a new era at DC Entertainment and the new look reflects a dynamic, bold approach while at the same time celebrates the company’s rich heritage and robust portfolio of characters,” stated John Rood, EVP of Sales, Marketing and Business Development for DC Entertainment. “It was just a few months ago that Superman, Batman and many of our other Super Heroes were updated when we launched DC Comics – The New 52 and now it’s time to do the same for the company’s identity while remaining true to the power of storytelling which is still at the heart of DC Entertainment.”DC Entertainment worked with Landor Associates, one of the world’s leading brand consulting and design firms, to develop an identity that creates a visual connection among the company, its three brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD and its vast array of properties as well as celebrates the power of the company’s stories and characters. The design of the new DC Entertainment identity uses a “peel” effect – the D is strategically placed over the C with the upper right-hand portion of the D peeling back to unveil the hidden C – symbolizing the duality of the iconic characters that are present within DC Entertainment’s portfolio.“It was our goal to capture DC Entertainment in a dynamic and provocative identity. Our solution is a living expression which changes and adapts to the characters, story lines and the ways fans are consuming content,” explains Nicolas Aparicio, Executive Creative Director at Landor’s San Francisco office. “The new identity is built for the digital age, and can easily be animated and customized to take full advantage of the interactivity offered across all media platforms.”The new brand identity will come to life across all consumer touch points in order to create a clear and consistent message in support of DC Entertainment. The new identity will begin to appear on comic books and graphic novels as well as new websites in March. Consumers will also see the new identity rolled out over time on other DC Entertainment products from Warner Bros. including film, television, interactive games and merchandise.“We believe our new brand identity will strongly resonate with our loyal fans who will want to proudly express their affinity for DC Entertainment and their passion for their favorite stories and characters, this new look allows them to easily do this. In addition we were excited to update our identity, it’s not often a company gets to revisit something as important as its brand and we took the opportunity to make sure it represented the multi-media business we set out to build with the formation of DC Entertainment,” said Amit Desai, SVP of Franchise Management for DC Entertainment.
Maserati revealed its first-ever sport utility Tuesday that targets the lucrative luxury crossover market with Italian styling and part but constructed in Detroit. The Kubang fills a hole in Maserati’s product line nine years after the company first showed a sport luxury SUV concept car at the 2003 Detroit auto show. “The Kubang concept creates discontinuity by entering a new segment and continuity by maintaining the integrity of Maserati’s DNA,” the company said. Maserati, part of the Fiat group that owns the number three US automaker Chrysler, will make the new car alongside Chrysler’s Jeep Cherokee at its Detroit plant. But Wester insisted that it would be a fully Maserati-designed and equipped car with a Maserati engine built by Ferrari.
Japanese luxury auto brand Lexus finally revealed the LF-LC sports coupe concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The all-new design pushes Lexus further into sports car territory and could provide a rival for established names such as Porsche if approved for production. With a low profile, large wheels and futuristic running lights, the LF-LC is clearly designed for ‘serious’ drivers, with quad exhaust pipes and tail lamps inspired by a jet afterburner at takeoff. The model is currently a hybrid, Lexus says, although no performance indicators were offered with the rear-wheeled car. Inside, Lexus has included race-inspired front seats and a racing-style steering wheel, along with twin 12.3-inch LCD displays and high-tech touchscreen surfaces to control the windows, mirrors and seat adjustments. Lexus’s parent company Toyota also unveiled a new sports car in late November in a bid to shed its rather staid image.
Nissan keeps adding more to its flagship GT-R sports car to help keep competing alongside its rivals. A new update for the 2012 model year in Europe pegs the engine output at an impressive 542-hp, over the previous year’s 530-hp number. Billed as a 2012 model year car overseas, this improvement, along with a slew of others, is expected to debut on a US-spec version for 2013. (US-Spec models will come officially rated at 545-hp).
Along with the improved engine output of 550 PS (542-hp) and 632 Nm (466 lb-ft), Nissan also claims improved efficiency and an enhanced transmission “feel” thanks to a new shift fork arm, a firmer flywheel housing bearing and a new differential oil.
A stiffer body structure now promises improved rigidity, while Nissan has also developed a new asymmetric suspension, with a stiffer spring rate on the left side and an imbalanced wheel load (when stationary), for right-hand drive versions. This new arrangement is designed to compensate for RHD models where the car is weighted to the right side thanks to both the location of the propeller shaft and the driver. In addition, Nissan has announced a new track version of the GT-R for right-hand drive markets, like Japan and the UK.
Bugatti has unveiled the Super Sport Edition Merveilleux. The one-off model is apparently a birthday present for a mysterious Chinese man named Simon. This special Super Sport model is distinguished by an unpainted carbon fiber body, blacked-out alloys and brightwork, and a bright blue interior. The Edition Merveilleux is unveiled in a special video (below) wishing the owner of the latest one-off Bugatti a happy birthday. The Super Sport has a quad turbocharged sixteen-cylinder engine with 1,200 PS (882 kW / 1184 hp) and 1,500 Nm (1,106 lb-ft) of torque. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport currently holds the Guinness record for the world’s fastest production with an official top speed of 430 km/h (268 mph).
