Saturday, July 31, 2010

Carros Tuning - Chevette Tuning

 Chevette tuning
(Carros tuning - Chevrolet Chevette tuning,equipado,modificado,Com Rodas Esportivas)

Carros Tuning - Gol G4 Tuning - SOM

 Gol G4 Tuning SOM
(Carros tuning - Volkswagen GOL G4,tunado,rebaixado,modificado Com Rodas Esportivas,DUB)

Carros Tuning - 300c Tuning

 300c Tuning
(Carros Tuning - chrysler 300c tuning-,socada,rebaixada,tunada,modificada,suspensão Rebaixada,roda esportiva,Dub,DUB,style, VINI RODAS...).
 VINI RODAS

Carros Tuning - Gol Tuning

Gol Tuning
(Carros tuning - Volkswagen GOL Tuning,tunado,rebaixado,modificado Com Rodas Esportivas,DUB)

Friday, July 30, 2010

Tattoed and Wicked

Many people feel an attraction to tattooed girls which make them have an image of being "Wicked" but lets keep in mind this is not an accurate description of the personality of each of them. Each girl who enjoys the art of tattooing has its reason other than to enjoy art in order to make the decision to have multiple designs in much of the body in addition to enjoying the attention and attraction they cause.


 

It is good to be able to enjoy a very ancient art in all its facets and styles. Each tattoo is unique and each person has a different meaning. Every day we see people with one or two in various parts of the body and many tend to be small in great majority of cases.


 

If we realize we will see that apart from being just a symbol, it is an example of freedom of expression and also expresses independence (these days), we can also realize that many tattoos are based on the kind of environment and culture of the wearer and although it is an art practiced around the globe can be seen in detail and also know a lot about the person who has it.


 

Tattoos can be seen in many different ways, which describe the person as they live or the things they enjoy. Not necessarily have to be an involvement or an obligation in one race or culture as there are people who tend to have tattoos from other cultures without living in certain parts of the world but nevertheless tend to have some knowledge about this foreign culture which is caused by the admiration for the lifestyle, including religious culture which is admired and respected.


 

Today it is almost impossible to see someone without a tattoo and surprised to find a person without one which sometimes impresses as the acceptance by the art is more than in ancient times. Tattoos on girls are more common these days thanks to this acceptance.


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Electric bikes ignored?

When the UK government announced earlier this week it was ring-fencing £43 million for Plug-in Car Grants, there was a mostly positive response from the motor industry.



However, the exclusion of electric motorcycles from the scheme has been met with criticism. The Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI) is not too happy, and it has already contacted the Department for Transport demanding an explanation for the omission.



Quite rightly, the MCI points out that electric bikes beat congestion better than any car and so reduce journey times. Its stance is that the government should therefore be encouraging them, not ignoring them.



There is already a selection of electric motorcycles and scooters available on the market. These include the Econogo Yogo and the Zero range, with more - such as the KTM Freeride - coming soon. In general, these bikes are more expensive than their petrol-powered counterparts, due mainly to the cost of the batteries. Therefore, some cash from the government would help to narrow the price gap.





But maybe the government feels that as two-wheelers usually emit less CO2 and use less fuel than cars, the benefits of getting riders to switch to electric won’t actually be that great?



Or perhaps it’s a question of economics. One of the objectives of the Plug-in Car Grant is to encourage the development and manufacture of low emissions vehicles within the UK.



With the likelihood that the majority of electric bikes (especially scooters) would come from the Far East, the government may have already determined that including motorcycles will be of little advantage to the UK. And after all, why should it spend taxpayers’ money on grants that effectively subsidise imported products?

Electric bikes ignored?

When the UK government announced earlier this week it was ring-fencing £43 million for Plug-in Car Grants, there was a mostly positive response from the motor industry.



However, the exclusion of electric motorcycles from the scheme has been met with criticism. The Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI) is not too happy, and it has already contacted the Department for Transport demanding an explanation for the omission.



Quite rightly, the MCI points out that electric bikes beat congestion better than any car and so reduce journey times. Its stance is that the government should therefore be encouraging them, not ignoring them.



There is already a selection of electric motorcycles and scooters available on the market. These include the Econogo Yogo and the Zero range, with more - such as the KTM Freeride - coming soon. In general, these bikes are more expensive than their petrol-powered counterparts, due mainly to the cost of the batteries. Therefore, some cash from the government would help to narrow the price gap.





But maybe the government feels that as two-wheelers usually emit less CO2 and use less fuel than cars, the benefits of getting riders to switch to electric won’t actually be that great?



Or perhaps it’s a question of economics. One of the objectives of the Plug-in Car Grant is to encourage the development and manufacture of low emissions vehicles within the UK.



With the likelihood that the majority of electric bikes (especially scooters) would come from the Far East, the government may have already determined that including motorcycles will be of little advantage to the UK. And after all, why should it spend taxpayers’ money on grants that effectively subsidise imported products?

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Porsche 918 Spyder is go

Following its showing at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and at Auto China in Bejing, Porsche has now decided to develop a limited series production version of the 918 Spyder.





Part of the company’s ‘Porsche Intelligent Performance’ strategy, the 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid. In concept form it featured a 493 bhp (368 kW / 500 PS) V8 engine, plus electric motors that produced an extra 215 bhp (160 kW / 218 PS).





With all that power, 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration was said to take just 3.2 seconds, while the 918’s top speed was 199 mph (320 km/h).





However, the real headline numbers were CO2 emissions of only 70 g/km, and an astonishing combined cycle fuel consumption of 94.1 mpg (equivalent to the magic 3.0 l/100 km).





It remains to be seen quite how many of those performance parameters - and the car’s styling details - make it into production. For the moment, Porsche are just saying that further details will be disclosed in the coming months.





That just leaves the question of price. Latest estimates are that the 918 Spyder will cost €500,000 (around £418,000 for UK buyers or $655,000 in the US).

Porsche 918 Spyder is go

Following its showing at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and at Auto China in Bejing, Porsche has now decided to develop a limited series production version of the 918 Spyder.





Part of the company’s ‘Porsche Intelligent Performance’ strategy, the 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid. In concept form it featured a 493 bhp (368 kW / 500 PS) V8 engine, plus electric motors that produced an extra 215 bhp (160 kW / 218 PS).





With all that power, 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration was said to take just 3.2 seconds, while the 918’s top speed was 199 mph (320 km/h).





However, the real headline numbers were CO2 emissions of only 70 g/km, and an astonishing combined cycle fuel consumption of 94.1 mpg (equivalent to the magic 3.0 l/100 km).





It remains to be seen quite how many of those performance parameters - and the car’s styling details - make it into production. For the moment, Porsche are just saying that further details will be disclosed in the coming months.





That just leaves the question of price. Latest estimates are that the 918 Spyder will cost €500,000 (around £418,000 for UK buyers or $655,000 in the US).

Carros Tuning - Ranger Tuning

Ranger Tuning
(Carros Tuning - Ford  Ranger ,modificada,equipada,tunada,Tuning,Ranger Rebaixada,ranger show)

Carros Tuning - S10 Tuning

S10 Tuning
(Chevrolet S10 tuning , socada, com som, S10 dub style, S10 customizada, modificada,Rebaixada, tunada, equipada,dub)

Carros Tuning - S10 Tuning

S10 Tuning
(Chevrolet S10 tuning , socada, com som, S10 dub style, S10 customizada, modificada,Rebaixada, tunada, equipada,dub)

Carros Tuning - Ranger Tuning

Ranger Tuning
(Carros Tuning - Ford  Ranger ,modificada,equipada,tunada,Tuning,Ranger Rebaixada,ranger show)

Carros Tuning - Ranger Tuning

Ranger Tuning
(Carros Tuning - Ford  Ranger ,modificada,equipada,tunada,Tuning,Ranger Rebaixada,ranger show)

Carros Tuning - Ranger Tuning

Ranger  Tuning
(Carros Tuning - Ford  Ranger ,modificada,equipada,tunada,Tuning,Ranger Verde,ranger show)

Carros Tuning - Ranger Tuning

 Ranger  Tuning
(Carros Tuning - Ford  Ranger ,modificada,equipada,tunada,Tuning,Ranger Rebaixada,ranger show)

Carros Tuning - Blazer Tuning

 Blazer Tuning
(Carros Tuning - Chevrolet Blazer tuning ,modificada,equipada,tunada,Tuning,blazer Dub)

Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion Roughs


I am not embarrassed to admit that I'm a fan of Chinese Democracy and what Axl is doing now, although I definitely don't think of it as proper GNR. Unfortunately, that album is a bit of a laugh now due to it's sales and ridiculous marketing plan with Best Buy. For crying out loud, you can go in to just about any Best Buy and find STACKS of that CD and it's vinyl counterpart for sale at full price. I kinda feel bad for Best Buy, but not that bad because they were in bed with Irving Azoff and nobody really did their job. Axl has to suffer some of the blame too for taking so long to finish the album, but honestly that part didn't surprise me, especially after the Use Your Illusion and "The Spaghetti Incident?" delays.

In case you don't know the details, the two Use Your Illusion albums were delayed over the course of several years prior to their releases in 1991. Everyone seems to blame Axl for being a perfectionist, but it really seems like it was a perfect storm of bullshit from all parties involved, save Izzy. Stories circulate that Axl or Slash would approve a mix only to have the other reject it, and this occured on a regular basis. Add to that the firing of Steven Adler and search for his replacement which led to the hiring of Matt Sorum and about seven months of mixing sessions by Bill Price, the legend who mixed the Sex Pistols' Never Mind The Bollocks, much of which involved him flying all over the US to play new mixes to the band for their approval and to collect multitracks for unfinished songs. They went on tour months before the album was even done!

It's really amazing that GNR got anything done with all that chaos around them, although the Use Your Illusion albums were the nail in the coffin for the band, at least as they were, as Axl intended for those albums to erase the memory of Appetite For Destruction, same as Chinese Democracy was supposed to erase the memory of Use Your Illusion. Still, the Use Your Illusion albums meant a lot more to me than Appetite ever did, and I have fond memories of the insane amount of vitriol all over the first Illusion album. The second Illusion album never did as much for me, but I've always heard that it was meant to be the "friendly" record. Personally, if I never hear Estranged again it won't affect me one way or another, but Civil War, Shotgun Blues and You Could Be Mine are still killers.

Anyway, back in March I received an e-mail from a very friendly fellow named Mark who pointed me in the direction of a site filled with lossless GNR boots, mostly live recordings although there were several studio collections too. There were three collections of Use Your Illusion roughs there, all of which I grabbed with much glee and abandon. I thought about posting all of them but I decided that was simply too much GNR to share, so I've made a collection of highlights for all to examine. As for the lossless files, they are still up if you want to grab them. The name of the site is Guns N' Roses Bootlegs and the links for the individual boots are below as well as the highlights collection for download. Enjoy!

Use Your Illusion Outtakes
This is apparently a bootleg comp someone pressed and sold a while back. Much of the content is from other boots but there is some unique stuff on it too like session excerpts and instrumentals.

Axl's Advanced Copy
Who knows if this set of tracks were really ever in Axl's possession, but this is a great boot regardless. Apparently it's collected from two CDs of rough mixes from the Illusion sessions. Not all the tracks are hugely different and the quality is lacking, but it features the unreleased Ain't Goin' Down and a rather odd version of Don't Damn Me where Axl ad libs the end of the song. This is one to grab!

Use Your Illusion Sessions: Rough Mixes and Q Sound Mixes
This is another really interesting collection. The first part is from a DAT tape labeled Rough Mixes with new Slash Guitars, which is just what it says it is. Axl is nowhere to be found on those tracks so you get to hear the band sans overdubs as well as early instrumentals of some of the covers that ended up on "The Spaghetti Incident?". The second part is labeled Mixes And Q-Sound and contains a number of rough mixes but also features QSound variants. QSound was a "positional three-dimensional sound processing algorithm" that was supposed to make you feel like you were in the middle of the music if you placed your head just right between the speakers or were wearing good headphones. I don't remember it working AT ALL, but apparently people in the video game industry believed in it enough to use it in arcades and some console games for a while. You can read a lot more about it at the QSound wikipedia reference which also contains a list of the albums that were mixed in QSound. It's a pretty short list.

One other note about this particular bootleg, while the mixes are high quality recordings and when ran through a spectral analyzer it's apparent they fill the full frequency range of a CD quality recording, whomever transferred them did so at ridiculously HOT levels. The instrumental roughs with new Slash guitars sound alright, but the rough mixes and their QSound counterparts are totally brickwalled. So, if you're listening to these and wondering why they sound distorted as hell, there's your answer. I give credit to whomever leaked/shared them but if you load 'em up in Audacity you're gonna cry at how badly damaged they are.


And now, a collection of highlights from the above bootlegs for your listening pleasure!


Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion Roughs

01 Ain't Goin' Down
From Axl's Advanced Copy, this leftover was apparently used in a Guns N' Roses pinball machine, although I've never seen one. Decent track.

02 Civil War
The third version of the track on the Use Your Illusion Outtakes boot, this one features vocals but not the intro from Cool Hand Luke.

03 The Garden
Rough instrumental track from the Rough Mixes with new Slash Guitars DAT. Pretty cool.

04 Get In The Ring
This is a mostly instrumental mix but there are some vocals on it. Get In The Ring was one of the last songs to be finished for the albums as Axl was still working on the lyrics.

05 Double Talkin' Jive
Rough Mix

06 New Rose
Instrumental from the Slash Guitars DAT.

07 Coma
From Axl's Advanced Copy, this isn't much different from the released version but it is missing a lot of the extra sounds from the emergency room and, as the record credits them, the "bitches".

08 November Rain
A December 1990 rough mix.

09 Locomotive
Slash Guitar Instrumental

10 Pretty Tied Up
Rough Mix

11 Don't Damn Me
This is the version where Axl ad libs the very end of the recording. Funny.

12 You Could Be Mine
Rough Mix

13 I Don't Care About You
Slash Guitar Instrumental

14 My World
This one is very suspicious. Load this up in your favorite audio editor and you'll see that the right and left channels mirror each other, making me wonder if this is really someone's attempt at tweaking the track. It also sounds strange, like it's out of phase. Regardless, even though I'm pretty sure EVERYONE hates this track (except me) I thought I'd include this since it's mostly instrumental and gives one a better chance to examine the backing track. I have no idea what possessed Axl to record this or why no one else in the band knew about it until the CD was pressed, but this ridiculously over-the-top abuse track is for me a lot of fun. I can't take the lyrics seriously, but I get the impression that Axl was trying to be Nine Inch Nails or Skinny Puppy. It's not great, but I gotta give the guy a lot of credit for trying.


PS - No offense intended with this photo Axl, I just thought it was cute and worth sharing. Get the next album out man! I know I'm not the only one that will buy it!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Electric car grants saved

The UK Plug-in Car Grant, which will cover up to 25% of the price of an electric car, has been saved. Originally announced back in March by the then Labour government, there had been fears the scheme would be scrapped by the Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition to help reduce the public spending deficit.



A decision wasn’t expected until the completion of the government’s autumn spending review, but today the Department for Transport confirmed that the money would be ring fenced.



However, the rules of engagement have changed. Whereas the original proposal had £230 million set aside over five years, there’s now only £43 million allocated for the period January 2011 to March 2012. Any available budget beyond then won’t be confirmed until January 2012.



Among the reasons given for the reprieve, Business Minister Mark Prisk said, “The consumer incentive will help Britain become one of the leading centres for the design, development and manufacture of ultra-low carbon vehicles.  It sits alongside public and private sector investment in innovation and infrastructure, leading to the creation of new highly skilled low carbon jobs.”



With the maximum per car grant still capped at £5,000, there’ll be enough in the kitty for 8,600 electric car purchases. However, contrary to Mr Prisk’s comments, it’s unlikely that many of those will be manufactured in the UK.



Although Nissan has chosen Sunderland for European production of its electric Leaf, for example, production isn’t due to start until 2013. Until then, it’ll be importing cars from Japan.



Meanwhile, General Motors has yet to confirm where the Vauxhall / Opel Ampera versions of its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid will be built. Ellesmere Port, in the UK, remains a contender though, and perhaps the government’s move is partly to influence the decision? Whatever, it’s doubtful the Ampera will be around in time to take advantage of the initial grants.



So that leaves buyers of cars such as the Turkish-built Renault Fluence Z.E., the Japanese Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the American Tesla Roadster to take advantage of the UK government’s money.

Electric car grants saved

The UK Plug-in Car Grant, which will cover up to 25% of the price of an electric car, has been saved. Originally announced back in March by the then Labour government, there had been fears the scheme would be scrapped by the Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition to help reduce the public spending deficit.



A decision wasn’t expected until the completion of the government’s autumn spending review, but today the Department for Transport confirmed that the money would be ring fenced.



However, the rules of engagement have changed. Whereas the original proposal had £230 million set aside over five years, there’s now only £43 million allocated for the period January 2011 to March 2012. Any available budget beyond then won’t be confirmed until January 2012.



Among the reasons given for the reprieve, Business Minister Mark Prisk said, “The consumer incentive will help Britain become one of the leading centres for the design, development and manufacture of ultra-low carbon vehicles.  It sits alongside public and private sector investment in innovation and infrastructure, leading to the creation of new highly skilled low carbon jobs.”



With the maximum per car grant still capped at £5,000, there’ll be enough in the kitty for 8,600 electric car purchases. However, contrary to Mr Prisk’s comments, it’s unlikely that many of those will be manufactured in the UK.



Although Nissan has chosen Sunderland for European production of its electric Leaf, for example, production isn’t due to start until 2013. Until then, it’ll be importing cars from Japan.



Meanwhile, General Motors has yet to confirm where the Vauxhall / Opel Ampera versions of its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid will be built. Ellesmere Port, in the UK, remains a contender though, and perhaps the government’s move is partly to influence the decision? Whatever, it’s doubtful the Ampera will be around in time to take advantage of the initial grants.



So that leaves buyers of cars such as the Turkish-built Renault Fluence Z.E., the Japanese Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the American Tesla Roadster to take advantage of the UK government’s money.

Carros Tuning - New Beetle Tuning

 New beetle Tuning
(Carros Tuning - volkswagen,New beetle Tuning,socada,rebaixada,tunada,modificada,suspensão Rebaixada,roda esportiva,Dub....)

Carros Tuning - Celta Tuning

 Celta Tuning 
(Carros Tuning - Chevrolet Celta tuning ,modificado,equipado,tunado,Tuning,celta,dub celta Rosa)

Carros Tuning - Clio Tuning

Clio Tuning
(Carros Tuning - renault clio Tuning,equipado,socado,rebaixado,tunado,modificado,suspensão Rebaixada, Dub,roda esportiva,Dub )

Carros Tuning - Mercedes benz 190E

 Mercedes benz 190E
(Carros Tuning - Mercedes benz 190E Tuning,rebaixada,tunada,modificada,suspensão Rebaixada,roda esportiva,Dub.)

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Carros Tuning - Saveiro Tuning

 Saveiro Tuning 
(Carros Tuning - volkswagen  saveiro Tuning,rebaixada,tunada,modificada,suspensão Rebaixada,roda esportiva,Dub.)

Mini to compete in WRC

The World Rally Championship could do with a few more works teams right now, so it’s good news that Mini has confirmed it’ll be joining the series.



Using the new Countryman as a basis, the cars will be prepared by Banbury-based Prodrive in accordance with the FIA’s Super2000 rules that come into force next year.





The revised regulations, which stipulate the use of 1.6 litre turbo engines and four-wheel drive, are designed to reduce costs by around 25% compared to current specification WRC cars. Existing competitors Ford and Citroen are also working on their Super2000 challengers, and development versions of the Fiesta and DS3 have already been seen out testing.



Mini will begin its WRC campaign by entering selected rounds of the 2011 season, before competing in all events the following year. There’s no word on drivers yet, although it’s rumoured Marcus Gronholm and Kris Meeke may become involved. The Countryman WRC will also be made available for private customer teams to buy, which should hopefully further boost the number of championship entrants.

Mini to compete in WRC

The World Rally Championship could do with a few more works teams right now, so it’s good news that Mini has confirmed it’ll be joining the series.



Using the new Countryman as a basis, the cars will be prepared by Banbury-based Prodrive in accordance with the FIA’s Super2000 rules that come into force next year.





The revised regulations, which stipulate the use of 1.6 litre turbo engines and four-wheel drive, are designed to reduce costs by around 25% compared to current specification WRC cars. Existing competitors Ford and Citroen are also working on their Super2000 challengers, and development versions of the Fiesta and DS3 have already been seen out testing.



Mini will begin its WRC campaign by entering selected rounds of the 2011 season, before competing in all events the following year. There’s no word on drivers yet, although it’s rumoured Marcus Gronholm and Kris Meeke may become involved. The Countryman WRC will also be made available for private customer teams to buy, which should hopefully further boost the number of championship entrants.

Glow in the dark tattoo video


Glow-In-The-Dark Tattoo - Watch more Funny Videos


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New Order - 1988 Demos, Rehearsals and Other Ephemera


This is a really great collection of New Order rarities from the Technique era, but rather than go into details about the contents, I'm going to share the original text file included with the FLAC files I've converted these MP3s from. Credit goes out to Tom Hulme for leaking the tape and sharing his thoughts and The Happy One for further elaborating on the details and getting the files out there. Details follow below:

A unique collection of Technique-era demos/monitor mix playbacks/Hooky live playing, as well as several unreleased mixes of 'Blue Monday 1988'.

Digitized from Tom's Hulme's tape, which he received from an engineer at the recording sessions.

He writes:


"In 1988, I was a simple bricklayer working in Box, Wiltshire, UK. Just around the corner from the executive houses I was building was Peter Gabriel's Real World studios.

Incredibly, I just wandered in there one lunchtime to find an empty studio full of instruments, where New Order were recording. The engineer from that recording session gave me a cassette.

The cassette is labeled A&M Studios and has "*New Order* (Various Takes)" typed on both sides. On Side 1 is hand-written "Ideas from Recording etc Jun/Jul etc". On Side 2 is hand-written "Rehersal [sic] - 25/4/88".

Side 1 starts off with some rather tinny jamming, samples, etc. However, the sound quality soon improves and there are lengthy jams, short snippets of conversation (presumably from Peter Hook and Barney Sumner) and various samples of instrumentation, including a couple of rough takes of complete songs. Most of the music has no vocals, but there are a couple of tracks with vocals. Not being a huge New Order fan, I'm afraid that I can't say whether these are early rehearsals of known songs or unreleased rarities!

Side 2 consists of numerous remixes of Blue Monday (I know that song!). They all differ in as far as they have odd samples, loops and synthesizer parts incorporated. It is also interspersed with some rough jams by the boys (and girl!), some bass lines by Hooky and a bit of noodling from Barney.

This tape is totally original and a one-off. I have not made any copies, so it is a totally unique piece of New Order memorabilia."


Tom did a surprisingly good job of summarizing on what was on this tape, and as the following will illustrate, the contents are anything but straightforward for anybody wishing to understand how the group works. Like the best of any sort of art, it raises more questions than it answers!

Incredibly, we have not one but *three* sets of rarities on this tape.

First: unreleased mixes of Blue Monday 1988, different variations made for the band, likely composed for their approval. I believe the version without the 'ah boy this is too much' samples was eventually edited down to become the 7" version, while a version with the samples became the 12" version, though in these mixes the samples are sequenced and are different than the released version. I believe that this is what the "03/03/1988" date refers to.

The entire tape (on both sides) most likely originally consisted of these mixes. Somewhere along the line (likely starting on April 25th) this was taped over with monitor mixes and rehearsals taken from the Technique sessions. You can tell because there is forward bleed-through throughout the first side of Blue Monday 1988, including through a long segment of ambient room recording while the band work on the bass synth line of what I would guess was then known as 'Much Too Old', soon to be reworked into what was released as 'Fine Time'.

Over that, we have a tiny bit of guitar and bass noodling (the latter nothing less than a brief attempt at something akin to 'New Horizon' by Section 25!), and then, for me the highlight of the whole tape, a full demo of Dream Attack, with STUNNING basswork by Hooky at the start. Then we have Hooky playing along live to the backing track and monitor playbacks of the same, similar bass playback along to a work-in-progress Mr. Disco, and various riffs, including a nascent 'The Happy One' and 'All The Way'. This continues on side two, with more Hooky riffing. Then we have rehearsal-type samples of 'Guilty Partner', 'Don't Do It', and what we've termed 'Unknown #2', which didn't survive the cut, though some of the ideas on that number were likely carried into "All The Way"

I believe these all came out of the 4/25 session, as it's clear that the songs were still being composed at that time.

And over that, we have the start of the tape, which totals about 9 minutes, and features more work-in-progress samples of the songs that so far have been composed. Alas, the quality on these is lower than the rest of the tape, I reckon that they're probably at least a couple of generations off. I think these tracks are later than that follows, since we have nearly-complete backings for 'Mr Disco', 'Don't Do It', 'Best and Marsh', and 'MTO' with 'Loveless' being mostly-recognizable. Only 'Run' on here is still in early (slower tempo) form. We also have, for the first time, two samples of songs that never made it to completion. The second in particular features a gorgeous Sumner riff that I swear is naggingly familiar, but I can't place it! I think these were composed over the June/July 1988 timeframe and are what 'Ideas from Recording etc Jun/Jul etc' refers to.

And there you have it!

This version has been mastered by drewc, who also handled some of the live soundboard material that appeared on the first box of tapes which was sold on eBay several years ago.

Where warranted, fades has been inserted, as well as silences, etc being removed, so that the contents could, at 79 minutes exactly, fit onto a single CD. There were multiple playbacks of the Blue Monday 1988 remix material on the tape, all have been included here, although it appears that there's only two different remixes, which were repeated over and over it seems, as can be evidenced by the bleed-through during the long ambient room recording.

Enjoy. I know you've all been waiting to hear this, and I hope it doesn't disappoint!

THO



This is split into two archives for downloading, one for each side of the tape, so make sure you get both. Enjoy!


New Order - 1988 Demos, Rehearsals and Other Ephemera

Side One: "Ideas from Recording etc Jun/Jul etc"

01 Loveless
02 Mr. Disco
03 Don't Do It
04 Run (Early Version)
05 Unknown #1
06 Best and Marsh
07 MTO
08 Unknown #2
09 guitar and bass checks
10 Dream Attack (Demo)
11 Dream Attack (Hooky bass over playback)
12 Dream Attack (monitor playback)
13 Dream Attack (Hooky bass over playback with piano)
14 Mr. Disco (Hooky bass over playback)
15 Low-Fi Hooky Riffing
16 Hi-Fi Hooky Riffing
17 More Hi-Fi Hooky Riffing
18 All The Way (Hooky Bass)
19 low-volume ambient recording (Blue Monday playback plus bass synth to MTO)


Side Two: "Rehersal - 25/4/88"

01 All The Way (Hooky Bass)
02 'The Him' style riff (Hooky Bass)
03 Blue Monday 1988 (No Samples Version, cuts off)
04 Guilty Partner (Rehearsal Takes)
05 Don't Do It (Rehearsal Takes)
06 Unknown #2 (Rehearsal Takes)
07 Blue Monday 1988 (No Samples Version, start is missing)
08 Blue Monday 1988 (No Samples Version)
09 Blue Monday 1988 (Alternate Version 1)
10 Blue Monday 1988 (Alternate Version 2)



PS - If you're craving more New Order gems, you should visit Recycle and The Power Of Independent Trucking. I'm sure you'll find both sites utterly essential, although Recycle is dedicated specifically to the Joy Division and New Order legacies.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Hybrid Panamera coming

As anticipated, Porsche has confirmed that the Panamera S Hybrid will be launched in 2011. It’ll share the technology already used in the Cayenne S Hybrid, which means a combined 374 bhp (279 kW / 380 PS) from a supercharged six-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor.





In the Cayenne, that hybrid package is good for a 150 mph (242 km/h) top speed, while 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration takes just 6.5 seconds.  Despite the performance, it still manages a fairly respectable combined cycle fuel consumption of 34.4 mpg (8.2 l/100km). But the benefits are most noticeable when it comes to CO2 emissions: the Cayenne S Hybrid’s figure of 193 g/km is actually better than that of the recently announced Cayenne Diesel.





When it arrives, the Panamera S Hybrid should record even better stats. That’s because it’ll probably be around 250 kg lighter than the Cayenne, and have a lower drag coefficient. If only it was a bit better looking…



Porsche is also starting work on a purely electric car, using three Boxsters as research cars. Michael Macht, President and CEO of Porsche AG, backed this up by saying, “We will definitely be offering an electric sports car in future. But such a concept only makes sense if it offers product qualities typical of a Porsche.”

Hybrid Panamera coming

As anticipated, Porsche has confirmed that the Panamera S Hybrid will be launched in 2011. It’ll share the technology already used in the Cayenne S Hybrid, which means a combined 374 bhp (279 kW / 380 PS) from a supercharged six-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor.





In the Cayenne, that hybrid package is good for a 150 mph (242 km/h) top speed, while 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration takes just 6.5 seconds.  Despite the performance, it still manages a fairly respectable combined cycle fuel consumption of 34.4 mpg (8.2 l/100km). But the benefits are most noticeable when it comes to CO2 emissions: the Cayenne S Hybrid’s figure of 193 g/km is actually better than that of the recently announced Cayenne Diesel.





When it arrives, the Panamera S Hybrid should record even better stats. That’s because it’ll probably be around 250 kg lighter than the Cayenne, and have a lower drag coefficient. If only it was a bit better looking…



Porsche is also starting work on a purely electric car, using three Boxsters as research cars. Michael Macht, President and CEO of Porsche AG, backed this up by saying, “We will definitely be offering an electric sports car in future. But such a concept only makes sense if it offers product qualities typical of a Porsche.”

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Fiat 500 Blackjack

Following in the tyre tracks of cars such as the Ford Focus RS500 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class DR 520, Fiat has jumped onboard the matt black bandwagon.



Its offering is somewhat less high performance though, and the unique features of the 500 Blackjack special edition are purely cosmetic. Apart from the paint, these include leather upholstery, 16” alloys, red brake calipers and a gloss black finish for the door handles, mirrors and bumper trim.





There’s no doubt that matt black looks good on the small Fiat. However, it remains to be seen how well it will stand up to the scuffs and scratches that come with hard city use.



When the Blackjack goes on sale in September, buyers will be able to choose from the usual selection of Fiat 500 petrol and diesel offerings, including the recently-announced two-cylinder TwinAir engine.



UK prices for the Fiat 500 Blackjack have yet to be confirmed.

Fiat 500 Blackjack

Following in the tyre tracks of cars such as the Ford Focus RS500 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class DR 520, Fiat has jumped onboard the matt black bandwagon.



Its offering is somewhat less high performance though, and the unique features of the 500 Blackjack special edition are purely cosmetic. Apart from the paint, these include leather upholstery, 16” alloys, red brake calipers and a gloss black finish for the door handles, mirrors and bumper trim.





There’s no doubt that matt black looks good on the small Fiat. However, it remains to be seen how well it will stand up to the scuffs and scratches that come with hard city use.



When the Blackjack goes on sale in September, buyers will be able to choose from the usual selection of Fiat 500 petrol and diesel offerings, including the recently-announced two-cylinder TwinAir engine.



UK prices for the Fiat 500 Blackjack have yet to be confirmed.

Misleading BMW advert

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has upheld two complaints made against a regional press advertisement for the BMW Z4 sDrive35is.





Objections were raised because of the environmental claims made in the ad, which had the text:



"Joy presses you back in your seat. It's a lesson in EfficientDynamics - our way of doing more with less. Part of the thrill of being in an accelerating BMW is knowing nothing is going to waste. High Precision Fuel Injection gives you abundant power, using less fuel. So you can step on the accelerator, knowing Joy will minimise the CO2 emissions. The story of Joy continues at bmw.co.uk/joy. THE BMW Z4 sDRIVE35is JOY IS FUTUREPROOF. BMW EfficientDynamics Less emissions, More driving pleasure."


The associated small print read:



"Official fuel economy figures for the Z4 sDrive35is Roadster: Urban 22.4 mpg (12.6 l/100km). Extra Urban 40.9 mpg (6.9 l/100km), Combined 31.4 mpg (9.0 l/100km). CO2 emissions 210 g/km. BMW EfficientDynamics reduces BMW emissions without compromising performance developments and is standard across the model range."


The complainants thought this implied that a CO2 emissions level of 210 g/km was low. They in fact understood it to be relatively high, meaning BMW’s advert was misleading (although perhaps not to them?).



BMW (UK) responded by saying the emissions from the current Z4 range were significantly reduced compared to the previous generation, and the 210 g/km of CO2 produced by the 335 bhp (250 kW / 340 PS) Z4 sDrive35is is lower than all of its competitors.



Indeed, that seems to be correct: For example, the slightly less powerful Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 and Porsche Boxster S have CO2 figures of 227 g/km and 223 g/km respectively.



But BMW’s defence was to no avail. The ASA ruled that the advert was ‘likely to mislead without further qualification’, because 210 g/km was a relatively high figure for any car. Consequently, the advert should not appear again in its current form.

Misleading BMW advert

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has upheld two complaints made against a regional press advertisement for the BMW Z4 sDrive35is.





Objections were raised because of the environmental claims made in the ad, which had the text:



"Joy presses you back in your seat. It's a lesson in EfficientDynamics - our way of doing more with less. Part of the thrill of being in an accelerating BMW is knowing nothing is going to waste. High Precision Fuel Injection gives you abundant power, using less fuel. So you can step on the accelerator, knowing Joy will minimise the CO2 emissions. The story of Joy continues at bmw.co.uk/joy. THE BMW Z4 sDRIVE35is JOY IS FUTUREPROOF. BMW EfficientDynamics Less emissions, More driving pleasure."


The associated small print read:



"Official fuel economy figures for the Z4 sDrive35is Roadster: Urban 22.4 mpg (12.6 l/100km). Extra Urban 40.9 mpg (6.9 l/100km), Combined 31.4 mpg (9.0 l/100km). CO2 emissions 210 g/km. BMW EfficientDynamics reduces BMW emissions without compromising performance developments and is standard across the model range."


The complainants thought this implied that a CO2 emissions level of 210 g/km was low. They in fact understood it to be relatively high, meaning BMW’s advert was misleading (although perhaps not to them?).



BMW (UK) responded by saying the emissions from the current Z4 range were significantly reduced compared to the previous generation, and the 210 g/km of CO2 produced by the 335 bhp (250 kW / 340 PS) Z4 sDrive35is is lower than all of its competitors.



Indeed, that seems to be correct: For example, the slightly less powerful Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 and Porsche Boxster S have CO2 figures of 227 g/km and 223 g/km respectively.



But BMW’s defence was to no avail. The ASA ruled that the advert was ‘likely to mislead without further qualification’, because 210 g/km was a relatively high figure for any car. Consequently, the advert should not appear again in its current form.