WhatFinger


Jim Bray, CFP Automotive Editor

Jim publishes TechnoFile Magazine. Jim is an affiliate with the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada and his careers have included journalist, technology retailer, video store pioneer, and syndicated columnist; he does a biweekly column on CBC Radio One's The Business Network.

Jim can be reached at: bray@technofile.com Older articles by Jim Bray

Most Recent Articles by Jim Bray, CFP Automotive Editor:

Honda Civic 2012 – A New Generation Joins a Crowded Market

Honda's classic Civic is back with a new suit of clothes for 2012, the eighth such makeover since the car came to North America in the 1970's. And it appears Honda has chosen to play it safe with this latest iteration rather than push the envelope. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, of course, especially since the Civic was a great car already. And there have certainly been copious changes and innovations over the decades since the Civic appeared on these shores as a two door coupe/hatchback. The car has definitely been a success story for Honda, and deservedly so.
- Thursday, August 11, 2011

Mercedes-Benz’ Slick new SLK

Mercedes-Benz sporty SLK is back with a new, third generation version that's attractive, luxurious, and fun to drive. And the two seat, retractable hard top "vario-roof" car looks and works better than ever, with a new exterior that's reminiscent of the company's SLS AMG supercar, and with enough performance and technology to please the discerning driver.
- Saturday, July 23, 2011

Olympus Voice Recorder Offers Three Microphones, Expandable Storage

Olympus DM-620 digital voice recorder is a powerful tool for those looking to make quality recordings away from home. Digital voice recorders have certainly carved out a niche in today's technological world and I wouldn't want to be without one. I use such devices all the time, either when I'm interviewing subjects for articles or merely to take verbal notes – for example when I'm driving a review vehicle and want to remember a point later without having to stop the car on the side of the road and scribble something down.
- Saturday, July 23, 2011

Livio and Verbatim Make Car Tunes More Flexible

People who want to take their own tunes into their cars have a couple of new opportunities, including one that'll let you play digital files in vehicles that don't normally have the capability. Taking along your own tunes is nothing new, of course. People have been cooking their own programming since the days of tape cassettes and even 8 Tracks to a certain extent. But with the advent of MP3 files, which can pack lots of music into a tiny amount of storage space (at the cost of "dumbed down" sound quality if you compress them too much), there has never been more flexibility, especially when you add to the mix such things as hard drive-based car audio systems.
- Saturday, July 16, 2011

Chrysler 200 – Little Big Car

Chrysler's new 200 could be the perfect vehicle for Doctor Who, if the popular BBC sci-fi show character were ever to look for a conventional mode of transportation. Why? Well, despite it being a rather conventional four door sedan it's similar to the Doctor's preferred method of transportation – the TARDIS – because it appears bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Okay, that may be an optical illusion, but hop inside this midsize sedan and you're in a roomy cabin that feels even roomier than it is.
- Saturday, July 16, 2011

The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions – Error Correction

It was one of the most anticipated film series in the history of cinefantastique when it hit Blu-ray in 2010, but some fans were disappointed that it was only the shorter theatrical versions, and even they had their issues. Now, however, it appears Alliance Atlantis has listened to the fans because they've released this new boxed set of all three of Peter Jackson's classic films in all their extended glory, and all of them look and sound fantastic.
- Saturday, July 9, 2011

Mazda’s Fun Fours – SPEED3 and MX-5

Mazda's MAZDASPEED3and MX-5 are definitely a couple of "Zoom-Zoom" treats for fine, summer driving. And what could be more fun than that after a seemingly endless winter and wet spring? The nice thing is that, thanks to the SPEED3's "conventional" four door wagon configuration, and the MX-5's snug retractable hardtop, they'll also provide entertaining drives in the winter.
- Saturday, July 9, 2011

Acer Iconia Tab – iPad Competitor with a Familiar Face

More and more companies are getting into the tablet market, trying to snag some of the profits Apple is snaring with its iPad. Most of these are fairly straightforward tablets, flat panels with big touch screens that use either Apple's iOS or Android. I've been playing with an Acer Iconia Tab that's a different kettle of fish to such pads, however. Acer's Iconia W500-BZ607 is more like a two piece netbook PC than a tablet. It also eschews Apple and Android operating systems, instead offering consumers the familiar Windows 7 system, so there isn't much of a learning curve if you're a Windows user already. Not only that, but the thing should run all your favorite Windows apps as well, so you shouldn't have file compatibility problems, either.
- Saturday, July 2, 2011

Kia Optima a Real Deal

Kia definitely seems to be throwing down the gauntlet, and if they keep making cars like the new Optima, other manufacturers had better be looking over their shoulders. The Optima really knocked my socks off when I drove it for a week recently; it not only looks great, it drives well and has just about every technological toy and/or tool you can imagine, short possibly of the ability to drive itself. Maybe they're holding that back for 2012…
- Saturday, July 2, 2011

Subaru Legacy, Nissan Rogue – Affordable All-wheel Drive

All-wheel drive can come in a handy if you're looking for the most traction or flexibility in where you can take your vehicle – such as in snowy climes or to off-road locations. Nothing is free, of course, and all-wheel drive technology also adds weight and complexity to a vehicle, and any time you add something to a basic vehicle you can assume the price is going to go up as well. Fortunately, all-wheel drive doesn't have to break the bank, as witnessed by the two vehicles under discussion in this column: the Nissan Rogue and Subaru Legacy.
- Saturday, June 25, 2011

Samsung Galaxy Tab – an iPad Killer? - And Scuplteo’s Mini-Me Statues - Micro Yourself!

It seems as if everyone and his dog is trying to get a slice of the tablet market Apple created with the introduction of the iPad. Imitation, it seems, truly is the sincerest form of flattery. One of the leading contenders is Samsung's Galaxy Tab, with which I got to spend a couple of weeks recently. I bought an iPad 1 when the iPad 2 came out and Apple cut the price for the old one, and I absolutely love it. In fact, I rarely use my netbook any more; the only thing I really miss is the ability to download pictures and voice files to it from my other devices. Well, that and Flash, of course.
- Saturday, June 25, 2011

VW Jetta Diesel – Cheap on Fuel, Big on Torque

Pump pain. It's the ache you feel at the sight of your bank account being depleted of vital resources by the vital resources your vehicle burns if it's to be of any use to you. The quest to minimize pump pain is one of the great pastimes these days. How do you stretch that fuel dollar so you can afford other necessities of life, like groceries?
- Sunday, June 12, 2011

Oppo’s Universal Blu-ray Player a Home Theater Powerhouse

With Blu-ray players now basically down to impulse item pricing now, one might think there's little reason to spend a thousand dollars on one. Yet, depending upon what you want in your home theater, there could be very good reason to spend that or more. Well maybe not more. Take Oppo Digital's BDP-95 Universal Audiophile 3D Blu-ray Disc Player, for example. It sells for $999 U.S., which is serious coin when you can pick up a BD player for well under $100. But what you won't get in that sub-hundred dollar unit is the abundance of extra features, capabilities and compatibilities that you get from this excellent Oppo.
- Sunday, June 12, 2011

The Stanley Kubrick Collection on Blu-ray A Special Odyssey

Fans of the legendary Stanley Kubrick can get nearly all of his films together on Blu-ray in a nice boxed set that's a fitting tribute to the filmmaker. It's called the "Stanley Kubrick Limited Edition Collection," a 10 disc set available in stores now and also sold on DVD; if nothing else it can save you some shelf space from having all nine of these films in their own packages. Most of the films aren't new to Blu-ray, though "Lolita" and "Barry Lyndon" are newly available, as is the 40th anniversary edition of "A Clockwork Orange" that appears in the set.
- Saturday, June 4, 2011

Acura, Toyota Showcase the Evolution of Quality Auto Audio

Car audio has come a long way since the 8-Track tape cartridge moved it beyond merely being a platform for AM and, if you were lucky, FM radio. It's been a long journey, through cassettes to DVD-Audio and digital file playback – including the newer capability of streaming via Bluetooth. The playback medium doesn't necessarily equate to the quality of the sound, however – for instance, an MP3 file can sound really good or really lousy depending upon the quality of the original file or of how it's processed.
- Saturday, June 4, 2011

Classic Racing Dramas Come to Blu-ray

If you're into car racing, the two greatest films ever made about the sport are, arguably, Grand Prix and Le Mans. Both focus on European races, giving them loving coverage in which accuracy was even more important than the drama. And now both films are available on Blu-ray, giving racing fans a home theater experience that almost makes it feel as if you were there.
- Saturday, May 21, 2011

Lexus CT 200h – the Greener Side of Sport?

Is Lexus' new "Premium Compact Sportback" a luxury car, a sports car, or just a reasonably luxurious hybrid with sporting pretensions? Well, if you've seen the commercials for the new Lexus CT 200h, you've undoubtedly noticed they refer to this cute little wagon as "the darker side of green," hinting that it's more than just an economical hybrid – that it has some driving soul as well. And why not? A hybrid does not necessarily mean "no fun". The Honda CR-Z is a relative blast to drive, and the Lexus GS 450h is plenty fast and pretty fun to drive, so why can't the new Lexus wagon offer the same experience?
- Saturday, May 21, 2011

Porsche 911 Turbo S – S-pectacular!

If you're coming out of a winter that lasted far too long and Porsche is silly enough to offer you a week in its fabulous 2011 911 Turbo S, it might be understandable if your first thought is "Road trip!" That's my excuse, anyway, and I'm sticking to it. After all, when a company teases you with the intoxicating lure of a world class sports car that puts 530 horsepower onto the pavement, you need to figure out a way to savor it, to exploit it properly. And what better way than to pack an overnight bag, pick up your best friend, and head for the hills? Or, better still, the mountains.
- Sunday, May 15, 2011

Axiom Audio Home Theater Speakers Offer Sound, Value

Home theater speaker makers are a dime a dozen – as, of course, are their products. But not all of them offer as good a sound to dollar equation as Axiom's Epic Midi 175 system. Not that you can't do better, especially if your budget allows you to lean more toward the higher end of the market, but for the relatively modest price of this system you're getting a lot of sound for the money.
- Sunday, May 15, 2011

After Market Companies Make a Case for iPads

With the success of Apple's iPad comes not only a plethora of wannabes, but an abundance of accessories to help enhance your life with the wonderful little tablet. It seems as if there's something for just about anyone, too. Well, anyone who has an iPad...
- Saturday, May 7, 2011

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