Last night I attended the “pre-launch” of the Nintendo 3DS at La Toscana restaurant in Montecasino. It wasn’t just a media event, it was for VIP’s, partners, retailers and other folk, even little kids.

The opening performance was very good – gymnasts doing all sorts of impressive things with their bodies, keeping the wow factor of the 3D console:

Eventually the Nintendo 3DS was brought on stage by a whole bunch of guys and girls. The device was attached to them, via a belt around their waste, as you can see. (The units were sample units).

Second photo credit: Kate Kearney from Nintendo

The first time I experienced the Nintendo 3DS (no 3D glasses required), I was really amazed. I played a little Fifa on it and I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing! Eventually a friend and I hunted down the guys with Street Fighter and played a few games. We played in “dynamic” mode, which gives you a feeling like you’re there. As if 3D doesn’t do that already!

The Nintendo 3DS will sell for R2800 and games are R500. I think the pricing on the console isn’t bad at all, considering the technology it houses. There were lots of complaints on Twitter about price. But a lot of people complain for the sake of it, especially in South Africa.

I am not a fan of 3D TV, but give me the Nintendo 3D console!

Volvo invited me to the V60 sport wagon launch held in Cape Town yesterday. Now I know what you’re thinking. Wagon’s aren’t exactly known for their looks, but Volvo actually put effort into making the wagon look good.

So who is it for? According to Volvo’s Gerry Keany, “The typical sports wagon customer is a S60 buyer who would like some extra space and flexibility, but without the slightest compromise on sporty design and exciting driving properties.”

The Volvo V60 sport wagon is racetrack inspired, most notably by its curved interiors:

Just like the S60, which I drove at the launch last year, the V60 has pedestrian detection, which will automatically brake if it detects a pedestrian in front of the car. Volvo says the “60″ range is sleek, sophisticated and sporty.

If you’re concerned about sound, Volvo has it covered with Dolby Digital surround sound and when it comes to child safety, the back seats have integrated child booster cushions in the two outer seats.

We got to drive the various models around with an option of a long or short route. I drove the 2.0 Turbo, D5 and the top of the range, T6. After driving the Volvo S60 and V60, I realized I quite like the Diesel engines. The D5 I drove had blind-spot detectors, which is a really awesome feature. If a car is in your blind spot, a little red light comes on, notifying you about it. If only all cars had this feature!

Prices start at R317,700 for the T3 manual; R406,300 for T5 powershift; R418,300 for the D5 geartronic and the top of the range T6 AWD geartronic is R474,700. All prices include C02 emissions tax.

More information can be found on the Volvo V60 website.

Thank you to the team at Volvo who invited me again, and for the lovely accommodation at Old Mac Daddy. Yup, luxury trailer parks do exist!

On Wednesday I was flown to George by Volvo South Africa for the launch of the “all new” Volvo S60.

When we arrived, we were taken to a warehouse just around the corner from the George Airport, where we got a glimpse of the “naughty” Volvo S60.

After a quick introduction and briefing, we paired up and got into the car, ready for our adventure. Our first task was to drive from George to Outdshoorn. We were told to get “naughty” in the Volvo S60 – and that’s exactly what I did.

Okay, so we know Volvo is all about safety first. When I drove the D5 model, I felt really safe and more importantly, confident, at the speed I was doing. I don’t think I’ll say how fast I went, but it was the fastest I’ve ever driven in a car. It was smooth.

On arrival at Outdshoorn, we were given a rock shandy – with rocks inside it!

A more technical briefing about the Volvo S60 followed. Like little bits that make the car different from the previous generation – an extra 30mm added to the legroom at the back, and the boot opening has been made 107mm wider.

Thereafter I got to see how the pedestrian avoidance test works. A dummy was placed on the road and I drove normally, (as one would) and as I approached the dummy, the car braked automatically! Sure, I’ve seen youtube videos (not talking about this one) but to actually experience it was really cool.

After lunch, we drove from Outdshoorn to Wilderness, swapping cars after reaching a certain point. The route was chosen carefully as we got to experience long flat roads as well as curvy roads, with an excellent view. It was my first time in George and it really is a beautiful city.

I got to drive the D5 (151kW) and T6 (224kW) and I preferred the D5. There was something about the T6 that didn’t feel right – the steering wheel felt a bit wobbly – but I’m not sure if it was the road. Whatever it was, the D5 was definitely the more enjoyable ride.

Although I’m not the target market, I was impressed with the Volvo S60, especially the little details that went into it.

Prices for the Volvo S60 are as follows:
2.0T Manual – R 355,500
2.0T Powershift – R 371,900
D5 Geartronic – R 408,000
T6 Geartronic – R464,000

More information can be found on the Volvo website.

Thank you Volvo South Africa for inviting me to experience the ‘all new naughty Volvo S60’ and the excellent hospitality.

I was invited as a blogger to the media launch of the Opel Astra at Kyalami racetrack yesterday. It was the very first time I got to drive around the track – I was slightly nervous on the 1st lap – as I had no idea how sharp the corners were, etc, but by the second lap I drove ‘properly’ as in responsibly.

We were given a history of Opel – how their factory was destroyed during the Second World War, and how they made a comeback. We were shown various models from the different generations, with a little dancing sketch from each era. It was very interesting and entertaining.  After the formalities, we had lunch – which we ate very fast, so we could get into the cars and go for a “spin” around the track.

I initially had concerns, silly things like, what if I don’t adjust to the clutch or what if I switch off, etc but luckily, none of that happened. I didn’t go out and choose the best car in the range, I just picked the closest one to me. Which happened to be the 1.6 Turbo Sport – this one:

Of course we had to follow a certain set of rules. Like no over taking and keeping a safe following distance of about 5 cars, amongst others.

I was impressed with the drive of the car, it felt very smooth and the concerns I had were soon forgotten once I took off! I was slightly cautious around the bends, but drove what I would say, ‘more freely’ on the second lap since I was more familiar with the track.

The entry level 1.4 litre starts at around R218,000 and the top of the range 1.6 litre turbo sport is about R280,000. More info can be found on the Opel Astra website.

General Motors sent me to their Chevrolet Spark launch in July this year and I have to say, this one was much better! Thanks GM.

I was invited to the Chevrolet Spark media launch in Cape Town on Thursday, 22 July. General Motors decided to do something different and invite “influential social media folks”, people who weren’t necessarily motoring journalists; and so my name was put forward.

When we arrived in Cape Town (there was a large group of us from Johannesburg), we were told to choose a car from the fleet, get into groups of four and self-drive to a warehouse in Brackenfell. Everything was waiting for us: keys in car, parking ticket to exit the parkade, and directions to the warehouse. We got there easily with my directions, well not mine, but me directing the driver

After a short welcome, unveiling of the Spark and a quick performance by dancers, the formalities began.

We were told to get into the cars and tune in via FM transmitter to listen to the rest of the presentation.

Then the fun part began – driving the Spark! We got into groups of two and followed directions placed in the car, which took us to Franschoek. We had lunch, swapped drivers and drove back via a slightly different route.

The drive was scenic (well, it is Cape Town), and while I was doing 120km/h, I noticed a 60km/h sign with a camera below it. Oops. There was no point in slowing down; I (or rather General Motors) was going to pick up a fine anyway. Most of the journey was on a single lane road and there were lots of trucks. Overtaking was very tedious, but that’s what you’d expect from a car that size.

The Spark is a step up from the Spark Lite and two specification levels are offered, L and LS. Both are powered by a fuel-efficient 1.2L, 4-cylinder, 16-valve engine. The base L model offers power steering, air conditioning, radio / CD / MP3 player, Auxiliary USB port and driver & passenger airbags. The LS model additionally has electric side mirrors, ABS anti-lock brakes and remote boot release. These are just some of the features.

The Spark L is priced at R115 495 and the Spark LS is R125 495, which I’d say is ideal for students or as a first car. I wouldn’t be going out to buy one as I’d like a car with a bit more power. More information on the Chevrolet website here.

Thank you General Motors, for inviting me to drive the hot new Spark!

Last night was the official launch of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic at Movida in Sunninghill. If you were disappointed with the iPhone, Omnia, HTC Diamond (there’s been loads of that on the local blogosphere), and waited this long, you probably wont be disappointed with Nokia’s “answer to the iPhone”. I’ve been fortunate enough to play with various phones and in the end, Nokia is still my favourite. I probably sound biased – all the phones I’ve ever owned were /still is, Nokia.

Above (l-r): Patrick Henchie, Program Manager - Nokia SA, Brad Brockhaug, Vice President - Nokia Sub-Sahara Africa, International DJ Colleen Shannon, Jake Larsen, Head of Music - Nokia Middle East and Africa and Mathia Nalappan, General Manager - Nokia SA

It was also announced that the Nokia Music Store will launching in South Africa on 24 April 2009. The software for it, Nokia Music is currently available to test on Nokia Beta Labs. The software will only be available to Windows users, for now. All songs will be in the .wma format and will not be DRM free. As far as pricing goes, in the UK, it would cost 80p for a track and £8 for album. The local store will feature artists like The Parlotones, Gold Fish and Arno Carstens.

Really cool touch-tables brought in at Movida

Features of the Nokia 5800

• 3.2-inch TFT touchscreen with 16M colors (640 x 360 pixels)
• Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
• Alphanumeric keypad, full and mini qwerty keyboard, handwriting recognition
• 3.2 megapixel camera with Zeiss optics
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Wi-Fi
• TV-out port
• Stereo speakers
• Finger and stylus UI control
• 109 gm weight
• 8GB of memory
• Symbian OS v9.4, S60 5th edition

Unfortunately I didnt get to take the phone home with me last night, but I’ve been told I’ll get one to play with.

Patience.

Yesterday I attended the media launch of the Wii Fit.

I am very thrilled to have gotten the Wii and Wii Fit with balance board to take home to complete a 25 Day Challenge.

At the launch we were allowed to play games and it was loads of fun. I quite enjoyed the balancing games. Wii Fit is divided into four categories: Aerobic Exercise, Muscle Conditioning, Yoga Poses and Balance Games.

Last night after plugging in the console (without bothering to open the manual), was abit disappointed that the Wii Remote wasnt working. So I decided to check the manual and realised I didnt plug the sensor bar (duh). In my defence, the sensor bar was hidden in the box, so I totally missed it.

After creating my profile and basic training, a Wii age was given to me – which is 39. I dont feel so bad after hearing my colleague’s Wii age is 44. I have 25 days to get “fit”. You are prompted to select a goal after creating your profile. Since my BMI was 19.20, I made my goal to reduce my BMI to 19.

Each category comes with about four of five games that are unlocked. The more time you spend playing / getting a workout, more games become available. During my workout last night, I managed to unlock 5 games – but not all were to my liking. They open in different categories.

I started off with balancing games, did a bit of aerobic and under muscle conditioning, did some step traning. I did not attempt Yoga, yet. The most tiring activity was hula hooping. I was so out of breath after that (read: unfit).

I played for about 35-40 mins. Thereafter I played some Wii Sport. Its only been one day and I’m really enjoying it! I hope I have the will to continue my challenge over the next 24 days.

I will try to keep you updated on my progress.

Originally blogged on My Digital Life.