Nintendo Grants Original Wii a $100 Mini Future

Photo source: Nintendo

So you were unable to snag one example of this holiday's hottest new products. The Nintendo Wii U has eluded many people as it was released earlier this month leaving some in Canada holding out until the new year before playing the new gaming console. Other electronic gaming enthusiast could simply be waiting before buying the Wii U for several reasons. The $299.99 Canadian starting price and the small library of titles created for the rather undiscovered Nintendo system could serve as causes to consider another home entertainment console for the 2012 holiday season. In time for the gift-buying season and a solution to lure a few more family gamers to Nintendo when the Wii U is still in short supply, the Wii Mini sports many attributes making it a suitable addition to living rooms.

A new version of the Nintendo Wii game console retailing for $99.99, the Wii Mini has been reduced in size for easier inclusion within the home entertainment equipment. An eye-catching presentation, the Nintendo Wii Mini console sports a matte black finish accompanied with a stylish red border. The Nintendo Wii Mini will include a Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk controller sharing the red colour tone found on the console. Excellent for immediate gaming with the use of famous motion capture technology, over 1,400 Nintendo Wii gaming discs can be played on the Wii Mini. In many cases, six years of Nintendo Wii titles mean several popular games could be bought at a friction of the price than the new Wii U games.

The Nintendo Wii Mini is a leaner system than the regular Wii. Marketed as a more family-friendly device, Internet connectivity has been removed from the Wii Mini. NintendoWii Mini owners will also note that the system is designed to run only Wii games meaning there is no compatibility with game titles created for the Nintendo GameCube.

Available December 7th, the Nintendo Wii Mini console $99.99 price will allow the likes of Mario and Zelda to live on a little longer on the Wii.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera: A Picture Perfect Technology Marriage?

Photo source: Samsung
 

Since digital cameras have become mainstream little over a decade ago, the technology began to gradually reshape the way we took pictures. No longer limited by the constraints of film, digital photography would also migrate away from a dedicated camera.

Today, even basic cell phones and most mobile tablets would present at least one camera that have now evolved to a quality decent enough for sharing with family or friends. Though popular, photography with a mobile phone does fall short on some functionality and resolution related to a stand-alone camera. A hybrid breed between a point and shoot camera and a small tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Camera draws upon the strength of two devices in delivering an uncompromised picture-taking experience.

Appearing very much like a camera, the new Samsung device could be hastily disregarded if someone would not know the collection of technologies that lurk inside the device. Featuring a 16.3 megapixel sensor, a 4.8-inch touch screen and a 21x optical zoom lens, the Samsung Galaxy Camera immediately presents some hardware that would run circles around a smartphone's photography gear. Running off the Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, the Samsung Galaxy Camera's quad core processor allows users to experience excellent performance when taking pictures in 15 style settings classified under Samsung's 'Smart Mode' technology. As well as taking still shots up to 16 megapixels, Samsung allows their device to video capture at Full HD format.

Photo source: Samsung

Equipped with eight gigabytes of on-board storage with micro SD card expandably, Wi-Fi capabilities allow photos taken by the Samsung Galaxy Camera to be offloaded quickly. Transfer of images to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest as well as onto Instagram can be performed quickly. Being an Android enabled device, the Samsung Galaxy Camera can make use of various Google brand services. Google Maps, Gmail and even the Google Play app marketplace are all accessible through the digital camera.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera was introduced to the North American marketplace during the 16th of this month. Retailing for just under $499.99 through AT&T, the Samsung Galaxy Camera sells above the price of almost all point and shoot device and even above the level of most smartphones. The launch of the Galaxy Camera by AT&T is temporarily accompanied with an up to $100 credit to acquire an additional Samsung device.

Just in time for Canadians to capture some memorable holiday moments or perhaps qualified itself to become a gift to a loved one, sales for the Samsung Galaxy Camera north of the border will commence on December 7th. Available through Black's Photography locations as well as through lone example of The Samsung Store in Burnaby, British Columbia, the Samsung Galaxy Camera should sell at similar pricing those sold in the US.



Below is a promotional photo showing the Samsung Galaxy Camera in action:

Flu Shots Good for the Heart: Says Newly Presented Reports

Approaching the time of the year where many health care providers and government campaigns recommend the population receive the flu vaccine, the effort is meant to reduce illnesses and the spread of a disease that can risk well-being, productivity and even the lives of one's self or others. According to a pair of reports being presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2012 opening on Sunday, October 28th in Toronto, researchers are set to make a case that the administration of a influenza vaccine can also be a heart smart choice.

In the first study, researcher Dr Jacob Udell, a cardiologist at the Women's College Hospital and the University of Toronto, will relay some major additional benefits to receiving a flu shot when it comes to protecting the most vital organ in our bodies. According to Dr Udell, influenza vaccines can reduce the risk of a major cardiac event such as a stroke or heart attack by an estimated 50 percent and deaths related heart failure by 40 percent.

Dr Jacob Udell's study examined a group of 3,227 patients consisting of near equally of those without and with heart issues. Of the group, half received a flu shot and the another half received a placebo vaccine. Dr Udell strongly suggests, "For those who had the flu shot, there was a pretty strong risk reduction,".

A second study set to be Canadian Cardiovascular Congress relates to Dr Jacob Udell's research making a correlations between influenza vaccines and heart health. Dr Ramanan Kumareswaran and Dr Sheldon Singh, cardiologists of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre viewed the flu shot's impact on patients who required an implantable cardiac defibrillator or an ICD.

During two periods in late 2010 and another through the new year of 2011 until March, Kumareswaran and Singh examined a sample group of 230 patients with an ICD. In the group of patients between 70 and 74 years of age, it was determined that individuals given the flu shot had a reduced need for ICD therapies. Research concluded that 10.6 percent of flu shot-protected patients received at least ICD therapy compared to 13.7 percent for those without the flu vaccine.

For authors of both studies presenting their findings this week at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress on the request of conducting additional research. Notwithstanding additional research, the announcement that a flu shot has increased health benefits can be helpful to boost the case for encouraging the general popular to get immunized.

Samsung Brings PSY, Gangnam Style to Toronto for First Live Act

Photo source: Samsung

The handheld electronics market is a worldwide technological battlefield. Canada is one of the many locations intrigued by electronic smartphones and tablet computers. While fanfare surrounding the Apple iPhone 5 launched the popular smartphone to success last month, the reception for the device rarity consumerism. So often, companies need to provide some 'razzle dazzle' to create excitement for their products.

A new smartphone from the Apple's major competitor in the smartphone and tablet arena Samsung, the Galaxy Note II has the potential to capture some attention on its own. Utilizing a 5.5 HD touchscreen, a 1.6 GHZ quad-core processor powering an Android 4.1 (Google Jelly Bean) operating system and a unique stylus pen, the Samsung Galaxy Note II delivers users data connections up to the latest LTE specifications. Wanting to launch their Galaxy Note II with a lot of noise in Toronto, Korea-bred Samsung has enlisted the assistance of a showman from the company's native land the world knows as PSY.

Accounting for over 500-million views on a leading YouTube channel, PSY demonstrated "Gangham Style" dancing to the world to the point of becoming a quick-growing world superstar. With the Toronto appearance, Samsung is indeed desiring that trendy Gangnam Style can move the Galaxy Note II to equal acclaim in the smartphone marketplace. The South Korean music performer's first live event in Canada, the launch party for the Samsung Galaxy Note II will take place at The Kool Haus on October 30th.

While no tickets still be sold to the Samsung Galaxy Note II launch party, fans of the latest mobile technology and of the Gangnam Style performer will be presented with a rare opportunity to view PSY. A promotion on Samsung's Facebook page as well as two radio giveaways through Kiss 92.5 and Virgin Radio 99.9 will provide fans an invite to the elite product celebration.


Facebook Link: www.Facebook.com/SamsungMobileCanada
Radio Stations: www.kiss925.com , www.999VirginRadio.com

Extra Spicy Offering: The 2013 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

Introducing the Cayenne Diesel to North American this year, Porsche’s main sport utility crossover line-up has been bloated by five distinct powerplant choices. Including a 3-liter V-6, normally aspirated 4.8 liter V-8, gasoline-electric hybrid and the 500-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-8 engine, the Porsche Cayenne produces an entire spice rack of automotive tastes. Kicking up the power on the vehicle’s strongest turbocharged engine, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S grants a new height of utility performance.

The 2013 return of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S model emerges for the first time in the revised sheetmetal carved in a 2011 model year redo. Bracing itself for the arrival of the Performance Package-armed Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG and the BMW X5 M, Porsche engineers are again asked to add a special dash to the Cayenne Turbo‘s aggression for 2013.

With the addition of the ‘S’ lettering, the twin turbocharger-driven 4.8 liter V-8 powerplant inside of the Porsche Cayenne receives an 50 extra horsepower and 37 pound-feet of added torque. Equating to 550 horsepower and 563 pound-feet, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S receives a performance tweak equal to the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG but a mere 5 horsepower less than the specs of the twin-turbocharged 4.4 liter V-8 found in the BMW X5 M crossover vehicle. However, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S delivers the soundest blows to its German competitors in straight-line performance. Thanks to the Porsche crossover’s substantially lower weight, the Cayenne Turbo S sports car attributes come alive with a 0 to 60 mile per hour acceleration time of 4.3 seconds (0.1 of a second better than the Cayenne Turbo and about 0.4 better than the BMW and Mercedes-Benz rivals). The Porsche Cayenne Turbo S also receives a bump in top speed that allows 175 miles per hour to be obtainable. 



 

Along with the improvements in raw horsepower, Porsche has enhanced the overall driving dynamics of the Cayenne Turbo S crossover vehicle with some equipment already available in the model line. Optional technology on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the Cayenne Turbo S receives Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus with an electronically controlled locking rear differential, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and Power Steering Plus as standard fare greatly affirming a rich, performance driveability nearly as capable as the brand’s 911 flagship. Where the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S has the edge on the 911 sports car is off-road capability (that is if a driver wants to risk messing-up the sport crossover’s specially designed 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels). In a stylistic fashion, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S crossover body receives a body-colour matching rear spoiler and polished dual twin-tube sport tailpipes.




While an argument is made that a Porsche demonstrates its worth on the outside at speed, a racy interior of the Cayenne Turbo S is an exclusive treat that cannot be ignored. Two-tone colour scheme using either Black/Carrera Red or Black/Luxor Beige can be applied throughout the crossover vehicle’s cabin with leather seating and an Alcantara headliner allowing the Cayenne Turbo S to peak with premium taste. Porsche Cayenne Turbo S interior dashboard and door panels are accented by a standard carbon fiber package. In the driver’s seat, the Sport Chrono package included in every Porsche Cayenne Turbo S presents data for logging performance motoring such a lap timer.

The newest high-end Porsche Cayenne Turbo S will go on sale in the spring of 2013. Priced over $37,000 above the price of the Cayenne Turbo, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S will sell for a hefty $146,000 ahead of destination charges and taxes.

　

Information and photo source: Porsche Cars North America

Canadian Company Liberates DarthVader.com from Dark Side for Lucafilm

Many of us are familiar with the science fiction tale that took part in a galaxy far, far away where a Jedi had been lured to the dark side of "The Force" by an evil Sith. In what was Star Wars, Darth Vader was ultimately rescued by his son Luke Skywalker from the darkness in time for a noble, brave act.

In the virtual world very close to us all, the world of domain registration and ownership has led many popular names winding up in hands over than those one would think. In recent years, musicians and other public figures have gone to court to acquire or prevent the misuse of domains using their names. In several cases, celebrities have been successfully able to secure their web address. While not an actual name associated in the real world, a prominent domain name connected to Darth Vader (DarthVader.com) was brought to Lucafilm by a Toronto-based Internet services company called Tucows.

An avid Star Wars fan, Tucows Domain Portfolio Viec President Bill Sweetman explained finding the DarthVader.com name. "The moment I spotted DarthVader.com in a list of deleting domain names, I knew Tucows had to find a way to get this iconic domain name into the right hands. I knew I was its only hope," said Sweetman. The program is an ongoing measure by Tucows to rescue domains and has included FreddieMercury.com and KidneyCar.com in the past.

In what has become a regular program for Tucows, popular and prominent domain names are donated to recipients on the condition of charity. In the case of the DarthVader.com domain address, Lucafilm has pledged a toy donation to the Tucows Elves Project. Lucafilm spokesperson Miles Perkins stated "We're thrilled to be the new owners of DarthVader.com and we are even more excited about supporting such a worthy cause." Perkins also mentioned "We regret having to refuse Bill's request that we deliver the children's toys in the Millennium Falcon. It was heartbreaking having to explain to him that it's not real."

Currently, Lucafilm is utilizing the DarthVader.com into directing Internet users to the main StarWars.com website.

Hammacher Schlemmer Spotlight: The One Step Photograph and Slide to iPhone Converter

Photo Source: Hammacher Schlemmer

If you were born in the last decade, digital photography could be the only form picture-taking familiar to you. Though digital cameras have effectively led to the gaining endangerment of film photography, a full century of images recorded to film negatives, photo paper and slides contain too many precious images worth ignoring. Hammacher Schlemmer has added a device to their product catalogue targeted at saving great individual or family moments to one of the world's most popular smartphones, the Apple iPhone.

Called the One Step Photograph and Slide to iPhone Converter, this scanner dedicated for use with a Apple iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S device has the ability to digitally perserve some historically popular methods for storing images. Photoographs 3x5 inch and 4x6 inch sizes, 35mm slides as well as 135 film negatives can be quickly converted to an Apple iPhone attached to the One Step Photograph and Slide to iPhone Converter. Prior to being stored as a JPEG on an Apple iPhone, a user can utilize a free app to adjust attributes such as colour and size of the digital image.

Powered by 4 AA batteries, the One Step Photograph and Slide to iPhone Converter can operate without a computer or the need for an AC power supply.

The One Step Photograph and Slide to iPhone Converter retails in the Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue and through their on-line store for $59.95 US.